• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Planning Trip to Hawaii: Need Advice

CashEddie

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2011
Messages
418
Reaction score
2
Points
128
Location
Bowie, Maryland
Hello Folks,

I'm in the process of thinking through some options for our first trip to Hawaii. I know nothing about the island(s) and I see that Marriott has 5 timeshares in Hawaii. We would most likely want to do two weeks there since the trek for us living on the east coast would be about 12+ hours and think the longer stay would be worth the effort getting there.

I have a few questions below:

1. What is considered the "prime" season in Hawaii? I understand that its a year round destination but want to get an idea of the "ultra prime" times to either targer or avoid.

2. Out of the 5 Marriott TS resorts in Hawaii, which one is considered the best? I know this is a very subjective question and that each resort would provide a different experience depending on what you are looking for. I've been reading posts on this board and see a lot of discussions on the "Ko Olina" resort but don't see as much discussions on the other 4. is the Ko Olina resort the newest? Best overall experience? Just curious.

3. We are semi-flexibile in the times we can travel. This trip would take place in 2014 or afterwards. We would prefer to visiti during the summer months because of school schedules but could travel during other times if the summer months were times to avoid at all costs.

4. We have a gold Grande Vista week and a Grand Chateau platinum week. We would be using of these weeks to trade into Hawaii. Both are 2 BDR with lock offs. I was thinking of reserving Thanksgiving week of 2013 for Grand Vista and using that to trade for 2014 summer week. Is that a reasonible trade or should we be looking at another strategy?

5. Where do we fly into to get to the resort? Say we stay at Ko Olina, would we fly into Honolulu and then fly to the island where Ko Olina is? We live in Washington, DC Metro area so have access to 3 major airports.

Thanks for any advice.
 

dioxide45

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
May 20, 2006
Messages
47,362
Reaction score
18,926
Points
1,299
Location
NE Florida
Resorts Owned
Marriott Grande Vista
Marriott Harbour Lake
Sheraton Vistana Villages
Club Wyndham CWA
Hello Folks,

I'm in the process of thinking through some options for our first trip to Hawaii. I know nothing about the island(s) and I see that Marriott has 5 timeshares in Hawaii. We would most likely want to do two weeks there since the trek for us living on the east coast would be about 12+ hours and think the longer stay would be worth the effort getting there.

I have a few questions below:

1. What is considered the "prime" season in Hawaii? I understand that its a year round destination but want to get an idea of the "ultra prime" times to either targer or avoid.

February, March, June, July, August and Christmas/New Years are prime. Sept through Mid December is low season.

2. Out of the 5 Marriott TS resorts in Hawaii, which one is considered the best? I know this is a very subjective question and that each resort would provide a different experience depending on what you are looking for. I've been reading posts on this board and see a lot of discussions on the "Ko Olina" resort but don't see as much discussions on the other 4. is the Ko Olina resort the newest? Best overall experience? Just curious.

Maui Ocean Club is probably the most coveted in the Marriott system.

3. We are semi-flexibile in the times we can travel. This trip would take place in 2014 or afterwards. We would prefer to visiti during the summer months because of school schedules but could travel during other times if the summer months were times to avoid at all costs.

4. We have a gold Grande Vista week and a Grand Chateau platinum week. We would be using of these weeks to trade into Hawaii. Both are 2 BDR with lock offs. I was thinking of reserving Thanksgiving week of 2013 for Grand Vista and using that to trade for 2014 summer week. Is that a reasonible trade or should we be looking at another strategy?

We used a gold Grande Vista week to get an October Maui week back in 2010. Summer is much harder because of school schedules.

5. Where do we fly into to get to the resort? Say we stay at Ko Olina, would we fly into Honolulu and then fly to the island where Ko Olina is? We live in Washington, DC Metro area so have access to 3 major airports.

We stayed at Ko'Olina for a week and then to Maui. We flew in to Honolulu and then had in inter-island to Maui. We then went back to Oahu for one night for our flight out of Honolulu.

Thanks for any advice.

Your welcome.
 

davidn247

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2011
Messages
268
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
MA
Just came back from Hawaii:

- we were first timer so we did not want to be wrong and choose Marriott Maui Ocean Club. Just fantastic! Everything was simply perfect.

- we came from the east coast too. I booked the cheapest flight which had one stop on the west coast. Initially, I thought it was not the best but we finally liked it to stretch the legs and eat properly (2 x 6 hours flights!).

