# Here at Westin Ka'anapali!



## Denise L (Mar 23, 2008)

Aloha! This is our first trip during a school break, and wow, it seems very crowded (no surprise).  I decided that I would have low expectations for this stay at WKORV, since our trip last November was not our best (yes, I should do a review for that trip, I know), what with missing my south-facing view and the ants in the kitchen.

We flew Hawaiian out of SJC, along with at least 80 high school students from Mountain View, CA. I sat next to one who was really sick with an awful cold.  I tried not to breathe for five hours, but it was really hard  . So I sort of sat sideways for the whole trip.  Hawaiian's seating was weird, as we were in row 14, but my aisle seat was one row ahead of the middle row seats, where DH, DD and DS were.  Even the folks in row 15 were confused and were sitting in our seats. Oh well, just weird, but the flight was fine. A 2.5 hour layover in HNL, and on to OGG and Alamo, where I was delighted to get a very nice Alamo agent.  We fit all our stuff (yeah, we have too much) into the full-size car and saved $156 over the minivan, plus we will save a bit on gas, and the full-size is easier to drive and park.

Our villa is north-facing again (no sunsets   from the lanai), and further back from the beach than last November. Even though I called when the lines first opened, they said I was #19 (I soooo dislike it when the agents take forever to make the booking!). Parking under Bldg 3, however, has so far been easy.  Even with low expectations, I did test fate by attempting to park under Bldg 2 when we first arrived (our Bldg of choice), but that underground lot was full. I should have known that it was not meant to be.

The one bedroom side has a variety of issues. First of all, the kitchen reeks of musty old oil and food smells. We checked everywhere. The large white serving bowl (on top of fridge) was coated in a gritty film of oil, which I promptly washed out, and now all of the dishes and glasses are clinking away in the dishwasher. The microwave exhaust also smells.  It's like bacon, bologna and old hot dogs, so maybe the whole kitchen needs a *real* cleaning. I will call housekeeping in the AM.

Our phone does not work, except to dial 0. Engineering has come up once, and will be back again tomorrow to try and troubleshoot it some more.  Our main door does not close if you leave. We must pull it shut every time. The sliding glass door to the lanai was left unclosed and therefore, the AC was not running when we checked in, which didn't help the musty rotten oil smells in the kitchen. Glasses were missing, most had just 4 and one had 5. I was told 6 was the correct number.  Kitchen scissors were melted and unusable.  The glass cutting board has no feet anymore (should have 4 button-sized ones). There is just one dishcloth and no potholders (should be two of each). Food was stuck to the strainer. No blanket made-up into the sofabed (it used to be that way before).

I also noticed that both villas (one bedroom and studio) have less shampoo and conditioner. In addition, I thought that the studio used to have two dishwasher detergents, and it has one now. Since I am currently washing all the dishes, I hope to ask for additional detergent tomorrow to make up for getting rid of filmy dishes/utensils.  I hope my $1800 in MFs will cover extra detergent in this case  .

We are *so* lucky that my expectations were low for this trip. I am glad to be here even though things are not quite up to par.  This is our 6th visit to WKORV.  I am hoping that everything will be taken care of tomorrow morning (especially the kitchen), and then we can enjoy the week!  Lots of Easter things going on tomorrow, I think.

Aloha!


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## tracie15436 (Mar 23, 2008)

I think I'm more disgusted than you are...yuck!  Sorry the room isn't what it should be...I hope the surf is good though!  I'd rather be there in a rotty room than sitting here at my desk anyday.  So here's to beaches and dreams... Enjoy!


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## Cathyb (Mar 23, 2008)

Aloha!  Please keep us posted.  Just think, it shouldn't get any worse which means the rest of the week will get better   Do you plan to go to an owner's meeting of some type?


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## tomandrobin (Mar 23, 2008)

Ewwwww..... Maybe I should look into switching to the Marriott in October!!

Wow, the start of your trip doesn't sound very good or appealing. Why are some many having problems with housing cleaning? And with all of the money that they collect, why do these resorts feel the need to constantly cut corners at owner's expense?

I hope day two is better for you!


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## Denise L (Mar 23, 2008)

tomandrobin said:


> I hope day two is better for you!



Good morning! Wow, that Heavenly Bed was great last night.  Why do my kids insist on waking up at 4AM?! If I could only sleep another four hours...oh well.

I am sure that today will be just fine, we're on Maui.  I did my Safeway run last night (like Disneyland without the rides, it was packed!), so we are set with all sorts of food and alcohol.  Beach this morning, margaritas for lunch and dinner.

Even in the dark, it feels like paradise on Maui  .  Happy Easter everyone!


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## Steamboat Bill (Mar 23, 2008)

Denise L said:


> I hope my $1800 in MFs will cover extra detergent in this case  .



Let's see $1,800 in annual dues in addition to the $25,000 (my guess at the purchase price) purchase price that would have a lost opportunity of at least $1,000 (4%) = $2,800 as your true cost for the week. This equals $400 per night. I am not sure you are getting a good deal.


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## Henry M. (Mar 23, 2008)

Looking at SPG.com, the cheapest room this week with a AAA discount is $513/night for a mountain view. That's a single room with two double beds.

An ocean view suite is $1,350/night and is still probably half the size of a 2BR at WKORV, doesn't have a kitchen or washer and drier. Once you start timesharing, it's difficult to go back to a hotel. The other timeshares in the area are just not quite to the level of WKOR. Perhaps you could rent online for a similar amount of money (and not be committed), but I do enjoy being the owner and it makes is less likely that my cheap genes will get the best of me for the following vacation season.


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## Denise L (Mar 23, 2008)

Steamboat Bill said:


> Let's see $1,800 in annual dues in addition to the $25,000 (my guess at the purchase price) purchase price that would have a lost opportunity of at least $1,000 (4%) = $2,800 as your true cost for the week. This equals $400 per night. I am not sure you are getting a good deal.



We were paying $400/night for a garden/parking lot view at Kea Lani Villas years ago (in 2002), with no kitchen, for a mini-suite.  Loved the location, but going out to eat for every meal with a young child was a pain.  WKORV can easily rent for $600/night for the 2 bedroom.

Now if housekeeping can come and clean the kitchen and get rid of the ants that I found this morning, I will be happy!

Does anyone have ants at WKORV-N?

I am hoping to visit the Marriott this week through a fellow tugger, and am curious about what I will think!


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## ciscogizmo1 (Mar 23, 2008)

Oh, no... Denise that sounds so disappointing.  I'm sorry everything is not up to par.  I know, it is not any excuse but I bet those maids are working overtime these two weeks.

And, just to think Building 3 is newer than building 2.  I still can't believe you were #19.   I know, from talking to the room assigner last time that if you book a holiday week you really should ask for something different than upper floor facing the pool.  I'm thinking the view overlooking the parking lot isn't too bad as long as you are on the top floor.  

Enjoy the rest of your week...  Is the restaurant at WKORV-N open yet?  When we went in November it was not quite open yet.  They had buffets but no sitdown menus.

I'm sure the weather is fabalous!!!

Tina


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## ciscogizmo1 (Mar 23, 2008)

Denise L said:


> I am hoping to visit the Marriott this week through a fellow tugger, and am curious about what I will think!



I'd be curious to hear your impressions too.  We visit over there last November but we didn't go on sales tour so, we didn't get to see the units.  Maybe next time.  I've stayed at the units on the converted hotel side but not the new towers.


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## Denise L (Mar 23, 2008)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Oh, no... Denise that sounds so disappointing.  I'm sorry everything is not up to par.  I know, it is not any excuse but I bet those maids are working overtime these two weeks.
> 
> And, just to think Building 3 is newer than building 2.  I still can't believe you were #19.   I know, from talking to the room assigner last time that if you book a holiday week you really should ask for something different than upper floor facing the pool.  I'm thinking the view overlooking the parking lot isn't too bad as long as you are on the top floor.
> 
> ...



There was a really great rainbow right when we approached the Sugar Cane Train station near WKORV. Plus we were delighted with our rental car savings.  We checked in at maybe 4:30 or so? There were about four others in line, so not too bad.

I requested upper floors in Bldg 2 and 3 south-facing, I think, plus some others facing north (I requested by specific villa numbers).  Oh well, I just have to rethink my 2009 booking strategy, and whether to take the kids out of school to hopefully increase our chances for Bldg 2. We miss it! I miss the separate light switches in the bathroom for the water closet and main area.

