Just my two cents for those considering a HGVC Lagoon Tower purchase
Keep in mind, that you’re not stuck with your timeshare purchase forever.
If you buy and decide you don’t want it later for ANY REASON, you can always sell it.
From my previous experience, I believe the Lagoon Tower tries to provide home resort owners with the best rooms whenever possible (based on check-in availability).
Perhaps if my husband and I were staying via a HGVC reservation as Lagoon Tower owners vs a RCI exchange reservation via a non-HGVC resort, we would never have been assigned a unit at the backend of the building and relocation to a different unit would have been completed much earlier during our one week stay instead of having to endure the nightly termite swarming until the 6th day of our stay. It wasn’t until the morning of the 6th day after we posted a video and photos of our termite issue on HGVC’s Facebook page that the Resort Manager acknowledged our Lagoon Tower ownership and moved us to the highest floor in the unit type that we own (Two Bedroom Oceanfront - Room 2366).
I can honestly tell you, I wasn’t prepared for this situation and final came to TUG out of desperation –
see link. Thankfully a TUG member suggested that I use social media to bring attention to my issue which actually helped us get moved that same day.
If you decide to buy a Lagoon Tower unit, I suggest having a plan just in case you’re in a similar situation where you want to change your room but management has no alternate rooms to offer. Your plan could include a list of alternate accommodations that you might try to book last minute, what you might ask for in terms of compensation, escalation steps you would take with HGVC while you’re still at the resort, etc.
NOTE: Lagoon Tower has a 98% occupancy rate year round.
OUR DECISION
We fell in love with the Hilton Hawaiian Village back in 2000 during our first visit and had many wonderful stays with lots of photos & memories. You can find our various Hilton Hawaiian Village photos over the last decade on FLICKR –
see link.
Our next Lagoon Tower EOY usage is not until 2017, so we have time to make a final decision regarding our EOY oceanfront Lagoon Tower week. So far, our discussions have been around selling. We’re currently in the process of selling one of our three HGVC weeks (this month we signed our SeaWorld deed over to the new owner and sent it to the closing company). We previously used all three weeks for timeshare stays at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Our timeshare purchases have mainly provided us with a way to travel with extended family members otherwise a hotel room for just the two of us is fine. We don’t want to be responsible for supplying alternate accommodations & unplanned meals out for our guests if something goes wrong again.
For the three separate termites incidents (all on the Lagoon Tower penthouse floor), we were given the same canned response from the resort manager that the termites must have flew in from the outside (maybe corporate has given them direction to respond this way). This severe termite issue has put us over the edge and our trust in Hilton to provide reliable accommodations at the Lagoon Tower is severely broken. We sent questions for the Annual Owners meeting to gain an understanding on the specific actions HGVC was taking to address pest control however we were given vague answers –
see link. Based on their response, we can’t tell if HGVC is taking a more aggressive approach since our previous incidents in 2010 and 2014. As a result it's hard determine what members can expect in the future.
My overall thoughts on HGVC are capture on the SURPRISED thread –
see link.
Regarding Formosan termites
I can tell you that the floor seriously slopes in the upstairs master bedroom of the two story three bedroom penthouse unit in the Lagoon Tower (Room 2472/2473) which makes me wonder if this is due to termites (instead of bad construction).
I’ve read that Formosan termite colonies have been found on the top floors of concrete high-rises in Hawaii and Miami, supported by the moisture from leaking water tanks.
The swarmers which we saw this past September are winged termites called alates that take flight to mate and start new colonies. When it grows large enough, a single colony may produce up to 70,000 alates. These alates will then swarm away to form new colonies. The females fly off first, immediately searching for nesting sites, with males following shortly thereafter.
From this 2001 article titled "Terror of Termites"-
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2001/06/29/features/index.html,
“…Termites are the most harmful insects in Hawaii, causing more than $100 million worth of damage each year. Hawaii's major wood-eating nemesis is the Formosan subterranean termite, a Chinese native that flies, swarms in vast clouds and munches through concrete, bricks or mortar to reach wood, chewing through many other materials, including insulation around underground electrical lines, and causing power outages.”
From this 2014 article titled "Hawaii offers grim warning" -
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/05/hawaii_offers_grim_warning.html
“…Landing at least a century earlier than their mainland kin, the Formosans are everywhere in Hawaii, even more enmeshed in the culture and infrastructure of the islands than they are in New Orleans. The state’s drawn-out battle with Formosan termites offers a frightening window on the future for Louisiana and other sites where the termites are relative newcomers.
The worst pest in a state inundated with pests, Formosans are warded off with ancient Shinto chants and the latest in baiting technology, written into building codes and budgets and the subject of ongoing lawsuits. Anti-termite building techniques are years ahead of those on the mainland, yet Formosans persist.
The termites arrived in Honolulu early in the 19th century, possibly by way of the islands’ sandalwood trade with China. At first they spread slowly through Oahu, the most heavily populated island, and during this century have jumped to all the other islands in the archipelago.
…Formosans infest entire neighborhoods, the campus of the University of Hawaii, and buildings at Honolulu’s airport, military installations, government offices and other historic structures. Many high-rise hotels in the bustling tourist district of Waikiki have Formosan infestations in their upper floors. Termites routinely hit utility poles, forcing the power company to install replacements with a special termite-proof barrier wrapped around the bottom.
…Unaware of termite-proofing methods or unwilling to pay for them, some developers find their new homes, shopping malls and office buildings infested even before they’re completed.
