1 BR units at Nanea

[dioxide45]

but it wouldn't be the first time that they came up with an unworkable marketing plan.

The marketing plan actually seems to be working quite well...

 

[DeniseM]

Let me re-phrase: It wouldn't be the first time they couldn't deliver what they promised in their marketing plan.

 

[vacationtime1]

Let me re-phrase: It wouldn't be the first time they couldn't deliver what they promised in their marketing plan.

Vistana is giving its 81000 FlexOption purchasers exactly what they promised -- 81000 FlexOptions; Vistana's legal department would have it no other way.

But because of the Vistana's very successful marketing techniques, buyers fail to do research and are blissfully unaware of potential problems involving reservations, parking garage views, low resale values, increasing MF's, etc.

 

[farsighted99]

When my husband and I purchased these options, we really didn't want the 2-bedroom option. We travel a lot and really wanted a 1-bedroom. It looks like the only way I can stay at Nanea in 2018 is pay $99 to bank options to next year, combine my 2018 options and take the 2-bedroom-- which is okay once. However, the idea was to have the 1-bedroom unit at OUR timeshare, not the one next door (it often has availability). Hopefully the Nanea inventory will increase after the units are all completed.

I was a travel agent for years, and I can see the attractiveness of this new Maui resort to Westin. Last July when I was in Maui, I stayed several nights at the Sheraton Kaanapali (where I got sucked into the Nanea timeshare), and then spent 5 nights at the Fairmont Kea Lani immediately afterwards. The Fairmont is an all-suite hotel. The one-bedroom units are really amazing. They are similar to Nanea.

I can imagine that the newest hotel in Maui is probably coming to the attention of lot of people who like staying in the latest new hotel that's right on the beach. So I would imagine the 1-bedroom "hotel room" is an easy sell to someone thinking it's just another expensive hotel. So let's say they sold 10 1-bedroom options to owners so far. That's technically only 10 weeks for a 1-bedroom that they would have to hold aside for the owners (who would presumably book a year in advance). Then a percentage of the 1-bedroom allotments could be allocated to other timeshare owners who would want to come to Maui and stay at the NEW Maui hotel (I would imagine a lot of them), and the rest would be booked as Westin hotel rooms.

My problem is I don't really like having to book a year in advance. I travel a lot. I'm off to Milan next month, just got back from Barbados and will be off to Singapore in Sept. And I have to book Nanea year in advance! And having to stay up until midnight until I can find space? I guess I could just go for the Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas, but why can't I stay in my own place? I honestly didn't think it was going to be this difficult.

Grrrh.

 

[DeniseM]

Making a timeshare reservation is significantly different than making a hotel reservation. When you make a hotel reservation, most of the time you are not in "must" reserve situation, and you are not competing with others who "must" make a reservation.

When you own a timeshare, you are in a different situation, because you must *use your week each year, or you will lose it, and you are competing with everyone else who must make a reservation, or lose their week. *Of course depositing or rolling the Staroptions over is another way to use your week, but that won't achieve your goal.

When you want to make a hotel reservation, if you can't get the hotel that you want, you choose a different hotel.

But if you have your heart set on a 1 bdm. at Nanea (and I don't blame you for that) it's going to be challenging, and you have to make your reservation ASAP, or get left out.

It's not just Westin - the competition for prime resorts/prime dates is the nature of timeshare ownership.

BTW - You don't have to stay up until midnight. When it is midnight Eastern, it is 11:00 pm in WI.

 

[farsighted99]

Making a timeshare reservation is significantly different than making a hotel reservation. When you make a hotel reservation, most of the time you are not in "must" reserve situation, and you are not competing with others who "must" make a reservation.

When you own a timeshare, you are in a different situation, because you must *use your week each year, or you will lose it, and you are competing with everyone else who must make a reservation, or lose their week. *Of course depositing or rolling the Staroptions over is another way to use your week, but that won't achieve your goal.

When you want to make a hotel reservation, if you can't get the hotel that you want, you choose a different hotel.

But if you have your heart set on a 1 bdm. at Nanea (and I don't blame you for that) it's going to be challenging, and you have to make your reservation ASAP, or get left out.

