SVN summer reservations at the Big 3

There was much debate about how easy it was to reserve a Starwood resort during the summer using StarOptions. I know I had a challenge booking during my summer season at Harborside. But, there was also a discussion about how dynamic the inventory was especially when owners canceled their fixed weeks.

Please post whether you were able to exchange into either St. John, Harborside or Maui using StarOptions and your experience ie were you wait listed and if so, how long did it take you to clear, was the reservation available when you called, did you call at exactly the 8 month mark etc.

I think this would be helpful to know in planning for the future.

Thanks

t.

tsl said:

There was much debate about how easy it was to reserve a Starwood resort during the summer using StarOptions. I know I had a challenge booking during my summer season at Harborside. But, there was also a discussion about how dynamic the inventory was especially when owners canceled their fixed weeks.

Please post whether you were able to exchange into either St. John, Harborside or Maui using StarOptions and your experience ie were you wait listed and if so, how long did it take you to clear, was the reservation available when you called, did you call at exactly the 8 month mark etc.

I think this would be helpful to know in planning for the future.

Thanks

t.

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I am no expert on this - but from my TUG reading - I would list them (in ease of exchanging into) as:
1) Maui
2) Harborside
3) St John

I tried to use our studio side at WKORV (Maui) to exchange into WSJ (for an additional week), but because of wait-list requirements - no way! This is a clear benefit of being 5* Elite, because they do not have to give up an existing reservation to be wait-listed (from what I understand). I was not willing to give up our reservation for the last-minute (couple months notice)chance to go to St John - especially when plane reservation and jeep rental need to be made well in advance.

i have never had trouble booking maui at 8 mos out, and have done it a few different times in march, may and late june. I have been able to book harborside a couple of times in summer but getting a 2 bedroom took some significant effort. I have only tried a few times for wsj, but never had success.

blujahz said:

I tried to use our studio side at WKORV (Maui) to exchange into WSJ (for an additional week), but because of wait-list requirements - no way! This is a clear benefit of being 5* Elite, because they do not have to give up an existing reservation to be wait-listed (from what I understand). I was not willing to give up our reservation for the last-minute (couple months notice)chance to go to St John - especially when plane reservation and jeep rental need to be made well in advance.

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What are the wait-list requirements? Is it just that you have to give up your existing reservation or are there more? We are thinking of buying Vistana Villages (mostly to use) but would want to try and trade occasionally to places like Harborside or St John. Is this unrealistic for a resale owner with only one week? We could take any summer week or mid-October when our kids get a week off school.

After years of watching for a Harborside summer week at a good price, I finally broke down and bought a Memorial Week. (I only have one child and she started college this year -- "summer" was finally redefined and extended!) The former owner failed to reserve the fixed week prior to the deadline. No luck getting a summer week thus far.

I knew this going into it, and was prepared to "sacrifice" the first year's usage because I liked the week and the price ... but, it's still disappointing. Right now, we're hoping for a long weekend in the fall ... but, that's risky since we can't book a partial week until the 90-day mark.

Keeping my fingers crossed -- and making absolutely certain I hold our fixed week for next year. I suspect one has to be extraordinary lucky to use StarOptions to book a week 25-34 at Harborside (traditional summer vacation in the Northeast, where I suspect a large majority of Harborside owners reside).

2007 ressies

How about you folks who snagged a 2007 summer week with StarOptions? Are there folks out there who couldn't get what they wanted or are still waiting?

Thanks

I am trying to gather data for future planning.................

t.

Still waiting

We gave up our week 17 3 bedroom WSJ in hopes of getting a 2 bedroom or 2 1 bedrooms in late June at Harborside or a Thanksgiving week at WSJ. The WSJ week is wait listed because its our same season/villa type. We just keep calling SVO hoping to get Harborside, and will continue calling until probably the first of May. If we don't get it, or don't clear the wait list, I'm not sure what we'll do - probably end up with a week at Vistana.

The Harborside is not my idea - we could probably get a 1 bedroom in early June, but my sister-in-law's kids don't get out of school until late June and my husband thinks we should vacation with his family. They prefer Harborside over St John because its an easier flight from NY.


Lori

We booked (2) one bedroom premium and (1) one bedroom at Harborside using our Staroptions. We are going June 15th thru the 23rd. My BIL booked a one bedroom premium for the same week. We both called when the phones opened 8 months out. We did call 20 minutes later to add another room, but by that time nothing was left.

We orginally wanted a two bedroom, but none was available. We took what we could get.

