RCI: Kauai resorts downgraded

[HudsHut]

At the moment, there are only 4 resorts on Kauai (out of 23) that RCI rates as Gold Crown:
2201 Alii Kai
5080 Lawai Beach Resort
5124 The Cliffs Club
5852 SVC at Kauai Coast Resort at Beachboy

Although I don't know how long ago this occurred, the following resorts show a lower "award" in the RCI Directory than they do on TUG Resort Database:

No rating in RCI
0525 Vacation Internationale Pono Kai (Silver on TUG)
0526 Vacation Internationale Kapaa Shore (Gold on TUG)
1376 Wyndham Ka'Eo Kai (Gold on TUG)
1580 Wyndham Makai Club Cottages (RCI Hospitality on TUG)
2669 WorldMark Kapaa Shore (Gold on TUG)
2975 RHC/Ka'Eo Kai (Gold on TUG)
3031/A934 Wyndham Bali Hai Villas (Gold on TUG)
3682 The Point at Poipu (Gold on TUG)

Hospitality in RCI
0495 Sweetwater at Kauai (Silver on TUG)

Silver Crown in RCI
2638 Wyndham Shearwater (Gold on TUG)
3656 The Cliffs Resort (Gold on TUG)
6050 MROP at Kauai Beach Villas (Gold on TUG)

 

[Kona Lovers]

I've quit paying attention to RCI.

 

[eal]

Here's hoping that the downgrades are accompanied by lowered TPU's

 

[california-bighorn]

I've quit paying attention to RCI.

You've got it right!!! The RCI ratings are sooo subjective because they are based on guest questionaires and not realistic evaluations and comparisons between resorts. A perfect example of this are the ratings of two resorts we love and frequently stay at, Lindo Mar in Puerto Vallarta and Kauai Beach Villas. KBV is by far nicer in every way, but, it is not gold crown while Lindo Mar is. Again, not knocking Lindo Mar, love the place, but KBV is by far the superior resort. I think the evaluations by guests are somewhat based on expectations, and the expectations for Hawaii might be a little higher.

 

[MichaelColey]

A perfect example of this are the ratings of ... Kauai Beach Villas. KBV is by far nicer in every way, but, it is not gold crown ...

I think the experience at KBV varies tremendously depending on where your unit is. I know that many here rave about the beachfront units at KBV, but our only experience there was with a unit about as far from the beach as you can get (across from the check-in center). The outside of the units were very plain and reminded me of cheap apartments. There weren't enough windows at opposite ends of the unit (and the unit was turned the wrong way) to get any airflow through the unit, and the A/C units in the bedrooms weren't enough to cool the entire unit. Also, the somewhat "central" location wasn't as convenient as a north or south location to us. After a fabulous stay the week before in a top floor unit at Ka'eo Kai, we were very disappointed with KBV.

 

[HudsHut]

I see that my post wasn't entirely clear.

My point was that the TUG Resort Database needs to be updated to remove the gold crown symbol for those resorts that RCI no longer recognizes as gold crown.

And I only checked Kauai, because I was surprised that Wyndham Bali Hai was no longer gold crown in RCI--I thought it used to be--so I checked TUG and saw that TUG still showed the Gold Crown symbol.

 

[Margariet]

I think the experience at KBV varies tremendously depending on where your unit is. I know that many here rave about the beachfront units at KBV, but our only experience there was with a unit about as far from the beach as you can get (across from the check-in center). The outside of the units were very plain and reminded me of cheap apartments. There weren't enough windows at opposite ends of the unit (and the unit was turned the wrong way) to get any airflow through the unit, and the A/C units in the bedrooms weren't enough to cool the entire unit. Also, the somewhat "central" location wasn't as convenient as a north or south location to us. After a fabulous stay the week before in a top floor unit at Ka'eo Kai, we were very disappointed with KBV.

