Headed to Westin Kaanapali

[GregT]

All,

I am heading to WKORV next Saturday with family and was curious if any of the bars or restaurants on-site are open? I am looking forward to the trip -- please let me know if any TUGgers are on-site and would like to get together for a cocktail?

Best,

Greg

 

[Negma]

We are coming out the 28th, Covid tests are reserved for the 25th. Curious how things are going as well.

 

[DeniseM]

You can find out what's open at Vistana and Marriott resorts here: https://hub.vacationclub.com and for future reference, the link is the 4th one down, in the stickies at the top of the Vistana main page. I find that the fastest way to navigate this page is to put Westin K in the search box, and then choose the resort from the drop down menu.

 

[Negma]

As always thanks Denise!!
We also just signed up for the travel website, pretty straight forward:

State of Hawaii - Safe Travels

travel.hawaii.gov

Here is the direct link:

Resort Status | The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North

View property and destination updates for The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North in Lahaina, Hawaii. Learn more about the current status of resort amenities and services.

hub.vacationclub.com

 

[DeniseM]

Just to clarify - that is a direct link to the Westin Ka'anapali North phase.

 

[zentraveler]

All,

I am heading to WKORV next Saturday with family and was curious if any of the bars or restaurants on-site are open? I am looking forward to the trip -- please let me know if any TUGgers are on-site and would like to get together for a cocktail?

Best,

Greg

Greg we will be there for two week arriving Jan 17th . I spoke with a concierge/pre-arrival staff today who was going to send me a list of what is open and what isn't, but I have not gotten it yet. New restrictions in place as of very recently, but apparently helicopters, whale watching, some restaurants etc. Will post when I get it.

 

[Henry M.]

Pailolo is open at the North phase. Inu Bar is open at Nanea but closes at 6:00 pm. Duke's is open at Honua Kai.

Monkeypod, Leilani's and Hula Grill are open in Whaler's Village.

The beach has been rather full. It is likely because there are fewer people at the pools.

Overall, we've had a great time on Maui. I hear there Weill be fewer people starting this coming week. It is nice to have little traffic already. We had the Road to Hana to ourselves when we went on Dec. 20. we were mostly the only car stopped at various points along the way there.

The staff at the resort has been very friendly and has been glad to see people come here. They appreciate owners and renters coming when they can. Occupancy will be less than 50%.

 

[controller1]

Just to clarify - that is a direct link to the Westin Ka'anapali North phase.

The information provided for both North and South is identical.

 

[DeniseM]

Ahhhh - good to know!

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

We are at the Hyatt right now and heading to North the 16th. As of today restraunts will be at 30% capacity. Last week we couldn't get reservations anywhere but next week has opened up. Monkeypod, Merriman's Hula Grill, Duke's, Kimo's all open. Boat trips are at 50% capacity.

 

[shade]

All,

I am heading to WKORV next Saturday with family and was curious if any of the bars or restaurants on-site are open? I am looking forward to the trip -- please let me know if any TUGgers are on-site and would like to get together for a cocktail?

Best,

Greg

Greg,
Due to fly out on 1/11 from San Jose. Covid Vault test on 8th. If all goes well, my wife, daughter and I will stay through 27th. Concierge said resort at 50%. Pailolo open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We will be glad to meet up with you. Thanks, Craig, SuLan and Channing

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

Greg,
Due to fly out on 1/11 from San Jose. Covid Vault test on 8th. If all goes well, my wife, daughter and I will stay through 27th. Concierge said resort at 50%. Paiolo open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We will be glad to meet up with you. Thanks, Craig, SuLan and Channing

Greg,
Due to fly out on 1/11 from San Jose. Covid Vault test on 8th. If all goes well, my wife, daughter and I will stay through 27th. Concierge said resort at 50%. Paiolo open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We will be glad to meet up with you. Thanks, Craig, SuLan and Channing

Are they keeping reservations at 50% on purpose as there are less openings showing up in interval. I was assuming they were full

 

[Henry M.]

There is plenty of availability on Vistana.com. Maybe people just aren't depositing into Interval.

 

[zentraveler]

A few things that might be useful to those with upcoming reservations. I had spoke to a concierge staff member yesterday for our 1/17 arrival and she could not have been more helpful, including telling me about the option, as we checked in, to see if an upgrade might be available (for an UG fee). And she sent me a restaurant list (attached).

Today she called to say that in the 24 hours since we talked there was a significant change made in the upgrade policy; now all upgrades must now go through the original booking agent (or system that is used, i.e II, RCI, Expedia etc). Just a head's up on that if anyone had counted on that as an option showing up. (As we did!)

The issue about occupancy is still a bit unclear, but they are "at 50%" (not about 50% but 50%) so I suspect they may be holding to that by intention and not booking requests.

