I got my exchange to Marriott Ko Olina

[Slakk]

I actually had forgotten about it but we got our studio exchange for June 22-29th. We are really excited to go. I know there was a bunch of us trying to get a trade. We are excited to try Marriott because I would love to add an ownership in their club but this way we get to try it out first.

I hope the rest of you waiting get in as well.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Great! I am on a search for 2009 Maui Weston and Marriot. How long did it take for you to find out?

 

[Slakk]

Great! I am on a search for 2009 Maui Weston and Marriot. How long did it take for you to find out?

I put in about 6 months ago which is pretty early per Dean (who is truly all knowing!!!) Honestly when June July and August went by I figured we had lost out and had been plannong to try and do one of their special 5 nights and go to their presentation. I am much happier with this. Good luck for Maui! Being an ex-left coaster we went to Hawaii all the time and I loved Maui. DH and DS have never been so we are sticking with Oahu.

 

[MrsNick]

Congratulations, that is awesome! I hope you have a wonderful trip. When you get back, could you do a trip report? I'd love to hear the details.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I put in about 6 months ago which is pretty early per Dean (who is truly all knowing!!!) Honestly when June July and August went by I figured we had lost out and had been plannong to try and do one of their special 5 nights and go to their presentation. I am much happier with this. Good luck for Maui! Being an ex-left coaster we went to Hawaii all the time and I loved Maui. DH and DS have never been so we are sticking with Oahu.

Yes Dean, (all knowing ) gave me great advice on this search. I started 2 yrs. out, so I hope I hear something at least by next Sept. 2008. You really found out quick! Please give us a trip report !

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Slak, Would you mind sharing how many points for the studio? Thanks!

 

[Dean]

Slak, Would you mind sharing how many points for the studio? Thanks!

Oahu weeks 1-34, 51 & 52 are HIGH season, 49-50 is LOW for ALL Islands, the rest is MID season. Put another way, Xmas to late August is HIGH season and early Dec is LOW season. While one should put in as early as possible, most matches occur at around 6 months out in general though Marriott tends to be somewhat different with a peak at 11-13 months out and another at 60 days out. My daughter is currently at the Maui Marriott OF in a 1 BR and will finish out at Ko Olina in a studio next week. We'll see what she thinks, esp since she's a novice when it comes to timeshares as it's different when Dad's doing all the planning and paying the bills though she is getting off cheap on this trip.

 

[windi622]

Congratulations! Ko Olina is such an amazing resort. I was there on my honeymoon last year (not on points). Be sure to check out the Paradise Cove luau if you have a chance....aww, now I'm getting jealous.

 

[bnlbebes]

This was one of the resorts we were searching for through Interval just last week, before I stopped the search due to booking a cruise with DW's family.

I'm thinking that maybe I dodgeed a bullet...

Anyone have any idea what the waitlists are like on these searches? (We were searching the whole summers of 2008 & 2009.)

 

[Dean]

This was one of the resorts we were searching for through Interval just last week, before I stopped the search due to booking a cruise with DW's family.

I'm thinking that maybe I dodgeed a bullet...

Anyone have any idea what the waitlists are like on these searches? (We were searching the whole summers of 2008 & 2009.)

Those owning top Marriott weeks usually don't deposit with II but rather use them, rent them or trade privately, much like DVC members do. But of those deposits that get to II, Marriott weeks are held for 24 days where ONLY other Marriott members have access to them. Some make it out of this system but not many. I search every day and usually look at HI, DVC and a few other Marriott locations. At 6 AM there may be 10 Marriott units listed for HI but there are NONE when I get home at night in most cases. Studios and lower demand times will work out better as will short notice.

Another pertinent issue I haven't mentioned on the BBS in some time is Bulk Spacebanking. That's where a resort or system gives II a bunch of units all at once. It's a great way to get a high demand resort if one has an ongoing search in when this happens. This helps partly because the number of deposits can saturate the group looking for a trade AND because trade power/value is partly dependent on availability and thus when this happens, the trade value is temporarily decreased allowing one to match with an otherwise inferior deposit. This is likely how I got the Westin week using a bluegreen 1 BR deposit.

So the best chances for an exchange are to be searching before anyone else, by the time any units start to be deposited and looking for as many weeks and resorts as possible.