Walking reservation - suggestions?

[hurnik]

OK, long shot, but here goes:

Friends want to stay in Waikaloa "around" Christmas.
I believe that only Bay Club has weeks 51/52 as "non-event" weeks.
Since I don't own there, I can only book out to like Sept or something.

Should I try to get a 1 week now and then "walk" it day by day and hope for the best?
(I'll just have to remember to keep doing this every day for like the next 3 months).

I know Lagoon tower is extremely difficult to "walk" (90% of the time you can't even get 3 nights for the min. requirements if you're wanting Jan/Feb or some other popular time).

I did tell them it would be difficult. But at least they told me now. I've got folks emailing me now wanting to know if anything in January 2018!!!

 

[Talent312]

Walking it for 3 months? No way I'd try that.
It'll would take an immense dedication of time and it could all be for naught.
On day 82, you could bump into unavailable days due to home-week bookings.

IMHO, a better attempt would be to make a 3N booking when closer in time.
Then walk that out at 12:00:01 AM each ensuing day.

 

[Tamaradarann]

OK, long shot, but here goes:

Friends want to stay in Waikaloa "around" Christmas.
I believe that only Bay Club has weeks 51/52 as "non-event" weeks.
Since I don't own there, I can only book out to like Sept or something.

Should I try to get a 1 week now and then "walk" it day by day and hope for the best?
(I'll just have to remember to keep doing this every day for like the next 3 months).

I know Lagoon tower is extremely difficult to "walk" (90% of the time you can't even get 3 nights for the min. requirements if you're wanting Jan/Feb or some other popular time).

I did tell them it would be difficult. But at least they told me now. I've got folks emailing me now wanting to know if anything in January 2018!!!

I don't know the history of the Bay Club booking around Christmas or the ability to walk a reservation for 2 months at that resort. Others may be more familiar and can help in this regard. However, like at any resort the chances for availability during a particular time or the ability to walk a reservation over a long period of time is dependent on the availability of that particular accommodation. For instance a Penthouse in Lagoon tower is very difficult to walk. What size and type of accommodation are you looking for. Can a different size or type of accommodation work for them if that is more readily available?

 

[SmithOp]

I agree with Talent, that would be a marathon walk, not worth the time or effort.

I don’t think xmas is that big of a draw for Waikoloa, and with all the units there you are bound to snag something. Start walking a 3 day at whatever you can snag 9 months out then keep checking. If an event week gets canceled by an owner the whole week will pop up and you can swap.

I would be more concerned about a friend backing out at the last minute then you are stuck with saving the points, get them to agree to pay the save fee if that happens.



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[hurnik]

Thanks all!

I'll make sure I can get the reservation fee or something.

 

[alwysonvac]

Also keep in mind, event weeks are automatically reserved for owners. Some owners will release their week before the Club reservation window and others may release sometime later. So it pays to check constantly for availability at all Hawaii resorts.

Also tell your friends take a look at airfare prices for a Hawaii during Christmas. It’s one of the most expensive times to travel.

Good Luck

 

[Tamaradarann]

Also keep in mind, event weeks are automatically reserved for owners. Some owners will release their week before the Club reservation window and others may release sometime later. So it pays to check constantly for availability at all Hawaii resorts.

Also tell your friends take a look at airfare prices for a Hawaii during Christmas. It’s one of the most expensive times to travel.

Good Luck

Both SmithOp and alwysonvac make some excellent points for you to think about. The point SmithOp makes about a friend backing out at the last minute is a real possibility. We know people that booked 2 BR units using a great deal of points and then having to pay 2 BR Hawaiian Occupancy tax then only to have the two owners go since the rest of the family backed out.

Furthermore, when I say I want to do something and I am going to do something you can bet it will happen. If I don't think I want to do something or can't afford to do it I either keep quite or say NO out right. We know people who my husband calls "big talkers" who say that they want to do something or will do something but it is all talk. That particularly can happen when as alwysonvac cautions the Hawaii airfare is the most expensive time of the year which cold weather holiday week times are.

This is an approach that that we use to avoid that. We book timeshare vacations for our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren to join us every year. However, when it is a flying vacation we insist upon their booking their air transportation first before we book the timeshare. The air tickets can be booked 11 months out where the club reservation period is only 9 months out. Besides this making sure that they are going, it allows you to book the precise nights that they want to go after they investigate and book the airplane tickets. I know I have adjusted the start and end of many of my vacations before booking my timeshare accommodations due to airfare prices.

