SDO and II so far so good!

Just wanted to give a heads up that my EOY SDO purchase just got set up with Starwood and II today (after 6 weeks of escrows, owner change with Starwood, II confirmation of resort...). This is a LOOONG process even though the actual escrow was only 8 days long (recording took a long time despite me pestering them).

Anyway, I established my own II account since this unit is not in the SVN system (didn't buy from Starwood or retro it). I wanted to use it to trade. I made reservations as recommended by Grayfal through the previous owner. Then I called II Starwood desk today and asked them to deposit my reserved weeks (Week 51 and 52) into II. They hemmed and haaa'd and told me that could not be done with those particular weeks but then when I mentioned I was not in the SVN system and should be able to deposit my reserved week, and they agreed.

Within about 5 minutes I had both weeks (1BR and Studio) deposited for those times into II and I was set! EASY.

So for those of you who are purchasing SDO and other resale Starwood units for exchange, it really is no trouble at all to get a good week deposited into II for trading. I had a nice conversation with the Starwood lady and all was well. They were really helpful in setting up ongoing searches too. And I snapped up a ski week at SMV for March 09!!! Our first exchange. I am thrilled.

That said, II is VERY glitchy! I see some availability in one moment and then the next it tells me nothing is available for my date ranges. I just saw SMV with about 20 weeks of availability in the Spring of 2009. I clicked again and could only see 3 weeks available (in January). I refreshed and it didn't help.

I logged out and back in and voila -- it all came up again. OY!

Katherine

I am so proud!











:hysterical: :rofl:

Well you are the master of II, I have to say. Your advice was right on! Now if only I can get my darn PGA in there sometime this century....

Katherine

congratulations on your first trade.you put weeks 51 &52 both l/o's in II for this year?

All I can say is WOW, that is great.

I am a bonafide II chicken. I keep thinking that someday I will buy a good trader (I'm not going to deposit my WKORV or DVC or Hyatt), but then I chicken out. With school holidays and little flexibility, I think I would get nervous. But boy, it sure is tempting and sounds like fun. Kind of like gambling.

I may just have to try it one of these days! Congrats!

LOL. I like the "chicken" part of your post. When I look at what is available on II, I DON'T see anything anywhere during the high demand weeks. I think if you are looking to travel during President's week, Thanksgiving, etc, you won't be able to use II well. Those weeks are absent on every nice TS I have looked at so far. Granted they don't "sit" there and there may occasionally be available units, but I would think it would be a HUGE gamble to bet that year after year you can snatch such a high demand week.

On the other hand, if you can travel slightly off season, or want to travel to a driving distance location with only 1-2 months notice, II seems to be a good bet. Thanks to TUG and TS4Ms, many people list "sightings" that help identify times when Starwood and others bulk bank weeks. During the last bulk banking period with Starwood, if I had my SDO unit in II already, I could have picked up a 2BR LO at WKORV with a 1BR SDO for just about any week this fall! Cannot beat that for value.

I will keep playing with what I have. I took my 2BR LO SDO and split it into 2 one bedroom deposits. So far, the fact that I search with the smaller 1BR versus the larger one has not made any difference at all.

Katherine

SDKath said:

So for those of you who are purchasing SDO and other resale Starwood units for exchange, it really is no trouble at all to get a good week deposited into II for trading.

Click to expand...

This is great news Kath. I think Pat's recent experience has been the same. :whoopie:

After an unsuccessful attempt to deposit what I reserved last summer, I wrote to their legal department. They never did respond, but magically did let me deposit what I reserved after they received it. Of course, they acted like they were doing me a great big favor, instead of providing the proof I requested regarding their legal right to control deposits for non-SVN units. I think my attorney is going to be a little bit disappointed not to have the opportunity to take them on this summer. I had him all geared up for the fight!

SDKath said:

I will keep playing with what I have. I took my 2BR LO SDO and split it into 2 one bedroom deposits. So far, the fact that I search with the smaller 1BR versus the larger one has not made any difference at all.

Click to expand...

I've noticed the same with my WMH deposits. I deposit both sides separately, and they pull the same units. I understand that since WMH (and SDO) are both 2, 1-bed units, as far as II is concerned they're equal in value for exchanging purposes (even though they do differentiate the units when redeeming for exchange or getaway by saying one has a "LK" (limited kitchen) vs "K" (full kitchen)).

