After seeing the Kauai Waiohai consistently rated above Ko Olina (it's presently number 2 among Marriott resorts), and having just returned from a Waiohai week, I'm wondering: on what planet is Waiohai the better place?
Frankly, I think people must be transferring their love of the island (absolutely stunning, wonderful in nearly every way) to the resort.
Don't get me wrong, Waiohai is a perfectly nice place; a horseshoe of four-story buildings opening onto a cramped public beach. The gardens are lovely, extending quite a way from the ocean, and getting much nicer as they go back. However, the beach is CROWDED. Unless you rise with the chickens (there's a ton of them), forget about snagging a beach chair, and even a patch of sand is in short supply. Compare that to Ko Olina's four huge lagoons, spanning a good mile in length. Ko Olina gets better and better as you approach the ocean; Waiohai the opposite (IMO).
Due to its horseshoe layout, a great many Waiohai villas boast an "ocean view". True enough, but it's a tiny wedge of ocean. If you're on the first floor, you probably won't see water; on the third floor you're likely to have the view blocked by palm trees. It would be far more accurate to call most of these units "garden view". This is actually OK, as the gardens are very nice indeed. Ko Olina's view descriptions are far more accurate: ocean front looks directly out on the ocean, ocean views are fairly sweeping, and island view is panoramic, if a bit dull. Ko Olina mountain views are generally much better than Waiohai's outside units, which tend to have parking-lot vistas.
As to swimming pools, the edge goes overwhelmingly to Ko Olina. They're much bigger, and much better designed. Hot tubs are about the same, although there is a secluded one in the far back of Waiohai that is very romantic.
Ko Olina's arrival area is far grander than Waiohai's, and its lobby dwarfs the small space Waiohai dedicates to its arrivals. Aside from very meager offerings at the beach bar and the Marketplace, Waiohai has no restaurants at all. Ko Olina has two. Ko Olina's spa/health club is far nicer than the offerings at Waiohai.
Probably due to its size, Ko Olina has a wider variety of activities. Waiohai offers catch and release fishing (for $10!); I think that compares poorly with the fish feeding available at the Marriott lagoon in Ko Olina (for free, with an illustrated fish guide!).
I would say the villas are highly comparable. The Waiohai master tubs are great / the Ko Olina master showers are great! The Waiohai balcony is quite a bit larger than those at Ko Olina, but each unit has only one.
Bottom line: I get the fuss about Kauai, but I think Ko Olina, as a vacation club, blows Waiohai away.
Frankly, I think people must be transferring their love of the island (absolutely stunning, wonderful in nearly every way) to the resort.
Don't get me wrong, Waiohai is a perfectly nice place; a horseshoe of four-story buildings opening onto a cramped public beach. The gardens are lovely, extending quite a way from the ocean, and getting much nicer as they go back. However, the beach is CROWDED. Unless you rise with the chickens (there's a ton of them), forget about snagging a beach chair, and even a patch of sand is in short supply. Compare that to Ko Olina's four huge lagoons, spanning a good mile in length. Ko Olina gets better and better as you approach the ocean; Waiohai the opposite (IMO).
Due to its horseshoe layout, a great many Waiohai villas boast an "ocean view". True enough, but it's a tiny wedge of ocean. If you're on the first floor, you probably won't see water; on the third floor you're likely to have the view blocked by palm trees. It would be far more accurate to call most of these units "garden view". This is actually OK, as the gardens are very nice indeed. Ko Olina's view descriptions are far more accurate: ocean front looks directly out on the ocean, ocean views are fairly sweeping, and island view is panoramic, if a bit dull. Ko Olina mountain views are generally much better than Waiohai's outside units, which tend to have parking-lot vistas.
As to swimming pools, the edge goes overwhelmingly to Ko Olina. They're much bigger, and much better designed. Hot tubs are about the same, although there is a secluded one in the far back of Waiohai that is very romantic.
Ko Olina's arrival area is far grander than Waiohai's, and its lobby dwarfs the small space Waiohai dedicates to its arrivals. Aside from very meager offerings at the beach bar and the Marketplace, Waiohai has no restaurants at all. Ko Olina has two. Ko Olina's spa/health club is far nicer than the offerings at Waiohai.
Probably due to its size, Ko Olina has a wider variety of activities. Waiohai offers catch and release fishing (for $10!); I think that compares poorly with the fish feeding available at the Marriott lagoon in Ko Olina (for free, with an illustrated fish guide!).
I would say the villas are highly comparable. The Waiohai master tubs are great / the Ko Olina master showers are great! The Waiohai balcony is quite a bit larger than those at Ko Olina, but each unit has only one.
Bottom line: I get the fuss about Kauai, but I think Ko Olina, as a vacation club, blows Waiohai away.
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