I called Service Express about the various issues.  Hopefully, housekeeping will come soon and get the kitchen scrubbed!

I'll check out the restaurant later, but from what I have heard, it is open.


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## GrayFal (Mar 23, 2008)

Denise, please give my best to Emmy and Peter .... and smelly rooms seem to be common this week - look at the "I am at Harborside" thread :whoopie:


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## glenn1000 (Mar 23, 2008)

Hi Denise. Hope you have a great vacation, despite the glitches, and that those glitches get worked out quickly. We've usually gone outside for sunsets so never minded the northern view. We're getting in on Saturday afternoon in case you're still around. All the best! Glenn


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## Denise L (Mar 23, 2008)

Whoever gets this unit next week will be assured to have clean dishes and utensils, every single one  .  I know because I ran them all through the dishwashers.

Housekeeping came by twice today to try and alleviate the built-up oil smell.  If you run your finger under the microwave vents, there is a huge build up of oily residue. So the housekeeper tried to scrub it away.  The first time they were here today, they didn't clean the top of the fridge, which was covered in filmy stuff and food crumbs.

Engineering still can't debug the phone problem, but it's not a big deal. We just can't use the portable phone to call, but the only people we call are the resort folks to fix things, and it looks like most things are resolved now.

Great weather this morning. Now the wind is picking up.  The resort had a giant Easter Egg Scramble today, with literally 20,000 plastic eggs for kids in various age groups to grab.  It was amazing to see all the plastic eggs everywhere in front of WKORV-N. If I can get my pictures onto photobucket, I will post them later.  Now the kids are having an Easter Scavenger hunt, which we gave up on after 15 minutes because it was too crowded and hot.

100% occupancy, obviously.


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## ciscogizmo1 (Mar 23, 2008)

Denise L said:


> I requested upper floors in Bldg 2 and 3 south-facing, I think, plus some others facing north (I requested by specific villa numbers).  Oh well, I just have to rethink my 2009 booking strategy, and whether to take the kids out of school to hopefully increase our chances for Bldg 2.



Bummer.... you know that was another thing the room assigner told us was not to pick a specific villa because it makes it hard for to figure why you picked that room.  Basically, for your request list things in the order of preference.  For example, if you have to face the pool then, put that first.  Or if you have to have a high floor put that first.  I also think it is more difficult for a holiday week as it is probably a high occupancy rate with owners and not exchangers.

The Easter activities sound like fun!  I'm totally living through you for vacation as I'm an accountant and I don't get to go anywhere in the winter through early spring.  April 15th can't get here fast enough!!!


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## Denise L (Mar 23, 2008)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Bummer.... you know that was another thing the room assigner told us was not to pick a specific villa because it makes it hard for to figure why you picked that room.  Basically, for your request list things in the order of preference.  For example, if you have to face the pool then, put that first.  Or if you have to have a high floor put that first.  I also think it is more difficult for a holiday week as it is probably a high occupancy rate with owners and not exchangers.



It was suggested by someone at SVO that I specify units instead of my usual requests (south facing, high floor).  So I guess I can go back to that again!


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## capjak (Mar 23, 2008)

Hi Denise I am here as well and our room is great no issues we are in building #2 5th floor ocean view (mostly view of the North property).  

Weather is great but the wind in the afternoon is too much.  Pool water is warm.

Maybe I will catch you at the pool . 

Oh by the way today is my birthday and we are going to Kimos for dinner


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## SDKath (Mar 23, 2008)

You guys are making me soooo jealous!  I wanna be there too -- stinky kitchen or not.


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## Denise L (Mar 24, 2008)

*Photos of Easter Egg Scramble*

Seriously, I heard that they had 20,000 eggs altogether.


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## Denise L (Mar 24, 2008)

capjak said:


> Hi Denise I am here as well and our room is great no issues we are in building #2 5th floor ocean view (mostly view of the North property).
> 
> Weather is great but the wind in the afternoon is too much.  Pool water is warm.
> 
> ...



Happy Birthday! My DD turns 9 on Wednesday, and I'm hoping that we can go out to dinner.

Things are much better in the villa so far, no more complaints. Everyone has been very helpful and responsive, so service has been very good.

I used the BBQs tonight, everything worked great.

Yes, the wind is whipping around a bit.  I hope it dies down this week.


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## Denise L (Mar 24, 2008)

Two more, taken a couple of minutes ago:


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## LisaRex (Mar 24, 2008)

Great pictures.  

20,000 eggs???  They need to learn the concept of an egg HUNT. That's more like fishing in a barrel.


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## Steamboat Bill (Mar 24, 2008)

LisaRex said:


> Great pictures.
> 
> 20,000 eggs???  They need to learn the concept of an egg HUNT. That's more like fishing in a barrel.



That's what I thought...no challenge here. However, the kids looked like they were having a blast. Easter in Hawaii is great no matter what.


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## LisaRex (Mar 24, 2008)

Steamboat Bill said:


> Easter in Hawaii is great no matter what.



No argument there!

We were actually in Maui Easter week of 2004. Spent the day on the Road to Hana.  

[channeling Barbra Streisand]

Memories....

P.S. They need a lounge-singer smiley.


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## ciscogizmo1 (Mar 24, 2008)

Holy cow... that's a lot of eggs.... I'm sure they are thinking customer satisfacation.  My dd only got 4 eggs from the local park egg hunt.  She wasn't a satisfied customer.  LOL...  Did everyone forget their easter baskets, too.

Looks lovely there!!!  I love all the pictures... TFS... Enjoy your week..


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## MON2REY (Mar 24, 2008)

Hi Denise.  Sorry to hear about your location issues.  We just returned from 9 days at WKORVN.  The first two days we use SPs to stay in an OV studio in Bldg 7.  It was on the north side of the bldg and had little view of the ocean but we weren't too upset since we would be moving into our OF unit on Saturday.  Boy, was I wrong!!!  We had invited our Australian friends to stay with us in our lockoff for the week and we expected to get a great room since we had booked the villa at exactly 12 months out and were told then that we were near the top of the list.  They gave us rooms 5415/5416 which are the OF units farthest from the ocean, overlooking the pool.  Not only that, but any room below the fifth floor had its view blocked by the trees.  When I spoke with the manager she said we were eighth on the list.  Out of 90 OF units, only 17 were designated for Saturday lockoff check-ins (25 or so for each of Friday and Sunday).  I found that very hard to understand but couldn't do anything about it.  If we go again we will definately set our expectations much lower; we thought we would be spending quiet time on the lanai watching the whales and sunsets.  Instead we got pool noise, no sunsets or whales, and 4:00 am pool cleaning and lounge chair dragging.

I called owner services today to find out if there had been some screwup with the reservations (out of all the Starwood Villas, how could 7 people be in front of me if I called at exactly 9:00 EST?).  He could see that my timestamp was at "about 9:05" and said that there are 108 individuals manning the phones to take reservations and that there must have been that many ahead of me.  I asked when the time is recorded and he said as soon as the phone person presses the enter key when the reservation info is taken.

I also asked why only 17 units were designated for Saturday lockoff check-ins.  He said that only units that have been sold are available for owner usage and probably not all the OF units have been sold.  So, if only 65 of the 90 OF units are sold, only 65 are designated for owner usage; the remaining 25 are used for rentals.

On the positive side, everything about the trip except the unit location was great and we had a wonderful time.


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## LisaRex (Mar 24, 2008)

Mon2Rey, that's not good news.  The previous owner booked our week for us in July and while it was on the correct day, I know it wasn't made at exactly 9am as she lives in California. 

We paid a premium for an ocean FRONT villa and that's what I expect to get.  If they are not going to follow through on this, then I'm going to be very vocal about my disappointment, especially if they allow people to rent better units.   

Besides, I thought WKORV-N was sold out. How can they reserve some for rentals?


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## tomandrobin (Mar 24, 2008)

Can't wait to see what I get in October. We traded in via II with our Kierland unit. One good thing, our expectations are not high. we are just happy to be going. But if I get an equal or better room then a WKORV owner, then those people that bought at the resort should be really angry with Starwood.


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## DeniseM (Mar 24, 2008)

LisaRex said:


> Besides, I thought WKORV-N was sold out. How can they reserve some for rentals?



Any units that are converted to StarPOINTS by owners, can be rented by Starwood... :annoyed:


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## DavidnRobin (Mar 24, 2008)

I would be extremely upset - even if some were held for SVO rentals - why/how would they end up in front of you?  Even still - how is it that an OF villa not have a clear ocean view?