I suspect SDO pulls the same as WMH, which makes SDO the better buy due to lower costs. If/when I decide to get another trader SDO is right up there on my short list.

And, I'll be at WKORV in my parking lot view (though my confirmation actually says ocean view - it will be an interesting check-in experience this time) with my WMH exchange next month.

Ken555 said:

And, I'll be at WKORV in my parking lot view (though my confirmation actually says ocean view - it will be an interesting check-in experience this time) with my WMH exchange next month.

Click to expand...

Ken, the parking lot view is actually an ocean view, across a parking lot - it's not bad, for an exchange. The worst view, in my opinion, is a room that is so low it has no view, or a highway view which faces away from the ocean.

Luck continues

OK, I am really getting into this II thing. I just snagged a 2BR at WKV for first week of March! I used my SDO 1BR with the kitchen for it.

Yaaaay.

SDKath said:

OK, I am really getting into this II thing. I just snagged a 2BR at WKV for first week of March! I used my SDO 1BR with the kitchen for it.

Yaaaay.

Click to expand...

Very nice trade. Congrats.

If you want to press your luck, try calling II directly and see if they'll give you a second unit at WKV under a "2 for 1 trade" special. (Usually you have to book the actual trade over the phone too to have any hope of getting the extra one).

-nodge

Thanks for the tip. I called the II desk at Starwood. She said they do sometimes do the 2 for 1 special but you have to be trading a 2BR to do that. I had a 1BR deposited to grab this 2BR LO at Kierland so she could not offer me anything more. I will have a 2BR PGA so I will try it with that one and see.

Kath

SDKath said:

LOL. I like the "chicken" part of your post. When I look at what is available on II, I DON'T see anything anywhere during the high demand weeks. I think if you are looking to travel during President's week, Thanksgiving, etc, you won't be able to use II well. Those weeks are absent on every nice TS I have looked at so far. Granted they don't "sit" there and there may occasionally be available units, but I would think it would be a HUGE gamble to bet that year after year you can snatch such a high demand week.

On the other hand, if you can travel slightly off season, or want to travel to a driving distance location with only 1-2 months notice, II seems to be a good bet. Thanks to TUG and TS4Ms, many people list "sightings" that help identify times when Starwood and others bulk bank weeks. During the last bulk banking period with Starwood, if I had my SDO unit in II already, I could have picked up a 2BR LO at WKORV with a 1BR SDO for just about any week this fall! Cannot beat that for value.

I will keep playing with what I have. I took my 2BR LO SDO and split it into 2 one bedroom deposits. So far, the fact that I search with the smaller 1BR versus the larger one has not made any difference at all.

Katherine

Click to expand...

I have many friends that have school age kids - I always exchange someplace during Presidenst week and Easter.

And remember - the 'sightings' are the 'LEFTOVERS that no one has an ongoing request in for - if you need to go someplace for a holiday week - you need to put in an ongoing request...see chemteach's post today about a holiday week II exchange.

Denise L said:

All I can say is WOW, that is great.

I am a bonafide II chicken. I keep thinking that someday I will buy a good trader (I'm not going to deposit my WKORV or DVC or Hyatt), but then I chicken out. With school holidays and little flexibility, I think I would get nervous. But boy, it sure is tempting and sounds like fun. Kind of like gambling.

I may just have to try it one of these days! Congrats!

Click to expand...

Denise, I 'command you' :hysterical: to buy a SBP L/O to trade in II....now get on over to ebay please!

...and any of your other ownerships would trade just fine in II

SDKath said:

Do I call the Starwood II desk or the general number. My first trade was booked over the phone (thanks to one of those II glitches where I saw all the available weeks for the Spring and then they all disappeared 5 minutes later!).

Kath

Click to expand...

Because your II account was opened with a Starwood week - you will be automatically routed to the Starwood desk - if not, as soon as u give your membership number and they pull u up - they will transfer you.

SDKath said:

OK, I am really getting into this II thing. I just snagged a 2BR at WKV for first week of March! I used my SDO 1BR with the kitchen for it.

Yaaaay.

Click to expand...

Oh NO, what are u going to do now????
You have run out of stuff to exchange!

SDKath said:

Do I call the Starwood II desk or the general number. My first trade was booked over the phone (thanks to one of those II glitches where I saw all the available weeks for the Spring and then they all disappeared 5 minutes later!).

Kath

Click to expand...

