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Marriott Hawaiian Recommendations.

Hoo

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My wife and I are thinking of booking 2 weeks in Hawaii in mid-February, 2020 using Destination points. We live on the east coast, so we're thinking 2 weeks would be about right--anything less would not be worth it. We've only been to Hawaii once, about 20 years ago, and that was to the Big Island. I'm thinking it would be nice to do one week on one island and the other week on another (not interested in revisiting the Big Island).

Not sure about the logistics--I assume arranging flights to and from Washington, DC to different islands is no problem, nor would arranging a puddle jumper from one island to another. Any input?

What I'm most curious about is which 2 resorts would be recommended. We would need a 1 bedroom, no need for a 2 bedroom--which would appear to eliminate two of the resorts: the Waiohai Beach Club, and Kauai Lagoons don't seem to have 1 bedroom units.

Of the remaining Marriott timeshare properties, Kauai Beach Club on Kauai (2,450 points in February), Maui Ocean Club--Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers on Maui (2,925 points), Maui Ocean Club--Lahaina & Napili Tower on Maui (3,550 points), Ko Olina Beach Club on Oahu (3,275 points) which two would people recommend. Is the Kauai Beach Club much cheaper for a reason?

Which two of the three islands--Kauai, Maui, and Oahu--would you recommend? Which resorts? My wife and I are in are 60s, but active and enjoy beach, hiking, snorkeling, swimming, golf, sightseeing, dining, seeing local culture and history. Enjoy dining, but not necessarily looking for wild nightlife.
Thanks
 

VacationForever

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Ko Olina Beach Club is our favorite resort and based on your interest, it should be one of the 2 that you are looking at. Oahu has alot of history, golf courses (Ko Olina Golf Course is excellent), culture and not to mention Pearl Harbor memorial.

Kaui Beach Club is a hotel converted timeshare. We love KBC because it has a beautiful pool and beach/ocean view. It has a limited kitchen which is a huge downside. We also love the fact that the hotel is next to it which gives you great dining options without going too far. We prefer Kauai over Maui because Kauai is more rural/natural and less populated. For us Maui is very urban and touristy and lacks the "Hawaiian" feel, although it is good for snorkeling.

Everyone will give you their own views of Hawaii and you will have to go to each one to figure out which ones you like the most.
 

brianfox

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While you clearly state you don't want a 2BR, you may want to reconsider Waiohai. It is close to fulfilling many of your preferred activities. Its location against the shores of Poipu beach really cannot be beat. In my opinion, there is no better choice for Kauai. Far and away better than the converted hotel rooms at KBC, but that's my opinion. KBC and Ko Olina each have a better pool than Waiohai.

Ko Olina is wonderful, but most of your activities will involve a car and a long drive.
 

jmhpsu93

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If you're coming from Chambersburg (I live near Baltimore) don't rule out Southwest as another flight option, and they fly between islands too.

We're contemplating the 2020 Hawaii thing and I think we're landing on spending 3-4 days in CA each way (Newport Coast and somewhere near SF) and ~ 8 days at Ko Olina.
 

luvgoldns

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Though our preference is BWI, we have flown to Hawaii from BWI, IAD, and DCA. So far, we have only flown American Airlines and always through Dallas (better than Chicago especially in the winter). There are flights to/from all 4 of the islands without having to go through HNL. It's nice to only have the one stop. We've been to Maui (our favorite) many times as well as the Big Island (second favorite). We have also been to Kauai and Oahu, but prefer the other two.

If visiting Pearl Harbor is something that interests you, then that may seal the deal for Oahu as one of the two. The whales in Maui, which you can easily see from sitting on Ka'anapali beach are absolutely amazing with or without binoculars. The three islands you are considering are vastly different in many ways, they are all absolutely beautiful. I said this on a previous thread, but https://www.gohawaii.com/ really offers comprehensive descriptions of the islands. You can't go wrong with any of them!
 

jlp879

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You really can't go wrong with any of them. As others have mentioned, each island is unique and has experiences that can't be duplicated anywhere else. In our family, each person has a different favourite island.

For maximum differences, pick Oahu and Kauai to visit. Oahu being the most populous island and Kauai sometimes feeling rural. Most of the sightseeing and history is on Oahu and on Kauai you can enjoy the beach and spectacular views while hiking.
 

