# Kahana Villa Vacation Club or Maui Vacation Beach Club??



## Homeawayfromhome2 (Jul 13, 2012)

I'm looking at either Kahana Villa Beach Club or Maui Beach Vacation Club (Kihei). 
I've stayed in both Kihei and Kahana before. Both are nice. Seems like Kihei gets a little windyer. Kahana may rain a little more?
In Kahana we can walk to he Gazebo and neighboring restaurants and Kahana Beach is right across he street.
In Kihei we are closer to the airport, Wailea area beaches, etc.

We've stayed in Maui Beach Vacation Club but have not stayed in Kahana Villa Vacation Club. Any stayed or own there? Would you recommend for ownership?

Thanks!


----------



## daventrina (Jul 13, 2012)

Homeawayfromhome2 said:


> We've stayed in Maui Beach Vacation Club but have not stayed in Kahana Villa Vacation Club. Any stayed or own there? Would you recommend for ownership?
> Thanks!


We've stayed at both. I'm not sure we would buy either. We did buy Embassy, that became Sunterra, that is now Diamond just south of Kahana.

Maui Beach Vacation Club is across the street from a rather small, narrow strip of sand. Easy, fast access to the rest of the island, Costco, Walmart, Kmart. We didn't get a photo because we were busy with ATC ahd all the jet traffic leaving the airport. If we were to buy in South Maui, it would probably be at Maui Hill.  While it isn't on the water, many of the units have nice ocean views and a large lanai. Keawakapu Beach is across the street and is a vary nice, rather unknown beach at the end of Kihei road with nice sunsets, and good early morning diving and snorkeling. The rest of the nice South Maui beaches are just down the road.



hi08-728flyD 311 by dntanderson, on Flickr

We wouldn't buy Kahana Villa Vacation Club. There are two many other resorts that we would buy instead in the near vicinity. It has a low percentage of vacation club rooms, most are condos. It is across the street from the beach. We'd instead, if we were to buy on Kahana Beach, buy at Sands of Kahana, Kahana Beach Vacation Club, Hololani, Valley Isle. We once looked at Kahana Falls, but then they created Kahana Beach Vacation Club directly across the street, right on the water. If you're happy with LBR - Banyon, you probably wouldn't be at Kahana Villa.




hi08-728flyD 535 by dntanderson, on Flickr
Probably the best and second most expensive maintenance fees is the Westin. Preferably the south ocean front buildings.


----------



## Homeawayfromhome2 (Jul 13, 2012)

daventrina said:


> We've stayed at both.
> I'm not sure we would buy either. We wouldn't buy Kahana Villa Vacation Club.



Really? What didn't you like about them?


----------



## daventrina (Jul 13, 2012)

Homeawayfromhome2 said:


> Really? What didn't you like about them?


There just isn't anything special about the resort. The cost isn't much different that the resorts that are on the water and the Maint. fees are about the same. 

There isn't really any view. The units were clean, but nothing fancy.  Has a nice pool and grilling area. The Villas sit across the street behind the Sands. We exchanged in and needed a place for 4-1/2 days. Threw away the rest of the week when we went to Kauai.

If we were to buy on that stretch in the photos you can see why we would make another choice....




hi08-728flyJ 260 by dntanderson, on Flickr

Left Hololani, all 2BR ocean front. Second to the right of that, Valley Isle resort. And on the right the Sands of Kahana (you can't quite see the Villas behind the Sands). To the right of the Sands is Kahana Beach Vacation Club.

Maui Beach Vacation Club is almost waterfront. Kihei road runs between it and the water. It would be our choice of the two. But we would probably pick the Maui Schooner for a N. Kihei resort. We'd more likely buy at Maui Hill because of its location closer to the nice South Maui beaches.

Location, Location, Location...

Just sayin' for the same price. We'd be on the ocean front...


----------



## rickandcindy23 (Jul 13, 2012)

We own a 2 bed EOY odd at Kahana Villas and actually love the resort for its location, and the 2 bedrooms do have an ocean view, but they are not oceanfront.  The only negative about the resort is the water heater, which is too small for back-to-back showers.  I thought that was pretty annoying.  

I really couldn't find anything oceanfront for Maui and kind of gave up and underbid on eBay for the Kahana Villas 2 bed eoy odd and won the bid.  I was surprised I won.  I offered it for free under Bargain Deals and haven't had anyone interested. C'mon, it's Maui.  :rofl:  

I bought it because I wanted a guarantee of a whale season week after having a terrible time getting something for whale season via exchange.  I bought it a while back.  I found it very easy to rent for $100 over MF's.  I had two interested parties on the same day.  The first person who paid got the rental.  I was pretty proud of myself, and the renters loved their stay.  It was pretty amazing to get so much interest over a summer week.  Now I have a whale season week to rent and think it will go quickly as well.  We will soon see.  