- we traded using an excellent week at Grande Vista (spring break type of week) and we had to 'downgrade' in size to exchange with II during Christmas time. With your week at MGV, you surely have better chance targeting Thanksgiving during lower season (you will not be able to get everything).

- Finally, we had 3 days more (on top of the interval week) using DC points, bringing our stay to 10 days in total.

For the rest, make a search on TUG and also on google. There are plenty of information available. I hope this helps.
 

puckmanfl

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
2,062
Reaction score
1
Points
0
good evening....

Don't think you could go wrong with any 2 weeks in Hawaii.. For your first trip to the islands... I would recommend Kauai and Maui...

Start in Kauai Waohai would prob be best, then swing over to Maui on your way home for the second week, Can't beat MOC!!!

My favorite resort in the whole system is Koolina on Oahu but you should probably get a taste of the other two islands for your first trip!! when you return, you can do an Oahu + second island stop!!!

just a humble opinion from someone that has done 4 marriott hawaii trips in the past 6 years....last trip was Kauai/oahu...this ast summer...
 

buzzy

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
504
Reaction score
0
Points
226
Location
PA
I am also curious about this post. My concern with having to go during peak time (summers, Thanksgiving and Christmas with 3 kids is the airfare making it unaffordable during that time from the east coast. Also, what is the best way to get 2 weeks....would trade a 2 bedroom at Beach Place be able to get us there for one week and pay cash for the other week. Any suggestion?
 

dioxide45

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
May 20, 2006
Messages
47,362
Reaction score
18,926
Points
1,299
Location
NE Florida
Resorts Owned
Marriott Grande Vista
Marriott Harbour Lake
Sheraton Vistana Villages
Club Wyndham CWA
I also wouldn't go to Hawaii from the east coast unless I was going for at least two weeks. With the cost of airfare and the long flight, we don't go often so we want two full weeks when we can go.
 

winger

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
3,810
Reaction score
354
Points
468
Location
Northern California
Hello Folks,

I'm in the process of thinking through some options for our first trip to Hawaii. ....

Thanks for any advice.
Maybe tell us a little more may help 'guide' the advice provided - for example only, how many in the traveling party (and ages), what you like to do on vacation, do you have a bunch of Marriott Rewards, etc..

Having never been to the Islands before, we made a 'goal' about four years ago to hit the three main (what we consider) isles - Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. We have done the first two and now just are wrapping up reservations on Kauai for Thanksgiving 2012. We fly from the West coast (San Fran), and with two kids in tow (under 10 yo) we would NOT consider doing less than 10 days given the cost, travel time, and planning energy/effort involved with this type of trip. On our last trip to Maui, one night we saw a middle-aged man arrive at check-in one night (approx 6PM-7PM'ish?)? He looked absolutely drained. Upon chatting with him, we learned he had just arrived from the East Coast (New England states IIRC ) - he had left the house before 5AM and had a few connections and had just arrived. He must have been on the road for over 14 hours. If that were me, I would NOT stay anything less than 14 nights!

We have done 12/9-12/23, two April weeks with the latter being Spring Break for our kids, and for 2012 two November weeks with the latter Thanksgiving week. Cost wise, I think if you can stay away from major holidays, it can be a little lower.

A couple of recommendations since you are planning so far out. Depending on your situation, do not lock yourself into staying AT a Marriott timeshare. Keep your options open - for example there are several Marriott hotels on the Islands, also may privately owned condos for rent, some for good prices. You may even consider renting one of your weeks and use the 'proceeds' to help 'fund' the trip (e.g. air tix, car rentals, etc.).
 
Last edited:

scrapngen

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
1,373
Reaction score
0
Points
36
Location
Washington
Yes, would help to know what kind of experience you're looking for: big resort w/lots on-site, valet parking, etc? lower key resort on great beach?
laid back island? lots of nightlife or more family? tons of restaurant choices? shopping?

each island is unique, as are the Marriotts... Ko'Olina on Oahu and Maui Ocean Club are bigger resorts, Kauai has two TS's associated with the Kauai Marriott Hotel in Lihue (bigger resort) or the Waiohai - smaller, no full restaurant - just bar/grill by the pool and Marketplace dinners. BUT on the best beach - sunny Poipu!!!

