Lack of Full Kitchen - Maui Ocean Club

[Jwerking]

Could only book a 1 Br unit with a partial kitchen instead of full kitchen for a 16 night stay. Is there a shared kitchen on every floor? Is there more than one stove and oven in these kitchens? Are they crowded during all meal times or mostly just at dinner time?

Thanks for any comments.

 

[dioxide45]

There is only one shared kitchen, called the Gourmet Center, in the entire original section. The Gourmet Center only has cooktops (three sets). No oven, though I recall what looked like a small toaster oven and there are microwaves. Though you have a microwave in the room too. I noticed that it was busier in the mornings with people cooking breakfast vs. not as busy in the evening for dinner.

I show it in my resort tour video starting at the 5:14 mark.

 

[daviator]

When we used to stay in those units as a family, we would bring along an inexpensive and relatively lightweight electric cooktop (two burner) and use that for cooking in the room. You can't cook everything, but you can make simple dinners like spaghetti etc. There is a full sized fridge and a full-sized dishwasher as I recall. We made it work pretty well. At the end of the trip you can pack the cooktop in your luggage and take it home with you.

I've also heard of people buying an inexpensive cooktop from Walmart in Kahului and then abandoning it there when finished. That's an option but it's pretty wasteful and it isn't the one I'd choose.

Or, of course you can use the cooktops in the shared kitchen downstairs.

 

[davidvel]

Could only book a 1 Br unit with a partial kitchen instead of full kitchen for a 16 night stay. Is there a shared kitchen on every floor? Is there more than one stove and oven in these kitchens? Are they crowded during all meal times or mostly just at dinner time?

Thanks for any comments.

In your other post you stated that you were trying to book in the Lahaina (Napili) Towers, which are the newer purpose build timeshares. They have full kitchens in the 1BR+. Seems like you changed to the old section. Did you mean to do this?

 

[GrayFal]

When we used to stay in those units as a family, we would bring along an inexpensive and relatively lightweight electric cooktop (two burner) and use that for cooking in the room. You can't cook everything, but you can make simple dinners like spaghetti etc. There is a full sized fridge and a full-sized dishwasher as I recall. We made it work pretty well. At the end of the trip you can pack the cooktop in your luggage and take it home with you.

I've also heard of people buying an inexpensive cooktop from Walmart in Kahului and then abandoning it there when finished. That's an option but it's pretty wasteful and it isn't the one I'd choose.

Or, of course you can use the cooktops in the shared kitchen downstairs.

Are there pots and frying pans in the unit or do you have to “borrow” from the shared kitchen?

 

[daviator]

Are there pots and frying pans in the unit or do you have to “borrow” from the shared kitchen?

There are pots and pans in the units. It's almost like they expect people to bring their own cooktop.

 

[pedro47]

There is only one shared kitchen, called the Gourmet Center, in the entire original section. The Gourmet Center only has cooktops (three sets). No oven, though I recall what looked like a small toaster oven and there are microwaves. Though you have a microwave in the room too. I noticed that it was busier in the mornings with people cooking breakfast vs. not as busy in the evening for dinner.

I show it in my resort tour video starting at the 5:14 mark.

That is an outstanding video. Dioxide45, you captured everything about this lovely resort. IMHO

 

[craigc]

I lost track of how many years we have been going there, we originally bought there 25 years ago when my kids were......young. Going back in Nov '26. Anyway, sure its not as good as having a full kitchen but we always stopped by Target/Walmart/Costco and bought an inexpensive griddle. We used it to cock the girls breakfast and the occasional grilled cheese for lunch. We either BBQ'd for dinner, used the shared kitchen or went out. I am excited to get back where it all started, just the 2 of us this trip since the girls are 23/28 now. Sure it would be nice to have a full kitchen but I'll take that location over a full kitchen any day! Enjoy

 

[rickandcindy23]

There are pots and pans in the units. It's almost like they expect people to bring their own cooktop.

Our daughter-in-law was surprised by this. "No stove, but pots and pans?"

