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Do you Prefer Ko'Olina, Wyndham Beachwalk or HGVC on Oahu

jjking42

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1. Which do you prefer to stay in and why?
2. Which do you think is the best value to own, is it better to own a good trader or points elsewhere and risk trading in ?

I am considering purchasing a EOY KoOlina OV Lockoff . I already own Westin star options (SVV and WKV), Hyatt residence club points in Sedona , and Wyndham points (not in hawaii) . After staying at the Hyatt and Westin on Maui it feel like a step down do go to Wyndham beach walk. Of course I have never paid the extra points to stay in the presdiential room category and maybe that is my answer. What do you think ?

What do you think the bottom dollor on a EOY KoOlina OV Lockoff will go down to considering covid, unemployment. MF coming due and a possble surge or shutdown coming. I want to try to wait and buy when the price bottoms out.
 

alwysonvac

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I own HGVC on Oahu but also love Marriott Ko Olina. I’ve been tempted to buy an EOY Ko Olina Ocean view. If I come across a great purchase price (less than $3k for an EOYE OV), I might bite but for now I’m seriously leaning towards finding a TUGger who I can rent from occasionally ;). There‘s a lot of Ko Olina rentals on Redweek.

Waikiki is completely different than KoOlina. It really depends on the experience you‘re looking for.

Choose Waikiki (HGVC or Wyndham) if your family
- will spend the majority of your time in city, don’t mind crowds and lots of city noise
- prefer lots of dining, shopping and entertainment options including late night options
- prefer a walkable city with public transportation.

Choose Marriott Ko Olina if your family
- doesn’t want to spend their vacation time in a major city with city crowds and city noise
- will spend a lot of time at the resort pool and beaches relaxing
- will spend a good portion of your time drive around the island exploring. Parking is free for Ko Olina owners and exchangers (unlike Waikiki where daily parking is very expensive for everyone)
- prefers things to quiet down in the evening (instead of ongoing noise from various late evening activities)

Just keep in mind, whether you decide to own or trade, during peak travel periods (whenever the majority of kids are out of school), there will be less supply/more demand at these Oahu resorts.

Exchanging
If you can travel anytime during the year and don’t care about the view, you can usually get an exchange into HGVC and Marriott mega resorts on Oahu. Just search the sightings forum to get an idea.

HGVC trades with RCI and generally does an annual bulk deposit over a year in advance. As long as you’re able to travel anytime during the year, just place an ongoing request and include the one bedrooms at HGVC Hokulani (this boutique hotel has less demand than the Hilton Hawaiian Village resort).

Your Vistana week now has II priority access to Marriott inventory before it’s released to the generally public. As long as you’re able travel anytime during the year, you should be able to find availability. Marriott owners will still have first crack for exchanges into their sister resorts. So if you want/need better availability, a Marriott trader would work. Look at the numerous trader threads in the Marriott forum.

Negatives of exchanging:
- No guarantee view (Marriott Ko Olina has the dreaded parking lot views)
- At Ko Olina, exchangers are typically assigned to the lower floors with the upper floors held for resort owners
- Harder to coordinate back to back stays (prefer direct online booking access to arrange Hawaii stays across different timeshare systems )
- Have to wait until exchange is confirmed before booking airfare

Negatives of ownership
- Marriott week owners don’t have an internal banking option. They have to deposit their week with II and lose their view preference when they trade back in. All of my other timeshare systems allow me to bank and borrow within their internal reservation system which provides greater booking flexibility.
- HGVC Oahu owners can only book exactly what they own (full unit size, type and season for the full period) during the priority home resort window on the single home week checkin day. The Club reservation typically begins 9 months before checkin at most HGVC resorts where Club inventory is made available to all owners. During the Club Reservation window, HGVC members can book a minimum of three nights in any unit size/type, season or checkin day. This is similar to SVV making StarOption reservations at the 8 month mark where you basically get to choose from the leftover inventory. If you decide to buy a HGVC week for HGVC points, look at the trader threads on the HGVC forum.

