# Point of Poipu vs Marriott's Waiohai



## crf450x (Apr 11, 2013)

I just got what I believe to be a decent exchange for my MVF studio lock-off into a 2b/2b at the Point of Poipu from an on-going request for the summer 2014.  I also had the Marriott Waiohai listed on the request, among a few others.  We have stayed at the Marriott Waiohai several times and truly love it because the rooms are nice and the proximity to the beach and walking distance to shops and restaurants.  We love the fact that we can just walk to the beach to go snorkeling and head back for a meal and bathroom breaks.

When we go the Hawaii we usually stay at Marriott Ko Olina & Waiohai, Marriott Maui Ocean Club and WKORV/WKORVN.  With this studio MVF unit, I received a trade into the Kaanapali Beach Club last week and since we were in Maui at the WKORVN we decided to visit KBC.  Coming from the WKORVN, the KBC definitely did not have the same luxury feel we are spoiled with.  The grounds at KBC looked very tired but we did walk to some of the floors to look into the rooms and at least by looking over the maid carts, the rooms did look nice.  However, we decided to put the exchange back into II within the 24 hour period and lo and behold we get POP.  I have read the reviews here on TUG and on Tripadviser and they are mixed.

I want to get someones perspective that has stayed at both the Marriott Waiohai and the Point of Poipu.  I know there is no direct beach access from the POP but is the closest beach nice for boogie boarding and snorkeling.  Also, how are the kids/adults activities on the resort, if any?  If we decide to keep the POP what room requests should we make?


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## DeniseM (Apr 11, 2013)

Just so you know - "Point AT Poipu"


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## crf450x (Apr 11, 2013)

DeniseM said:


> Just so you know - "Point AT Poipu"



Good catch, I knew that but for some reason typed in "of" instead of "at".  Strange, lol...  I also realize that the II code for it isn't POP but rather EPP and EP1.

Are there Washer & Dryers in each room?


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## slum808 (Apr 11, 2013)

Check your confirmation for EPP, when I looked at exchanging here last week it said there was a $25/day resort fee plus the $40 something dollar TAT.


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## artringwald (Apr 11, 2013)

The Point At Poipu does have washers and dryers in each room. They suspended the free activities for a couple of years, but they resumed them in 2012. Most of them are free, except a small fee for craft supplies. P@P isn't on a beach, but we enjoy watching the waves crash on the rock and they do have an excellent pool. There's a small blow hole near the property, and it's a short walk to a sea arch. It's one of the few resorts anywhere that you can watch the sunrise and sunset over the water. We've watched several green flashes from the light beacon on top of the hill next to P@P. There is some building renovation construction going on, but we never noticed the noise when we were there in February.

Here's some pictures of P@P we've taken over the years: http://artringwald.smugmug.com/Travel/The-Point-at-Poipu/


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## crf450x (Apr 11, 2013)

Artrignwald - Great Pictures and thanks for the info.

Slum 808 - Just called them and they stated for II exchangers it would be a $25 for the Resort Fee and $7.37 for Hawaii's Transient Occupancy Tax for a total of $32.37 daily.  Thats a bummer because I don't ever recall paying that much per day at any Marriott or *wood I have stayed at through an II exchange.

I think we will be keeping this one.  Can anyone give me some recommendations for Room Requests?


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## Dollie (Apr 12, 2013)

To get a feel for the Point at Poipu, bring up Google Earth and search/go to The Point at Poipu.  You will see that it is in a residential area.  It has no restaurant, just a luncheon/bar poolside.  The Hyatt, to the east, has restaurants; any others you have to drive to.  You will also notice a beach in front of the Hyatt but it is not really swimmable.  There are swimmable beaches and snorkeling within a short drive.

The reason we bought at the Point was for the cliffs.  To us they are much more interesting to walk than a beach.  We enjoy the cliffs right in front of the Point with the waves, turtles, whales, and sometimes dauphins.  Take the path along the water to the Hyatt; continue walking across Shipwreck Beach, then climb the cliff/point there to a spectacular view.  The trail then continues east along the cliffs.  As you can see in Google Earth, there are no structures along here, just nature.


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## Chrispee (Apr 12, 2013)

As long as you're into walking, it's actually a very pleasant stroll from the Point at Poipu to Brennecke and Poipu beach.  If my memory serves me correctly, it takes 15-20 mins and it's down a beautiful pathway with no roads/traffic.