People typically recommend Maui as a first island choice. More restaurants, higher end shopping, etc., (also more expensive in general) MOC is absolutely beautiful.

Ko'Olina from what I understand is out from everything you want to do in Oahu, but Disney's Aulani is next door and bringing more restaurant choices nearby..

Kauai Lagoons has the nicest interiors and is very high end, but no easy beach to reach, and no restaurant unless you go over to the Kauai Marriott.

Kauai Waiohai is a much smaller resort, very beautiful and right on a beautiful snorkeling beach. (Many people absolutely love this resort :cheer: :cheer: , but others like more services, tall buildings, etc.)

Just look thru the Hawaii threads and Marriott threads and you'll find lots of discussions re: which are best! All have their own unique flavor just like the islands themselves. You can't go wrong with any of them. :)
 

sea&ski

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
253
Reaction score
51
Points
238
Location
Arizona
Each island has something special...

How exciting to be planning your first trip!

Winger is correct, Marriott has many options in Hawaii, so you are not locked in to a timeshare, but with points, you can utilize other hotel opportunities. I take note of the new Courtyard in Kona.

I do question the movement from island to island. How expensive is this for a family? Easy to do when you are flying in to Honolulu on a connection to other islands, but may be somewhat cost prohibitive when island hopping.

Oahu is the iconic Hawaiian experience with the beach at Waikiki and the public Hula shows. There is Pearl Harbor, snorkeling and shopping. There are also lots of people. There are probably 4 days of touristing available here.

Hawaii is this most interesting in a scenic sense. It may appear to be a desert with brown lava in every direction, it can also be a rain forest near Kona and even smothered with vog, the volcanic smog/fog that emanates from the volcano that is puttering along at the south end. Three days would get you to all the hot-spots, leaving you the rest of the week for the beach.

Kauai is the garden isle. VERY wet, muddy and a challenge to navigate with your (quite possibly) wimpy rental car. There are some awesome beaches, some great snorkeling but bring your sense of adventure. If your kids are in to dinosaurs, they'll be sure they've seen them up at Na pali!

The family votes for Maui. Something for everyone, easy to navigate. Easy to get to the end of the world (Hana, just watch out for the one way bridges, also encountered on Kauai, but truly numerous on this road) great beaches, great ocean tours and good snorkeling. There is a volcano to visit (inactive but still freshly lava covered.)

We have stayed at Marriott timeshares and hotels, and had great experiences at all of them. Good luck! And, reserve your car early!
 

CashEddie

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2011
Messages
418
Reaction score
2
Points
128
Location
Bowie, Maryland
Thanks for all of the great advice. To answer a few questions that have been raised:

We are explorer types and like to go see "the sites" a place as to offer. When I think of Hawaii, I imagine spectacular waterfalls dumping into a beautiful lagoon somewhere deep in a rainforest. I would love to experience something like that if it actually exists in Hawaii.

It would just be me and my wife, the kids won't make this trip with us. We are not bent on having an ocean view/front unit but would want to be at resort that is on the beach. A one bedroom unit would do us fine with the full kitchen and laundry facilities.

We would balance out our "explorer" side with some nice quality beach time so would want to be at a resort with a nice beach.

We have MRP but not enough to cover flights. We could bridge some extra nights if that were needed using our points.

Our plan would be to use reserve the best week we can with GV or GC, lock off and use both sides to get our two weeks.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
Kauai is the garden isle. VERY wet, muddy and a challenge to navigate with your (quite possibly) wimpy rental car.

Actually, Kauai is only very wet in the winter, and only muddy if you go off-road. Kauai has a more tropical end that does get more rain (Princeville) and a dryer-sunnier end (Poipu) but it's not all wet and muddy - especially not in the summer.

I'm not sure about the "challenge to navigate" comment - unless you want to go off-road, and in that case, rent a jeep and you will have a great time!

Here's my take on the 4 main islands:

Oahu - Honolulu/Waikiki offers a lot to do and both tourist and historical attractions, but it is a bustling BIG city. The population of Oahu is greater than all the other islands put together. Ko'Olina is outside the city (good) but also so somewhat isolated from things to do. Oahu is great to visit - once! ;)

The Big Island (Hawaii) - The Big Island is bigger than all the islands put together. It has a lot to see, including the active volcano. Because it is the newest island, much of the shoreline and island is still rocky lava flow, and there aren't many timeshares on the beach. It has great snorkeling. It involves a lot of driving to do it proper.

