Can separate reservations be combined by member services?

[letsgoreds]

If you have several separate nightly reservations booked, with the same booking category at a given resort (e.g. all 2br dedicated), can member services link them together into one reservation, guarenteeing that you will not need to switch rooms during the stay?

We currently have a mix of 2br dedicated and 2br lock-off reservations, and I want to know if it is worth it to hunt down the dedicated days (switch from lock-off) to ensure that we aren't packing/unpacking every night or two.

Thanks!

 

[vicki_c]

If you have several separate nightly reservations booked, with the same booking category at a given resort (e.g. all 2br dedicated), can member services link them together into one reservation, guarenteeing that you will not need to switch rooms during the stay?

We currently have a mix of 2br dedicated and 2br lock-off reservations, and I want to know if it is worth it to hunt down the dedicated days (switch from lock-off) to ensure that we aren't packing/unpacking every night or two.

Thanks!

I'd say yes and no. We had reservations linked, but that didn't really make them one reservation. We had three parts linked and we had to go to the desk and check-in and get new keys for each segment. We did not have to change rooms. It's probably unlikely that you would have to change rooms in that situation, but I'm not sure they would call it guaranteed.

 

[Pirate Granny]

They are not the same room type...so you will have to move...if they let you stay in a dedicated two bedroom, someone who booked it and was confirmed will be forced to take your 2 bedroom lock off...or vice versa...

 

[CruznLexi]

Last year at HH they noted it on our reservation and even though we had seperate ones on both cash and points we had to technically check out we did not move.

 

[holula]

It depends on who you speak to at MS. Last week we had to check out/check in by just collecting new keys. For our stay in October the person at MS made one reservation for us out of two reservations as a wait list had come through.

 

[Dean]

If you have several separate nightly reservations booked, with the same booking category at a given resort (e.g. all 2br dedicated), can member services link them together into one reservation, guarenteeing that you will not need to switch rooms during the stay?

We currently have a mix of 2br dedicated and 2br lock-off reservations, and I want to know if it is worth it to hunt down the dedicated days (switch from lock-off) to ensure that we aren't packing/unpacking every night or two.

Thanks!

If you can get them all the same room type you should be able to get them linked and at least not have to change rooms. You may or may not have to check in again and get new keys. Once you have all the days the same, talk to MS to see what they can do. But yes, I do think it's worth it to try to get them all the same.

 

[LisaS]

If you have several separate nightly reservations booked, with the same booking category at a given resort (e.g. all 2br dedicated), can member services link them together into one reservation, guaranteeing that you will not need to switch rooms during the stay?

We currently have a mix of 2br dedicated and 2br lock-off reservations, and I want to know if it is worth it to hunt down the dedicated days (switch from lock-off) to ensure that we aren't packing/unpacking every night or two.

Thanks!

Rather than link the reservations, what you want is for MS to combine the reservations. With linking, multiple reservations for the same resort and room type are cross referenced to alert the room assigner to assign the same room to each of those individual reservations. Even though you won't have to move to a different room, You may have to check out/check in, get new keys, etc. for each of the individual reservations that have been linked.

What you want is for MS to combine the reservations, in other words, to take all of the nights from the multiple reservations and combine them into one reservation. That removes all risk of having to check out and check in again, get new keys, etc. because it is one reservation, not multiple reservations linked together.

If the individual reservations were made with points from different memberships then linking is the only option. MS can only combine multiple reservations into one if all of the points used are from the same membership.

So, step 1: try to get all of your nights in the same room type and step 2: call MS to have all of your nights combined into one reservation so you don't have to waste valuable vacation time at the front desk getting new keys!

 

[Sunshine22]

I was fortunate when I called MS to get a very experienced CM who was able to take 5 different reservation numbers where all reservations were 2 br garden/pool room category at BWV and combine them into one reservation number so I won't need to change rooms or get new keys each day. She told me that I would need to be patient while she put me on hold several times. She had to call BWV and the systems people to temporarily put the inventory on hold while she made the changes. I think BWV had to agree to this as well as systems so this may not always be an option. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all with go smoothly when we check in in a few weeks (it's listed as 8 nights under one reservation number when I look at reservation on line)! Before you do this, make sure that your CM knows what to do so your reservations don't get lost in the system!

 

[cvjw]

I just had a 6 night BLT reservation, followed by a 1 night reservation in the same type of villa. I emailed MS and asked them to combine the reservations into one reservation number. They emailed me back in a day or so, telling me that the reservations were combined, and I now had holding points!! I had to call and speak to a supervisor and have the points fixed - they had totally changed which points were used with the combined reservation.

Bottom line, it can be done, but watch your points afterwards to make sure that everything ends up the way it started.

 

[letsgoreds]

I just had a 6 night BLT reservation, followed by a 1 night reservation in the same type of villa. I emailed MS and asked them to combine the reservations into one reservation number. They emailed me back in a day or so, telling me that the reservations were combined, and I now had holding points!! I had to call and speak to a supervisor and have the points fixed - they had totally changed which points were used with the combined reservation.

Bottom line, it can be done, but watch your points afterwards to make sure that everything ends up the way it started.

Ha! That's not good.

So, it does seem to be one of those 'depends on who you get' kind of question. Maybe just insisting that they 'combine' vs. link a reservation. At least now they have CM at BLT desk vs. treking over to CR on our way out : )

Thanks!

 

[Sunshine22]

Make sure the CM goes over where your points are before hanging up. In my previous post, the CM had to work carefully with my points to make sure they were all where they should be without holding issues.

 

[LisaS]

Maybe just insisting that they 'combine' vs. link a reservation.

MS's default action is to combine the reservations. Even if you ask to have your reservations linked, they will combine them rather than link them if all of the points used were from the same membership. They probably assume that most members don't understand the difference between linking and combining and combining reservations is the better of the two approaches most of the time.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

MS's default action is to combine the reservations. Even if you ask to have your reservations linked, they will combine them rather than link them if all of the points used were from the same membership. They probably assume that most members don't understand the difference between linking and combining and combining reservations is the better of the two approaches most of the time.

Or you may get the CM that will tell you that they never link unless it's across memberships and that you are silly for asking that.

Combining is the thing to do - and actually with the new system and how it requires checking in and out if it's only linked I agree.