There's also a great beach and casual hike along the coastline on the other side of the Hyatt, if you're willing to drive a couple of minutes down the dirt road.


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## Ron98GT (Apr 12, 2013)

I can't believe that you down-graded and traded your Marriott (in France to boot) for P@P.  P@P is also in RCI and is an easy trade.  I won't trade my Marriott for anything other than another Marriott or Westin.  The same with my HGVC/Hilton: HGVC for HGVC.  I use RCI Points for the other trades.

Oh well, give it a try and let us know how it turned out and if you would ever down-trade again.

Have you traded for the Marriott at Ko'Olina yet?  We just got back last week. Beautiful resort.  No surfing or boogie boarding in Ko'Olina, but head up the western coast and all kinds of great local beaches with people surfing, etc. 

I really like that Hyatt in Poipu. I wish Hyatt would build some TS's there.  That would be a great up-trade.

Have fun in paradise


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## crf450x (Apr 12, 2013)

Ron98GT said:


> I can't believe that you down-graded and traded your Marriott (in France to boot) for P@P.  P@P is also in RCI and is an easy trade.  I won't trade my Marriott for anything other than another Marriott or Westin.  The same with my HGVC/Hilton: HGVC for HGVC.  I use RCI Points for the other trades.
> 
> Oh well, give it a try and let us know how it turned out and if you would ever down-trade again.
> 
> ...



I know exactly what you mean.  Last week we were at WKORV and while we were there got an exchange to a 2b/2b Kaanapali Beach Club with one of my MVF Studio Lock-offs.  Sounded like a great trade then we toured the grounds of KBC and it did feel like it would be a down grade.  This must sound so "elitist" and we certainly are not, or maybe we are, but the KBC in no way can be compared to the Marriott or Westin.  Although if the KBC was the 1st place I visited, I would probably be quite happy.  It is just after spending so much time at Marriott, Westin and HGVC properties, you get spoiled...  In fact we are visiting the HGVC Kingsland next month for the 1st time then a few days in Hana then another week at the WKORV.

We have received several great trades into the Marriott Ko Olina and really like Chief Sielu's Fia Fia show as well as the introductory show they do there for the Fia Fia show.  We even visited his farm for a tour.  Of all of the luau's we have been too, his is definitely the best.  The Marriott Ko Olina is probably my wife's favorite Marriott TS.  I like it as well but the lagoons, although great for the kids, are a little boring for me.  I love the WKORV and the Marriott Waiohai.  Cant wait to experience the HGVC Kingsland. 

I believe I have till the end of the day today to decide if I want to turn back in the Point at Poipu exchange.  Seems like a nice place but I believe I could probably get the Westin Princeville exchange fairly easily with my SDO unit if I add it into the one of my SDO on going requests.  They both don't have direct beach access but from my understanding they have nice beaches within walking distance.

Tough decision to make.  The 2/2b Point at Poipu exchange is right when summer vacation 2014 starts for my kids so the timing is perfect.  What are the odds of getting another exchange at a Marriott or Westin in Hawaii during this time?


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## artringwald (Apr 12, 2013)

Chrispee said:


> As long as you're into walking, it's actually a very pleasant stroll from the Point at Poipu to Brennecke and Poipu beach.  If my memory serves me correctly, it takes 15-20 mins and it's down a beautiful pathway with no roads/traffic.
> 
> There's also a great beach and casual hike along the coastline on the other side of the Hyatt, if you're willing to drive a couple of minutes down the dirt road.



The resort has free guided walks during the week. The garden walk goes along the pathway you describe. The coastal walk goes past the Hyatt, up over "the rock", and along the cliffs. The guides share information about the history, geology, and vegetation. I'd recommend either walk.

Mahaulepu Beach is at the end of the dirt road. It's a bumpy ride to get there, but certainly worth it. Here's some pictures: http://artringwald.smugmug.com/Travel/Mahaulepu-Beach-Kauai


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## dougp26364 (Apr 12, 2013)

Ron98GT said:


> I can't believe that you down-graded and traded your Marriott (in France to boot) for P@P.  P@P is also in RCI and is an easy trade.  I won't trade my Marriott for anything other than another Marriott or Westin.  The same with my HGVC/Hilton: HGVC for HGVC.  I use RCI Points for the other trades.
> 
> Oh well, give it a try and let us know how it turned out and if you would ever down-trade again.
> 
> ...