 

[GregT]

Wow, interesting, I didn’t even know there was an upgrade policy. Does that mean I can try to upgrade to an OF? I booked a 148K StarOptions reservation? Please advise and thanks!

Best,

Greg

 

[zentraveler]

Wow, interesting, I didn’t even know there was an upgrade policy. Does that mean I can try to upgrade to an OF? I booked a 148K StarOptions reservation? Please advise and thanks!

Best,

Greg

It seems there was an upgrade policy on "walk up" - until today. In other words if, at check in, they had an upgrade available you could pay for it, which would have been great, and we would have loved the option.

BUT, it now it seems that "walk up" UG's are not how they do this - as of today. I am booking through II, so that is where I need to go. I don't own Starwood or Marriott but my assumption is that you need to go through Owner Services for StarOptions to ask about this. One thing was clear, that nothing, unless this changes again no UG's will be done at the desk as you check in. It all happens where you booked it.

You might try asking again later in the week before you show up. It seems that policies are a rather dynamic thing these days and we can't blame these poor resorts who are trying to keep up with Hawaii government and corporate policy.

 

[Moparman42]

I can't help but notice that it doesn't specify if Aunties is open or not. I was there in November and Aunties was closed, so for breakfast we were on our own. I'm heading to Nanea on the 15th and am also wondering if their breakfast restaurant is open or not.. Pailolo was open, which was nice. I'm hoping more is open this time. can anybody verify if breakfast is available or not at the resorts yet? Even in November, pailolo closed at 8pm and aunties was shuttered. don't get me wrong, it was still fantastic to be in Maui. but I missed my lelanis fish tacos for the first time EVER, as they were closed. going to have to have them twice this time..

 

[Henry M.]

Auntie's is still closed. I think Pailolo still closes at 8:00 pm. Mauka-Makai is still closed at Nanea. The Inu Pool bar is open until 6:00pm. I don't know if they serve food.

 

[Moparman42]

Auntie's is still closed. I think Pailolo still closes at 8:00 pm. Mauka-Makai is still closed at Nanea. The Inu Pool bar is open until 6:00pm. I don't know if they serve food.

thank you! that's exactly what I wanted to know.

hoping for more (good) changes in the coming week, but won't put any money on it.

 

[Moparman42]

One more question that will also benefit others on this thread. Are the shuttles running?

 

[Henry M.]

The Lāhainā shuttle is running once an hour. The one to Whaler's Village is not running.

You see 2 or 3 shuttles running together as each has very limited seating due to COVID.

 

[jdm4300]

We arrived KOR 1/2 and am very disappointed. Management is not enforcing the state mask mandate and many people are not wearing masks. We are scheduled for 9 weeks here, but are planning on going home after 1 week.

 

[JanT]

We spent 8 weeks at Marriott KoOlina at the end of 2020. The first few weeks we saw compliance with the mask policy. After that, we saw more and more people without masks and Marriott didn’t do a thing about it. We were not happy about that. I sent an email to the resort GM expressing my frustration with that. Haven’t heard back.

Before you pull the plug on your trip you might request to meet with the GM at the resort and express your dissatisfaction with the lack of mask enforcement.

We arrived KOR 1/2 and am very disappointed. Management is not enforcing the state mask mandate and many people are not wearing masks. We are scheduled for 9 weeks here, but are planning on going home after 1 week.

 

[Henry M.]

I guess everyone has their own level of tolerance. I have been at KOR-N since December 2 and have felt safe the whole time. Almost everyone walking around the resort and elsewhere has a mask on, or puts one on when they see someone approaching. People sitting on a lounge at the pool or at the beach generally don't wear masks, but I don't come close to them and don't feel threatened by their presence. I also don't feel threatened by merely passing next to a person for the briefest of time, regardless of their face covering.

If I really felt that anyone I can see, even at some distance, is a deadly threat to my well-being, I would probably not leave the safety of my house. Masks are not 100% effective, so such a threat would make me not want to be near anyone. Just the flight over here had me in much closer range to people, for longer periods of time, than anything I've experienced on the island. Some didn't even cover their nose when they had a mask on, or touched their nose and face under their mask.

I would say if you don't feel safe going to the store, out on the street, or to a place with significant numbers of people at home, don't go on vacation anywhere. Any tourist destination will have lots of people with varying levels of personal hygiene habits and the potential for disease transmission.

You can always do as suggested in this thread.

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

We are at Hyatt but did a presentation at Nanea and have walked down to North a few times. Most everyone wears masks. At Napili and Kapalua beach there were many in the rest room and walking on the path without masks. For the most part, there is compliance and we feel very safe here.