Visiting at Kings Land

[GregT]

Hi Harry,

Did you get your desired room in the Lawai Beach Resort? If so, can you post a picture?

Best,

Greg

 

[melissy123]

Do they still have Zumba and yoga in the morning at Kingsland?

 

[seagila]

Do they still have Zumba and yoga in the morning at Kingsland?

They offered both when we were at Kings Land earlier in January of this year.

 

[melissy123]

Thanks. I wonder if Andrew is still around as the Zumba instructor. Most unlikely Zumba instructor you could ever meet. But so much fun!

 

[rahulgopi]

Any update on the Ocean Tower conversion ?. Hope it will be ready by 2018.

 

[GregT]

Any update on the Ocean Tower conversion ?. Hope it will be ready by 2018.

It was still being used as a hotel and I didn't see any indication of construction beginning. They were digging a large hole on the ocean-side of the property that was big enough to hold a new pool, however the construction workers told me it wasn't going to be a pool (they told me it was going to be a well -- I hope they are kidding . )

Best,

Greg

 

[rahulgopi]

It was still being used as a hotel and I didn't see any indication of construction beginning. They were digging a large hole on the ocean-side of the property that was big enough to hold a new pool, however the construction workers told me it wasn't going to be a pool (they told me it was going to be a well -- I hope they are kidding . )

Best,

Greg

Thank you Greg, Someone noted that Ocean Tower was not available for booking from mid 2017. I did try Hilton.com to look for availability and found that Ocean Tower was indeed not available for later part of 2017. I am not sure whether the availability really was not there or the inventory was pulled for facilitating conversion / construction.

 

[alwysonvac]

It looks like the Ocean Tower work has started.

A recent Tripadvisor review states "This hotel is under construction! The Ocean Tower is under construction. They are converting it to time shares. The building has already been sold to Hilton Grand Vacations and they are currently creating a model unit and offices. The rooms affected by this project would be anything on the 5th floor from about room 5045 to 5060. Room 5052 is directly under the construction. Any rooms in the general area between the 40's and 60's in this tower will have to listen to beeping of construction vehicles going in and out starting as early as 7:30AM. The view from the balconies is of the construction vehicles.....Paradise! The other major construction going on in this tower is in the front of the ocean tower so this would be rooms from the 60's to the 80's you have backhoes and jackhammering in front of you as they took out the putting course and are doing some major project. Nobody exactly knows what they are doing. They are also doing work on the stairs adjacent to the boat dock in the ocean tower"

The American Airlines Vacation site states "Construction notice: Effective May 1, 2017 the Ocean Tower at Hilton Waikoloa Village will change ownership and renovation work will begin within the tower and surrounding facilities"

 

[GregT]

Phyllis, thank you for the note - now I'm curious where those rooms are!!!

Best,

Greg

 

[alwysonvac]

Photos of Hilton Waikoloa Village construction courtesy of TripAdvisor
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Locatio..._Coast_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html#243148863

Tripadvisor Comment: Outside of the rooms 60's to 80's of the Ocean Tower (Feb 2017)

Tripadvisor Comment: Construction of room 6053 Ocean Tower (Feb 2017)

Tripadvisor Comment: Construction of room 6051 Ocean Tower (Feb 2017)

 

[presley]

I stayed in that tower before and the room was very small. I cannot imagine how they will squeeze timeshare rooms in there, but maybe they are going to combine rooms.

 

[linsj]

I stayed in that tower before and the room was very small. I cannot imagine how they will squeeze timeshare rooms in there, but maybe they are going to combine rooms.

I've stayed in that tower multiple times and always had a large room.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

I've stayed in that tower multiple times and always had a large room.

WE have stayed there was well, and i seem to recall the room was decent sized for the three of us, but certainly not large enough to create bedroom and separate living room. I am guessing they will to combine the room to create Timeshare unit. I wonder if these will have full kitchens, or be more stripped units with either no kitchen or perhaps just sink and microwave.

Anybody know what Marriott did for the room they just converted at their hotel?