With Ka'eo Kai it's exactly the same: depends on where your unit is. I would never rate the unit where we stayed in Ka'eo Kai Gold Crown, not even a crown! Our unit was on the crossroads of busy streets: very unromantic, being in Kauai. When we sat outside we were in the middle of traffic, just being next to the road. The floors cracked horrible and the apartments were very noisy. We heard our neighbours all the time and they heard us. We could hardly listen to the tv because our neighbour next door was watching something else and we were afraid that our neighbours upstairs would complain, which they did .. We really felt like we were in some busy neighbourhood in a city instead of Kauai! We had airco in the master bedroom which was very special cause many apartments don't have airco, I heard. There is a very weird step in the middle of the living room and the entrance of the master bedroom which they had put lights on: I guess many people must have felt over it!

 

[slip]

Back to the original post, I never do pay much attention to those ratings,
either on II,RCI or TUG. I'm also only taking parts of reviews with a grain of
salt,either on TUG or Tripadvisor. The older information is a part of a
volunteer organization. You either use it the way it is or volunteer to help
out and correct it.

 

[Kauai Kid]

We own at both Alii Kai and the Point at Poipu.

Even though Alii Kai is our favorite time share, the Point at Poipu is certainly a much finer facility than Alii Kai.

There, that is my less than humble ranking.

Sterling

 

[Margariet]

Back to the original post

Sic! Of course I wasn't anywhere else! I think it's a good thing and I hope the resorts understand that they have to maintain a certain standard to receive a Gold Crown! There are resorts who think that because they are in Hawaii they don't have to be very good or don't need good maintenance. Most of them have high TPU's and should deliver better service for their TPU's.

I never do pay much attention to those ratings,
either on II,RCI or TUG. I'm also only taking parts of reviews with a grain of
salt,either on TUG or Tripadvisor. The older information is a part of a
volunteer organization. You either use it the way it is or volunteer to help
out and correct it.

The reviews are often very useful especially when there are many reviews. I certainly use them all the time and we travel half a year. They seldom disappoint me. I review resort myself in a way in which I present pros and cons.

 

[slip]

I was just referring the OP's number 6 post. He was just pointing out
the old info on TUG should be updated. I should have quoted him.

 

[Margariet]

I was just referring the OP's number 6 post. He was just pointing out
the old info on TUG should be updated. I should have quoted him.

No problem! I didn't take it personally!

 

[suzanne]

I have noticed that there is a lot of inventory for Kauai on eBay right now. Has the demand for Kauai dropped or is it just a coincidence?

Suzanne

 

[slip]

It seems to have been like that for a while now. I've been watching a little over
a year. Kauai is small and more rural. I've always thought other people consider
it a number 3 Hawaii destination behind Oahu and Maui. It's always been
number 1 for me though.

 

[Kona Lovers]

It seems to have been like that for a while now. I've been watching a little over
a year. Kauai is small and more rural. I've always thought other people consider
it a number 3 Hawaii destination behind Oahu and Maui. It's always been
number 1 for me though.

Same here!!

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

The rankings just show the gaming that goes on between RCI and II. RCI gives Gold Crown rankings to resorts that II regards as unranked as vice versa. Much of that looks as if it's based on politics - DRI, for example, has it's developer affiliation with RCI. RCI, in return, drops the award rankings for DRI properties. Meanwhile, II gladly gives the DRI resorts top rating. Probably similar with Alii Kai - Gold Crown RCI vs. unranked in II.

The ratings criteria are not that dissimilar between the two companies that the same resort should be top ranked by one and completely unranked by the other.

 

[Lee B]

I suspect that more than one resort, when downgraded, decided not to pursue the higher grade. Owners of big hotel-branded resorts, who might pay $1400 per year to maintain one interval, will complain to the exchange company for putting them into just a condo for a week, even one in a great location.

Sometimes RCI will say, "We upped the requirements and now you have to put modern TVs into every bedroom, have jets in a bathtub, a restaurant on property etc." The association decides they will give up an award to save the money and not get angry reviews. Better to surprise on the upside.