JIMinNC

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We are in Hawaii now. Spent three days in Waikiki at HGVC Lagoon Tower, then last week at Marriott Waiohai on Kauai, this week we are at Marriott Maui Ocean Club, next week we move over to HGVC Kohala Suites on the Big Island. This is our ninth trip to the islands. Here are my two-cents.

For February, coming to Maui would be a no-brainer for us. It is one of the few places in the world where you can see humpback whales during the Dec-Apr whale season. February is prime time. There are also whales around the other islands, but no where near the numbers as near Maui. While Maui is more commercialized than Kauai, it still has many beautiful, unspoiled natural environments - Hana, the Haleakala summit, the rugged shore north of Kapalua, etc. Maui also has many great restaurants in the Lahaina/Kaanapali area. Maui Ocean Club is perfectly located along the beach-walk in Kaanapali and is a beautiful resort. Also lots of boat tours, snorkeling, and water-based activities on Maui. Here is a shot I captured of a baby humpback from a whale watch with Pacific Whale Foundation earlier this week.

20190304_Hawaii_0457.jpg


For the second week, I would recommend Kauai. As others have noted, it is the most unspoiled and scenic of all the islands. We stayed at Waiohai for the first time last week (using DP points) and loved it. It is in Poipu, the sunniest part of the island. There are also now quite a few great restaurants in Poipu. The scenery on Kauai is spectacular with Waimea Canyon, the Napali Coast, and the north shore around Hanalei Bay. Kauai is also the best place to do a helicopter tour since so much of the island is inaccessible by car. Lots of great hikes also. Here is a shot from our Sunset Cruise on Kauai with Capt Andy's Sailing Adventures.

20190228_Hawaii_9916.jpg


I really can't speak to Marriott KoOlina on Oahu with any authority, since we have never stayed there. We did drive out to KoOlina when we were on Oahu a couple weeks ago, and while I'm confident it is a wonderful resort (like most other Marriotts), we were not impressed with the location. The KoOlina development itself is very nice, and sort of reminds us of a smaller version of the Kaanapali development on Maui. But the overall KoOlina location seems somewhat remote from the more interesting parts of Oahu. Most of the area around it seems to be a more industrial/commercial area and it's a pretty long drive from everywhere. If we were wanting to just go and hang to at the resort for a week, I'm sure KoOlina would fit the bill nicely, but I personally, would never choose it over the two other main options - Maui and Kauai. They just seem to have so much more to offer.

Having said all this, for someone who is an infrequent or first time visitor, I think spending a few days on Oahu is a good idea to see Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, Diamond Head, etc. Three or four days are enough, I think, and while you could use DP points to stay those 3-4 nights at KoOlina, in my opinion, booking a hotel in Waikiki would be a better way to see these sites than the more remote KoOlina location.

So, my recommendation would be Maui, Kauai, and if you can spare a few more days, adding on 3-4 nights in a Waikiki hotel.
 

JIMinNC

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We prefer Kauai over Maui because Kauai is more rural/natural and less populated. For us Maui is very urban and touristy and lacks the "Hawaiian" feel, although it is good for snorkeling.

I'm not sure I would call Maui "Urban." To me, that is the correct nomenclature to describe Oahu - freeways, high rises, lots of density - so Oahu I would call urban. Kauai is definitely the more rural/natural island. Maui is indeed more touristy as you say, but the areas around Kahului/Wailuka, Kihei, and even little Lahaina, have a more of what I might loosely call a "suburban" feel than "urban". Maui has no high rises or freeways, but the above-mentioned towns do have strip shopping centers and some traffic congestion, which seems more like suburbia than an urban city. But if you get outside of those areas, there are also many natural unspoiled areas on Maui.
 

ljmiii

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We are in Hawaii now. Spent three days in Waikiki at HGVC Lagoon Tower, then last week at Marriott Waiohai on Kauai, this week we are at Marriott Maui Ocean Club, next week we move over to HGVC Kohala Suites on the Big Island. This is our ninth trip to the islands. Here are my two-cents.

