# At Westin Ka'anapali, crowded!



## Denise L (Nov 5, 2007)

Arrived yesterday in heavy rain. Accuweather's "humid with drenching rain" was right on target!  Today was sunny and humid, very nice.

Supposedly the resort is at 100% occupancy?  That might explain why, after calling and reserving at 12 months out at 6am CA time, we did not get the building or facing direction that we requested.  We were quite surprised and disappointed.  We are on the 5th floor, however, so that's something

There are some minor maintenance issues...missing glasses in kitchen, missing lightbulb, clogged hair dryer, wobbly cutting board, crack in shower door (near bottom), plastic rim on shower cracked at the bottom and poking out, stove rocks back and forth.  We're near the elevator in Bldg 3 and can hear the dings every time it arrives.  Parking is difficult. Pool was crowded today. North pools are not crowded (no heat, no wonder). Pirate ship pool is cute.  Service is not impressive so far. Long waits on hold so far.


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## Lawlar (Nov 5, 2007)

*Westin and Marriott- Maui*

We stayed at the Westin Hotel in August (great pool – can you use that pool as a TS owner?) as part of their timeshare presentation.  We decided to look at the Marriott (where I use to stay when it was a hotel) and purchased a unit in the new Lahaina building.  For the price you pay for the Westin TS, you shouldn’t have the problems you are describing.  We got a fixed unit (4th week oceanfront) so that we don’t have to hassle with trying to get a decent date and location. I remember from the tour we took that the Westin TS was beautiful.  However, it is not situated on the prime beach.  Do you like the beach in front of the TS?  Are you doing any snorkeling there?  How is the snorkeling?  Is it a drag to take the bus to the Westin Hotel and restaurants, or is it convenient?  Looking forward to your reports.  Check out the Marriott and see how you feel it compares.


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## azsunluvr (Nov 6, 2007)

Lucky you, Denise, to be there! I'm a little surprised it's so busy right now. I know whale season's about to start, but still...

Have a great stay! I'm envious!


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## Denise L (Nov 6, 2007)

Lawlar said:


> Do you like the beach in front of the TS?  Are you doing any snorkeling there?  How is the snorkeling?  Is it a drag to take the bus to the Westin Hotel and restaurants, or is it convenient?  Looking forward to your reports.  Check out the Marriott and see how you feel it compares.



We do like the beach in front of the Westin Ka'anapali. There is great snorkeling there when the ocean isn't all turned up (like today, from yesterday's storm), and there is a nice family of turtles. Lots of great sand for the kids to play with, and an easy walk from our villa. We have a rental car, so haven't tried the shuttle.  It looks like the shuttle runs quite often and it is large.

I love the size of the villas, the Heavenly Shower, Heavenly Bed, etc. The resort feels different this time around (our 5th) because WKORV-N is open and our "quaint" resort is now feeling huge.  But it is very comfortable here and it feels like home.  I'd like to tour the MOC, but there is no way my DH will go for it, plus we have our kids to entertain, and our 10th anniversary to celebrate.


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## Denise L (Nov 6, 2007)

azsunluvr said:


> Lucky you, Denise, to be there! I'm a little surprised it's so busy right now. I know whale season's about to start, but still...
> 
> Have a great stay! I'm envious!



Hi Kepi, I am surprised it is so crowded, too.  Not a lot of school kids, but lots of people everywhere! I think my kids would like to be here when there are more kids.  We're trying Spring Break next year!


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## Time2Ponder (Nov 6, 2007)

Lawlar said:


> We stayed at the Westin Hotel in August (great pool – can you use that pool as a TS owner?) as part of their timeshare presentation.  We decided to look at the Marriott (where I use to stay when it was a hotel) and purchased a unit in the new Lahaina building.  For the price you pay for the Westin TS, you shouldn’t have the problems you are describing.  We got a fixed unit (4th week oceanfront) so that we don’t have to hassle with trying to get a decent date and location. I remember from the tour we took that the Westin TS was beautiful.  However, it is not situated on the prime beach.  Do you like the beach in front of the TS?  Are you doing any snorkeling there?  How is the snorkeling?  Is it a drag to take the bus to the Westin Hotel and restaurants, or is it convenient?  Looking forward to your reports.  Check out the Marriott and see how you feel it compares.