You are competing with OF people who split their villas the week prior to you visit - so some of them could be ahead of you, but still???  You were told that you were 8th on the list - that should not put you on the 4th floor in the back. I assume that you requested a high floor when you called.

And... how do they claim that Friday and Sunday check-ins have more units reserved?  I think that is BS answer from SVO.

After hearing this - I am even more happy that we opted to rescind our WKORV-N OF purchase - after finding TUG in time - and bought resale WKORV OF.


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## LisaRex (Mar 24, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> Any units that are converted to StarPOINTS by owners, can be rented by Starwood... :annoyed:



But, by their own rules, renters should still get priority behind owners and SVO exchangers.  I've never even seen a 2 bdrm villa on their website, only OV and IV studios and 1 bdrm units, so who are they renting to? 

A few months ago, someone was told that her crappy view was explained because she booked on a Friday and most of the villas were assigned on Saturday.  Now Mon2Rey was told that most villas are assigned on Friday or Sunday and that's why her view is crappy.  Hmm. Something is rotten at SVO HQ.  

It certainly explains why they are soooo reluctant to implement a web-based reservation system where you know ahead of time what unit you are trying to reserve.  I get a really bad feeling that we owners are being completely screwed here.  We pay a huge premium for the best view, plus annual MFs that rise over and above inflation.  And what do we get in return?  A view overlooking the pool so that a renter can get a better view?

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but paying $50k-90k for an ocean front view is a big chunk of change. If I called at 8 months 1 day out and got assigned such a rooom, then c'est la view (sorry, bad pun).  But to be assigned such a room and having been the 9th caller at exactly 12 months out is not acceptable. There are at least 60 villas with a better view in building 5 and 9!

I'm glad Mon2Rey didn't let her room assignment ruin her vacation, but I wouldn't let another day go by without writing a long letter of complaint to Corporate expressing my dismay, along with 8 x 10 pictures of my "ocean front" view.  

I'm not a fan of WSJ's system of assigning weeks and villas, but Mon2Rey's treatment, and the angst that we all have with calling in at exactly 9am 12 months out in order to get the view we PAID FOR, is infuriating.  I'd much rather have paid $25k for an IV unit and get exactly what I paid for than to pay $75k for an OF unit and get an OV unit that Starwood calls an OF unit. 

Grrr!!


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## MON2REY (Mar 24, 2008)

Previously posted by LisaRex:

"Thanks so much for the map, Denise and Mon2rey. 

My deed says that I own 5515/16, which I know as a float owner means nothing except for the fact that it's coded as ocean front. But let me tell you, if I was put in 5515/16 and have them call that Ocean FRONT, I would not be happy. Looking at another building is not ocean front, IMO. In fact, It's clearly an ocean VIEW because your direct line of vision is another building. 

Why do I torment myself like this?"


Lisa, if you do get this unit you would be right above the one we got but, at least, you would be slightly above the tree line so you should see water.

Yes, I do plan to write a letter to Suzanne Clarke, VP of Owner Services, detailing the events of our stay.


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## DavidnRobin (Mar 24, 2008)

You should complain and LOUDLY - and not feel bad about it.
5415/6 is listed as an OF in the WKORVN OM.
Did you take photos?

It looks as if you will need to be more specific when reserving 12 months ahead.


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## ciscogizmo1 (Mar 24, 2008)

Wow... that bites..

I remember when they were building WKORV-N and we all talked about how the OF units really weren't OF to most people.   I think, the design of WKORV-N definitely favors those that bought IV as there aren't very many bad views.  As for OF there are too many views that I would consider OV instead.  

I was the one who complained in November about the room assignments but it was at WKORV.  Do they have separate room assigners for each resort?  I was kinda under that impression so maybe the room assigner at WKORV-N does it differently.  

I think, you request to move rooms but realize that these units that have bad OF views have already been sold as OF.  It isn't like Westin can reclassify these units.  I doubt that will happen.  

Good luck...


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## Denise L (Mar 24, 2008)

Aloha!  This location and view are growing on me. It does help to have low expectations, then everything good that happens is a nice surprise.

Staff folks have been friendlier this week than in November  .

It is crowded everywhere, but again, no surprise.  Impossible to find a chair that doesn't have a towel on it. Most chairs are covered with a towel by 6:30-7:00 AM.  My DS6 and I sat on a tiny corner of the grass today  , but oh well.  I wonder if I will have to resort to "reserving" a chair by walking down at 6:00 AM with all of my gear.... .

The beach seems super crowded to me, too. But I guess we just aren't used to holiday weeks.  I've decided to pull the kids out next year to avoid all of this.  However, the kids don't seem to mind at all, and there are obviously tons of kids their age everywhere.  My DD8_going_on_9_Wednesday tried the snuba in the North pool today and loved it, so my DH is taking her out in the ocean tomorrow. We snorkeled a bit this morning. Visibility is as far as you can see.  Lots of fish, and I think the turtles are there, but we didn't see them yet. Maybe tomorrow!  We saw some whales in the distance yesterday.

Glenn, our flight is Saturday at 11AM, so we will miss you!  Enjoy your week!


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## Denise L (Mar 24, 2008)

Cathyb said:


> Aloha!  Please keep us posted.  Just think, it shouldn't get any worse which means the rest of the week will get better   Do you plan to go to an owner's meeting of some type?



Hi Cathy,

Nope, no owner's meeting for us this trip.  We're happy, and the smell is mostly subtle now (or else we are used to it), but just the fact that the staff has been responsive has made us feel better.  I'll drink a margarita for everyone  !


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## capjak (Mar 24, 2008)

Denise L said:


> Lots of fish, and I think the turtles are there, but we didn't see them yet. Maybe tomorrow!  We saw some whales in the distance yesterday.
> 
> Glenn, our flight is Saturday at 11AM, so we will miss you!  Enjoy your week!



My wife was out snorkeling around 12:00 today and saw a turtle was about 3 feet from her she said.


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## Denise L (Mar 24, 2008)

LisaRex said:


> Great pictures.
> 
> 20,000 eggs???  They need to learn the concept of an egg HUNT. That's more like fishing in a barrel.



Well, it *was* advertised as an Egg Scramble  .

I told my kids, remember how in preschool when you could only get 20 eggs each? I think you can get as many as you want here.  My DS6 got 5 in Kindergarten last week. There were apparently "real" prizes in some of the 20,000 eggs, but we didn't get any of those. Lots of stickers, mostly.  If they had said "one prize is the villa of your choice for a week," I'd have been out there scrambling around!


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## Denise L (Mar 24, 2008)

capjak said:


> My wife was out snorkeling around 12:00 today and saw a turtle was about 3 feet from her she said.



Great! I can't wait to try again tomorrow.

Here comes the wind again!

Jack, it would be nice to say hello this week.  We will probably be at the beach from 9-11:30 AM tomorrow. What about you guys?


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## DeniseM (Mar 24, 2008)

capjak said:


> My wife was out snorkeling around 12:00 today and saw a turtle was about 3 feet from her she said.



Yes - there is a little turtle that lives right there in front of WKORVN - we saw it every day.


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## Denise L (Mar 24, 2008)

GrayFal said:


> Denise, please give my best to Emmy and Peter .... and smelly rooms seem to be common this week - look at the "I am at Harborside" thread :whoopie:



I'm supposed to meet up with Emmy and Peter today or tomorrow. Unfortunately, my DS6 just got a bit sick  , so DH is out getting Tylenol.  I'm hoping I can make it over to the Marriott if DS recovers quickly. It could be that he had too much sun today (2 hours, 9-11 AM).


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## capjak (Mar 24, 2008)

Denise L said:


> Great! I can't wait to try again tomorrow.
> 
> Here comes the wind again!
> 
> Jack, it would be nice to say hello this week.  We will probably be at the beach from 9-11:30 AM tomorrow. What about you guys?



We are going snorkeling on Maui Magic Dophin Discover 7am to 12:30.

Maybe Friday I will be the one with the orange ILLINOIS shirt


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## Denise L (Mar 25, 2008)

*Marriott vs. Westin*

Ooooooh, I saw Emmy's OF 2-bedroom villa at the Marriott yesterday.  I have serious view envy now. Wow  , it was breathtaking, spectacular, amazing. The resort was having its Monday evening Mai Tai party.  If I had stolen one, I might have been trying to sell my WKORV to buy a Marriott villa  .

