# 2BR Premier at Lagoon Tower - unit location



## GregT (May 26, 2018)

All,

I’m trying to arrange a return trip to HHV next year and we love the Lagoon Tower.  We’ve stayed in the 2BR Premier several times and think the location is stunning.

I am curious what TUGgers experience has been for unit location.   Both times that I have checked in mid-week (or on Friday), I was placed in a lower floor unit.  The one time I checked in on a Saturday, I got a very high floor (and the Friday check-in, I moved to a very high floor on Saturday).  I think I was on the 20th and 22nd floors.

I’m curious if any TUGgers have been successful getting a high floor (or really, anything 12th floor or higher) when checking in on a day other than a Saturday.    I am thinking that maybe the higher floor units are held for owners, which would make it challenging to get a higher floor when not checking in on a Saturday.  Or, my sample size is too small, and TUGgers have had success with high floors throughout the week.

Target reservation for next year is April, but also thinking about future travel in February.    Please advise and thank you!

Best,

Greg


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## CalGalTraveler (May 26, 2018)

It depends on the existing guests who are checked in for the week. We checked in last year midweek June in 2BX and were given the 22 floor on the EWA side (which I now prefer for greater privacy and less noise). We were staying for 14 days which might have had something to do with the placement and saving on housekeeping.  They said we might need to change on Sat to get a better room but we lucked out and were able to accommodate us.  We are not owners.

The prior year we were on the 14th floor on the Diamond Head side with BX.

We are checking in again midweek so we'll see what we get this year because we are staying only 5 days in BX then will try Grand Islander on a VIP, then a few days at Marriott Ko'Lina for a presentation stay.

Hope this helps.


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## GT75 (May 26, 2018)

Why don't you try to get 2LX?    Then you will know which floor you will be on (penthouse).    If you are thinking of February of next year, there is a 2LX available now starting February 21.    You can "walk" it later.

Honestly, you could also get 3PL or 3BP (both 3 Bds) but for some reason, it is the same number of points are 2LX.


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## ljmiii (May 26, 2018)

To flip it around, I can tell you that as a Premier owner checking in on Saturday using 'Home Week' reservations there is no particular rhyme or reason to the room I've been assigned.  I've always reserved at the 12-month mark and asked for a high floor. Over the past ten years EOY we've gotten 2360 (Amazing!), 662 (behind the palm fronds), 15-ish65, 1262, and 2069 (marina-side). Go figure.


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## GT75 (May 26, 2018)

ljmiii said:


> To flip it around, I can tell you that as a Premier owner checking in on Saturday using 'Home Week' reservations there is no particular rhyme or reason to the room I've been assigned.



Do you request any particular room?


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## ljmiii (May 26, 2018)

GT75 said:


> Do you request any particular room?


My only request was for a high floor since I'm more or less equally happy with all the 2BR floor plans and really only care about the better view and easier elevator access of higher floors at the Lagoon tower.


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## CiCi (May 26, 2018)

GregT said:


> All,
> 
> I’m trying to arrange a return trip to HHV next year and we love the Lagoon Tower.  We’ve stayed in the 2BR Premier several times and think the location is stunning.
> 
> ...



We just got back from Hawaii, had checked in on a Monday at HHV and was placed in our 2-bedroom premier on the 26th floor of the Grand Waikikian. Don’t know if it was because of the tower we had selected or the availability of the room type we reserved...we are owners in FL not HI.

Fingers crossed for you,
CiCi


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## jehb2 (May 27, 2018)

There is greater turn-over on Friday and Saturday thus in theory your chances are greater for getting a higher (or so I’ve been told).  Personally I believe it’s a crap shoot.


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## frank808 (May 27, 2018)

GregT said:


> All,
> 
> I’m trying to arrange a return trip to HHV next year and we love the Lagoon Tower.  We’ve stayed in the 2BR Premier several times and think the location is stunning.
> 
> ...


Greg,

Having stayed at hhv all these years in lagoon, kalia, grand waikikian and grand islander it is a crap shoot by my book.  I have checked in friday, saturday and sunday predominantly but have gotten high floors to low floors.  No rhyme or reason.

My favorite is the grand islander now.  With parking at $43 a night at hhv,  i just park at hale koa garage.  $180 for a months parking is a deal in waikiki.  For that reason we are spending 3 weeks starting tomorrow at grand islander.  Then will spend another month starting in july at GI.  Gotta make buying the month long parking pass worthwhile  
It's rough staying at grand islander and marriott koolina!

