Standard v Preferred View at BWV

[ExecChef]

Can anybody who loved their room either studio or 1 bedroom give the room numbers out with a view description so when we go I can request that room number and any pics to go along would be great. Thanks in advance!

We stayed in room 1091 it was a quiet pool view with a walk out patio door to the pool. It was great I hope that we get it again this year, I had my Packer Flag hanging on the window and had a lot of comments about it. It was a short walk from the lobby and worked out well for us. It is a 1 room villa.

 

[crisi]

Hi All
We'r planning on making our ressie for a Boardwalk View, 1 bdrm for next August soon. DH insists on a Boardwalk view. Is this part of the Preferred View? Or are there 3 categories now? V, P and B? Are there any bad Boardwalk views? My guess is to ask for the highest floor?
We're new DVC members and BWV is our home resort and next summer will be our first visit there. I guess I'm a bit confused from reading this thread and want to be sure what to ask for.
Thanks!

I think its important to know a few things.

The first is that there are booking categories at all the resorts. At the Boardwalk there are view categories - three of them - Boardwalk, Standard, and Preferred. Barring maintenence issues, if you are able to book Boardwalk, you will stay in a Boardwalk room. (However, the conceirge situation at VAKL right now proves that you can book something have it not be available when you travel).

The second is availability. Boardwalk is about 20% of the resort, Standard about another 20%. Preferred (which, as I said, no one actually Prefers) is 60% of the resort. At certain times of year you need to call right away for anything other than Preferred. At other times of year, Standard and Boardwalk may be available at the seven month window - although those rooms are seldom available at six months (sometimes people get lucky in unlikely ways though).

The third is requests. We've had LOUSY luck at BWV in getting requests met. We asked for no-smoking high floor and end up on the lowest floor in a smoking room (at least that isn't an issue anymore). We ask for high floor and can walk out to the pool without taking stairs. If we want to be close to the elevators, we have a convienent walk to the Studios, but if we decide that location is nice to get to the Studios and the bus stop, we have the room over where the ME luggage goes. Other people have had better luck with requests, but I know from past posting I'm not the only one who feels requests are a useless activity at BW.

If you want a Boardwalk room, then you need to book a Boardwalk room. A lot of people like high floor, close to the elevators. Other people like the Crest of the Wave building (its further down the hall and has some nice fireworks views). Some people like low floors - the first floor for Boardwalk View Boardwalk is on the lobby level - (standard and preferred views have rooms a floor below that on the pool level), because BWV only has a single bank of elevators making a short flight of stairs attractive depending on where in the resort you stay. One of our favorite rooms was on the ground floor standard view when we asked for high floor - being able to walk straight to the pool and not bothering with elevators for the week was really nice.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

. . . If you want a Boardwalk room, then you need to book a Boardwalk room. A lot of people like high floor, close to the elevators. Other people like the Crest of the Wave building (its further down the hall and has some nice fireworks views). Some people like low floors - the first floor for Boardwalk View Boardwalk is on the lobby level - (standard and preferred views have rooms a floor below that on the pool level), because BWV only has a single bank of elevators making a short flight of stairs attractive depending on where in the resort you stay. One of our favorite rooms was on the ground floor standard view when we asked for high floor - being able to walk straight to the pool and not bothering with elevators for the week was really nice.

I beleive that BWV has a few ground floor rooms that actually open out on the BW, next to the models. The floor on same level as the lobby is the 2nd floor. Our first BWV stay was on the 2nd floor just over the general store and it was not a great lcoation. Almost every night, there was an entertainer standing under our balcony. When you walked outside to see what the crowd noise was all about, there were all these faces staring up at you (but you couldn't see the entertainer). Kinda freaky.

We liked our 5th floor at thte very end of the hallways above Crest 'o the Wave much better. No problems with noise when the bars closed in the evenings.

-- Suzanne

 

[MiaSRN62]

is there any way to complain and get some of your points back. I am going to BWV with a preferred view in October and I would not want to pay the extra points for a view like this. I tried to get standard view but it was not available.

Yep...I tried this in 2003 when I stayed at BWV with a PV room. The primary view from our balcony was of the valet parking lot. We could see the TOT if we stood out on our balcony and turned 90 degrees to the right and there was a very small canal with ducks in it directly underneath us. We were on the 4th floor and about 5 doors from the end of the hallway. I honestly and truly thought DVC/BWV goofed and put us in a standard room. When I called, they assured me this was a PV. I told them that 80% of my view is of a parking lot ? They told me, because I had a view of water (aka the muddy tiny canal underneath me), that made it preferred. They were in no way going to refund my points. If I ever decide to stay at BWV again, I would request a pool view if I used PV points. From what I could tell, most of those PV rooms had nicer views. The kicker was, when I got home and hopped on the DIS back in '03 to discuss this, I discovered that a mere 2-3 rooms away from me began the standard view rooms. In fact, several DIS'ers thought my location actually was standard and urged me to call MS again. But I didn't, because I had already spoken to a manager at BWV as well as MS.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

).