Finally, if you do book a Christmas vacation and have to cancel it there may be other issues of concern in addition to the reservation fee. Are you going to get cancellation insurance from HGVC so that you get the points back if you need to cancel within 30 days? Since this is the end of the year are the points borrowed points so they can go back to 2019 from where they came? Are these points 2018 points so that you can save them into 2019 for a save fee? Are these 2017 saved points that you will lose since they can't be saved again?

I know this may not help with your question about walking the reservation, but I hope this helps in your overall approach to making vacation plans for your friends.

 

[Mosescan]

Airline prices can definitely be a factor. Our next trip to Hawaii is from Wednesday to Wednesday for exactly that reason. Cheapest day to fly and is still a 2 week vacation, just not starting or ending on a weekend. Not only do I get 2 weeks vacation, I get a short work week before and after my vacation. Win/win as far as I'm concerned!

 

[jehb2]

However, when it is a flying vacation we insist upon their booking their air transportation first before we book the timeshare

That's clever.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

This is where all-inclusive reservation fees (avail at 34K elite or NYC property) (plus enough points) would be helpful because you could make several reservations and then cancel and rebook if a lower point or more desirable unit comes available or to consolidate a unit. You can also cancel several reservations if your plans change with no fee. Great way to stretch points and get reservations.

 

[brp]

Furthermore, when I say I want to do something and I am going to do something you can bet it will happen. If I don't think I want to do something or can't afford to do it I either keep quite or say NO out right. We know people who my husband calls "big talkers" who say that they want to do something or will do something but it is all talk. That particularly can happen when as alwysonvac cautions the Hawaii airfare is the most expensive time of the year which cold weather holiday week times are.

This is an approach that that we use to avoid that. We book timeshare vacations for our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren to join us every year. However, when it is a flying vacation we insist upon their booking their air transportation first before we book the timeshare.

We're lucky in this regard. Our family and the friends we would vacation with have, and would, never do this. If they say they're coming, they do. We haven't had to resort to what you suggest, but it is a good strategy when in doubt

Cheers.

 

[fernow]

Maybe I missed this but what does "around Christmas" mean? I see you have mentioned weeks 51/52 but what about weeks 49 or 50?

Prior to Dec 22, 2018 you can rent any number of nice 2 bdrm condos in Waikoloa Beach Resort for around $200/ nt plus fees. There is even a privately owned Bay Club Villa with golf view currently available for $217.50/night. Three bedroom units are not much more.

Weeks 51/52, those same units increase to about $350 - $450/ nt.

Why not use the timeshare points when convenient for some other vacation and just rent a place for the "Christmas Vacation"?

 

[Tamaradarann]

Maybe I missed this but what does "around Christmas" mean? I see you have mentioned weeks 51/52 but what about weeks 49 or 50?

Prior to Dec 22, 2018 you can rent any number of nice 2 bdrm condos in Waikoloa Beach Resort for around $200/ nt plus fees. There is even a privately owned Bay Club Villa with golf view currently available for $217.50/night. Three bedroom units are not much more.

Weeks 51/52, those same units increase to about $350 - $450/ nt.

Why not use the timeshare points when convenient for some other vacation and just rent a place for the "Christmas Vacation"?

I didn't start this thread so I can't with certainty answer you question about what does "Around Christmas means"? However, having Grandchildren in school and a Daughter that teaches, around Christmas means during or a day or so immediately before or after the Christmas school break. Weeks 49 and 50 would not do. So if hernik is trying to HELP friends with a vacation "Around Christmas" that would be from around December 22nd to around January 1st in 2018. There is a reason why weeks 51 or 52 are event weeks, and weeks 49 and 50 are not.

 

[fernow]

I get that 51/52 are special weeks. That's why they cost more in all venues, timeshare or rental. Nevertheless, week 50 may work for the OP. Right? Only the OP knows.

My point of course is that a bird in hand may be better than a long Walk with uncertain outcome. No?

I don't know how hard Bay Club is to book for week 49 or 50 for that matter. Might be easy. IF it is, book one of those weeks when the window opens and enjoy a much shorter walk!

No real reason to walk all the way from a Sept booking in any case. I know Oct and Nov are easy to book at the 9 mo window.

 

[Tamaradarann]

I get that 51/52 are special weeks. That's why they cost more in all venues, timeshare or rental. Nevertheless, week 50 may work for the OP. Right? Only the OP knows.

My point of course is that a bird in hand may be better than a long Walk with uncertain outcome. No?

