There are about two months of the year that Shearwater could use AC!

[rickandcindy23]

We are here now, and it's 81 degrees in the unit at 10:20 AM, 78% humidity. It's hot and uncomfortable. We were here in June, and it was very nice, pleasant temperatures. We have a thermometer that we take with us on vacation. I think knowing the temperature in the unit is probably a bad bit of knowledge.

We are in 207, above the pool. Kind of a noisy spot, but we are okay with it. The kids were fighting in the pool today, and I cannot believe the mom and dad don't tell them to tone it down.

The room is really nice, other than the temperature. The bed is very comfortable. Even though it never gets below 75 degrees in the room, we are able to sleep just fine. It's very nice to have a screen door on the entry side to let the breeze come in from the outside. We have one fan that we move from room to room, and of course all rooms have ceiling fans, which is nice, but the fans could use "more speed." We are in a unit with a vaulted ceiling. Rick grabbed a barstool from the counter and stood on it to see if he could speed up the fan in the living room. It was already on high. Too bad. The high speed is low at home.

The kitchen is very nice here at Shearwater. The patio is very comfortable and nice for reading. I am reading a good book, and I kind of wish I had not watched the movie on the plane before I opened the book, which was loaned to me by my sister.

Aloha!

We are here until tomorrow, then we head to Westin for 13 days.

 

[jacknsara]

Aloha Cindy,
I've reread your post a few times and still cannot figure if there's an actual problem other than being above the pool.
As I am fond of saying when on the island: someone has to stimulate the Kauai economy and it might as well be us.
Jack

 

[chapjim]

Aloha Cindy,
I've reread your post a few times and still cannot figure if there's an actual problem other than being above the pool.
As I am fond of saying when on the island: someone has to stimulate the Kauai economy and it might as well be us.
Jack

"Hot and uncomfortable" doesn't count?

 

[jacknsara]

Aloha,
Sorry if my earlier post was offensive.
Cindy has mentioned her fondness of the Shearwater many times over the years so I know that she is thoroughly familiar with it. The Shearwater lanais are one of its most outstanding features.
Its summer in the northern tropics. Its warm. If the lanai is too hot to sit on, time to go for a drive in an air-conditioned car. If the lanai is not too hot, then the pool noise could be a problem. IMO what’s most important is getting the interior cool enough to sleep. I’ll share my trick I used to use in Seattle before we installed central A/C ten years ago.
If the evening wind isn’t strong enough to keep the inside temperature about the same as outside, then set the fan to discharge air out of the condo downwind. I would determine downwind direction by holding about a 1 foot length of toilet paper near the various window and door screens. Many people set their portable fans to blow on them – that doesn’t reduce the BTUs in the interior.
Jack

 

[geist1223]

Also another trick if using the fan to blow into or around the Unit is to put a large bowl of ice in front of the fan.

 

[slip]

Cindy, it looks like you are a couple degrees cooler than us right now. The trade winds are the key for us. We only lose the trades once or twice a year. Our condo faces right into the trade winds so our condo is always cool. Other owners who are in the A or C buildings can't believe the difference when they come to our condo.

I have never stayed at Shearwater, how are the Tradewinds there? Looks like you maybe getting a little rain also and that probably doesn't help for the humidity.

You'll have air in a couple days so hopefully it won't be too bad. We head back to Kauai in May so it will be a couple years since we have been there. We'll have air but probably won't need it.

Enjoy your trip. Hopefully, one of these years our paths will cross.

 

[TolmiePeak]

No AC in Hawaii would be a no go for me. 81degrees? No thanks.

 

[slip]

No AC in Hawaii would be a no go for me. 81degrees? No thanks.

I always thought the same way and I made sure the timeshares I owned in Hawaii had a/c. But now after many years going back, two and sometimes three times a year, it really does depend on where you are. We rarely use the a/c at either of our timeshares.

Since we have lived here over five years now, we have yet to live in a place with a/c and have not had any issues. When we lived in Wisconsin, when the a/c went on for the first time in the summer, it rarely got turned off until the fall. That's how much we always used our a/c.