The third is requests. We've had LOUSY luck at BWV in getting requests met. If you want a Boardwalk room, then you need to book a Boardwalk room. .

This would be me...twice now I have not gotten my requests. For my post cruise stay at BWV, I booked BW view, and made no requests. I'll be curious to see where we stay!

 

[n2mm]

It's really not a good idea to request a specific room #. If that room is already occupied, they will give you whatever else is available, which may not be the best. For example, one trip I got the great corner room on the standard view side, 3123. So on my next trip, I requested 3123 or 4123 (2123 was smoking at the time). We ended up all the way down near Jellyrolls, facing the Swan/Dolphin and the Jellyrolls dumpster. At the time, those were considered standard view because the DVC offices partially blocked the view. Anytime I stayed standard veiw before, I requested top floor, across from the bus stop and got a great view. The time that I requested specific room #'s, I was not thrilled. I asked if anything else was available, they said no and the requested rooms were already occupied.

Is this the room that is right over the entrance in the corner? I saw pictures of that room and it was really neat.

I agree, I have the worse luck with request at BWV.

 

[DisFlan]

We were in 2123 a couple of years ago. No smoke smell. Those corner rooms are GREAT. I didn't request it; it was just the luck of the draw - and it was ready at 9 am, to boot.

DisFlan

 

[crisi]

This would be me...twice now I have not gotten my requests. For my post cruise stay at BWV, I booked BW view, and made no requests. I'll be curious to see where we stay!

We go with my sister in October, and the only request is "close to each other" I've also noted its her cancer recovery trip on both reservations - so I'm HOPING they take that request seriously - if they don't, I'm going to think my account has some notation that I'm absolutely not to be given anything I ask for.

 

[n2mm]

We were in 2123 a couple of years ago. No smoke smell. Those corner rooms are GREAT. I didn't request it; it was just the luck of the draw - and it was ready at 9 am, to boot.

DisFlan

Is that a 2 bedroom?

 

[Dean]

As I've said many time, the naming of those rooms generates expectations that are simply not accurate. Originally BWV was all one group of rooms but during selling people complained so they generated the "standard view" option and simply sold less overall points. Later they divided up the preferred to BW view and preferred. It is more accurate to think of the standard view as a step down from preferred rather than the preferred a step up from standard. I agree that if I didn't get the BW view, I'd rather save the points with standard.

 

[DebbieB]

Is that a 2 bedroom?

2123, 3123 & 4123 are dedicated 1 bedrooms. On the first floor, there is an exit on the corner.

 

[n2mm]

2123, 3123 & 4123 are dedicated 1 bedrooms. On the first floor, there is an exit on the corner.

Thanks, that's good to know. I assume they are standard view. I've been in the studio room 1123 and it is a dedicated studio. It was a great location, close to the parking lot.

 

[JWollman]

intersting stuff.. I booked for the first time here... we are in a boardwalk view it says..... cant wait to see what it looks like.
I will try to make note of the room numbers of ours and the folks we are traveling with as well

 

[Minnie824]

Does anyone know what the price difference per night is for standard vs preferred view? Not in points, but in dollars if you were booking a cash ressie? I'm just curious.

 

[crisi]

I don't think you can book standard for cash. Nor do I think the Boardwalk View is available for cash - at least as a general rule.

 

[Laurabearz]

Hi All
We'r planning on making our ressie for a Boardwalk View, 1 bdrm for next August soon. DH insists on a Boardwalk view. Is this part of the Preferred View? Or are there 3 categories now? V, P and B? Are there any bad Boardwalk views? My guess is to ask for the highest floor?
We're new DVC members and BWV is our home resort and next summer will be our first visit there. I guess I'm a bit confused from reading this thread and want to be sure what to ask for.
Thanks!

I have lucked out with great preferred views, and we LOVE Boardwalk view but have since seen the light of the point saving standard view.

But as someone posted it's really hit or miss as to what you will see, and what your balcony will look like... I prefer the more closed in balconys as appose to the ones under the crest o wave...

Thats what makes it look so wonderful while strolling along the boardwalk.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We had the very same type of PV room that is described, we've had it once. Since then we've been luckier. We get our first BW view in November, and we're looking forward to that! Usually we go with SV for the point savings. One other time, I booked PV and had the lovliest dedicated studio that faced the Village Green. When I want to stay at BWV, I'll go with what's available usually in the order of SV, BWV, then PV.

Bobbi

PS. Our extended family was not able to book SV for cash through CRO. They paid for the weekend in a perferred view 2 bedroom, and had to move to the SV 2 bedroom that I booked for them on Sunday.

 

[Dean]

Does anyone know what the price difference per night is for standard vs preferred view? Not in points, but in dollars if you were booking a cash ressie? I'm just curious.

There is no technical distinction on CRO cash reservations and DVC doesn't rent out either BWV or SV as a rule. It'd be a request, one with little chance of success. One can rent from a member though and take advantage of the points differential that way.