I stopped by the sales office after visiting Emmy and toured the 3-bedroom villa (her suggestion  ).  Super nice sales person and I really liked the villa decor. It looks like you are in Hawaii. Tiles floors, area rug, large living room, really nice use of color and dark woods. I brought back literature and prices for my DH, and he was actually sort of listening to me as I rattled off the differences I saw between our villa and the Marriott.

The area by the Marriott is crowded, yet it is close to a lot of activities and dining. The new timeshare pool area is small and narrow, and between two buildings and a parking lot, but the original pool area is lush and beautiful, and it seems like kids would love it.  There is a lot of foot traffic in front of the resort as folks head toward Whaler's Village and the other resorts.  I guess off the top of my head, the things that I loved were the villa decor and fixed view/unit opportunities.  The things I absolutely *love* about WKORV that are missing at the Marriott are the fantastic reef/snorkeling, giant shower in the studio, W/D in the studio, and relative "quiet" of this resort.

But wow, what a view Emmy has!


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## ciscogizmo1 (Mar 25, 2008)

Denise L said:


> Ooooooh, I saw Emmy's OF 2-bedroom villa at the Marriott yesterday.  I have serious view envy now. Wow  , it was breathtaking, spectacular, amazing. The resort was having its Monday evening Mai Tai party.  If I had stolen one, I might have been trying to sell my WKORV to buy a Marriott villa  .
> 
> I stopped by the sales office after visiting Emmy and toured the 3-bedroom villa (her suggestion  ).  Super nice sales person and I really liked the villa decor. It looks like you are in Hawaii. Tiles floors, area rug, large living room, really nice use of color and dark woods. I brought back literature and prices for my DH, and he was actually sort of listening to me as I rattled off the differences I saw between our villa and the Marriott.
> 
> ...



Did you get any prices?

I agree the grounds and the decor are beautiful at Marriott.  The hard thing to decide is the reef/snorkeling out front  It is so nice to snorkel every day without driving or walking too far.  Thanks for sharing...

Did you get any pictures??


----------



## baz48 (Mar 25, 2008)

MON2REY said:


> Previously posted by LisaRex:
> 
> Yes, I do plan to write a letter to Suzanne Clarke, VP of Owner Services, detailing the events of our stay.



Could you give the email address for Ms. Clarke?  I'd like to write her regarding a room assignment also.

Thanks.


----------



## vacationtime1 (Mar 25, 2008)

baz48 said:


> Could you give the email address for Ms. Clarke?  I'd like to write her regarding a room assignment also.



suzanne.clark@starwoodvo.com   (no "e" in clark)

She's actually quite pleasant.


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## LisaRex (Mar 25, 2008)

MON2REY said:


> Lisa, if you do get this unit you would be right above the one we got but, at least, you would be slightly above the tree line so you should see water.
> 
> Yes, I do plan to write a letter to Suzanne Clarke, VP of Owner Services, detailing the events of our stay.



Good for you.  What I don't understand is why, if you were 9th in queue, you were given such a crappy view.  There are so many other villas with outstanding views.  I simply don't accept that they were not available.  They must have either been assigned to non-owners or your timestamp meant nothing. 

When I bought my OF unit, I repeatedly asked Starwood for a map of the property.  None existed at the time.  When I finally did see it, as detailed in Mon2Rey's quote above, I was shocked at what villas that they had the audacity to code as OF.  The villa that Mon2Rey got was what anyone else in the industry would call Ocean VIEW.  

I regret I didn't buy, for the same price, a villa in the original building.  Of course, there are views there that are impeded by palm trees.  What they should have done is to look at each villa after they built the property and given it its appropriate view based on reality.  The original plan didn't have the buildings slanted so perhaps the 5x15/16 villas were really OF at the time of conception.  But they aren't now. And to assign them to someone who had such a good timestamp and who paid a small fortune to guarantee a good view is shameful. And, IMO, we have a case against Starwood for misrepresentation of their units. Even though the deed says 15/16 is OF, the original plan did not have the buildings angled.  And the term ocean FRONT is clearly being misused by Starwood.  

If I paid $700/ night at the Westin Maui HOTEL for ocean front, is that the view I'd get? NO.  Then why should we settle for it at their timeshare location?


----------



## Denise L (Mar 25, 2008)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Did you get any prices?
> 
> I agree the grounds and the decor are beautiful at Marriott.  The hard thing to decide is the reef/snorkeling out front  It is so nice to snorkel every day without driving or walking too far.  Thanks for sharing...
> 
> Did you get any pictures??



Since my daughter and I snorkeled this morning at 9:00AM after walking from our villa, I can tell you that the value of that being *right here *is huge.  My husband and I were PADI divers and avid snorkelers before kids, and this reef is really far more interesting to us than the "perfect view" and lovely decor.  Plus we saw a whale while we were sitting on the beach  , which was very exciting.

As we get older and aren't in the water as much, I would want the view and nice decor.  Maybe I'll look for a WKORV OF DLX or regular OF....

I took a few photos of Emmy's award-winning view, but they don't do the view justice. Just think of the ocean, and nothing blocking your way _at all_, and you can see for miles and miles.  The Marriott Lahaina Tower that Emmy is in overlooks a landscaped area between the Marriott and Hyatt.  The Hyatt is the last development on that side of the beach, so the space is really beautiful and open.


----------



## DavidnRobin (Mar 25, 2008)

Sunset from WKORV OF Dlx... (Dec07)


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## Denise L (Mar 25, 2008)

DavidnRobin said:


> Sunset from WKORV OF Dlx... (Dec07)



I want one!!!!


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## SDKath (Mar 25, 2008)

OK David, now you are just being mean!    Me want one too....


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## DavidnRobin (Mar 25, 2008)

panoramic view from kitchen




Playing around with PhotoBucket - I want to be there instead of here...


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## DeniseM (Mar 25, 2008)

SDKath said:


> OK David, now you are just being mean!    Me want one too....



Yeah...droooling here....

David - what did OF non-Deluxe go for at the WKORV pre-construction? 

(So I can torture myself some more for buying OV!  )


----------



## LisaRex (Mar 25, 2008)

Thanks for the pictures, David.  I hope to return the favor in July when I go.


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## DavidnRobin (Mar 25, 2008)

Photo of a pretty woman drinking wine at sunset on her WKORV OF Dlx lanai...




man-o-man - I am one lucky dude...


----------



## LisaRex (Mar 25, 2008)

I hope you got to take wild advantage of the woman drinking wine on your lanai, David.


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## Steamboat Bill (Mar 25, 2008)

LisaRex said:


> I hope you got to take wild advantage of the woman drinking wine on your lanai, David.



yes, but he must document this event with photos or else it never happened.


----------



## Denise L (Mar 25, 2008)

Hey, this is a G-rated thread.  I have young children  !

Very nice day today at WKORV. Not as windy as earlier this week.  The snuba guy was great with my daughter, who had trouble clearing her ears today.

If anyone hears of an OF or OF DLX for sale, give me a holler.  I love it here, even though I spent a good chunk of the day indoors with a sick child.  And my good mood has nothing to do with the pitcher of margaritas I drank... 

Okay, so here is one photo of the Marriott 2-bedroom living area:






Here is the view from the Marriott OF:






And this last one, Marriott OF:


----------



## SDKath (Mar 25, 2008)

Hi!  Are these last pix all from the Marriott or some from WKORV too?  Kath

(drooling)


----------



## Denise L (Mar 25, 2008)

SDKath said:


> Hi!  Are these last pix all from the Marriott or some from WKORV too?  Kath
> 
> (drooling)



Hi Kath,

Marriott!

Wah!


----------



## readyalready (Mar 25, 2008)

Denise L said:


> The area by the Marriott is crowded, yet it is close to a lot of activities and dining. The new timeshare pool area is small and narrow, and between two buildings and a parking lot, but the original pool area is lush and beautiful, and it seems like kids would love it.  There is a lot of foot traffic in front of the resort as folks head toward Whaler's Village and the other resorts.  I guess off the top of my head, the things that I loved were the villa decor and fixed view/unit opportunities.  The things I absolutely *love* about WKORV that are missing at the Marriott are the fantastic reef/snorkeling, giant shower in the studio, W/D in the studio, and relative "quiet" of this resort.
> 
> But wow, what a view Emmy has!



