Anyone know about renting other timeshares?

[dr&momto2boys]

I've been trying to exchange my (non-DVC) timeshare week through II for a week in Hawaii next February with no luck so far. Can anyone tell me a good site to rent someone else's Hawaiian timeshare? I've never done that before.

 

[disneydiz]

Try tug2.net and/or redweek.com.

 

[Sammie]

Know nothing about rentals for Hawaii, but we have used VRBO many times for other Florida locations.

 

[Dean]

Try tug2.net and/or redweek.com.

I would concur with those and add myresorts network, ? craig'slist, bidshares and even ebay. You may also want to talk to some of the independent exchange companies who tend to get a lot of HI inventory.

Do you mind if I ask what you're giving up (resort and unit size), how far in advance it was deposited, what you're trying for (resorts and unit size) and how early you started searching?

I got 3 units for HI for exchange coming in the next 6 months, actually 4 but one is through RCI. A studio at Ko Olina using a bonus week for Sept, a 1 BR at the Maui Marriott for Sept (originally was a studio but I retraded recently and got the 1 BR) both for my daughter for a delayed honeymoon. I also got a 1 BR through II for the Westin for next Jan 27th.

Here's what I'd do. I'd make a cancelable reservation for a condo or timeshare or even just a hotel. I'd contact the independents, esp SFX, Platinum Interchange, Trading Places Intl., Trading Places HI (different Co) and HTSE. I'd keep my search going but also get on the computer about 6 am easter time daily, esp when you get inside the 2 month window. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[KevGuy]

Yea TUG2.net is a good bet. I posted there I will be looking to transfer for sometime in '09 or '10 and go to Mariott Ocean Beach Club in Maui and have received several offers from people to do direct trades. They are pretty friendly and helpful especially the DVC owners there who have done this before. They told me how it should work and what to do. You basically make a ressie at what DVC type they want for them in their name and they do the same for you. Not sure how safe it is but it seems pretty reasonable and on the up and up. DVC carries some good weight in trades even to Maui which was surprising. Again peolpe seem really nice there just be careful, you can never be too sure doing stuff directly if you choose to do that which will be the easiest way IMO. Good luck and make sure to let me know how you made out I'll need some help in a little while myself lol.

 

[kimberh]

I have used Redweek.com for HI and the Carribean, good luck both times, with the Carribean, I had made a trade with RCI, and needed additional rooms, for the same week, the trade was not happening, but a owner was able to get me two rooms, at the resort that I needed, for the week I wanted. For Maui, I booked through a owner, at the Westin on Kanaapalli Beach, it was a partially ocean view, it was the nicest room we have ever had at Maui! I had been trying to book through RCI for a year and nothing. I was not using a DVC timeshare. I probably don't have the trading power that Dean does. He knows a lot about timeshare trading.

 

[Dean]

Not sure how safe it is but it seems pretty reasonable and on the up and up. DVC carries some good weight in trades even to Maui which was surprising. Again peolpe seem really nice there just be careful, you can never be too sure doing stuff directly if you choose to do that which will be the easiest way IMO

One can minimize risk by doing the homework and esp being the first of the two parties to travel.

I probably don't have the trading power that Dean does. He knows a lot about timeshare trading.

I consider what I gave up as good but not great. It was a branson studio, a bonus week based on that same resort, a 1 BR at Charleston (very good but not great week or resort), and a 1 BR at MB 7/4 (great week but not near the beach). In every case I feel like I traded up significantly to dramatically. IMO, trading is 50% positioning, 40% hard work and 10% luck. One certainly has to meet the minimum qualifications for the trade to happen in terms of resort quality, unit size and demand of the week, internal trading preferences to even have a chance. You've got to work to get the best weeks possible for what you're trading, and in terms of a points system like Bluegreen, the best resorts as well. You've got to deposit as early as possible, at least 10-12 months and request at least a year out, preferably 18-24 months ahead. The other portion is being willing to wait until just a few weeks or less before the travel before you give up. A game of chicken if you will. This is one of the benefits of having direct II access since most of the good stuff is put into the II system early AM and gone by the time MS opens. It's true that doesn't USUALLY affect an ongoing search but it is critical for retrades and short notice as well as simply seeing something you weren't planning on but just have to have.

We were at DVC VB early May (on an exchange) when my sister called and happened to mention that they were thinking of going to a beach destination for later June but hadn't made any plans yet and really didn't have the finances to do much anyway. At the time there was a 1 BR (fine for the 3 of them) at Marriott's Ocean Pointe but they didn't want to go that far (9-10 hrs). I kept looking and got them a 2 BR unit at Marriott's Surfwatch (HH about 6 hrs) unit about 3 weeks out. We stayed there last summer in the unit we own there and they actually got a better unit as an exchanger than we did as owners. Since I was looking online I was able to hold it for 18 minutes while I called her to make sure this was OK and would work forth them. But I was looking online at 6 am or earlier and there's a great bet that unit would not have last more than a few more minutes online.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

Do you mind if I ask what you're giving up (resort and unit size), how far in advance it was deposited, what you're trying for (resorts and unit size) and how early you started searching?

Here's what I'd do. I'd make a cancelable reservation for a condo or timeshare or even just a hotel. I'd contact the independents, esp SFX, Platinum Interchange, Trading Places Intl., Trading Places HI (different Co) and HTSE. I'd keep my search going but also get on the computer about 6 am easter time daily, esp when you get inside the 2 month window. Let us know how it turns out.

We're giving up a 1BR at Maria Alm in Austria at the beginning of December 2007. We deposited it about 2 months ago (as soon as I found out the dates of my conference in Maui.) We requested a 1BR at various resorts on Kawaii and the Big Island.

We are just now working on making a cancelable reservation. I appreciate knowing about the places you recommended. We've never done this before, so it's all new to us!

By the way, we stayed at the Westin Kaanapali Villas last time. We loved it!

Thanks for the info everyone. We'll get to work on it!

 

[Dean]

We're giving up a 1BR at Maria Alm in Austria at the beginning of December 2007. We deposited it about 2 months ago (as soon as I found out the dates of my conference in Maui.) We requested a 1BR at various resorts on Kawaii and the Big Island.

We are just now working on making a cancelable reservation. I appreciate knowing about the places you recommended. We've never done this before, so it's all new to us!

By the way, we stayed at the Westin Kaanapali Villas last time. We loved it!

Thanks for the info everyone. We'll get to work on it!

I see two immediate problems, possibly 3. You have a VERY low demand week (green week) whether it's 48 or 49 and you deposited relatively late in the process. The third is that MAA may not have a high enough quality rating to trade in to many of the resorts you'll want for HI at least outside the 60 days window. To be successful with this type trade you'll need a top red week there, not just any red week and you need to deposit 10 months or more out. I'm guessing the best weeks are 51-9 with mid summer being a second choice but you'd want to investigate further to be certain. Why 10 months, because II starts devaluing deposits that are less than 10 months out and they do so at a more rapid rate for lessor resorts including many 5* resorts. On top of that you're looking for some of the highest demand weeks in HI and started late, after many of the units had come and gone. The good news is that Kauai and the Big Island are relatively easier than the others. If you can hold out until 30-60 days prior you may get a a second chance at success. I have seen weeks for Feb in the last few days but mostly studios on Maui and Kauai. The main resort you're likely looking at on the Big island is KCR and they frequently deposit many of their units a full 2 years out.