Marriott Maui Ocean Club.. Is it that bad?

[herillc]

I just got an II exchange to Maui Ocean Club, 2 bedroom 3 bathroom unit. I know there's no full kitchen or washer and dryer, that's ok. I have never stayed at the resort, been to Maui 3 times and stayed at Westin which I liked (rented from owners & II exchange).
I just checked reviews for marriott maui ocean club and quite shocked by nasty reviews... most of recent reviews said the rooms are dated, stained, stink, etc...
When did it change like that? 3-4 years ago, when i tried to exchange into that resort, it was the same level as Westin Kaanapali. What made it so differrent now?
Should I cancel the exchange and wait for better luck for new towers or Westin?
Is there any refurbished unit at maui ocean club original buildings?
I am very sad as a Marriott owner, I thought Marriott brand name guarantees a certain quality and service level.
Any thoughts or sharing your experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[GregT]

They recently renovated the original towers, and I think you should keep the exchange and will love the property. It's fantastic.

Best,

Greg

 

[cory30]

I just got an II exchange to Maui Ocean Club, 2 bedroom 3 bathroom unit. I know there's no full kitchen or washer and dryer, that's ok. I have never stayed at the resort, been to Maui 3 times and stayed at Westin which I liked (rented from owners & II exchange).
I just checked reviews for marriott maui ocean club and quite shocked by nasty reviews... most of recent reviews said the rooms are dated, stained, stink, etc...
When did it change like that? 3-4 years ago, when i tried to exchange into that resort, it was the same level as Westin Kaanapali. What made it so differrent now?
Should I cancel the exchange and wait for better luck for new towers or Westin?
Is there any refurbished unit at maui ocean club original buildings?
I am very sad as a Marriott owner, I thought Marriott brand name guarantees a certain quality and service level.
Any thoughts or sharing your experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!

We stayed there last summer and loved the resort and location. We toured a unit in the new building and while it was definitely more "upscale" and had a newer feeling, we thought our room in the Molokai building was in very good shape and was super convenient to the pool and other amenities. We were also placed in a 7th floor unit (this was an exchange) and had a fantastic view overlooking the pool and ocean. The unit did feel a bit more dated than some of the other Marriott's that we have stayed in but everything was very clean and functional. We were there in July 2016 and were told that the units would be going under renovation beginning in August 2016 (along with the pool renovation).

We have stayed at the Westin and while I thought the rooms were nicer there, we preferred the overall Marriott location and resort atmosphere. For an exchange and for a 2 bedroom, I would be very happy with this exchange and wouldn't hold out for one of the newer towers as I am not sure how successful that would be.

 

[elleny76]

I just got an II exchange to Maui Ocean Club, 2 bedroom 3 bathroom unit. I know there's no full kitchen or washer and dryer, that's ok. I have never stayed at the resort, been to Maui 3 times and stayed at Westin which I liked (rented from owners & II exchange).
I just checked reviews for marriott maui ocean club and quite shocked by nasty reviews... most of recent reviews said the rooms are dated, stained, stink, etc...
When did it change like that? 3-4 years ago, when i tried to exchange into that resort, it was the same level as Westin Kaanapali. What made it so differrent now?
Should I cancel the exchange and wait for better luck for new towers or Westin?
Is there any refurbished unit at maui ocean club original buildings?
I am very sad as a Marriott owner, I thought Marriott brand name guarantees a certain quality and service level.
Any thoughts or sharing your experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!

Not sure about the rooms but we were in that location back in April and its BEAUTIFUL! (we stayed at Aulani)

 

[NTP66]

If you'd like to see what the newly renovated rooms look like, you can check out this post from last September. Note that the mini fridge in the kitchenette area has since been replaced with extra storage.

IMO, most people who leave reviews are doing it because they've had a negative experience. That certainly hasn't ever been the case for me. The rooms look great, the grounds are gorgeous, and the location is second to none. I would keep the exchange.

 

[taterhed]

While the rooms and facilities at MOC and MM1 are well used and have a very high occupancy rate, I thought the resort was top-notch. If you think MOC is 'stinky dump' then you really should land your private Jet on another island and have the chauffeur drive you to a more suitable private residence.
IMHO

I can imagine that some of the rooms (perhaps at shady ground-level?) might be more inclined to damp smells......but it's a plum of a resort.

