How easy is it to get into Hawaii with Worldmark?

[Mongoose]

Considering buying a Worldmark resale. How easy is it to get the weeks and locations you want, especially Hawaii? Do you put in an ongoing search a year in advance?

 

[tony_i]

Considering buying a Worldmark resale. How easy is it to get the weeks and locations you want, especially Hawaii? Do you put in an ongoing search a year in advance?

I am in my first year of Worldmark, and I was able to book Kihei for Mach 2021 at 13 month out, 2b unit for 7 nights. I eventually cancelled that one as I wanted more nights and school would be a problem. I eventually booked 12 nights for June 2021 in Kihei without any issues, however, I booked and within minutes, everything was gone for that week!

Kihei is their most popular resort out of the 3. I checked on Kapaa for the same days, and those were available to book for 3 to 4 days, but eventually all inventory was gone. I then checked after my 12 nights, and there was available too for another 2 days or so.

With regards to exchanging through interval, we have seen lots of inventory too. I would recommend you check the wmowners forum for their sightings and you can search II resort code and see a history of sightings to get an idea of how far out you could exchange.

I am very happy with the overall value, flexibility, and trading power of WM.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[DaveNV]

Hawaii tends to be very popular, and books fast, usually at exactly 13 months out to the day, promptly at 6:00AM Pacific time, when availability is released. So it can be hard to get it. But since WorldMark can be cancelled without penalty, frequently availability comes open later on. You have to watch for it. Getting on the Waitlist is always a good idea.

Earlier this year I picked up a week back to back on Maui and Kauai for next Spring, at the 13-month mark. My recollection is the availability was just sitting there. I feel pretty good about it.

My suggestion would be that if you are considering WorldMark primarily for getting into Hawaii, I'd rent from an owner instead. There are too many variables to plan on getting the Hawaii time you want. In my opinion, the best way to get Hawaii is to buy a week there at a resort you like. That's about the only way to guarantee you'll get there. I did that for years before buying WorldMark. My trip for next Spring is the first time I'll be back in Hawaii since selling my weeks there a few years ago.

Good luck!

Dave

 

[Mongoose]

Hawaii tends to be very popular, and books fast, usually at exactly 13 months out to the day, promptly at 6:00AM Pacific time, when availability is released. So it can be hard to get it. But since WorldMark can be cancelled without penalty, frequently availability comes open later on. You have to watch for it. Getting on the Waitlist is always a good idea.

Earlier this year I picked up a week back to back on Maui and Kauai for next Spring, at the 13-month mark. My recollection is the availability was just sitting there. I feel pretty good about it.

My suggestion would be that if you are considering WorldMark primarily for getting into Hawaii, I'd rent from an owner instead. There are too many variables to plan on getting the Hawaii time you want. In my opinion, the best way to get Hawaii is to buy a week there at a resort you like. That's about the only way to guarantee you'll get there. I did that for years before buying WorldMark. My trip for next Spring is the first time I'll be back in Hawaii since selling my weeks there a few years ago.

Good luck!

Dave

Thanks. Does WM let you put in a ongoing search or a waitlist?

 

[rickandcindy23]

Thanks. Does WM let you put in a ongoing search or a waitlist?

You can waitlist. I think you can only do one waitlist at a time.

Valley Isle in West Maui is pretty decent. I like it, and it's WM. But I have never gotten a unit there, I have seen the deluxe studios, and if you can stand a hard queen murphy bed, you would like those studios. They are all oceanfront.

We bought at Hono Koa, oceanfront, specifically for that view, 35 feet from the ocean. There are only 4 units that are oceanfront. It was just a no-brainer for us to buy for that view, but we bought resale on ebay.

 

[DaveNV]

Thanks. Does WM let you put in a ongoing search or a waitlist?

As Cindy indicated above, yes, you can Waitlist for it. It's easy to do, and it does work. I've received several reservations I wanted after setting up a Waitlist for the time and location I was after (not in Hawaii - haven't tried that yet.) The Waitlist is pretty specific, so you need to know what you want. This would be especially nice if you wanted to book less than a week, but there are timelines for that.

Where WorldMark really stands out is their locations in the western USA. If your needs are reasonable, and you are more about the location than the accommodations, it's worth it. WM resorts are not over-the-top like some resorts, but are more about comfort and convenience in areas where there are great things to see and do.

Dave

 

[Mongoose]

Thanks. On the resale market, why does it seem that there is a premium for NHK? Does that mean there are no house keeping fees?

 

[rickandcindy23]

Thanks. On the resale market, why does it seem that there is a premium for NHK? Does that mean there are no house keeping fees?

Yes, those are valuable. I would love to own NHK points.

 

[DaveNV]

Thanks. On the resale market, why does it seem that there is a premium for NHK? Does that mean there are no house keeping fees?

Yes. NHK accounts were initially sold when WorldMark was starting, and are no longer offered. If you get one, you won't pay any housekeeping fees. Regular accounts get one free HK token per year per 10K credits owned (I think.) So if you have multiple stays paid with credits, you have to pay for the housekeeping.

As for NHK accounts, do the math. You'd have to stay a LOT of nights to get your money back. And now that they only allow two free guest certificates per year, you may never get your investment back.

Dave

 

[Hobokie]

You can have FOUR waitlist requests at a time. Agree that they have to be specific (room type and dates), but you can put a range. For example, you can say "2 bd Windsor from 6/1-6/10 offer me a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 9 days" and they will offer you anything that fits within this request. Also, I have found that waitlists online are more specific, if you call Vacation Planning center they can adjust/make your request broader

Love my WM! I agree though, not sure I would buy WM specifically for Hawaii, I hear there are better options (for Hawaii specifically).

Also, maybe I've just been to the nicer WMs or maybe I'm getting less picky (ha!) but the ones I have been to are above and beyond and I don't think they are any less than my HGVC (I own Elara and have stayed there) or even Marriott Timber Lodge and one of the Marriotts in Maui, can't remember which now (I have stayed at both of these). WMs I have visited (I have been an owner a little over a year):

WM Bass Lake
WM Marina Dunes
WM Angels Camp (currently here)

WMs friends have visited (guest certificate) and raved about: WM Lake Tahoe, WM Windsor.

 

[DaveNV]

Also, maybe I've just been to the nicer WMs or maybe I'm getting less picky (ha!) but the ones I have been to are above and beyond and I don't think they are any less than my HGVC

I agree. What I meant by my comment was that the resort itself isn't over the top. The in-room accommodations are plenty nice, but outside, it's not like a lot of higher-end resorts, with restaurants, a ton of activities, things for kids, and such. To my mind, it's more like an upscale residence-hotel kind of thing.

Dave

 

[Hobokie]

Yup, agree!! More of a choose-your-own-adventure vs the types of resorts that allow for extensive self entertainment based on the amenities.