Maui - Maui has the most demand for exchanges and that makes it a more difficult exchange. It has a nice blend of natural and touristy things to do, and the very popular Ka'anapali Beach Area - a huge resort area. Pros - great beaches. Cons - it's starting to get too crowded for us. A big plus is that you can visit 2 nearby islands by ferry or a short flight - Lanai, and Molokai.

Kauai - Our favorite island. Kauai is the oldest island so the lava has had the most time to break down and it has beautiful sandy beaches and lush tropical jungles. Kauai is very rural - small towns and not much in the way of fancy shopping and night clubs. It's strength is great outdoor activities like snorkeling, hiking, 4WD, and ATV trips. It's pretty laid back, but does have a mall, major grocery stores, and some good restaurants.

YMMV :hi:

For lots more info. - visit the Hawaii forum on TUG...
 

scrapngen

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
1,373
Reaction score
0
Points
36
Location
Washington
Thanks for all of the great advice. To answer a few questions that have been raised:

We are explorer types and like to go see "the sites" a place as to offer. When I think of Hawaii, I imagine spectacular waterfalls dumping into a beautiful lagoon somewhere deep in a rainforest. I would love to experience something like that if it actually exists in Hawaii.

Kauai has amazing waterfalls in spectacular rainforests: some can be driven to, others reachable by easy kayak up a river, or horseback!!!!

It would just be me and my wife, the kids won't make this trip with us. We are not bent on having an ocean view/front unit but would want to be at resort that is on the beach. A one bedroom unit would do us fine with the full kitchen and laundry facilities.

We would balance out our "explorer" side with some nice quality beach time so would want to be at a resort with a nice beach.

We have MRP but not enough to cover flights. We could bridge some extra nights if that were needed using our points.

Our plan would be to use reserve the best week we can with GV or GC, lock off and use both sides to get our two weeks.

Maui is harder to trade into, but doable...KBC and Waiohai on Kauai seem to have more opportunity to trade into. KBC on a beautiful beach, but is a harbor so the water isn't as great. Waiohai (all 2 bedrooms) - great beach.

Maui has lots to explore, but if you really like the idea of explorable, lush vegetation, then Kauai is your island. (and it's not wet, muddy and unnavigable :annoyed: - well, unless you were there on a November excessively rainy week :shrug: ) BUT, it can have more rain (thus the vegetation) and can also be cooler in winter months. Still 73-80 is pretty nice to me in December... Just had a beautiful day here full of sunshine :D
 

BocaBoy

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2009
Messages
5,332
Reaction score
410
Points
368
Location
Wisconsin
Resorts Owned
Grand Chateau
....reserve your car early!

We go to Hawaii at least once, and often twice, each year. I find the best way to get a good price on a rental car is not to reserve early but to use Priceline.com's name your own price feature about a week or 10 days in advance. If waiting that long makes you nervous, reserve a car early but try Priceline a week ahead and then cancel your original reservation when you get a Priceline offer accepted. We are next going to Hawaii in about three weeks and will stay a month, visiting three islands. I will start looking at Priceline rental cars in about 10 days, when the prices will start to be especially attractive.
 

pipet

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2010
Messages
367
Reaction score
8
Points
228
Resorts Owned
Marriott Waiohai, Marriott Shadow Ridge
I see better airfare deals (at least from the West Coast) to Hawaii in the spring & fall, and I'd imagine that would hold up for you, as well. Also, not that Hawaii has huge variances in temp, but I think it's a touch more comfortable in spring/winter/fall, but that's my personal preference. I'd try to hit the beginning or end of whale season; see the whales but also get good deals.

Kauai is my fav. Many famous movie scenes were filmed here, so it's often the *exact* picture people have in mind of paradise. I've come trudging back to the Waiohai looking quite a sight with mud splattered all over me, but the scenery I've hiked to has been worth it! I also love being able to walk out of the Waiohai onto the beach & snorkel right there. It's also small enough that you feel you can at least explore the main areas (unlike the big island, which I also love, but requires a ton of driving if you stay where most TS are located).

Most people I know prefer Maui as their favorite island, but I agree with Denise; I feel it's a tad too developed. That being said, it's still incredible with great scenery (Hana, etc) & plenty of activities, and for a lot of people it's the perfect mix of civilization & paradise. It's popular for a reason.

