Marriott Vacation Club's Big Island (Hawaii) property

[hcarman]

Wasn't sure whether to post on the MVCI threads or the Hawaii threads, but decided to post here first. We will be going to Hawaii in the fall and plan to stay at Ko Olina for a week. We were looking at doing a few days on another island since the island hopper flights are pretty reasonable. We have stayed in Maui and Kauai before so were thinking about the Big Island (we have only been there on a cruise). The property looks very nice and the views stunning, but reading mixed reviews of this property. I am OK with not having a full sized kitchen as we generally do bfast and lunch in the room but eat out for dinner -it is vacation. So just curious who has stayed there and what their thoughts are. Also, is this one you should spring for the oceanview or oceanfront rooms? Or are the pool and island view rooms still pretty nice views? Thanks for any input you may have.

 

[zentraveler]

Wasn't sure whether to post on the MVCI threads or the Hawaii threads, but decided to post here first. We will be going to Hawaii in the fall and plan to stay at Ko Olina for a week. We were looking at doing a few days on another island since the island hopper flights are pretty reasonable. We have stayed in Maui and Kauai before so were thinking about the Big Island (we have only been there on a cruise). The property looks very nice and the views stunning, but reading mixed reviews of this property. I am OK with not having a full sized kitchen as we generally do bfast and lunch in the room but eat out for dinner -it is vacation. So just curious who has stayed there and what their thoughts are. Also, is this one you should spring for the oceanview or oceanfront rooms? Or are the pool and island view rooms still pretty nice views? Thanks for any input you may have.

We are here now although not at the Marriott, but it is enveloped within the larger complex containing the Hilton Waikoloa Village four areas (not to be confused with the Waikoloa Village, HI which is another place about 25 minutes away).

The island has much to offer but it is ... big... so plan on doing some driving. There have been several threads on "which island to visit" and many of them have detailed reports of this island. Also there are a couple of TUG regulars who live here and I am sure will weigh in, as well as those who have stayed at the Marriott. Our experience with hotel conversion properties (Kauai Beach Club in particular) is that the kitchen is fine. And they often (always?) come with an added bath.

 

[daviator]

We stayed at the Marriott Waikaloa in November, but we used Bonvoy points and stayed on the hotel side. It's a combination hotel-and-timeshare property with the hotel rooms in different buildings than the timeshare rooms. Everyone shares the common area facilities I think. It's a nice, though somewhat dated, property, and our room was ok but had a leak in the bathroom resulting in water that came out from under the flooring when you stepped in the right place. I reported it and hopefully they found and fixed the problem before it became a bigger issue.

I can't speak to the timeshare rooms. But the resort has a nice pool complex, a good restaurant with a great breakfast, a bar, etc. It's well located in what I'd call the tourist hotel area of the island where nearly all the high-end hotels are clustered. There are multiple golf courses, two shopping centers with dining options within easy walking distance, it's right on the beach, and you could probably have a good time without venturing out, but you should venture out.

The island is huge and you could spend a week just driving around to see it all. If one of the two active volcanoes is erupting, you'll want to drive to see that if you can. When we were there, both were erupting and you could see the glow from Mauna Loa from the hotel area. We also spent a couple of nights at the Volcano Hotel on the opposite side of the island, inside Volcanoes National Park, which allowed us to see Kilauea's lava at night.

If you've never been to the Big Island I definitely recommend it. All the islands have a different look and personality, but the Big Island is the "most different" in my opinion. Because of past lava flows over the years, nearly all of the undeveloped parts of the island look like some kind of alien landscape. It's stark but beautiful.

 

[rthib]

We liked the property, but we used it as a base since we were mostly there to visit Chocolate farm and chocolate.
It is fun to walk and explore the historical ruins around the property.
It is not to me a “stay at the resort“ kind of place. It is nice but not really beach front. The fish ponds are between most of the resort and the beach.
We picked up breakfast for our stay at the bakery. There are grills if you want to cook but plenty of close food.
Island view depends on what you get, this was our island view and I really liked it.

 

[zentraveler]

The island is huge and you could spend a week just driving around to see it all. If one of the two active volcanoes is erupting, you'll want to drive to see that if you can. When we were there, both were erupting and you could see the glow from Mauna Loa from the hotel area. We also spent a couple of nights at the Volcano Hotel on the opposite side of the island, inside Volcanoes National Park, which allowed us to see Kilauea's lava at night.

If you've never been to the Big Island I definitely recommend it. All the islands have a different look and personality, but the Big Island is the "most different" in my opinion. Because of past lava flows over the years, nearly all of the undeveloped parts of the island look like some kind of alien landscape. It's stark but beautiful.

Completely agree. It is hard to really take in the island in 2 or 3 days unless you want to spend a lot of time in your car. The biggest drawback to this general resort area is, since most of it is not on the beach/ocean, it feels like it could be in Scottsdale or Palm Desert. Lots of nice landscaping, golf courses of course, and weather, peaceful condo complexes and 2 shopping centers, but everyone in the shops/restaurants is a tourist. This is not a place where locals ever come except to work. Not true of all of the TS on this island but true for the Hilton and Marriott here.

