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Top 10 Vistana Resorts

CaliJoe

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Is there a list of the best Vistana resorts that someone can point me to? Torn about requalifying some weeks and want to see what kind of additional access we might get if we did. Converting to Bonvoy points to get hotel nights is not appealing to us (also poor RoI).
 
Is there a list of the best Vistana resorts that someone can point me to? Torn about requalifying some weeks and want to see what kind of additional access we might get if we did. Converting to Bonvoy points to get hotel nights is not appealing to us (also poor RoI).
Depending on who you ask, the results will vary. I’d have to say all of the the Westins are at the top followed by Harborside (simply for the access to the Atlantis).
 
Here is that same list just for Vistana resorts;

I'm surprised to see Sharaton Kauai at the bottom of the list. We haven't visited there and don't have plans to (we like Marriott Waiohai a lot and have access to it via MVC/Abound), but we do have very fond memories of that place from hotel visits ~15 years ago before the timeshare conversion. In fact, that's around the time we started with timeshares (presenation at WPORV, and finding TUG in time to save us from a bad decision). I guess the timeshare units' location is not as good as the hotel rooms, but it's in a great area of the island - I like the location much better than WPORV.
 
I'm surprised to see Sharaton Kauai at the bottom of the list. We haven't visited there and don't have plans to (we like Marriott Waiohai a lot and have access to it via MVC/Abound), but we do have very fond memories of that place from hotel visits ~15 years ago before the timeshare conversion. In fact, that's around the time we started with timeshares (presenation at WPORV, and finding TUG in time to save us from a bad decision). I guess the timeshare units' location is not as good as the hotel rooms, but it's in a great area of the island - I like the location much better than WPORV.
location is good but the conversion is just awful. Sinks for the bathroom are left out in the open in the "living room/kitchen" and the kitchen is poorly equipped and the "bedroom" is smaller than my closet at home. almost NO drawer space for clothes - only hanging space - with guess what? - No hangers! Never any pool towels in the designated area. Grill sucked. a true Sh%$ show. Couldn't wait to leave and i will NEVER book it again no matter how convenient that location is.
 
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location is good but the conversion is just awful. Sinks for the bathroom are left out in the open in the "living room/kitchen" and the kitchen is poorly equipped and the "bedroom" is smaller that my closet at home. almost NO drawer space for clothes - only hanging space - with guess what? - No hangers! Never any pool towels in the designated area. Grill sucked. a true Sh%$ show. Couldn't wait to leave and i willl NEVER book it again no matter how convenient that location is.
Sadly have to agree. Stayed there recently and the units are the worst of any I have ever stayed in. Everything noted above is true; horrible design for the space and the unit is just uncomfortable overall. No storage; no where to put anything so suitcases sit in the living room and used as drawer space. It is a shame; the resort itself is really nice and I imagine the hotel is nice also, but they completely blew it with the hotel conversions (and I have stayed in other hotel conversions and have not minded them at all). This one is, indeed, a real sh%$ show.

I liked the resort so much that I have been mulling over whether I would go back; would recommend anyone considering it try to visit the resort and look at the units before committing.
 
has reviews in each of the past few years that all seem to be favorable!

the ones from the conversion time in 2019 however...notsomuch.
 
Were you unable to post that on the review page?

im sure tons of people would want to read it, and another "higher than 8" rating would help it on the list!
 
Were you unable to post that on the review page?

im sure tons of people would want to read it, and another "higher than 8" rating would help it on the list!
Honestly Brian I had intended to do that but am not sure if I did or not (suspect it got lost in the shuffle). I will post it there.
 
Sadly have to agree. Stayed there recently and the units are the worst of any I have ever stayed in. Everything noted above is true; horrible design for the space and the unit is just uncomfortable overall. No storage; no where to put anything so suitcases sit in the living room and used as drawer space. It is a shame; the resort itself is really nice and I imagine the hotel is nice also, but they completely blew it with the hotel conversions (and I have stayed in other hotel conversions and have not minded them at all). This one is, indeed, a real sh%$ show.

I liked the resort so much that I have been mulling over whether I would go back; would recommend anyone considering it try to visit the resort and look at the units before committing.
Yes I forgot to mention the suitcase issue, mine were in the living room also. Annoying. And also my unit had no bar stools in front of the tv but others did? No room for both the coffeemaker and toaster to be out at the same time. Kitchen sink very tiny but oddly a full size dishwasher? Truly insane. No table to eat at other than the coffee table. One day it was raining so instead of being able to eat out by the grills like we had been doing, we all gathered together in one of the rooms (6 of us) trying to eat together and that was fun. We had to bring plates cups and silverware from our room to eat together and some people were standing out on the balcony or sitting on the floor. Whoever designed that crap never had to stay a night there, that’s for sure. The grounds are gorgeous but the livability of those rooms is nuts. Also we had someone with a walker and they literally put him in the furthest building from the parking lot even though we asked.
 
