We own at Desert Springs 2, and have deposited a week with Interval. What is the best way to trade for a week at Club Son Antem (in Majorca, Spain) for October 2012?
When I checked the Interval website, they only show availability at that property for the next five five months, into May. Is that typical for timeshare properties in Europe?
We have a cruise booked that embarks from Barcelona, so we are looking for a pre-cruise stay. What are the chances of getting a specific week at Club Son Antem in October?
Thanks in advance.
Woody
First the good news - Son Antem is one of the best Marriott Vacation Club Resorts - but as an owner I guess I'm biased.
The Bad News - Oct 2012 is Gold Holiday Season. Every week in October is half term at some school somewhere in Europe, if its not Germany then it will be England or Scotland or France or Italy or The Netherlands or another country.
Son Antem is a year round resort - it has two golf courses and is also great for the Sun from May through October. It has a great SPA, it also has the Marriott Hotel.
Club Son Antem has 4 seasons, Plat is basically the 6 weeks of the English Summer school holidays and two weeks at Easter. Gold Holiday covers all the half term periods and Christmas and New year. Gold fits around these and Silver is the Winter from Nov thru to mid March.
To get an II exchange in Oct 2012 you probably should have placed a request back in August or earlier in 2011. You should place a request for the desired week at Son Antem ASAP and use a strategy to get around the II 3 week window or 3 resorts requirement for requests.
You might get lucky but it is a high demand period for families across Europe. Also Son Antem is 100% sold out in Gold Holiday and Plat seasons and so Marriott has nothing to deposit either.
Marriott has rental availability for Son Antem villas on Marriott.com since a small but significant number of owners give up weeks for MR points each year. The MOD rate is 224 Euros per night for a 2 bed villa or about $2,000 US for a week.
Also remember that Majorca is a 4 hour ferry journey by sea from Barcelona or an internal flight.