Having said all this, for someone who is an infrequent or first time visitor, I think spending a few days on Oahu is a good idea to see Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, Diamond Head, etc. Three or four days are enough, I think, and while you could use DP points to stay those 3-4 nights at KoOlina, in my opinion, booking a hotel in Waikiki would be a better way to see these sites than the more remote KoOlina location.

So, my recommendation would be Maui, Kauai, and if you can spare a few more days, adding on 3-4 nights in a Waikiki hotel.
What JIMinNC said...pretty much across the board. I do offer the following additional thoughts...

I don't know how flights will go or if the drive is worth it to you to take one of the nonstop flights to Hawaii out of NJ/NY. But it is safe to say that Oahu will be easiest, Maui in the middle, and Kauai the hardest. We've found that if we fly any airline but Hawaiian Airlines from the mainland a round trip ticket into Honolulu was cheapest...though I don't how Southwest's entry into the market will affect this. It is hard to predict airfare prices other than to say that avoiding flying anywhere near the beginning or end of President's Week would be a good thing.

Since you're staying on DPs you might consider breaking up your trip a bit. Three 5 night stays to see three islands or two Sunday through Thursday 5 night stays to take advantage of the cheaper weekday DP rates while freeing up time to explore other locations. For example you could fly into Honolulu on a Thursday (usually cheaper than the Fri/Sat), stay on the east side of Oahu for 3 nights, then move on to a Sun-Thu night stay on Kauai or Maui.

Lastly, MOC will likely be the hardest reservation to secure during February.
 

hangloose

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Ho

We personally love all the MVCI Hawaii resorts. Each resort is different. Each island also has a different feel. All great.

Residing on the U.S. East Coast also, 2 weeks is recommended. While you can do less, we've found 1 week is far too short of a trip for such long travel. A min of 10 days is required, preferably 2 weeks.

For a 2 week trip, I suggest 2 islands. Any more and you'll spend too much time in transit (packing, unpacking, flying inter-island, waiting for rooms, checking in, etc). While we like the islands of Maui and Kauai best (Big Island least), but we've stayed in Oahu and Maui recently due to liking the MKO and MOC resorts and locations. Kauai Beach Club is a fantastic resort also. Villas are slightly lower in quality than the other MVCI Hawaii properties (so be prepared if you book those)....but the resort itself is wonderful (great views, great pool, restaurants, well landscaped, etc).

While February is a high season in Hawaii (Whale season), we've found airfare from East Coast reasonable if you look hard and pick the right days. Our last trip, we used frequent flyer miles via AA for the entire family on a Saver Fare. Was great!

In the end, keep asking on TUG and do some research via Google on each island and read reviews on each resort. Unless you are very picky on what you want, you cannot go wrong with any.
 

capjak

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We have to been to Maui, Big Island, Kauai, Oahu. Our Favorite is Maui, we have been going there for the last 7 years in Jan/Feb absolutely the best time to go to see whales (whale watching tour highly reccomended), however 1 week really is not enough time on Maui too much to see and do. Our last trip was for 4 weeks and still could have stayed longer.
I would recommend staying on 2 islands for 1 week Kauai and 2 weeks on Maui in that order.
 

GregT

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Marriott: Maui Ocean Club Lahaina Villas (3BRx5), Ko Olina, Shadow Ridge II, Willow Ridge, Aruba Ocean Club, DC Points HGVC: Flamingo, Sea World, I-Drive, Starwood Bella (x4), SDO, TradeWinds, Worldmark
Others have given great suggestions and as noted, all of the islands are fantastic. I believe February is the rainy season on Kauai, so you need to be aware of that if you choose to go to Kauai. We've stayed at the Westin Princeville, Kauai Lagoons and Kauai Beach Club and KBC was our least favorite.

For February timeframe, I would select Oahu and Maui as my island destinations, because of concerns of a rain-out in Kauai, which may be overblown. I would never miss a chance to go to Maui, and I love Ko Olina as well. Ko Olina is "remote" and you will spend alot of time driving to excursions, but it's a wonderful property. Maui Ocean Club is one of my two favorite properties on the planet and you will love it, and the island itself.

Good luck and you will have a wonderful time wherever you land!

