# Back from Maui & SFO-Thank You Mini Review



## pcgirl54 (Jun 1, 2008)

I wanted to sincerely thank everyone who provided input for our mega trip to Maui and San Francisco. We are from the Boston area and this was our first Hawaii trip and my first to San Francisco. It was one of the top trips of our lives so far. Your generous input about flights, resorts, activites and places to eat made this trip to Maui and San Francisco  one we will never forget. If I lived on the west coast I would buy in Hawaii since it is 4-5 hrs away. 

Normally we exchange for Marriotts and use Marriott hotels. This trip we used Westin and Sheraton with points and cash besides our timeshare trade to Westin Ocean Villas. Loved the Heavenly beds ,showers,terry robes and no blackout dates. Finally used those Amex points saved for years and flew with United which was seemless. Upgraded to the wonderul Economy Plus all the way to Maui. It was great and I hated regular economy on the return trip. I felt so closed in especially when the person in front of me reclined her seat on the long flight from SFO to the east coast. Those 5 extra inches are worth the extra money.

 Beware that with the new extra luggage rule you pay $25 for a 2nd bag on each leg of a multi leg flight when you take possesion of the bags. They do weigh the bags more which is now $100 fee from $80 so buy a luggage scale and pack an empty bag in case. So it cost us $50.00 for that 2nd bag on the way home.

Maui was a delight. No major cities or traffic. Laid back and breathtakingly beautiful. We were out 12-14 hours a day non stop. One visual feast after another all week. I survived the 14 hr flight and adjusted to Maui time quite well. Red eye Maui to San Francisco was the most uncomfortable flight I ever experienced and I was exhausted the next day on our SF city tour catnapping all day.

Sheraton Maui was very,very nice and we stayed on an internet special with AAA discount for $189 for partial OV room normally around $600 and more. We were upgraded to OF from OV when we got there which directly faced the islands of Molokai and Lanai from Bldg 6. I did not want to leave but then......

We checked into Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Villas the next day. Wow,what a place! We were in the WKOV Bldg 2 South with views of the courtyard and partial oceanview. This made me want to buy Westin and if we lived on the West Coast I would be searching for a unit right now. We have stayed at Harborside Atlantis another Starwood property and this beat that one. We did the official tour something I rarely do as we do not want to give up any vacation time no matter the incentive. My husband almost passed out at the prices $25-110k but then we would never trade it.

 As an east coast girl who lives in a colder climate I was amazed at how much people are outside at all hours enjoying the beaches and camping,fishing or surfing.

We drove everywhere we could from West Maui upper roads to Hana,Central Maui, Kihei and Wailea. Every place was so different from the rest and we enjoyed them all. Wailea is just an elegant and gorgeous area. Upper West Maui ocean views and snorkel spots are worth the drive. Paia and Old Lahaina walking around towns. Kihei has so many little places to eat and condos to stay at. Very laid back. Everywhere we went was very clean and friendly.


Got a Safeway card and shopped a couple of times but we found that for two of us at 10-12 pp per meal it was better to just eat out. Locals said Safeway is cheaper than the market in Kapalua. I did not like Foodland at all.

Rare is it that I want to go back somewhere besides HHI. My husband loved it as much as Hilton Head. Darn we have not hit the lottery yet so we can do both!

Maui Revealed Book-worth every penny.

The Jeep rental from Dollar was just so much fun. I can't imagine not renting one. We kept our things with us and left the top down the entire week. No issues at all. We took photos of the car before we left the lot and went to the Dollar place in West  Maui the next day as the  rear panel zipper was not aligned right. Someone did not zip it back and ripped the cloth from forcing it. So we reported it and took photos the next morning then had the rep note it on our sheet and in the computer. We got burnt recently from an Enterprise insurance rental. Enterprise did not wash the dirt off the car from a recent rental return then rented it to DH. Upon DH return the agent picked at the dirt spot and there was a scratch.Although it was written on the rental slip that the car was rented without being washed and had dirt Enterprise attempted to file a claim against DH. Still fighting this so take pictures and notate every single dink and scratch before you leave the lot.