Oahu, even though it's very developed, still has some lovely hikes & killer scenery, plus there is Pearl Harbor (which imo is a must see at least once). There are museums, the arboretum, and tons of activities, and you can find adventure & pretty falls even on Oahu:) I still managed to trudge in to the Ko'Olina mud splattered as well! Ko'Olina's location is nice since it's out of the way but convenient at the same time. I also found some really nice snorkeling just a few miles up the road from the lagoons.

I also 2nd the priceline tip. I start looking a earlier than Boca but offer super lowball prices every few days (you're locked out from trying again for a short time) until eventually I get lucky (so far it's worked out every time).

If you do a request with all the Hawaiian Marriotts, I think you'll end up with Ko'Olina & something on Kauai. If you really want Maui, you'll probably have to just request that for the week(s) you want.

Whichever you get, I don't think you can really go wrong with any of the islands!
 

winger

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
3,810
Reaction score
354
Points
468
Location
Northern California
KBC has the advantage of having no coral in the water by the beach so no bloody feet.

Is there a safe, clean beach in front of KBC for little keiki's to play - like build sand castles, splash in the water?
 

m61376

Tug Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2006
Messages
7,200
Reaction score
269
Points
518
Location
NY
Resorts Owned
Marriott Aruba Surf Club 2 & 3BRs
Since you've never been there, I would definitely plan on at least a few days on Oahu. Ko'Olina is a gorgeous resort and, while a bit away from the action, it is in a great location and you can easily drive to everything from there while enjoying a more secluded area. I couldn't imagine going to Hawaii for the first time and not going to Pearl Harbor, but that's me. We also loved a lot of other things on Oahu and, for its variety, it's probably our favorite island.

Although it is a tough choice, I'm guessing that most people would prefer Maui as the second stop, although there is lots to do/see on Kaui and the Big Island as well.

If you don't need school vacations the exchanges will be easier outside of them. Also- best results are gotten with requests made 12 months or more in advance, so I wouldn't use a Thanksgiving week from 2013 for the summer of 2014. Have your request in when the first exchanges hit II.

The wider the range of weeks the better your chances, and after you get your first week you can then adjust your exchange request for the week before or after and hope for a back to back exchange.

Keep in mind that there are other really nice resorts (like the Starwood in Maui, etc.) that you might want to add to your search.

If you haven't matched a second week and want to shore up airfare, you can always make a back-up hotel reservation while waiting for that second week to appear. That way, even if you match up in Flexchange you can still have everything finalized. Another option is to see if there are any reduced rate timeshare tour options (like a 5 day stay for $499-599) and tack that on to your first week.

Have fun planning!
 

Steve A

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2005
Messages
1,118
Reaction score
287
Points
443
Location
Four minutes from the beach, PRP, HHI
Winger:

The beach in front of KBC begins with a large swath of grass with lounges from the resort. There is plenty of sand in front of the grass for children to play. There are some waves for body surfing, and I have seen plenty of folks out on paddle boards. Nothing dangerous for children. The pool is gigantic with built-in hot tubs. The resort (time shares plus hotel) is beautiful; rooms not so much although there have been recent upgrades. The one bedrooms have two bathrooms and a Murphy bed in the living area. Not a place to do much cooking. It is a very large resort so be prepared for lots of walking.
 

CashEddie

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2011
Messages
418
Reaction score
2
Points
128
Location
Bowie, Maryland
If you don't need school vacations the exchanges will be easier outside of them. Also- best results are gotten with requests made 12 months or more in advance, so I wouldn't use a Thanksgiving week from 2013 for the summer of 2014. Have your request in when the first exchanges hit II.

I guess a need some clarification here. We only exchanged our week once back in 2005 the first year we purchased to go to Marbella during the week after Thanksgiving so I may not understand the best strategy in trading.

If you are saying that we need to reserve 12 months out, my thought is that my reservation for 2013 Thansgiving week would fit that criteria. I would be calling Marriott this year (2012) to reserve the November 2013 T-week at GV and then use that to trade for the 2014 week. Would this not work? Again, I'm not up on all of the nuances of trading so forgive me if I'm not picking up on the obvious.

The other option is that we have GC that we could reserve for the trade as well. We have two EOY weeks: odd being at GV and even being at GC. So with that setup, which would be the best to reserve for trading into 2014?