Hawaii is like many other places, it could be beautiful with cool trade winds and if you go two blocks, the trade winds are blocked and the humidity gets bad which makes things miserable.

Our bodies probably adjusted too but no one is more surprised than me that we don't need a/c here in Hawaii.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Aloha Cindy,
I've reread your post a few times and still cannot figure if there's an actual problem other than being above the pool.
As I am fond of saying when on the island: someone has to stimulate the Kauai economy and it might as well be us.
Jack

All of my posts are not negative. It's a little warm, really need AC at least in one room for some relief. June was cool and pleasant. Lots of breezes. We used to come a lot in July, and I don't remember it being this warm even then. I think the direction the lanai is facing here in this room is part of the problem. We are very close to the clubhouse, facing more toward the west. The buildings block some of the afternoon sun, and we are in a penthouse unit. That window invites a lot of sunshine in around 2 PM.

The noisy pool doesn't bother me at all. Most of the kids are adorable. A brother and sister were fighting, and I felt sorry for the little girl. The boy was unnecessarily mean to her. Maybe her parents get tired of her whining.

Yesterday at around 1 PM, the power went off, and it was off for 15 hours. We just got it back very early this morning. Sleeping last night was very difficult. I don't think I fell asleep until 2 AM. We sat on the lanai with some of the extra bedroom bedding on the chaise lounges. I thought I might be able to sleep out there. Not at all.

I am worried about eating the tuna salad with mayo we put together our first day here. Rick says it seemed still cool enough this morning, and we moved the ice bin into the refrigerator out of the freezer before bed last night. Hoping that helped keep it cool enough to be safe. Rick isn't worried, but I am.

You don't know dark until there is a power failure on the north shore of Kauai. I couldn't see to go to the bathroom, had to use a flashlight. I tried without waking Rick to get the flashlight and ran into the dresser, then into the wall, finally, I had to wake him. Poor guy. He was sound asleep.

We went to the ABC store at the Coconut Market and had dinner last night. Coconut shrimp was excellent.

Moving to Westin this afternoon.

 

[rickandcindy23]

No AC in Hawaii would be a no go for me. 81degrees? No thanks.

It's tolerable for most of the day, but the afternoon is tough. It's humid and sticky today. It got up to 86 degrees in our room yesterday.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I always thought the same way and I made sure the timeshares I owned in Hawaii had a/c. But now after many years going back, two and sometimes three times a year, it really does depend on where you are. We rarely use the a/c at either of our timeshares.

Since we have lived here over five years now, we have yet to live in a place with a/c and have not had any issues. When we lived in Wisconsin, when the a/c went on for the first time in the summer, it rarely got turned off until the fall. That's how much we always used our a/c.

Hawaii is like many other places, it could be beautiful with cool trade winds and if you go two blocks, the trade winds are blocked and the humidity gets bad which makes things miserable.

Our bodies probably adjusted too but no one is more surprised than me that we don't need a/c here in Hawaii.

In September 2019, you might remember my post about Hono Koa being 93 degrees INSIDE the unit, much of the day. We were on the top floor, which didn't help, unit 401. No AC means no one goes to Hono Koa in August-September. There are weeks sitting online right now for the rest of this month and next.

Sand of Kahana, same thing. Too hot, no AC. It's a big deal during summer to not have AC. Soleil needs to add AC and maybe charge for using it. We don't need it in March.

 

[slip]

In September 2019, you might remember my post about Hono Koa being 93 degrees INSIDE the unit, much of the day. We were on the top floor, which didn't help, unit 401. No AC means no one goes to Hono Koa in August-September. There are weeks sitting online right now for the rest of this month and next.

Sand of Kahana, same thing. Too hot, no AC. It's a big deal during summer to not have AC. Soleil needs to add AC and maybe charge for using it. We don't need it in March.

I do remember that post. It does depend on where you are though. I remember being at Valley Isle for a week in December and the trade winds stopped. It was extremely warm in our unit until about 8pm when it cooled off some. The lanai was really unusable during most of the day. We were in Kihei the week before at Maui Schooner and never used the A/C.