Old Lahaina Luau,Ka'anapali zipline,Blue Hawaii Helicopter Eco tour,IAO Needle ,Road to Hana(Hell) were some of the things we did besides stopping at the "best island beaches" in the guide books. We even saw the new Indiana Jones movie in one of the Lahaina cinemas.

Ate at Roys,Alexanders,Kimos, Aloha Mixed Plate, Hard Rock Lahaina and just absolutely loved Hula Grill and Mamas. So many of you recommened Mamas I felt compelled to go there. Its costs a lot and it is worth every penny. The view is right from the travel book in my head of what a tropical paradise should be. We had a full ocean view from our table and the service was stellar. What a way to celebrate our anniversary. Lunch costs the same as dinner. I am glad we went in the daytime for the view and aqua water. Mama's looks like nothing from the road but it is just terrific. I will never forget it! Thank You so much.

No need for fancy clothes or dress shoes anywhere. People had jean shorts and swimsuits coverups on at Roys and Mamas.

The Road to Hana was renamed by me as the Road to Hell or the fast track to divorce court-It took us 9 hrs after 8 stops all the way to the Seven Sacred Pools. Past Hana it is a single lane road with a posted speed of 5mph with blind curves. This is 9.3 miles from Hana and after the open cow pastures. We almost divorced before celebrating our anniversary the next day. Plan three times as long as you think to do this trip to Hana. You could stop 50 times but then you would need 2 weeks. It is worth seeing the 7 Sacred Pools and the Black Sand Beach at Wai'anapanapa State Park and the waterfall near the pools. It is not worth stopping at Gardens of Eden although it is nice I would have rather just driven on to get to the end sooner. Leave at 6am not 8am like we did from West Maui. 9-4 to get to Oheo Gulch/7 Pools which is near MM42. Took only 2.5 hrs back to Rte 36 Paia area and then 1 hour to get to Ka'anapali. Whew!!!


San Francisco was another three day non stop adventure. We did three tours two with Grayline Tours-Deluxe City and Muir Woods Sausilito Tour. Walked from Pier 33 to Coit Tower then to North Beach ,St Peters Church to Lombard and hopped on the Cable Car then toured the Cable Car Museum then got off and walked around Chinatown,Union Square and SoMa. We hope this makes up for all the desserts we ate and no gym time.

I would not book Grayline again. Do Tower or SuperSightseeing instead. One Grayline tour guide was horrible. He mumbled and did not talk a lot during the Deluxe City tour. Tour two -Muir Woods was just wonderful and I wished we could have spent another 3 hours or more there and another 2 hours in Sausilito. Grayline allowed 30 minutes for Sausilito which is a joke and 75 minutes for Muir Woods. Hotel pickup made this more pleasant. Alcatraz needs to be booked ahead and it was worth seeing. Tour is from from Pier 33 cruise terminal area not Fisherman's Wharf area.

Stayed at Westin Market Street two blocks from Union Square. Nice Starwood plus cash rate for Starwood members. Central to the F Market St trolley line that takes you to the Piers and also three blocks away is the Powell/Market Cable Car Line. Starbucks is across the street from the Westin as is California Pizza and three blocks away is that Westfield Mall on Market Street with incredible food court with restaurant quality meals for $8-$10pp. 

We never used Bart. We were so tired after the redeye that we took a cab to the hotel as we had 4 bags to carry. It cost $40 w/tip. Some circumstances outweigh the cost for a better vacation and peace of mind. This was one of them. I finally got to ride in a Cable Car. Pickup the cable car near top of Lombard  St/crooked street. So much easier to find room since the Hyde and Beach turnaround was near the Wharf had long lines no matter when we went. 

Finally had my Dungeoness 2lb roasted garlic crab at Crab House recommended by a Tug member. Quite yummy indeed. Had those Trish's donuts on the pier and could have eaten dozens more. Also saw the seals on Pier 39 which was at the top of my SF wish list.