It's not just Westin - the competition for prime resorts/prime dates is the nature of timeshare ownership.

BTW - You don't have to stay up until midnight. When it is midnight Eastern, it is 11:00 pm in WI.

s

well, that's the problem. It shouldn't be that hard.

Nanea is basically a hotel that some people can buy an option for. Except the "owners" pay $30K or more and a maintenance fee every year for as long as you own it for the privilege. And have to think a year in advance to make their reservation.

Now if they had more 1-bedroom units, it shouldn't be as much of a problem.

Seems like they rent the 1-bedrooms for $399/night or maybe more at certain times. I'd rather have paid and booked through the reservations system.

And as an investment, it's more of a joke than anything, as it won't be worth anything at all if you try and sell it since you can't transfer the Home Options.

Most people (like me) fall for the sales pitch. The sales person told us it was a fantastic investment and it would sell for plenty (I think he even told us that the places next door people were selling theirs for more than they paid).

Oh, and I think he said it was the last hotel in Maui to be built on the beach. Though I didn't really believe that...

The place is very seductive and when you are in Maui you just feel you want to be able to go there every year and have your place in paradise....

I'm one of those who didn't do the research and believed the sales pitch.

 

[DeniseM]

Timeshares are not a financial investment at all - but they can be a good way to vacation in full-size condos for less than the cost of renting, if you buy resale.

You are not considering the competition factor. Look at it this way: What if at a given hotel, people HAD to be book every room 52 weeks a year - what would the competition be like to get rooms?

For example - what if I said: Jan. 1st of each year you have to pay $2,000 a year to book a week at a hotel, and if you don't make the reservation, you lose your $2,000.

That is the situation with a timeshare. Every owner must use their week or lose it - so it's not like a hotel reservation.

 

[farsighted99]

Timeshares are not a financial investment at all - but they can be a good way to vacation in full-size condos for less than the cost of renting, if you buy resale.

You are not considering the competition factor. Look at it this way: What if at a given hotel, people HAD to be book every room 52 weeks a year - what would the competition be like to get rooms?

For example - what if I said: Jan. 1st of each year you have to pay $2,000 a year to book a week at a hotel, and if you don't make the reservation, you lose your $2,000.

That is the situation with a timeshare. Every owner must use their week or lose it - so it's not like a hotel reservation.

Actually timeshares are a terrible investment. The question I asked the rep who sold it to me was: how much can you get back if you want to sell it? He lied.

I don't understand your hotel analogy. But at some hotels, if you book the cheapest rate, you don't always get your money back. Non-refundable.


You can pay $99 by July 1 and bank your options for a year, so you don't really lose it totally.

I think timeshares are probably okay for certain people who want to go the same place year after year and can get reservations... and have a little variety once in awhile, but after this experience I would never opt for it if I had to do it again. And certainly not at Nanea.

 

[rubbernyc]

We ended up using banked options to get a 2 BR for next January. I've called a couple of times and spoken with several reservation agents and they keep saying that they don't know when the 1BR units will come online. I find that hard to believe as well.

 

[DeniseM]

The people who answer the phones are entry level people, who just make reservations - they really don't know when more inventory will be available. You can see the same inventory that they can using the Villa Finder. If you really want a one bedroom, you can check the online availability regularly, and if a one bedroom pops up, you can instantly cancel the 2 bedroom reservation, and snag the 1 bedroom reservation - online.

 

[farsighted99]

The people who answer the phones are entry level people, who just make reservations - they really don't know when more inventory will be available. You can see the same inventory that they can using the Villa Finder. If you really want a one bedroom, you can check the online availability regularly, and if a one bedroom pops up, you can instantly cancel the 2 bedroom reservation, and snag the 1 bedroom reservation - online.

From what the agent told me, once you bank the options, you can only book in 2018, correct?

Also if you can downgrade to a 1 bedroom, you still get stuck for the $99.

However, good to know, in case your plans change. Once I tell my adult kids they are going to Hawaii, that won't probably be able to be changed.

Also, do you have any guess as to how many people lose their options? I think I'd still go to like California or Florida before I'd let them lapse.


Thanks for the info, Denise.

