Using a Studio to Trade for a 1BR in II

[dioxide45]

I was placing an ongoing exchange request in II tonight, and while I wasn't looking to trade our studio for a 1BR, I found something interesting.

When you place an exchange request, you have to tell it the minimum unit size you require and if you require kitchen facilities or not.

Could one in theory, use a studio unit and try to trade in to a resort that has studio and 1BR units, but in the request indicate that they require kitchen facilities? As long as the studios at the resort doesn't have kitchens but the 1BR units do, wouldn't the system have to match you to a 1BR unit as long as the trade power was there?

An example would be exchanging in to Lakeshore Reserve. I have a studio, when I place the request, indicate that I will accept a studio but indicate I require kitchen facilities. Thus if they fill the request, it would have to be a 1BR unit since none of the studios have a kitchen.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

Did you try it? I have always thought that it will not allow the request unless the studio you are using is flagged for kitchen facilities. I thought I ran into this a few years back but I'm not certain. When you place a request it's either full kitchen or no kitchen. Studios with a partial kitchen show as no kitchen so that's why I'm thinking it will disallow it.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

I just tried it and it lets me get to the payment page. I could have sworn it did not allow this a few years ago. It sure looks like this loophole will work but you never know with II. Or maybe it will count a kitchenette as a kitchen and match to another studio but I think that is doubfule since the deposit being used is clearly marked as "no kitchen".

 

[frank808]

I will put in an ogs with a studio with full kitchen. Will report back if a match for 1br happens.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

May as well test for an easy match so we know. Can always cancel. Make sure and test for something that you know has regular studios to match to.

 

[taterhed]

Somebody else is reported being awarded 1br/2br with studio deposit outside flex. I've never heard of this approach though.
Subscribed!

 

[Saintsfanfl]

Somebody else is reported being awarded 1br/2br with studio deposit outside flex. I've never heard of this approach though.
Subscribed!

It's really easy to get matched to a 1BR or 2BR outside flex, especially in certain places with high supply. That's the standard matches but there is also a trade power glitch that occurs on rare occasions. It has to do with the 2BR that get's deposited. For some reason it will get in with very little trade power required so you can fetch it with a studio even though you can't see a 1BR for the same check-in date.

 

[dioxide45]

Did you try it? I have always thought that it will not allow the request unless the studio you are using is flagged for kitchen facilities. I thought I ran into this a few years back but I'm not certain. When you place a request it's either full kitchen or no kitchen. Studios with a partial kitchen show as no kitchen so that's why I'm thinking it will disallow it.

I also thought that there was a restriction that you couldn't indicate that you want kitchen facilities if the unit you were depositing didn't have it. That is why I was surprised last night when the system looked like it would let you place such a request.

I think one issue might be that you end up with a Limited Kitchen if you indicate you require kitchen facilities. In places like Lakeshore Reserve, this wouldn't be a full 1BR with laundry. But other places like Grande Vista or even perhaps the Hawaii Marriott's it would work well.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

For some reason I was thinking a studio kitchenette showed as a limited kitchen but that is obviously not the case. I am almost certain this issue did not exist before. I think a programmer messed up somewhere on one of the updates. This is assuming it works and does not place the OGS in eternal stagnation. I am curious on the test result.

There are quite a few programming oddities from time to time. I once traded for a unit that was 25 months with a flex restricted unit. How do you trade 25 months out with anything? You can't even search that far. And then how does it happen with a flex restricted unit? Weird.

 

[dougp26364]

In the past, you couldn't request a larger unit than the deposited units private sleeping capacity......as I understood it at least. Of course, all things can change.

We have successfully "traded up" in size several times over the years. This past year we exchanged a studio Marriott's Ocean Pointe for a Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge 1 bedroom. The exchange was done as an online instant exchange. We've always been able to "trade up" by looking for online instant exchanges. However, I.I. never allowed us to deposit/request for a larger unit unless the resort requested only had larger units. I haven't attempted such a request for years but, as I mentioned, it was private sleeping capacity that triggered any unit size restrictions as I recall.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

In the past, you couldn't request a larger unit than the deposited units private sleeping capacity......as I understood it at least. Of course, all things can change.

We have successfully "traded up" in size several times over the years. This past year we exchanged a studio Marriott's Ocean Pointe for a Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge 1 bedroom. The exchange was done as an online instant exchange. We've always been able to "trade up" by looking for online instant exchanges. However, I.I. never allowed us to deposit/request for a larger unit unless the resort requested only had larger units. I haven't attempted such a request for years but, as I mentioned, it was private sleeping capacity that triggered any unit size restrictions as I recall.

