Advice/experience combining cash reservation with points

[2Lunds]

Hi all!

I'm looking at booking an Oceanview Studio villa for my parents for Feb 2023. We'll be using our points for 7 nights, and booking 3 nights through the hotel side.

The hotel website has "partial ocean view" and "ocean view" listed under the studio villa category, but the DVC portal has only "ocean view". Does anyone know why this is? Are there truly two different categories, or is this just a matter of the two sites listing the rooms differently?

Also - I'd like to try and link the hotel side reservation to the DVC booking so that possibly they won't have to actually change rooms. Has anyone had success with this? Tips? I assume booking the "ocean view" on the hotel site would give me the best chance of this working?

Thanks so much!

 

[Flossbolna]

You might want to ask this in the DVC section of the DIS boards as there might be more general knowledge on how to do this best. Even if it is not Aulani specific. As far as I know, you can do cash bookings through member services and I think this might be the best way to ensure that the reservations are linked.

 

[2Lunds]

You might want to ask this in the DVC section of the DIS boards as there might be more general knowledge on how to do this best. Even if it is not Aulani specific. As far as I know, you can do cash bookings through member services and I think this might be the best way to ensure that the reservations are linked.

Cash booking via member services is a great tip... Thanks!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Hi all!

I'm looking at booking an Oceanview Studio villa for my parents for Feb 2023. We'll be using our points for 7 nights, and booking 3 nights through the hotel side.

The hotel website has "partial ocean view" and "ocean view" listed under the studio villa category, but the DVC portal has only "ocean view". Does anyone know why this is? Are there truly two different categories, or is this just a matter of the two sites listing the rooms differently?

Also - I'd like to try and link the hotel side reservation to the DVC booking so that possibly they won't have to actually change rooms. Has anyone had success with this? Tips? I assume booking the "ocean view" on the hotel site would give me the best chance of this working?

Thanks so much!

I think you might be misreading something, or the page you're looking at is just wrong. Partial ocean view is only a bookable category for Resort Rooms and Parlor Suites. There are no "partial ocean view" villas, regardless of whether you're booking with points or cash.

As to booking through member services, it's unnecessary. Book wherever you find the best price. Then call both phone numbers (DVC member services and the cash reservation line) and have each reservation make a note of the other. I've done this multiple times, never through Member Services, and I've always kept my room.

 

[2Lunds]

I think you might be misreading something, or the page you're looking at is just wrong. Partial ocean view is only a bookable category for Resort Rooms and Parlor Suites. There are no "partial ocean view" villas, regardless of whether you're booking with points or cash.

As to booking through member services, it's unnecessary. Book wherever you find the best price. Then call both phone numbers (DVC member services and the cash reservation line) and have each reservation make a note of the other. I've done this multiple times, never through Member Services, and I've always kept my room.

Thank you!