We toured both WKORVN and Lahaina Village. Ultimately, we decided to purchase an OF resale at WKORV. Why? Because Marriott's studio can't compare to Westin's studio. Marriott's is small, lacks basic amenities (washer/dryer; full-size refrigerator; stove-top; dishwasher; hot tub, and large bathroom), and is more like a hotel room than a TS. For us (people who like to do two weeks at a time in Maui due to the amount of time we spend traveling form the Midwest), Marriott's small studio made it a dealbreaker.

And, while you mention Marriott being located on a "prime beach," I'd say otherwise. It's too crowded and reminds me of the Jersey shore on which I grew up. I prefer the calmness of the WKORV area and love the snorkeling there (let's hear it for the turtles!!). If we want to do the "exciting, crowded beach" excursion, we can and do (generally once each trip) go to the "prime beach" area you mention, via the shuttle. It's pretty handy in that they don't care if you get on the bus in a dampened state. In fact, they have loads of towels on the shuttles for that very reason. And a night-time trip down there is similarly easy. 

When you get down to it, it's all a matter of preference. Some choose MOC, some choose WKORV. It's Maui: It's all good.


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## Quimby4 (Nov 6, 2007)

Hi Denise,

My parents are at WKORV too!! They got there on Sun. Nov. 4th.  My dad doesn't like crowds, so I'm disappointed to hear that  They are staying on the the 2500 floor, facing the pool.  

Are there no heaters for the North pools or are they just not working?

Have fun  !!


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## tomandrobin (Nov 6, 2007)

Have a great trip and Happy Anniversary! 

Good to read that snorkling is good at the resort. That is something we will definately do on our trip next fall. Do we need to bring our gear or do they have rentals?


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## Time2Ponder (Nov 6, 2007)

tomandrobin said:


> Have a great trip and Happy Anniversary!
> 
> Good to read that snorkling is good at the resort. That is something we will definately do on our trip next fall. Do we need to bring our gear or do they have rentals?



They have rentals.


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## Denise L (Nov 6, 2007)

Quimby4 said:


> Hi Denise,
> 
> My parents are at WKORV too!! They got there on Sun. Nov. 4th.  My dad doesn't like crowds, so I'm disappointed to hear that  They are staying on the the 2500 floor, facing the pool.
> 
> ...



It is crowded for us, compared to the past four years. It might not seem crowded to your parents .

Did your parents book at 12 months out, 9AM Eastern? Just curious because we requested that building and that view and a high floor and did not get it when we checked in. Are they close to the beach or toward the back of the resort? We have a two-bedroom, so they might have a smaller villa?

I would guess that they have heaters but have not turned them on yet?


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## Denise L (Nov 6, 2007)

tomandrobin said:


> Have a great trip and Happy Anniversary!
> 
> Good to read that snorkling is good at the resort. That is something we will definately do on our trip next fall. Do we need to bring our gear or do they have rentals?



They rent gear, and you can also rent it for less outside of the resort. I like our own gear, so I guess it just depends on how much you are going to use it.  

Snorkeling should be good once the water clears up from the storm  .


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## Quimby4 (Nov 6, 2007)

Denise L said:


> It is crowded for us, compared to the past four years. It might not seem crowded to your parents .
> 
> Did your parents book at 12 months out, 9AM Eastern? Just curious because we requested that building and that view and a high floor and did not get it when we checked in. Are they close to the beach or toward the back of the resort? We have a two-bedroom, so they might have a smaller villa?
> 
> I would guess that they have heaters but have not turned them on yet?



I'm sure any crowd will be too much for my dad.

They traded via II into a 1 bedroom and are at the back part of the building with a very low 2500 #, but still facing the pool and ocean.  I think Maui in general has gotten more crowded year-round.  There doesn't really seem to be a low time anymore, regardless of school schedules.