August and September are typically pretty warm and it can be really hot depending on the trade winds and the location. People get used to things and we always used the a/c until we moved here. We rarely use it when we are at places that have it.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

In September 2019, you might remember my post about Hono Koa being 93 degrees INSIDE the unit, much of the day. We were on the top floor, which didn't help, unit 401. No AC means no one goes to Hono Koa in August-September. There are weeks sitting online right now for the rest of this month and next.

Sand of Kahana, same thing. Too hot, no AC. It's a big deal during summer to not have AC. Soleil needs to add AC and maybe charge for using it. We don't need it in March.

Hi Cindy, I have checked out the electrical breaker box at the Sands of Kahana. I found that in the 3 BR unit (Penthouse) that they had four (IIRC) 20 Amp 230 volt circuits that were labeled "Window AC). An acquaintance checked out a 2 BR and it too was wired for AC. It is my educated guess that all of the power wiring is in place all the way to the transformers by the street. It would be fairly inexpensive to put in a ductless "mini-split" A/C in the units. If the cost per unit was $10K (about 1/6th of the cost of the refurb done 5 or so years ago), dividing that by 50 results in a one time cost of only $200 per week. Then set it up so that guests can elect whether or not to use the A/C AT A COST (like is done at Kona Coast on the big Island, and set it up so that it is cash positive (again, like Kona Coast I and II) and there will be no on-going affect on the MF other than perhaps going down a bit. Even if I'm off by a factor of two on the one-time cost (unlikely), the cost of the AC is still de minimous and a fraction of the cost of the refurbs. At the Kona Coast II, I spent $12 a day for the AC and it was the best twelve bucks I could have spent because it put a smile on my wife's face. If she's happy then I'm happy and conversely, if she isn't happy, then NO ONE is happy. ha ha.

I ran again for the Board of Directors this year and of the things that I wanted to see done (the other two hand-picked cardboard stand-ins didn't mention anything that they wanted to see done) - - I proposed a study to examine the feasibility of putting in A/C.

I think that if the Sands had A/C that it would raise the status of the place and maybe owners wouldn't be forced to give them away for free. Also, the major complaint in most Tripadvisor reviews is the lack of A/C. It's easy to fix and not particularly costly.

My opinion....

 

[The Colorado Kid]

Hi Cindy, I have checked out the electrical breaker box at the Sands of Kahana. I found that in the 3 BR unit (Penthouse) that they had four (IIRC) 20 Amp 230 volt circuits that were labeled "Window AC). An acquaintance checked out a 2 BR and it too was wired for AC. It is my educated guess that all of the power wiring is in place all the way to the transformers by the street. It would be fairly inexpensive to put in a ductless "mini-split" A/C in the units. If the cost per unit was $10K (about 1/6th of the cost of the refurb done 5 or so years ago), dividing that by 50 results in a one time cost of only $200 per week. Then set it up so that guests can elect whether or not to use the A/C AT A COST (like is done at Kona Coast on the big Island, and set it up so that it is cash positive (again, like Kona Coast I and II) and there will be no on-going affect on the MF other than perhaps going down a bit. Even if I'm off by a factor of two on the one-time cost (unlikely), the cost of the AC is still de minimous and a fraction of the cost of the refurbs. At the Kona Coast II, I spent $12 a day for the AC and it was the best twelve bucks I could have spent because it put a smile on my wife's face. If she's happy then I'm happy and conversely, if she isn't happy, then NO ONE is happy. ha ha.

I ran again for the Board of Directors this year and of the things that I wanted to see done (the other two hand-picked cardboard stand-ins didn't mention anything that they wanted to see done) - - I proposed a study to examine the feasibility of putting in A/C.

I think that if the Sands had A/C that it would raise the status of the place and maybe owners wouldn't be forced to give them away for free. Also, the major complaint in most Tripadvisor reviews is the lack of A/C. It's easy to fix and not particularly costly.

My opinion....

@BJRSanDiego wow what a thoughtful post...thanks for sharing. This could easily be applied to almost every resort in Colorado also...many stubbornly still do not offer A/C and no matter what anyone says...summer months even in the Colorado mountains can get uncomfortably hot in the condos in the afternoons. This is one of the main reasons we bought from the developer at the Westin in the Vail Valley as it does have A/C.

