Which Wyndham Hawaii resort?

flowergurl · Mar 12, 2012

I am just starting to research Hawaii as a destination for my daughter's wedding in a time period from June, 2012 to September, 2012. I will need three units and we are Wyndham owners with enough points to get three units.

Does anyone know which resorts are either directly on a beach or have a beach within walking distance in the Wyndham system?

This is a first time to Hawaii for all of us so I know nothing about Hawaii and the resorts. Any help will be appreciated!

Thanks,
Diane

joanncanary · Mar 12, 2012

Which Island? I know on Oahu in Waikiki the Beach Walk is alittle more than a block but very easy access and it is in the middle of the action. Lots of things to do and see. We have stayed there and really like the location. Not sure about the other Islands. We have rented homes on the other islands.

DeniseM · Mar 12, 2012

I would start out by reading the resort reviews for the Wyndham Hawaiian resorts and narrow it down from there. Click on TUG Resort Databases in the red bar > Reviews > Hawaii.

I would also look at the cost of airfare from your home airport to the various Hawaiian Island, and look at the wedding venues on each island.

We own at the Wyhdham Kauai Beach Villas - which is right next to a very nice hotel - The Aqua (former Hilton) and the hotel would be a very nice location for the wedding and reception - http://www.aquaresorts.com/kauai-hotels/kauai-beach-resort/

Weddings - http://www.aquaresorts.com/hotel-programs/hawaii-weddings/

flowergurl · Mar 12, 2012

Thanks for the insight on Waikiki Beach Walk! We are open as to which island right now since we know very little about Hawaii and the areas there. We basically need an area where we can do touring of the local attractions, perhaps experience a luau, and the beach is important to daughter and future son-in-law.

I was happy to hear the access is easy and a short walk for Waikiki Beach Walk.

I read that the parking cost is high there. Any way around that? We will rent a car or van for sure to be able to tour.

I am assuming there are plenty of restaurants close by? Do all of the units have a balcony there?

flowergurl · Mar 12, 2012

Thanks, Denise, for the excellent advice on researching. I will do that!

Is the beach nice (sandy) at the Kauai Beach Villas?

Great lead on a possible wedding venue. Will follow up and check it out. I appreciate the help.

DeniseM · Mar 12, 2012

Personally - I would not choose Oahu, which is a large urban city - but that's just me - some people love it. There is a lot to do and see on Oahu, but we prefer Kauai. (The dots on the beach are people...)

Waikiki Beach-

Wyndham Kauai Beach Villas - beach shot from our Lanai - directly in front of the resort there is a reef, but 50 yards down there is a beautiful beach.

WeLovetoTravel · Mar 12, 2012

I agree with Denise about the location and Beauty of Kauai Beach Villas. Perfect for a wedding.
We have also stayed at Royal Sea Cliff on Kona. This resort is ocean front, but located on a cliff. The views are beautiful but there is no beach.
-Deb

paluamalia · Mar 12, 2012

Hi Diane
FYI they are starting renovations at the Waikiki Beach Walk...we were there last week.
Waikiki is very active with lots of tours, etc. and Waikiki is a great beach. We travel to Hawaii every year, but mostly Maui,
Wyndham has very limited presence on Maui and I think summer would be difficult, but if I was getting married again I would do it on Maui

We are on Maui right now

Aloha

flowergurl · Mar 13, 2012

Thank you everyone for your help. Looks like we may be settling on Kauai Beach Villas.

Denise, or any others who may know, when I go into RCI, it states that although the resort is beachfront, it is not safe for swimming due to dangerous ocean conditions.

Is this true at all times of the year? Can you elaborate anymore on this for me?

Thanks so much.

Diane

DeniseM · Mar 13, 2012

flowergurl said:
Thank you everyone for your help. Looks like we may be settling on Kauai Beach Villas.

Denise, or any others who may know, when I go into RCI, it states that although the resort is beachfront, it is not safe for swimming due to dangerous ocean conditions.

Is this true at all times of the year? Can you elaborate anymore on this for me?

Thanks so much.

