travelnut
TUG Member
KBV vs Pono Kai
Our first timeshare is a 1 Br, 1.5 bath lagoon view at KBV. The day after buying from the developer
, I bought a 1Br at Pono Kai thru an ad in Sunset magazine for less than 1/3 the price (a fairly good deal at the time. I handled the paperwork myself so the closing costs were negligible.) (The developer offered us 2 weeks elsewhere for every one of 5 or 7 years we didn't use the week. This seemed like a good deal, however, we never had time to make good on this offer and we really wanted to go to Kauai, so I bought the second ts at Pono Kai with less than 24 hours of ts-ing experience and have never regretted it.
We have never stayed at KBV, altho we let my stepson & family use it last year. The MFs are much higher than Pono Kai (they own the land outright) and surprisingly, Pono Kai has a higher trade value.
A few comments to support Diane's (tongue in cheeek) assessment of KBV:
The tiny pool at KBV was to be rebuilt, and I haven't seen the new one. The few BBQ grills were at the pool. Pono Kai has a large pool, several BBQs available to each building, some with picnic tables, and the units are larger. There are 4 oceanfront units, but they are set far apart and the next row is staggered, so they are essentially ocanfront as well. Last month we traded into an oceanfront unit. Standing on the lanai from the 3rd floor was almost like being right over the ocean.
Ocean swimming is possible at Pono Kai altho there is a possibility of a rip current at times. I know someone who swims here regularly; I have never done so as I never go in the water alone or if there is no-one else on the beach. However, contrary to what a previous poster said, I have always been told that swimming in the ocean at KBV is not recommended, downright dangerous, and I have heard of drownings there.
Pono Kai also has a much better welcoming event with a slough of 2-fers raffled off (the best of any timeshare I've ever been to.) KBV gave out little gift bags with pens, writing pads, etc. Lawai Beach had 3/4 2-fers raffled off.
The grounds at Pono Kai are spacious and lovely. There is miniature golf, croquet, volleyball, tennis, fitness room, koi pond with orchids and waterfall, and an herb garden to add spice to your meals. We like being right at the edge of Kapaa, so we can walk everywhere. They have installed new bike racks for those biking the trail that leads to the Coconut Grove. Bikes are for rent in Kapaa, a few blocks away (about $10/day.)
Avoid the K building at Pono Kai - it is nearest to the Kuhio Hwy, so gets lots of early morning rush hour traffic noise. If they have installed double pane windows here as in our oceanfront unit, that will help a lot with the noise. However, these are studio units that don't have full kitchens. Be careful if you're trading in.
Our first timeshare is a 1 Br, 1.5 bath lagoon view at KBV. The day after buying from the developer
, I bought a 1Br at Pono Kai thru an ad in Sunset magazine for less than 1/3 the price (a fairly good deal at the time. I handled the paperwork myself so the closing costs were negligible.) (The developer offered us 2 weeks elsewhere for every one of 5 or 7 years we didn't use the week. This seemed like a good deal, however, we never had time to make good on this offer and we really wanted to go to Kauai, so I bought the second ts at Pono Kai with less than 24 hours of ts-ing experience and have never regretted it.We have never stayed at KBV, altho we let my stepson & family use it last year. The MFs are much higher than Pono Kai (they own the land outright) and surprisingly, Pono Kai has a higher trade value.
A few comments to support Diane's (tongue in cheeek) assessment of KBV:
The tiny pool at KBV was to be rebuilt, and I haven't seen the new one. The few BBQ grills were at the pool. Pono Kai has a large pool, several BBQs available to each building, some with picnic tables, and the units are larger. There are 4 oceanfront units, but they are set far apart and the next row is staggered, so they are essentially ocanfront as well. Last month we traded into an oceanfront unit. Standing on the lanai from the 3rd floor was almost like being right over the ocean.
Ocean swimming is possible at Pono Kai altho there is a possibility of a rip current at times. I know someone who swims here regularly; I have never done so as I never go in the water alone or if there is no-one else on the beach. However, contrary to what a previous poster said, I have always been told that swimming in the ocean at KBV is not recommended, downright dangerous, and I have heard of drownings there.
Pono Kai also has a much better welcoming event with a slough of 2-fers raffled off (the best of any timeshare I've ever been to.) KBV gave out little gift bags with pens, writing pads, etc. Lawai Beach had 3/4 2-fers raffled off.
The grounds at Pono Kai are spacious and lovely. There is miniature golf, croquet, volleyball, tennis, fitness room, koi pond with orchids and waterfall, and an herb garden to add spice to your meals. We like being right at the edge of Kapaa, so we can walk everywhere. They have installed new bike racks for those biking the trail that leads to the Coconut Grove. Bikes are for rent in Kapaa, a few blocks away (about $10/day.)
Avoid the K building at Pono Kai - it is nearest to the Kuhio Hwy, so gets lots of early morning rush hour traffic noise. If they have installed double pane windows here as in our oceanfront unit, that will help a lot with the noise. However, these are studio units that don't have full kitchens. Be careful if you're trading in.
