Akv Strange Booking Restrictions Today

[senator74]

Funny thing happened this morning when I called MS regarding booking AKV for the first part of our already scheduled trip to SSR from 1-13 thru 1-19-08.

Spoke to Jean, who by the way was very pleasant and friendly. When I tried to book a concierge 2BR for the first three nights, she told me that I was unable to book that until 6-27-07 since I was not an AKV owner. The strange part comes in when she proceeds to tell me that I could however book the only remaining Grand Villa of the three that will be open by that time. So I jumped and made the reservation. (Very excited!) But it blows my mind that you can book some rooms and not others and at different times. Maybe this is information that has already been talked about, but I was a little suprised.

Were it gets more confusing is when I called last week just before my seven month window to even see if there was still any availability at AKV, another MS person told me there was 2BR concierge available that I could reserve if I went the week before my scheduled week. Not sure if this MS assumed I was an AKV owner or if there is just confusion among some of the people in MS as to when certain DVC owners can and can't book.

Fortunately for me, I had a happy ending in getting the grand villa. Little more points for me, but worth it. But had I not been in the position to do that, I probably would feel more like I was getting mixed information.

Not sure if anyone else is getting different information each time they call, or if this had something to do with the concierge part of the booking?

I hope it was just my misunderstanding from the first MS I spoke with last week!

 

[spiceycat]

unless you own at AKL you can't book concierge. you can book anything else.

the GV is NOT concierge. So if you really want concierge then you may need to call back - if any are left.

 

[wildernessDad]

The Grand Villas are Savanna view only. They are not concierge-level villas.

 

[pilferk]

Funny thing happened this morning when I called MS regarding booking AKV for the first part of our already scheduled trip to SSR from 1-13 thru 1-19-08.

Spoke to Jean, who by the way was very pleasant and friendly. When I tried to book a concierge 2BR for the first three nights, she told me that I was unable to book that until 6-27-07 since I was not an AKV owner. The strange part comes in when she proceeds to tell me that I could however book the only remaining Grand Villa of the three that will be open by that time. So I jumped and made the reservation. (Very excited!) But it blows my mind that you can book some rooms and not others and at different times. Maybe this is information that has already been talked about, but I was a little suprised.

Were it gets more confusing is when I called last week just before my seven month window to even see if there was still any availability at AKV, another MS person told me there was 2BR concierge available that I could reserve if I went the week before my scheduled week. Not sure if this MS assumed I was an AKV owner or if there is just confusion among some of the people in MS as to when certain DVC owners can and can't book.

Fortunately for me, I had a happy ending in getting the grand villa. Little more points for me, but worth it. But had I not been in the position to do that, I probably would feel more like I was getting mixed information.

Not sure if anyone else is getting different information each time they call, or if this had something to do with the concierge part of the booking?

I hope it was just my misunderstanding from the first MS I spoke with last week!

Yup, that's the SOP with AKV.

Owners could book on May 16th, non-owners could not book until June 6th. At that point, the understanding was the concierge would not be available until May of '08.

Along the line, something changed and the date the concierge and value rooms were going to open changed from May to December. In order to preserve some exclusivity on the booking window for the new room types, MS (and there was a letter sent out) decided that owners could book those types (I'm going from memory here) June 13th, and non-owners couldn't book until June 27th.

It's simply a factor of the new rooms coming on line, and not something you should see going forward in "normal" situations. The 11 month and 7 month windows will apply, usually.

Also, as others have mentiioned, the GV's are NOT like the AKL suites. They do NOT get concierge access just by way of being GV's.

 

[Inkmahm]

Yup, that's the SOP with AKV.

Owners could book on May 16th, non-owners could not book until June 6th. At that point, the understanding was the concierge would not be available until May of '08.

Along the line, something changed and the date the concierge and value rooms were going to open changed from May to December. In order to preserve some exclusivity on the booking window for the new room types, MS (and there was a letter sent out) decided that owners could book those types (I'm going from memory here) June 13th, and non-owners couldn't book until June 27th.

It's simply a factor of the new rooms coming on line, and not something you should see going forward in "normal" situations. The 11 month and 7 month windows will apply, usually.

Also, as others have mentiioned, the GV's are NOT like the AKL suites. They do NOT get concierge access just by way of being GV's.

It's even worse than that. The letter we got said we could start booking concierge as of December 1 but when I called June 13th to book December 1, I had to talk to 3 people before someone told me concierge rooms aren't availale until December 4th (Not December 1.)

 

[evaready51]

What is concierge? I didn't think DVC had any concierge type arrangements.

Evaready51

 

[pilferk]

What is concierge? I didn't think DVC had any concierge type arrangements.

Evaready51

AKV is the first resort to offer concierge service.

 

[hellerjw]

AKV concierge is the same as AKL concierge as far as the services/amenities offered.

As of right now they have indicated it will only be available in a limited number of the converted AKL rooms (aka. Jambo) on the 5th & 6th floors. There hasn't been any definitive word yet, as far as I know, of any concierge at Kidani when its built.

You can request Savannah View with a Concierge but its not guaranteed since some of them face the opposite side.