Thanks for all of the fantastic input! My thoughts are coming together on this and the picture is becoming clearer. Ideally the summer months would be better for us in terms of having the kids shipped off to grandparents for 2 weeks in summer while we are away but we have "in school" options that we can exercise but just takes a bit more planning.

I'm thinking if we have to go the "in school" route, that we target two weeks in April that encompass our anniversary. Our anniversary is on 22nd of April and we typically miss the Easter holiday week (except this past year where Easter came late) so I'm thinking the last two weeks of April would be a good time to go, provided we can get some good deals on airfares.
 
Last edited:

NboroGirl

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Messages
1,230
Reaction score
292
Points
293
Location
Massachusetts
Resorts Owned
Marriott Grande Vista
I traded a 2BR lockoff week - President's Day vacation week in February - at Grande Vista for a 2BR at Ko'Olina in the summer. I requested any of the Marriotts in Hawaii for any week in summer. First I received a trade for Kauai but we had to cancel because my son would be doing Freshman Orientation at Cornell part of that week. So the next year we tried again, putting up a President's Day vacation week and received Ko'Olina end of July/early August. We were traveling with our 2 sons (16 and 19) and Oahu seemed better suited for them anyway. My husband and I have previously been to Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii (still hoping to go to Kauai some day), and I think the kids would've been bored at the other 2. BTW, we loved Ko'Olina and had a great time there and the beach is nice.

Anyway, my advice would be to reserve the best week you can and put in your request as early as possible. I had my request in over a year in advance and got a week in the summer both times. We also used MRPs to stay a couple of days at the Waikiki Marriott so we were close to activities like hiking Diamond Head before we spent a week in out-of-the-way Ko'Olina.

One more thing - if you are a movie fan or LOST fan, there's a cool tour on the NE side of Oahu on ranch where a lot of stuff, like LOST, was filmed. You ride on 4-wheelers. The scenery was breathtaking, and the movie/TV locations were fun to visit.
 

Steve A

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2005
Messages
1,118
Reaction score
287
Points
443
Location
Four minutes from the beach, PRP, HHI
There is also a great movie tour in Kauai. We took the full day, which included lunch. They take you up on a muddy dirt road up a mountain to look across the valley to see where parts of Jurassic Park was filmed. Also saw the resort, most of which was destroyed by Hurricane Iniki, where parts of Elvis' Blue Hawaii was filmed. It's still used for weddings, but the buildings are ghost-like.
 

ciscogizmo1

Tug Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,607
Reaction score
28
Points
433
Location
Northern California
Resorts Owned
Marriott: Shadow Ridge, Timber Lodge & Waiohai
Westin: Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Villas
Disney: Beach Club Villas & Bay Lake Towers
We go to Hawaii at least once year. So, we've stayed a few timeshares.

KAUAI - Marriott Kauai Beach Club, Marriott Waiohai, Westin Princeville and The Cliff's Resort

MAUI - Westin Kanapali Ocean Vila Resort -the south property. We've never stayed at the Marriott Maui unit as we own at the Westin but we visited many times when our friends and family stay there and it is a beautiful resort

OAHU- Marriott Ko'Olina and in July we'll be staying at Disney's Aulani Resort

We haven't made it over to the Big Island yet but hope to one day.

My favorite island is Kauai. I love the tropical feel to the island.

If you click the link in my signature you can find pictures from all of these resorts. Good luck with your trade.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
I'm thinking if we have to go the "in school" route, that we target two weeks in April that encompass our anniversary. Our anniversary is on 22nd of April and we typically miss the Easter holiday week (except this past year where Easter came late) so I'm thinking the last two weeks of April would be a good time to go, provided we can get some good deals on airfares.

Easter is April 20th in 2014, so this will be a very high demand time frame.

Exchanging is a game of supply and demand. Limiting yourself to requesting only 1 or 2 high demand weeks, is going to make it less likely that you will get your exchange.

The wider the range of dates and resorts you request, the more likely you are to get an exchange.

There is nothing wrong with requesting Easter, but I'd also request other weeks that you can go.
 

MichaelColey

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2010
Messages
4,914
Reaction score
108
Points
299
Location
Mansfield, TX
We would most likely want to do two weeks there since the trek for us living on the east coast would be about 12+ hours and think the longer stay would be worth the effort getting there.
DEFINITELY go for AS LONG as you can. We just returned from a three week trip, and it wasn't long enough. Airfare is the largest expense for most of us, so the incremental costs of staying extra time is minimal.

