Westin Ka'anapali Maui Villas North or South

[Jkt]

Hi fellow Tugers,

I just joined the forum, and it's been a huge help.

I'm looking at buying into the Westin Ka'anapali Villas on Maui, and I'm trying to decide on North or South. I've stayed at the North side for a week, but not the south.

Which is better in people's opinion?

thanks,
Jesse

 

[DeniseM]

I am an owner, and I would not buy there (again) unless I was going to buy an Ocean Front unit on the South Side. It has far superior views to any other section.

If you don't care about the view, then you have 2 much less expensive options:

-If you can travel any time of the year, buy a cheap Interval International trader (like a Sheraton Desert Oasis Gold Plus week) for less then $1,000, and trade in through II.

-If you need high season dates, buy a much less expensive mainland resort with Staroptions (a mandatory resort) and trade in using Staroptions.

 

[MommaBear]

I like the fact that you can use all facilities from either property. I prefer WKORVN slightly over south because there are no parking lot views and there are patios for both sides of the lock off. I have always exchanged in and so would be more likely to get the parking lot view. If you want ocean view or ocean front, make sure you buy that view.

 

[bastroum]

I am an owner, and I would not buy there (again) unless I was going to buy an Ocean Front unit on the South Side. It has far superior views to any other section.

If you don't care about the view, then you have 2 much less expensive options:

-If you can travel any time of the year, buy a cheap Interval International trader (like a Sheraton Desert Oasis Gold Plus week) for less then $1,000, and trade in through II.

-If you need high season dates, buy a much less expensive mainland resort with Staroptions (a mandatory resort) and trade in using Staroptions.

This is the best advice you're going to receive. I just sold 3 units here. The MF's are way out of line with it's competition (MOC).

 

[Jkt]

Thanks

I am an owner, and I would not buy there (again) unless I was going to buy an Ocean Front unit on the South Side. It has far superior views to any other section.

If you don't care about the view, then you have 2 much less expensive options:

-If you can travel any time of the year, buy a cheap Interval International trader (like a Sheraton Desert Oasis Gold Plus week) for less then $1,000, and trade in through II.

-If you need high season dates, buy a much less expensive mainland resort with Staroptions (a mandatory resort) and trade in using Staroptions.

Thanks Denise,

Do you own north or south in the WKORV?

Do you advise against buying there because of the MF's, or is there another reason I should be aware of?

Also, how fast have the MF's been rising there?

Lastly, what are the MF's like at SVO or another Starwood mandatory resort that would be a good alternative to get the staroptions?

thanks again,
Jesse

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks Denise,

Do you own north or south in the WKORV?

I own Ocean View - South.

Do you advise against buying there because of the MF's, or is there another reason I should be aware of?

Maintenance fees are very high, and taxes are too, and probably will increase - the local government taxes timeshare owners at a MUCH higher rate, than any other property owners.

Also, the resort really stretched the view categories at this resort, and Ocean Front in the South Phase has the most reliable views. For instance, some Ocean Front Units in the North phase actually only have a partial Ocean View. You can see a resort map showing view designations in the Owner Resources Sticky at the top of the page.

Also, how fast have the MF's been rising there?

They have more than doubled since the resort opened about 12 (?) years ago.

Lastly, what are the MF's like at SVO or another Starwood mandatory resort that would be a good alternative to get the staroptions?

You can see all the maintenance fees linked in one of the stickies at the top of the page. Remember that only a few of the resorts are mandatory when purchased resale. Generally speaking, Westin Kierland Villas is recommended as the best Staroption trader.

 

[okwiater]

Do you advise against buying there because of the MF's, or is there another reason I should be aware of?

Also, how fast have the MF's been rising there?

Lastly, what are the MF's like at SVO or another Starwood mandatory resort that would be a good alternative to get the staroptions?

Although you addressed your questions to Denise, I'll throw my 2 cents in as well.

The maintenance fees have been holding pretty steady now for a few years, but they've doubled over the past decade (to around $2500). The amount you'd be paying in MFs per night is about $350 -- and that's before the occupancy taxes you'll be charged when you check out. Speaking of which, Maui in particular has been specifically targeting timeshares for unfavorable tax treatment, charging owners ever-rising property tax rates (that are many multiples of normal residential rates) but also charging them "transient occupany" taxes, as if the owners were guests staying in a hotel. It's very slimy, but since timeshare owners can't vote, they're prime targets for tax rate increases.

It's worth noting that Hawaii is a relatively easy exchange during most times of the year, as long as you're willing to book at exactly 8 months out. You're not guaranteed a view, of course, but I've traded into Hawaii 3 times using both StarOptions and II, and each time was given a very nice unit with a beautiful view. There is only one season in Hawaii -- Platinum Plus -- and it's 148,100 StarOptions for a 2 bedroom lockoff.

For comparison, 148,100 StarOptions comes with a maintenance fee of about $1,400 (or about $200/night) at Westin Kierland Villas. The price of entry is higher though, with resales currently going for about $18K.

 

[Jkt]

Thanks everyone

Thanks to all of you for being so very helpful. I think you've put the fear of God into me about the WKORV's.

I think I'll focus on a less expensive Starwood resort with plenty of staroptions.