For anyone not familiar with the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu, here’s an old description from Hawaii Revealed.
3,386 rooms, 6 pools (including a keiki pool), 3 spas, free fitness rooms, free room safes, coffee makers with free coffee daily, about a dozen restaurants, over 90 shops, over 150,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, 24-hour business center, room service, day spa, hi-speed Internet access in rooms, Wi-Fi in some public areas, lanais (on most), children’s program, wedding coordinator, wedding chapel, lu‘au. Where do we start? We’ve reviewed every resort in Hawai‘i, and this is the biggest kahuna of them all. On a typical day they’ll have over 6,000 guests serviced by 1,700 employees, which practically qualifies it as a small town. If you’re looking for a pulsating, always-moving resort, this place hums. If you’re looking for peace and quiet, you’ve definitely come to the wrong place. It can get very crowded at the pools, and their multi-level 5,000 sq. ft. Paradise Pool has a 77-foot lava tube slide and a waterfall and is very popular. Seven massive towers (the tallest is 38 stories) with the Rainbow Tower being the closest to the water and the Ali‘i Tower having the best services. The grounds are strewn with tropical plants, flowing ponds, swimming pools and some exotic birds, including African penguins..... The beach defines the northwestern edge of Waikiki and has the calmest waters. There’s a lot to do on the beach and the public lagoon (which is a clean, safer place to frolic). The vendors on the beach rent gear and such for fairly high prices—like $16 for a beach lounge chair and $31 for an umbrella.... If the prices of the restaurants here scare you off, the Hale Koa’s beachside snack bar next door is open to you, but not their other restaurants. The resort is well known for their fireworks every Friday night. They have tons of cultural activities to choose from each day.

If you haven’t stay at the HGVCs on Oahu, I suggest trying it before buying.
 
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jjking42

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I am a beach bum. Want to swim in the ocean everyday. Ocean view is very important to me. The only thing I really like about Waikiki is all the dining options and hiking diamond head.

Maybe KoOlina OV is a better fit for us. My wife wants to go to sleep once the sun goes down. So night life after dinner is of no concern for us

I have been able to get oceanfront at Weston Maui using star options if I book far enough in advance I would take an oceanfront studio over 1 bedroom Mountain View any day


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Tamaradarann

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I own HGVC on Oahu but also love Marriott Ko Olina. I’ve been tempted to buy an EOY Ko Olina Ocean view. If I come across a great purchase price (less than $3k for an EOYE OV), I might bite but for now I’m seriously leaning towards finding a TUGger who I can rent from occasionally ;). There‘s a lot of Ko Olina rentals on Redweek.

Waikiki is completely different than KoOlina. It really depends on the experience you‘re looking for.

Choose Waikiki (HGVC or Wyndham) if your family
- will spend the majority of your time in city, don’t mind crowds and lots of city noise
- prefer lots of dining, shopping and entertainment options including late night options
- prefer a walkable city with public transportation.

Choose Marriott Ko Olina if your family
- doesn’t want to spend their vacation time in a major city with city crowds and city noise
- will spend a lot of time at the resort pool and beaches relaxing
- will spend a good portion of your time drive around the island exploring. Parking is free for Ko Olina owners and exchangers (unlike Waikiki where daily parking is very expensive for everyone)
- prefers things to quiet down in the evening (instead of ongoing noise from various late evening activities)

Just keep in mind, whether you decide to own or trade, during peak travel periods (whenever the majority of kids are out of school), there will be less supply/more demand at these Oahu resorts.

Exchanging
If you can travel anytime during the year and don’t care about the view, you can usually get an exchange into HGVC and Marriott mega resorts on Oahu. Just search the sightings forum to get an idea.

HGVC trades with RCI and generally does an annual bulk deposit over a year in advance. As long as you’re able to travel anytime during the year, just place an ongoing request and include the one bedrooms at HGVC Hokulani (this boutique hotel has less demand than the Hilton Hawaiian Village resort).

