Here at WKORVs & now I know DO NOT check in on Friday for an OV with a 2 bedroom (m)

unit. This came directly from the resort room assigner. We were assigned room 2205/2207. At first I was very excited as I got a room in building 2. The level could have been higher but I was gonna take it. Got to the room and there was no way to see through railing on the balcony it was a stucco type wall. So, when you sat down you stared at the wall. It was at least 4 feet tall. I was not happy. There are only 2 - 2 bedrooms units like this. The other one is next door.

So, I went back to the front desk to request another room. The regular front desk staff could not do anything so, he brought out a manager/room assigner guy. At first, he was not going to change our room assignment. He said that there was no availability. I told him how unhappy I was. So, we offered to give up our two bedroom for a one bedroom to get a better view. So, the lightbulb clicked on for him. So, he started clicking on the computer. Guess what, we do have a 2 bedroom unit for you. We are facing North towards WKOVR-N. Since, we checked in after dark I don't know what our view looks like but I'm sure I'll be happier with it since I won't be at a wall. We can see the WKORV-N pool from our unit.

The only advantage to these 2 units with the walls on the patio is that both of the studios have a patio. I'll post pictures as soon as I download my photos.

Once our room was straightened out I talked to him more about room assignments. He told me that Friday is the worst day to check in. Originally, he had told us that we had the only 2 bedroom unit available. He said that 60% of check-ins are Saturday. Sunday is 2nd place while Friday is last. Finally, he told me that requesting high floor, pool facing & closest to the ocean does nothing for you. Basically, everyone gets that view as first priority. The rooms are ASSIGNED based on date & time of reservation. Basically, he said that they start at the 6th floor closest to the ocean and work their way down.

Now if you want something unique like facing the park or low floor or facing North towards WKORV-N then, definitely add it to the reservation. Basically, he told me that for the people that don't request a view that the default view is high floor, facing the pool & closest to the ocean. So, the owner with no view request will just get the next unit available. Does that make sense? He said that the units are assigned based on the time/date stamp.

If anyone has any other questions, please let me know... I'll be here all week.

Checked in last Sun.

We checked in last Sunday and received building 4 3rd floor, end unit. Not a spectacular view but adaquate for us. We traded in through II so my expectations were lower. We were told the room is one of the larger ones.

Short

ciscogizmo1 said:

. So, the owner with no view request will just get the next unit available. Does that make sense? He said that the units are assigned based on the time/date stamp.

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I think it makes sense. Let's say someone makes a reservation at 12 mos. out and doesn't request a view. Then I come along and make a reservation at 11 mos. out and request a specific view - should I get a better view than the 12 mo. Resv.? Or, since the other guy didn't make a request, should he be stuck on the bottom floor of Bldg. 4? I think the timestamp priority is fair.

If anyone has any other questions, please let me know... I'll be here all week.

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How far out did you make your reservation?

Have a GREAT trip!

Sorry to hear about your first villa assignment . I can't believe they made any with a concrete wall view...that wasn't a view category! And yes, I did hear that Friday would have the least amount of villas available. I doubt that we will ever check in on a Friday.

I hope that you have a great week and a nice view of WKORV-N and the pirate pool area. It was always a quiet a peaceful time over on that side. What floor are you on? How is the weather? Has the staff been nice?

DeniseM said:

How far out did you make your reservation?

Have a GREAT trip!

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Exactly, 12 months out to the minute.

The other interesting thing is the room assigner has all information they need to assign you a room. They know what rooms you've had in the past. They have the date/time stamp of your reservation. He told us our parking lot view room we had last year was one of the best ocean view rooms they have. It has a FULL ocean view almost ocean front. However, since I've only been here a few times you don't know what can or cannot be a good view. Now, that I'm facing North I'd say he is correct. Our view from our couch is ocean view but from the dining room table it is the buildings next door. We are overlooking the pirate ship. I'm much happy with our room now. The other room's patio was like an apartment.

I'll definitely have fun...

I wouldn't particularly want the rooms with the patios, but the patios are a lot larger than the lanais in the other units and I think they are better than the equivalent rooms across the pool (in building 3) that just look on out to the top of the pool bar. Glad they moved you to a better room. I hope have a better view.

Here's are the pictures of the patio... from rooms 2205/2207. We did get moved to a better view room in my opinion. I can see how some people might like these patios.

This is patio for room 2207. These rooms are the closest to the lobby near the sales office.



Here's the patio for room 2205 (studio side- one of the 2 studios that have a patio)



here's the view our room now. It's not the best ocean view but I like it better.



I have the door open now and the pirate ship kids are noisy. So, if you don't like noise don't pick this side. I'm thinking the park side might be the best side if you don't get a top floor unit facing the pool.



I'm off to snorkel... Ha-ha... Have a great day!

Thanks for the great photos !