Downgrade? It was a studio for a 2 bedroom. Yes Marriott is superior in nearly every aspect but DRI has actively upgraded old worn Sunterra units to a comfortable standard. Anytime I could trade a Marriott studio for an ocean front DRI resort I'd consider it a very good trade.

Right now we're at KBC. No it's not Marriott or Westin but it is a comfortable unit and a well maintained resort with a lot of nice amenities. Personally, I hope they eventually ditch the ugly pink exterior paint.


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## abbekit (Apr 12, 2013)

dougp26364 said:


> Downgrade? It was a studio for a 2 bedroom. Yes Marriott is superior in nearly every aspect but DRI has actively upgraded old worn Sunterra units to a comfortable standard. Anytime I could trade a Marriott studio for an ocean front DRI resort I'd consider it a very good trade.
> 
> Right now we're at KBC. No it's not Marriott or Westin but it is a comfortable unit and a well maintained resort with a lot of nice amenities. Personally, I hope they eventually ditch the ugly pink exterior paint.




We were quite happy with KBC, liked it much better than the fancier Wyndham Princeville (where we had a garden view studio) *Our exchange at KBC via DAE gave us an 1 br ocean view unit (via DRI) and the view was spectacular. *Unit was nicely furnished, giant bathroom, kitchenette was ok, only thing I felt we missed was a in-unit washer/dryer. My photos (of all our Hawaii exchanges) are here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/vinolover78


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## daventrina (Apr 12, 2013)

Ron98GT said:


> I can't believe that you down-graded and traded your Marriott (in France to boot) for P@P.


Depends on what you like...
We got so fed up with Marriott MOC we sold it and bought more KBC:ignore:

You will likely enjoy your week at the Point.

P@P Pool:



P8180085 by dntanderson, on Flickr

Hyatt and Shipwreck Beach from P@P:



P8180086 by dntanderson, on Flickr

The fore mentioned sunset:



hi090310_3217 by dntanderson, on Flickr

The P@P from the cliffs at the Hyatt:



hi090309_2487 by dntanderson, on Flickr

The Sea Arch:



hi090311_3364 by dntanderson, on Flickr

Awesome waves in front of the resort:



hi090311_7178 by dntanderson, on Flickr


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## Ron98GT (Apr 13, 2013)

daventrina said:


> Depends on what you like...
> We got so fed up with Marriott MOC we sold it and bought more KBC:ignore:
> 
> r


When I say down-grading, I'm speaking about the quality of the unit, the quality of the buildings, the quality of the grounds, and the quality of the staff.  Also I put up with less BS from the staff, which includes lies and high pressure sales.  I've had a much better/pleasurable experience at all of the HGVC's, Marriott's, and Westin's that I've been to.  It's about personal experience.

It's the I like Ford, you like Chevy thing. We like what we like.


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## dougp26364 (Apr 13, 2013)

Ron98GT said:


> When I say down-grading, I'm speaking about the quality of the unit, the quality of the buildings, the quality of the grounds, and the quality of the staff.  Also I put up with less BS from the staff, which includes lies and high pressure sales.  I've had a much better/pleasurable experience at all of the HGVC's, Marriott's, and Westin's that I've been to.  It's about personal experience.
> 
> It's the I like Ford, you like Chevy thing. We like what we like.



I wouldn't argue with you about quality of units, resort location or overall resort quality. Marriott is just plain better.

As to resort staff, I have to say DRI is in the same category. As to sales staff, Marriotts quality has fallen to new lows with the lies and pressure these past few years. Marriott has sunk to the same level as the others in many respects. 

We stay at both Marriott and DRI resorts & own in both groups. Sometimes I might not trade a Marriott one bedroom for a DRI two bedroom. Other times I would. It just depends on the resort and its location. I would almost always trade a Marriott studio for a DRI two bedroom. I'd definitely trade a Frenchmans Cove studio for a point at Poipu two bedroom any day of the week.

But that's what's great about timeshare. Everyone can manage their owner sips and exchanges so that they fit their individual needs.


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## gnipgnop (Apr 13, 2013)

So if someone was exchanging into the Point @ Poipu would they most likely get Building 1 or Building 10?  Looking a the resort map these are the building facing the back parking lot.