As for which islands to go to, pick any two (assuming you're staying two weeks or more). You won't be disapointed with any of them. If you want a good thread where people have shared what they like the most about the different islands, Favorite Hawaii Island might help. For a first trip, I wouldn't suggest more than two islands. You WILL be back, and you'll see the other islands on future trips. :)

There's not a BAD time to go to Hawaii. The weather is great, year round. It rains a bit more in the "winter" and on specific parts of the island, but year round you'll enjoy awesome temperatures (lows around 70-75, highs around 80-85) in all the coastal areas.
 

CashEddie

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2011
Messages
418
Reaction score
2
Points
128
Location
Bowie, Maryland
I traded a 2BR lockoff week - President's Day vacation week in February - at Grande Vista for a 2BR at Ko'Olina in the summer. I requested any of the Marriotts in Hawaii for any week in summer. First I received a trade for Kauai but we had to cancel because my son would be doing Freshman Orientation at Cornell part of that week. So the next year we tried again, putting up a President's Day vacation week and received Ko'Olina end of July/early August. We were traveling with our 2 sons (16 and 19) and Oahu seemed better suited for them anyway. My husband and I have previously been to Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii (still hoping to go to Kauai some day), and I think the kids would've been bored at the other 2. BTW, we loved Ko'Olina and had a great time there and the beach is nice.

Anyway, my advice would be to reserve the best week you can and put in your request as early as possible. I had my request in over a year in advance and got a week in the summer both times. We also used MRPs to stay a couple of days at the Waikiki Marriott so we were close to activities like hiking Diamond Head before we spent a week in out-of-the-way Ko'Olina.

One more thing - if you are a movie fan or LOST fan, there's a cool tour on the NE side of Oahu on ranch where a lot of stuff, like LOST, was filmed. You ride on 4-wheelers. The scenery was breathtaking, and the movie/TV locations were fun to visit.

Wow, i'm a big LOST fan and would love to see this stuff. Thanks for the tips.

Based on what I've read so far, things are coming together. Below is what I understand up till now and I will try to summarize:

I. Hawaii has 4 main islands:


  1. Oahu - This is where Honolulu/Waikiki are located? Also where Ko'Olina is located but in remote area. Easy to get to with car and easy access to other stuff in Oahu with car. Plueses: Pearl Harbor and other historical sites. Caveats: Oahu is most developed part of Hawaii and can have that urban feel like NYC or other major cities in certain parts. Doesn't have the best "paradise feel" of all the islands.
  2. Big Island(Hawaii) - Not that many timeshares on island, rocky beaches, lots of traveling to get to stuff.
  3. Maui - Seems to be the favorite of most travelers and appears to have the perfect blend of "paradise" and "modern" activities like shopping and restuarants. Appears to be the hardest to trade into. Bonus access to two additional islands by ferry or short flight. Only 1 Marriott: Maui Ocean Club
  4. Kauai - King of the "Paradise feel" of all the islands with its lush jungles and rainforests. Maybe too wet for most and may not have enough of the "modern" activities for others. Seem like if we want the natural waterfalls and lagoons experience, this would be the best choice. 3 Marriotts here: Kauai Beach Club, Kauai Lagoons, Waiohai Beach Club.

II. Prime Season/When to Go - Appears that Summer, Holiday weeks, Winter Holiday weeks are the prime times. Eaiser to trade into avoiding these time periods. Best to shoot for all 5 resorts and open up to other top tier chains and see what comes back.

III. Getting to the Islands - This area is a little shaky for me and don't understand fully. I assume we would fly directly into Honolulu and then take another hop to our final destination. I guess the question is, do we book the final destination straight through or do we handle getting to the other islands once we get there. Apologies for the ignorance here but not sure how frequent flights are between the islands and if its on the level of like commuter train service that runs frequent between the islands during peak times during the day.

IV. Car Rental - Seems this is tough to get and can be expensive depending on when you go and timing of when you make reservations. I see tips on playing the priceline.com game and will research other strategies.

Wow, this is all exciting and is exactly what I was looking: honest feedback from people that have been before. Overall, looks like we can't go wrong with any of the islands we end up visiting first with the understanding of what each one offers and be prepare for that experience.
 
Last edited:
Top