 

[DeniseM]

Yes, but it is very unlikely that you will find anything in 2017. You might get lucky and catch a cancellation at the right moment, but there isn't going to be any "new" inventory available.

The $99 fee is for rolling the Staroptions over to 2018, so it is unrelated to the size of the unit that you book.

 

[rubbernyc]

I understand that the phone people don't know much, and it shows.

I have been looking at paid reservation through SPG and I have found plenty of 1BR units for rent in July, August, September all the way until late January and including the week that we rented as a 2BR. Now, I understand that traditionally once a member banks or converts their week, the inventory goes to the hotel to rent out. Can it be that so many people so soon have done this and there is nothing to book via options?
I am looking at the 8 month window, as it is not our home resort to book into. But still, it seems very deceptive.

BTW, not sure if it is comforting for those paying MFs, but said week rental in a 1BR unit comes to a grand total of $5231.88

 

[DeniseM]

The units don't have to have been turned back into Vistana - they may simply be unsold inventory, which belongs to Vistana and will not go in the owner's inventory pool.

 

[Sea Six]

I wonder what they have available using StarPoints?

 

[trexmdr]

I wonder what they have available using StarPoints?


View attachment 4161

Are those for one bedroom or studios? 300 sq ft hotel rooms at blackrock are going for more than that.
I wonder what view those are at the westin villas? Garden maybe?
Someone above quoted $399 for Nanea but $539/night for a one bedroom at Nanea sounds more like it.

 

[rubbernyc]

Those are for the 1BR. I just looked earlier today and found rates from $539 this summer up to $619 for late January '18 as per my previous post. You're looking at around $750 per night with taxes.

 

[Sea Six]

Are those for one bedroom or studios?

I did a search for a 1 bedroom for 2 adults at Nanea.

 

[trexmdr]

Those are for the 1BR. I just looked earlier today and found rates from $539 this summer up to $619 for late January '18 as per my previous post. You're looking at around $750 per night with taxes.

I'm just amazed at the prices they are getting but I'm also amazed at the prices developers get for timeshare units.

 

[farsighted99]

It's $399 before taxes in Sept (Sept 2 - 9 for example) for a one bedroom. Prices drop apparently after the end of August. Depending on when you want to go, YMMV. Notice KORV is $50 less per night.

$452.53 including taxes (state & TAT tax). per night. $3167.72 for 7 nights. And that's the low rate.

 

[dioxide45]

From what the agent told me, once you bank the options, you can only book in 2018, correct?

Also if you can downgrade to a 1 bedroom, you still get stuck for the $99.

However, good to know, in case your plans change. Once I tell my adult kids they are going to Hawaii, that won't probably be able to be changed.

Also, do you have any guess as to how many people lose their options? I think I'd still go to like California or Florida before I'd let them lapse.


Thanks for the info, Denise.

I would also think that once you bank the options, your chances of getting a 1BR drop significantly since you can only use the banked options at the 8 month mark. Also, 2017 options once banked can be used in 2018 or 2019.

 

[DeniseM]

Although those sky high prices are tantalizing, I quit looking at them a long time ago, because I would never pay that much, and I know that you cannot get that much from a private owner rental, because you cannot offer the same terms as Westin can - namely a liberal cancellation policy, and the security of renting from a well-known public entity.

 

[vacationtime1]

Although those sky high prices are tantalizing, I quit looking at them a long time ago, because I would never pay that much, and I know that you cannot get that much from a private owner rental, because you cannot offer the same terms as Westin can - namely a liberal cancellation policy, and the security of renting from a well-known public entity.

All so true. But instead of paying Vistana $400/night for a WKORV studio with a parking lot view, one can rent an OF studio at WKORV from a private owner for about $300/night, which includes parking, resort fees, and taxes (except the $6/day TAT).

 

[rubbernyc]

FYI, I just snagged a 1BR unit for late January 2018, so they are starting to become available. I would suggest that anyone interested look ASAP.

 

[EnglishmanAbroad]

FYI, I just snagged a 1BR unit for late January 2018, so they are starting to become available. I would suggest that anyone interested look ASAP.

Yes - looks like there are 1 beds now available from January 6th onward.