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At Princeville

Ken555

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I'll post more impressions of WPORV later. But... first thoughts:

1. Stayed at Princeville Hotel first night (couldn't get flight on Friday so came out a day early...). Hotel upgraded me to a Jr Suite, which is HUGE. Very dated and in need of renovations, but extremely nice. Would definitely return when it's a St Regis. MUCH larger than the Studio at WPORV. :(

2. Only one elevator per building? What were they thinking...

3. WONDERFUL view. :D I don't think I could ask for a better location. This is a picture standing in the doorway looking out from the unit. Will post more later.

Enjoy!


photo.jpg
 

capjak

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Very Nice

Did you use staroptions for this?
 

Westin5Star

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Ken,
Thanks for posting your first impressions and the picture. I hope that I get as nice a view from my room. See you in a couple of days.
 

Ken555

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Did you use staroptions for this?

Yes, 67,100 for a week in a Studio. This is my first time in a Studio (I've always stayed in Premium 1 Beds everywhere before this trip), and I'm a bit disappointed. I saw a Studio at WKORV-N and thought it was very nice, but the layout is different here, or at least in this particular unit (I think there may be a few different plans - I'm in the one that is shown on MSC). There is -perhaps- 10x10 or so of "living area", which includes the table and two chairs. It's perfectly fine for a few days, or if you intend to get out of the room during your waking hours (I have to work a bit this week, so that's not possible).

I am loving the view, though. And, since the view is directly out (I'm at the end of the building facing the water) I can see the ocean from anywhere within the unit. :whoopie:
 

Ken555

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Ken,
Thanks for posting your first impressions and the picture. I hope that I get as nice a view from my room. See you in a couple of days.

Considering I have absolutely no clout with SVN, don't own here and reserved at 8 months, and you're a 5*, if you don't get a good view I'll join you in "talking" with management...

Have a great flight! (Speaking of which, I was on the non-stop Delta from LAX to Lihue and there were at least 30% empty seats on the plane. Of course, Delta being Delta, they wouldn't even accept my money to upgrade to first class as I was using an award ticket.)
 
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Ken555

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A few more pictures

Taken with my real camera (the first picture in my earlier post was from my iPhone - where you can barely see a cruise ship).

WPORV, view from and inside unit:

IMG_0954.jpg


IMG_0951.jpg


IMG_0950.jpg


IMG_0947.jpg


IMG_0946.jpg
 

Ken555

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And more...

As a comparison to WPORV, the pictures below are from the Princeville Hotel.

IMG_0918.jpg


Look at the remote control in the picture below... a TV is in the console that rises up. Ah, the good old days of 1985 (when the hotel was last renovated)! :hysterical:

Even so, you can tell there is about 3x the living space as compared to the Studio at WPORV. Though there is no kitchen, this is much nicer, IMO.

IMG_0920.jpg


IMG_0921.jpg



Princeville Hotel beach (which WPORV recommends we use via their shuttle):

IMG_0928.jpg
 

Ken555

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From Princeville Hotel room

IMG_0930.jpg
 

abbekit

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Great photos!

Taken with my real camera (the first picture in my earlier post was from my iPhone - where you can barely see a cruise ship).

WPORV, view from and inside unit:

Mahalo for posting the photos. What is your unit number? I'll be booked into a studio for our trip next year and I'm collecting info to know what unit or building to ask for.

Hope your having a great time!
 

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Great photos. Thanks for posting them. I noticed the ship in the first photo. Appears to have an NCL stack which would make it the Pride of America if I'm correct
 

rickandcindy23

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Are there dedicated two bedrooms, or are all of the units lockouts?

Nice pictures, and the views are amazing. Do you think there are some really bad views?
 

Ken555

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Great photos. Thanks for posting them. I noticed the ship in the first photo. Appears to have an NCL stack which would make it the Pride of America if I'm correct

Correct! I saw it earlier in the day - I drove south to the Sheraton (ugly hotel...) and the ship was nearby. When I checked in at WPORV around 4:45 I took that picture and could see the same ship from here.
 

Ken555

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Are there dedicated two bedrooms, or are all of the units lockouts?