 

[hcarman]

We liked the property, but we used it as a base since we were mostly there to visit Chocolate farm and chocolate.
It is fun to walk and explore the historical ruins around the property.
It is not to me a “stay at the resort“ kind of place. It is nice but not really beach front. The fish ponds are between most of the resort and the beach.
We picked up breakfast for our stay at the bakery. There are grills if you want to cook but plenty of close food.
Island view depends on what you get, this was our island view and I really liked it.

View attachment 72956

Pretty nice island view.

 

[hcarman]

If the resort isn’t oceanfront, what is the difference between an oceanview room and an oceanfront room? MVCI lists both view types? Are all the hotel and vacation club rooms combined in the main building?

 

[daviator]

If the resort isn’t oceanfront, what is the difference between an oceanview room and an oceanfront room? MVCI lists both view types? Are all the hotel and vacation club rooms combined in the main building?

It's as oceanfront as it can be in that location. There are fish ponds between the hotel and the beach, with a little footbridge you walk over. So the hotel property probably sits a couple hundred feet back from the beach. I'd call it oceanfront, but not as oceanfront as some other properties.

So the oceanfront rooms do look out at the ocean, but you have koi ponds in the foreground.

The timeshare rooms are in a different building kind of off to one side of the main building.

 

[tahoe]

If you've never been to the Big Island I definitely recommend it. All the islands have a different look and personality, but the Big Island is the "most different" in my opinion. Because of past lava flows over the years, nearly all of the undeveloped parts of the island look like some kind of alien landscape. It's stark but beautiful.

I second this.

Waikaloa itself, IMHO, is not as nice as the other MVC resorts in Hawaii, but I highly recommend visiting the Big Island at least once.

I’ve stayed in an ocean view room and a pool view room at Waikaloa, and I feel the pool view is a better “per point” value.

 

[hcarman]

Thank you all so much for your advice. Sounds like there definitely wouldn't be much difference between and ocean view and ocean front room - probably not enough to justify the points difference - and maybe pool or island view are the best bet. And we should plan on at least three days (no less) if we are combining with Ko Olina stay.

 

[tahoe]

This thread might help:

Marriott Waikoloa ocean club - reviews? Recommendations?

So new abound member (via Westin conversion), just booked our first abound reservation for my daughter’s 5 year wedding anniversary, at Marriott Waikoloa ocean club. What’s it like there? Helpful suggestions/hints of Resort ? They’ve never been to big island. All feedback appreciated

tugbbs.com

 

[californiagirl]

We stayed in an ocean view 1 bdrm villa in 2019. These pictures were taken from the balcony. The timeshare room was much nicer than the regular hotel rooms. We were in an ocean view hotel room in 2008. We looked directly into another room. The only way to see the ocean was to go onto the balcony, lean forward and turn your head all the way to the right.

When we stayed in the timeshare room we arrived after midnight. Our flight had been cancelled just prior to take off. So we jumped on whatever flight we could get. We thought for sure we would get the bottom of the barrel room. When we woke up the next morning we were thrilled with our room and view. The big island is unlike any of the other Hawaiian islands. Unless you are in Hilo it is not lush and tropical. There are trails to walk on from the resort through the lava fields and also to the Hilton. There is an Island Gourmet store in the shops near the resort (easy walking distance) that has pretty good food. It’s a kicked up ABC store. I’m not sure how many shops in that center survived covid but there was a limited food court in 2019. While you can’t see everything in 3 days I think it would be worthwhile to get a feel for the island.

 

[mjm1]

Wasn't sure whether to post on the MVCI threads or the Hawaii threads, but decided to post here first. We will be going to Hawaii in the fall and plan to stay at Ko Olina for a week. We were looking at doing a few days on another island since the island hopper flights are pretty reasonable. We have stayed in Maui and Kauai before so were thinking about the Big Island (we have only been there on a cruise). The property looks very nice and the views stunning, but reading mixed reviews of this property. I am OK with not having a full sized kitchen as we generally do bfast and lunch in the room but eat out for dinner -it is vacation. So just curious who has stayed there and what their thoughts are. Also, is this one you should spring for the oceanview or oceanfront rooms? Or are the pool and island view rooms still pretty nice views? Thanks for any input you may have.

We stayed there the year after it opened and enjoyed the resort. We went with a pool view unit and I think it was the best choice for us. The ocean view and ocean front views just didn’t seem as nice as the ocean view from our OV unit at Ko Olina. Sounds like you may have the same itinerary as ours. We love the OV units at MKO and I wouldn’t compare that to the views at the Waikoloa property. It really depends on preference and how many points you want to use. Either way I bet you will enjoy your experience.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[echino]

I spent 3 days on the Big Island, saw a lot! The most fascinating thing I saw was the green sand beach.