Your Vistana week now has II priority access to Marriott inventory before it’s released to the generally public. As long as you’re able travel anytime during the year, you should be able to find availability. Marriott owner will still have first crack for exchanges into their sister resorts. So if you want/need better availability, a Marriott trader would work. Look at the numerous trader threads in the Marriott forum.

Negatives of exchanging:
- No guarantee view (Marriott Ko Olina has the dreaded parking lot views)
- At Ko Olina, exchangers are typically assigned to the lower floors with the upper floors held for resort owners
- Harder to coordinate back to back stays (prefer direct online booking access for arrange HawAii stays across different timeshare systems )
- Have to wait until exchange is confirmed before booking airfare

Negatives of ownership
- Marriott week owners don’t have an internal banking option. They have to deposit their week with II and lose their view preference when they trade back in. All of my other timeshare systems allow me to bank and borrow within their internal reservation system which provides greater booking flexibility.
- HGVC Oahu owners can only book exactly what they own (full unit size, type and season for the full period) during the priority home resort window on the single home week checkin day. The Club reservation typically begins 9 months before checkin at most HGVC resorts where Club inventory is made available to all owners. During the Club Reservation window, HGVC members can book a minimum of three nights in any unit size/type, season or checkin day. This is similar to SVV making StarOption reservations at the 8 month mark where you basically get to choose from the leftover inventory. If you decide to buy a HGVC week for HGVC points, look at the trader threads on the HGVC forum.

For anyone not familiar with the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu, here’s an old description from Hawaii Revealed.


If you haven’t stay at the HGVCs on Oahu, I suggest trying it before buying.

I agree with what is said here about the Hilton Hawaiian Village during normal times. However, these are not normal times and I have no idea when and if normal times will ever return. We love the Hilton Hawaiian Village THE WAY IT WAS and have stayed there over 1000 nights in the last 12 years. We have never gotten bored since there is so much for us to do in Honolulu. It is closed now due to the virus and we have no plans at this time to go back when it opens in mid December. Initially we know it won't be the same, certainly not for us. We may not want to go back if it is not the same or very close to the same. We have stayed there without a car since the bus is right outside the resort (Seniors ride for $1/trip and a senior bus pass is $6/month for unlimted rides) and we can either walk or take the bus to most things we want to do in the area. When we wanted to go to the North Shore we would rent a car for the day.

We loved the area so much that we bought a Condominium right across the street from the Hilton Hawaiian Village in mid 2019 which we wanted to make our home for the rest of our lives. We initially rented it for a year since we had so many vacation plans in late 2019-early 2020 that we didn't want to cancel. We planned on staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in September of 2020 while setting up our Condo just the way we wanted it for us to move in and then the Coronavirus Crisis. We are continuing to rent it now and are anxiously waiting for the conditions to be RIGHT FOR US to return and move in. Hopefuly latter in 2021 or perhaps not at all. Since we don't know if it will ever be the same.
 

Tamaradarann

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I am a beach bum. Want to swim in the ocean everyday. Ocean view is very important to me. The only thing I really like about Waikiki is all the dining options and hiking diamond head.

Maybe KoOlina OV is a better fit for us. My wife wants to go to sleep once the sun goes down. So night life after dinner is of no concern for us

I have been able to get oceanfront at Weston Maui using star options if I book far enough in advance I would take an oceanfront studio over 1 bedroom Mountain View any day

You mention your wife wants to go to sleep after the sun goes down. Well we are over 70 so night life like in our 20's-40's is no longer in our plans. We are usually in bed by 10. However, what does your wife like to do? There are so many cultural activities in the day time and early evening in Honolulu that we do all the time. As I mentioned we have stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for over 1000 nights and have never gotten bored there is so much to do. Sometimes we have to choose between 2 or 3 activities a day that we want to do.

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rickandcindy23

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Marriott's Ko Olina for sure. I wouldn't go anywhere else on Oahu. I don't like the Waikiki Beach area. I realize I am in the minority. Loved Oahu when we went to the Marriott, didn't like Waikiki Beachwalk at all.
 

jjking42

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We love nature so hiking visiting the north shore etc. She likes to paint, read , and sleep. I like outdoor activities, anything on the water.