We last stayed at the Marriott 3 years ago, so before the new building.  At that time it was hard to find chairs by the pool, I can't imagine how it is now.  The foot traffic never bothered us and we liked being able to walk to LeiLani's or Hula Grill for dinner.  My kids were all about the pirate ship and making the circuit of the big pool, we spent very little time near the ocean. On one trip I think the paramedics came to the beach almost every day, lots of boogie boarders with separated shoulders, and surf that I was not comfortable having little kids swim in.  

I think we will find the walk-to snorkeling huge next week, and am curious if we like the WKORV as much as I think.  I also have one who now loves to play in the sand and waves, and hope the beach is friendlier.  I'm glad to hear the wind has died down a little, hope it stays that way for another 10 days...


----------



## DeniseM (Mar 25, 2008)

readyalready said:


> I think we will find the walk-to snorkeling huge next week,



It's great - walk straight out from the WKORVN and jump in!


----------



## DavidnRobin (Mar 25, 2008)

LisaRex said:


> I hope you got to take wild advantage of the woman drinking wine on your lanai, David.



King Heavenly Bed - 8 1/2 steps away...
{or lounge chairs if we can't make it that far... )

I was actually trying to get a photo of both the Lanai and sunset - just extra benefit having Robin in the photo.  Unlike me, she has a way of making any photo better.  The relatively private large lanai (~25 feet long) is something we just love. During Thanksgiving/Wedding week - we had 12 adults on the Lanai drinking champaign during sunset - and room for more.


----------



## DeniseM (Mar 26, 2008)

SDKath said:


> Hi!  Are these last pix all from the Marriott or some from WKORV too?  Kath
> 
> (drooling)



Unless it's changed, the grounds directly in front of the WKORV OF units are no where near as manicured - actually, its brown weeds and bare spots - not attractive!

This is the OF first floor view from building B!


----------



## SDKath (Mar 26, 2008)

OK, not a big fan of the dirt buy boy oh boy that water in the distance is just gorgeous.  Kath


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## DeniseM (Mar 26, 2008)

The views from the top floors are gorgeous, as evidenced by David's pictures, but the bottom floor view is dismal.  This area is the setback between the WKORV and the beach, so Maui County may not allow Starwood to do anything with it, other-wise I'm sure they would.

Denise L    - can you please post an updated picture of the area in front of Bldg. B?


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## Denise L (Mar 26, 2008)

*Wkorv Ov*

Okay, here is our view this week:


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## Denise L (Mar 26, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> The views from the top floors are gorgeous, as evidenced by David's pictures, but the bottom floor view is dismal.  This area is the setback between the WKORV and the beach, so Maui County may not allow Starwood to do anything with it, other-wise I'm sure they would.
> 
> Denise L    - can you please post an updated picture of the area in front of Bldg. B?



Okay, we'll go for a walk in a few minutes....gotta see a sunset!


----------



## DeniseM (Mar 26, 2008)

OK, Denise L - question - would you prefer that view, or the one I just posted "ocean front."  

Are you right above the hot tub?


----------



## DavidnRobin (Mar 26, 2008)

Photo of landscape in front of B2 (Dec07) after storm


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## Carmel85 (Mar 26, 2008)

Thank you for all those great pictures of Maui. 

Could any of you that are in Maui or are going to Maui take a couple of pictures of the area between the Marriott Maui and Maui Hyatt (the vacant land in between) the two resorts.  Beach and land pictures please!!!!


I ask this because this will be the NEW HYATT Timeshare will be built, Yes the Hyatt timeshare just got approved today at the Maui Planning commission.  


If you look at Kal's website there is pictures of the New Hyatt Resort. 

"WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER" 

Carmel85


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## Denise L (Mar 26, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> OK, Denise L - question - would you prefer that view, or the one I just posted "ocean front."
> 
> Are you right above the hot tub?



I'd prefer 5th floor where I am to the 1st floor that you posted.  Yes, we are above the hot tub. 

Maybe I need to look for a fixed week, fixed unit, OF DLX!

So I went out to take photos. "No Memory Stick" because I left it in the laptop. Then soon after, "Memory Stick Full."  Then the battery light started flashing.  Photos here:


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## ciscogizmo1 (Mar 26, 2008)

Okay.. you guys need to stop with these pictures.   My dh wants to buy an OF now...  I told him in our dreams...  LOL.....


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## Denise L (Mar 26, 2008)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Okay.. you guys need to stop with these pictures.   My dh wants to buy an OF now...  I told him in our dreams...  LOL.....



Hey, I'm in line first  !


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## Denise L (Mar 26, 2008)

Carmel85 said:


> Thank you for all those great pictures of Maui.
> 
> Could any of you that are in Maui or are going to Maui take a couple of pictures of the area between the Marriott Maui and Maui Hyatt (the vacant land in between) the two resorts.  Beach and land pictures please!!!!



Hey Bob,

I was just there at the Marriott yesterday. One of the photos I posted from the 8th floor was looking left toward the open space between the new Marriott Lahaina Tower and the Hyatt. I love that open space!


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## Denise L (Mar 26, 2008)

No foreground in my photo, but it was beautiful sunset tonight.


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## DeniseM (Mar 26, 2008)

Denise L said:


> I'd prefer 5th floor where I am to the 1st floor that you posted.  Yes, we are above the hot tub.



I thought so - that's where we were last time, except on the 6th floor.  You are on the 5th floor?  Does one floor make that much difference in the view???

OK - I looked up my own review - we were in 3616 & 3618 - what's your room number?

(Bldg. 3, 6th floor, units 16 & 18.)


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## Denise L (Mar 26, 2008)

We're on the other side of the elevators, one floor down.

Last year, we were in 3518/16, just below the one you were in.

This is this year's view, closer to the railing:


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## ciscogizmo1 (Mar 26, 2008)

Is it me or did the palm trees grow between DeniseM's picture and DeniseL's picture?  Or are you guys standing in different spots?  When did you take your picture DeniseM?  I think, I've might have stayed in the same room... I'll have to look through my photos once I get the kids off to school.


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## MON2REY (Mar 26, 2008)

Here's a view of the sunset from our fourth floor OF (5415) villa at WKORVN.  Notice the lack of water in the photo.  It's not a great photo but you get the idea.


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## Denise L (Mar 26, 2008)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Is it me or did the palm trees grow between DeniseM's picture and DeniseL's picture?  Or are you guys standing in different spots?  When did you take your picture DeniseM?  I think, I've might have stayed in the same room... I'll have to look through my photos once I get the kids off to school.



DeniseM is one floor up, and closer to the beach by a lobby and the length of a 2 bedroom villa.  We are further back, thus more palm trees in the foreground.  

A bunch of folks were up past 11pm in the hot tub, I think.  I could hear a lot of conversations while we were trying to sleep.


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## DeniseM (Mar 26, 2008)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Is it me or did the palm trees grow between DeniseM's picture and DeniseL's picture?  Or are you guys standing in different spots?  When did you take your picture DeniseM?  I think, I've might have stayed in the same room... I'll have to look through my photos once I get the kids off to school.



I took my picture year before last, and I was one floor above Denise, and one unit + the elevator closer to ocean.  I think the trees have really grown, too!


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## Carmel85 (Mar 26, 2008)

I love all your pictures KEEP THEM COMING!!!!   

Would love some pictures of the property and beach area between Marriott and Hyatt.  


I ask this because that is where the new Hyatt Maui Timeshare is going to be built and I cant remember what the area looks like.

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PICTURES Always lift you spirits up.

Carmel85


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## LisaRex (Mar 26, 2008)

MON2REY said:


> Here's a view of the sunset from our fourth floor OF (5415) villa at WKORVN.  Notice the lack of water in the photo.  It's not a great photo but you get the idea.



Mon2Rey, I'd definitely send that photo with the letter of complaint.  What really bothers me is that we are all very diligent about calling on the 12 month because we're told that timestamps are how they determine room assignment.  No matter how they slice it, there is no way that that villa is the 9th best OF villa they had that day.  They have to be giving the best views to non-owners and/or using some other system to determine who gets the best views.  And that is contrary to their policy.


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## mepiccolo (Mar 26, 2008)

MON2REY said:


> I also asked why only 17 units were designated for Saturday lockoff check-ins.  He said that only units that have been sold are available for owner usage and probably not all the OF units have been sold.  So, if only 65 of the 90 OF units are sold, only 65 are designated for owner usage; the remaining 25 are used for rentals.



