Purchase Question - Marriott Maui Ocean Club - Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers

[limeinthecoconut]

Hi everyone. I have learned a lot from the collective wisdom of this site. My family visited Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club three times during 2022 and 2023 and we are interested in possibly purchasing a week (re-sale). We stayed in various units in the original Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers.

I have been looking at one-bedroom oceanfront units. We are a family of three and the youngest is 6 years old. We have transitioned from condo stays in Kapalua to Kaanapali for the resorts. The one-bedroom size has worked well for us, and the price fits our budget. I expect that we will use the unit for vacations for at least a few years and then perhaps rent out the week on occasion.

I have read the maintenance fees will be higher for the next couple of years to complete upgrades. What do the upgrades include? Will the units be outfitted with a cooktop?

Also, are there any items in particular that should be considered before moving forward?

My thinking is this may be a good time to purchase given the construction project and appropriate slack in demand following the tragic fires (we made generous direct donations), although I do have concerns about the beach erosion.

Thank you for the assistance!

 

[daviator]

I have heard that the upgrades will include both a cooktop and in-room laundry, but I’m not sure if that has been confirmed. I believe they are replacing all of the plumbing and electrical and the electrical upgrades will allow cooktop installations.

 

[davidvel]

Hi everyone. I have learned a lot from the collective wisdom of this site. My family visited Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club three times during 2022 and 2023 and we are interested in possibly purchasing a week (re-sale). We stayed in various units in the original Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers.

I have been looking at one-bedroom oceanfront units. We are a family of three and the youngest is 6 years old. We have transitioned from condo stays in Kapalua to Kaanapali for the resorts. The one-bedroom size has worked well for us, and the price fits our budget. I expect that we will use the unit for vacations for at least a few years and then perhaps rent out the week on occasion.

I have read the maintenance fees will be higher for the next couple of years to complete upgrades. What do the upgrades include? Will the units be outfitted with a cooktop?

Also, are there any items in particular that should be considered before moving forward?

My thinking is this may be a good time to purchase given the construction project and appropriate slack in demand following the tragic fires (we made generous direct donations), although I do have concerns about the beach erosion.

Thank you for the assistance!

MF will always go higher. If your thought is that they are "temporarily" high, that is not the case. They go up every year, a lot lately at all resorts, not just MOC.

What is the price differential for a 2BR? I presume you plan to own for at least 20+ years. In the long run you will get much more value from a 2BR, also allowing you to lock off (are these lockoffs?) and rent the studio side to recoup some MF each year, or trade for another week. As you kids get older, having a 2nd BR will be a godsend. (Think tween and teenagers.)

 

[Fasttr]

I agree with the 2BR comments above. The next 10 years will go by quickly, and your then 16 year old will want to bring a friend, which will make the 1BR a bit challenging.

 

[davidvel]

I agree with the 2BR comments above. The next 10 years will go by quickly, and your then 16 year old will want to bring a friend, which will make the 1BR a bit challenging.

Or the parents will want them out of the living area!

 

[JIMinNC]

We own an Every Other Year 2BR in the Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers. We bought a 2BR because, in the scheme of things, it wasn't that much more than a 1BR and it offers more flexibility. We bought in 2018, and in 2019 our two single adult children joined us, in 2021 it was just the two of us (so we had an empty room), and in 2023 another couple joined us.

As far as the maintenance fees, while the fees are going up everywhere, the Maui Ocean Club fees for 2024 and 2025 were increased even more to cover a special assessment for unexpected major plumbing drain line repairs. Once that special assessment is paid in 2024 and 2025 that extra cost should go away.

Starting in March 2024 through May 2024, the electrical infrastructure at the resort will be upgraded. The electrical upgrade is a prerequisite to adding a cooktop. The villa refurbishment and plumbing infrastructure renovation project is currently anticipated to take place approximately June 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. In addition to the plumbing repairs, they will renovate the bathrooms and are supposed to replace the tub/shower in the master bath with a walk in shower. The tub/shower will remain in the other bathroom(s). The renovation will also include soft and hard goods replacement in the units.

This renovation project WILL NOT include cooktops or in-suite washer/dryer. When we were at the resort last March, we attended an update for owners by Bill Countryman, the General Manager, and he said they were starting to accrue reserve funds to add cooktops in the future, but that would not likely occur until maybe 2027 or 2028. Adding a cooktop would require renovation of the kitchen cabinetry and countertops, and that is not scheduled until a future refresh. That is when they hope to add the cooktop. There are no plans to add an in-suite washer/dryer as far as we know.

We will be back at Maui Ocean Club in less than three weeks, and if Bill Countryman is still doing his Wednesday morning updates for owners, we plan to attend and get any new and updated information.

 

[vacationtime1]

Another vote for purchasing a 2bd. The upfront cost is more, but the MF's are only about 10% higher than a 1bd. You can therefore rent the studio and offset much of your future MF's -- until your son is of an age where you will appreciate the additional space and privacy.

 

[JIMinNC]

One more thing...if you don't want to spend the $$$ for a 2BR oceanfront, consider a 2BR ocean view. I personally like the views in the ocean view units in Lanai Tower better than direct ocean front facing views. Here is our view from, if I recall correctly, the 8th floor in Lanai tower. We always request a high floor and have always received seventh or eighth floor, I believe. As an owner, you have a better chance of getting your room location request than a points booking or exchange.

 

[daviator]

We own an Every Other Year 2BR in the Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers. We bought a 2BR because, in the scheme of things, it wasn't that much more than a 1BR and it offers more flexibility. We bought in 2018, and in 2019 our two single adult children joined us, in 2021 it was just the two of us (so we had an empty room), and in 2023 another couple joined us.

As far as the maintenance fees, while the fees are going up everywhere, the Maui Ocean Club fees for 2024 and 2025 were increased even more to cover a special assessment for unexpected major plumbing drain line repairs. Once that special assessment is paid in 2024 and 2025 that extra cost should go away.

Starting in March 2024 through May 2024, the electrical infrastructure at the resort will be upgraded. The electrical upgrade is a prerequisite to adding a cooktop. The villa refurbishment and plumbing infrastructure renovation project is currently anticipated to take place approximately June 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. In addition to the plumbing repairs, they will renovate the bathrooms and are supposed to replace the tub/shower in the master bath with a walk in shower. The tub/shower will remain in the other bathroom(s). The renovation will also include soft and hard goods replacement in the units.

This renovation project WILL NOT include cooktops or in-suite washer/dryer. When we were at the resort last March, we attended an update for owners by Bill Countryman, the General Manager, and he said they were starting to accrue reserve funds to add cooktops in the future, but that would not likely occur until maybe 2027 or 2028. Adding a cooktop would require renovation of the kitchen cabinetry and countertops, and that is not scheduled until a future refresh. That is when they hope to add the cooktop. There are no plans to add an in-suite washer/dryer as far as we know.

We will be back at Maui Ocean Club in less than three weeks, and if Bill Countryman is still doing his Wednesday morning updates for owners, we plan to attend and get any new and updated information.

Thanks for the clarification on the cooktop and laundry. I was thinking maybe they'd replace the bathtub in the "extra" bathroom near the kitchenette with a walk in shower, which could create room for a stacked washer dryer closet adjacent to that. But that would be a significant capital cost and there are probably no reserves targeted at that sort of upgrade.

 

[limeinthecoconut]

Hi everyone. Thank you for the detailed and thoughtful responses. They have been tremendously helpful.