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## Denise L (Nov 6, 2007)

The resort is very quiet and peaceful today.   We are enjoying our stay, love our villa, and the shady side view is growing on us  .  We are quite close to the beach so have a very nice view. Our neighbors are smoking on their balcony, which blows into our villa, but oh well, we just close the doors/windows.

Maintenance was prompt this morning, fixing the dryer vent that was disconnected & causing condensation on the inside of the washer/dryer area.

Bldg 3 has a small half-size fridge in the studios, versus a medium full-size one in Bldg 2. Bldg 3 also has the bathroom lights on one switch, versus Bldg 2 with a separate switch for the water closet.  The lanai furniture in Bldg 3 is not as comfy as Bldg 2. WKORV-N furniture looks like it has cushions and lounge chairs, too.


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## ciscogizmo1 (Nov 7, 2007)

Hi Denise...

Happy 10th Anniversary!!!

We'll be there next week on the 16th... Can't wait.  

Last year in June, we got a high room floor but facing the park parking lot.  I was bummed since we did call a year out at the 6 am.  Oh well... It was still nice.

So, I'm gonna call today to see what I put in for my request.  I'd like a room facing the pool or facing North.  Do you think the view facing WKORV-N would okay or is there still a lot of construction?


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## ciscogizmo1 (Nov 7, 2007)

Denise L said:


> The resort is very quiet and peaceful today.   We are enjoying our stay, love our villa, and the shady side view is growing on us  .  We are quite close to the beach so have a very nice view. Our neighbors are smoking on their balcony, which blows into our villa, but oh well, we just close the doors/windows.
> 
> Maintenance was prompt this morning, fixing the dryer vent that was disconnected & causing condensation on the inside of the washer/dryer area.
> 
> Bldg 3 has a small half-size fridge in the studios, versus a medium full-size one in Bldg 2. Bldg 3 also has the bathroom lights on one switch, versus Bldg 2 with a separate switch for the water closet.  The lanai furniture in Bldg 3 is not as comfy as Bldg 2. WKORV-N furniture looks like it has cushions and lounge chairs, too.



Another weird thing is we've never been in any building but building 3.  Maybe I'll request only building two but high floor and see what I get.  We liked building 3 when you are facing the pool as the sunset is wonderful.


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## Retired to Travel (Nov 7, 2007)

Can anyone tell me where handicap-accessible rooms might be located at this resort?


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## Denise L (Nov 7, 2007)

Hoc stayed in a handicap studio once, check the reviews. He probably noted the unit number. What size unit will you be staying in?


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## Retired to Travel (Nov 7, 2007)

DeniseL,
Thanks, I did check the reviews.  No references to accessible units there, though the Starwood/Westin website mentions them.  Probably not a requirement for us, but it may become more critical for one of our guests between now and our stay in fall 2008. We are lucky enough to have traded into a 2BR.  The resort sounds great!


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## Denise L (Nov 8, 2007)

We spent a lovely afternoon at WKORV-N and the pools are heated today with hardly anyone in them. Very peaceful. Kids love the pirate pool area.  Great service at the bar there and everyone is very friendly.  I took a quick tour of the new villas, they are really nicely appointed.  All the equipment at the pool shack is new, so it is a good place to get rentals.

In Bldg 3, facing the pool, we cannot see the sunset at all. I ran down to the beach a few minutes ago to get a few photos.


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## DeniseM (Nov 8, 2007)

Retired to Travel said:


> DeniseL,
> Thanks, I did check the reviews.  No references to accessible units there, though the Starwood/Westin website mentions them.  Probably not a requirement for us, but it may become more critical for one of our guests between now and our stay in fall 2008. We are lucky enough to have traded into a 2BR.  The resort sounds great!



There is quite a pecking order for getting the best locations/views at this resort.  Normally, as an exchanger, you would be at the bottom for priority for unit location.  I don't know how requesting a handicapped unit comes into play, but you should call the resort ASAP to find out and put in your request.  If you wait until the last minute, chances are you won't get it.


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## Henry M. (Nov 8, 2007)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Do you think the view facing WKORV-N would okay or is there still a lot of construction?



Outside construction is pretty much complete at WKORV-N. You won't see any construction if you face north on building 2. I believe Building 5 (the one you see from WKORV) is pretty much done insde too. I still prefer the views toward the pool, though.


