Yes a couple were pretty late, and with very few inquiries. I have split my unit and rented the 1 bedroom and studio separately. High demand weeks. Week 11 two years back, Wk 10 and 11 in 2019(studio for $1295 and 1 Bedroom for $1465 very late 4-6 weeks before check-in.)
Then nearly 1 year out(I was on the beach this past march at Royal Islander when I received the inquiry), I rented wk7(president's) for 2020(studio for $1400 and 1Bd for $1750). It definitely hasn't been easy.
From my calculation you rented at about 2.1 times the MF. Surprisingly, on a relative basis, the studios did better than the 1 bdr. I understand it was not like a sizzling market but it is a far cry from what Denise was suggesting initially that it is totally useless. We also have to keep things in prospective. I think the vast majority of the timeshares rent at or
bellow MF. Anybody reading her comments would think that is the case at Lagunamar. WLR was in the top 5 rentals according to Redweek a couple of years ago although I do not think it made the list last year.
The demand on the chart (highest level) is the same for week 51 (Christmas) and week 52 (New Years.)
IMHO sometimes the highest demand weeks can be a trap for owners: everybody books those with high expectation but they realize that there are just too many listings for those weeks. This can be particularly problematic if the plane tickets are already sold out or too expensive.
Looking at the broader picture, I think that Lagunamar is well positioned for the future. Mexico has a growing middle class that is starting to afford a beach vacation at a Westin resort. Not during the prime season yet but that may change one day. In October we met there quite a few people from the region but virtually none in the spring.
I also think that overall Lagunamar may be less negatively influenced by a recession in the US. In bad times some may cut down on the travel expenses and may opt for cheaper alternatives.
Lastly, if Marriott does start an overlay, the demand for internal exchanges at WLR will only go up IMO (currently the
average occupancy is 92% which is not bad at all given the slow months of the year in the mix). That will make it even more attractive and will reduce the pool of rental listings.
I do not want to leave the impression that people should buy Lagunamar for the rental potential. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. Buy where you want to travel is sound TUG advice.