Enjoy'!

 

[rickandcindy23]

Yes, the resort is fantastic. I wouldn't mind an exchange myself, especially a 2 bed, 3 bathroom unit. We would feel positively spoiled.

So what view does your unit have? You can look at your history and see the view code.

People are very persnickety. I don't believe many of the reviews I read. I am personally aghast at some of the reviews I have seen of top-notch resorts. But I have a friend who is very much a silver-spoon type. She thought Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort was a dump. So of course this Marriott would probably be a dump too.

 

[NboroGirl]

We got an exchange for a 2BR 3 bath villa and stayed there last month. I, like you, was hesitant about the "old" part and not sure how I'd feel about the lack of kitchen and laundry. But I was very impressed with the unit. It's been recently redecorated and it was quite nice inside. You get 3 balconies, too. What surprised me the most was there was an actual Master bedroom. I had just assumed, since the villa was comprised of 3 hotel rooms, that the 2 bedrooms would be identical. The kitchen area had everything we ever use in villas with full kitchens. The lack of laundry wasn't really a problem. There are tons of washers and dryers located near the pool and easy to get to no matter which tower you are in.

Anyway, like everyone else says, keep the exchange. The resort is beautiful, the rooms are lovely and comfortable and modern, and you can't beat the location. You won't be sorry.

 

[Candace Shaw]

Keep the exchange! I stayed in the 'old' section last October and i didn't find it stinky. It wasn't even that dated (not 1980's HI) but only would seem old compared to the reno pics I just saw in the other post.

Too beautiful a location on a resort with so many amenities to offer and so centrally located.

 

[vacationtime1]

We stayed at MOC in May/June. Our one bedroom unit was refurbished and was in excellent condition.

That said, avoid unit 9020 like the plague. It is on the top floor of the Molokai Tower, the corner unit away from the ocean. That wasn't the problem; the view was nice (it is coded OV and probably had a spectacular view before the Napili Tower was built).

The problem is that the location of the unit created a wind tunnel; it was not only windy on the lanai but also unbearably noisy inside when the lanai door was open. The inability to use the lanai substantially reduced the experience for us. Part of me wanted to write a blistering review, but it really was the lousy unit rather than MOC being a lousy resort. Call it the luck of the draw.

 

[hajjah]

I was somewhat alarmed when I saw this posting. We're heading to the resort next month. There's no way we can cancel our airline tickets at $1,000 each plus the cost of the II exchange. I am pretty picky, but the reviews I read were not bad. I just hope that we are not put in a bad unit. We are traveling about 15 hours to this destination.

 

[herillc]

Thank you, for all your info and link to nice pics!
Now i am feeling much better that i will stay at the renovated unit.
I also love the location of MOC, it is vey convenient to shops, golf courses and restaurants.
I will surely post a review after my visit.
If you have any question regarding the resort, please feel free to post here, i will check while i stay there. Thanks again!

 

[hajjah]

Thanks for advising us to avoid unit #9020! We plan to enjoy this vacation.

 

[taffy19]

Thanks for advising us to avoid unit #9020! We plan to enjoy this vacation.

Ha ha! This is exactly why it is so hard to recommend something to another person or even write a review about a resort because people are so different in their likes and dislikes.

We also stayed in condo #9020 and were pleasantly surprised with the view and location and wouldn't mind staying there again if we had to add a few nights but would have to rent DC points.

It is true that it can be noisy when the Lanai door is open when the trade winds are very strong as we experienced that too but then we closed the patio door to stop the sheers from flying away but I remember the rattling of the side window and even the frame and was wondering if it could break. This only happened a few times when the trade winds were extremely strong. Most of the time it wasn't a problem and we had the Lanai door open and a little bit at night to be safe.

This is most likely the reason why this resort closed in the Lanais with glass windows in the Maui wing that you can open and close depending on how strong the trade winds are. There was a whole thread about it and even showed a picture too by the resort what it looks like.

I am sure that the OP will have a good time in Maui at this resort because you can't beat the location. You are on a beautiful beach with several restaurants to choose from and many water activities too. I can hardly wait to go back!

