Whether you are an existing owner who is planning a vacation, or looking to buy the right ownership for you, understanding booking windows is critical for making the most out of your timeshare. This article discusses booking windows for several major timeshare brands, including Marriott, Hilton, Disney, Vistana and Hyatt to help you understand the booking process needed to maximize your ownership.
In this article, we explain exactly how far in advance you can book your vacations. Let’s get started!
Marriott Vacation Club Reservation Booking Windows
Marriott Vacation Club offers two different timeshare systems, each using a different booking method. The first is a points-based ownership that relies on Abound Club points. The second ownership type features deeded weeks that rely on a weeks-based reservation system. Each product offers different booking windows that we review below.
Abound Club Points
For those with points, the reservation window opens as early as 13 months prior to the desired check-in date, allowing ample time to plan a vacation. Reservations can be made online or over the phone. Depending on your membership level, which is determined by how many points you own, there are additional benefits offered for higher membership levels.
| Benefit Level | Annual Vacation Club Points | 13 Months Prior to Check-In | 12 Months Prior to Check-In | 10 Months Prior to Check-In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Up to 3,999 | 7 or more consecutive nights with a 20% Point Premium | 7 or more consecutive nights | Any number of nights |
| Select | 4,000 to 6,999 | 7 or more consecutive nights | Any number of nights | |
| Executive,
Presidential, Chairman’s Club |
7,000 and higher | Any number of nights | ||
Deeded Weeks
Marriott deeded week owners are granted the ability to reserve vacations at their designated home resort as early as 12 months before their preferred check-in date. This booking opportunity commences at 9:00 AM Eastern Time and is available online or over the phone.
The option to book 13 months in advance is available exclusively to multi-week owners who book consecutive or concurrent stays. Weeks can be at the same resort or at different resorts; and they must be booked either concurrently (with reservations overlapping in time) or consecutively (one booking immediately following another). At the present time, this option is only available over the phone by calling the Marriott Vacation Club customer service line.
Hilton Grand Vacations Booking Windows
Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) provides a flexible system of booking windows, ensuring that members can plan their vacations well in advance. Hilton offers a few different types of reservations that can be made, each with a distinct booking window. In the following section we discuss reservation windows for the two most important booking types: home resort and club season bookings.
Home Week Priority
For owners of Hilton Grand Vacations, the Home Week Priority reservation period allows them to secure their specific unit type for a complete 7-night stay, during their designated season, at their assigned home resort. This exclusive booking window opens 365 days, or 12 months, in advance of the preferred check-in date.
Club Season
For Hilton Grand Vacations owners, the Club Season offers a timeframe in which they have the flexibility to reserve any unit type at any HGV resort, as long as they have enough points. Typically, this reservation window opens 276 days, or approximately 9 months, before the intended check-out date. This holds true for the majority of Hilton properties, although the exact timing can differ depending on the specific resort being booked. For example, the club season booking window for New York properties is much shorter.
Utilizing the Club Season to make reservations is an excellent opportunity to leverage the versatility of your Club Points. Club Season bookings can be as short as 3 nights (which is the minimum length of stay required), allowing owners to book multiple stays.
Disney Vacation Club Resorts Booking Windows
Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members enjoy a flexible range of booking windows, with the ability to book vacations up to 11 months in advance at their deeded home resort and 7 months in advance at other DVC resorts.
This flexibility allows members to explore different Disney destinations while still enjoying the benefits of their home resort priority. The online booking system opens at 8 AM Eastern Time, providing a fair and organized way for all members to plan their magical vacations.
Vistana Signature Experiences Booking Windows
Vistana Signature Experiences, which encompasses both Sheraton and Westin resorts, offers two major booking windows for reservations: the home resort period and the internal exchange booking framework.
Home Resort Reservation Period
When booking their home resort, Vistana owners can typically start making reservations up to 12 months prior to your desired check-in date, at 12 AM midnight eastern time. The owner must book their deeded resort, unit size, and view for a full 7-night stay during this reservation period. It is best to book online in order to secure the desired stay for highly demanded weeks. As of the present time, telephone owner services are available only from Monday to Friday, between 9 AM and 5 PM Eastern Time.
Using StarOptions To Book Other Vistana Resorts
Starting eight months before the check-in date, owners of Vistana timeshares have the ability to utilize their StarOptions (Vistana’s version of points) for reservations at any property within the Vistana Signature Network (VSN). During this reservation period, owners can book any available resort, unit size, view, or number of nights as long as they have the required number of StarOptions. The minimum stay is one night and the maximum stay is currently 21 nights for VSN bookings.
Hyatt Vacation Club Booking Windows
The Hyatt Vacation Club traditional ownership system features three types of important reservation windows: home resort preference; club window; and limited club use. Below we review each of these booking windows.
Home Resort Preference Period (HRPP)
Starting 12 months in advance of their deeded week or season, and up to 6 months in advance of it, owners can secure a home resort booking. This booking would be applicable for the fixed week and unit owned, or for a week in a deeded floating season. Hyatt allows owners to also book a home resort stay shorter than seven nights – for example owners at certain resorts can book 2,3, or 4 night stays during HRPP.
Club Use Points (CUP)
If no home resort stay is secured, then starting six months prior to the fixed week or home season, the points become club points that can be booked any other Hyatt property in the vacation club portfolio.
Limited Club Use Points (LCUP)
If the check in date of the fixed week or start of the home season has arrived, and no home resort or CUP booking has been made, points now enter the LCUP period. Once in this status, points can only be used to book a reservation with a 60 day arrival / check in window, and points will expire six months after the start of the LCUP period.
Conclusion
Understanding the booking windows for your timeshare is key to maximizing your vacation opportunities. Whether you are booking a dream vacation at desirable resort during peak season, or a simple weekend getaway, being aware of how far in advance you can book can make a significant difference in your vacation planning process.
Each brand offers unique set rules and booking windows, tailored to accommodate the needs of their members. By familiarizing yourself with these policies, you can ensure that the time you purchase works for your style of travel, and that you are making the most of it by enjoying memorable vacations year after year.
