concierge level at VAKL amenities

[lisareniff]

There have been more reports of 5 2bedroom lock-offs for the concierge level. *sigh* I guess we need to believe this.

Something that does make some sense is the number 5. 5 2bedroom villas would take up 15 currrent hotel rooms in groups of three. That would exactly fit in the current rooms on the 6th floor. There are 6 pool view rooms and 9 sunset savannah rooms. I wonder.....

These 15 rooms were included in the hotel's 55 concierge rooms because it would be difficult to deny them access to the concierge lounge not because of the great view. In fact having those pool view rooms made it so they couldn't guarantee savannah view, a big stumbling block for many in reserving AKL Concierge (as CarolA will agree). The rest of the concierge room were on the 5th floor and all the 1 and 2 bedroom suites. I bet they can now guarantee savannah view!

Still lots of questions..

 

[LisaS]

There have been more reports of 5 2bedroom lock-offs for the concierge level. *sigh* I guess we need to believe this.

Something that does make some sense is the number 5. 5 2bedroom villas would take up 15 currrent hotel rooms in groups of three. That would exactly fit in the current rooms on the 6th floor. There are 6 pool view rooms and 9 sunset savannah rooms. I wonder.....

These 15 rooms were included in the hotel's 55 concierge rooms because it would be difficult to deny them access to the concierge lounge not because of the great view. In fact having those pool view rooms made it so they couldn't guarantee savannah view, a big stumbling block for many in reserving AKL Concierge (as CarolA will agree). The rest of the concierge room were on the 5th floor and all the 1 and 2 bedroom suites. I bet they can now guarantee savannah view!

Still lots of questions..

I think you've cracked it!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

DVC is leasing the entire 5th floor of the current AKL from WDW resorts, so it may be that there will be five 2 BR on the 6th floor and more Club rooms on the 5th floor. There will be a total of 134 rooms total on the 5th and 6th floor.

Are there Concierge rooms currently on any floor of the AKL other than the 5th and 6th?

The way the Declaration of Condominium is written each physical space will either be a Club room or not; there will be no upgrading to the Club if the room you are booked into is not a designated Club room. Of course, they can always amend the Declaration at some point in the future.

-- Suzanne

 

[Sammie]

They could not add too many concierge level units.

Considering the occupany levels are so much greater than regular rooms, the concierge staff and lounge would not be able to handle the crowd.

 

[lisareniff]

DVC is leasing the entire 5th floor of the current AKL from WDW resorts, so it may be that there will be five 2 BR on the 6th floor and more Club rooms on the 5th floor. There will be a total of 134 rooms total on the 5th and 6th floor.

That's what I'm hoping. I'm not sure how this the concierge will work. Will it be it's own DVC concierge with it's own lounge or will it combine with the current AKL concierge and lounge or will it be a mixture of the two (same staff/ different lounge). I can't see them having that whole lounge for those 15 rooms, but isn't the lounge to be a DVC space??? and therefore it shouldn't be shared with the AKL concierge guests who would greatly out number them.

Are there Concierge rooms currently on any floor of the AKL other than the 5th and 6th?

I know there are some (4?) 1 bedroom suites that are part of the concierge on the lower floors. I don't know where the 2 bedroom suites are located but they may be on other floors. I have a feeling (absolutely no knowledge) that most are on the 5th floor. They are currently booking some AKL concierge guests on the 4th floor as DVC takes over the 5th floor.

The way the Declaration of Condominium is written each physical space will either be a Club room or not; there will be no upgrading to the Club if the room you are booked into is not a designated Club room. Of course, they can always amend the Declaration at some point in the future.

I was wondering how that would be setup.

 

[lisareniff]

They could not add too many concierge level units.

Considering the occupany levels are so much greater than regular rooms, the concierge staff and lounge would not be able to handle the crowd.

I thought that DVC was leasing the current Concierge lounge and that they would be making a new lounge for the concierge??? Is this wrong? Are they combining the concierge and using the DVC space??

 

[SuzanneSLO]

The Dec of Condominium actually states that the DVC will operate the concierge lounge and that DVC will be reimbursed for operational costs resulting from use of that lounge by AKL for concierge guests. So that sounds like initially there wil be one lounge shared by both DVC and AKL.

The agreement between DVC and AKL is that AKL can terminate use of concierge, but I took that to mean that at some point concierge service might not be available to AKL guests at all, not that they woudl build a new AKL only concierge lounge.-- Suzanne

 

[LisaS]

Does anyone know how popular concierge is at AKL? Based on what I read on the Resorts board, a lot of people book there for just the night before the safari and then move to a regular room. I wonder how many guests stay there for their entire stay.

Given the point rates for concierge, we're going to try it (assuming we can manage to book it!). I would never do this paying cash at AKL so here is at least one couple in contention to book the safari who were never in the race before. I hope they will consider adding another morning to the safari schedule to give more people a chance to participate.

 

[gabbysmom04]

I was just reading the pt chart and am all set for booking a studio with concierge I just hope I have a chance in heck of getting it! I have always wanted to stay there now with pts it makes it possible!

 

[lisareniff]

Thanks Suzanne. I was hoping you would help out.

That seems really strange to me. DVC will operate a concierge for 15 DVC 'rooms' and 40+ AKL rooms?

 

[Cruelladeville]

I have stayed at the concierge level at AKL before, and one reason that DVC is part of concierge is that the concierge level is the whole savannah on the top floor, and the section around the pool, and only part of that is DVC, some of that still will belong to AKL for cash rooms. Since the concierge level is locked, and requires a pass key to get up there, it makes sense for them to share running the concierge level. It keeps hungry people like me from just going up, and noshing. You'd have the entire AKL up there partaking in evening cordials! I really enjoyed Bailey's and coffee on the cool evenings!

 

[Plutofan]

Does anyone know what days of the week that they currently offer the sunrise safai?

Thanks

 

[bobbiwoz]

... I really enjoyed Bailey's and coffee on the cool evenings!

We've never stayed in concierge, but with these points, I do intend to partake...this would be a plus for me too!
Bobbi

 

[3DisneyKids]

You can go to Deb's site (allearsnet) and she has pics of the food offerings at AKL Concierge as well as a good write-up.

 

[jemiaule]

My guide said there will be 10 DVC rooms on concierge in the main lodge. Five will be 1 bedroom, 5 will be studios. A studio then can be combined with the 1 bedroom to make a 2 bedroom. So at the maximum there will be 10 rooms; depending on how many book a two bedroom that number then decreases.

I found that to be pretty amazing so I asked if there will be a concierge level in the new DVC building and he said he did not know.

I have to hope that they will be doing this in the new building. It just seems so odd to do a concierge level with so few rooms.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

If there are 55 current concierge rooms at AKL and each has a maximum occupancy of 5, then the current lounge (1540 sf) should be able to accomodate 275 guests. If there are only 5 2BR w/ a maximum occupancy of 9, then 45 of those guests will be staying at AKV and the other 230 will be guests of AKL.

Since DVC will control both the 5th and 6th floor of the current building, then there will have to be about 46 concierge rooms on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th floor.

Also, the hotel has the option to discontinue offering use of the conceirge lounge to any guest. If that happens, then DVC has the right to offer use of the concierge lounge to those who are not staying in conceirge units upon payment of a yet to be determined fee. This is spelled out in Section 5.3 of the Declaration of Condominium.

Finally, there is nothing about the Sunrise Safari tour that is inherantly connected to use of the concierge lounge. Disney could start offering to any guest it chooses at any time.

-- Suzanne