 

[frankhi]

We have stayed at MOC many times and always loved it. This Jan. we rented at the Honua Kai next to the Westin. IMO, there is huge difference between the two sides of black rock. The Marriott (Hyatt, Westin Hotel, Whaler Village, Sheraton) side is much nicer and more fun.

 

[hajjah]

How expensive is it to get a taxi, Uber/Lyft from the airport to the Residence Inn and back? We have a car for our 7 nights at the Maui Ocean Club, but added two nights at Residence Inn. I'm trying to add two days to the rental, but it’s half the rental for 7 days. Is this the norm? Any other suggestions?

 

[taterhed]

Ouch. I assume you mean the Wailea RI. That's 16 miles to the airport and (usually) more than 30 mins.
Uber estimator shows $30-$100 each way. I'd guess closer to $75 with pax and luggage.

It's an hour bus ride from Kahului to Wailea ($2) and there would be another fare (uber/taxi) from the Airport to a decent bus stop. Bus runs hourly.

I'm thinking you could drop the luggage and pax at Wailea, drop the car at the airport and bus back. That's about 2-3 hours in decent traffic total. How would you get back? Up to you.
Maybe ride-share van/car/uber etc...

Not an easy journey, that's for sure. I'd try and rebook: look and see if autoslash.com can help you rebook.

cheers.

 

[taterhed]

I was somewhat alarmed when I saw this posting. We're heading to the resort next month. There's no way we can cancel our airline tickets at $1,000 each plus the cost of the II exchange. I am pretty picky, but the reviews I read were not bad. I just hope that we are not put in a bad unit. We are traveling about 15 hours to this destination.

Trust me. You do not need to be 'alarmed' about staying in the MOC or MM1. We should all have such worries.
You'll have a great time.

My #1 suggestion for an awesome treat? Go to Merrimans for happy hour, listen to the music, eat the truffle fries, sip on a unique cocktail and watch the ocean waves. That is worth the cost of the trip. Or, if you're a 'beer budget' kinda person (I am at heart), go to the Maui Brewery during happy hour, eat cheap good food and sip on delicious discounted beverages. Wear your Maui Brew tee shirts on Wed and get $1 off. Nice tee's, trust me. Crazy Shirts has a few. Crazy shirts, BTW, make the PERFECT souvenir; if a bit pricey. They come nicely wrapped, can be stamped with the date/location and come in flavors and colors for all.

Have Fun.

 

[taffy19]

http://www.speedishuttle.com/

https://www.viptransmaui.com/

http://mauiairporttaxi--shuttle.com/

 

[taterhed]

Shuttle rates don't look bad...unless they charge by the suitcase!!!! ugh.

 

[hajjah]

Ok, I'll just book 2 additional days with Alamo to make our stay less stressful. I got a good rate for the week over a month ago. The same rental is now is sky high. Thanks again.

 

[taterhed]

Ok, I'll just book 2 additional days with Alamo to make our stay less stressful. I got a good rate for the week over a month ago. The same rental is now is sky high. Thanks again.

again, try autoslash.com it works wonders sometimes.....

 

[hajjah]

Oh, thanks. I forgot to check.

Update: I just checked Autoslash. Their rates are over $100 more and via Priceline. I don't use Priceline so that I can get my Delta Skymiles. Thanks anyway for the information.

 

[hurnik]

I'm also staying at MOC (via Marriott points, so it won't be in the new towers) in Feb 2019, but I'm fine with that. If you're referring to the Trip Advisor reviews, I've learned to:

1) Make sure the "sort" preference is by most recent
2) Only really pay attention to people who have 3+ reviews to avoid any new "spammer" type posts (usually prevelant for Mexican resorts for some reason).
3) The longer, more detailed the review, the better. The ones that are like "it sucks, blah blah" and only have 3 sentences, I basically ignore.
4) If there are negative reviews, do they have a "common thread"? And are they backed up with pictures? (If it's regarding how "nasty" the rooms are, etc.)

Based upon that, and I think the fact that the MOC units were renovated by 2014 (?) (I could be wrong on that date), I'd think 2-3 years is fairly recent and the only bad pictures I could find were from prior to then before the renovations.

Enjoy!

 

[hajjah]

I agree! Thanks for your input. We plan to make the best of this wonderful place.