Is This a Good Deal? (Westin Nanea Villas in Maui)

[WelovetogotoHawaii]

I'm about to buy a resale at this resort for 148000 points for $5000. I've never purchased a timeshare before. Is this a good deal for this location? All I ever hear is that timeshares are a terrible idea, but I thought resales might not be so bad?

My spouse and I love Maui, so we know we'll use these points.

 

[DeniseM]

I would not buy at Nanea - for the lowest maintenance fee, and the most flexibility, I'd buy at the Westin Ka'anapali South/Original. And I'd buy at least a deeded Ocean View. Be aware that 80% of the views at Nanea are Resort View, which essentially is luck of the draw - you don't know what you will get. If you buy at the Westin Ka'anapali South/Original, you can make reservations anywhere in the Vistana system.

 

[Henry M.]

The other Westin Ka'anapali properties in Maui are a bit more expensive, but as Denise says, you have a better chance of ocean views. You can probably sell them for about what you pay for them if you decide you want to get out. You may not be able to get much for your Nanea points. Maintenance fees are also a lot higher.

Another benefit of the other properties is that they are lock-offs that can be split to use them for two weeks in a row. I often stay there that way. Nanea only has full two bedrooms and a small number of 1BR units. The 1BR are hard to reserve, and you wouldn't have enough points to stay two full weeks. At the other properties you'd stay one week in the 1BR and another in the studio.

I felt timeshares were rip-offs before I first bought in Maui in 2002, before any of the buildings were up. I am glad I did and I have greatly enjoyed my ownership and the memories I have with my children. My daughter was 10 when we first went. Decided right then and there that she would want to get married in Hawaii when she saw a carriage with a bride in Kapalua. 15 years later, she did just that and now owns an aftermarket unit at WKORV South.

When I bought, I thought I would only occasionally go to Maui, but I could also go to nice hotels with a developer purchase. I travel internationally quite a bit so there was value in that. In the beginning, I could get a week at nice hotels, but since then the point values needed have increased dramatically while the points I get for turning a week in have not. Hotel exchanges are not a good value. In any case, I've been back to Maui every year. since. I could not touch a hotel, much less a suite with a kitchen and washer/dryer, for anywhere close to the maintenance fees. If you use the timeshare every year and can afford the cost to travel to Hawaii that often, timeshares are actually a very good deal. The ancillary stuff to exchange elsewhere and such maybe not so much. The Maui properties are at the top of the heap in terms of how nice they are. Almost all exchanges are kind of a step down, even if perhaps you could stay longer elsewhere or maybe get a 2BR for your Maui studio. I did just that once in the German Alps! The property was not nearly as nice as the Westins, though. Today, I would rent out my unit and pay for an AirBnB elsewhere if I didn't want to go to Maui.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I wouldn't buy that one. The fees at Nanea are pretty high for a 2 bedroom. Check the annual fees on the Vistana Maintenance Fees thread for 2024. I think you will find it eye opening.

 

[Venter]

I would not buy at Nanea - for the lowest maintenance fee, and the most flexibility, I'd buy at the Westin Ka'anapali South/Original. And I'd buy at least a deeded Ocean View. Be aware that 80% of the views at Nanea are Resort View, which essentially is luck of the draw - you don't know what you will get. If you buy at the Westin Ka'anapali South/Original, you can make reservations anywhere in the Vistana system.

Did they not sell seperate points deeded resort view and ocean view?

 

[VacationForever]

Deleted

 

[djohn06]

Did they not sell seperate points deeded resort view and ocean view?

They have separate deeds for oceanfront Only.

I bought both Nanea and the south tower.

I like that I can check in any day of the week with Nanea a year in advance. South and North towers only allow non weekend check ins 8 months in advance with star options.

As far as maint fees go, I thought the one bedrooms in the towers cost more than the one bedrooms in Nanea.

 

[DeniseM]

I would not buy a 1 bdm at either resort. Not a good value.

 

[Red elephant]

I wouldn't buy that one. The fees at Nanea are pretty high for a 2 bedroom. Check the annual fees on the Vistana Maintenance Fees thread for 2024. I think you will find it eye opening.

You pay more in MF for the flexibility of use. So each individual is different and have different priorities. You can check in at any day of the week and stay for any length of time. So that comes at a price. Therefore different type of vacation priorities. To the OP see what works for you.

 

[rcv82]

While the points above are all valid, this may be a good deal if it works for you. It would cost more than 10x this amount to buy from developer. Generally, everybody on here gives only the opinion of buy a deeded week at north or south or buy Westin Kierland for the mandatory StarOptions at lower maintenance fees. But those aren’t always the best answers for everyone. Here are a few pros and cons of this, recognizing some are repeats from above:

- Ocean views at north or south will cost substantially more. Resorts views a little more. (Avoid resort view at South). You will also get StarOptions you can use to go somewhere else.