I don't know how hard Bay Club is to book for week 49 or 50 for that matter. Might be easy. IF it is, book one of those weeks when the window opens and enjoy a much shorter walk!

No real reason to walk all the way from a Sept booking in any case. I know Oct and Nov are easy to book at the 9 mo window.

I misunderstood your first post. I thought you were suggesting that the member book weeks 49 or 50 for their friends who may not be able to go during that time due to school or work responsibilities. If you are suggesting starting a reservation during week 49 or 50 and then walking it to the desired days during weeks 51 and 52 I am in total agreement as long as the resort doesn't have event weeks 51 and 52.

 

[hurnik]

I get that 51/52 are special weeks. That's why they cost more in all venues, timeshare or rental. Nevertheless, week 50 may work for the OP. Right? Only the OP knows.

My point of course is that a bird in hand may be better than a long Walk with uncertain outcome. No?

I don't know how hard Bay Club is to book for week 49 or 50 for that matter. Might be easy. IF it is, book one of those weeks when the window opens and enjoy a much shorter walk!

No real reason to walk all the way from a Sept booking in any case. I know Oct and Nov are easy to book at the 9 mo window.

My friends are looking at airfare first, after I suggested they may want to investigate that. The wife wants "during Christmas", but the husband doesn't care if it's a week or two before.

So we'll see.

Either way, since I can only book 9 months out, they have time to decide.

 

[Tamaradarann]

My friends are looking at airfare first, after I suggested they may want to investigate that. The wife wants "during Christmas", but the husband doesn't care if it's a week or two before.

So we'll see.

Either way, since I can only book 9 months out, they have time to decide.

Reasons for wants make a difference. Are they the only ones going? The husband either can vacation at any time or is retired. The wife may have either a job, grand child care, or other priorities that she is thinking about.

 

[WildCat45]

So at the lowest elite level (14K) points, you can make a 7 night reservation without paying the fee. Is is possible to make a 7 night reservation and then reduce the nights later to something less (i.e. 4 nights)? Has anyone with elite status tried this?

 

[PigsDad]

So at the lowest elite level (14K) points, you can make a 7 night reservation without paying the fee. Is is possible to make a 7 night reservation and then reduce the nights later to something less (i.e. 4 nights)? Has anyone with elite status tried this?

Yes, I've tried this, and no, you cannot change the reservation. If you want to add or subtract a day from a 7-day reservation where you were not charged a reservation fee (due to Elite status), you need to first cancel the reservation, and then create a new one.

Another related situation: I wanted a high-demand week so I first created a 3-day reservation (and paid the reservation fee) and "walked" it, adding a day at a time until I had 7 days. Even though a 7-day reservation is supposed to be free for Elite, the system did not refund my reservation fee when I changed from 6 to 7 days. No biggie, as I got the week I needed, but it is a limitation on the "free" 7-day reservation perk.

Kurt

 

[WildCat45]

Thank you!

 

[alexadeparis]

This is an approach that that we use to avoid that. We book timeshare vacations for our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren to join us every year. However, when it is a flying vacation we insist upon their booking their air transportation first before we book the timeshare. The air tickets can be booked 11 months out where the club reservation period is only 9 months out. Besides this making sure that they are going, it allows you to book the precise nights that they want to go after they investigate and book the airplane tickets. I know I have adjusted the start and end of many of my vacations before booking my timeshare accommodations due to airfare prices.

Have you ever booked airfare and been unable to get the timeshare reservation you wanted? That seems dangerous to me.

 

[Luanne]

Have you ever booked airfare and been unable to get the timeshare reservation you wanted? That seems dangerous to me.

We only do this when there is someplace we really want to go and we're willing to rent if we don't get a timeshare.

 

[Tamaradarann]

Have you ever booked airfare and been unable to get the timeshare reservation you wanted? That seems dangerous to me.

With the HGVC system we have always been able to get the timeshare reservation that we wanted. However, we are usually flexible on the size unit that we need. My husband and I have stayed in a studio. one bedroom, and 2 bedroom units at various times. When our Daughter, Son-in-law, and Grandchildren came last year to Honolulu I was going to book at least a 2 Bedroom unit at the Hilton Hawaiian Village that sleeps 6 for Easter Week. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to book a 3 Bedroom Penthouse unit in the Lagoon Tower. If I HAD to book that 3 bedroom Penthouse unit without any flexibility I would have been successful in 2017, however, I would not have been unsuccessful in 2018.