I'd just call II's general number and have them route you to a Starwood reservation's agent. If you can track down the rep that helped you. Great. Otherwise, see if anyone else can do it for you.

They may say "no," but it never hurts to ask.

Good Luck,
-nodge

GrayFal said:

Denise, I 'command you' :hysterical: to buy a SBP L/O to trade in II....now get on over to ebay please!

...and any of your other ownerships would trade just fine in II

Click to expand...

I actually think my WKORV studio side is a lousy trader, at least when I have browsed II. It is listed as a sleeps 2, I guess, so I have to search for places that sleep 2 only, even though it sleeps 4, and I have two children. I don't understand that part of it.

I think my Hyatt pts would trade well, but I use them, and I seem to be in the 'borrow' mode with my DVC pts. WKORV, as you know, we always use.

So I see the logic of your command! I need something to play with, and then the addiction can stop....(famous last words)!

I edited my post above! Couldn't do it this time but it sounds like it IS possible. K

Denise L said:

All I can say is WOW, that is great.

I am a bonafide II chicken. I keep thinking that someday I will buy a good trader (I'm not going to deposit my WKORV or DVC or Hyatt), but then I chicken out. With school holidays and little flexibility, I think I would get nervous. But boy, it sure is tempting and sounds like fun. Kind of like gambling.

I may just have to try it one of these days! Congrats!

Click to expand...

Do a request first you have absolutly nothing to lose. You may get the exact exchange you want. I have a few requests in for resorts on dates that I would really like to get into. Who knows I may get lucky if not when it comes time to book thru SVN I just cancel the request and book normally. The II fee is then refunded.

Denise L said:

I actually think my WKORV studio side is a lousy trader, at least when I have browsed II. It is listed as a sleeps 2, I guess, so I have to search for places that sleep 2 only, even though it sleeps 4, and I have two children. I don't understand that part of it.
I think my Hyatt pts would trade well, but I use them, and I seem to be in the 'borrow' mode with my DVC pts. WKORV, as you know, we always use.

So I see the logic of your command! I need something to play with, and then the addiction can stop....(famous last words)!

Click to expand...

Even though it is a studio - if you deposit a high demand week, it would trade very well, especially Starwood to Starwood you would routinely 'see' 1BRs and probably 2BRs.
When I deposit my Marriott Aruba Surf Club studio - I often see 1BRs when I do a search as the trade value is so high..the same would be true of a Hawaii week.
The catch is, you can not put in an ongoing request for a unit size bigger then what you own.....the only way around that is to request resorts that only have larger size units.
An example would be the Casa Del Mar in Aruba - they only have 1BR and 2BR units - so u would be able to get a 1BR or Westin Mission Hills - all 1BR units.

And when 'browsing' II - do NOT change the 'default' setting from 1 person traveling - that way it will show u ALL availability - and as u said, many studios are listed as sleep 2/4.

SDKath said:

Thanks for the tip. I called the II desk at Starwood. She said they do sometimes do the 2 for 1 special but you have to be trading a 2BR to do that. I had a 1BR deposited to grab this 2BR LO at Kierland so she could not offer me anything more. I will have a 2BR PGA so I will try it with that one and see.

Kath

Click to expand...

I've gotten II to give me the "2 for 1" deal twice now using my large 1 bedroom SDO both times. You don't start out asking for it, you dance around it for a while by asking about "gold" membership, cruise deals, favorite color and rock band, and telling them that you are new to II, etc. In the process you ask about the "2 for 1" deal you've heard about. Ya know. Butter 'em up a little.

I'd try at least one more time with a different agent before giving up.

-nodge

Pat - I am curious about this too. I can use my WKORV "ghost week," which is not actually deposited, to search II and I hardly see anything. Is that because it's not actually deposited?

Transit said:

Do a request first you have absolutly nothing to lose. You may get the exact exchange you want. I have a few requests in for resorts on dates that I would really like to get into. Who knows I may get lucky if not when it comes time to book thru SVN I just cancel the request and book normally. The II fee is then refunded.

Click to expand...

eXCELLENT ADVICE!
oops, cap lock...

DeniseM said:

Pat - I am curious about this too. I can use my WKORV "ghost week," which is not actually deposited, to search II and I hardly see anything. Is that because it's not actually deposited?

Click to expand...

Is it a Starwood account or a regular II account?
I believe it makes a difference.