We are not into cultural activities. We go to NYC when we want theater and museums. I do like Pearl Harbor.

Most days we will lay on the beach all day. I will swim and listen to music and she will read and nap. We might do some snorkeling or whale watching. Will Take the car and drive around the island. When we stayed at beach walk we went to the beach everyday except for one day on north shore and one day at Pearl Harbor.

She likes Maui the best. I think it feels more like a tropical laid back place. Waikiki is a big city probably the same reasons she is not crazy about Miami.


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Tamaradarann

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We love nature so hiking visiting the north shore etc. She likes to paint, read , and sleep. I like outdoor activities, anything on the water.

We are not into cultural activities. We go to NYC when we want theater and museums. I do like Pearl Harbor.

Most days we will lay on the beach all day. I will swim and listen to music and she will read and nap. We might do some snorkeling or whale watching. Will Take the car and drive around the island. When we stayed at beach walk we went to the beach everyday except for one day on north shore and one day at Pearl Harbor.

She likes Maui the best. I think it feels more like a tropical laid back place. Waikiki is a big city probably the same reasons she is not crazy about Miami.


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From what you are saying about that you as a couple liking laying on the beach, swimming, hiking, visiting the North Shore, reading, napping, and Pearl Harbor you can do that staying anywhere on Oahu so that there is no advantage to being in Waikiki. There are disadvantages of traffic, parking and crowd density in Waikiki that you shouldn't have in other locations so why deal with them unless they provide something special for you like easy access to concerts and cultural activities.
 

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We've stayed at the Wyndham, good location other than if you want the beach but from a resort/room standpoint it's nothing special. We've also stayed at the Hilton when there was no timeshare and at Ko Olina. I think a split stay between HGVC and Ko Olina would be ideal as it gives you the opportunity to do different things more easily. As for purchasing I'd look at how I was going to use it long term. You already have Wyndham points for Waikiki and Westin for Maui/Kauai. If you wan to stay on Oahu EOY and need a 2 BR then buying there for an EOY might be best. If you don't need a 2 BR I might look at buying a trader elsewhere with cheaper fees. OTOH if you'd use the HGVC points at other places and there aren't other Marriott's that you want to visit, that might be best. I would not make my decisions solely on a periodic visit to Hi for most situations.
 

jjking42

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The Marriotts that I want to visit are Newport’s coast in summer fall , Aruba,
KoOlina, St kitts. Also Maui just to compare it to hyatt and Westin.

We only need a one bedroom and can stay in a studio as long as we have cooktop and microwave.

My wife is in accounting so her schedule is very strange we can not travel at the beginning or end of any month due to close of books. Same thing for end of Qtr or end of year.

So I have seen these Marriotts in II but never when we can go. I thought purchase one of those locations and then when I don’t go there I might get a better shot at trade with Marriott preference to one of the others

Of course I can always rent. But if resale prices hit an all time low I would prefer to own

I am a Hilton diamond member and have over 500k honors points. So I can get into HGVC that way plus they are always offering me promos to visit HGVC properties

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Dean

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The Marriotts that I want to visit are Newport’s coast in summer fall , Aruba,
KoOlina, St kitts. Also Maui just to compare it to hyatt and Westin.

We only need a one bedroom and can stay in a studio as long as we have cooktop and microwave.

My wife is in accounting so her schedule is very strange we can not travel at the beginning or end of any month due to close of books. Same thing for end of Qtr or end of year.

So I have seen these Marriotts in II but never when we can go. I thought purchase one of those locations and then when I don’t go there I might get a better shot at trade with Marriott preference to one of the others

Of course I can always rent. But if resale prices hit an all time low I would prefer to own

I am a Hilton diamond member and have over 500k honors points. So I can get into HGVC that way plus they are always offering me promos to visit HGVC properties

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It sounds like you're pretty flexible overall as Long as your in the middle of the month. Only needing a 1 BR will be a major advantage. Summer for Caribbean is also fairly easy. For this situation I'd just buy a good inexpensive trader and put in ongoing searches well in advance.
 

jjking42

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It sounds like you're pretty flexible overall as Long as your in the middle of the month. Only needing a 1 BR will be a major advantage. Summer for Caribbean is also fairly easy. For this situation I'd just buy a good inexpensive trader and put in ongoing searches well in advance.

