# Help with beachfront timeshare in Kauai



## sbfrench1 (Jun 24, 2011)

My husband and I are looking for a timeshare in Kauai for 1 week. After reading some information I'm guessing the best areas to stay are Princeville and Poipu.  We're in RCI so we're limited to those timeshares.  What I'd like to know is if there's a timeshare in those locations that are right on the beach, not across the beach, but walking out the front door of your condo at the beach.  I guess the next best thing would be with great ocean views even if it was not on the beach.  Thanks in advance for your help.


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## chellej (Jun 24, 2011)

Cliffs Club, Pahiio Shear water...views from Cliff - no direct access
Pono Kai, Shell Beachboy, Pahio kauai Beach Club  in Kapaa have beach access


I've never stayed  poipu but someone will speak up


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## DaveNV (Jun 24, 2011)

Kauai Beach Villas in Lihue is right on the beach.  RCI #3681.

Dave


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## rickandcindy23 (Jun 24, 2011)

Point at Poipu is a great resort but is not really a pretty sandy beach, but it's got lava rocks and it's wonderful to sit out there and watch the sunset.


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## akp (Jun 25, 2011)

*My 2 cents worth*

I just returned from my first trip to Kauai so I'm no expert, but here's my 2c.

Shearwater (Princeville) - direct ocean front for view, but on a cliff so beach access is minimal /difficult.  (apparently there is a hike from the resort down to a beach below but we never found it).  Great views, small resort, not super family friendly, but I'd return in a heartbeat because of the view. 

Pono Kai (Kapaa) - walk right off the grounds of your condo onto the beach.  I didn't stay here, but drove around the property as I'm a Bluegreen owner and we can book Pono Kai with our points.  No personal experience here but I have read that the beach isn't a good swimming beach but there is a nice walking path.

In terms of location, i was initially not impressed with Princeville.  As far as I could tell, there isn't a town of Princeville; it is really all condo /hotel property other than the strip center up the road.  However, once I'd driven west of the foodland to the beaches and the town of Hanalei, I was loving the location.

Kapaa looked pretty darn good to me, too.  You're more central so you can do trips north or south more easily.  (we stayed north since we were in Princeville).  Kapaa itself had coffee shops, restaurants, at least one grocery.  I've heard people say the traffic is bad but we didn't experience that first had.

Good luck!


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## abbekit (Jun 25, 2011)

Princeville isn't really a town, it is more of a neighborhood subdivision with nice houses, lots of condos, golf courses and the St. Regis hotel.  The nearest town is Hanalei which is a short drive on winding roads.  Hanalei is a laid back small town.  Princeville does have it's own fire station , tiny post office and very small shopping center with a grocery store that is walking distance form anywhere in the resort area.


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## slip (Jun 25, 2011)

Keep the weather in mind. The time of year your going will make a differance
in the amount of rain at different places on the island. More rain in the north
during the winter.
The beach you want to walk out to, are you going to swim or just walk the
beach. Some resorts have nice beaches but not really swimmable waters.
Just more stuff to think about.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 25, 2011)

sbfrench1 said:


> My husband and I are looking for a timeshare in Kauai for 1 week. After reading some information I'm guessing the best areas to stay are Princeville and Poipu.  We're in RCI so we're limited to those timeshares.  *What I'd like to know is if there's a timeshare in those locations that are right on the beach, not across the beach, but walking out the front door of your condo at the beach.  *I guess the next best thing would be with great ocean views even if it was not on the beach.  Thanks in advance for your help.


The only condo I can think that fits that description and that is in RCI would be Kauai Beach Villas, and even then that is only for a select view ocean front units that are very difficult to land as exchanges. 

After that, there are other units at Pono Kai, Kapa'a Shores, and Kauai Beachboy where there is a public walkway between the ocean front units and the beach.  But even with those your chances of obtaining one of the ocean front units is slim as an exchanger.

There are no properties in Princeville that meet that description, as the entire Princeville area is built on a bluff that is several hundred feet above the coastline.  From Princeville all beach access involves descending a bluff on a trail. At Hanalei Bay the trail is nice and paved; at other resorts it would be a dirt trail that may or not be in good condition depending on the weather.

On the south shore, Lawai Beach resort is across a busy road from the beach.  Point at Poipu has ocean front units that open directly onto the ocean, but the shoreline there is not a sandy beach.  Also the ocean front units are not ground level, so you can't walk from the unit directly to the shoreline.  At Point at Poipu many of the ground level units that open directly onto the ocean are actually classed as "garden view" units, because there is a small rise that cuts off a direct view of the ocean from those garden view units.  Those particular garden view units are, understandably, in high demand by garden view unit owners at Point at Poipu, since they are actually primo units except for the lack of an ocean view.  Accordingly they are seldom available to exchangers.