Best,

Greg
 

ljmiii

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I believe February is the rainy season on Kauai, so you need to be aware of that if you choose to go to Kauai.
Just a data point...we've gone to Waiohai for President's Week (or the week after) every other year for over a decade now and only once was it 'rainy'. We had much worse weather on Maui in December where it rained every day.
 

hangloose

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Maui Ocean Club is one of my two favorite properties on the planet..

Love Maui Ocean Club! Resort, location and island are hard to beat.

Curious...what's your other 'second favorite' ?
 

Pamplemousse

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We fly to HI from the east coast. We fly round trip to HLN and spend a couple of nights at the Marriott Waikiki Beach to get adjusted to the time difference and take in some of the typical tourist sites- we’ve done diamond head, Pearl Harbor, aquarium, beach, etc. we never rent a car on Oahu- we do public transit, cab/Uber and once booked a tour (Pearl Harbor).

We fly to the other islands on Hawaiian airline or one of the other low cost intra Island choices.

I’ll add my vote for Kauai- amazingly beautiful place. We like the Kauai beach club and don’t find the limited kitchen to be a problem- too beautiful to spend time indoors cooking anyway.
Enjoy!
 

aland0524

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My wife and I are thinking of booking 2 weeks in Hawaii in mid-February, 2020 using Destination points. We live on the east coast, so we're thinking 2 weeks would be about right--anything less would not be worth it. We've only been to Hawaii once, about 20 years ago, and that was to the Big Island. I'm thinking it would be nice to do one week on one island and the other week on another (not interested in revisiting the Big Island).

Not sure about the logistics--I assume arranging flights to and from Washington, DC to different islands is no problem, nor would arranging a puddle jumper from one island to another. Any input?

What I'm most curious about is which 2 resorts would be recommended. We would need a 1 bedroom, no need for a 2 bedroom--which would appear to eliminate two of the resorts: the Waiohai Beach Club, and Kauai Lagoons don't seem to have 1 bedroom units.

Of the remaining Marriott timeshare properties, Kauai Beach Club on Kauai (2,450 points in February), Maui Ocean Club--Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers on Maui (2,925 points), Maui Ocean Club--Lahaina & Napili Tower on Maui (3,550 points), Ko Olina Beach Club on Oahu (3,275 points) which two would people recommend. Is the Kauai Beach Club much cheaper for a reason?

Which two of the three islands--Kauai, Maui, and Oahu--would you recommend? Which resorts? My wife and I are in are 60s, but active and enjoy beach, hiking, snorkeling, swimming, golf, sightseeing, dining, seeing local culture and history. Enjoy dining, but not necessarily looking for wild nightlife.
Thanks

My wife and I (both also in our 60s) have just come back from Hawaii (Waiohai/Kauai for 1 week, Maui/MOC-Napili Tower for 1 week, Maui/Westin Nanea & KORN for 2 weeks) and also have reservations already made for when you are planning to be in Hawaii in 2020. (Maybe we'll see you there!) I tend to agree with most of the suggestions that recommend Kauai and Maui. Also, the recommendation that you go to the Waiohai over KBC. We own one week at Waiohai but have also stayed at KBC. You may want to consider the following: Arrange to go to Waiohai from Monday check-out Friday (4 nights, 2,400) and then KBC from Friday check-out Monday (1,225). Admittedly, you'll waste the extra-bedroom (maybe you can invite another couple for 4 nights?) but Poipu Beach and the Waiohai is much better option and worth the trade-off. Activities: snorkeling right off the resort - can't do at KBC, hike the Poipu Beach trail, golfing, Waimea Canyon - much closer from Waiohai and the resort itself is just very nice. KBC is good too but Waiohai will definitely put you in the right mood.

