# The New Westin Princeville



## bhrungo (Jan 2, 2008)

Anyone know if this new resort will be trading through RCI or II?
I hear it is opening in April..woohoo!!  :whoopie:


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## vacationtime1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Interval Int'l or Starwood internal exchange (StarOptions).

Based on the high price of the resort and the very high MF's ($2,079 + optional SVN fee), people bought it to use it and very few owners are likely to deposit it at I.I. for exchange.  I suspect it will be available via StarOptions while it is in active sales and Starwood has available units.  After that, it will probably be a difficult exchange.  JMHO.


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## DeniseM (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah - I think people will use it, rent it, or use it for high value Starwood exchanges.  To much $$$ to throw it in the exchange pot and see what comes back.


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## ciscogizmo1 (Jan 3, 2008)

I think prior to it being sold out it should be an easy trade.  I'm sure the developer will deposit units.  So, I would put in a request as soon as you can or when II allows it.  It might be an easier trade than you think!  I've gotten 4 of those impossible trades through II.


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## eagle29 (Jan 18, 2008)

When can we expect this to be listed on the Interval Resort Directory for exchanges?


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## DeniseM (Jan 18, 2008)

Starwood owners are being told they will have a soft opening for renters in April and timesharers in May...

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62681


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## alanraycole (Jan 19, 2008)

*Questions? I am going to tour it Monday morning.*

If you have questions, please post them in list format. I will pass them on to the sales person. I am touring the new Wyndam timeshare develpment in Princeville today in a couple hours. If you have questions about that one, you can post them in list format, also, but hurry... I'll be there in just a couple of hours.


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## abbekit (Jan 28, 2008)

alanraycole said:


> If you have questions, please post them in list format. I will pass them on to the sales person. I am touring the new Wyndam timeshare develpment in Princeville today in a couple hours. If you have questions about that one, you can post them in list format, also, but hurry... I'll be there in just a couple of hours.



What did you think???


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## DeniseM (Jan 28, 2008)

This isn't as good as Alan's first hand report, but here is the website for the new resort - Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas.  

We have several owners over on the Starwood board.


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## abbekit (Jan 28, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> This isn't as good as Alan's first hand report, but here is the website for the new resort - Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas.
> 
> We have several owners over on the Starwood board.



Thanks!  I especially enjoyed watching the videos.  Can't wait to hear some first hand reviews.


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## alanraycole (Jan 29, 2008)

*Not much to say because there wasn't much to see.*

The presentation was at the Princeville Hotel. The only tour of the property was a virtual tour from the office computer. They keep a tight lock on the actual site for safety considerations. If you go to the site on your own, you will see the typical tarps around Hawaii construction sites. If you peek in, you won't see anything worth seeing because at this stage in construction, it just looks like a hodge podge of buildings under construction... exactly what it is.

Nevertheless, the location in Princeville was a disappointment. It is on the side of Princeville opposite Hanalei Bay, facing open ocean. It is on a cliff above the ocean without any buildings on the edge of the cliff as you have at the nearby Pahio Shearwater. All that to say, it is for all practical purposes an inland resort... although there will be a couple of buildings toward the cliff and the ocean below, they don't appear close enough to allow you to see any wave brakes from your room if you stay in them. If you are familiar with the various Princeville timeshare resorts, think about the Cliffs Club if you want to know what to expect as far as the "ocean experience." Granted the rooms and facilities at the new Westin will be several points higher on the ratings scale than the Cliffs Club, but the "ocean experience" will be virtually identical, limits included. There will be a Westin built and maintained path down to Annini Beach, but Westin doesn't have any plans for any facilities down below. The people of Annini probably are extremely happy about the absense of facilities. Some of the folks down there prize their privacy, if you know what I mean.

All I have got to say is too bad the the Shearwater never comes available on eBay... at least I have never seen it. And too bad it's rating slipped from Gold Crown down to Silver Crown. If you want the cliff edge experience, it is still THE resort!


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## potchak (Jan 29, 2008)

Any idea what the pricing was? Just curious.


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## somerville (Jan 29, 2008)

alanraycole said:


> Nevertheless, the location in Princeville was a disappointment. It is on the side opposite Hanalei Bay, facing open ocean. It is on a cliff above the ocean without any buildings on the edge of the cliff like you have at the nearby Pahio Shearwater. All that to say, it is for all practical purposes an inland resort... although there will be a couple of buildings toward the cliff and the ocean below, they are not close enough to allow you to see any wave brakes from your room if you stay in them. If you are familiar with the various Princeville timeshare resorts, think about the Cliffs Club if you want to know what to expect as far as the "ocean experience." Granted the rooms and facilities at the new Westin will be several points higher on the ratings scale than the Cliffs Club, but the "ocean experience" will be virtually identical, limits included. There will be a path down to Annini Beach, but Westin doesn't have any plans for any facilities down below. The people of Annini probably are extremely happy about that. The folks down there prize their privacy, if you know what I mean.


I am sure the accommodations at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort will be first class, but as a fellow Hanalei Bay Resort owner, I have to agree with your statement on the ocean experience.   In addition, it is two miles from the Westin Ocean Resort to the Princeville Hotel, soon to be St. Regis Hotel.