Nice pictures, and the views are amazing. Do you think there are some really bad views?

All lockouts, from what I can tell (and per MSC).

And yes, I think some/most of the units have terrible views. But, there are more than a few with similar views to mine. I think, so far, that they maximized the ocean view as well as could be expected.
 

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Ken555,
Was there a pool there? We have 3 Kids (10, 7 and 5) and they like the pool instead of the ocean. Also we were told that this is a "new" construction, not a re-model. :eek:
 

Ken555

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Ken555,
Was there a pool there? We have 3 Kids (10, 7 and 5) and they like the pool instead of the ocean. Also we were told that this is a "new" construction, not a re-model. :eek:

Of course there's a pool - no such thing as a Starwood resort without a pool! In fact, there are three of them (though they definitely need to make at least one "adults only").

The resort opened in April, and yes it's new construction. For more info, look at the resort web site. :)
 

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lol...that's good to know! Still, did you feel it was worth 56K and 2.1K in MF to get a IV, 2/B LO? That was what was quoted me!
 

vacationtime1

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lol...that's good to know! Still, did you feel it was worth 56K and 2.1K in MF to get a IV, 2/B LO? That was what was quoted me!

That's the developer price. Don't pay retail unless you have a very specific reason and need to so so.

Ken555 is there on a StarOption exchange. You can buy Westin Kierland, a mandatory property for about $22,000 on the resale market, and exchange into Princeville. See http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80548 Also, check the sticky at the top of the Starwood board if you haven't already.
 

Ken555

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lol...that's good to know! Still, did you feel it was worth 56K and 2.1K in MF to get a IV, 2/B LO? That was what was quoted me!

LOL indeed. Especially when I paid less than half that amount for a resale Kierland Platinum... and that my maintenance cost per night this year is only $60 (20 nights booked this year). So for what I paid, I think yes - it's definitely worth it! :hysterical:
 

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I had missed the rest of this thread (somehow...)

Wow - thanks for posting - we can't wait (still 12 months away)

$56.5K - wow - maybe I'll will buy a 3rd WKV resale - nope...
{SVO must dread people finding TUG...}
 

Ken555

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$56.5K - wow - maybe I'll will buy a 3rd WKV resale - nope...
{SVO must dread people finding TUG...}

It's amazing what some owners think after talking with and believing salespeople. I met nice folks yesterday here at Princeville who really thought that this resort gave them a better chance of trading into other SVN properties "because it's got great trade value". I really hate to disappoint them, so didn't say much...other than to say how I traded in here...
 

Ken555

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WPORV Thoughts

Now that I'm back and (somewhat) rested from a night flight (how I hate those!) I thought I'd post a few more impressions on WPORV.

1. No surprise, but the view you get either makes or breaks the week. As you can see from my pictures, I had an outstanding view (manager told me later that buildings 6 & 7 end units offer the best in the resort). But, I was impressed with the actual location of the buildings - it seems to me that only a few areas had really bad views while the majority will see some part of the ocean.

2. Premium Studios are small. Eventually, I become used to the size of the unit - and the view helped considerably. If traveling with two people I think it's "doable" (as many of you know) but more would be simply intolerable, IMO.

3. There is only one elevator in each building. I used the stairs more often (the elevator is on the side of the building furthest from the ocean, which makes a lot of sense, and it was easier and faster to just use the stairs to get to the pool, bbq, etc). My only concern is if there are problems with the elevator and its being repaired on a check-in/out day.

4. The BBQ locations are great. I saw at least six locations of four BBQs each spread throughout the resort. Several nights I simply bought chicken/fish/steak & veggies from the WPORV store (very good quality, IMO) and use the BBQ. Of course, the wild chickens and cats hovering nearby added to the experience.

5. Um... why isn't there a lazy river at this resort? There is a HUGE open area - almost large enough for a soccer match - that just screams out for a lazy river (with a swim-up bar). Speaking of pools, I thought the main pool (which is really two put together) was rather small. There are two "plunge pools" as well, between buildings 6 & 7 and 2 & 3 - the one by 2/3 has a bar (but not swim-up...). The pool by 6/7 has a view of the ocean, and the others do not (trees).