Then, go to Maui and MOC. The "old" tower rooms have been renovated and if you aren't really interested in major cooking or doing laundry in the room, the Molokai Towers are great (we used to own a 2-bedroom oceanfront but "upgraded" to the Napili Towers when my wife found out about the in-room washer-dryers!). You will love Kaanapali Beach (it used to be the retreat for Hawaiian royalty) and Maui. Activities: snorkeling off beach and just a quick walk to even better snorkeling at Black Rock/Sheraton area where there are very nice turtles you can swim with, whale watching (from your lanai if you spring for oceanfront or ocean view but just as easily from your beach chair by the resort pool - prime whale watching season is Jan - March), Haleakala (if you are hikers, hike down the volcano -- you're never too old to do this -- just bring water, sunscreen and make sure your life insurance is paid up!), Road to Hana (go on a guided tour, not try to drive yourself), Ali'i Lavender Farm (if your wife or you are into flowers, you'll like this ... stop at Kula Lodge for pizza lunch ... then go to Maui Wines for wine tasting/winery tour), try Mama's Fish House for lunch (most expensive lunch you'll every pay for but beautiful view and excellent fish), whale watch and snorkel tours (Capt Steve's has a 20-person raft that seems to be able to get closer to the dolphins and whales than the larger boats), golf (from the expensive - Kapalua Plantation (which is closed for 2019 but should open in 2020) to Waiehou (municipal course that has some awesome ocean views like Pebble Beach)) and hikes (3 mile beachwalk in front of MOC, the Kapalua Dragons Teeth ocean trail and a many others.

Also, make sure you are aware that if you go mid-Feb, the President Day week is usually more expensive in points needed than the usual February weeks. You may want to skirt this week (week of Feb. 17) if you want to save your points and come earlier or later. Also, not as many kids driving you crazy.

Anyway, thought I'd throw in my two-cents worth. We're from Minnesota and have been going to Hawaii every year since early 80s. It's the only way to stay sane and survive our winters. Hope this has helped.

My wife and I are thinking of booking 2 weeks in Hawaii in mid-February, 2020 using Destination points. We live on the east coast, so we're thinking 2 weeks would be about right--anything less would not be worth it. We've only been to Hawaii once, about 20 years ago, and that was to the Big Island. I'm thinking it would be nice to do one week on one island and the other week on another (not interested in revisiting the Big Island).

Not sure about the logistics--I assume arranging flights to and from Washington, DC to different islands is no problem, nor would arranging a puddle jumper from one island to another. Any input?

What I'm most curious about is which 2 resorts would be recommended. We would need a 1 bedroom, no need for a 2 bedroom--which would appear to eliminate two of the resorts: the Waiohai Beach Club, and Kauai Lagoons don't seem to have 1 bedroom units.

Of the remaining Marriott timeshare properties, Kauai Beach Club on Kauai (2,450 points in February), Maui Ocean Club--Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers on Maui (2,925 points), Maui Ocean Club--Lahaina & Napili Tower on Maui (3,550 points), Ko Olina Beach Club on Oahu (3,275 points) which two would people recommend. Is the Kauai Beach Club much cheaper for a reason?

Which two of the three islands--Kauai, Maui, and Oahu--would you recommend? Which resorts? My wife and I are in are 60s, but active and enjoy beach, hiking, snorkeling, swimming, golf, sightseeing, dining, seeing local culture and history. Enjoy dining, but not necessarily looking for wild nightlife.
Thanks
 

NboroGirl

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My 2 cents:

We loved KBC. I was worried about 2 of us staying in a studio, but we had everything we needed, and they provided what the room lacked (dishes, toaster, silverware, etc.) The bathroom was large. Our balcony overlooking the pool and the ocean was awesome. Kauai was one of our best vacations. The island is sooooo gorgeous with scenery you'd be hard pressed to see anywhere else.

I liked MOC very much. It's not the prettiest resort, but the 2BR was very nice, even with limited kitchen and no laundry in the villa. The pool area was exceptional. Again, I was worried about the limited kitchen and the hike downstairs to do laundry, but really, neither was an issue with us. There are so many things to do on Maui, I wouldn't skip it if I were you.

Ko Olina is a beautiful resort, but it is away from the main attractions on Oahu. I would stay on Kauai and Maui but take a day trip to Oahu to visit Pearl Harbor, hike (very easy) Diamond Head (incredible views), and walk along Waikiki. Then fly back at the end of the day to your Maui or Kauai resort.
 

GregT

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Marriott: Maui Ocean Club Lahaina Villas (3BRx5), Ko Olina, Shadow Ridge II, Willow Ridge, Aruba Ocean Club, DC Points HGVC: Flamingo, Sea World, I-Drive, Starwood Bella (x4), SDO, TradeWinds, Worldmark
Love Maui Ocean Club! Resort, location and island are hard to beat.