Whoa...am I the only one that reads that explanation and thinks what a bunch of crapola?  Why are OF owners being penalized by Starwoods' bad sales by being allowed to only use the "units that are sold".  It's not as if the owners are guaranteed the unit on their deeds (if that was the case we would get the 6th floor every single time we went).  Since Starwood can't guarantee us the unit on our deed, how can they possibly hold back ANY ocean front units for rentals if there are persons who bought OF and want to use their unit that week?  Worse, how can someone who called 12 months out be given a subpar view while Starwood holds out "unsold" units for rentals.  Since the original poster seems to have gotten what appears to be a really bad "OF" view obviously there must have been some OF units that had better views that should have been offered to him.  I'm not a WKORV North owner, but I'm mad for you.  What a crappy way for Starwood to treat someone who in good faith paid the premium for "OF" view and got what, in my opinion, isn't even a good OV room.  If I was the original poster I would put that picture on "TripAdvisor" and warn potential future buyers what they are getting and the hokey excuse he got for his view when he called 12 months out.  Complaining doesn't seem to work with Starwood....hitting them in the pocketbook by warning future buyers will.  What the heck, you're already paying for their crappy sales by being given less opportunity at a decent view according to their own rules which seem almost fraudulent, lacks good faith and just is really bad treatment of its customers.  Why should owners, who pay the huge MF to keep them in business on top of the premiums for the supposed OF views, be treated subpar to potential renters?  Starwood should be sued by the WKORV North owners for its deceptive  practices.


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## Carmel85 (Mar 26, 2008)

mepiccolo said:


> Whoa...am I the only one that reads that explanation and thinks what a bunch of crapola?  Why are OF owners being penalized by Starwoods' bad sales by being allowed to only use the "units that are sold".  It's not as if the owners are guaranteed the unit on their deeds (if that was the case we would get the 6th floor every single time we went).  Since Starwood can't guarantee us the unit on our deed, how can they possibly hold back ANY ocean front units for rentals if there are persons who bought OF and want to use their unit that week?  Worse, how can someone who called 12 months out be given a subpar view while Starwood holds out "unsold" units for rentals.  Since the original poster seems to have gotten what appears to be a really bad "OF" view obviously there must have been some OF units that had better views that should have been offered to him.  I'm not a WKORV North owner, but I'm mad for you.  What a crappy way for Starwood to treat someone who in good faith paid the premium for "OF" view and got what, in my opinion, isn't even a good OV room.  If I was the original poster I would put that picture on "TripAdvisor" and warn potential future buyers what they are getting and the hokey excuse he got for his view when he called 12 months out.  Complaining doesn't seem to work with Starwood....hitting them in the pocketbook by warning future buyers will.  What the heck, you're already paying for their crappy sales by being given less opportunity at a decent view according to their own rules which seem almost fraudulent, lacks good faith and just is really bad treatment of its customers.  Why should owners, who pay the huge MF to keep them in business on top of the premiums for the supposed OF views, be treated subpar to potential renters?  Starwood should be sued by the WKORV North owners for its deceptive  practices.




I agree with you 100% Im not a Starwood owner, but  if i was and bought a OF unit and did not get a OF unit for use I would be having my laywers send a pretty strong letter to Starwood with possible class actin suit things would change very quickly.

Im sure glad I own Hyatt.  I know for a fact Maui Hyatt as 99% ALL OCEAN FRONT UNITS (fixed units and fixed weeks on the deed Hyatt system) not a side view like starwood is saying are Ocean Front what a JOKE.

Band together and FIGHT if not Starwood and Marriott will get away with things just like every developer tries to do.


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## MON2REY (Mar 26, 2008)

Well....my letter, along with the photo and a marked-up resort building layout, went out in today's mail.  We'll see what their response is.  Thanks for the support everyone.


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## Carmel85 (Mar 26, 2008)

MON2REY said:


> Well....my letter, along with the photo and a marked-up resort building layout, went out in today's mail.  We'll see what their response is.  Thanks for the support everyone.



Mon2rey,

Please keep us updated I do hope you certified and return receipt you mail yes is cost a extra $5.00 but money well spent!

Could you post or PM me the resort building layout?

Good luck!


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## Westin5Star (Mar 26, 2008)

Carmel85 said:


> Would love some pictures of the property and beach area between Marriott and Hyatt.
> 
> 
> I ask this because that is where the new Hyatt Maui Timeshare is going to be built and I cant remember what the area looks like.



I have stayed at the Hyatt at least 10 times over the past decade.  The beach right in front of the resort is ok but has too many large pebbles and rocks for my taste.  The beach between the Marriott and Hyatt is almost non-existent in many places.  The storms in December actually took away what little beach was there in some places.  I actually saw palm trees and their roots in the ocean.  The Kaanapali beaches seem to be best closer to Black Rock!  I do like Hyatt's system from what I read about it though.


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## Carmel85 (Mar 26, 2008)

Westin5Star said:


> I have stayed at the Hyatt at least 10 times over the past decade.  The beach right in front of the resort is ok but has too many large pebbles and rocks for my taste.  The beach between the Marriott and Hyatt is almost non-existent in many places.  The storms in December actually took away what little beach was there in some places.  I actually saw palm trees and their roots in the ocean.  The Kaanapali beaches seem to be best closer to Black Rock!  I do like Hyatt's system from what I read about it though.




Westin5Star,

Thank you very much for the information about the beach in front of the Hyatt t has been many many years since I have been to maui.
Palm trees with roots showing sounds like NO beach to me.

Yes the Hyatt system is excellent day in day out. if you dont own Hyatt now I would consider buying a Hyatt very very soon at the 2200 or 2000 point level that will get you a 2 bedroom in Maui or through out the Hyatt system most all weeks.

Thanks again for your comments I still would love to see some pictures!!


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## tomandrobin (Mar 27, 2008)

Hope all you Hawaiin spring Breakers keep posting more pics of the resort and beach. We are loving them, sitting here in Maryland.


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## MON2REY (Mar 27, 2008)

Carmel85:  See post 19 on the thread below.  It will give you the Bldg layout.


WKORV-N View Designations *New Map Added 2/19


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## Denise L (Mar 27, 2008)

*Maui Ocean Center*

For my daughter's birthday, she wanted to go to the Aquarium, so I left DH with DS and drove over there. I highly recommend buying tickets in advance from the resort, since it allows you to bypass the line and get in a bit faster (and you save $1 per ticket, whoo hoo  ).  Plus, we left the resort at 8:30 and got there at 9:00, right when the Aquarium opened. By 10:00, it was packed! It is a holiday week for the locals too, so you can imagine the crowds.


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## Denise L (Mar 27, 2008)

*Two more photos*


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## DavidnRobin (Mar 27, 2008)

Great photos - we will need to go there during our next visit in Nov.
You also get extra SPs when you buy tix from the resort.


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## Catazog (Mar 27, 2008)

We love the aquarium too. Some of those fish look familiar!


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## Denise L (Mar 27, 2008)

*Serious wave action & turtles!*

It was a great morning at the beach today.  After walking for about 1 minute from our villa  , we went snorkeling and saw the sweetest turtle.  It was coming up for air, then hung around with us for quite a while. My daughter was quite excited, since turtles are her absolute favorite.

Big waves for our beach, making all the kids squeal in delight.  Fun to watch!


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## Denise L (Mar 27, 2008)

*Pool closed this afternoon...*

I just went out onto the balcony to enjoy the view and look for some whales.  Looks like the pool is closed due to an "accident," and won't be open for about four hours.  Now is a good time to grab a lounge chair!


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## Fredm (Mar 27, 2008)

*Sheraton Poipu*

Denise L.

I was at KOR on Tuesday! Wish I knew you were there. Sorry I missed you.

Went to Kauai on Wednesday and visited with the Princeville team.

By the way, Starwood has officially received preliminary approval to develop VO at Sheraton Poipu.


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## grgs (Mar 27, 2008)

Fredm said:


> By the way, Starwood has officially received preliminary approval to develop VO at Sheraton Poipu.



That's good news--any idea how long it will take to start building?


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## Denise L (Mar 28, 2008)

Fredm said:


> I was at KOR on Tuesday! Wish I knew you were there. Sorry I missed you.
> 
> Went to Kauai on Wednesday and visited with the Princeville team.
> 
> By the way, Starwood has officially received preliminary approval to develop VO at Sheraton Poipu.