6. No owner's lounge/room at WPORV. This is an oversight, I think, and is unfortunate. However, when I asked about options for my last day (check-out at 10am, and flight not until 8:50pm) they kindly reserved a "hospitality suite". They have two units for this purpose and offered 45 minutes of use to shower, etc. This was a great, free, service and one which I think the other resorts ought to emulate.

7. Housekeeping problems.

a. Examine your dishes carefully when you arrive (at any timeshare). Mine were *NOT* washed and even had food sticking to them. I didn't realize this at first, and was quite dismayed to find that they simply weren't clean. I called "service express" and then proceeded to wash them myself (they did *NOT* offer to do this).

b. Check the dryer lint container (at any timeshare). In both units I was in (the hospitality suite and the one assigned) the dryer lint tray was obviously not checked by housekeeping. When I pulled them out, sand dropped everywhere and huge amounts of lint. This is a fire hazard. On my check-in day, I requested housekeeping to vacuum up the sand (which they did, since it got everywhere). I recommended to a manager that they post a notice how to check for the lint - I've seen this problem at other Westin resorts, and I suspect many people don't know where/how to check for it (and the rest simply don't care).

c. Beds. This may be overly picky, but one of the reasons I like Westin is for the beds. The bed in the Studio at WPORV was not up to Westin's standard quality, and it's relatively new! I thought it was just "okay", but not as good at the other resorts. Adding insult to injury, their housekeeping staff does *NOT* know how to make a bed. When they performed the mid-week cleaning (they upgraded me to a full cleaning given the problems) the maid put the blanket on the BOTTOM and the sheet above it. Yes, complete confusion - can you believe this? I know they're a new resort and have some growing pains, but this was a bit ridiculous.

8. Platinum upgrades. During my discussion with a manager, I referenced the "SPG Gold/Plat" sign they have displayed and asked if there were any perks for Gold/Plat members. For you platinum members that have read this far, when you go to WPORV and you reserve a Studio *ASK FOR AN UPGRADE*. It is this resort's policy that if a 1 bed unit is available you will get it - regardless of Elite status. Let me repeat that. If you are an SPG Platinum (you can also be a 5-Star Elite) you will get an available 1 bed upgrade.

9. There is only one restaurant on the property. I think they deserve at least two - but perhaps they know many people won't spend the day at the resort, unlike the other resorts. The restaurant I tried my first night at the Princeville Hotel was outstanding, however, and WPROV guests/owners get 15% off there (they told me this the day after I was at the restaurant, of course).

All in all, WPORV is a very nice resort undergoing initial opening pains. The last one or two floors of units not open yet will be opening soon. I would return in a couple of years and try again. I think this is a great place to simply get away to and relax. Hope this helps someone... :)
 

DavidnRobin

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very helpful - we are almost at the 12 month mark

sorry to hear about the housekeeping
we clean up after ourselves (even the lint cleaner) - wish other Owners/Guests would also - but I guess that would be too much to expect.

we bring our own sheets (discussed before)
 
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DeniseM

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Adding insult to injury, their housekeeping staff does *NOT* know how to make a bed. When they performed the mid-week cleaning (they upgraded me to a full cleaning given the problems) the maid put the blanket on the BOTTOM and the sheet above it.

Could the bed have been triple-sheeted with a top sheet both on top of and below the blanket? That's how they do it at WKORV.
 

ciscogizmo1

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That's so funny that you mentioned the dishes. I had the same problem in July. The dishes were dirty. Also, the microwave plate was not clean it had food stuck on it. Anyways... after I observed that I washed all the dishes because it might have appeared they were just rinsed and not washed. Did they give you extra dishwasher soap. I got 2 for a one bedroom. I requested more but I was told to buy them at the store. Anyways... I think they should supply at least 7, one for each day. There were many times we ran the dishwasher twice a day because we were only given 4 plates and if we ate 2 meals using plates we ran out. I wish they'd give you more plates so, I think, next time I'll request more...

Your review really validated a lot of things I felt about the resort as well.

I'll write review soon but I haven't had a chance yet.
 
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