Concierge / Interval - Need Help to get to Hawaii

[bomei]

I'd like to arrange a vacation to Maui this fall using my DVC points. I have almost enough points to stay at the Maui Grand Wailea Resort for 6 days. I would need to somehow obtain a handful (about 15) additional points for just this one time - is this possible to do? I've tried perusing the rent/trade discussion but did not quite understand if this could be accomplished. Since the points I'd need do not total up to even a single night I didn't know how this rent/borrow scenario could work if at all. Can anyone point me to/in the right direction?

I've also noted that there might be an option to exchange points with Interval International (can you tell I'm a newbie ). Have I understood the point chart correctly that I could use 270 DVC points (two bedroom in high season) to reserve an entire week at one of their resorts? This seems almost too good so I'm skeptical. Are there availability issues that I should know about? restrictions? fine print? I'm not sure where to find out more info so I came here. Thanks in advance for your sage wisdom.

 

[Dean]

See this thread. If you also do a search for HI you should get a fair amount of additional information. 2 BR is going to be the problem. There is currently a 1 BR for the Maui Marriott starting 29 Sept, no 2 BR units are currently listed for the fall in any of the Hawaiian Islands.

 

[RobDoc]

You would need to submit a request on the Rent/Trade Board for a transfer of points into your account (Transfer Wanted) and see if someone can help with the points you need.

The DVC World Passport Collection works just as you noted, but short notice availability for high demand locations like Hawaii is not really a dependable option. Most will have MS begin an ongoing search about 2 years ahead for Hawaii.

For a trip this fall, you may need to consider other locations. Call MS and see what they can suggest. (They are open right now!)

Good luck!

 

[bwvBound]

Welcome, Bob!

First, regarding the Concierge Collection stay: Could you borrow the points you need from your own DVC account, future year? If not, you are on the right track hunting on the Rent/Trade board. What you are seeking is a point transfer from another owner's account into yours.

Regarding Interval: you are starting a bit late if requesting a 2BR for this fall. Yes, the primary catch is availability - as you suspected. The inventory comes from deposits of time made by other resort owners. Often these deposits are matched to an outstanding requests immediately. Requests and Deposits each start up to 24 months from travel.

You might have plenty of folks ahead of you in the virtual line -- but it is certainly worth a try. Phone DVC's Member Services and ask for both process and "chances." It can't hurt to ask.

 

[bomei]

Wow! Many thanks to all who responded so far and so quickly. I'm amazed and grateful.

I've got an upcoming conference which just got confirmed in Hawaii so I'm trying to bring the family with me this November. I mentioned a need for 2 bedrooms but the reality is I just need two beds in one room or 1 bed + pull out sofa. Would this change my chances if I tried for the II exchange? I had no idea about the lead time required for this kind of a swap.

I have no more points to borrow from my own account so that's why I'm looking for a one-time loan/transfer for the remaining handful of points needed if I go the Concierge Collection route. I'll call MS per the suggestions and see what else I can find.

 

[Dean]

Wow! Many thanks to all who responded so far and so quickly. I'm amazed and grateful.

I've got an upcoming conference which just got confirmed in Hawaii so I'm trying to bring the family with me this November. I mentioned a need for 2 bedrooms but the reality is I just need two beds in one room or 1 bed + pull out sofa. Would this change my chances if I tried for the II exchange? I had no idea about the lead time required for this kind of a swap.

I have no more points to borrow from my own account so that's why I'm looking for a one-time loan/transfer for the remaining handful of points needed if I go the Concierge Collection route. I'll call MS per the suggestions and see what else I can find.

For 2 beds a studio will work and a 1 BR will be even better. The configuration will vary with the resort but most studios will have a queen or king plus a pull out in one room with a varying kitchen setup. Most 1 BR units will have the same but generally a better kitchen plus the beds will be in 2 rooms. If you don't have the points it really doesn't matter. You may want to check into renting something from another person or a condo from a company that specializes in that sort of thing. If you can get together 120-160 points you may be able to get an exchange as much of the fall is actually Mid season points and some is low season.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Of course, you could also just pay cash to the hotel directly for the last night at the Grand Wailea.

Also, if you are not familar with Maui, most of the tourist areas are divided into 2 distinct zones that are about a half hour drive apart: Kaanapali/Napili/Kahana/Kapalua are in West Maui and Wailea/Kihei are in South Maui. Parts of each area are very nice, but the nicest timeshares are generally in West Maui. If you need to be in a conference in South Maui, you probably don't want to stay in West Maui.

