SVN / SVO Week Reservation Practices

Greetings Starwood experts,

Need help with the following scenario:

Given:
Reservation made in Sept of 2006
2 BR GOLD LO Float Week 27
Confirmed with SVO (both 1 BR LO units same date) at home property

Question:
If we discover this December 2006 that we will not need both units (and instead wish to opt for just the 1BR LO Premium unit), would we just call SVO and ask that the second unit week (1BR LO) be reserved at a different SVN location for a different week?

In December 2006 or January 2007, if we decide to make a change (because the other couple can't join us), then we could still be inside of a 11-8 or 8-0 month window to reserve a qualifing 1BR LO week at a different location, correct?

My concern is if the original reservation is made with the 2BR LO unit can the unit size be "downsized" without losing the preexisting reserved week?

Is this an acceptable SVO practice?

My fear is that if we make a change to "downsize" the unit week from 2BR to 1BR Premium, we may loose the existing week 27 which was used to book the 2BR LO week in the first place; we do not want to do.



How flexible is SVO in this regard, will they insist on us starting all over again which might result in the loss of week 27?

How do you know what unit in which building was reserved for you once a reservation is confirmed?

I have yet to see any PDF or specific UNIT location map for any SVN location.

Ok, pony up, who's got them?

Gratefully,








(I am currently not an SVO interval owner but hopefully that will change soon : )

A 2 bdm. lock-off is 2 units. Thus, you have made a Resv. for 2 units, for the same week. You can cancel one Resv. without changing the other. You can use the Staroptions associated with the unit you are canceling to attempt to make another Resv. beginning at 8 mos. out.

Generally, you won't know what unit you will have at a Starwood property until you check in, but there is a definite pecking order for who gets what, so get your specific request in ASAP either by calling owner reservations, or at mystarcentral.com. Not to go into a lot of detail but Elite owners have priority and then owners at their home resort, so you are fairly high in the food chain and it is worthwhile to put in a request. If the previous owner made the Resv. for you, they will have to make the location/unit/view request, or you will have to wait until the deed is in your name. You are only guaranteed the view that you OWN and only if the Resv. was made during the owner's preference period.

DeniseM said:

A 2 bdm. lock-off is 2 units. Thus, you have made a Resv. for 2 units, for the same week. You can cancel one Resv. without changing the other. You can use the Staroptions associated with the unit you are canceling to attempt to make another Resv. beginning at 8 mos. out.

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Denise, suppose you wanted to book the cancelled lockoff and you are still in your 12 month owner period. Could you then do that? Obviously if you were in the 8 months or less period, you'd be using your Staroptions.

I didn't know that Starwood booked the lockoff as two separate units. That's good to know. My answer would have been that you'd have to tell them to book them separately for the original reservation if you had any inkling that you may want to break them up in the future.

Starwood will charge a change fee...$29, for each change, if it's made more than 24 hours after the reservation was made. Is this your understanding?

I have changed my 2007 reservations twice so far, and haven't been charged the fee. I've been warned that next time I will be charged, but haven't actually been charged.

deniselew said:

Starwood will charge a change fee...$29, for each change, if it's made more than 24 hours after the reservation was made. Is this your understanding?

Click to expand...

Actually, the fee is supposed to be charged for Staroption reservation changes, not owner home period reservations. Arlene, were yours using your home preference period?

The change fee was not charged to me a few years ago, but they did charge me this year when I changed a date at a non-owned resort.