I stayed for the first time at the St. James in Beaver Creek this summer...they have the in-room A/C splits I think you are describing up near the ceiling in each room...what a delight! St. James is def an older property that retrofitted these...I was there on an II exchange so not privy to the financial impact on the owners.

Other Colorado properties that def need A/C:
Vail
Sheraton Mountain Villas and Lakeside
Falcon Point
Marriotts
Hyatt
Christie Lodge
Apollo Park

Breck
Marriott
Grand Timber Lodge
Valdoro

 

[rickandcindy23]

Hono Koa also has AC outlets in the room, and I know they used to have AC units before we bought. They need to get new units installed. I wouldn't use them in Feb-Mar but definitely would use them for August-September.

We usually don't go to resorts without AC in summer.

 

[Ken555]

No AC in Hawaii would be a no-go for me. 81degrees? No thanks.

^^THIS

Last year, while traveling abroad, I stayed at a hotel that advertised on its website that it had AC in each room, but it was off during my stay. Knowing how uncomfortable it was, I didn't even spend a single night there and left for a different hotel. There is less than zero chance I would voluntarily stay at any timeshare in Hawaii without AC.

 

[rickandcindy23]

^^THIS

Last year, while traveling abroad, I stayed at a hotel that advertised on its website that it had AC in each room, but it was off during my stay. Knowing how uncomfortable it was, I didn't even spend a single night there and left for a different hotel. There is less than zero chance I would voluntarily stay at any timeshare in Hawaii without AC.

Hopefully the hotel refunded you for the incorrect information on the website. .

 

[b2bailey]

All of my posts are not negative. It's a little warm, really need AC at least in one room for some relief. June was cool and pleasant. Lots of breezes. We used to come a lot in July, and I don't remember it being this warm even then. I think the direction the lanai is facing here in this room is part of the problem. We are very close to the clubhouse, facing more toward the west. The buildings block some of the afternoon sun, and we are in a penthouse unit. That window invites a lot of sunshine in around 2 PM.

The noisy pool doesn't bother me at all. Most of the kids are adorable. A brother and sister were fighting, and I felt sorry for the little girl. The boy was unnecessarily mean to her. Maybe her parents get tired of her whining.

Yesterday at around 1 PM, the power went off, and it was off for 15 hours. We just got it back very early this morning. Sleeping last night was very difficult. I don't think I fell asleep until 2 AM. We sat on the lanai with some of the extra bedroom bedding on the chaise lounges. I thought I might be able to sleep out there. Not at all.

I am worried about eating the tuna salad with mayo we put together our first day here. Rick says it seemed still cool enough this morning, and we moved the ice bin into the refrigerator out of the freezer before bed last night. Hoping that helped keep it cool enough to be safe. Rick isn't worried, but I am.

You don't know dark until there is a power failure on the north shore of Kauai. I couldn't see to go to the bathroom, had to use a flashlight. I tried without waking Rick to get the flashlight and ran into the dresser, then into the wall, finally, I had to wake him. Poor guy. He was sound asleep.

We went to the ABC store at the Coconut Market and had dinner last night. Coconut shrimp was excellent.

Moving to Westin this afternoon.

I wouldn't consider you to be a regular poster of the negative.
Just an honest expression of your current events.
I did have the thought that you're at a favorite location -- so figured you hadn't been there in August.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I would like to add that if you are a person who loves Shearwater and you enjoy the pool, you should know that even whispers can be heard very clearly and distinctly by those in the units that surround the pool, like our unit, which was 207. We could hear everything being said, and I am not exaggerating in the least. It's like a megaphone, talking anywhere in that area.

We respectfully requested before our arrival to NOT be in the units around the pool. We are Wyndham Founder's level and are supposed to be able to ask for a specific unit or location, but we were definitely disappointed that our request was ignored by Wyndham.

The resort was not even close to full, so I don't understand.

Ironically, when we were there two years ago in June, almost to July 4th, we were in a penthouse unit #311, the second week, and #204 the first week. It was not hot, the breezes were almost too cold. This stay in 207 was definitely not the same. Our stay last June was through RCI exchange. Great unit assignments.