Another option is to rent your points and pay cash for your accomodations. There are LOTS of condos for rent that will give you all the space you could want. One of our favorites is the Wailea Elua, which is down the beach from the Grand Wailea.

We own at the Maui Banyan in S. Kihei (think north Wailea), which we obviously like a lot, but it is not nearly as upscale as the Grand Wailea or even th Elua. We rent thru ResortQuest (formerly Aston), which manages many condos throughout Maui.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[disneydenisel]

November is a great time to visit Maui ! There will be a lot of condo rentals available if you can't get an exchange or stay at the Grand Wailea. What side of the island is your conference on? The Fairmont Kea Lani used to be our favorite place to stay on the Wailea side, until we bought our Westin timeshare. The Kea Lani has two rooms (bedroom, living room) and was great for our family of four.

We have walked the grounds of the Grand Wailea many times, it is beautiful, with an amazing pool. If you can get the point transfer, that seems to be the simplest way to go.

Otherwise, you will have plenty of timeshares and hotels to choose from for a cash rental. When we first started going to Maui 18 years ago, we found great 1-2 bedroom condos to stay in every year! Good luck!

 

[bomei]

Thanks for these new suggestions, now I've got some interesting possibilities. I'm not sure why I hadn't considered renting a condo before. The option of renting out my DVC points and using the cash to rent the condo might work out well. I'm looking for a place on the South Maui side. I've stayed there before and swore then to my new bride that I would bring her back some day. I stayed in Makena and loved it. I'll check out what ResortQuest has to offer - are there any other reputable condo rental web sites?

The suggestions of the Kea Lani and the Wailea Elua look great. The Grand Wailea is a bit over the top for me but it would be most memorable I'm sure. The tricky part for me is figuring out how to leverage my DVC investment to cover as much of the week in Maui as I can. I've got the flights covered with frequent flyer miles and rental car covered by American Express reward points so I've got all of the major expenses under control. Now if I can catch a few Opakapaka whilst snorkeling I'll have food covered as well...

 

[Dean]

Thanks for these new suggestions, now I've got some interesting possibilities. I'm not sure why I hadn't considered renting a condo before. The option of renting out my DVC points and using the cash to rent the condo might work out well. I'm looking for a place on the South Maui side. I've stayed there before and swore then to my new bride that I would bring her back some day. I stayed in Makena and loved it. I'll check out what ResortQuest has to offer - are there any other reputable condo rental web sites?

The suggestions of the Kea Lani and the Wailea Elua look great. The Grand Wailea is a bit over the top for me but it would be most memorable I'm sure. The tricky part for me is figuring out how to leverage my DVC investment to cover as much of the week in Maui as I can. I've got the flights covered with frequent flyer miles and rental car covered by American Express reward points so I've got all of the major expenses under control. Now if I can catch a few Opakapaka whilst snorkeling I'll have food covered as well...

There are far less timeshare options in this area, esp on the DVC list. The Schooner is likely the best and it appears that the Maui Banyan Vacation Club is worth considering though I haven't actually seen it myself. IF DVC adds the Worldmark in Kihei, it would probably move to the top of the list. If you have Marriott reward points, they have 2 hotels in that area that you can frequently get on points and I suspect the same is true of other hotel brands as well. You could also look at non DVC exchange lists options and add places like Maui Lea at Maui Hill as well as giving you options at additional inventory even for those on the DVC exchange list. Those are also the type of timeshares where owners tend to be interested in a non synchronous private exchange. Where you get say a 2 BR and give a 1 BR or get 7 days and give 5 avoiding weekends.

 

[littlestar]

I don't know much about south Maui locations (we usually always stay at the Mahana at Kaanapali), but we have used our Entertainment card to get 50 percent off the Resortquest properties. I think they used to be under the Aston name, but are now called Resortquest.

To find out about entertainment rates, just call a Resortquest property direct via the 800 number. Entertainment cards with book are usually priced around $20.00 to $25.00 (and have nice coupons to boot). If an exchange comes in via II using your DVC points, you could cancel your cash Entertainment rate reservation pretty easily. The Maui Banyan and Maui Hill are listed in my entertainment book as being a possible half price resort.

Here's their website link: http://www.resortquesthawaii.com/hawaii/index.do