******

In sum your chances of getting a unit that meets the restrictions you note are pretty slim.  People buy timeshares in Hawaii that specifically meet those criteria, and they pay a premium to do so.  For example, there are numerous threads here about the occasional ocean front units at Kauai Beach Villas that appear for sale, and those command premium pricing.


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## chellej (Jun 25, 2011)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> After that, there are other units at Pono Kai, Kapa'a Shores, and Kauai Beachboy where there is a public walkway between the ocean front units and the beach.  But even with those your chances of obtaining one of the ocean front units is slim as an exchanger.
> 
> .



Steve

I don't think there is a public walkway between Kauai Beachboy and the beach.   The sidewalk ends at the edge of the resort.  Of course since all beaches are public, anyone can walk along the beach at any of the resorts.


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## akp (Jun 25, 2011)

*Google maps*

If you look on google maps, you can see the Kauai public use path in front of Pono Kai.  There is no such path shown in front of Beachboy.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 25, 2011)

chellej said:


> Steve
> 
> I don't think there is a public walkway between Kauai Beachboy and the beach.   The sidewalk ends at the edge of the resort.  Of course since all beaches are public, anyone can walk along the beach at any of the resorts.





akp said:


> If you look on google maps, you can see the Kauai public use path in front of Pono Kai.  There is no such path shown in front of Beachboy.


You're right.  I had a brain camp and forgot that Beachboy is south of Pono Kai.


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## linsj (Jun 25, 2011)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> In sum your chances of getting a unit that meets the restrictions you note are pretty slim.  People buy timeshares in Hawaii that specifically meet those criteria, and they pay a premium to do so.  For example, there are numerous threads here about the occasional ocean front units at Kauai Beach Villas that appear for sale, and those command premium pricing.



Actually, oceanfront KBV units sell for only a few dollars on ebay because most people don't recognize their value and, like other Hawaii timeshares, the MFs are higher--but still less than a week in a hotel there.

There are a couple of posts in this forum that people add to regularly when they see these units on ebay.


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## sbfrench1 (Jun 25, 2011)

OK, since it doesn't seem probable that we'll get anything with a nice swimming beach which condos are the next best thing for location and views.   We're thinking either end of May of September after Labor Day, not sure which month is better. 

Are the Kauai Beach Villas nice, seems like they're the only ones on the beach.

Where do you swim in Kauai?


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 25, 2011)

linsj said:


> Actually, oceanfront KBV units sell for only a few dollars on ebay because most people don't recognize their value and, like other Hawaii timeshares, the MFs are higher--but still less than a week in a hotel there.
> 
> There are a couple of posts in this forum that people add to regularly when they see these units on ebay.



The oceanfront units get more action, even on eBay, because there are those that recognize the value and respond.  The units that are not ocean front get almost no interest.  Probably not as much as if the sellers actually knew that the units were ocean front, but just the same they do get more action and command a premium as compared with other KBV units.


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## sbfrench1 (Jun 25, 2011)

The only timeshare available for rental for our timeframe is Wyndham Kauai Beach Villas (#3681)  

Is this a nice resort in a good location with good beaches.

Has anyone stayed there?


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## jacknsara (Jun 25, 2011)

sbfrench1 said:


> The only timeshare available for rental for our timeframe is Wyndham Kauai Beach Villas (#3681)
> 
> Is this a nice resort in a good location with good beaches.
> 
> Has anyone stayed there?



Aloha,
We own there and have gone there every year for ten years or so.  The beach directly in front of the resort is unswimmable for most people.  When the ocean is calm, many people do swim in the beach about a hundred yards north of the canal/creek that borders the resort property.  People have drowned there.  If the ocean is not calm, do not go in.  However, it is a wonderful beach to walk on.
Check out this link: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145281 
BTW - if you join TUG, you get access the resort reviews section and you can search the forums
Jack


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## jacknsara (Jun 25, 2011)

sbfrench1 said:


> ... We're thinking either end of May of September after Labor Day, not sure which month is better.  ...  Where do you swim in Kauai?


