# [2008] Makai Club



## quiltergal (Jun 30, 2008)

This just popped up for an ongoing search I've had going for over a year.  Should I snag it or wait for something better?  The check in date is 1/23/09.


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## DeniseM (Jun 30, 2008)

The reviews aren't very good - it's rated 7.35 by Tuggers - 4th worst on Kauai.  

Recent posts about it haven't been great either - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66763&highlight=makai

I think there is going to be a lot more availability in Hawaii because of airfare prices and the economy, so I'd hold on for something better.


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## quiltergal (Jun 30, 2008)

Thanks Denise


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jun 30, 2008)

We stayed at the Makai Club cottages, not condos, about 3 years ago and liked it. It was really a large place with two separate master suites and bathrooms. The furniture was very outdated, even then, so that could be why it had not so good reviews.
Liz


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## quiltergal (Jun 30, 2008)

I think this if for the condos.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jun 30, 2008)

I think we stayed in the condos another time, (I'd have to check our timeshare trades to be sure) anyway, that place was not particularly impressive and I wouldn't be interested in returning. The first unit they gave us had a fruit bowl left behind of seriously moldy fruit. They did move us, but there are no elevators and dragging suitcases up many, many steps to the third level was very difficult.
Liz


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## jacknsara (Jul 1, 2008)

quiltergal said:


> This just popped up for an ongoing search I've had going for over a year.  Should I snag it or wait for something better?  The check in date is 1/23/09.


Aloha,
Would I be correct in concluding that this is the first match that RCI has offered?  If I am and given that Jan 09 is only 6 months away, you may have a trading power challenge.  I'm guessing that most of the bulk space banking for Jan 09 has already occurred. Not everyone who owns there has bought plane tickets yet, so it is possible that there will be a higher than usual rate of new deposits for next January.  
Good Luck,
Jack


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## philemer (Jul 1, 2008)

I would hold out for another complex. You'll get more offers, I believe. We stayed at the Makai Club about 3 or 4 yrs ago and it was dumpy. Old window a/c, 3/4 size fridge, very small kitchen, tired looking. Supposedly, all the units have been remodeled since then but I'm not positive. You might send a PM to *LeeB*. I think he owns there & he likes it.


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## ronandjoan (Aug 26, 2009)

*How is the Makai club now?*

reviews are so varied - we'll be there 2 weeks next summer, how bad is it?
thanks


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## Hawaiibarb (Aug 31, 2009)

*Makai Club Cottages*

This complex was allowed to deteriorate because of poor management, but I read that they are really working to turn it around.  I, too, heard that the condos are in worse shape than the collages.  I stayed in the cottage, and I really liked it.  Very big, comfortable, just alittle "tired" in its furnishings.
In fact, I tried for quite a while to get a reservation there before I was successful.  But as someone else said, there will probably be more available....the economy really is hitting Hawaii hard as people are simply not able to make the trip.


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## ThePatriot (Aug 31, 2009)

*Makai $2000 Special Assessment*

Just got the slick expensive flyers in the mail, buried on one of the back pages was the "news" that we, those who own at Makai will get hit with a "special" assessment in October.  

Nice going, guys!  [Political comment removed.] I can't sell it as nobody's buying, I can't even GIVE IT AWAY.  Now with the assessment, I can't even afford to front the real estate agent the commission to just walk away from it (as a practical matter).  

I was JUST at the resort less than 2 weeks ago.  It's NOT that bad, not bad enough to warrant a $2k tax on the owners.   Of course it gets lower ratings, because it doesn't have the slickness of Bali Hai that the Wyndham vultures (called a "concierge") is trying to ram down your throat.  

The board is so worried about their RCI ratings - I say just concentrate on what makes Makai good -- basically not being closed in like Bali Hai and the others.  People on people makes for a bad experience.    

Oh...the "sales" people are outright lying and we're following up with management.  They stated no special assessments were going to happen under Wyndham's management and that they were putting their money into the resort.   

Then why the $2K bill coming?  The rest of the owners need to question this too!!!!!

In short, I was happy being at Makai.  But with the Special Assessment -- I want to get rid of it that much faster.


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## ragtop (Aug 31, 2009)

Yes it's a dreadful place to own -- the MF was already over $1100 before they talked about adding a special assessment.  PAHIO was making good progress in bringing the property back slowly and economically but nobody at Wyndham gives a yip about the owners!