We bought our Hono Koa oceanfront and adore the oceanfront view there.  Only certain units are oceanfront--4 of the 27 units, and you have to pay more to buy those, certainly.  

We also own at Sands of Kahana and are looking forward to our first trip in February in our own unit there, followed by two weeks at Hono Koa, oceanfront.  

I would buy Maui Lea before I would buy Maui Beach Vacation Club, but I have a special love of Maui Lea.  Can't help it.  The units are really comfortable, and we have had wonderful conversations in the hot tub with the owners.  

I would rather own Hono Koa over SOK or Maui Lea.  The oceanfront units are very rare.  After watching for nine years, we finally have our two weeks.  NINE YEARS of searching.  

Rick would rather stay on exchange at the Westin Ka'anapali, either phase, and he doesn't care about whale season or unit location.  He loves the beds and the whirlpool bathtubs at the Westin.  We are at odds over it.  

It will be our 40-year anniversary during our Maui trip this coming March.  So exciting to be on Maui for our anniversary.


----------



## daventrina (Jul 13, 2012)

rickandcindy23 said:


> We bought our Hono Koa oceanfront and adore the oceanfront view there.  Only certain units are oceanfront--4 of the 27 units, and you have to pay more to buy those, certainly.


Another good choice (even though it isn't on the beach). We almost bought there too. It will be interesting to see if you prefer the Villas after staying at the Sands


----------



## rickandcindy23 (Jul 13, 2012)

daventrina said:


> Another good choice (even though it isn't on the beach). We almost bought there too. It will be interesting to see if you prefer the Villas after staying at the Sands



Yes, I think I will prefer Sands over Kahana Villas, but I am giving away KVV anyway, and I will advertise it free in the next issue of Timesharing Today.  I will also advertise the reserved week for rent in TST.  It works better for me than other venues.  

By the way, one of the firefighters that works with Rick stayed at SOK for our first year's use, which was this year, and he just got back on 6/13.  He loved SOK, and they gave him a penthouse unit, oceanfront.  I told him I might consider selling it next year, but I need to stay there once first.  I only paid $300 for it, so I would sell it to him for that same price.  It's the Consolidated transfer fees that are a killer. 

Looks like we will be staying at the Westin in early September from now on.  Those exchanges are pretty easy.   I prefer oceanfront with the ocean waves all night.  Rick wants Westin luxury.  He may win this one.


----------



## daventrina (Jul 13, 2012)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Looks like we will be staying at the Westin in early September from now on.  Those exchanges are pretty easy.   I prefer oceanfront with the ocean waves all night.  Rick wants Westin luxury.  He may win this one.


If you buy OF there, you could have your cake and eat it too...


----------



## rickandcindy23 (Jul 13, 2012)

daventrina said:


> If you buy OF there, you could have your cake and eat it too...



Ahh.. but I always take Denise's advice, and she says to exchange in.   

We have stayed at the Westin three different times now, and Rick absolutely loved it.


----------



## daventrina (Jul 14, 2012)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Ahh.. but I always take Denise's advice, and she says to exchange in.


I would guess that it's hard to get ocean front though ... isn't it?
Probably a lot less expensive though.
We spend an extra $50/day for ocean front in October to go to sleep and wake up to the sound of the ocean.   We should record it and next time we can just play it back instead


----------



## Homeawayfromhome2 (Jul 16, 2012)

Hey you guys! Thanks so much for all the info. I do love the Kahana Sands and Kahana Villa locations. The beach there is nice. I hate seaweed and rocks... seems nice and clear. 
The thing we don't like about the sands is the pool right out the window of the restaraunt.. kind of odd.


----------



## Homeawayfromhome2 (Jul 16, 2012)

I'd love to be at the old Embassy for the great pool and beach but the fact that they don't have an oven/stove bugs me!


----------



## rickandcindy23 (Jul 16, 2012)

daventrina said:


> I would guess that it's hard to get ocean front though ... isn't it?
> Probably a lot less expensive though.
> We spend an extra $50/day for ocean front in October to go to sleep and wake up to the sound of the ocean.   We should record it and next time we can just play it back instead



We have actually been lucky enough to get a fairly oceanfront view for one of our exchange weeks, but only at the Westin North Villas.  The South building, we had a parking lot/ mountain view.  It was fun to watch the sugar cane train.  But the wind brought a foul odor from the wastewater management facility down the road.  Pew!


----------

