A Few Interval Exchange Questions

[conandrob240]

A few questions:

1) Can someone tell me how difficult it will be to get a week in Feb, April, June, August, Thanksgiving week or New year's week?
2) the resorts I am most interested in are: Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club, Harborside @ Atlantis/Bahamas, Westin St John and Westin Ka'Anapali Ocean Resort Villas
3) Would there ever be much of a chance to get multiple reservations for the exact same week at any of these resorts? Say, if we wanted to invite others and we each wanted our own 1 bedroom unit?
4) And what is the process? We are interested in this for 2009 or 2010.

Thanks!
Connie

 

[conandrob240]

Bump. Partial answers welcome

 

[Cruelladeville]

If you are interested in 2009, you will need to deposit your week 11 months ahead. All your trades are top choices, and Marriott owners get first choice, so I would forget about Christmas or New Year's. You might find other weeks available, though. It's possible that if you want to pay cash for Christmas or New Year's, they are being rented out thru eBay in the $1000 and up range, and you might try there.

 

[Lisa P.]

I'm sorry to sound all doom and gloom...

Marriott, Sheraton (Harborside), Westin - all their owners have preferred ways to get exchanges into their own system's sister resorts so these can be harder trades than many others for someone with a DVC (outside company) deposit. Plus, just as you find them appealing for (I'm guessing) school break vacation, so do many others who are requesting the same thing.

Therefore, I'd start by telling you that it's extremely unlikely that you would be able to get multiple units at the same time at any of these resorts, IMO. February or New Year's (really, from Christmas through Easter) may be especially tough. But not impossible - particularly since you are seeking a 1BR and not a 2BR.

IIRC, there were a few 1BR units seen online recently (not now) at Harborside for Feb/Mar '09 and they were taken very quickly. So your chances for that may be past now too.

Perhaps Thanksgiving week, being at the tail end of hurricane season, would have some possibility. Early June may be a decent time to request as well.

If it was for our family, I'd put in an ongoing "search first" request (you don't deposit anything until there's a confirmation) and include any and all of the resorts and dates which would please us. The earlier the request, the better. Regardless of what I or anyone else here says, you only need to match ONE week to get that vacation and you won't know for sure if it'll work until it does/doesn't.

 

[Dean]

A few questions:

1) Can someone tell me how difficult it will be to get a week in Feb, April, June, August, Thanksgiving week or New year's week?
2) the resorts I am most interested in are: Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club, Harborside @ Atlantis/Bahamas, Westin St John and Westin Ka'Anapali Ocean Resort Villas
3) Would there ever be much of a chance to get multiple reservations for the exact same week at any of these resorts? Say, if we wanted to invite others and we each wanted our own 1 bedroom unit?
4) And what is the process? We are interested in this for 2009 or 2010.

Thanks!
Connie

I'd agree with Lisa, there are few of your choices you have much hope in getting other than possibly early June and late August. That's not to say it'll never happen if you keep an ongoing search, just that there isn't much of a chance. To get 2 units is even less likely of course and if you hold out for 2 units at one time, you essentially remove any hope that you would have. All you can do is request well in advance (like 12-14 months) and hope for the best. If you'll take a studio your chances will go up greatly at most of those options. Even then some are far more difficult than others. As Lisa also pointed out, every single one of the resorts you listed has an internal trading priority in II putting those members ahead of you and which will further decrease your chances.

 

[csudell]

if you'd like to chat... email me at cs.udell@verizon.net
I own a Harborside week