Diane

Hi Diane - we swim at the beach in the picture, but there is no life guard (very few beaches in Hawaii have life guards) so all beaches are "swim at your own risk." Whether you swim in the ocean in Hawaii depends on several factors: Your swimming ability, weather, and the currents - which change. The ocean in Hawaii is MUCH different than the East Coast. Anyone who isn't a strong swimmer should wear a floatation device.

The hotel also has fabulous pools which KBV guests have complete access to, if you prefer not to swim in the ocean.

Sand bottom pool-

flowergurl · Mar 13, 2012

Thank you so much, Denise! I appreciate the quick reply. I now have three units confirmed at the Kauai Beach Villas. Two 2 BR's and one 1BR.

The excitement is mounting. I am definitely going to check into the Aqua Resort for possible help with the beach wedding my daughter has envisioned.

Whew! At least we have the condos booked. Now on to the next thing on the list.

Thank you again, Denise, and everyone, for your help with this. :cheer:

Any suggestions for things to do in the area? Is there a grocery store nearby? Restaurants? A luau? My daughter and her fiance are considering a zip line.

Diane

flowergurl · Mar 13, 2012

One more question. Which buildings are one BR's and which are 2 BR's?

Thanks!

DeniseM · Mar 13, 2012

flowergurl said:
One more question. Which buildings are one BR's and which are 2 BR's?

Thanks!

All the buildings have a mix of 1 & 2 bdm. villas. The ocean front units are the ocean side of buildings F, G, & H. Did they give you your unit numbers?

One more thing - the beach can be windy, and sprinkles can come up unexpectedly at any time, so I'd have a backup plan, just in case you have to change locations at the last minute. Discuss it with the hotel and see if they have an appropriate venue at the hotel, if needed.

flowergurl · Mar 13, 2012

Thanks for the bldg. help and the advice on the wind and possible rain. I am going to call the hotel next door for help with the wedding plans. Will definitely plan an alternate indoor location in case of inclement weather!!

It sure looks beautiful. Everyone is getting excited!

DeniseM · Mar 13, 2012

flowergurl said:
Thanks for the bldg. help and the advice on the wind and possible rain. I am going to call the hotel next door for help with the wedding plans. Will definitely plan an alternate indoor location in case of inclement weather!!

It sure looks beautiful. Everyone is getting excited!

We absolutley love this resort (and Kauai) - we spend 2 weeks there every summer!

flowergurl · Mar 13, 2012

Forgot to let you know that we didn't get unit numbers since I had to book through RCI to get the units and dates we needed. I called the resort and they advised me to change the 1 BR to a third 2 BR unit if I want to guarantee a nice pool, lagoon, or oceanview.

I have a third 2 BR on hold now with RCI waiting for more points to transfer in from Wyndham. Tomorrow I will be able to confirm the 2 BR and cancel the 1 BR. That will give us three 2 BR units and plenty of extra space in case extras want to join us!

BTW, the gal at the resort, Erica, was very nice and helpful.

WeLovetoTravel · Mar 13, 2012

There was a Winn-Dixie close by, but with so many great places to eat we did not do much cooking. As far as things to do: We took the helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian. It was the most incredible ride of my life. We drove up to Princeville -beautiful scenery. Even though the golf course was extremely tough, my husband loved it. (One more course checked off of his bucket list). We hiked part of the Napali coast. Personally, I could not go as far as I wanted because I was not in shape. The Kauai coffee company had a tour which was interesting. We got pictures of the blow hole and several beautiful waterfalls. I would recommend buying the book or downloading "Kauai revealed". We used it to help plan our stay. I hope you daughter has a beatiful wedding! Enjoy Kauai.
-Deb

linsj · Mar 13, 2012

flowergurl said:
Any suggestions for things to do in the area? Is there a grocery store nearby? Restaurants? A luau? My daughter and her fiance are considering a zip line.

Diane

There are a LOT of threads on activities, restaurants, etc., in the Hawaii forum. If you do an advanced search on Kauai in title only, you'll find a wealth of information there.

MichaelColey · Mar 13, 2012

FWIW, the unit location at the resort makes a HUGE difference at KBV. We had a short stay in one of the "lagoon view" units, and it's quite a hike from there to the ocean or the pools. RCI exchangers seem to get the least desirable units (as it probably should be). Perhaps they'll be more accommodating with you since you'll be doing a wedding there.