- It is resort view at Nanea. But most of the resort views aren’t bad if you book early. There are some parking lot views however.

- It will be fairly easy to book a 2 bedroom stay and you can book any night of the week check in you like 1 year out. You can’t do this at the other properties (except with Westin Flex).

- You can book any night 1 bedroom for 13 nights at 12 months out if you pick the right checking days. However, there aren’t many one bedrooms and they aren’t as nice, as they lose the master side of the two bedroom. To book a 1 bedroom you will want to book exactly 12 months out. I like the 1 bedrooms at north or south better as they are the master side.

- Since this resort is “voluntary“ you will have nothing else you can do with your ownership except to trade in II.

I love my deeded south oceanfront, but it cost 5x resale. For around the same price (or maybe cheaper) Pathan Nanea, you could also get resale Westin Flex. Much of Nanea is in Flex, so it is relatively easy to book and has the same flexibility. But you can also use it at any other of the other 7 Westin Flex resorts at 12 months out. I also own some Flex and find it is fairly easy to book any of the Maui properties, with the usual competition as with deeded weeks for the highest demand weeks. The biggest downside is that the maintenance fees are high, I think even a little higher than Nanea. For either Flex or Nanea resale you wont have that much into them so they shouldn’t be hard to dump if you want out. I personally would do flex over pure Nanea.

Bottom line, if Nanea works for you better than what buying a deeded week at the other properties does or Flex, go for it!


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[rickandcindy23]

They are selling the Abound product now, very expensive.

 

[EnglishmanAbroad]

They have separate deeds for oceanfront Only.

I bought both Nanea and the south tower.

I like that I can check in any day of the week with Nanea a year in advance. South and North towers only allow non weekend check ins 8 months in advance with star options.

As far as maint fees go, I thought the one bedrooms in the towers cost more than the one bedrooms in Nanea.

Did they build some towers? I didn't see any in January so they've put those up pretty quickly

 

[Red elephant]

While the points above are all valid, this may be a good deal if it works for you. It would cost more than 10x this amount to buy from developer. Generally, everybody on here gives only the opinion of buy a deeded week at north or south or buy Westin Kierland for the mandatory StarOptions at lower maintenance fees. But those aren’t always the best answers for everyone. Here are a few pros and cons of this, recognizing some are repeats from above:

- Ocean views at north or south will cost substantially more. Resorts views a little more. (Avoid resort view at South). You will also get StarOptions you can use to go somewhere else.

- It is resort view at Nanea. But most of the resort views aren’t bad if you book early. There are some parking lot views however.

- It will be fairly easy to book a 2 bedroom stay and you can book any night of the week check in you like 1 year out. You can’t do this at the other properties (except with Westin Flex).

- You can book any night 1 bedroom for 13 nights at 12 months out if you pick the right checking days. However, there aren’t many one bedrooms and they aren’t as nice, as they lose the master side of the two bedroom. To book a 1 bedroom you will want to book exactly 12 months out. I like the 1 bedrooms at north or south better as they are the master side.

- Since this resort is “voluntary“ you will have nothing else you can do with your ownership except to trade in II.

I love my deeded south oceanfront, but it cost 5x resale. For around the same price (or maybe cheaper) Pathan Nanea, you could also get resale Westin Flex. Much of Nanea is in Flex, so it is relatively easy to book and has the same flexibility. But you can also use it at any other of the other 7 Westin Flex resorts at 12 months out. I also own some Flex and find it is fairly easy to book any of the Maui properties, with the usual competition as with deeded weeks for the highest demand weeks. The biggest downside is that the maintenance fees are high, I think even a little higher than Nanea. For either Flex or Nanea resale you wont have that much into them so they shouldn’t be hard to dump if you want out. I personally would do flex over pure Nanea.

Bottom line, if Nanea works for you better than what buying a deeded week at the other properties does or Flex, go for it!


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This 100% correct. The one bedrooms in Nanea are not as nice . What a disappointment. Although I was able to book 2 weeks there. Straight booking no locking off and making 2 separate reservations. I travel in September/October so not difficult to book.

 

[DeniseM]

Some clarification:

Westin Ka'anapali North and South do not have Resort View - only Nanea has that category.
North & South have:
- Island View
- Ocean View
- Ocean Front

At WKORV-S, Island View is parking lot view - don't buy that. But at WKORV-N, they did not build any parking lot view villas, so even an Island view will face the pool, landscaping or park.

If you buy RESALE at Nanea, you will not have Staroptions, because you don't get Staroptions with a resale at Nanea.