 

[hcarman]

We stayed there the year after it opened and enjoyed the resort. We went with a pool view unit and I think it was the best choice for us. The ocean view and ocean front views just didn’t seem as nice as the ocean view from our OV unit at Ko Olina. Sounds like you may have the same itinerary as ours. We love the OV units at MKO and I wouldn’t compare that to the views at the Waikoloa property. It really depends on preference and how many points you want to use. Either way I bet you will enjoy your experience.

Best regards.

Mike

Thanks - you are correct. We have an Oceanview at Ko Olina for a week. Trying to add an extra 2-3 nights at Big Island since flights are pretty cheap between the islands and Mom hasn’t see the Big Island.

 

[Troyrissa]

We are doing the exact same this fall. A week at Ko Olina then on to the big island. Big island is the only island I haven’t been to. I used Hilton points to stay 2 nights then 2 nights at Marriott Waikoloa. I may try to add 1 more night. The tips on the sights/restaurants have been very helpful. Looks like I will definitely need a rental car.

 

[rthib]

Found the Cacao farm we visited.
It was wild to go from the moon scape to lush forest.
Honokaa

Cacao Farm Tour / Chocolate Tastings

Join us for a cacao farm tour and chocolate tasting: 45-3584 Old Mamalahoa Highway Honoka'a, HI 96727 By reservation below: 2pm to 4pm Monday thru Friday Book Tasting & Tour Book Tasting & Tour Factory Store open to the public Our Factory Store is located in downtown Honoka'a at 45-3587...

honokaachocolateco.com

Also, highly recommend GyPSy Tour App for all the islands. Great to hear about sites but also history of Hawaii.

LIKE A TOUR GUIDE ALONG FOR THE DRIVE

Discover more as stories, tips and directions play automatically along the route.

gypsyguide.com

 

[altiste1]

Also, highly recommend GyPSy Tour App for all the islands. Great to hear about sites but also history of Hawaii.

I wholeheartedly second the recommendation for GyPSy tours. We did that a few weeks ago on Kauai and on Oahu for a day trip there. The tours cover the best beaches (giving inside knowledge on how to get there, where to park, what to avoid, etc), local specialties and restaurants that serve them, history of the islands (which to me caused a great deal of cognitive dissonance for the remainder of the trip, but that’s a topic for another day) and other points of interest. They increased our enjoyment of our driving excursions fivefold. Best $13 I’ve ever spent on a tour.

Incidentally they have similar tours in various spots on the continental US, Canada and Australia.

 

[Jim Mc]

Volcanoes Park and Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour that takes you both to Hilo and Valley of the Kings. Costly but I believe the best money ever spent on the islands.

 

[Swiss Globetrotter]

I am considering visiting in a few months (never been to Big Island).
Planning on getting a car and driving around quite a bit.
Does anyone know whether onsite self parking is complimentary for owners (Presidential) or whether valet is available?

Thanks!

 

[michael49]

I am considering visiting in a few months (never been to Big Island).
Planning on getting a car and driving around quite a bit.
Does anyone know whether onsite self parking is complimentary for owners (Presidential) or whether valet is available?

Thanks!

Onsite parking is complimentary for owners.

 

[frank808]

I spent 3 days on the Big Island, saw a lot! The most fascinating thing I saw was the green sand beach.

View attachment 72998

That was a pretty good hike to get to green sand beach at south point.

 

[Lv2Trvl]

Aloha. We have spent one or two weeks per year at Marriotts Waikoloa Ocean Club since the conversion to the timeshare was completed. Last few years and this one coming up it has been Thanksgiving week. We always combine it with a couple more weeks at Waiohai or Ko'Olina. We gave stayed in the pool view rooms and the oceanfront. With the pool view you know you will be looking out across the pools to the ocean. The ocean view can be on the pool side but more likely the other side looking out over the fire pit and BBQ s to the ocean. The one we prefer is oceanfront. The units are large! Close to 1500sf. They put three executive hotel rooms together for the villa.. Two units per floor at the end of the wing facing straight out to the ocean. The pics are from the oceanfront 5th floor balcony last November. The units take more points... but we like it! Also the extra space is great with grandkids running around. The limited kitchen is no problem. There's even an instapot in the cupboard. Lots of dining options without having to go very far. Our island favorites includes Pueo's Osteria (new location is great), Umekes and Merriman's.
Try the Big Island - you will like it! Also Hilo is home of Merrie Monarch coming up in April.
I'm ready to go back!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Harry]

We stayed on the old Encore Package. As stated the converted units are quite nice. We had. a peek a boo ocean view and overlooked lush grounds close to A Bay beach. The fish ponds are historic and fascinating. What we liked was the free parking, and short walk to both King and Queen Shops.
Big island is our favorite with both green and black beaches, lush rain forests, snow packed mountains and active volcanos. Views nothing like Ko Olina but a completely different experience.

 

[pchung6]

Big island is completely different experience than Oahu. Highly recommended. Resort definitely not as good as Ko Olina, which is one of my favorite, but still good enough for my stay. I prefer Waikoloa than Hilton Kingsland for the oceanview, although Kingsland might be slightly better for the resort facilities. You will love the hiking, black beach’s, green beach and stargazing in big island.