If I were to invest in a resale to vacation in Hawaii with the following requirements:
1) Upscale HGVC class or higher accommodations and amenities
2) Oceanfront Lanai (HGVC only offers this in HHV)
3) 2 Bedroom
4) Good Availability to book (or trade-in similar to HGVC) during June/July peak months every year.
5) Any island (we like them all!)
6) We also would like ability to trade or use points at times for other properties, however Hawaii would be most frequent use
Which system or resort is best to buy resale beyond HGVC? and Why?
With timesharing, there is almost no such thing as good availability during high demand travel periods at high demand resorts. If you don't own a fixed summer week, you will be competing with other owners as soon as the booking window opens. There's only a fixed number of summer weeks and a fixed number of units. Everyone can't be accommodated so someone loses out so date flexibility is key
True oceanfront rooms have a lanai that is parallel to the ocean with no structure in-between (
NOTE: This doesn't exclude trees/bushes at some resorts).
Rooms with true oceanfront view are consider prime rooms in Hawaii. Even for a hotel room you will pay an arm and a leg for a prime oceanfront view at an upscale/luxury hotel in Hawaii.
In general timeshares in Hawaii are more expensive especially at the Hotel based timeshares.
If you require a true oceanfront lanai, you would have to own or rent. Exchanging/trading is a crap shoot (demand vs supply) because at most resorts there is only a very small percentage of rooms that are considered true oceanfront. And most that own a fixed summer week will either used them or rent them out. A high demand resort during peak travel season, is going to be expensive either way - renting or buying
I own an oceanfront week at the HGVC HHV Lagoon Tower because I prefer Oahu. I believe Hilton may be the cheapest compared to the other major hotel based timeshares. But of course, Marriott's Maui Ocean Club - Lahaina & Napili Towers, Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas and Hyatt Residence Club Ka'anapali Beach Resort are all a step above HGVC in terms of quality of rooms. Here's an old 2014 thread comparing the Hawaii Maintenance Fees -
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205535
Some folks adjust their Hawaii timeshare requirements once they realize the final overall cost others don't.
Some are all about the view so they're willing to sacrifice amenities such as central air conditioning, upscale/luxury furnishing, etc for oceanfront or ocean view.
While others are all about the resort amenities and sacrifice view by accepting a lesser view such as garden/mountain/parking lot view just to be at an upscale/luxury beachfront resort
For example
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235836
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246832
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=238641
I also own mandatory Starwood weeks. I like Starwood because of the flexibility to check-in any day of the week for any number of days along with the banking and borrowing option. This flexibility allows me to book back to back Hawaii stays with HGVC and Starwood. Starwood also works for me since I can travel anytime during the year (except when I'm traveling with school aged nieces/nephews) but I've also accepted that I've sacrifice my chances for a guarantee view by using an internal trade (vs owning).
Renting is a very good option. TUG member LisaRex provided great tips on how to choose a VRBO renter -
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1870837&postcount=12.
And there also are other rental websites like redweek.com and the TUG marketplace