Mid Level Resorts

[sailingman22]

Hi Everyone.

I have read various threads about people's choices for the top 5 resorts in Hawaii but would like your choices on the smaller resorts. Thank you.

 

[DeniseM]

Don't forget to check the TUG reviews (TUG Resort Database - link in red bar.)

There are zillions of TS's in Hawaii - can you narrow it down to one or 2 islands for us?

Some of my favorite mid-level resorts:

Wyndham Pahio Kauai Beach Villas - Kauai
Shell Kauai Coast Resort at the Beach Boy - Kauai
Lawai Beach Resort - Kauai
Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Village - Big Island

 

[sailingman22]

We prefer the smaller resorts located in Kauai & Maui that are located on the ocean near amenities.

 

[CatLovers]

Some of my favorite mid-level resorts:
Shell Kauai Coast Resort at the Beach Boy - Kauai

Definitely not a mid-level resort IMO! Right up there with the Marriotts and the Westins in terms of quality, amenities and service. But definitely w-a-a-a-a-y cheaper to buy into (on the resale market of course) . However, once you buy in, the maintenance fees are at par with the Marriotts and Westins Oh well, you can't win them all!

 

[DeniseM]

Definitely not a mid-level resort IMO! Right up there with the Marriotts and the Westins in terms of quality, amenities and service. But definitely w-a-a-a-a-y cheaper to buy into (on the resale market of course) . However, once you buy in, the maintenance fees are at par with the Marriotts and Westins Oh well, you can't win them all!

Is the MF $1,600 - $2,000 a year now? I had no idea!

The units are beautifully decorated, but this resort is a remodeled motel - not a purpose built timeshare, and the rest of the resort amenities are not in the same class as the Marriotts and Westins.... The pool is very small and it's not on a swimmable beach. It has a great restaurant, but not too many other amenities. That being said, I really do like this resort anyway...

 

[UWSurfer]

We have been VERY happy with Gardens of West Maui, a place RickandCindy mentioned a bunch in years past. It's a clean, solid place in a very nice area across the golf course from the Ritz Carlton & can be had for a song on e-bay these days. The MF's are much lower than the larger brand name places on the island.

The only drawback is it's in the midst of a residential area and the next door neighbors have a large collection of roosters. You tune them out after a day or so, but it did take some getting used to as a city boy the first night.

 

[CatLovers]

Is the MF $1,600 - $2,000 a year now? I had no idea!

You got me thinking, so I went to take a look at my mf bill ... it's hard to do a one-for-one comparision because Shell is points-based and you pay your mf's on a reducing sliding scale. But to give you an example - you can get a 2-bedroom at the Kauai Coast Resort for anywhere from 5800-6750 points depending on view and season, and the mfs for that would range from $1,500-$1,650. And if you own points for more than one week, then the sliding scale means that your per week mf goes down even further! So now that you pointed it out, my Shell points are an even better deal than I originally thought! I didn't realize that the Marriott and Westin mf's had gone up so much since I originally investigated them!

this resort is a remodeled motel - not a purpose built timeshare, and the rest of the resort amenities are not in the same class as the Marriotts and Westins.... The pool is very small and it's not on a swimmable beach. It has a great restaurant, but not too many other amenities.

Other that agreeing that this was not originally a purpose-built timeshare, I guess we'll just agree to disagree on this . My comparision is primarily based on my Platinum memberships at both the Marriott and Westin chains ... but I achieved this status by staying in hotel rooms (not really at their timeshares). I'm a road warrior in my other (non-TUG) life, so I'm pretty definitive (and tough) on what I like, appreciate, and expect in terms of amenities and services at the places I stay. The four Shell resorts I have stayed at have definitely exceeded my expectations.

It's okay though, I'm perfectly happy having everyone else applaud the benefits of the Marriott and Westin timeshares; that way they'll all go there and leave me in peace when I am enjoying my weeks at the Shell resorts. I only brought it up here because I didn't want the OP (or any future readers for that matter) missing out on a good trading or purchasing opportunity because they thought they would be getting a lesser (or mid-level) product.

 

[mary1108]

Same Question for Kauai properties

Duplicate posts are not allowed on TUG, and you already have this question posted elsewhere. See post # 2 above for 3 Kauai resorts.

 

[jlee2070]

I didn't realize that the Marriott and Westin mf's had gone up so much since I originally investigated them!

The Marriott Waiohai was a bit less than $1400 this year for MF. I'm sure it will go up again this next year...

 

[DeniseM]

I didn't realize that the Marriott and Westin mf's had gone up so much since I originally investigated them!

Yeah A 2 bdm. at Starwood's newest resort in Princeville is $2,084 + SVN fee ($109) = $2,193

 

[mepiccolo]

We've said it before and still feel the same way: Dollar for dollar we are much happier with our one week stay at Kauai Coast Resort at BeachBoy than with WKORV (we stay in ocean front in both). The Westin resort has a superior beach by far, but the Beach Boy has a more comfortable, quiet less crowded "home" feel to it. Had we bought into Shell and stayed at the Beach Boy first, we would have never paid the money we did for WKORV. But since we bought WKORV first, and love it also...

Funny thing is when we think of Kauai we think of how we love the Beach Boy resort, but when we think of our Maui stays it's the beach we picture, and of course the amazing view, but not so much the unit itself.

If they were closer in price it would really be hard to find a favorite. Given the Westin is so much more expensive, and the MF are so much more, this is why when friends show interest in purchasing we recommend Shell VC to our friends over buying into WKORV.

 

[zentraveler]

We prefer the smaller resorts located in Kauai & Maui that are located on the ocean near amenities.

Which ones do you like on Maui? Denise listed some for Kauai but would be interested in similar ones on Maui.

 

[sailingman22]

We recently purchased an odd EOY studio timeshare at the Kahana Beach Resort in Maui from ebay and were anxious to see our new purchase. Viewed the property yesterday and we are extremely happy with this resort. All studio units are oceanfront with beautiful views and low maintenance fees.

The Kahana Beach Resort does not have manicured grounds, a fancy pool, or a restaurant but meets all our requirements for being oceanfront and close to amenities. The maintenance department stated that they will be remodeling all these units in 2009 including flat screen televisions.

The salesman offered the same EOY for 14X what we paid. Said that they are able to sell foreclosure units at a discounted price but not at a profit.

 

[DeniseM]

Don't forget to check the TUG reviews for both ratings and reviews for each island. (TUG Resort Database in red bar at top of page.)

 

[Polly Metallic]

We own at Maui Lea, which gets good reviews both on TUG and TripAdvisor. We also own at the Kona Coast Resort in phase 1. While this is a Shell resort, we are not in the Shell system as we own from prior to the points/vacation club based system. Kona Coast is also a lovely, well maintained resort. Both Maui Lea and Kona Coast have very spacious units, gorgeous grounds, and a home-like atmosphere.

 

[ricoba]

I would call the Bay Club on the Big Island a mid-level resort.