Fred, sorry to have missed seeing you, too!

Great news about the Poipu villas !


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## Fredm (Mar 28, 2008)

grgs said:


> That's good news--any idea how long it will take to start building?



Don't know how long before they break ground. 

Hawaii management had just received the approval and were proceeding with all haste.  But, lots of details between now and then.

Nice to know a Poipu project is in the pipeline though.


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## taffy19 (Mar 28, 2008)

Denise L said:


> I just went out onto the balcony to enjoy the view and look for some whales. Looks like the pool is closed due to an "accident," and won't be open for about four hours. Now is a good time to grab a lounge chair!


I have never seen so many whales as we have seen this week. Isn't it fantastic, Denise? Your aquarium pictures are very nice and I hope that your son is feeling better again so enjoys his vacation.

We saw a little injured turtle swimming at the surface for the longest time today. It looked like one flipper was injured as he never used it. So sad.

Isn't a week going by too fast and don't you hate to go home already? I am glad you stopped by and I agree that it is hard to make a choice between a guaranteed excellent view or a reef right in front of the resort. I wished we had this here as I still haven't made it to Black Rock. Hopefully, next week or otherwise at Wailea at a little cove or at Peruse Bay.


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## saluki (Mar 28, 2008)

Denise L said:


> I just went out onto the balcony to enjoy the view and look for some whales.  Looks like the pool is closed due to an "accident," and won't be open for about four hours.  Now is a good time to grab a lounge chair!



Uh oh. Did someone forget their swim diaper?


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## Steamboat Bill (Mar 28, 2008)

Denise L said:


> I just went out onto the balcony to enjoy the view and look for some whales.  Looks like the pool is closed due to an "accident," and won't be open for about four hours.  Now is a good time to grab a lounge chair!



That would be a "Dirty Job" description if I ever heard on one.


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## Denise L (Mar 28, 2008)

iconnections said:


> I have never seen so many whales as we have seen this week. Isn't it fantastic, Denise? Your aquarium pictures are very nice and I hope that your son is feeling better again so enjoys his vacation.
> 
> We saw a little injured turtle swimming at the surface for the longest time today. It looked like one flipper was injured as he never used it. So sad.
> 
> Isn't a week going by too fast and don't you hate to go home already? I am glad you stopped by and I agree that it is hard to make a choice between a guaranteed excellent view or a reef right in front of the resort. I wished we had this here as I still haven't made it to Black Rock. Hopefully, next week or otherwise at Wailea at a little cove or at Peruse Bay.



Emmy, I hope that you and Peter get a chance to come by today. Call us, we will be around the resort and beach all day.

Yes, we have seen a lot of whales frolicking in the distance.  If I had your view, I'd be spending a lot of my time looking!  Sad about the turtle, I wonder if a jet ski got him?

The week has gone by too quickly. If we don't see you today, have a wonderful three more weeks!  I was tempted this morning to see if my DH wanted to go tour the Marriott, just to see the 3-bedroom villa & view, but I think we will just relax since it is our last day  .


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## mindy35 (Mar 28, 2008)

Hey Denise or ??

Anyone try the new restaurant at "North" yet?

Is the spa/fitness center open?


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## Denise L (Mar 28, 2008)

mindy35 said:


> Hey Denise or ??
> 
> Anyone try the new restaurant at "North" yet?
> 
> Is the spa/fitness center open?



We haven't tried the restaurant yet. Maybe Jack did?

I heard from a North owner that the spa and fitness center are supposed to be open in May.


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## twz (Mar 28, 2008)

We ate at the North restaurant when I was there in February.

IMO, the food was average and not worth the price tag.


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## ciscogizmo1 (Mar 28, 2008)

DeniseL... I'm so sad your week is almost over...  I can't believe how fast the week went.  Hopefully, you had a chance to make chocolate chip cookies in your oven.   

Enjoy your flight home!!!


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## GrayFal (Mar 28, 2008)

iconnections said:


> I have never seen so many whales as we have seen this week. Isn't it fantastic, Denise? Your aquarium pictures are very nice and I hope that your son is feeling better again so enjoys his vacation.
> 
> We saw a little injured turtle swimming at the surface for the longest time today. It looked like one flipper was injured as he never used it. So sad.
> 
> Isn't a week going by too fast and don't you hate to go home already? I am glad you stopped by and I agree that it is hard to make a choice between a guaranteed excellent view or a reef right in front of the resort. I wished we had this here as I still haven't made it to Black Rock. Hopefully, next week or otherwise at Wailea at a little cove or at Peruse Bay.


Hey Emmy, I read your post on TS4Ms and came over to look at Denise's pictures - the view from you unit is stunning!!! I don't know how u ever leave the lanai !!!

Enjoy the rest of your trip!


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## Denise L (Mar 29, 2008)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> DeniseL... I'm so sad your week is almost over...  I can't believe how fast the week went.  Hopefully, you had a chance to make chocolate chip cookies in your oven.
> 
> Enjoy your flight home!!!



This has really been a nice week, weather-wise and turtle-wise.  Thanks for sharing it with us  .  We saw the same small turtle two days in a row, whoo hoo :whoopie: . We absolutely love turtles .  Today is very windy, so there is a bit of sandblasting going on.

The staff has been pleasant and friendly.  Housekeeping especially has been quick to respond to our requests.  

I didn't buy any cookie dough this week. I had it in my hand at Safeway, thought about it (and our full-size oven), but then put it down.  I did finish the tequila early, though, and so next time I have to buy two bottles.  

Emmy took the Westin Villa shuttle and came to see us today!  She said that she likes our view  !


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## Denise L (Mar 29, 2008)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Did you get any prices?



I can't remember if I answered this. I do have prices. If you are interested, I can email you when I get home.

For example, though,  I asked about a fixed week 45 in a 3-bedroom OF. $69,900.


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## readyalready (Mar 29, 2008)

Denise L said:


> I didn't buy any cookie dough this week. I had it in my hand at Safeway, thought about it (and our full-size oven), but then put it down.  I did finish the tequila early, though, and so next time I have to buy two bottles.



I guess I won't expect a tequila care package waiting for me at the front desk tomorrow.  

I'm afraid to check the forecast, last time I looked it called for a couple windy days and then rainy ones, hope you didn't get all the good weather!


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## Denise L (Mar 29, 2008)

readyalready said:


> I guess I won't expect a tequila care package waiting for me at the front desk tomorrow.
> 
> I'm afraid to check the forecast, last time I looked it called for a couple windy days and then rainy ones, hope you didn't get all the good weather!



I'm sure you will have a great time! 

No tequila left, but some triple sec and sweet & sour.

Aloha, everyone!


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## ciscogizmo1 (Mar 29, 2008)

Omgosh... what a beautiful sunset!!!  and so bittersweet too...

I'd have to say the sunsets look prettier in March than they did during Thanksgiving week.  During Thanksgiving they were setting more to the left of your picture so, it was blocked most of the time.


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## LisaRex (Mar 29, 2008)

Denise L said:


> I can't remember if I answered this. I do have prices. If you are interested, I can email you when I get home.
> 
> For example, though,  I asked about a fixed week 45 in a 3-bedroom OF. $69,900.



That's lower than what I was quoted for a 2 bdrm OF back in March '07.  Is it a lock-out?


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## cindi (Mar 29, 2008)

Denise L said:


> I'm sure you will have a great time!
> 
> No tequila left, but some triple sec and sweet & sour.
> 
> Aloha, everyone!



What a stunning picture!


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## Fredm (Mar 29, 2008)

*Marriott Maui prices*



Denise L said:


> I can't remember if I answered this. I do have prices. If you are interested, I can email you when I get home.
> 
> For example, though,  I asked about a fixed week 45 in a 3-bedroom OF. $69,900.



That is about right for a week 45, 4th floor unit.

The prices below may be a bit low, as they are not precisely current.

3 bedroom oceanfront prices vary *considerably* based on week and floor number. There are 10 floors.

Lowest priced weeks are 17-23, and vary based on floor from 57k to 90k.

Weeks 24-25 are 81k to 128k
Weeks 26-27 are 98k to 155k

Week 52 10th floor is 170k.

The real ocean front values are the floating. 2 bedroom, 3 baths, corner wrap around lanais. Resales are ~$43k.


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## LisaRex (Mar 29, 2008)

Fredm said:


> That is about right for a week 45, 4th floor unit.
> 
> The prices below may be a bit low, as they are not precisely current.
> 
> ...



