Harborside Trade Question

Hi:

I am new to TUG. Please bear with me if I am asking repeated questions.

I would like to trade into a 2 BR Harborside at Atlantis in early November 2007. I have looked into II web site to see what the availability looks like for November 2006. However, I could not find any. Does any Tugger know that II has deposited the November 2006 weeks yet?

Also, if I want to direct exchange with an owner, how would you recommend I do that?

Thank you very much for your kind assistance.

Jason

Jason118 said:

Hi:

I am new to TUG. Please bear with me if I am asking repeated questions.

I would like to trade into a 2 BR Harborside at Atlantis in early November 2007. I have looked into II web site to see what the availability looks like for November 2006. However, I could not find any. Does any Tugger know that II has deposited the November 2006 weeks yet?

Also, if I want to direct exchange with an owner, how would you recommend I do that?

Thank you very much for your kind assistance.

Jason

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Very, very rarely will you ever see a Harborside unit available for instant confirmation.

You need to put in an ongoing request and be as flexible as possible with your dates. Getting a two bedroom at Harborside is one of the hardest exchanges to get for II members.

Jason118 said:

Does any Tugger know that II has deposited the November 2006 weeks yet?

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Just to clarify, II does not deposit weeks. Harborside owners (or the developer) must deposit weeks into II. Since most owners either use their weeks or rent them, it makes for a difficult trade. If your party can fit into a 1BR unit, you'll have better luck but it is still quite difficult.

Phase 2 is only 1/2 sold, so there should still be a fair amount of developer deposits available. The time between now and sell-out of phase 2 is probably the best time to get an exchange. It will be much harder once it is sold out. Historically, 2 bedrooms have been hard to come by, because there weren't any true 2 BRs in phase one, but there are in phase 2, and the developer has been depositing them. Starwood bulk banks low season weeks and November has come up in the past, so chances are good that they will come up again; however, I think your chances of getting the match would be higher if you started your request a year in advance.

I don't know if the traditional deposit of November weeks has ocurred yet. If it hasn't, it might make sense to start a search.

Personally, I think direct exchange is the way to go, particularly if you have an attractive property to trade for silver season at Harborside.

newbie with questions about Harborside

So are you all saying it is difficult to get into Harborside even if you are part of starwood?

Much easier to get there by trading internally with Starwood. Even if you use II, there is a roughly 3 day Starwood preference period. So yes, Starwood owners have an advantage. Still difficult to get a holiday week, though. Difficult, but not impossible.

lookforbest said:

So are you all saying it is difficult to get into Harborside even if you are part of starwood?

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I own at The Westin KORV on Maui and traded for Harborside during President's week 2005. Not much trouble. Maybe I lucked out and didn't know it. In any case, I gave it back and went to The Westin St John instead.

My first choice - trade within SVN
Second choice - use StarPoints and stay in a Starwood hotel
Third choice - rent my week and use the money to rent elsewhere.
Fourth choice - make a deal directly with another owner on Redweek.com or another site.
Fifth choice - turn to II.

KOR5Star said:

I own at The Westin KORV on Maui and traded for Harborside during President's week 2005. Not much trouble. Maybe I lucked out and didn't know it. In any case, I gave it back and went to The Westin St John instead.

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Sounds like you were dealing in StarOptions for an internal trade. The OP does not own a Starwood resort and cannot trade internally or use the Starwood II preference. Since he owns oceanfront Marriott in Hawaii, I would think a direct exchange for a low season Harborside would be easiest, although I agree with you that renting his great week would probably make him more money than it costs to rent a November Harborside week.

I am in the process of buying a Marriott Maui Ocean Club one bedroom. Do I have any chance of trading it for Atlantis Harborside for next summer? If so, should I hold Maui until II can make the trade or immediately trade Maui into II & hope for the best?

Re: newbie with questions about Harborside

lookforbest said:

So are you all saying it is difficult to get into Harborside even if you are part of starwood?

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Yes. I own during the Harborside Gold season and am trying to float in my season which is summer. I have called Starwood multiple times for any June or July week and they are booked. As an owner in the summer season, if I can't get a week, I don't think II will get a week. Over 90% of Harborside owners return in the summer. Further, whatever the Harborside owners don't take in the summer, the other Starwood owners will take with Star Options. There might be something in the fall or spring......... If you have to go in the summer, you are probably better off renting your unit and then renting at Harborside unless you can find a direct trade.

Good Luck!!

FYI last year I had an ongoing request from Mar until Aug when a match came for a 2BR week in the middle of December. I am pretty sure I got a developer week and it was a good trip.

My search window was pretty wide open with respect to dates.