The location is extremely convenient to any sort of grocery shopping you would want to do. You'll be about 5 miles from Costco, Walmart (with very limited groceries), Safeway, Big Save and Foodland.

DeniseM · Mar 13, 2012

WeLovetoTravel said:
There was a Winn-Dixie close by

In Hawaii? Really?

flowergurl · Mar 13, 2012

Thanks, Deb, for the great ideas and the well wishes. I have downloaded the book and will be reading it on my iPad while driving all the way back to Michigan this Thursday and Friday (we are currently in FL).

Great tip on the golf course too. We are all golfers so we may have to give it a try!

Diane

WeLovetoTravel said:
There was a Winn-Dixie close by, but with so many great places to eat we did not do much cooking. As far as things to do: We took the helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian. It was the most incredible ride of my life. We drove up to Princeville -beautiful scenery. Even though the golf course was extremely tough, my husband loved it. (One more course checked off of his bucket list). We hiked part of the Napali coast. Personally, I could not go as far as I wanted because I was not in shape. The Kauai coffee company had a tour which was interesting. We got pictures of the blow hole and several beautiful waterfalls. I would recommend buying the book or downloading "Kauai revealed". We used it to help plan our stay. I hope you daughter has a beatiful wedding! Enjoy Kauai.
-Deb

flowergurl · Mar 13, 2012

We are Wyndham owners, Michael, and I wanted to trade in direct through Wyndham, however they did not have enough units for the week we wanted.

This is why I had to get the units through RCI this time.

I am very happy that I was able to get three units at this resort at such late notice. Can you clarify a little better for me how far the furthest unit might be from the ocean? We are all in good physical shape and used to walking (actually enjoy it).

MichaelColey said:
FWIW, the unit location at the resort makes a HUGE difference at KBV. We had a short stay in one of the "lagoon view" units, and it's quite a hike from there to the ocean or the pools. RCI exchangers seem to get the least desirable units (as it probably should be). Perhaps they'll be more accommodating with you since you'll be doing a wedding there.

DeniseM · Mar 13, 2012

flowergurl said:
We are Wyndham owners, Michael, and I wanted to trade in direct through Wyndham, however they did not have enough units for the week we wanted.

This is why I had to get the units thhttp://www.tugbbs.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=1261126rough RCI this time.

I am very happy that I was able to get three units at this resort at such late notice. Can you clarify a little better for me how far the furthest unit might be from the ocean? We are all in good physical shape and used to walking (actually enjoy it).

It's just a large resort - it's not a hike or anything - maybe a 5 min. walk from one side of the resort to the other across the widest part. Here is a picture of the whole property. The red roofs are the TS units, and the beige roofs the hotel. On the far right, you can see the golf course.

hawaiigaga.com

Here is another shot of just the timeshare units- (new roofs - no longer red.)

And one more picture of just the hotel-

MichaelColey · Mar 14, 2012

Great pics, Denise! FWIW, I'm pretty sure we were in the unit labelled B. So two of the eight units are oceanfront and one is ocean view?

Another big difference is that the oceanfront units are supposed to get a good ocean breeze flowing through them, but the unit we were in didn't get ANY breeze. We couldn't get enough airflow through the unit to keep it cool, and when we closed the windows and turned on the A/C (window units in the bedrooms), the living room and kitchen were very hot.

The week before, we had been at Ka'eo Kai (which doesn't have A/C at all) but we had awesome ocean breezes through the units there.

Don't let me discourage you, though. It's a very nice resort and many people rave about it. I just wasn't impressed with the unit we ended up in.

siesta · Mar 14, 2012

Booking thru wyndham points there is 3 view categories, standard, lagoon, and ocean.

Which Wyndham Hawaii resort?

flowergurl

joanncanary

DeniseM

flowergurl

flowergurl

DeniseM

WeLovetoTravel

paluamalia

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

flowergurl

DeniseM

flowergurl

flowergurl

DeniseM

flowergurl

DeniseM

flowergurl

WeLovetoTravel

linsj

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

MichaelColey

TUG Review Crew: Expert

DeniseM

flowergurl

flowergurl

DeniseM

MichaelColey

TUG Review Crew: Expert

siesta