The only issue with the trader option is I would really like to have ocean view or ocean front. Also is there such a thing as inexpensive trader in Marriott. MF are all pretty high. Maybe inexpensive from a purchase price stand point. I will have to search some Marriott threads for string traders. I am not familiar enough with Marriott but I have head Grand Chateaux is a good trader

My inexpensive traders for II are my small One bedrooms at Westin kierland and Sheraton vistana villages. Also hyatt points are a very inexpensive trade in II but I am not seeing the weeks I want. So maybe I need a better Marriott preference


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davidvel

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Marriott's Ko Olina for sure. I wouldn't go anywhere else on Oahu. I don't like the Waikiki Beach area. I realize I am in the minority. Loved Oahu when we went to the Marriott, didn't like Waikiki Beachwalk at all.
I doubt you're in the minority. Waikiki has nothing that we go to Hawaii for, which is the slowed down pace of "Hawaii time." Frankly it's not Hawaii to us at all. Crowded, noisy, high rises, lots of drug users laying on the beach, expensive parking. It's kind of like San Francisco or New York City on a big beach.
 

Dean

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The only issue with the trader option is I would really like to have ocean view or ocean front. Also is there such a thing as inexpensive trader in Marriott. MF are all pretty high. Maybe inexpensive from a purchase price stand point. I will have to search some Marriott threads for string traders. I am not familiar enough with Marriott but I have head Grand Chateaux is a good trader

My inexpensive traders for II are my small One bedrooms at Westin kierland and Sheraton vistana villages. Also hyatt points are a very inexpensive trade in II but I am not seeing the weeks I want. So maybe I need a better Marriott preference


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It sounds like you'll be trading a fair amount of time anyway with the locations you laid out. Maintenance fees for the locations you mentioned that have lock offs are going to be 150-200% of Willow Ridge and LV as well as a fair amount more to purchase. Certainly if you're going to use consistently and not trade that might be reasonable. You'll just have to decide how much the guarantee is worth to you and how much it actually gives you a guarantee in your situation. If I were going to own an EOY Ko Olina for example and trade one and use one on a 4 yr cycle, I wouldn't pay for the guarantee. If you're going to use and essentially never plan to trade, it's more reasonable to pay for the guarantee IMO. I've had great luck with OV, OS and OF units for Surf Club, Maui and Ko Olina, haven't been to the rest.
 

ljmiii

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I am a beach bum. Want to swim in the ocean everyday. Ocean view is very important to me. The only thing I really like about Waikiki is all the dining options and hiking diamond head....
I'm not sure O'ahu is the right choice for you. We own OF at the Lagoon tower and love all the things Honolulu has to offer...but it's definitely not a "beach bum" vibe. We've stayed at Ko Olina and found it really suffers from sitting on a man-made lagoon - to us having to drive to the beach kind of defeats the purpose of a 'beachfront' resort. And we disliked being on the west side of the island.

Maui is a thought - Maui Ocean Club Oceanfront rooms offer fabulous views. But Kaanapali it isn't really a swimming beach...though the local snorkeling is quite good and Molokini is spectacular. Also, for better or worse the area north of Lahaina has become a lot more crowded and feels suburban. Worst of all possible worlds to us...loved by many.

On the Big Island HGVC doesn't offer any beachfront resorts and MVC's Waikoloa Ocean Club is a 'points only' resort - you can't buy a week there. But there are resorts in Kailua-Kona you could look into.

As for Kauai, Waiohai sits on Poipu beach - one of the best in Hawaii if not the world - with swimming and snorkeling and plenty of wildlife. And Koloa and Kauai's South Shore is the paradise of many people's Hawaiian dreams. But you won't be able to get the ocean front rooms you want. Over in Lihue, Kauai Beach Club offers fabulous views but KBC's beach is just OK (it sits on Kalapaki Beach in Nawiliwili Bay).