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## GT75 (May 27, 2018)

frank808 said:


> It's rough staying at grand islander and marriott koolina!



Yes, some people do certainly have it rough.


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## alwysonvac (May 27, 2018)

We generally arrive on Saturday so I can't say about the other days of the week.
I would expect a greater turn-over on the weekend which would give the front desk greater access to inventory.


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## GregT (May 28, 2018)

All,

Thank you for the responses, they are very helpful.  It doesn’t look like I need to target a Saturday arrival, and I will pick whatever arrival date works with the travel plans and then hope for the best.

Thanks again TUGgers — looking forward to next Hawaii trip!

Best,

Greg


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## strgrace1 (Jun 11, 2018)

frank808 said:


> Greg,
> 
> Having stayed at hhv all these years in lagoon, kalia, grand waikikian and grand islander it is a crap shoot by my book.  I have checked in friday, saturday and sunday predominantly but have gotten high floors to low floors.  No rhyme or reason.
> 
> ...


Hello, where is Hale Koa garage? Is this the one across from Hilton Hawaiian village? Do you need reservation? We will be there in mid August and where do you book car rental? Thank you, Grace


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## frank808 (Jun 12, 2018)

Hale koa garage is on kalia road across the street from the grand islander and kalia tower.

No reservations needed but the monthly pass might not be available if garage is busy.

You can book a national car rental at the bottom of grand islander as they have a kiosk here.

When in august will you be here?  





strgrace1 said:


> Hello, where is Hale Koa garage? Is this the one across from Hilton Hawaiian village? Do you need reservation? We will be there in mid August and where do you book car rental? Thank you, Grace



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## strgrace1 (Jun 14, 2018)

frank808 said:


> Hale koa garage is on kalia road across the street from the grand islander and kalia tower.
> 
> No reservations needed but the monthly pass might not be available if garage is busy.
> 
> ...



Hi Frank808, we will be in 2 weeks from August 18 to September 1st. Will it be busy during this time? We plan to book 2 weeks and will pick up from airport. Thank you, Grace


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## frank808 (Jun 14, 2018)

That is toward the tail end of summer.   Should not be bad as i got a pass for this month from may 30 to june 30.  Will also be back from july 17 to aug 17.  Will report back if i was able to buy a pass next month.  





strgrace1 said:


> Hi Frank808, we will be in 2 weeks from August 18 to September 1st. Will it be busy during this time? We plan to book 2 weeks and will pick up from airport. Thank you, Grace



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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 17, 2018)

Checked in midweek, and was pleased to be placed in a very high floor oceanfront again.

FWIW Front desk said we are elite and that helped with room placement. This happened last year too. They also brought us welcome gifts and gave us wrist band keys which are fantastic because you can swim with them and not fumbling for room keys. Apparently the keys are new but only for elites.

We have been told by reps in the past we are considered elite because we bought developer in NYC by Hilton club. I thought their lips were moving...so thought nothing of it.

OTOH, maybe they just meant preference because we are HGVC owners.


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## frank808 (Jun 17, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Checked in midweek, and was pleased to be placed in a very high floor oceanfront again.
> 
> FWIW Front desk said we are elite and that helped with room placement. This happened last year too. They also brought us welcome gifts and gave us wrist band keys which are fantastic because you can swim with them and not fumbling for room keys. Apparently the keys are new but only for elites.
> 
> ...



Nope we just checked out after 3 weeks.  Did not get wristbands from grand islander and we are not elite as we are resale owners.  

Did you buy direct for NYC?

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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 17, 2018)

Yes bought developer before we discovered Tug and resale.


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## frank808 (Jun 17, 2018)

More elite than us resale buyers!

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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 17, 2018)

Nice to see at least some recognition with this (and AI benefit) given the pound of flesh we paid. 

Going to Grand Islander next. Looking forward to checking it out.


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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 17, 2018)

BTW...fun Korean BBQ cook-at-your-table restaurant across the street:

Korean Kangnam Gangnam BBQ
Near IHop.

The Foodland at Ala Moana also has a great poke bar where you can stock up your fridge.