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## anniedog34 (Sep 2, 2009)

We are only e/o year owners, but I agree that the "improvements" planned by Wyndham at Makai Club are out of line with their neighborhood.  They can put as much granite in as they want, and it will just be poor-boy condos on the back lot of an expensive golf course.  Of course, Wyndham will list them as small luxury places, so maybe they will get upgraded on RCI, then the people who use RCI (not me) and book site-unseen will get to rant about their experience.  We plan to use our condo this fall, and I hope I don't have to resort to rudeness this time in order to ignore the sales pitches.

Makai owners don't have any vote in this, do they?

Anyone know if the Makai golf courses are finished with their renovations?


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 2, 2009)

OH MY GOSH!  $2,000 for improvements on those little condos.  That's $100K to update them.  It's way too much money for words.  What in the world does Wyndham have in mind?  Are they going to replace windows, siding, and everything else that doesn't move?   

Are you owning at the 1 bedroom condos, or the cottages?  

We actually stopped to see those units while we were on Kauai.  Decent, kitchens in both the cottages and the condos need updating, full-size washers/dryers that were mismatched, which was weird.  Lanais are okay, more of a screened patio, small but usable.   

I believe the bed was a king in the one bedroom units.  The cottages had two king beds, which was very nice.  

I was impressed by the size of the living rooms at the cottages.  The condos were small but okay.  A nice kitchen with more light would make a world of difference.  The appliances were miniature in size, if I remember right.


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## tfalk (Sep 2, 2009)

anniedog34 said:


> I hope I don't have to resort to rudeness this time in order to ignore the sales pitches.



You will most likely have to resort to rudeness if Makai is the same as KaEoKai...  The KaEoKai/Wyndham 'concierge' finally go the message the third time I told her I had zero intention of going to their 'update' which is nothing more than a sales pitch.  I also told her that if she called our unit again, I would personally deliver the phone from the unit to her desk and pick it up when we were checking out.   She finally got the hint...


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## philemer (Sep 2, 2009)

tfalk said:


> ... I also told her that if she called our unit again, I would personally deliver the phone from the unit to her desk and pick it up when we were checking out.   She finally got the hint...



 That's rich. Good on ya. :rofl:


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## ragtop (Sep 3, 2009)

In a way, it's unfortunate that the concierge winds up taking the brunt of owners angry about "updates" and such.  She wasn't the one who decided to buy PAHIO for millions of dollars and now needs to find a way to put more pressure on owners to purchase unneeded products in order to recoup that bad company investment.  Another way to get them to stop bothering you, however, is to plead that you are an NQ because you work for another timeshare company....That often works the first time!


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## ronandjoan (Sep 5, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> We actually stopped to see those units while we were on Kauai.  Decent, kitchens in both the cottages and the condos need updating, full-size washers/dryers that were mismatched, which was weird.  Lanais are okay, more of a screened patio, small but usable.
> The condos were small but okay.  A nice kitchen with more light would make a world of difference.  The appliances were miniature in size, if I remember right.



Well, we will NOT be in the condos but thanks, Cindy for your evaluations - we are very anxious as to how things are....the MF - WOW! plus assessments?  that's worse than we have at Telemark which every one is complainging about


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 5, 2009)

Joan, you cancelled the exchanges?  I would have cancelled myself, knowing what I know.  

I believe the entire complex is modular-built.  The units look rather like "trailers," but the condos are stacked on top of each other, so certainly that isn't what those are, so modular describes the condos pretty well.  

Picture a screened patio on a trailer, and that is how the Makai Club Condos looked to me.  Think of silvery alumnium framed screen and doors.  Not really what you think of when you think of Hawaii.  

I cannot imagine cooking in the kitchen, it was small and dreary, sadly in need of updating.  

I am still amazed at the assessment.   Those little units are in need of help, but I think about $25K would do it.  Wyndham is rather like the government, when it comes to someone else's money.  

Watch out eBay buyers of Makai Club!


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## ronandjoan (Sep 6, 2009)

NO, I didn;t cancel - we'll be there.
  Next July

guess I could cancel and lose part of our $$ if you think it is that bad!