Wow.  After this year, I doubt I'll ever visit Maui in the summer again.  I'm only doing it this year because the kids are out of school. I hate crowds and would much rather go in the fall or spring.  I wonder how hard it would be to get a unit during say, a fall week, if you buy floating.  

Because I'd sell my WKORV-N OF unit in a heart beat and switch to Marriott if I could get close to my purchase price ($52k).  I paid what I consider to be a huge chunk of change so that I wouldn't have to worry about my view.  By ocean front, I assumed I'd get a front row seat to the ocean from my lanai. Other owners are telling me that there's a good chance I'll be disappointed.  I'll test their system once.  But that's all.  If I go to Hawaii in July and get a crappy view that Starwood somehow managed to code as ocean FRONT, then I'll sell and switch to Marriott.


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## capjak (Mar 29, 2008)

Denise L said:


> We haven't tried the restaurant yet. Maybe Jack did?
> 
> I heard from a North owner that the spa and fitness center are supposed to be open in May.



Did not try the restaurant.  Sorry did not see you there.

Went on presentation:

South Prop had a island view for 44K, 1bd room ocean view 36K
North Prop  Ocean view 69,000
South Prop Ocean Front deluxe $104,900 week 1-50 

I am currently looking for a resale North Prop Island view would be fine as I think the island views are not much worse than some of the South properties ocean views.


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## Fredm (Mar 30, 2008)

capjak said:


> Did not try the restaurant.  Sorry did not see you there.
> 
> Went on presentation:
> 
> ...



North Island-view and KOR ocean-view are similarly priced in the secondary market.

I read your post in another thread about the price for an KORN annual Island view. IMO 24k, plus half the annual fees is a very good buy, if real.


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## Denise L (Mar 30, 2008)

LisaRex said:


> That's lower than what I was quoted for a 2 bdrm OF back in March '07.  Is it a lock-out?



Yes, it was a 3 bedroom with a studio lock-out, 1st floor.  

The 3 bedrooms are very nice!


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## LisaRex (Mar 30, 2008)

Denise L said:


> Yes, it was a 3 bedroom with a studio lock-out, 1st floor.
> 
> The 3 bedrooms are very nice!



I'm confused.  I thought the 1st floor was coded as IV.


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## GrayFal (Mar 30, 2008)

Denise, thank you for sharing your trip with us - I really enjoyed it and look forward to my planned 2010   visit.


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## Denise L (Mar 30, 2008)

GrayFal said:


> Denise, thank you for sharing your trip with us - I really enjoyed it and look forward to my planned 2010   visit.



Pat, 2010 is not that far away, and it will be here before you know it.  I have to start doing some serious 09 planning now!

Thanks for tuning in to our vacation channel  !


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## capjak (Mar 30, 2008)

Fredm said:


> North Island-view and KOR ocean-view are similarly priced in the secondary market.
> 
> I read your post in another thread about the price for an KORN annual Island view. IMO 24k, plus half the annual fees is a very good buy, if real.



I have a deposit down on it and should recieve contract Monday, anything I should be concerned about?

Based on recent inquiries the Market seems to be going down for WKOR and WKOR-North, I think the prices have eroded some.


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## taffy19 (Mar 30, 2008)

Denise L said:


> Emmy, I hope that you and Peter get a chance to come by today. Call us, we will be around the resort and beach all day.
> 
> Yes, we have seen a lot of whales frolicking in the distance. If I had your view, I'd be spending a lot of my time looking! Sad about the turtle, I wonder if a jet ski got him?
> 
> The week has gone by too quickly. If we don't see you today, have a wonderful three more weeks! I was tempted this morning to see if my DH wanted to go tour the Marriott, just to see the 3-bedroom villa & view, but I think we will just relax since it is our last day  .


I came by alone to see Denise's condo at the Westin. My SO isn't up to it yet. We took him whale watching today and he is so exhausted now that he is in bed.  

Denise, you had a great view too and the resort is very nice. It was a treat meeting your family too. You'll soon be looking forward to your next trip. Start counting.  Owning a timeshare is making us take vacations which is good.


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## MON2REY (Mar 31, 2008)

capjak said:


> My wife was out snorkeling around 12:00 today and saw a turtle was about 3 feet from her she said.








Here's a turtle I followed for a while right in front of WKORVN two weeks ago.  Click on the picture to view the short video.


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## Denise L (Mar 31, 2008)

MON2REY said:


> Here's a turtle I followed for a while right in front of WKORVN two weeks ago.  Click on the picture to view the short video.



Wow, great video! Were you snorkeling or diving? Thanks for sharing!

So when are you going back :whoopie: ?


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## Denise L (Mar 31, 2008)

iconnections said:


> I came by alone to see Denise's condo at the Westin. My SO isn't up to it yet. We took him whale watching today and he is so exhausted now that he is in bed.



Emmy, sorry to hear that Peter was exhausted from the excursion  .  Did you see any whales up close?


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## MON2REY (Mar 31, 2008)

Denise L said:


> Wow, great video! Were you snorkeling or diving? Thanks for sharing!
> 
> So when are you going back :whoopie: ?



Snorkeling.  Right now, we plan to go back next May ('09) assuming we get some satisfaction from Starwood regarding the OF views.


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## capjak (Apr 2, 2008)

Great Video, wish I would have been with my wife when she saw one, but now I guess I've seen it.


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## baz48 (Apr 2, 2008)

Terrific video!  I think I may have heard whales calling in the background also.  We heard them when we were there a few weeks ago.  You have to be very quiet (hold your breath) and be patient, but we heard the cries, the deep whoop, whoop and the clicking.  Great fun!


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## MON2REY (Apr 3, 2008)

baz48 said:


> Terrific video!  I think I may have heard whales calling in the background also.  We heard them when we were there a few weeks ago.  You have to be very quiet (hold your breath) and be patient, but we heard the cries, the deep whoop, whoop and the clicking.  Great fun!



Thanks for pointing that out to me.  I listened to the video again last night and, sure enough, I could hear the whales in the background.  That makes the video even more special for us.


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## cindi (Apr 3, 2008)

iconnections said:


> I came by alone to see Denise's condo at the Westin. My SO isn't up to it yet. We took him whale watching today and he is so exhausted now that he is in bed.
> 
> Denise, you had a great view too and the resort is very nice. It was a treat meeting your family too. You'll soon be looking forward to your next trip. Start counting.  Owning a timeshare is making us take vacations which is good.



Emmy,

How is your husband doing now? He must be a lot better since you guys were able to return to Hawaii?


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## taffy19 (Apr 4, 2008)

cindi said:


> Emmy,
> 
> How is your husband doing now? He must be a lot better since you guys were able to return to Hawaii?


Thank you for asking, Cindi. According to our friend, who is a CRRN (Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse), my husband suffers of depression so we will have to address that when we come home. He can walk a little bit but we have a wheelchair with us too as he tires out really fast. It may also be the heat but it is cooler the last two days. He has no use of his hand at all and his shoulder is starting to lock up so very painful. I doubt if he will get much better but he is still in therapy so there may be hope yet.

My advise to everyone is travel while you can or enjoy your hobbies, whatever they are, while you are young. This is our friends' first trip to Maui and they want to come back again!  




Denise L said:


> Emmy, sorry to hear that Peter was exhausted from the excursion  . Did you see any whales up close?


Yes, we saw many whales and very close up too. I posted about it here. It was the best whale watching trip we ever took but we saw them daily from our balcony too and from the McGregor lookout point near the Ma'alaea Harbor between Lahaina and Kihei. I can highly recommend a whale watching tour to anyone.


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## Catazog (Apr 15, 2008)

*WKORVN restaurant question*



twz said:


> We ate at the North restaurant when I was there in February.
> 
> IMO, the food was average and not worth the price tag.



Is this now a sit down restaurant with table service, not a buffet (as it was when it first opened)? A friend of mine is going to WKORV next week and her confirmation email didn't mention anything about the restaurant at WKORVN. But I'm pretty sure I've heard that it's now a full service restaurant.'

Thanks! It's too bad she's going to just miss the opening of the spa there. I'd love to hear what that's like.


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## twz (Apr 15, 2008)

The restaurant was full service when I was there in February (not sure when it switched over).


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## Catazog (Apr 15, 2008)

Thank you, twz! We were there in September when it was still a buffet.


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