All that said...if sitting on your lanai overlooking lush gardens with a peek of the ocean in the distance is acceptable in exchange for an amazing location then I'd suggest Waiohai. Otherwise, KBC, Ko Olina, or MOC more or less in that order.
 

jjking42

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I'm not sure O'ahu is the right choice for you. We own OF at the Lagoon tower and love all the things Honolulu has to offer...but it's definitely not a "beach bum" vibe. We've stayed at Ko Olina and found it really suffers from sitting on a man-made lagoon - to us having to drive to the beach kind of defeats the purpose of a 'beachfront' resort. And we disliked being on the west side of the island.

Maui is a thought - Maui Ocean Club Oceanfront rooms offer fabulous views. But Kaanapali it isn't really a swimming beach...though the local snorkeling is quite good and Molokini is spectacular. Also, for better or worse the area north of Lahaina has become a lot more crowded and feels suburban. Worst of all possible worlds to us...loved by many.

On the Big Island HGVC doesn't offer any beachfront resorts and MVC's Waikoloa Ocean Club is a 'points only' resort - you can't buy a week there. But there are resorts in Kailua-Kona you could look into.

As for Kauai, Waiohai sits on Poipu beach - one of the best in Hawaii if not the world - with swimming and snorkeling and plenty of wildlife. And Koloa and Kauai's South Shore is the paradise of many people's Hawaiian dreams. But you won't be able to get the ocean front rooms you want. Over in Lihue, Kauai Beach Club offers fabulous views but KBC's beach is just OK (it sits on Kalapaki Beach in Nawiliwili Bay).

All that said...if sitting on your lanai overlooking lush gardens with a peek of the ocean in the distance is acceptable in exchange for an amazing location then I'd suggest Waiohai. Otherwise, KBC, Ko Olina, or MOC more or less in that order.

Been to waihai once in March. Liked the area but not the view. Also I have Westin points and can stay at the Sheraton timeshare conversion next door although those don’t have views either on the timeshare side.

KBC looks good but I read lots about the lack of kitchen because it’s a hotel conversion.

We love Maui l. I just don’t know enough about the conversion to understand it. I like purpose built timeshare with full kitchens and hotel amenities. So I suspect lack of kitchen in Maui like in KBC.

KoOlina looks good in pictures and is purpose built. What is the problem with the lagoons. When I say go to the beach every day I don’t mean the same beach. Last time we were in Maui and big island we were on a different beach everyday


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frank808

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Disney Vacation Club (Aulani,SSR,VGC,VGF) Hilton Grand Vacation Club(Bay Club, Kohala Suites, The District) Marriott Vacation Club (Aruba Surf Club, Grand Residence, Grand Chateau, Grand Vista,Harbour Lake, KoOlina,Willow Ridge & DC points)
The Marriotts that I want to visit are Newport’s coast in summer fall , Aruba,
KoOlina, St kitts. Also Maui just to compare it to hyatt and Westin.

We only need a one bedroom and can stay in a studio as long as we have cooktop and microwave.

Marriott studios are not like Westin Kaanapali units in amenities. Marriott studios do not have a cooktop but there is a microwave. Also no washer and dryer in marriott studio units.
 

jjking42

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Marriott studios are not like Westin Kaanapali units in amenities. Marriott studios do not have a cooktop but there is a microwave. Also no washer and dryer in marriott studio units.

Thanks frank808 I was not aware of that
 

Dean

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Thanks frank808 I was not aware of that
Most studios I've been in with MVC have a King + pullout, microwave, coffee maker, toaster with plates, glasses, utensils and very limited microwave cooking dishes. Some have a Queen + pullout. What I've found over the years is that the specifics of a studio vary so dramatically such that there really isn't a standard. Disney has a Queen, pullout, no cooking options and paper plates. Some are actually just hotel rooms with even less.
 

amyhwang

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We prefer Ko Olina to Waikiki; some trips we start with a few days in Waikiki, then move over (and I breathe a sigh of relief to get away from the noise and traffic).

