HHI Spring Availability Speculation...

[kristenrice]

We go to HHI every three years (or at least that's our plan) for Spring Break, which is always the first, full week of April. Our family of 4 stays is a 1BR and we drive down from Michigan, arriving on Sunday and departing on Friday. Our 50-point contract works out perfectly because the most it ever costs us is 135 points for those 5 nights.

In 2020, which is our next planned trip, I would like to invite my sister and her family to join us which would mean we need a 2BR. The 5 nights would require 165 points so we would need to buy 15 OTU points. Since a stay at HHI would not require booking airfare or park tickets, my sister would not need to "confirm" anything until 7 months out anyways, but planning ahead would still be nice.

Looking at the calendar, Easter falls on April 12 and we would be departing on April 10. So...I was thinking that I could book Tuesday-Thursday (the last 4 nights of our stay) at the 11 month window and then at 7 months, buy the 15 OTU points and book the first night. I'm thinking that the Monday would be more likely to be available than the Thursday night before the Easter weekend so that's the one night I would hold out for the 7-month window. Does this sound like a plan??

My other thought is that I will book the entire 5 nights in a 1BR at the 11 month window since my family is definitely going. Then, at the 7 month window, I can try to switch the whole thing over to a 2BR if my sister is committed to going at that point. I don't have a problem staying in a 2BR if it's just the 4 of us...my girls will be 16 and 14 and they would love it if they had their own bedroom!

My concern is availability. Since we usually book 1BRs which have much more limited inventory, I am not sure how difficult it will be to get a 2BR at 7 months for early April. I *think* I will be fine...but I guess I would just like some reassurance

 

[juncker]

I think that your plan is solid. I would book what you can in a 2BR at 11 months and buy the OTU points to add the final day at 7 months. As you're looking for a 2BR unit, there are many more of those than 1BR, so availability is more probable.

If it isn't available, you can always waitlist at the 7 month mark and have a good chance of it coming through, or even explore a cash option for the additional night as a last resort. Worst case if nothing works out, you'd only be 1 day short, but my opinion is that you'll get it at 7 months, or a waitlist would come through.

If you can't handle trusting that this will work out, you could rent out additional HHI points from a reputable company to get the extra day reservation prior to the 7 month mark. Personally, I'd go with your existing plan with OTU points at 7 months. I might feel different if you were trying to get a more difficult reservation, but outside of summer, HHI is generally available right at 7 months. Good luck.