 

[Sandy VDH]

They may keep a studio the same size as currently hotel rooms obviously, but combine 2 or more units for larger units. They could also do some lockout studios, and make some of the units configurable.

Since there are NO studios on the Big Island, they may configure some here.

 

[alwysonvac]

Previous articles indicated that Hilton was converting 601 hotel rooms to 450 timeshare units.

Last year Greg reported that he met a sales rep at the breakfast buffet and was told that the Ocean Tower would only have studios and one bedrooms - http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/phase-3-at-kings-land.238439/page-2

 

[Sandy VDH]

Previous articles indicated that Hilton was converting 601 hotel rooms to 450 timeshare units.

Last year Greg reported that he met a sales rep at the breakfast buffet and was told that the Ocean Tower would only have studios and one bedrooms - http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/phase-3-at-kings-land.238439/page-2

Thanks, I forgot about that previous comment, but studios make complete sense, given the lack of the on the big island.

 

[Luanne]

Thanks, I forgot about that previous comment, but studios make complete sense, given the lack of the on the big island.

Could you explain your statement. I'm not sure I understand. Given the lack of "what" on the Big Island?

 

[alwysonvac]

Given the lack of HGVC studios units on the Big Island
There are currently three HGVC properties on the Big Island (Bay Club, Kings Land and Kohala Suites) and none of these offer studios units.
https://club.hiltongrandvacations.com/en/resort/search/?searchTerm=big+island

 

[alwysonvac]

Normally HGVC studio units are desired due to the lower HGVC point requirement (costing less points than a standard one bedroom).
However based on what we've seen lately, I'm assuming the point requirement for these studio units will be much higher (similar to HGVC Parc Soleil with their Studio Plus and Studio Premier point requirements).

 

[1Kflyerguy]

Normally HGVC studio units are more attractive due to the lower HGVC point requirement (costing less points than a standard one bedroom).
However based on what we've seen lately, I'm assuming the point requirement for these studio units will be much higher (similar to HGVC Parc Soleil with their Studio Plus and Studio Premier point requirements).

Personally I much prefer a one bedroom over a studio, even when it just my wife and myself. I just like the larger space, so adding studio's to the Big Island does not really excite me much. But i do understand why they went that direction with the conversion at hotel.

HGVC has definitely been leaning towards higher point requirements with many of their more recent developments. Getting the ocean view is definitely worth something.

 

[alwysonvac]

Personally I much prefer a one bedroom over a studio, even when it just my wife and myself. I just like the larger space, so adding studio's to the Big Island does not really excite me much. But i do understand why they went that direction with the conversion at hotel.

HGVC has definitely been leaning towards higher point requirements with many of their more recent developments. Getting the ocean view is definitely worth something.

Sorry, wrong choice of words. I meant desired. I changed it.

 

[Luanne]

Personally I much prefer a one bedroom over a studio, even when it just my wife and myself. I just like the larger space, so adding studio's to the Big Island does not really excite me much. But i do understand why they went that direction with the conversion at hotel.

HGVC has definitely been leaning towards higher point requirements with many of their more recent developments. Getting the ocean view is definitely worth something.

We also prefer at least a one-bedroom. But I'm not a Hilton owner, I have to rely on RCI trades. I would imagine the studios might take less TPUs than the one or two bedroom though.

 

[rahulgopi]

We also prefer at least a one-bedroom. But I'm not a Hilton owner, I have to rely on RCI trades. I would imagine the studios might take less TPUs than the one or two bedroom though.

With RCI, once in 3/5 year rule may apply for this resort too.. I used Worldmark / RCI for exchanges initially but eventually got HGVC as we frequent HGVC resorts in HI.

 

[Luanne]

With RCI, once in 3/5 year rule may apply for this resort too.. I used Worldmark / RCI for exchanges initially but eventually got HGVC as we frequent HGVC resorts in HI.

I "think" the 1 in 4, or whatever rule applies to each of these resorts separately. Meaning that if I book at Kohala Suites one year I cannot book there again for several years, but I can book at Kingsland or Bay Club. At least I hope that's correct because we booked at Kohala Suites last year and have a booking for Bay Club this year.