Room request and DVC points rental

[ellataylor]

Hi there,
I am considering renting points at AKL to stay in a 2 bedroom savannah view villa. Is it possible to make room requests with private rentals or through a points rental site?
Also would anyone have any advice about good Savannah views at Jambo, do you prefer to overlook the Arusha or Sunset Savannah?

 

[starry_solo]

You can. You can also do it through MDE.

Is your rental for an upcoming date soon? If so, check the 1000s of confirmed/dedicated reservations for rent on the various brokers' sites.

 

[Sandisw]

Requests go through the owner and most are willing to put them in for you.

 

[drusba]

Requests should go through the member. No request is guaranteed. A definite "not" at Jambo is to request high floor; that is a useless request because all DVC rooms are on the fifth floor, except the small number of club level rooms are on the sixth. Also avoid requests for near the lobby or near transportation unless that is all you want -- the rooms nearest the lobby or near transportation are those with the more mediocre views at Jambo. My personal request for a 2BR at Jambo would be a room with an Arusha savanna view, along Zebra Trail (the right hand side of the building). Advantages if you get that request: (a) good views of Arusha, possibly the best savanna; (b) that side of Jambo has the pool, restaurants and bar, for fairly easy access, and the bus station its also on that side somewhat away from the lobby; (c) the bulk of the rooms there face west, thus you get to watch pleasant sussets in the evening while avoiding any blinding sun coming into the room in the morning, and you have shade on the covered balcony until about mid-day.

Note that you can alternatively make requests when you do online check-in on MDE, but I highly advise against that method. The potential requests offered are quite limited, and actually include the useless request of high floor, and undesirable ones, if view is important, of near lobby or transportation. Moreover, if you do make requests through the member, any such requests will be wiped out if thereafter you use the request page in the online check-in section, and thus you should just skip that page when doing online check-in

 

[ellataylor]

Ah thanks guys this is so helpful, its great to have experienced advice on where and how to request. Its always been on my bucket list to take my family to AKL and I really want to experience the best the resort can offer. I was planning August 2021, fingers crossed that we are closer to normality by then.

Sorry to sound so clueless but are the confirmed reservations via a broker (mentioned by PP) like taking over a confirmed rental period already booked at a DVC villa? What’s the benefit of that over renting points?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Sorry to sound so clueless but are the confirmed reservations via a broker (mentioned by PP) like taking over a confirmed rental period already booked at a DVC villa? What’s the benefit of that over renting points?

"Renting points" is a misnomer anyway. You are always renting a reservation made on points.

The advantage right now of a confirmed booking is you should be able to get it at a discount versus the usual per point cost. These are bookings other renters are bailing on and are trying desperately to recoup some of their funds on.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Ah thanks guys this is so helpful, its great to have experienced advice on where and how to request. Its always been on my bucket list to take my family to AKL and I really want to experience the best the resort can offer. I was planning August 2021, fingers crossed that we are closer to normality by then.

Sorry to sound so clueless but are the confirmed reservations via a broker (mentioned by PP) like taking over a confirmed rental period already booked at a DVC villa? What’s the benefit of that over renting points?

Points are useless to anyone who doesn't own those points. Like aurora said, you are purchasing a reservation made with those points. With those confirmed bookings, you cannot modify the dates, the resort or the size villa. You get what is reserved.