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## frank808 (Jun 18, 2018)

If you are a view person you will be disappointed compared to lagoon oceanfront.  GI has smaller balcony and room compared to lagoon premier 2br.  Elevator situation is better than the lagoon tower.  And point cost at GI os higher than lagoon.





CalGalTraveler said:


> Nice to see at least some recognition with this (and AI benefit) given the pound of flesh we paid.
> 
> Going to Grand Islander next. Looking forward to checking it out.



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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 18, 2018)

Thanks @frank8. We are only there a few days so it will be good to compare. I hear GI has its own pool which should be less crowded.

One of my pet peeves are that kids are allowed into the spas. One mom brought her 4 kids to swim in the Kalia spa with dive masks making it very crowded and uncomfortable for the adults in the spa. I also do not think diving in hot water is healthy for the kids.

Her 3 year old with no flotation ventured into the main Kalia pool and fell off the stairs and could not swim. Thank goodness there was an adult who grabbed her because mom was not paying attention. Mom thought nothing of it even though her child was traumatized and continued to let her other kids annoy the other guests

One guest commented that this was her first visit and she was shocked that they would allow kids under 16 to play in the spa - especially when the spas are crowded.


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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 24, 2018)

FYI here is the view from Grand Islander room 703. Resort view 2 Bdrm unit.

The view overlooking the pool and Hale Koa resort grounds was not bad for a resort view.

(Of course it does not hold a candle to an OV/OF view.)

It was nice to have the private pool too as HHV was very crowded.


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## mapsd (Jun 25, 2018)

Here's the view from Lagoon Ocean Front 20th floor (checked last Friday).

Cinnamon's, across the street has a great breakfast,  we liked Goofy's, a little local joint around the corner as well.


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## frank808 (Jun 26, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> FYI here is the view from Grand Islander room 703. Resort view 2 Bdrm unit.
> 
> The view overlooking the pool and Hale Koa resort grounds was not bad for a resort view.
> 
> ...


Hi there we were in 503 until June 17th.  

Fyi the grand islander pool has signs that say for GI guests but anybody on site, actually anybody could use the pool area.  Just walk right in.

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## alwysonvac (Jun 26, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> FYI here is the view from Grand Islander room 703. Resort view 2 Bdrm unit.
> 
> The view overlooking the pool and Hale Koa resort grounds was not bad for a resort view.
> 
> ...


So now that you’ve stayed at HGVC’s Lagoon Tower & Grand Islander Tower as well as Marriott’s Ko Olina what are your thoughts  (room and resort comparisons)?


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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 27, 2018)

Good question @alwysonvac.

If I had to do it over again I would spend 1 week in Lagoon Tower OF/OV, and one week at Ko Olina OV.

We liked the contrast of city/activities/ restaurants in Honolulu and the relaxing "Maui-like"  feel of Ko Olina without having to spend $400 and half day to fly our family of 4 to Maui/Kauai/BI because it is a 40 minute drive to Ko Olina.

I may have a different opinion of GI if we had stayed in an OV/OF unit. The units are smaller and I found the kitchen limited in counterspace to cook. The counter is the dining table and there is only a small coffee table and 2 chairs on the lanai.  If we did not have someone sleeping in the living room, perhaps we would not have felt as limited in space. Although Lagoon is not fancy, we love the space and views.

Others may prefer the luxury finishes of GI which were most up-to-date and fanciest of the 3 resorts. With all of the upscale finishes, we were surprised that GI did not have the comfortable memory foam American Leather sleeper couches. Ko Olina and W57 have them. The appliances at GI seemed complicated and a thick appliance manual was provided.  There was a washer/dryer in the unit vs. Lagoon that has one down the hall.

Marriott Ko Olina 2bdrm seemed the same or slightly larger than Lagoon. We also thought the kitchen was better provisioned with service for 8 to 10 vs.only 6 cups in HGVC so we were constantly washing glassware.

IMO the staff at HGVC seem more customer service oriented and enthusiastic to help. The Marriott staff reminded me of flight attendants on major US airlines i.e. they do their job but really do not look like they care.

There is a vacant lot in between the Marriott and the Disney Aulani in Ko Olina. Would love to see a future  HGVC resort there.


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## alwysonvac (Jun 27, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> If I had to do it over again I would spend 1 week in Lagoon Tower OF/OV, and one week at Ko Olina OV.



Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Yeah, I said something similar last year after my Marriott KoOlina stay. We loved it there.
https://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/ko-olina-dining-and-activities.255478/

Last year we had room 603 at the Grand Islander for our extended family members. And I agree after seeing some of the other TUG member photos, we probably would have enjoyed the room better if it was a higher floor with an ocean view instead of a lower floor overlooking the pool view.











> There is a vacant lot in between the Marriott and the Disney Aulani in Ko Olina. Would love to see a future  HGVC resort there.



The vacant lot has been purchased.

From a Sept 2017 article - http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/big-plans/

_The little-known Chinese conglomerate has purchased $569 million of real estate in West Oahu, including the remaining oceanfront land *between Aulani and the Beach Villas at Ko Olina.* There, the company plans to first build a *1,300-unit Atlantis resort with hotel rooms and timeshares,* then two other luxury hotels with a condo complex._​
_Later, on the border of Ko Olina and Kapolei, the company is considering building a residential subdivision surrounding a golf course. The company estimates a five- to eight-year build-out for its properties.

....Ko Olina’s Atlantis resort is slated to have 800 hotel rooms and 524 residential units, featuring an Aquaventure water park, aquarium and water-themed facilities. “You can swim, you can snorkel, you can sail in the river, you can see the fish … Anything you would expect from the water, you can get at Atlantis,” Yao says. Yao, who is an architect, says Oceanwide is still in the early stages of planning Atlantis but intends to combine contemporary design with Hawaiian cultural elements. It says it is working with local designers and architects.

......Oceanwide plans to build *two other luxury hotels and a condo complex* on a neighboring 17-acre oceanfront lot near Atlantis, *between the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club and the Ko Olina Beach Villas*. Oceanwide bought that land next to the Nalu Lagoon for $191 million in December 2015.

Building two hotels adjacent to the immense Atlantis Resort may seem counterintuitive, but Yao insists that the properties will complement each other rather than compete. Atlantis is geared towards Millennials and families, and he says the other hotels can o er quieter and more exclusive vacations. Brands for the two hotels have not been announced.
_​


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## CalGalTraveler (Jun 27, 2018)

Thanks @alwysonvac for the helpful info.  Perhaps with future Atlantis TS this will create more trading ops. I have had an OGS for Aulani but never has hit. BTW...Aulani pool area was amazing - very Disney-ish, but the resort seemed more crowded vs. Marriott.

Congrats on booking an AC for Ko Olina. That was a tremendous deal! I will have to keep an eye out for it now that we have II. We paid $800 for an island view 2 bdrm presentation preview for 3 nights. The Marriott folks kept saying that this was a tremendous deal given we are staying in peak summer.  I was a bit annoyed that they kept saying this to us. Felt like a bit of a stick vs. a carrot to get us to buy, which was off-putting to me, IMO. HGVC staff never mentioned our rate and there was no difference in our service; much classier.

One more point for all is that there are plenty of bbqs at Ko Olina,so we were able to use them without reserving (unlike Hyatt Kaanapali which added more planning and stress to meals). Wish there was a bbq area for the TS at Lagoon, GI etc but probably no room.


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## csodjd (Jul 1, 2018)

All interesting reading. I've always used home week at Lagoon Tower, Sat check-in, ocean view rooms, and have had 16th floor or higher each time. 

In August, for the first time, I'm using a mixture of points and a cash hotel-type purchase for Grand Waikikian, with Thursday check-in. First I'm using 7200 pts for a 2-bed Premier 2BX. That's Thur-Sun. Then a "2 BDRM OCEANVIEW SUITE" (whatever that equates to), paying cash, Sun-Thur. So, I have no idea what the rooms will really be, floors, etc. I'm not "elite" in that I'm a resale buyer, but I'm a Hilton Diamond member. Not sure what that does for me, if anything. 

Then, from there, it's over to Maui for the Marriott for 5 nights oceanfront. 

Will make for a nice direct comparison. 

P.S. This all results from me booking my two home weeks a year in advance for June, only to find out about six months later that I couldn't go the week I booked, and August in Lagoon was already filled. So, I rented my two June weeks and I'm using the cash from that to pay for the cash part of the week and the Marriott, and some points I had left over for the first 3 days. Lesson -- check your schedule before booking your home week, and again just before the home week window closes. Live and learn.


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