Curious...what's your other 'second favorite' ?


I am also a huge fan of the Ritz Carlton St. Thomas -- amazing property and the units are terrific.....tough life we have, evaluating all of these wonderful properties!!!

Best,

Greg
 

BocaBoy

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Oahu should be one of your islands, and Ko Olina is a very nice resort. I would suggest Maui for the second island, but if you choose Kauai (not a bad choice either) I would select Kauai Lagoons. Most upscale MVCI resort we have been to and even the "island views" have a view of the ocean. Kauai Beach Club is indeed the cheapest for a reason. It is a lovely resort beautifully located, but the villas suck, to be honest. They are a very poor hotel conversion (Marriott's first conversion of hotel rooms into timeshares and it shows).
 
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Dean

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My wife and I are thinking of booking 2 weeks in Hawaii in mid-February, 2020 using Destination points. We live on the east coast, so we're thinking 2 weeks would be about right--anything less would not be worth it. We've only been to Hawaii once, about 20 years ago, and that was to the Big Island. I'm thinking it would be nice to do one week on one island and the other week on another (not interested in revisiting the Big Island).

Not sure about the logistics--I assume arranging flights to and from Washington, DC to different islands is no problem, nor would arranging a puddle jumper from one island to another. Any input?

What I'm most curious about is which 2 resorts would be recommended. We would need a 1 bedroom, no need for a 2 bedroom--which would appear to eliminate two of the resorts: the Waiohai Beach Club, and Kauai Lagoons don't seem to have 1 bedroom units.

Of the remaining Marriott timeshare properties, Kauai Beach Club on Kauai (2,450 points in February), Maui Ocean Club--Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers on Maui (2,925 points), Maui Ocean Club--Lahaina & Napili Tower on Maui (3,550 points), Ko Olina Beach Club on Oahu (3,275 points) which two would people recommend. Is the Kauai Beach Club much cheaper for a reason?

Which two of the three islands--Kauai, Maui, and Oahu--would you recommend? Which resorts? My wife and I are in are 60s, but active and enjoy beach, hiking, snorkeling, swimming, golf, sightseeing, dining, seeing local culture and history. Enjoy dining, but not necessarily looking for wild nightlife.
Thanks
Lots of good choices. We've lived there and visit every few years from the east coast and not a gateway airport. I agree with going for 2 weeks minimum. Were we in your situation we'd do a 1 BR at MOC (new section preferably) and MKO. We will not go back to KBC, I'd pay for the 2 BR first. I agree with doin Oahu first. You can fly into one island and out of another which we've done a number of times.
 

Hoo

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For the Marriott Ocean Club (MOC) can I assume that the Lahaina & Napili Tower is the newer and nicer of the two (vs the Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers) since it is significantly more points in February 2020 (4,125 vs 2,925 points)? What makes it that much nicer? I'm leaning towards 1st week at Ko Olina in Oahu, and a second week at one of the Marriott Ocean Club towers.
 

BocaBoy

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For the Marriott Ocean Club (MOC) can I assume that the Lahaina & Napili Tower is the newer and nicer of the two (vs the Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers) since it is significantly more points in February 2020 (4,125 vs 2,925 points)? What makes it that much nicer? I'm leaning towards 1st week at Ko Olina in Oahu, and a second week at one of the Marriott Ocean Club towers.
Purpose built condos vs. hotel conversion. The studios in the older section are larger and preferred, but the 1BR, 2BR and 3BR units are much nicer in the new towers. The old towers do not have laundry in the rooms and do not have full kitchens, but they do have larger lanais.
 

Bill4728

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With regard to the "rainy season" remark. Kauai has three areas where people stay.

The Princeville area northeast part of the island and it is almost always the "rainy" area.

The PoiPu area has Waiohai and the most sunny part of the island.

The Lihue/ KaPa'a area is the east part of the island and between the other two. Generally much less rainy than Princeville and right near the airport. (Kauai Lagoona and KBC are there)


On a completely different note You didn't mention the Big Island. They have a newly converted MVC resort WaiKoloa which I hear is very nice and you'll get all the volcano things if that interests you.
 
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