Westfield Mall on Market Street had a food court like I have never seen on the lower level. It is not your typical food court,it is restaurant quality and the meals are $10 or less for linguine with clams, fish and chips or $12.99 for a steak dinner. There is also a place called Bristol Farms, a gourmet grocer far better than Whole Foods. What a place-lots of take out,hot meals, wonderful desserts, fresh fruits and snacks.

I regret we could not get to Postcard Row as I really wanted to see those homes,Grace Cathedral or visit the Ferry Bldg. I wish we had more time at Golden Gate Park so I could see the Tea Gardens. Could not find the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill but we tried and I walked all those painful steps even though my knees did not want to go any further.  I did get to see Muir Redwoods which I have always wanted to see.

A final comment ....

Besides the many street performers and panhandlers from Bushman to Tinman I must say even coming from the Boston area that I have never seen so many homeless people in my life. I was shocked. About every ten feet there was someone no matter where we went and that is just the people I saw. Seeing people sleeping all over the sidewalks and in dire need of a bath or men with pants around the knees or in wheelchairs with signs charging $1.00 to take a picture so they could buy drugs or booze.(written on the sign) It was so disheartening to see how many people are in need. The issue is of immense proportions. Beyond the wonderful places to eat and the delightful ethnic neighborhoods the image of the homeless men and women I saw will always stay foremost in my mind when I think of San Francisco.

 Coming back from Maui and thinking about my trip in comparison boggles my mind when thinking about not having a warm place to rest one's head or take a shower never mind eating. It was in stark contrast to being a tourist and it made me realize even more how lucky I am even on my worst day.


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## DanO (Jun 2, 2008)

On your trip to Hana, were you able to go all the way around or did you have to turnaround after 7 sacred pools? I had heard that the road was closed preventing you from driving all the way around. We'll be in Maui from 6/21 to  7/7 trying to judge how much time for road to Hana, definitely don't want to get stuck driving even a portion of the road in the dark. Thanks Dan O


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## Cathyb (Jun 2, 2008)

Great 'mini-Review'!   I can't wait to read your regular review   We are fortunate to own two weeks in Maui; but was able to relive our delights vicariously thru your notes.  We head there in July.


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## LisaRex (Jun 2, 2008)

Your review was quite interesting.  Thanks for sharing! I own at WKORV-N (resale!!) after traveling to Maui twice.  I love Maui so much that I suppress the memory of the hellacious ride home in coach.  In Nov '06, we brought another couple with us. As we boarded the plane for the ride home I said, "Welcome to hell." 

We're traveling with the kids again in July and were able to snag first class saver award seats for the return home.  I look forward to a few extra inches of leg room!  For some reason, coach doesn't bother me so bad on the way out. But that red eye is a killer.

I thought that once you paid the $ for E+ access on United, you could get it on all your flights for one year.  How did you end up on E+ there but not the way back??

Re Maui: I've been to many of the same places that you wrote about, including Mama's Fish House where we celebrated our 15th year anniversary.  It was raining cats and dogs but was still beautiful.   The Road to Hana, yikes.  I got car sick and I doubt I'll ever do that again. 

I've also been to San Francisco, which I also loved.  The homeless people are disheartening, I agree, though they seem to be much less downtrodden than the homeless in NYC.  Maybe it's the moderate climate...  Loved Muir Woods as much as you did.  I could just stand among those trees and breathe the oxygen all day.  

We've been to Maui 3 times now and I just completed an internal exchange for Westin St. John.  I hope I don't love it as much as Maui as I'll be in a quandry then.  It would sure be nice to find a spot closer to home and the plane ride to St. John is much more palatable than Hawaii.


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## Luanne (Jun 2, 2008)

LisaRex said:


> I thought that once you paid the $ for E+ access on United, you could get it on all your flights for one year.  How did you end up on E+ there but not the way back??



You can pay the yearly fee, you can also use the option of buying an upgrade flight by flight, which is what I've done from time to time.


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## MON2REY (Jun 2, 2008)

Deleted - posted twice


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## MON2REY (Jun 2, 2008)

Here's our view from our table at Mama's Fish House in March.


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## Luanne (Jun 2, 2008)

MON2REY said:


> Here's our view from our table at Mama's Fish House in March.