In Ewa Beach, an area west of Honolulu, termites apparently feeding on buried sugar cane debris invaded housing developments and malls built on old cane fields and are doing costly damage.
Shoddy building practices also take a toll. With everything including land and materials about 50 percent more expensive than on the mainland, builders and buyers are always looking to cut corners.
…Despite the technology available to stop the pests, termite damage persists. People don’t talk much about termites and don’t want to advertise infestations to their neighbors. As workers ran a buzz saw in their yard and rebuilt their damaged front steps, the Yamamotos found themselves regretting that they hadn’t paid more attention and searched for telltale mud tubes.
‘‘It’s like a disease: Until you get hit by it and have to go to the doctor, you don’t pay attention. Hawaiians wait until they get hit, then they panic,’’ said Julian Yates, an extension entomologist at the University of Hawaii.
That’s one reason why longtime termite observers think Hawaii’s problems are far from over. ‘‘It’s going to get worse before it gets better,’’ Tamashiro said, ‘‘because it’s still spreading.’’
We had three separate instances with termites during our Lagoon Tower stays:
- minor termite issue for one day in room 2467 (Feb 2010)
- minor termite issue for one day in room 2461 (Sept 2014)
- severe termite issue spanning multiple days in room 2472/2473 (Sept 2014)
In addition to my three separate termite incidents on the Lagoon Tower penthouse floor (2010 & 2014), there have been several reported incidents on tripadvisor over the years.
Incident documented on TripAdvisor
Oct 2013 -
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...ge-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT
On arrival (room 2065) we enjoyed the excellent view and the slightly-better-than-average room furnishings. Mostly a very good impression.
On the 2nd morning, we had been attacked by an infestation of termites. They were literally crawling all over the guest bathroom - in the sink, the tub, over the light fixtures and the counter. They were crawling their nasty little bodies into our travel kits as they hoped for a journey back to the mainland. All together distasteful.
Upon complaint, management came in and sprayed poison (while we were in occupancy!) into the bathroom. This helped for approximately 30 minutes, and then the insects reappeared. On further complaint, hotel management agreed to move us.
The second unit, 2365, had no such infestation. Unfortunately, it had a totally outdated air conditioning system (the same as the first unit) .....To add to this, we noted huge amounts of mold visible in the vents. "
HGVC Mgmt Response on Tripadvisor
In regards to the renovation and maintenance, we are on a continuous rotation of renovations and maintenance upgrades, and Hilton Grand Vacations Cub has been and continues working with the Lagoon Tower Owner’s Association’s board and have already worked out a renovation schedule which was delayed for one year due to issues within the board, and HGVC is doing all renovations on schedule with them. In terms of the mold in AC, I have already instructed the maintenance department to reassess not only the AC maintenance, but other mechanical and plumbing related issues as well. I have also instructed our housekeeping department to conduct a thorough inspection of the property to pinpoint other possible termite problems. As Hawaii is a termite hotspot which all properties from homes to condominiums to hotels are dealing with on a constant basis, we are getting better and better.
March 2011 -
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...on_Hawaiian_Village-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html
Termites...yes...and other things about which to complain too.
We had booked a timeshare exchange over 8 months ago for this property--a 2 bedroom condo. Upon check-in, electricity was off in 3 of the rooms, and the smoke alarm was beeping (needed a battery). This was fixed within a couple hours. When getting ready for bed, we shut the drapes in the living room, opened the pull-out couch, and lo and behold, the room was literally swarming with flying insects, about 3/4 inch long, dropping their wings then falling everywhere. All surfaces were covered with insects! First call to front desk yielded a forward to housekeeping--we were told they were termites. Housekeeper arrived quickly and armed with vacuum and bug spray. Before she arrived, however, we had decided that we could not stay in this room! Even if it were fumigated, I didn't want my young children exposed to the spray. We're not talking a critter or two--they were hundreds, all over the room. We noticed pin-holes in the lampshades (which told us this wasn't new). The room needed serious attention. My call to the manager was blocked by a secretary (?) who wouldn't put me through.. Eventually after a few more calls, the Sunday night manager called back and agreed to come see the room and to look for another room for us. When she arrived and was shown all the dead bugs on the table (they had ceased flying by this time), she shrugged and said "I'm sorry". She got onto her computer at her desk, called us back, and offered us a couple options--none equal (or better) to our room. In fact, we were placed at a much lower level, which impeded our "ocean view" (that's a stretch even on the higher floor). We had to completely re-pack all our things, empty the fridge, and hike it all down--at bedtime for the kids ....
Apri 2010 -
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...on_Hawaiian_Village-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html
REALLY bad: Be forewarned!!! We had TERMITES in our room. There was a hole underneath the sink and at least 50 flew in, shed their wings, and moved on or died on the bathroom floor. Communicated with management and they initially tried to play it off by just sending someone to clean it. No bueno
There is lots of information on the web, Just search the internet for “Formosan termites.
Here are a few articles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formosan_subterranean_termite
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/environment/insects/Termites/formosan_termites/supertermites/index.htm
http://www.mypmp.net/2014/04/17/fact-vs-fiction-formosan-termites/
http://pesticides.hawaii.edu/studypackets/termite.html
http://www.jcehrlich.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-formosan-subterranean-termites/
http://www.termite.com/termites/termites-hawaii.html
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct98/term1098.pdf
http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/15284
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/fst.shtml
http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=61&fr=1&sts=sss