We own 2 EOY Mountain View weeks at Ko Olina, and one trip my youngest (now 21) and I spent the first 2 weeks in the studio, then moved to the full one bedroom for another 2 weeks when my oldest and husband joined us. In the 2 older towers, the one bedroom has a sitting room with a desk which can easily fit a rollaway bed, making a nice little private extra bedroom for one of the kids. They love doing that, and there is no charge for the rollaway bed.

We found the studio surprisingly wonderful! I brought a hot plate to cook with (okay, so technically not allowed, but housekeeping never said anything), and I grilled a few times as well. The little fridge was adequate, as I only shopped Target for our groceries rather than Costco. There are free laundry rooms, so you can easily do laundry if you’re in a studio (I did ours every few days).

One thing I wish they had was a real vacuum for sand and crumbs, so that trip I sent from Amazon a couple things like a very cheap vacuum (like under $20) and passed it along. I also sent a cheap shower seat (again about $20) as my youngest can’t stand in the shower due to a disability. I didn’t want to rely on housekeeping having the correct type, as they often do not. We left it for housekeeping to have when we checked out (we have a couple at home already).

If you like the beach, relaxing, maybe grilling some dinners, going up north, I think you might prefer Ko Olina. You could get 2 weeks if you want to do the studio for a week then the one bedroom for a week. The studio is quite spacious, and has its own balcony. We were surprised at how much we enjoyed it, even spent a couple days just hanging out and cooking and not going out!
 

ljmiii

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We love Maui l. I just don’t know enough about the conversion to understand it. I like purpose built timeshare with full kitchens and hotel amenities. So I suspect lack of kitchen in Maui like in KBC.

KBC looks good but I read lots about the lack of kitchen because it’s a hotel conversion.
At MOC the Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers are conversions and the "sequel" towers, Lahaina & Napili, are purpose built timeshares. The kitchen in the original towers have a sink, microwave, refrigerator and dishwasher and the sequel towers have a full kitchen. We own EOY OF at Napili which functionally means OF at both Lahaina & Napili - it is the only view category shared by both towers and we've stayed in both using our week.

KBC's kitchen is similar to that of the MOC conversion towers.

KoOlina looks good in pictures and is purpose built. What is the problem with the lagoons. When I say go to the beach every day I don’t mean the same beach....
There are a string of beautiful beaches up the West O'ahu coast, each with their own purpose and vibe. Depending on what time of year you go (and the waves, the weather, and if it's a weekend) some will be surfing only. Also, the beaches in West O'ahu are more local than anywhere we've been on Maui or the Big Island (other than Puna). Since you don't care about having to drive to the beach, Ko Olina could well be the place for you.
 
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csodjd

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Marriott Maui Ocean Club
We love Lagoon Tower, and have both 2-br oceanfront and 2-br oceanview rooms there. Yes, it's busy. But lots of restaurants and bars walking distance along the beach, great ocean views for coffee at sunrise and wine at sunset from the balcony. And HCVC is cost-effective in terms of maintenance fees compared with Marriott, with the flexibility of home week if we go during a "prime time" like Spring Break, or points if we want to go at another time or stay longer or shorter.

But we also like some more traditional Hawaiian quiet time, so we also have a 2-br oceanfront in the Lahaina/Napili towers of the Maui Ocean Club. Golf walking distance away. Whaler's village a short talk. Still has the nearby amenities if we want them, but a very different experience than Waikiki.

We didn't really like the Ko Olina area. Felt too isolated, though we've never stayed there so that's an opinion you have to take with a grain of salt.

Without doing a lot of analysis, I think the best VALUE is buying something giving you 14,400 HGVC points, in Vegas or Florida, and using the points for Hawaii. As long as you have vacation flexibility (i.e., no kids in school) that's a great way to get time over there, and you can choose among a variety of places (with Maui coming online soon I believe). And, as an added "benefit," I suspect COVID will give you a couple years of relatively easy, go wherever you want when you want, options.
 
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