Ahhhh, I miss that view.


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 2, 2008)

DanO said:


> On your trip to Hana, were you able to go all the way around or did you have to turnaround after 7 sacred pools? I had heard that the road was closed preventing you from driving all the way around. We'll be in Maui from 6/21 to  7/7 trying to judge how much time for road to Hana, definitely don't want to get stuck driving even a portion of the road in the dark. Thanks Dan O




The road does not go all the way around.  Closed because of the earthquake on the Big Island.

Sterling


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## pcgirl54 (Jun 2, 2008)

I did not pay the annual $349 member fee at all. At the kiosk to check in there was an offer to upgrade all the way through. There is a glitch in their system if you chose to upgrade one leg and not the other on the screen. I know this because it happened twice. You press the leg you want but the system only recognizes the one you did not chose so you need to watch the screen or be mad when you realize the error and are upgraded for the wrong leg. You need the agent. Kiosk also would not process my Starwood Amex so we had to see same agent. I knew there was nothing wrong with my card. Agent processed it manually and upgraded up manually.

Long story short we paid $78 for total for two to fly E + to Maui. On the home trip no leg had two seats together so we did not do this and boy was I cramped. Flights were pretty full as I expected.


Nice photo of Mamas. I stood for photos right under those same palm trees. When DH arranges the photos we will post some of them.

I just loved WKOV.


Dan O -You can drive as far as Lindburg's grave but after that the road is closed.


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## Bee (Jun 2, 2008)

*United/AMEX*

I'm new to Amex points.  How do you use them on UAL?  UAL is not on their partner list.  Ideally I'd like to add some points from Amex to my UAL account.  Is this possible?

Thank you,
Sandy


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## LisaRex (Jun 2, 2008)

Bee said:


> I'm new to Amex points.  How do you use them on UAL?  UAL is not on their partner list.  Ideally I'd like to add some points from Amex to my UAL account.  Is this possible?
> 
> Thank you,
> Sandy



The Starwood Amex offers a 1:1 conversion on most airlines.  Unfortunately it only offers a 2:1 conversion on UAL.  (2 StarPoints = 1 UAL mile) Not a great exchange rate. 

It's very easy to transfer SPG points to airline points.  You sign on to your Starwood account, then click on Transfer Miles or something like that.  You have to select the airline and enter your ff# and # of points you want to convert.  Within a few days the points (and any bonus) will show up in your ff account.


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## LisaRex (Jun 2, 2008)

Thanks for the picture at Mama's.  I highly recommend getting there an hour or so early and heading to the park right near Mama's to watch the surfers and wind surfers.  It's hell on your hair but soooo enjoyable.


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## MOXJO7282 (Jun 3, 2008)

I love when I see another family fall in love with Maui, after their first visit, because that is how it capivated our family. We've been there 4 times, 3 times with our young kids. My whole family realizes how special Maui is, so it makes for a really memorable experience for all.

I can't wait until my kids get older and can truly appreciate and take advantage of all that our Maui and Marriott ownerships that bring 

We flew coach first time on our honeymoon, which was really hard, but have flown 1st class from NYC to Dallas to Maui the other three times. I am a miles hoarder and use my miles for nothing but FF first class to Maui. Flying 1st NYC to Maui, especially on the new 763 plane is a very enjoyable flight where your vacation starts as soon as you get on the plane.

As for the Road to Hana, I know some don't like the winding road, but the sights are magnificant. One of my most favorite places in the whole world is Hamoa Beach right outside of Hana. A little slice of paradise, that we enjoy every trip. Our last trip we spend a few hours body surfering with my son and daughter while my wife video-taped. It is priceless quality time that none of us will ever forget.   

The black sand beach was also very cool, as was the red sand beach that we found


Regards


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## pcgirl54 (Jun 3, 2008)

*Amex and points*

Bee

In our case we had been saving Amex points for years for something special like Maui. We went to the travel section on Amex where you can view most airlines(for SWA you have to call an Amex agent) and then just click on the option to use points rather than charge it. It shows up as a charge on your Amex bill and also as a cash credit so it negates the charge. Because you are charging the tickets not using FF miles ( I will know shortly if this is the case) I  also earn  FF UA miles. Then we went to the United Airlines site and booked the seats. It was a piece of cake. I do not know how this works for those who are Economy Plus members and I am curious about that.