Yes I forgot to mention the suitcase issue, mine were in the living room also. Annoying. And also my unit had no bar stools in front of the tv but others did? No room for both the coffeemaker and toaster to be out at the same time. Kitchen sink very tiny but oddly a full size dishwasher? Truly insane. No table to eat at other than the coffee table. One day it was raining so instead of being able to eat out by the grills like we had been doing, we all gathered together in one of the rooms (6 of us) trying to eat together and that was fun. We had to bring plates cups and silverware from our room to eat together and some people were standing out on the balcony or sitting on the floor.There Whoever designed that crap never had to stay a night there, that’s for sure. The grounds are gorgeous but the livability of those rooms is nuts. Also we had someone with a walker and they literally put him in the furthest building from the parking lot even though we asked.
There were only two of us and it was bad enough. Almost funny to walk out of the shower and be 8 feel from anyone sitting on the couch. And the no screens was a real treat - flies in our room any time we wanted fresh air (and once an almost rooster). I hope someday they just start over and do this right although I understand that is unlikely to happen.
 
There were only two of us and it was bad enough. Almost funny to walk out of the shower and be 8 feel from anyone sitting on the couch. And the no screens was a real treat - flies in our room any time we wanted fresh air (and once an almost rooster). I hope someday they just start over and do this right although I understand that is unlikely to happen.
At most of the Vistana and Marriott timeshares we go to, they lack screens on the patio doors.
 
At most of the Vistana and Marriott timeshares we go to, they lack screens on the patio doors.

All three Vistana resorts on Maui have screens on the patio doors. I don't recall whether Westin Princeville has screens on the patio doors.
 
All three Vistana resorts on Maui have screens on the patio doors. I don't recall whether Westin Princeville has screens on the patio doors.
Good to know. We haven't been to Hawaii in a while. Of the others we have been to, even in Florida, I only recall a screens at a few of them. Perhaps they are there and I just am not paying enough attention.
 
Westin KOR has screen doors. I had no idea and kept closing the door to keep the bugs out, and Rick got up from the patio and closed the screen door and opened the door. That was standard practice for us from that day forward.

Those were two great weeks on Maui in that unit, even if we did get first floor. I was awed and amazed at everything, including the very clean patio. I cannot imagine a better place to be on Maui, but I do want to be on a higher floor in 2024.

I just saw that I hit 30,000 posts on TUG. Wow!
 
At most of the Vistana and Marriott timeshares we go to, they lack screens on the patio doors.
Really? I don’t ever remember being at any time shares that didn’t have screens on the patio in the windows. And at the very least, I never remember flies or bugs in my room.
 
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We occupied two 2BD units at Kauai Beach Villas in April and had no issues with the units. Yes, the kitchen was smaller than what we're used to, but the location couldn't be beat. I gave my family the choice of Sheraton Kauai Beach resort or Westin Kauai Resort villas. Decision was unanimous because of the Sheraton's great location. My daughter and her family actually came a day earlier and spent one night at the Westin and while they said the Westin pools were nicer, they preferred the Sheraton overall.
 
location is good but the conversion is just awful. Sinks for the bathroom are left out in the open in the "living room/kitchen" and the kitchen is poorly equipped and the "bedroom" is smaller than my closet at home. almost NO drawer space for clothes - only hanging space - with guess what? - No hangers! Never any pool towels in the designated area. Grill sucked. a true Sh%$ show. Couldn't wait to leave and i will NEVER book it again no matter how convenient that location is.
We stayed here for 9 days in early November 2022. We loved it!!!! Didn't have any issues with the grills and parking was plentiful. We did have the larger unit, a 2 bedroom for the 4 of us. We had plenty of room for everything, but as others have noted, the kitchen was really small but we made it work. The location is fabulous and convenient to the best of Kauai. The staff was really nice, too. Fabulous sunset views from the beach and a short drive to see the turtles come up on shore at the public park in the evening. Oh, and the urgent care near the resort is great ..... my son had a reaction to the sun from medication.

We stayed a few years ago at the Westin on the north shore. We hated it! Yes, the units and views are fabulous but that is all I can say about it. But it rained literally every single day for most of the time. We ended up driving to the Poipu area almost every day just to see the sun. During our stay in November at Poipu, we decided to give the north shore one more try and you guessed it, it rained about an hour after we got there. At least we were able to eat our picnic lunch before it rained.
 
We stayed here for 9 days in early November 2022. We loved it!!!! Didn't have any issues with the grills and parking was plentiful. We did have the larger unit, a 2 bedroom for the 4 of us. We had plenty of room for everything, but as others have noted, the kitchen was really small but we made it work. The location is fabulous and convenient to the best of Kauai. The staff was really nice, too. Fabulous sunset views from the beach and a short drive to see the turtles come up on shore at the public park in the evening. Oh, and the urgent care near the resort is great ..... my son had a reaction to the sun from medication.

We stayed a few years ago at the Westin on the north shore. We hated it! Yes, the units and views are fabulous but that is all I can say about it. But it rained literally every single day for most of the time. We ended up driving to the Poipu area almost every day just to see the sun. During our stay in November at Poipu, we decided to give the north shore one more try and you guessed it, it rained about an hour after we got there. At least we were able to eat our picnic lunch before it rained.
Thanks for this. We have a 1 bedroom for 2 of us in Aug and I was getting worried. We do find with studios at north when our family doesn't come so hopefully it will be fine!
 
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