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## artringwald (Apr 13, 2013)

gnipgnop said:


> So if someone was exchanging into the Point @ Poipu would they most likely get Building 1 or Building 10?  Looking a the resort map these are the building facing the back parking lot.



None of the units have lanais that face the parking lot. We stayed in building 10 years ago and although we couldn't see any water, we had a nice garden view. Buildings 1 and 10 are nice when you're hauling a bunch of groceries. Building 6 has some great views, but is a LONG walk from the parking lot. Plastic bags have been banned in Kauai, so you can't carry more than two bags at a time.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Apr 13, 2013)

gnipgnop said:


> So if someone was exchanging into the Point @ Poipu would they most likely get Building 1 or Building 10?  Looking a the resort map these are the building facing the back parking lot.


Actually an RCI exchanger can wind up anywhere because of the way the reservation system works.

All units at Point at Poipu are assigned to one of four view categories, ranging from garden view to ocean front.  Owners are assigned units in whatever view category they own; no automatic upgrades.

When the resort deposits exchange weeks with RCI, they do not assign those weeks any particular view category.  Rather they simply throttle back the number of allowed owner reservations to leave room for the exchangers.  So if there are 50 units available for check-in on a given day, and there are 10 weeks with that check-in day that have been deposited, then the maximum number of owner reservations for that day would be 40.

The resort then processes reservation requests from owners in accordance with the owners view ownerships, up to the point that 40 reservations are made.  The exchangers are then slotted into whatever view categories remain unassigned to owners when the owner reservation cap is reached.


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## dougp26364 (Apr 13, 2013)

artringwald said:


> None of the units have lanais that face the parking lot. We stayed in building 10 years ago and although we couldn't see any water, we had a nice garden view. Buildings 1 and 10 are nice when you're hauling a bunch of groceries. Building 6 has some great views, but is a LONG walk from the parking lot. Plastic bags have been banned in Kauai, so you can't carry more than two bags at a time.



I've started bringing the reusable shopping bags we have fom home. They hold more than the plastic shopping bags. I have never had one rip open. They also take up very little room when packing. As a bonus they can double as a beach bag if necessary.

This trip the local Safeway here on Maui has insulated grocery bags for $2.99. I bought 4 of them. Our local Kroger stop carrying them and the Few I had are losing their zippers. So this trip I'm going home with 8 grocery bags when we only brought 4 from home.


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## artringwald (Apr 13, 2013)

dougp26364 said:


> I've started bringing the reusable shopping bags we have fom home. They hold more than the plastic shopping bags. I have never had one rip open. They also take up very little room when packing. As a bonus they can double as a beach bag if necessary.
> 
> This trip the local Safeway here on Maui has insulated grocery bags for $2.99. I bought 4 of them. Our local Kroger stop carrying them and the Few I had are losing their zippers. So this trip I'm going home with 8 grocery bags when we only brought 4 from home.



We take reusable shopping bags with us, but never seem to remember to put them in the car before we leave for the store.


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## dougp26364 (Apr 14, 2013)

artringwald said:


> We take reusable shopping bags with us, but never seem to remember to put them in the car before we leave for the store.



Same problem here.  I'm hoping I've solved the problem by making an effort to take the reusable bags and put them in the car after I've unpacked my clothes. That way they'll already be there when I forget to take them along when we head to the store. 

I have a lovely collection of reusable bags from around the country from times I've forgotten to take the bags I had brought.

The stores here on Maui have just gone back to using the old fashioned brown paper bags. Safeway's even has a handle on it.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Apr 14, 2013)

dougp26364 said:


> Same problem here.  I'm hoping I've solved the problem by making an effort to take the reusable bags and put them in the car after I've unpacked my clothes. That way they'll already be there when I forget to take them along when we head to the store.
> 
> I have a lovely collection of reusable bags from around the country from times I've forgotten to take the bags I had brought.
> 
> The stores here on Maui have just gone back to using the old fashioned brown paper bags. Safeway's even has a handle on it.


The last couple of times we've been on Kaua'i we've clipped a coupon from one of the tourist publications that's good for a reusable shopping bag at the Farmers Market.  I don't recall if the bag is free with the coupon or if there's some nominal cost.  They came back to the mainland with us and are part of regular collection.


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