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## Lee B (Sep 7, 2009)

*What I know and suspect.*

The cottages do kinda have a certain modular home look from the outside, but they were built for the original investors in the Princeville development company.  That's why each one is right "on" the golf course and why they have luxury features inside.

After the golf course was ready for a big promotional tournament they needed workers, so they built the condos for them.  The best thing about the condos, IMO, is how the residents of any condo cannot see inside another condo in the building.  The designers accomplished that with lanai placements and an offset in each building.

All of the buildings suffered neglect during a long management regime when the resident manager thought that he should be paid well, even though he couldn't sell his unsold intervals fast enough.  Finally his creditors forced his ouster and the association learned what he had been doing.  The court appointed PAHIO as the new management company, and they did the best they could.

PAHIO sold out to Wyndham and after awhile the association got an activist board of directors.  I suspect two things about the high assessment.  First, a lot of owners may have stopped paying dues and the association is slow to take over their units to resell, and the remaining owners have to take up the slack.  Second, the buildings might have suffered a lot of dry rot or termite damage.

When PAHIO took over, they mailed a ballot to the owners explaining that the properties suffered a lot and gave them options.  I don't recall those exactly, but I think they included tearing down the worst buildings and combining owners who stay among the remaining ones.  Another option I think was to sell off everything and split the proceeds.  Another option was to spend big bucks to bring the resort up to date with major reconstruction.  That last option won, so the association is proceeding with the assessment proposal.  Perhaps the owners, under a different economy, will choose differently now.

Here is the association's website:

https://sites.google.com/a/makaiclubkauaiowners.com/makai-club-owners-web-site/

They have photos of a reconditioned condo and cottage.  The cottage photos don't do justice to those roomy two-master-bedroom standalone buildings, IMO.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 7, 2009)

I think those photos are amazing!  It goes to show what a large assessment will accomplish.  I am very impressed by the difference in the units, after just seeing one in April.  

The cottages are much nicer, with two master bedrooms.  I thought the bathrooms needed new tile, but that was the only problem I saw with them.  

Thanks for the link, Lee.


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## ronandjoan (Sep 7, 2009)

Thanks, Lee, the photos of the renovated condos look good.  Of course, Iwill prob not get one as an exchanger , but as  Wyndham owner, I would hope that Wyndham would be upgrading most of the condos to their standard??

The reviews of the condos were so varied, some hated, some liked?


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## Kauai Kid (Sep 9, 2009)

ThePatriot said:


> Just got the slick expensive flyers in the mail, buried on one of the back pages was the "news" that we, those who own at Makai will get hit with a "special" assessment in October.
> 
> Nice going, guys!  [Political comment removed.] I can't sell it as nobody's buying, I can't even GIVE IT AWAY.  Now with the assessment, I can't even afford to front the real estate agent the commission to just walk away from it (as a practical matter).
> 
> ...





That $100k upgrade per unit may not be unrealistic at all.  The Maui Schooner is considering a major upgrade to the units and $100k is the number that was originally batted around.  That's $1923/unit.  The owners have yet to vote yea or nay.  I think $2k/wk is a killer like $4/gallon gas:annoyed: .  I might go $1500/wk and groan a little but in my opinion $2k is tooo much.

Sterling


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 20, 2009)

Is the $2K assessment on the condos, or the cottages?  I was wondering because I can see the $2K for the 2 bedrooms, but not the 1 bedrooms.  They do look nice all renovated like that, with the larger kitchen in the condos, and the better lanais.  What's the time table?


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## ronandjoan (Oct 15, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Joan, you cancelled the exchanges?  I would have cancelled myself, knowing what I know.
> 
> !



Yes, I cancelled my 2 July 2010 weeks and so now I am looking for those weeks  in Kona.


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## chily3 (Sep 27, 2010)

*Makai Club Cottages*

Here is the new website for Makai club both cottages and condos

http://www.makaiclubresort.com 

We were there this earlier this year and have been following the renovation schedule. They seem to be on track. 

We are cottage owners and enjoy staying there. They are a lot better as far as cleaning and upkeep than they were a few years ago. With the renovation they will again be great units. I especially like the large area (2,000 sq.ft.) and the two separate bedrooms lots of space for 4 people. 

Also they are quiet. Neighbors are not right on the next wall or overhead. We were owners at other Pahio resorts but sold off those as they were crowded and noisy. 

Mike


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