Question on connecting rooms at resorts

[BobH]

I guess I am becoming a DVC trivia addict lately but I am interested in learning what the long term members have discovered about accomodations at the DVC resorts. In particular
I have been wondering about the layout plan at the DVC resorts and whether they are all set up with the same plan for use of the rooms. The members guidebook gives information on the layout of the individual rooms but does not describe how the different types of rooms are combined or locked off with double doors to provide the various size units - 1 bed room etc.
How many connecting rooms are possible at the resorts?
To date I have only reserved studios and inn rooms (at OKW,HH,Vero).
At OKW I am aware that most (all?) studios have connecting doors to 1 Bed room units so a 2 bedroom unit could be made.
At Hilton Head when I stayed in the Main Lodge my inn room had a connecting door to a 1 bed room unit so a 2 bedroom unit would be possible. It appears that an inn room at Vero could also be made into a 2 bedroom in the main building.
I have heard that there are also "dedicated" units. Are there many of these dedicated units? Does this apply to all size rooms? Are there dedicated studios, 1 bedrooms and 2 bedroom units?I assume Grand Villas are always dedicated units?? Or can bedrooms be locked off for use as smaller units if the Grand Villa is not in use?
I am most interested in OKW and I understand Grand Villas are not available at BCV or VWL but I wondered if you nearly always had lock off doors in all size units? Thanks for your help. Apologies to those for whom this may be an ancient issue.

 

[drusba]

My understanding of OKW is about half the units (not counting GV's) are two bedroom lock-offs that can become 1BR and studio and the other half are dedicated 2BR's with no lock-off feature. Do not believe the GV's have any lock-off feature. At BWV, which I am more familiar with, there are 383 units officially. Though I do not have exact numbers with me, about 98 of those are dedicated studios (no lock-off connection to a 1BR), 120 dedicated 1BR's, 7 GV's with no lock-off feature, and the rest are 2BR units that all have the lock-off feature so they can become 1BR and separate studio. VWL and BCV others can speak to but as I understand it both have a number of "dedicated" (meaning no lock-off connection) studios, 1BR's, and 2BR's, besides having many 2BR's with the lock-off feature.

 

[BobH]

It is interesting that there are so many dedicated units. I like the idea but given all commentary I have seen here regarding room requests I would have guessed DVC would have made it easier for themselves to assign rooms by making nearly all the units lock off units. That would have given them more potential room inventory to fulfill requests of their guests. I am sure there are some architectural and design limitations as to how many types of accomodations can exist on a site and I am suprised that there appear to be as many dedicated rooms as there seem to be. I would like to know if it holds true for the other DVC resorts other than BWV. Thanks for the reply.

 

[RobDoc]

HH has 76 dedicated 2BR villas, 5 GV's and 21 lock off 2BR's- which are usually made available as studios and 1BR's.

BWV has some dedicated studios and I beleive that BCV also has some dedicated villas. Not sure about VWL or VB.

Good question!

 

[drusba]

I doubt there are any architectural or design limitations that led to the number of dedicated studios and 1BR's at BWV. One reason BWV was set up that way was likely that DVD had learned from its experience with OKW that overall demand for studios and 1BR's was higher than for a 2BR. In addition, I assign a much more profit-making motive to DVD's decision to have a large number of dedicated studios and 1BR's. By law DVD, at any given resort, cannot sell more ownership interests than available annual reservation time. In other words they cannot sell more total points than the annual total it would take to fill all the DVC available rooms each day of the year.

The amount of points needed for a studio plus the separate amount needed for a 1BR at BWV is combined greater than those needed for a 2BR (that is true at all the resorts and is likely done not just to encourage 2BR use, and thus avoid overly skewed demand for studios and 1BR's, but also encourage buyers to purchase more points so they can go to a 2BR). To come up with total points sellable, they use a complicated estimated occupancy formula but basically the total points sellable in relation to any 2BR unit are close to the total points needed annually to rent that unit as a 2BR unit, not the higher total that would be reached if the unit was considered a separate studio and 1BR. But for the dedicated units the total saleable points are close to what it takes to reserve those units as a studio or 1BR for a year. Net result: the more dedicated studios and 1BR's the more points that can be sold than if those same units were 2BR lock-offs.

 

[BobH]

What you say makes perfect sense. More sellable points is certainly the reason for the dedicated units.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

It appears that an inn room at Vero could also be made into a 2 bedroom in the main building.

Really? You can get connecting Inn rooms at Vero Beach in the main lodge? I might be reading what you wrote incorrectly, I was under the impression that the main Inn building contained only Inn rooms and none of those Inn rooms were connecting. Additional information on this would be great. Buildings 13, 14, and 15 contain studios, 1bdrm lockoff's and dedicated 2 bedrooms.

I also heard a rumor that there was one one bedroom villa in the main lodge, but the CM at the front desk didn't know about it.
Thanks.

 

[BobH]

I am not sure that the door I saw would connect to another Inn Room. I am guesing that it connected to a 1 Bed Room unit. It might be best to make a quick call to ask about this.