 

[Figment56]

pilferk, not so, that members could book on May 16th, it all depended on when your building opens. We are AKV owners and could not book until June 6th, as our building will not open until September 1. There was a lot of confusion in the first few months and still is. I advise everyone to keep checking their reservations, as some are being cancelled and others are being changed. They keep trying to use our AKV points when we can't even use them until September 1! We had to borrow next years points from SSR to book AKV! I wasn't excited until I got our written reservations in hand!

 

[Inkmahm]

pilferk, not so, that members could book on May 16th, it all depended on when your building opens. We are AKV owners and could not book until June 6th, as our building will not open until September 1. There was a lot of confusion in the first few months and still is. I advise everyone to keep checking their reservations, as some are being cancelled and others are being changed. They keep trying to use our AKV points when we can't even use them until September 1! We had to borrow next years points from SSR to book AKV! I wasn't excited until I got our written reservations in hand!

You could book on May 16th but not concierge. I did. I got our March, 2008 trip booked then. Being able to book then had nothing to do with when your unit opened other than you could book for rooms AFTER Sept 1 if your unit didn't open until then.

I later booked Dec 1, just one night. On June 6, I could call to switch that night to concierge according to the letter I received from DVC. Except when I called, the concierge won't be available unti Dec 4.

 

[LisaS]

All AKV owners could call on May 16th to book stays beginning on Sep 1st or later. Some AKV owners could make reservations for earlier dates (July or later). It depended on whether the AKV Unit they own opens in Sep or July.

AKV owners who own a Unit with a Sep 1st occupancy date who want to book a stay that begins earlier than Sep 1st cannot use their AKV points for that stay. Their only option is to use other (non-AKV) points for that stay and June 6th was the earliest date that non-AKV points could be used to book a stay at AKV.

As has already been explained, when booking first opened for AKV the plan was that Concierge and Value villas would not be available until May 2008. When the construction schedule was revised so that Concierge and Value villas would be available starting in Dec '07, MS gave AKV owners using AKV points a 2-week head start to book those villa types.

 

[senator74]

Thanks everyone for the great bits of information on the topic.
I have a lot better understanding of "concierge" booking restrictions.

Something I forgot to mention in the OP, when I asked MS today if GV was part of concierge automatically, her reply was well it is on those floors so it is "just the same". Hence, one of the reasons for my post. Now I find out GV are separate from concierge. And please, it is not THAT big of deal to us about concierge, just thought it would be nice to try.

I guess my whole point would be to anyone making ressies in the very near future, make sure they give you ALL the correct information when booking, so that you don't assume you are getting something you might not.

 

[LisaS]

Something I forgot to mention in the OP, when I asked MS today if GV was part of concierge automatically, her reply was well it is on those floors so it is "just the same". Hence, one of the reasons for my post. Now I find out GV are separate from concierge. And please, it is not THAT big of deal to us about concierge, just thought it would be nice to try.

I guess my whole point would be to anyone making ressies in the very near future, make sure they give you ALL the correct information when booking, so that you don't assume you are getting something you might not.

Unfortunately, that has been a problem with MS and AKV. Several of the MS CMs have passed along incorrect information. Some have used AKV points incorrectly, using them to book stays that will occur before the points are valid for use. Some have tried to prevent owners from doing something that was completely within the AKV booking rules. Thank goodness for the collective knowledge of these boards!

 

[pilferk]

pilferk, not so, that members could book on May 16th, it all depended on when your building opens. We are AKV owners and could not book until June 6th, as our building will not open until September 1. There was a lot of confusion in the first few months and still is. I advise everyone to keep checking their reservations, as some are being cancelled and others are being changed. They keep trying to use our AKV points when we can't even use them until September 1! We had to borrow next years points from SSR to book AKV! I wasn't excited until I got our written reservations in hand!

No. You could call to book using your AKV points on May 16th....all AKV owners could...you just couldn't book stays prior to when your unit opened (Sept 1st, for me). The 11 month window also still applied.

 

[Figment56]

No. You could call to book using your AKV points on May 16th....all AKV owners could...you just couldn't book stays prior to when your unit opened (Sept 1st, for me). The 11 month window also still applied.

I should have said we were looking for August Ressies!

 

[PamOKW]

Holy Cow! If I worked in MS, I think I'd take a vacation until the "rules" for AKL fit into normal DVC standards. Good thing they at least eliminated smoking and non-smoking. ;-)

That said.....since the experts seem to be on this thread...am I correct in thinking that the all new village villas will not be open until 2009? Until then, it's the remodeled units in the current AKL?

 

[LisaS]

Am I correct in thinking that the all new village villas will not be open until 2009? Until then, it's the remodeled units in the current AKL?

Yes, the new building (Kidani Village) is scheduled to open in 2009. Until then, the converted units in the Lodge building (Jambo House) will be all that is available.

 

[PamOKW]

Thanks, Lisa. I wanted to be sure I gave my friends the right info for their February planning!

 

[TenThousandVolts]

unless you own at AKL you can't book concierge. you can book anything else.

I didn't know that- a non AKV owner can't book concierge (even in the unlikely event that there is availablity at the 7 month window)

 

[LisaS]

I didn't know that- a non AKV owner can't book concierge (even in the unlikely event that there is availablity at the 7 month window)

We're still in the owner's priority booking window for Concierge. As pilferk mentioned in his post, starting June 27th (I think that's the right day) any DVC member can try to book Concierge, subject to the 7-month window.