Online there is another Amex travel link (Flight & Room Finder)that uses mileage partners Hawaiian, Airtran and Virgin Atlantic. Shows points needed from varying airports for coach to 1st class seats. It is amazing how the points needed vary depending on the airport. Sadly this does not include other airlines. Again it looks very easy to use. Also can use Hilton or Priority Hotels and trasfer points direct to Starwood,Jet Blue and other partners.
https://www67.americanexpress.com/myca/loyalty/sfrfweb/SearchWidget.do?type=flight

This was our first time doing this and it was really easy once other things were decided since we did a multi leg trip and I kept changing my mnd about where to spend three days after Maui.

We also used the points for a gift card to Roys which was 10k points for $100 gift card. Our meal was $101 w/o the tip. I was pretty happy.


MoxJo-Thanks for that! We went to Hamoa Beach and most of the beaches recommended in Revealed. What we saw was like a dream and my eyes could not believe the beauty of what I saw. I thought we would rest a lot more on this trip and sit at the beach half the day but we explored everywhere we could day after day. It was truely a dream vacation and I have not said that in a very long time. I love my Hilton Head as you do but this was incredible. I just saw the photos DH took this past Sunday but it does not compare to the real thing.

TUG members told me years ago when I first inquired about Hawaii that I would not want to visit Hawaii just once and now I understand even though it is so far from New England. We met a few people who said after one visit they moved to Maui. 

Someone please tell me if Oahu and Big Island are anything like Maui. I have no clue. I really liked the fact that there was no major city and traffic nightmares. I have heard  much about Kauai but not the other two islands.

I just found out my niece who has two little ones has been to Maui twice and loves it. She lives near SFO so it is a short flight for them.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jun 3, 2008)

We got an exchange for Maui for 2009. I am really looking forward to it. Oahua is crowded and has a lot of people for its size. The big island has a large variety of different habitats and environments, from very wet (Hilo side) to very dry (Waikoloa,Kohola coast). It is very large, comparatively and in the northern part you can drive for hours on rural roads and see very few people. The Volcano National Park is wonderful. I have always felt really good on the island of Hawaii, my chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia is better or gone, even if I'm having flare ups at home. This was not true on Oahua or Kauai so I'm thinking it might have to do with the alkaline air and soil and food due to the volcanic ash, but I don't know for sure. Hawaii is still a possible place for us to move when we retire for that reason.
Liz


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## islandguy (Jun 3, 2008)

*St. John and Maui*



LisaRex said:


> We've been to Maui 3 times now and I just completed an internal exchange for Westin St. John.  I hope I don't love it as much as Maui as I'll be in a quandry then.  It would sure be nice to find a spot closer to home and the plane ride to St. John is much more palatable than Hawaii.



We go to Maui and St. John every year.  I agree the plane ride to/from Maui is a killer if your not in 1st.  For the past 5 years we have been able to do both and now have our routine on both islands.  

We fell in love with St. John and view it as a more relaxful vacation -- better snorkeling on the island.  USVI is all about the water, hiking in the national park, and great dining.  Both island have their benifits and if I had to pick I'd pick STJ over Maui.  Maybe it's the reduced flying time and less structure in USVI than Maui.   The boating in USVI/BVI is better than Maui.  

Enjoy


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## Cathyb (Jun 3, 2008)

islandguy:  STJ over Maui -- IMHO the beauty of the island, yes; however some of STJ islander mentality hits a sore note with us.  We rented a car near Westin, drove half the island and stopped for lunch. When we returned to the car, flat tire and couldn't find the tire iron. Finally found it under the passenger seat. Got the spare out -- it was nearly flat and bald.  We slowly hobbled back to the car rental place (took 2 hrs) only to be told 'tough luck'.  We never did get another car.  I don't think that would have happened in Maui. We did learn the lesson to check for the spare.