The pirate ship kids should all take a nap at the same time, and it will be quiet in the early afternoon. We were there at 1pm one day and there was not a single person in the pirate pool. Most of WKORV-N was like that during our stay.

Say hi to our turtle friends out there!

This was our view from Bldg 3 this year:



This was our view from Bldg 2 last year (also in my signature):

Thanks for sharing your photos. I asked one time about the "pirate ship" and was told it is a whaling ship.

oneohana said:

Thanks for sharing your photos. I asked one time about the "pirate ship" and was told it is a whaling ship.

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You are probably right.... LOL...

Denise L said:

I hope that you have a great week and a nice view of WKORV-N and the pirate pool area. It was always a quiet a peaceful time over on that side. What floor are you on? How is the weather? Has the staff been nice?

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Now, we are on the 4th floor.

Weatherwise it is windy but nice. Probably in the low 80s. I can't decide if I like summer better or not. It is definitely greener this time of the year. The skies are mostly clear but some rolling clouds.

Oh, they added a hot dog stand by the BBQs. Did DeniseL have that last week? We also waited 30 minutes last night for a table at the restaurant. They said that we could eat at the Buffet at the North side but we decided to wait. Once the restaurant opens on the North side it should be so much better.

We did go snorkeling and the water was great. LOTS of stuff to see.

The resort is pretty empty today as we got lounge chairs right by the pool slide. I don't think that will be the case tomorrow.

The staff is very nice even the room assigner/manager guy. He has a really tough job and I wouldn't want it.

I met a lady in the elevator and she was going to the 6th floor. I said, "Wow, you got a great floor." She commented that they checked in yesterday (Friday) but didn't like their view. So, they were moving today to a better unit. So, I guess they move you if you make a big enough stink. I wouldn't move though. I'd make a big stink but no way would I move during a short 7 night trip.

I took pictures of the bad rooms from the outside. When, I download them I'll show them to you. It also looks like at the end of building 2 closest to the lobby that the rooms are 1 bedroom. From counting the rooms it looked like they had 30 full 2 bedroom units facing the pool. In reality that isn't very many. I'll have to count the ones on building 3.

Oh, the whale ship is still noisy but I don't mind. I think, with Thanksgiving week it will be busier this week.

DeniseL thanks for the pictures of your view. You definitely had a better view last year. Next, if we get into it we'll be at the Westin Villas in Princeville. I get to call next week.

Anyways, gotta go. My dh is going to the presentation on Tuesday. I'm not sure I want to go. So, if you have any questions, he can definitely ask then.

Hi, I'm going in January but staying at the hotel side, would I be able to use the pools in the timeshare side? My kids would love the pirate ship. Thanks.

blr666 said:

Hi, I'm going in January but staying at the hotel side, would I be able to use the pools in the timeshare side? My kids would love the pirate ship. Thanks.

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No - the timeshare and the hotel aren't adjacent, and guests are not allowed to use pools at the other Starwood resorts. The hotel is actually more than a mile away.

ciscogizmo1 said:

Oh, they added a hot dog stand by the BBQs. Did DeniseL have that last week?

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It was there in July of 2006 - maybe they just have it when they are busy?

Oh, the whale ship is still noisy but I don't mind. I think, with Thanksgiving week it will be busier this week.

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Are there fewer children in the WKROV pool, since the pirate ship pool has opened?

ciscogizmo1 said:

Oh, they added a hot dog stand by the BBQs. Did DeniseL have that last week?

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Yes, the hot dog man was there the week of Nov 4-11, and he was also there last year. My 5-year-old loved the hot dog stand last year, and this year, he stood in line with my DH, and when it was his turn, the hot dog man was out of hot dogs ! We eventually had to order a hot dog from the Pool Bar & Grill because my special needs son insisted on a "big" hot dog, versus the smaller ones I had in the refrigerator. I will have to buy bigger hot dogs next year , so that I don't spend $8 for just one!

Glad to hear you are on the 4th floor versus 2nd!

I'm trying not to worry about our villa assignment for March 2008. I did learn that if I ever buy another timeshare on Maui, I will fix the unit and the week.

Enjoy your week !!!

DeniseM said:

It was there in July of 2006 - maybe they just have it when they are busy??

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I don't remember it being there at the end of June 2006. So, they must have just added it. Funny because we bought hot dogs to eat for lunch. We made them in the room and brought them down to the pool...

DeniseM said:

Are there fewer children in the WKROV pool, since the pirate ship pool has opened?

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Sadly, I don't think it will effect much. The Whale pool is really small. It is probably 2 feet deep at the most. As a parent I wouldn't go in it so, it isn't as much fun. My 10 year old liked it for about 10 minutes. My 6 year old lasted about 20 minutes. This does concern me a bit since, it doesn't appear that the North has any cool pools. I haven't checked out the other ones. I'll do that later in the week.

