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Marriott Ko'olina or Ko'olina Beach Villas?

J

jgunter100

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Trying to decide if I should rent a 2 bdrm villa from Marriott Ko'onlina or Ko'olina Beach Villas. We have stayed at the Marriott before, but it seems like for a little more $, we can rent a really nice place at KBV's. We like the area for the coves, so it seems like both would give us access to the coves. The only thing I can think of as a benefir of one over the other is that the Marriott has a waterslide at one of the pools.

Me, My wife, and 3 kids will be going.

Any advice/recommendations would be great.

Thank you
James
 
jgunter100 said:
Trying to decide if I should rent a 2 bdrm villa from Marriott Ko'onlina or Ko'olina Beach Villas. We have stayed at the Marriott before, but it seems like for a little more $, we can rent a really nice place at KBV's. We like the area for the coves, so it seems like both would give us access to the coves. The only thing I can think of as a benefir of one over the other is that the Marriott has a waterslide at one of the pools.

Me, My wife, and 3 kids will be going.

Any advice/recommendations would be great.

Thank you
James
Click to expand...

I would go for the Ko Olina Beach Villas if the price is right. They are full ownership condos just north of the Ko Olina Beach Club. Although I have never been inside them, I would assume that they have some nice touches of home that a timeshare villa would not have. (Such as you find at Marriott's Kauai Lagoons or the Berkeley building at Marriott's Manor Club.)
 
I have stayed at both Marriott Ko'Olina and the Ko'Olina Beach Villas. I would agree that the Ko'Olina Beach Villas are much more luxurious. The kitchens are awesome, and the lanai is one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of using. The doors fold open to create seamless indoor/outdoor living.

As you've mentioned, there is no waterside at the pool, but I would say it was at least as nice as the Marriott pool (and not crowded at all when we were there). There is also a very nice quiet/lap pool.

Be aware that owner rentals are not eligible to use the gym, and the quality of furnishings does vary as they are individually owned. Feel free to ask me if you have any questions!
 
We've stayed at both places as well and have friends who own in both. As said previously the BVs are much more spacious and luxurious ( kitchens designed by Alan Wong), but I personally like the amenities ( Chuck's Steakhouse, Longboards, yoga classes, small gift shop and market,etc.) at the Marriott. If you have young children they'd probably like the slide pool. Also, the BV's have no beach chairs at the lagoons and on most days the locals have occupied all the beach cabanas. Less people at lagoon 2 tho vs lagoon 3.
 
Last year, I communicated with several owners of KBV and/or their property managers when I was having trouble finding the dates I needed to rent from a Marriott Ko'Olina owner. I learned once fees for cleaning, deposits, etc. were added it was more expensive to rent at KBV compared to what owners of the Marriott were asking on TUG and Redweek. Additionally, in general, most KBV owners were not willing to negotiate on rental price. Also, there was at that time a controversy related to a legal issue of some sort, which allowed some owners and their renters to have access to more amenities (e.g. gym), while others did not.
I ended up negotiating with a Marriott owner and we were very happy there for about $350 less for the week. Since we are also Marriott owners (at another property), we did not have to pay parking fees, so more savings. :D
 
If you want a concrete data point, in May 2013 I paid $2695 for a week, including tax and cleaning, for a 3-bedroom ocean view unit on the 9th floor of KBV.
 
Ko Olina Beach Villas update

Good conversation. My family has owned a Ko Olina Beach Villa since 2008.

The villas here are nice 2 and 3 bedroom condos with full kitchen (Roy Yamaguchi designed), living and dining areas that open up to large lanais, blending indoor/outdoor living.

Most of the Beach Villas have ocean views; some also have mountain and golf course views. There are two towers: Ocean Tower and Beach Tower. Both are adjacent to Lagoon 2 (Honu), which tends to be the least crowded and private of any of the four lagoons.

To update everyone, the association now controls all common areas so all owners and guests have access and use of the fitness center, locker room, dry sauna, steam sauna, pools, spas, BBQ grills, lobby and private bar.

Aloha!
Munro
 
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Chrispee, your are right, the pictures I have seen online of the KBV lanai being open from the kitchen looks really nice.

Bocaboy, I did see in the fine print that there is a $300 cleaning fee added on for tue KBV.
 
Munro_Murdock said:
Good conversation. My family has owned a Ko Olina Beach Villa since 2008.

The villas here are nice 2 and 3 bedroom condos with full kitchen (Roy Yamaguchi designed), living and dining areas that open up to large lanais, blending indoor/outdoor living.