We own in Maui, I called 8 mo out at 5am calif time and got a 1 bdrm premium at Harborside. That is for June 16 arrival. I had also booked a premium 1 bdrm at Harborside the previous week and decided to not take the kids out of the last week of school and paid the $30.00 canellation fee when I was able to get the arrvial date of the 16th.

Stefa said:

What are the wait-list requirements? Is it just that you have to give up your existing reservation or are there more? We are thinking of buying Vistana Villages (mostly to use) but would want to try and trade occasionally to places like Harborside or St John. Is this unrealistic for a resale owner with only one week? We could take any summer week or mid-October when our kids get a week off school.

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Don't count on being able to wait-list. Owners can wait-list at 12 mos. out at their home resort and 5 Star Elites can waitlist while holding an existing reservation. Reg. owners can't, which means you can lose your owner's priority while waiting on the waitlist for another resort.

When I tried to make a Resv. at 8 mos. out, I was told that the whole month I was interested in was already both reserved and waitlisted for WSJ. I think that Maui is very doable, but I haven't had any luck with reserving WSJ or Harborside during the summer - Oct. should be easier, but not easy. Be sure you take a good look at the Staroptions chart before you buy - some VV weeks don't have enought Staroptions to get the exchanges you want.

Those June reservations are great, but we were hoping to take friends with a daughter who doesn't get out of her NJ school until late June. The NYC kids have it even worse -- this calendar shows the last day of school in Manhattan as 6/27 -- yuck!

http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres...-323CAF16678E/12455/200607SchoolCalendar1.pdf

Has anyone received a July or August week at Harborside? I thought things might free up in mid-August due to hurricane season, but the only thing I was able to get with the "float" portion of my week was 8/25 and my daughter will be back to college by then.

Here's hoping someone cancels minutes before I call one of these days!

Stefa said:

What are the wait-list requirements? Is it just that you have to give up your existing reservation or are there more? We are thinking of buying Vistana Villages (mostly to use) but would want to try and trade occasionally to places like Harborside or St John. Is this unrealistic for a resale owner with only one week? We could take any summer week or mid-October when our kids get a week off school.

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From what everybody says, getting a week in the summer at WSJ is brutal. October should be a different story. My kids also had a week off in October and we were able to get a 2 bedroom townhouse villa last October. It's their low season and some of the restaurants are closed but it's less crowded and quieter. This was our first use of our Kierland week and I had no idea how lucky we were to get into WSJ. I called 8 months out and tried for a 3 bedroom but they said nothing was available. I took the 2 bedroom but called a few months later just for kicks and they had a 3 bedroom available. The trip was incredible.

riverdoglb

I made a reservation to WKORV for the end of June/Early July but really wanted to go to WSJ in June. I then called at 8 or 9 am every elegible day (every Friday, Saturday and Sunday 8 months out) to get WSJ. I was on the wait list for every weekend in June (I am 5 Star Elite) for any 1 - 3 BR unit.

In the end we decided to just use WKORV since it was getting late to make airline reservations with out frequent flyer points. We decided to just go to Hawaii again. We gave up the wailist in late December and just made our travel arrangements to Kauai and then Maui.

I did inquire about Harborside and would have been able to take a 1 BR there once or twice. So Harborside in June is doable, at least for a 1BR. WSJ seems very difficult during the summer. I'm not sure I'd risk going July-September due to hurricanes there. Even October could be iffy. My last one is a spophomore in high school so perhaps in a couple of years we'll try some other seasons to go to WSJ.

Pure luck I guess

I just recently bought a VV with the intent of using the staroptions to get into Harborside and St John, thinking I would never get it thru II using a Marriott. While I've never won anything, guess this is my lucky yr for timesharing, used an AC this summer to get a 2bd OF at Marriott's Aruba Surf Club.

I reserved a 2bd at Harborside for the week of 6/29 - 7/6/07. I got thru first thing in the morning (either 8 or 9am) when they opend, 8 mths out.

As starwood continues to build more high demand resorts hopefully it will be easier to book into the existing ones.

That's great Larry -- there's hope!

We went to Surf Club on an AC a couple of years ago, when it had just opened. Beautiful resort. For this summer, I was able to snag a one-BR for the last week of July/first week of August at Ocean Club -- but I haven't seen any 2-BRs. Still hoping I'll be able to pick up a cancellation and use my Harborside week, but the Ocean Club isn't a bad "consolation prize!"

Thanks Jerseygirl, I couldn't believe it, even thou it was my only purpose for buy VV I was in shock when I got the reservation and can't wait to go.

Your right Aruba is not a consolation prize. I lucked out there too. have original reserved a 1 bd and was able to upgrade 2 weeks before going and then requested and got a OF. Owned 2 Marriott's at the time so I am sure it helped.