# The Bay Club at Waikoloa Beach Resort vs wyndham mauna loa



## lily28 (Dec 5, 2010)

I have a confirmed reservation for a 2 bedroom 2 bath at Wyndham Mauna Loa at the Big Island, Hawaii now.  I just saw a 2 bedroom/2 bath at the Bay Club at Waikoloa Beach Resort available and put it on hold.  If I want Bay Club, I will need to pay another exchange fee of $189 since I did not buy insurance.  So, my question is should I switch and pay for another exchange fee?  for those who have stayed at both resorts, is Bay club much better in turn of amenities both inside and outside the villas to justify the additional exchange fee?  I assume that as an exchanger, if I choose Bay Club, I am unlikely to have a newly renovated room.  this is my first trip to the big island and we are a party of 3 adults and 1 child.  thanks


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## Luanne (Dec 5, 2010)

A lot will depend on which location you want to be in.  Mauna Loa is closer to Kona, Bay Club is in the middle of the Waikoloa resort area.  We've stayed at the Bay Club several times and have liked it very much.  We haven't stayed at Mauna Loa but do like the Kona area a lot.  For us a perfect vacation on the Big Island is one week in Kona and one week in the Waikoloa area.


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## AKE (Dec 5, 2010)

I have stayed at both. The Mauna Loa is off a fishing harbour - location is not that good from a tourist perspective (it was originally built as townhouses and then turned into a timeshare complex).  The Bay Club is in a pricey tourist area with lots of things within walking distance.  The units at the Bay Club are classsier than those at the Mauna Loa but both are neat and clean.  If you plan to spend a lot of time at the resort you may want to consider switching whereas if you will only use the resort to sleep at then the Mauna Loa will do just fine.


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## jacknsara (Dec 5, 2010)

Aloha,
We've stayed at Mauna Loa but not at Bay Club.  
In our opinion, the beaches and snorkeling are superior in the Waikoloa area vs the Kona area.  If beaches and snorkeling are more important than reasonably priced restaurants and shopping, then the lost exchange fee is cheap compared to the hours spent driving back and forth to Waikoloa from Kona.
Jack


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## lily28 (Dec 6, 2010)

bay club is being revenovated now.  will it be too noisy?  I am leaning toward Bay Club but my brother worries about the noise and wants to stay put.  I plan to go to Hawaii every 1-2 yr with Maui on each trip plus 1 other island.  The next trip will be either Kauai or honolulu (with the disney resort opening next yr).  It will be at least a few yrs before we return to the big island.  Decision, decision. I need to decide by tomorrow.


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## BevL (Dec 6, 2010)

We've stayed at both.  The Bay Club definitely has more a resort feel.  The Mauna Loa unit we had was great, spacious, clean, everything we needed.

I too would suggest that it really depends on whether you want to be in Kona or Waikoloa.  That's the bigger choice than resort, in my opinion, in this particular case.


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## Blues (Dec 6, 2010)

lily28 said:


> bay club is being revenovated now.  will it be too noisy?  I am leaning toward Bay Club but my brother worries about the noise and wants to stay put.  I plan to go to Hawaii every 1-2 yr with Maui on each trip plus 1 other island.  The next trip will be either Kauai or honolulu (with the disney resort opening next yr).  It will be at least a few yrs before we return to the big island.  Decision, decision. I need to decide by tomorrow.



Just stayed at Bay Club last month.  Had no noise problems whatsoever.  The renovations caused access problems (their equipment blocked the road/parking lot, and you had to go out to the street and around with your car -- walking through was OK), but we noticed no other ill effects from the renovation.

Your earlier speculation is correct -- we were placed into a non-renovated room, and when we asked, we were told that the renovated rooms were reserved for Bay Club owners.  We're HGVC owners, but that did us no good.  But the non-renovated rooms still seemed fine to us.

We had a great time.  I'm sure you will, too.

-Bob


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## Sandy VDH (Dec 6, 2010)

lily28 said:


> I have a confirmed reservation for a 2 bedroom 2 bath at Wyndham Mauna Loa at the Big Island, Hawaii now.  I just saw a 2 bedroom/2 bath at the Bay Club at Waikoloa Beach Resort available and put it on hold.



When are you traveling?

The Lanais at the Bay Club are huuuuuugggggge, around 650 sq ft on some floorplans with the 2 BR.  

When we were there in september building 9 and 10 were already completed and they were working on building 4.  So in september building 1 2 and 3 were not yet completed.

Buildings 11 to 13, and 8 to 5 are the villas units.  These are units with 2 1/2 baths not 2 Baths.  It is rare to pick one of these up on RCI but not unheard of. Villas 8 and 11 were being renovated in September.  I do not know where they are now.


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## BevL (Dec 6, 2010)

Sandy Lovell said:


> When are you traveling?
> 
> The Lanais at the Bay Club are huuuuuugggggge, around 650 sq ft on some floorplans with the 2 BR.
> 
> ...



When we stayed there in 2008, we got a unit in buillding 13 - hadn't phoned ahead or anything.


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## travelguy (Dec 6, 2010)

You're good at either resort.

Personally, I'd pay the second exchange fee and go to the Bay Club.


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## pacman (Dec 6, 2010)

I'd pay the second exchange fee and stay in Waikoloa. Kona has too much traffic for me, and the beaches are way nicer north of the airport.

pacman


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## lily28 (Dec 7, 2010)

I called wyndham rci desk today to try to switch the deposit to bay club as I used a generic wyndham deposit for wyndham Mauna Loa.  I was told it can't be done since checkin is this coming weekend.  So I will be releasing the hold on the bay club in big island with check in on 12/10/10 friday.  It only needs tp 6.


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## JDiver (Dec 23, 2010)

For those interested in The Bay Club, renovations are presumably to be completed April 2011. The renovated units look spiffy indeed, the nonrefurbished ones are dated but very spacious and serviceable, kept fairly clean, though of course they are showing some definite wear. 

I will have to say the soundproofing is lacking in the nonrefurb units, so we requested a third floor unit before and when we checked in (more important than refurb, IMO,) and are staying in a 1/1 third floor unit (I'm guessing over 1400 sq ft, and the lanai is large enough for a drum table with four chairs, two chaise lounge and small table, and a wet bar nook that apparently isn;t used (or cleaned) much. 

We enjoy the spaciousness, relative closeness to  the shops and restaurants (can walk or take the twice-hourly complimentary shuttle) and at 18 miles to Kailua-Kona on the "Queen K" (Queen Ka'ahumanu) highway, it's close enough to hit town or drive south to Capt. Cook/ Pu'uhonua Ohonaunau, Wailea, etc. and it's a lot calmer and less congested than downtown.


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