Okay here's the picture of those yucky units. I went down the hall and the rooms at the end of building 2 towards the lobby facing the pool are 1 bedroom units. They are the last 2 rooms on the end. The picture shows the one bedroom unit and then, to the left is the 2 bedroom unit. I'll take better pictures later. This internet is really slow to upload pictures this time around. As you can see the patio has a wall.

Finally... The sunsets are very different here in November. The sun sets behind the island of Lana'i (I think, that is the island). Anyways, in the summer it is more to the right of the island so, you actually see it fading into the sea. Very dramatic. I was a bit disappointed with the sunset. In the summer, everyone is lining the beaches to see it. Tonight, I was the only one watching it.

The gym.... gosh, I really like kids but not when I'm working out!!! The equipment is pretty dated. They definitely have better stuff at 24 hour Fitness. A lot of kids were using the equipment tonight about 5 kids around the age of 10.

Oh, finally, my unit was missing the cookie sheet. However, I called the operator and got one within 10 minutes. I can't go a week without making those cookies...

Tina...

The pirate pool is 8 inches deep in the most shallow area, and I think 1 foot, maybe 1.5 feet deep in the deepest area? The ship is big, and takes up a lot of the space. When there were 10 kids in it, it looked crowded enough for me. I wish it were bigger, because when it gets crowded, I can see it being crazy there. As it was, there was enough bumping and crying, and kids going up the slide backwards, to make me nervous.

My 5-year-old loved it. I went down the slide a few times, and walked around in it. The ship is so large compared to the actual water area, that it is difficult to watch your children, so sometimes you have to follow them around. My 8-year-old liked it enough to stay for awhile. There were other 8-year-olds there, too, but more of the toddler set.

Denise: Can you suggest to Management to have high stools /tables for those two units with cement walls? It would minimize the disappointment.

ciscogizmo1 said:

Okay here's the picture of those yucky units. I went down the hall and the rooms at the end of building 2 towards the lobby facing the pool are 1 bedroom units. They are the last 2 rooms on the end. The picture shows the one bedroom unit and then, to the left is the 2 bedroom unit. I'll take better pictures later. This internet is really slow to upload pictures this time around. As you can see the patio has a wall.
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When we went in June 2006, we must have been in 2307--the unit right above. I remember noticing those big patios from our lanai and thinking the extra space would nice, but now I can see that the wall cuts off the view. I think Cathyb's suggestion of a bar height table & chair set would make those patios better.

Glorian

This week is sure going fast!!!

I walked down the beach North. The beach is a lot more crowded than in the past. But still beautiful. Some of the bushes had been cut back.

I walked the grounds of WKORV-N and it is BIG. WOW... I liked the bar area. I'll have to check it out more tomorrow.

Today, we drove up the volcano. We had a lot of fun. Very few people. Afterwards, I timed it so that we could have dinner at Mama's Fish House. Our first visit ever since, we were waiting for our kids to be older. OMGosh... the food was heavenly. Dh wants to eat there every year now!

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!!

Okay... I went to the Owner's update and got the following information on room assignments.

Generally... so this all depends who did a split stay, etc... and whether you want a full two bedroom or split the units.

For Ocean View Rooms:

Friday Check-in is assigned to building 4.

Saturday Check-in is assigned to front half of buildings 2 & 3

Sunday Check-in is assigned to back half of buildings 2 & 3

SO... I was extremely lucky to get into building 2.

Also, he told us about 5% of ocean front owners turn their units in for points. They also get about 40% turning in points for oceanview. I thought, that was high but that's what he said. So, room availability will also be based on that as well.

We asked about Princeville and our sales rep was disappointed with its location. There will be a shuttle between the Villas & Hotel as it will be too far apart. There is no real beach at the Villas. There is a walkway but it isn't Westin approved (not paved). So, in Princeville you'll have to drive to the beach. The resort will have the same views as seen at the Cliff's Club. I'm trying to do an internal trade there for next summer so, I was a bit disappointed. We'll still go as we'll be spending our 2nd week on the Poipu side at the Marriott Waiohai. I really like the Princeville side so, at least my expectations have been set.

Other than that not much else new. Well gotta go...

Oh, the water this morning at the beach was all the way to the green part. Very little beach. I can feel the weather changing like winter is coming...

Oh, did anyone notice the new shopping center??? across from Safeway? Do you think it would be a shopping center?

Talk to you all later... Tina

It's funny when you here a SVO Sales Rep dissing WPORV - no, it is not an OceanFront location - and is not overly close to the Hotel (but not that far away). Have you used Google Earth (or such) to see the location (at the end of Wylie Road) - it is a great location at the end of the road with four buildings residing next to the cliffs tucked between 2 world class golf courses. I have maps of the building locations - I am very happy with our purchase (site unseen).

It is walking distance to the Queens Bath, Anini Beach - and a short drive to many spectactular spots.

Are they selling WPORV at WKORV??? If not, I would have to wonder if his true disappointment is that they don't sell WPORV.