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## Kauai Kid (Nov 9, 2007)

Time2Ponder said:


> We toured both WKORVN and Lahaina Village. Ultimately, we decided to purchase an OF resale at WKORV. Why? Because Marriott's studio can't compare to Westin's studio. Marriott's is small, lacks basic amenities (washer/dryer; full-size refrigerator; stove-top; dishwasher; hot tub, and large bathroom), and is more like a hotel room than a TS. For us (people who like to do two weeks at a time in Maui due to the amount of time we spend traveling form the Midwest), Marriott's small studio made it a dealbreaker.
> 
> And, while you mention Marriott being located on a "prime beach," I'd say otherwise. It's too crowded and reminds me of the Jersey shore on which I grew up. I prefer the calmness of the WKORV area and love the snorkeling there (let's hear it for the turtles!!). If we want to do the "exciting, crowded beach" excursion, we can and do (generally once each trip) go to the "prime beach" area you mention, via the shuttle. It's pretty handy in that they don't care if you get on the bus in a dampened state. In fact, they have loads of towels on the shuttles for that very reason. And a night-time trip down there is similarly easy.
> 
> When you get down to it, it's all a matter of preference. Some choose MOC, some choose WKORV. It's Maui: It's all good.



Please spell out the acronym at least once prior to using it.

Mahalo,

Sterling


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## ciscogizmo1 (Nov 9, 2007)

Denise L said:


> In Bldg 3, facing the pool, we cannot see the sunset at all. I ran down to the beach a few minutes ago to get a few photos.



Maybe I got the buildings mixed up.  Isn't that the building if you are standing in the lobby facing the beach it is on the left.  The one closest to the cafe & waterslide.  It is the building that does not have the gym.   

We were in room 3610/3608 and we had no problem seeing the sunset from our room.  Another time we were in room 3615 facing the public park and we could not see the sunset at all.  Both visits were in the summer.  
It must depend on what room you are in, maybe???  

I tried searching my photo files for a sunset pictures but I can't find them.  The closest thing I could find was my dh sitting on the couch in room 3610/08 watching the sunset.






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We are sunset people so, I'm hoping to get a room with a view of the sunset.   We really don't go out to dinner at restaurants because we want to watch the sunset.   So, when we were in building 3615 we had to run out to see the sunset on the beach.  The whole sunset thing is important to me and I don't know why.


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## ciscogizmo1 (Nov 9, 2007)

emuyshondt said:


> Outside construction is pretty much complete at WKORV-N. You won't see any construction if you face north on building 3. I believe Building 5 (the one you see from WKORV) is pretty much done insde too. I still prefer the views toward the pool, though.



Thanks.... we'll keep our fingers cross.  My request is a view facing the pool.  But I called back a few days ago to change it to building 2 because I wanted easy access to the gym and they told me that if I changed my request I would be put at the bottom of the list.


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## Cathyb (Nov 9, 2007)

denisel:  We were in Kaanapali in July and the island was brown and dry with fires.  How is it now?  When we were driving from airport we got caught in road closures just before Lahaina.


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## ciscogizmo1 (Nov 9, 2007)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Time2Ponder  
We toured both WKORVN and Lahaina Village. Ultimately, we decided to purchase an OF resale at WKORV. Why? Because Marriott's studio can't compare to Westin's studio. Marriott's is small, lacks basic amenities (washer/dryer; full-size refrigerator; stove-top; dishwasher; hot tub, and large bathroom), and is more like a hotel room than a TS. For us (people who like to do two weeks at a time in Maui due to the amount of time we spend traveling form the Midwest), Marriott's small studio made it a dealbreaker.

And, while you mention Marriott being located on a "prime beach," I'd say otherwise. It's too crowded and reminds me of the Jersey shore on which I grew up. I prefer the calmness of the WKORV area and love the snorkeling there (let's hear it for the turtles!!). If we want to do the "exciting, crowded beach" excursion, we can and do (generally once each trip) go to the "prime beach" area you mention, via the shuttle. It's pretty handy in that they don't care if you get on the bus in a dampened state. In fact, they have loads of towels on the shuttles for that very reason. And a night-time trip down there is similarly easy. 