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## formerhater (Jan 30, 2008)

potchak said:


> Any idea what the pricing was? Just curious.



The most recent reports I've heard were $49,900 for EY 2BR LO.


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## alanraycole (Jan 30, 2008)

*I'm bad, very bad.*



potchak said:


> Any idea what the pricing was? Just curious.



I went to the presentation because I expected a tour of the site. I knew it started at the Princeville Hotel, but I presumed there would be a site tour as well. When I found that there would be no tour, I glazed over, paying attention only to info about the grounds for the most part. They are going to be thoroughly beautiful, but without what I call a decent "ocean experience." 

I only remember enough about the prices to say that they were primarily selling points packages rather than units and that they kept on offering cheaper packages as I continued to tell them of my disinterest. If I remember right, the cheapest package was in the mid 20's... I emphasize, if I remember right... I really wasn't paying attention to prices. I do specifically remember them repeatedly pointing out that these were pre-opening price offers and that they were significantly cheaper than the Westin on Maui. They used these claims as incentives to buy while the buying is good. I also remember that there is about to be another price increase... I don't remember exactly when, but soon.

I admit to attending really only to find out what they were building in my beloved Princeville, not because I was interested in becoming an owner... unless they severely wowed me, which they most certainly did not. (No, I didn't go for the "gift." They only were giving out 50% discount coupons for their hotels which I will never use and a $50 gift certificate. Supposedly, they are more generous to people already affiliated with Starwood hotel points and their current timeshare owners... or so I was told.)

Sorry, for not being more help!


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## moonlightgraham (May 23, 2008)

I just got confirmed with an ongoing search (non-Starwood property) for next year (May 09).  When last in Princeville (2006) construction had just started and I could tell the property would not command a stunning ocean view, but really how many units in Princeville do? I assume the landscaping, facilities and units will be beautiful when completed. I'm anxious to hear some firsthand reports from those staying at the newly opened property.


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## rifleman69 (May 23, 2008)

Looks like it's squeezed in behind the resort that's in front of them.   It expands down towards the cliffs...looks nice but not for the kind of money that they're asking.   I'm betting it's going to be a tough sell in this economy...it's already hit Bali Hai Villas which is much cheaper in price.


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## mepiccolo (May 24, 2008)

We got a chance to drive up and look at the resort while we were in Kauai last week.  A really nice employee showed us a unit which was, I believe, identical to WKORV north.  The pool area is very sweet, it has infinity pool at the front and it is just a really classy looking resort.  The kids pool has cute turtles in it that spouted water.  But the ocean view units were not built yet and the resort is on a cliff so it doesn't have the feel of WKORV which is an ocean front resort.  There was so much vog that day that we couldn't really tell what the views would be like that day anyway.  For someone who doesn't care as much about walking out to the beach like you can in Maui WKORV and WKORV north I'd say thumbs up - it's a very nice looking resort.  But our #1 reason for loving our resort in Maui is being able to walk right out to Kaanapali beach so for us Princeville wouldn't really be somewhere we'd want to purchase for that reason.  What a great place for golfers though!  We absolutely love Hanalei Bay and Kee Beach.  That side of the island is just our idea of what a heavenly Hawaii paradise looks like.  We ran into a couple who had done the hike down the cliff to Anini Beach and the female (who was in her late 40's and healthy-looking) said it was a strenuous uphill hike back to the resort and she wasn't happy about it.  I can't even imagine trying to do that with 2 small kids...it's hard enough just to walk a level beach with them for a long time!  I thnk I might add that my impression was that WKORV was more family-friendly or family oriented because at the Princeville Resort it just seemed, I don't know, maybe more quiet and exclusive and just a real classy joint.  I didn't see any young ones at the pool so perhaps for people who want to vacation without alot of families around it would be preferable to WKORV.  Or maybe it was just more quiet because it wasn't fully completed and only partially occupied.  Even fully completed I would bet that WKORV will attract more families and Princeville will attract more couples.  Just my hunch.


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## BigGag (May 25, 2008)

*Westin Princeville Ocean Resort*

I just picked up a 1 bedroom, December 5th - 12th through II.  I traded my lock-off unit at Mission Hills for it!  It lists the owner as the developer. Anyone have a map of the resort or knows where unit number 2112 is?

The place looks awesome.


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## potchak (May 26, 2008)

I don't even see it on the resort directory yet, how did you get one? I was debating whether or not to change my Hanalei Bay request to the Westin Princeville for June 2009, but I need a 2bd.


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## moonlightgraham (May 26, 2008)

The II resort code is WPV. I noticed too that you were at Disney the week before last. We were at the OKW. A little too hot and crowded compared to previous May visits. I noticed quite a few more overseas visitors this time, enjoying our cheap currency no doubt.


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## bhrungo (May 27, 2008)

Hey, I just realized I was the OP of this thread back way back in January....well, no problems getting an exchange, I got a 2BR at the Westin for next May!! WOOHOO!!!!  :whoopie: 
Exchanged Worldmark.


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## potchak (May 27, 2008)

hmm, now I will definitely have to ask hubby if he is ok with us changing the request to include Westin Princeville.

As for Disney, we just got back. We loved it so much, we ended up buying DVC while we were there! We just love DVC now. The intention is to take the whole family every other year.


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