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## Bee (Jun 4, 2008)

PCGirl54,  

Thank you for your help.  I found the area on the Amex site you mentioned.  Now it all makes more since! 

Bee


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## Jim Bryan (Jun 4, 2008)

Thanks for the info PC!


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## DeniseM (Jun 5, 2008)

pcgirl54 said:


> Someone please tell me if Oahu and Big Island are anything like Maui. I have no clue. I really liked the fact that there was no major city and traffic nightmares. I have heard  much about Kauai but not the other two islands.



I think all the islands are very different from each other and everyone seems to have their favorites.  We've stayed a week or more on all the islands, including Molokai, but not Lanai, although we've visited Lanai a couple of time.  Oahu and the Big Island are my least favorite islands.  Although, I enjoyed visiting each island once, I don't see us ever going back to Oahu or the BI.

More people live on Oahu than all the other islands put together (71% of the population.)   Although much of Oahu is rural, Honolulu is a large city of skyscrapers and asphalt and has a very urban feel, which I just don't enjoy - and the vast majority of accommodations are in Oahu.  Oahu also has a visible homeless population.

The Big Island has many fascinating places to visit, and great snorkeling, and turtles, but compared to the older islands, not very many beaches.  Because it's the newest island in the chain, the rocky lava flows haven't had time to degrade into sand, so much of the ocean front is rolling lava beds.  We really missed being able to walk out the door of our timeshare to the beach.  Maybe this seems like a minor thing, but having to drive to snorkeling and drive to the beach every time, really was disappointing to us.  Besides that, the BI also has very few ocean front timeshares, and we missed our ocean view!

I really think you need to visit all of the islands and make up your mind for yourself!  

This list changes, but right now my personal rankings are:

Kauai
Maui
Molokai
Big Island
Oahu


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## Luanne (Jun 5, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> This list changes, but right now my personal rankings are:
> 
> Kauai
> Maui
> ...



And, just to show differences, my personal rankings are:

Big Island
Maui
Molokai
Kauai
Oahu


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## missmarie (Jun 7, 2008)

it is so interesting how people find different things to love. I love the Big Island over Kauai and would love to do the BI every year!
I know I need to see Maui and compare.


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## Karen G (Jun 7, 2008)

pcgirl, great trip report! Thanks for taking the time to post it.  I've printed out the Maui part for my daughter's honeymoon trip to go along with the magazine you sent. Thanks again,
Karen


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## GrayFal (Jun 7, 2008)

PC, I see a resale Sheraton/Starwood in your future  

Loved your trip report!


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## pcgirl54 (Jun 8, 2008)

Pat,
It is very tempting. I really loved that Westin Maui. I never attend TS tours but did the last day to find out more about Starwood.  7500 Starwood points or $75 credit to tour. I do really like a few things that Westin offers-no blackout dates and points plus cash option for hotel stays. We took the points and there was no pressure even from the two managers after the sales rep. They all graciously accepted our reason to decline as they are mainly in the west coast and we vacation mostly at east coast beach areas. Very professional and respectful although disappointed and apologized for taking up our time. It was 2 hours long and would be longer for those who do not understand TSing . Weeks were mostly 34k to 110k for a 1 bedroom to a penthouse. They are selling the new Kauai Westin also.

We met two sales people who worked for Marriott before Westin.

Karen, I mailed the magazine out Wednesday. She will love it there. I also put a note inside the book.

Bee,the United points were credited to my FF UA account. I checked today. so by using Amex points to pay for our flights I also earned FF miles.


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## Karen G (Jun 8, 2008)

pcgirl54 said:


> Karen, I mailed the magazine out Wednesday. She will love it there. I also put a note inside the book.


Thanks, we got it Friday and I sent you a note.  I also ordered a Maui Revealed book for them. They are so excited about their Maui honeymoon and so appreciate all the information you've provided.


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## LisaH (Jun 8, 2008)

Love the trip report! Thanks for posting from a 1st timer's perspective.
I love each island for different reasons, but we seem to keep going back to Kauai. Will be there again for July 4th this year...


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