You can request a Studio into 2BR+ only resorts like you mentioned. The discussion is keeping that same studio request but adding a kitchen. I am pretty sure that you can get matched to a 1BR with a studio request if that's all there is and you only requested the studio. So adding the kitchen request in theory could block any studio matches, but the request is still a studio. We don't know if it works but since I am pretty sure that restriction used to be there I am thinking it will work until they "fix" it.

 

[dioxide45]

In the past, you couldn't request a larger unit than the deposited units private sleeping capacity......as I understood it at least. Of course, all things can change.

We have successfully "traded up" in size several times over the years. This past year we exchanged a studio Marriott's Ocean Pointe for a Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge 1 bedroom. The exchange was done as an online instant exchange. We've always been able to "trade up" by looking for online instant exchanges. However, I.I. never allowed us to deposit/request for a larger unit unless the resort requested only had larger units. I haven't attempted such a request for years but, as I mentioned, it was private sleeping capacity that triggered any unit size restrictions as I recall.

You still can't request a larger unit than your deposit. There are four key items on the request.

Travelers: You can't indicate a higher number than the private sleeping capacity of your unit.
Bedrooms: It will only allow you to select a unit size up the the number of bedrooms you have for your unit.
Kitchen: Yes/No
Special Facilities: Yes/No

They key here is using a studio unit to request a 1BR with resorts that have 1BR and studio units. If there is nothing sitting in instant exchange, the theory is that you can use a studio and place a request, but indicate you require a kitchen. If a match happens one would expect it has to be a 1BR since the studio wouldn't have a kitchen as requested.

 

[davidvel]

For some reason I was thinking a studio kitchenette showed as a limited kitchen but that is obviously not the case. I am almost certain this issue did not exist before. I think a programmer messed up somewhere on one of the updates. This is assuming it works and does not place the OGS in eternal stagnation. I am curious on the test result.

There are quite a few programming oddities from time to time. I once traded for a unit that was 25 months with a flex restricted unit. How do you trade 25 months out with anything? You can't even search that far. And then how does it happen with a flex restricted unit? Weird.

Maybe they put in an "or" where there should have been and "and."

 

[dioxide45]

The site is back up and I am still able to use a studio and request a kitchen.

 

[wvacations]

I did an OGS with a DSV II studio and indicated I wanted kitchen facilities. I got matched to a studio at DSV I the next day. The date was perfect and only 2 people so studio is ok. I just keep serching now to retrade to 1 BR.

I think LK qualifies as kitchen facilities.

 

[dioxide45]

I did an OGS with a DSV II studio and indicated I wanted kitchen facilities. I got matched to a studio at DSV I the next day. The date was perfect and only 2 people so studio is ok. I just keep serching now to retrade to 1 BR.

I think LK qualifies as kitchen facilities.

I do think LK would qualify as kitchen facilities. But I don't think that a DSV I studio indicates a limited kitchen on II?

 

[rickandcindy23]

Don't trust II to match a studio to anything you really want.

My Custom House supposedly lets me exchange into a unit that will sleep 6 (even though it doesn't), so I put that in my exchange request to Kauai for this summer, and it matched me to a Marriott's Kauai Beach that sleeps 4. I am hoping to use e-trade to get Waiohai or a unit at Kauai Beach with two bedrooms.

I put that I needed to sleep six because II has 1 bedroom, sleeps six right on my week on the My Units page. I own Platinum at Custom House. What the heck? Goes to show that II will not honor the sleeps 6 at all.

I have matched several 1 bedrooms and no 2 bedrooms. I give up. I need a Friday, so Lagoons is out. The II guide may have changed my request without my knowledge. I needed only Friday and had her fix it. I am so annoyed. Now I have to watch all of the time.

 

[PamMo]

I did an OGS with a DSV II studio and indicated I wanted kitchen facilities. I got matched to a studio at DSV I the next day. The date was perfect and only 2 people so studio is ok. I just keep serching now to retrade to 1 BR.

I think LK qualifies as kitchen facilities.

Well, there you go. I guess requesting a kitchen doesn't mean II will necessarily honor it. Dioxide45 is correct that DSV1 studios in II are classified as having no kitchen. I must agree that a mini-refrigerator, small microwave, and place settings for 2 that have to be washed in the bathroom sink, barely qualify as even a very limited "Limited Kitchen" to me.

I love the resort, though. Good luck on retrading into a 1BR, Wvacations.

 

[dioxide45]

Given wvacations and rickandcindy23's experience, the whole number of guests and kitchen facilities is meaningless. I have a current OGS out using a studio where I requested a unit with kitchen facilities. I will report back my experience. If they match a studio, I will end up tossing it back.