When you get down to it, it's all a matter of preference. Some choose MOC, some choose WKORV. It's Maui: It's all good. 

Please spell out the acronym at least once prior to using it.

Mahalo,

Sterling 

*WKORVN = Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas - North
OF = Ocean Front
WKORV = Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas
MOC = Maui Ocean Club

Hope that Helps...*


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## Time2Ponder (Nov 9, 2007)

Kauai Kid said:


> Please spell out the acronym at least once prior to using it.
> 
> Mahalo,
> 
> Sterling



Denise L used the acronym way back in post #4.

MOC = Marriott Ocean Club (of which Lahaina Villas is a part)

Also,

WKORV = Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Villas

WKORVN (or "-N") = Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas - North

There! I hope I've covered all the bases!!


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## Time2Ponder (Nov 9, 2007)

Thanks, cisco -- I did forget OF. My bad, apparently.

Also, let's do OV = ocean view.


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## Denise L (Nov 9, 2007)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Maybe I got the buildings mixed up.  Isn't that the building if you are standing in the lobby facing the beach it is on the left.  The one closest to the cafe & waterslide.  It is the building that does not have the gym.
> 
> We were in room 3610/3608 and we had no problem seeing the sunset from our room.  Another time we were in room 3615 facing the public park and we could not see the sunset at all.  Both visits were in the summer.
> It must depend on what room you are in, maybe???
> ...



I am a total sunset person, so when we were assigned Bldg 3, pool facing, I knew that we would never see a sunset from our lanai. We are in the unit next to the elevators closest to the ocean. Even numbers are north facing. Not a stitch of sun our on lanai. If you did see a sunset from this side, maybe it was a different time of year and the sun was setting differently? Not sure.

ANTS this morning under the sink and on the countertops. I knew I should have emptied the garbage last night like I have been doing, but it wasn't that full. Now that side smells like minty poison and we have moved our breakfast to the studio side.  This is the first year we have had ants in our villa, or any bugs.


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## hibbert6 (Nov 11, 2007)

*What justifies the price?*

OK, I'm confused.  Marriott and Westin are two of the most expensive places on Maui (by a long shot) yet, apparently, ocean views are not guaranteed, some rooms are a bit shoddy, there's noise, and even booking 12 months out at 9am EST doesn't assure you the type of unit you request.  So, as I have never been to either of these resorts, (and I'm not trying to be cynical here) please tell me what makes owning (or even renting) a Marriott or Westin TS worth 2-4 times the cost of mid-level resorts? 

Dave


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## Time2Ponder (Nov 11, 2007)

hibbert6 said:


> OK, I'm confused.  Marriott and Westin are two of the most expensive places on Maui (by a long shot) yet, apparently, ocean views are not guaranteed, some rooms are a bit shoddy, there's noise, and even booking 12 months out at 9am EST doesn't assure you the type of unit you request.  So, as I have never been to either of these resorts, (and I'm not trying to be cynical here) please tell me what makes owning (or even renting) a Marriott or Westin TS worth 2-4 times the cost of mid-level resorts?
> 
> Dave



We purchased an OF (Ocean Front) unit at WKORV (the original Westin property) simply because we did not want to have to worry about getting the desired view. Sure, we know there's always a possibility that we might be assigned a less-desirable lower floor; however, we'll always be OF. For us, it certainly was worth that particular premium. YMMV.


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## DeniseM (Nov 11, 2007)

hibbert6 said:


> OK, I'm confused.  Marriott and Westin are two of the most expensive places on Maui (by a long shot) yet, apparently, ocean views are not guaranteed, some rooms are a bit shoddy, there's noise, and even booking 12 months out at 9am EST doesn't assure you the type of unit you request.  So, as I have never been to either of these resorts, (and I'm not trying to be cynical here) please tell me what makes owning (or even renting) a Marriott or Westin TS worth 2-4 times the cost of mid-level resorts?
> 
> Dave



I can't speak for the Marriott, but there is nothing shoddy about the Westin.  As far as the view, I think that Westin should have labeled more of the minimal ocean view rooms as island view.  However, the ocean front units  are closer to the water than 90% of the resorts in Hawaii and have fantastic views.  If I had it to do all over again, I would buy ocean front and resale, but unfortunately, we bought our OV unit from the developer before we knew about TUG or anything about timesharing.  

