Making Lemonade from those Lemons we bought.....

[Hostelling]

Originally Posted by GrayFal

How do you exchange 2 years ahead or how do you know when resorts deposit?

How do you know when resorts deposit?

Daniel

[GrayFal]

Originally Posted by Hostelling

How do you know when resorts deposit?

Daniel

From reading these message boards ,,,,and TUG.....and asking questions like this

If you are trying to exchange into a particular resort, or resort chain, you can post on the resort change board or the exchanging board.
There is always the option of calling the resort or management company and asking them.....how many people deposit and which exchange company do they exchange into.....

[chalucky]

Great post !!!!

Thanks for taking the time.

[reddiablosv]

My greatest trade up just occurred. It was the result of three occurrances. A helpful tugger posting. A bulk spacebanking. And II's valuation policy of matching supply and demand. Suddenly, because the Westin Kaanapali Resort on Maui did a Bulk spacebanking, there was a increase in supply!!!! A kind tugger posted it on the sightings board and I put in a request against my "lemon" deposit, the Royal Aloha Vacation Club. The RAVC is a standard resort which I bought on ebay for essentially $1. I paid $1500 including closing costs for it, but it included three banked weeks with the club. The MF per year is almost $500/yr. Hence, my $1 estimate. One of those banked weeks I deposited with II. Well, my II banked week matched for a one bedroom against the Westin Kaanapali. I think that qualifies for lemonade. Ben

[GrayFal]

Originally Posted by reddiablosv

My greatest trade up just occurred. It was the result of three occurrances. A helpful tugger posting. A bulk spacebanking. And II's valuation policy of matching supply and demand. Suddenly, because the Westin Kaanapali Resort on Maui did a Bulk spacebanking, there was a surplus in demand!!!! A kind tugger posted it on the sightings board and I put in a request against my "lemon" deposit the Royal Aloha Vacation Club. The RAVC is a standard resort which I bought on ebay for essentially $1. I paid $1500 including closing costs, but it included three banked weeks with the club. The MF per year is almost $500/yr. Hence, my $1 estimate. One of those banked weeks I deposited with II. Well, It matched for a one bedroom against the Westin Kaanapali. I think that qualifies for lemonade. Ben

You got your $1500 purchase price back in one trade!

My week at Four Seasons...1 night in a 2BR was $800 + tax....the weekly rate was a discounted $3600!

[rubin]

Originally Posted by GrayFal

Be willing to pay an additional exchange fee to get a 2BR[/b] many times I will see a resort online that I want to trade into but I want a 2BR for my 2BR deposit...and my GOLD but II RED week won't pull a 2BR.....or the resort....such as Desert Springs I & II - usually only shows studios and 1BRs deposited...eeven in the off season.
Call the II Marriott Desk and ask them to give you the 1BR for your $89 exchange fee and offer to pay an additional $89 to get the studio, too.
I have done this at Marriott Shadow Ridge with a non-Marriott 2BR ($121+121 exchange fee) - but it also works with Marriott weeks.

Wow what a great tip, thank you! I have been trying for a while now, to no avail, to get a 2br at a marriott property in exchange for my 2 br marriott for check in on a very specific date. I have seen a 1br and a studio online for that date, and 2 brs for other, close dates, but could not find exactly what I was looking for, and my request was not pulling it either. I stumbled upon this post today, called II and voila, done! I had no idea you could do that, and they certainly dont publicize it. The cost was 89 marriott to marriott exchange fee into the 1 br, and another 139 fee to get the studio (the rationale given was that the second exchange was for a "phantom" week into the marriott studio, so it doesnt qualify for the 89 fee - seems silly but hard to complain over the extra $50 given that I now have the trade i wanted).

One question - II and the marriott rep both took pains to point out that there is no "guarantee" that the two units will be connected - though they also both said that this should not be a problem. As a practical matter, is this something that I should be concerned about?

Anyway, thanks again for the great tip!

[m61376]

Originally Posted by rubin

One question - II and the marriott rep both took pains to point out that there is no "guarantee" that the two units will be connected - though they also both said that this should not be a problem. As a practical matter, is this something that I should be concerned about?

Anyway, thanks again for the great tip!

From what others have posted, just call the resort a few weeks beforehand and ask for the two reservations to be connected for a 2 BR unit.
I have read many posts and everyone said they didn't have a problem having them combined.

[rubin]

Originally Posted by m61376

From what others have posted, just call the resort a few weeks beforehand and ask for the two reservations to be connected for a 2 BR unit.
I have read many posts and everyone said they didn't have a problem having them combined.

Terrific, thanks very much.

[GrayFal]

Originally Posted by rubin

Terrific, thanks very much.

A problem could arise if the resorts has views - in other words, you have one Aruba Surf Club unit that is Garden View and one that is Ocean View.
You can tell this by logging into your II acount and seeing what 4 letter code is next to your reservation on the confirmation page.

If they don't match, I would make a point of calling the resort and letting them know you would take the 'lesser' view in order to get your 2 units together. Document who you spoke to and write a letter to fax to inventory conrol outlining your conversation and request.

Chances are they will accomodate you.

[rubin]

Originally Posted by GrayFal

A problem could arise if the resorts has views - in other words, you have one Aruba Surf Club unit that is Garden View and one that is Ocean View.
You can tell this by logging into your II acount and seeing what 4 letter code is next to your reservation on the confirmation page.

If they don't match, I would make a point of calling the resort and letting them know you would take the 'lesser' view in order to get your 2 units together. Document who you spoke to and write a letter to fax to inventory conrol outlining your conversation and request.

Chances are they will accomodate you.

Thanks again - I just checked and they DO have different codes - I wouldnt have known to check this and neither II nor Marriott mentioned this when they confirmed the trades, so its good to know. I will defintely call. Bottom line I'd live with just the 1 br (seems to be TOMV - maybe "mountain view? - studio is TOGV - garden view? its Canyon Villas) - so long as the resort wouldnt squawk to have all 5 of us (2 adults and three yound kids) in the 1 br - but if they couldnt join the units for us, I'm not sure they'd have cause to complain - or even know who is sleeping in what room, anyway. Though it would certainly be better to have a 2br.