We bring an electric griddle for pancakes, eggs and bacon for breakfast, then we grill and have salads with dinner. We have never stayed at MMO more than a week. We can make do. The refrigerator is surprisingly capable of holding a lot of food. We moved from a big 3 bedroom Sands of Kahana with side-by-side refrigerator that was packed. We saw the refrigerator at MMO upon checking in and said, "how are we going to get that food into the refrigerator?" But it worked. It was tight, but we made it fit. Happy to know that MMO now has a large refrigerator.

 

[dioxide45]

There are pots and pans in the units. It's almost like they expect people to bring their own cooktop.

Have there always been pots and pans in the unit? Or did they just start doing that when they built the shared Gourmet Center?

 

[jtp1947]

There were always pots and pans in the unit. If I remember correctly the pots and pans are induction use only and induction cooktops is what is in the community kitchen. We bring an induction type cooktop when we stay.

 

[dioxide45]

There were always pots and pans in the unit. If I remember correctly the pots and pans are induction use only and induction cooktops is what is in the community kitchen. We bring an induction type cooktop when we stay.

The pots that were in our unit back in June (we had a renovated unit) didn't look anything different from the pots that we've seen in any of the other Marriott resorts. I don't know if there is such a thing as induction only, there are pans that work better on induction cooktops vs other types of cook tops.

Our room didn't have any pans, but I think we were also the first people to stay in the room since they completed its renovation. So they may just not have put them in there yet, or they forgot.

 

[Luanne]

Oh my gosh, I can't imagine not having a full kitchen for that long of a stay. I also can't imagine bringing, or buying, your own electric griddle or cook top. Are they even allowed in the units with a partial kitchen?

 

[craigc]

Oh my gosh, I can't imagine not having a full kitchen for that long of a stay. I also can't imagine bringing, or buying, your own electric griddle or cook top. Are they even allowed in the units with a partial kitchen?

If the lack of full kitchen is an issue, one can consider spending more points and staying in the Napili & Lahaina towers, these are on the same property and purpose built timeshares with full kitchen and laundry in every unit.

 

[WahooWah]

When we used to stay in those units as a family, we would bring along an inexpensive and relatively lightweight electric cooktop (two burner) and use that for cooking in the room. You can't cook everything, but you can make simple dinners like spaghetti etc. There is a full sized fridge and a full-sized dishwasher as I recall. We made it work pretty well. At the end of the trip you can pack the cooktop in your luggage and take it home with you.

I've also heard of people buying an inexpensive cooktop from Walmart in Kahului and then abandoning it there when finished. That's an option but it's pretty wasteful and it isn't the one I'd choose.

Or, of course you can use the cooktops in the shared kitchen downstairs.

Is that not a violation of house rules and/or fire codes?

 

[ljmiii]

Oh my gosh, I can't imagine not having a full kitchen for that long of a stay....

I understand everyone is different, but in two decades and hundreds of nights of timesharing we've used the oven exactly once...to reheat multiple leftover pizzas. Oddly enough in the Napili Tower at MOC.

A full size fridge, a microwave, and a dishwasher are really all the kitchen appliances we need...though we do occasionally use a cooktop if its there.

 

[dioxide45]

It should be noted that it is not a full size refrigerator. It isn't the old small bar size. I think the size of the fridge in the MOC units would be considered "apartment size". Smaller than what most have in their home but much larger than the small mini fridge. They do have a separate freezer on top but they don't have ice makers because they are not adjacent to a water source.

 

[Luanne]

I understand everyone is different, but in two decades and hundreds of nights of timesharing we've used the oven exactly once...to reheat multiple leftover pizzas. Oddly enough in the Napili Tower at MOC.

A full size fridge, a microwave, and a dishwasher are really all the kitchen appliances we need...though we do occasionally use a cooktop if its there.

We find that we do less cooking in the condo than we did when our daughters were little, but we definitely use the stove top quite a bit. Probably not the oven as much, but we do use it. And yes everyone is different, but for me/us we require a full kitchen and a washer/dryer in the unit.

 

[Luanne]

If the lack of full kitchen is an issue, one can consider spending more points and staying in the Napili & Lahaina towers, these are on the same property and purpose built timeshares with full kitchen and laundry in every unit.

I probably shouldn't have posted here as this is not a resort we would be staying at. We own at Maui Hill in Kihei, don't have a Marriott membership.