Most of the Beach Villas have ocean views; some also have mountain and golf course views. There are two towers: Ocean Tower and Beach Tower. Both are adjacent to Lagoon 2 (Honu), which tends to be the least crowded and private of any of the four lagoons.

To update everyone, the association now controls all common areas so all owners and guests have access and use of the fitness center, locker room, dry sauna, steam sauna, pools, spas, BBQ grills, lobby and private bar.



Aloha!
Munro
Click to expand...

I stand corrected..... The kitchens are by Roy
 
It's great to hear that individually rented units now have access to all common amenities at the Ko'Olina Beach Villas. For what it's worth, if I were renting with a difference price of only $350, it would be a no-brainer for me to go with the Ko'Olina Beach Villas. To each his/her own though as I do love the Marriott Ko'Olina as well.
 
The units and the Ko'olina developement are nice, however the location is not. Ko'Olina is located in a very unattractive, depressed area. The area is very dry, not green and lush at all. It really is not what most people expect Hawaii to look like.
 
Bee said:
The units and the Ko'olina developement are nice, however the location is not. Ko'Olina is located in a very unattractive, depressed area. The area is very dry, not green and lush at all. It really is not what most people expect Hawaii to look like.
Click to expand...

OP has stayed in Ko'Olina before it sounds like, so he/she already knows the area.
 
Bee said:
The units and the Ko'olina developement are nice, however the location is not. Ko'Olina is located in a very unattractive, depressed area. The area is very dry, not green and lush at all. It really is not what most people expect Hawaii to look like.
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I think the location is fantastic, away from the madness of Waikiki/Honolulu, close to Kapolei with lots of choices for reasonably priced food, not crowded, and beautiful lagoons. I love it and going back in April again! Love those studio to 2 br trades into Ko Olina!!!!! :banana:
 
Quadmaniac said:
I think the location is fantastic, away from the madness of Waikiki/Honolulu, close to Kapolei with lots of choices for reasonably priced food, not crowded, and beautiful lagoons. I love it and going back in April again! Love those studio to 2 br trades into Ko Olina!!!!! :banana:
Click to expand...

I have stayed in both Downtown Honolulu and Ko olina. For kids, I like Ko ooina area best.
 
Bee said:
The units and the Ko'olina developement are nice, however the location is not. Ko'Olina is located in a very unattractive, depressed area. The area is very dry, not green and lush at all. It really is not what most people expect Hawaii to look like.
Click to expand...

When driving to Ko Olina, it is true that some of the scenery you pass is not the greenest. But really, a "depressed" area? Kapolei is anything but depressed, and the whole Ko Olina area is upscale to say the least.
 
jgunter100 said:
I have stayed in both Downtown Honolulu and Ko olina. For kids, I like Ko ooina area best.
Click to expand...

I've stayed at both as well and I'm in no rush to go back to Honolulu - way too busy to be relaxing. There's lots to do but it is a zoo there!
 
Quadmaniac said:
I've stayed at both as well and I'm in no rush to go back to Honolulu - way too busy to be relaxing. There's lots to do but it is a zoo there!
Click to expand...

The perfect Oahu vacation for us is a week in Ko'Olina with a few days in Waikiki tacked on at the end.
 
I am born and raised in Hawaii and go back 3 or 4 times a year. We go to Koolina and stay at Marriott Ko'Olina every year and love it out there. Ko'Olina and Kapolei are not depressed areas but quite the opposite. However, further north along the west shore, Nanakuli, Waianae and Makaha are depressed areas. I would not go to those areas after dark and maybe that is what the earlier poster was talking about when speaking of depressed area.

With regard to Ko'Olina being dry, this is true. The leaward side of all of the islands are dry. The difference in annual rainfall can be 100 inches between the leaward and windward side of Hawaiian Islands. I will take a dry sunny day at the beach any day to rain on the windward side. During the winter this is commonly the situation. This is my preferrence and it may not be what everyone wants. If you like it green, the windward side is the place to be. That is the nice thing about Hawaii. There is something for everyone.
 
Boca Boy,

I guess you didn't drive around the area too much. You must have missed some of the sites north of Ko'olina, including the sanitation plant, the homeless people or the bars on the windows of the homes in that area.

I suppose Kapolei has nice strip malls, but they just don't hold much appeal for me either. I'm looking for more natural beauty and it just doesn't exist in that area.

Without the Ko'lina resort development this area is a depressed area. It really is quite obvious. Kapolei grew out of tourist business provided by the Ko'olina resort area.

Who knows, maybe in time the area will improve. I'm sure that's the county's plan. After all, how do you think they got Marriott and Disney to invest in the area?

Bee
 
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