Aloha,
The sun is so high in the sky in late May that Sara got sunburned in Oahu in late May 2009 in spite of frequent lathering with sunscreen.  Consequently, between those two dates, we would pick September.  Both times should be excellent.
We almost always carry our snorkel gear (we own a lot of stuff including prescription masks) no matter which direction we head out for the day.  There are many places to swim in the ocean that have facilities along north, east and south shores.  Here's a link to my favorite guide book: http://www.wizardpub.com/Kauai/kaucontents.html 
Jack
p.s. being an advanced swimmer, I snorkel a couple hundred yards out and a hundred yards or so north of the beach I referred to in my previous note.  Currents can be strong, especially for the return.  If you are not sure if you are an advanced swimmer, don't go.


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## myoakley (Jun 25, 2011)

Have you looked at the Marriott Kauai Beach Club in Lihue?  We own there and were there the beginning of April.  It is a very elegant resort with a huge, beautiful pool and is right ON THE BEACH.  Also, Kalapaki Beach is very safe for swimming, even for children, because it is on the bay with lovely views of the ocean and mountains.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 26, 2011)

myoakley said:


> Have you looked at the Marriott Kauai Beach Club in Lihue?  We own there and were there the beginning of April.  It is a very elegant resort with a huge, beautiful pool and is right ON THE BEACH.  Also, Kalapaki Beach is very safe for swimming, even for children, because it is on the bay with lovely views of the ocean and mountains.


The OP specified RCI, so that eliminates both Marriotts.  Otherwise either of the Marriotts would meet the OPs criteria.


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## sbfrench1 (Jun 26, 2011)

I found another web site I can rent from and they have (2) Marriotts, one is the Marriott Kauai Beach Club in Lihue and the other is Marriott Waiohai Beach Club in Poipu, is one of the Marriotts better than the other.

There's also a place called Castle Kiahuna situated right on the beach, has anyone stayed there?


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## chellej (Jun 26, 2011)

I have stayed at the Marroitt Beach Club and it is a great resort, beautiful pool.  Kitchens are very limited because it is a hotel conversion.   Toured Waiohai.  They were build as timeshares and have full kithens.


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## Ron98GT (Jun 26, 2011)

"Kapaa looked pretty darn good to me, too. You're more central so you can do trips north or south more easily. (we stayed north since we were in Princeville). Kapaa itself had coffee shops, restaurants, at least one grocery. I've heard people say the traffic is bad but we didn't experience that first had."

There are three grocery stores + an ABC store in Kapaa.  The Safeway is the most expensive.  The small one almost across the street from the Pono Kai was the cheapest.

I don't think that the beach fronting the Pono Kai was safe (at least not in December).  There was a public beach next to it (had parking), but you had to cross a little pedestrian bridge to get to it from the Pono Kai.

I recommend staying in/near Lihue, since it's more centrally located, unless your going to surf every day then stay north.  If you stay in/near Princeville, you'll spend all your time driving: it's too isolated for me.  I actually like the Poipu area.


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## sbfrench1 (Jun 26, 2011)

Does the Marriott Waiohai have a nice swimming beach?


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## Ron98GT (Jun 26, 2011)

sbfrench1 said:


> Does the Marriott Waiohai have a nice swimming beach?



It looked like a nice beach, but it wasn't in front of the Marriott.  There was a very public beach next to the Marriott in a cove that you walk to.  Remember that in Hawaii, there are no private beaches, only public.  So if you need to go back to the room, use the restrooms, etc., it was a hike.

I liked the beach at the Marriott Kuai Beach Club Better.  It was a public beach, but very private and secluded, since it wasn't adjacent to a main road like in Waiohai.  Plus only the beach was public, anything across the sidewalk was Marriott's.  And the pool is fantastic, along with the views.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...06C687B594F68B552B7C9E6BD446AFC5D05E8&first=0


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 26, 2011)

sbfrench1 said:


> Does the Marriott Waiohai have a nice swimming beach?



Waiohai is on Poipu Beach, which is a world class beach.  There are many activities along the beach area. The area directly in front of the Marriott is a popular beginning surfing locale; many of the surfing schools do beginner lessons there. 

A bit further along the beach is a well-protected keike (children's) swimming area; it's enclosed by  rock walls, so there is no surf inside the area.  

****

If we were traveling, Waiohai would be my first choice, but I certainly wouldn't be disappointed in Kauai Beach Club.


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## Ron98GT (Jun 26, 2011)

"A bit further along the beach is a well-protected keike (children's) swimming area; it's enclosed by rock walls, so there is no surf inside the area."

That's the area I was describing and where everyone was swimming.  In December, the area in front of the Marriott was not swimmable (flags were out and the seas were ruff), summer could be different.  At that time, everyone was surfing on the North shore, I didn't see any surfing on the South shore.  The South was warm & sunny, while the North was windy, rainy, & cooler.

I can't to get back to Hawaii next year.  

mahalo,


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