However, if you buy RESALE at WKORV N or S, you will get Staroptions that can trade into all other Vistana resorts - this keeps the resale value up.

The buildings are 6 stories high, however, some people don't like it if you call them "towers." I say "North and South towers" all the time - it's a short cut and everyone here understands what it means.

Yellow = Resort View, Blue = Ocean Front

Pink = Ocean Front, Yellow = Ocean View, Green = Island View.

 

[WahooWah]

While the points above are all valid, this may be a good deal if it works for you. It would cost more than 10x this amount to buy from developer. Generally, everybody on here gives only the opinion of buy a deeded week at north or south or buy Westin Kierland for the mandatory StarOptions at lower maintenance fees. But those aren’t always the best answers for everyone. Here are a few pros and cons of this, recognizing some are repeats from above:

- Ocean views at north or south will cost substantially more. Resorts views a little more. (Avoid resort view at South). You will also get StarOptions you can use to go somewhere else.

- It is resort view at Nanea. But most of the resort views aren’t bad if you book early. There are some parking lot views however.

- It will be fairly easy to book a 2 bedroom stay and you can book any night of the week check in you like 1 year out. You can’t do this at the other properties (except with Westin Flex).

- You can book any night 1 bedroom for 13 nights at 12 months out if you pick the right checking days. However, there aren’t many one bedrooms and they aren’t as nice, as they lose the master side of the two bedroom. To book a 1 bedroom you will want to book exactly 12 months out. I like the 1 bedrooms at north or south better as they are the master side.

- Since this resort is “voluntary“ you will have nothing else you can do with your ownership except to trade in II.

I love my deeded south oceanfront, but it cost 5x resale. For around the same price (or maybe cheaper) Pathan Nanea, you could also get resale Westin Flex. Much of Nanea is in Flex, so it is relatively easy to book and has the same flexibility. But you can also use it at any other of the other 7 Westin Flex resorts at 12 months out. I also own some Flex and find it is fairly easy to book any of the Maui properties, with the usual competition as with deeded weeks for the highest demand weeks. The biggest downside is that the maintenance fees are high, I think even a little higher than Nanea. For either Flex or Nanea resale you wont have that much into them so they shouldn’t be hard to dump if you want out. I personally would do flex over pure Nanea.

Bottom line, if Nanea works for you better than what buying a deeded week at the other properties does or Flex, go for it!


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This is the correct answer, thank you. A lot of people like the Nanea property better than KOR or KOR North. If that is the case, you should buy Nanea.

 

[DeniseM]

Well, that's a matter of opinion - I really like Nanea, but I'm glad I own at WKORV-S, for the lower maintenance fees and the flexibility of using Staroptions. If the OP thinks he might like to book a studio or 1 bdm at times, then WKORV-S is definitely the way to go, because Nanea 1 bdms. are hard to reserve, because there are so few of them, and Nanea has no studios. AND if I was buying now - I'd buy at Westin Kierland for even lower maintenance fees. I hope the OP will take more time to really understand his options, before he commits.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Denise is spot on with the recommendation of Kierland, specifically platinum mandatory SO's, 2 bedroom. Kierland would be a great option for anyone who wants to have the flexibility of SO's without the high maintenance fees. It would be a good starter purchase.

 

[rcv82]

Denise is spot on with the recommendation of Kierland, specifically platinum mandatory SO's, 2 bedroom. Kierland would be a great option for anyone who wants to have the flexibility of SO's without the high maintenance fees. It would be a good starter purchase.

While this is a great general purchase, it probably isn’t the best for the OP. The WKV unit will probably cost at least $10k more upfront, which will take nearly 10 years to pay back in maintenance fee savings, and only give 8 month access to Maui with StarOptions.


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[rickandcindy23]

While this is a great general purchase, it probably isn’t the best for the OP. The WKV unit will probably cost at least $10k more upfront, which will take nearly 10 years to pay back in maintenance fee savings, and only give 8 month access to Maui with StarOptions.


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It never loses its value, so buying Kierland at today's price, it might even go up a bit in value. It's not sunk cost.

 

[bizaro86]

It never loses its value, so buying Kierland at today's price, it might even go up a bit in value. It's not sunk cost.

It historically hasn't lost its value, but like the investment ads say "past performance is no guarantee of future results." If MF keeps going up faster than vacation value under Marriott management prices will decline.

 

[vacationtime1]

Doesn’t Marriott have an ROFR for Nanea? The price in OP’s post will induce Marriott to take it at that price (even if it is an every other year interest, which is what I suspect it is).

 

[rcv82]

It never loses its value, so buying Kierland at today's price, it might even go up a bit in value. It's not sunk cost.

Likely true. But you aren’t at much risk of losing your investment with a $5k 148100 HomeOption Nanea purchase either.


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