 

[NboroGirl]

The pots that were in our unit back in June (we had a renovated unit) didn't look anything different from the pots that we've seen in any of the other Marriott resorts. I don't know if there is such a thing as induction only, there are pans that work better on induction cooktops vs other types of cook tops.

You are correct in that there aren't "induction only" pots & pans. Some pots & pans won't work on induction heat cooktops. You can tell if they will by seeing if a magnet will stick to the bottom. If not, then it won't work on an induction heat cooktop.

 

[Dean]

There was ONE fairly nice toaster oven in the shared kitchen but no pans there or available for it. If it's an important item, I'd buy something inexpensive and take it. Maybe leave it for the next person needing one creating additional room in your luggage.

 

[daviator]

There was ONE fairly nice toaster oven in the shared kitchen but no pans there or available for it. If it's an important item, I'd buy something inexpensive and take it. Maybe leave it for the next person needing one creating additional room in your luggage.

The problem, of course, is that anything you leave behind is going to get thrown out (at worst), or maybe taken home by a housekeeper at best, if that's allowed. They aren't going to leave extraneous stuff in the room for the next guest, even when it might be appreciated.

So if you buy stuff you plan to use and then discard or leave behind, know that you'll be helping to fill the local andfill, most likely. Whether that's anything to care about or not is a personal choice.

 

[Dean]

The problem, of course, is that anything you leave behind is going to get thrown out (at worst), or maybe taken home by a housekeeper at best, if that's allowed. They aren't going to leave extraneous stuff in the room for the next guest, even when it might be appreciated.

So if you buy stuff you plan to use and then discard or leave behind, know that you'll be helping to fill the local andfill, most likely. Whether that's anything to care about or not is a personal choice.

That has not been my understanding. Of course it happens where other guests take it home or housekeeping but I've been to many resorts who had items left by other guests that they had kept including crock pots. Still, in this situation it wouldn't matter as the main goal would be to have what you needed when you get there, it not, it'd be silly to pack items regardless.

 

[daviator]

That has not been my understanding. Of course it happens where other guests take it home or housekeeping but I've been to many resorts who had items left by other guests that they had kept including crock pots. Still, in this situation it wouldn't matter as the main goal would be to have what you needed when you get there, it not, it'd be silly to pack items regardless.

Maybe at non-Marriott properties? I've probably stayed 100 or more times at MVC and Vistana properties and never found a single item in the room that wasn't on the standard inventory list. I've occasionally found MISSING items that should be there, but I've never found anything left behind. I am pretty sure that Housekeeping is instructed to remove anything left behind that isn't part of the standard inventory.

Of course, we've all had our own experiences and it's possible that there are properties where they don't enforce this, I've apparently never stayed at one. But it seems like there is a lot of potential liability for Marriott were they to allow random electric appliances to be left in the room for use by the next guest.

Not trying to beat a dead horse, I've just become a little more aware of what happens to stuff we discard and I try to make choices that reduce the waste I generate when I can. Buying something to use for a week and then throw it out is something I might once have done but wouldn't do today. But as I said, this is a personal choice and not everyone is going to care.

What MVC ought to do, at properties like MOC where it would be beneficial, is have a supply of griddles which guests can check out from the front desk, or something. Or just provide one in the room. They cost $20! People are using them left and right and this is not a secret. If you could just borrow one from the property for the duration of your stay, or if they supplied one in the room, it seems like a better situation for everyone. (The resort undoubtedly has to pay to dispose of this stuff when it is left behind.)

 

[MikeM132]

The pots that were in our unit back in June (we had a renovated unit) didn't look anything different from the pots that we've seen in any of the other Marriott resorts. I don't know if there is such a thing as induction only, there are pans that work better on induction cooktops vs other types of cook tops.

Our room didn't have any pans, but I think we were also the first people to stay in the room since they completed its renovation. So they may just not have put them in there yet, or they forgot.

induction cookware works on any stove. You just need particular metal to work on induction. Let me ask you since I forgot...are the microwave units in the old buildings also convection ovens? We've been there (owned there over 20 years) only a couple times and we did nuke some food but the grills are maybe the most scenic grill areas ever. Pretty nice volunteering to grill dinner.