How easy is the online reservation system to use?

[havertown]

Hi,

Can someone give me an idea of how easy the online reservation system is to use?

Still waiting for ROFR, but I should hear near the end of the month.

My 7 month window opens at 11/1 and I need to book a studio and 2 BR asap.

Also I would need to bank 2012 points, borrow 2014 points, and purchase 1 point @ $15 (I would be 1 point short for my reservation).

Am I going to struggle with this online, or will all of the transactions be relatively easy?

If it matters I have a Apr use year.

Thanks

havertown

 

[erionm]

Since you need to purchase One-Time-Use Vacation Point(s), your reservation must be made by phone.

 

[drusba]

Using the on-line system is not difficult and you can bank points on-line and then use banked and borrowed points for a reservation on-line. However, you cannot buy any of those one-time vacation points from DVD on-line. Thus, the reservation you are contemplating will require calling MS and not doing it on-line at least as to the room that will require buying the point; each room will be a separate reservation and thus you could do one on-line and call for the other. Note I do not know what you will be looking for at 7 months out but as long as you do not want BLT standard view, AKV value or concierge, and possibly BWV standard or boardwalk view, you should have a very high probability of getting what you want at 7 months out for early June even if you wait for the MS phone lines to open.

 

[havertown]

Using the on-line system is not difficult and you can bank points on-line and then use banked and borrowed points for a reservation on-line. However, you cannot buy any of those one-time vacation points from DVD on-line. Thus, the reservation you are contemplating will require calling MS and not doing it on-line at least as to the room that will require buying the point; each room will be a separate reservation and thus you could do one on-line and call for the other. Note I do not know what you will be looking for at 7 months out but as long as you do not want BLT standard view, AKV value or concierge, and possibly BWV standard or boardwalk view, you should have a very high probability of getting what you want at 7 months out for early June even if you wait for the MS phone lines to open.

Looking for HHI rooms for the week of June 1. Hopefully there won't be a problem. Thanks for all the quick responses!

 

[rlduvall]

Looking for HHI rooms for the week of June 1. Hopefully there won't be a problem. Thanks for all the quick responses!

Actually, that will probably be a very hard reservation to get. It is such a small resort and very popular at this time of the year. I would be ready to go the MINUTE your 7 month window is available. As for how easy is online booking. TOO EASY. I am constantly messing around with my reservation.

 

[dvcterry]

Hi,



Also I would need to bank 2012 points, borrow 2014 points, and purchase 1 point @ $15 (I would be 1 point short for my reservation).


havertown

welcome to my world

 

[havertown]

Actually, that will probably be a very hard reservation to get. It is such a small resort and very popular at this time of the year. I would be ready to go the MINUTE your 7 month window is available. As for how easy is online booking. TOO EASY. I am constantly messing around with my reservation.

Here's the ultimate question then. Should I book the 2 BR online at 8 AM, and then the studio when the 9 AM window opens? What happens if I can't get both rooms, I can cancel the other one without penalty, correct?

 

[rlduvall]

Here's the ultimate question then. Should I book the 2 BR online at 8 AM, and then the studio when the 9 AM window opens? What happens if I can't get both rooms, I can cancel the other one without penalty, correct?

Sorry - I'm not an expert on this resort for reservation strategy. If I were you, I would start a new thread under DVC - Resorts or DVC - Mousecellaneous with a headline in that regard. Many people on these forums, WebmasterDoc and others, are quite proficient with HHI and can provide excellent booking strategies. Good luck.

 

[tjkraz]

Here's the ultimate question then. Should I book the 2 BR online at 8 AM, and then the studio when the 9 AM window opens? What happens if I can't get both rooms, I can cancel the other one without penalty, correct?

Hilton Head is an unusual resort in that it's villa makeup is severely slanted toward Two Bedroom villas. There are 76 dedicated 2Bs which can only be booked as a 2B. Then there are 21 lockoff 2Bs, each of which can be booked separately as a One Bedroom and a Studio.

In other words, here is the max available villas at the resort:

Studio: 21
One Bedroom: 21
Two Bedroom: 76
Three Bedroom: 5

I cannot speak from experience but based upon what I have read, you are going to have a very difficult time getting a Two Bedroom villa at 7 months during the summer. In the south, many school districts are done by early May and families are already beginning their vacations.

There are thousands of owners at Hilton Head and the only way you will get the room is if fewer than 21 of those owners have booked a Studio that week during their 4-month exclusive booking window. If anything, you're better off getting the Studio right away and waiting on the 2B since there are so many more.

You may want to ask DVC if you can buy the 1 point a few days before that 7 month window. Of course the purchase is non-refundable so if you cannot get your room, you're out the fifteen bucks.

I wish I could say "oh, you won't have any problems" but 10+ years of reading this forum has shown that booking HHI during the summer is very, VERY difficult at 7 months.