But we've had fantastic locations all 3 times we've been there with the best ocean view location and we go during high season.  We always call at 9:00 am EST at 12 mos. out.  The one night we spent with an "air conditioner view" was a rental night before our timeshare stay.  We had rented an island view room (substantially cheaper) and were upgraded to a not so great ocean view room - but it was still a free upgrade.  However, at the end of our stay, when we rented another extra night, we were upgraded from an island view room to an ocean front room, and that was nice!  I know this will never happen again, but our very first visit, they year the resort opened, we were actually upgraded to OCEAN FRONT for the whole week - that was amazing!

Anyway, the resort is very nice, but the whole area is getting too crowded for us, so we bought two ocean front weeks on Kauai instead.


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## Lindalu (Nov 11, 2007)

*At Westin Ka'anapali*

Hi Denise,
Happy 10th Anniversary!  We arrived yesterday and are celebrating 30 years.  We are at WKORVN, building 6, top floor and have a partial ocean view.  
How much longer are you here?


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## Denise L (Nov 12, 2007)

Lindalu said:


> Hi Denise,
> Happy 10th Anniversary!  We arrived yesterday and are celebrating 30 years.  We are at WKORVN, building 6, top floor and have a partial ocean view.
> How much longer are you here?



We arrived back in CA tonight  .  The weather was lovely today as we were leaving! How I wish we could have stayed another week.

Happy 30th, wow!  Have a great week!  It should be very peaceful at WKORVN!


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## Lindalu (Nov 12, 2007)

Sorry to have missed you.  We're leaving here on Saturday and heading to SFO for a few days before we head back to RI.  I'm not looking forward to the cold weather after being in Hawaii for two weeks.


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## hibbert6 (Nov 13, 2007)

*More explanation, please*



hibbert6 said:


> OK, I'm confused.  Marriott and Westin are two of the most expensive places on Maui (by a long shot) yet, apparently, ocean views are not guaranteed, some rooms are a bit shoddy, there's noise, and even booking 12 months out at 9am EST doesn't assure you the type of unit you request.  So, as I have never been to either of these resorts, (and I'm not trying to be cynical here) please tell me what makes owning (or even renting) a Marriott or Westin TS worth 2-4 times the cost of mid-level resorts?
> 
> Sorry - I must be missing something.  And, honest, I'm not trying to be cynical, just trying to understand.  Last time I was on Maui, I stayed at the Paki Maui.  Nice place if you're oceanfront (1/2 the units)  & pretty miserable in the "garden view" units.  But the rent was half the cost of the Westin or Marriott.  There was nothing but 50' of lawn between me and the beach.  What would be the benefit, next time, of staying at the Marriott or Westin?  Or, to put it bluntly, would my wife be happier at one of those? (assuming price was no object!
> 
> Dave


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## ciscogizmo1 (Nov 13, 2007)

hibbert6 said:


> hibbert6 said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry - I must be missing something.  And, honest, I'm not trying to be cynical, just trying to understand.  Last time I was on Maui, I stayed at the Paki Maui.  Nice place if you're oceanfront (1/2 the units)  & pretty miserable in the "garden view" units.  But the rent was half the cost of the Westin or Marriott.  There was nothing but 50' of lawn between me and the beach.  What would be the benefit, next time, of staying at the Marriott or Westin?  Or, to put it bluntly, would my wife be happier at one of those? (assuming price was no object!
> ...


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## hibbert6 (Nov 14, 2007)

*Thanks!*

Ciscogizmo, you must be in my neighborhood!  I'm the only one of my group that never worked at Cisco and so never had options.  So as nice as the resorts look, (thanks for the gorgeous photos, by the way) I'll have to stay at the regular places or travel less frequently, I'm afraid!

Dave


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