BW Views reserved for DVC points users!

[tjkraz]

Whether a member is willing to pay points or cash it doesn't matter. If a member wants to pay cash and he ends up with the last BW view room at 11 months, and then another member comes in after that with points, you're saying that the member with cash should be bumped. Not really fair in my book.

The whole purpose behind the 25% discount is to put SOMEbody in the room when DVC normally predicts that there will not be any bookings on points. Due to the limited availability of the BW View rooms, DVC has apparently determined that they will always be at 100% occupancy. Therefore no cash bookings are permitted.

It's not a question of bumping a member willing to pay cash--the reservation just isn't being accepted. The basis for DVC is to accommodate members who have invested their funds in the points. Members booking stays using their points should always receive preference.

Again I will disagree. To have a "true DVC perk", it should mean that it is members only who will be enjoying this privilege. With the ability for a member to rent out points to someone who may not be a DVC member, that would mean that a non-DVC member would be staying in a BW view room.

To try and enforce a "members only" designation would be impossible, and it could cause harm to legitimate members. What if you discovered that you couldn't make a trip 20 days out, but your parent/sibling/child could use the reservation? Does that mean the BW View room has to be cancelled?

Besides, there would be nothing to prevent rentals from having the name of the DVC member AND the name of the individual renting the points. My reservations usually have both my name and DW, but it doesn't take both of us going to the front desk in order to check-in.

 

[Terry S]

This is the same case for the 2 Bedroom with 2 Queens at BCV. These are only available to members staying on points.

 

[DemoBri1]

The whole purpose behind the 25% discount is to put SOMEbody in the room when DVC normally predicts that there will not be any bookings on points. Due to the limited availability of the BW View rooms, DVC has apparently determined that they will always be at 100% occupancy. Therefore no cash bookings are permitted.

I don't know how they can determine that. There are quite a few I've heard that don't prefer BW View. So if there's a room open and a member wants to pay cash, are we saying that we'd prefer to leave the room empty rather than accept a cash reservation?

It's not a question of bumping a member willing to pay cash--the reservation just isn't being accepted. The basis for DVC is to accommodate members who have invested their funds in the points. Members booking stays using their points should always receive preference.

Why? If you're a member you have invested in points. Whether you use them to secure a reservation or pay cash for particular nights, so what?
It's the same as if we were all using points and there were no BW view rooms available. You then have to move on. If the room is taken by a cash ressie, it is.

To try and enforce a "members only" designation would be impossible, and it could cause harm to legitimate members. What if you discovered that you couldn't make a trip 20 days out, but your parent/sibling/child could use the reservation? Does that mean the BW View room has to be cancelled?

I agree with the strict enforcement issue. I said that in my previous post. Would someone have to give up the BW View room if a member had to cancel? I dont know...would they? Obviously the member would be calling to cancel/change the ressie. In this case the member's points would be used, so no.

Besides, there would be nothing to prevent rentals from having the name of the DVC member AND the name of the individual renting the points. My reservations usually have both my name and DW, but it doesn't take both of us going to the front desk in order to check-in.

True, but if they were under strict enforcement, and both the member's name and renter's name were on the reservations, wouldn't you think that they'd require the member to check-in and show id?

I'm just trying figure out this could work without resulting in rooms being left empty that might otherwise be filled.

 

[tjkraz]

I don't know how they can determine that.

DVC has quite a few years of booking statistics to rely on. In fact, the guaranteed Boardwalk View category was only created about 18 months ago. The driving reason for the creation of this category was inability to meet member demand--too many requests for Boardwalk View + not enough demand = a lot of unhappy people.

Why? If you're a member you have invested in points. Whether you use them to secure a reservation or pay cash for particular nights, so what?
It's the same as if we were all using points and there were no BW view rooms available. You then have to move on. If the room is taken by a cash ressie, it is.

But DVC sells enough points for all of the resorts to be 100% booked 365 days / year (with some allowance for room rehabs.) They need to be responsible with regard to their encouragement of discounted cash bookings, otherwise the entire system breaks down.

I know that's something of an exaggeration, but read on...

I agree with the strict enforcement issue. I said that in my previous post. Would someone have to give up the BW View room if a member had to cancel? I dont know...would they? Obviously the member would be calling to cancel/change the ressie. In this case the member's points would be used, so no.

Members' points are used in rentals, too. The topic of limiting resort access or perks to renters has been debated before and there's just no good way to do it without harming members. DVC could never differentiate between a renter and a member gifting a trip to a friend or family member.

True, but if they were under strict enforcement, and both the member's name and renter's name were on the reservations, wouldn't you think that they'd require the member to check-in and show id?

Nope. As I said, with my name and DW on a reservation, it only takes one of us to check-in the entire party and get all of the room keys. Yes, we are both members in this case, but it still has no bearing on the requirements to check-in. As long as one individual listed on the ressie produces identification, he/she is permitted to occupy the room.

I'm just trying figure out this could work without resulting in rooms being left empty that might otherwise be filled.

I just don't think that's the case. If rooms were consistently being left empty, I have to think they would allow cash bookings.

But roughly 80% of the rooms in the resort fall under the "Preferred" point schedule. Of those, only 1/4 have the Boardwalk view. I'm forced to conclude that at least 1/4 of the folks willing to book at the Preferred point level would gladly take the guaranteed Boardwalk View if available.