Advice Needed For Maui/II Dilemma

[rmb]

Well, it's already February and still no word from II for our Pono Kai exchange to Maui for mid-July of this year. Flights already booked and paid for, car rentals paid for, a week already confirmed prior to our Maui week at the KCR on the Big Island.

The timeshares we have requested are: Kaanapali Beach Club, Maui Marriot, and WKORV (both wings). I was hoping that we would at the least get Kaanapali Beach Club, where we would be very happy since we stayed there last year.

II keeps telling me 'give it another month because people are just now starting to make their deposits and pay their maintenance fees'. Sounds logical, but it's 'nervous time' for us.

My question to you... if we have to add another resort to our list, which one would you recommend? We've considered the Gardens at West Maui, but the rooster issue concerns me. Sands of Kahana has NO Air Conditioning, so that is not possible in July on Maui. Do you think it's too early to 'panic'?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. I may hang in there for a few more weeks, but I don't want to eat our Pono Kai deposit that was made some time ago.

 

[ciscogizmo1]

I had this exact same problem one year as well except it was on Kauai. What I did was I found a condo that had a 7 day cancellation policy. This way I knew I could cancel up to 7 days prior to check-in. So, I booked a condo (I need that full kitchen that's why I didn't book a hotel). Anyways, a day after I did that my trade came through. Figures, huh... then, I had to cancel my condo rental. It worked out fine. I got my trade 6 months out.

Just for your information, with Westin and Marriott you do not have to pay your maintenance fee to reserve your unit a year in advance and deposit it with II. So, I'm not sure what II is referring to that people wait to pay their maintenance fee prior to making their deposits with II. Maybe that is true at Ka'anapali Beach Club but that is not true for Westin or Marriott.

Are you requesting a 2 bedroom or one bedroom or studio?

 

[rmb]

Preferrably a 1 bedroom, but would take a studio in the right place... such as The Whaler.

 

[jlr10]

Are you holding out for Ka'anapali? If not we liked the units at the Maui Schooner. There is not a swimable beach but the units were pristine and the service was very nice. We would request a trade here again if we went to Maui.

Otherwise I agree you should reserve a condo, with a cancellation policy. For our last trip to Maui we put a request in over a year in advance of our requested date and we did not receive a request until less than 90 days out, and only after we amended our request from a 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom.

 

[rmb]

Yes, it really needs to be in the Kaanapali area.

 

[LisaH]

I would add Sands of Kahana and One Napili Way, both are close to Kaanapali. Whaler would be a a great trade as well.

 

[rmb]

My check-in day must be on a Saturday... that rules out The Whaler. Sands of Kahana does not have air conditioning, and that simply scares me in July in Maui. I'm not familiar with One Napili Way, but if it is the one I think it is, it rarely, if ever, exchanges since they only have a few units.