It looks like there are three that have staroptions and not unreasonable prices

Sheraton Vistana
Sheraton Desert Oasis
Westin Kierland Villas

I do go to Orlando every few years for my Disneyworld fix, so that resort looks intriguing. I read that only Bella and Key West are Mandatory.

Any advice on which is best?

 

[okwiater]

Thanks to all of you for being so very helpful. I think you've put the fear of God into me about the WKORV's.

I think I'll focus on a less expensive Starwood resort with plenty of staroptions.

It looks like there are three that have staroptions and not unreasonable prices

Sheraton Ventana
Sheraton Desert Oasis
Westin Kierland Villas

I do go to Orlando every few years for my Disneyworld fix, so that resort looks intriguing. I read that only Bella and Key West are Mandatory.

Any advice on which is best?

Sheraton Vistana (not Ventana) has numerous phases. Sheraton Vistana Resort does not come with StarOptions on resale purchases. Sheraton Vistana Villages has two phases -- Bella and Key West -- which come with StarOptions. The newer phases -- Amelia, St. Augustine, etc. -- do not. Make sure you know which one you are buying prior to committing to a purchase.

Also, I will point out Sheraton Desert Oasis is also a voluntary resort and does not come with StarOptions on resale purchases.

The decision is actually pretty straightforward once you factor in your personal finances and priorities. SVV has a much lower price of entry, but comes with fewer SOs/$. WKV has a much higher price of entry, but has one of the best SO/$ ratios in the system.

I would not worry about owning in Orlando even if you want to go there frequently -- it's very overbuilt and is an easy trade just about any time of year.

 

[Jkt]

Which Starwood resorts are Mandatory

Which Starwood resorts are mandatory?

 

[lizap]

Just returned from Maui a few weeks ago. I agree with Denise-South OF is the way to go. We bought WKV and had no trouble using SOs to get into WKORV. If you want to travel in the winter, it appears to be more challenging though.

 

[Jkt]

Just returned from Maui a few weeks ago. I agree with Denise-South OF is the way to go. We bought WKV and had no trouble using SOs to get into WKORV. If you want to travel in the winter, it appears to be more challenging though.

Nice to know,

One of the other folks on this thread said that there's an additional tax that you're charged at the end of your stay. How much was that?

Thanks

 

[lizap]

Sorry, I don't remember how much.

Nice to know,

One of the other folks on this thread said that there's an additional tax that you're charged at the end of your stay. How much was that?

Thanks

 

[okwiater]

Which Starwood resorts are mandatory?

* Harborside at Atlantis
* Vistana Villages (Bella and Key West phases only)
* Westin St. John (Virgin Grand - Hillside only)
* Westin Ka'anapali & Westin Ka'anapali-North
* Westin Kierland Villas

 

[okwiater]

One of the other folks on this thread said that there's an additional tax that you're charged at the end of your stay. How much was that?

I don't remember exactly, but I want to say it was around $15 per night for a lockoff.

 

[mauitraveler]

It's worth noting that Hawaii is a relatively easy exchange during most times of the year, as long as you're willing to book at exactly 8 months out. You're not guaranteed a view, of course, but I've traded into Hawaii 3 times using both StarOptions and II, and each time was given a very nice unit with a beautiful view. There is only one season in Hawaii -- Platinum Plus -- and it's 148,100 StarOptions for a 2 bedroom lockoff.

okwiater,

We've used SO to trade into Hawaii, but are considering going through II one of these years. What was it that made you decide to use II and did you put in a request 2 years in advance? TIA CJ

 

[okwiater]

We've used SO to trade into Hawaii, but are considering going through II one of these years. What was it that made you decide to use II and did you put in a request 2 years in advance? TIA CJ

We used II because it allowed us to get 2 weeks for the price of 1, by doing instant online exchanges. We split our WKV and used half to reserve a 2BR lockoff at WPORV, and the other half to reserve a 2BR lockoff at WKORV the following week. Would've cost 296,200 SOs in the SVN, but we were able to do it for half that instead.

 

[mauitraveler]

We used II because it allowed us to get 2 weeks for the price of 1, by doing instant online exchanges. We split our WKV and used half to reserve a 2BR lockoff at WPORV, and the other half to reserve a 2BR lockoff at WKORV the following week. Would've cost 296,200 SOs in the SVN, but we were able to do it for half that instead.

What great exchanges! So, you actually went the "deposit first" route? How far in advance did you make your deposits. For what month did you make your instant exchanges? Great strategy! (We could split our WKV just to try for larger units?)

 

[okwiater]

What great exchanges! So, you actually went the "deposit first" route? How far in advance did you make your deposits. For what month did you make your instant exchanges? Great strategy! (We could split our WKV just to try for larger units?)

To be honest, I'm not that familiar with the currently II terminology. I waited until Starwood did a bulk bank of both WKORV and WPORV, then browsed for consecutive weeks that worked with our schedule. I opened separate browsers so I could be sure that each half of my lockoff could "see" the right units in II. Then, I went ahead and did the instant exchanges. I called Starwood after I had confirmed both II exchanges, to ensure that both weeks would be processed correctly from an SVN perspective. Worked perfectly!

Edit: we made the exchanges for 2 consecutive weeks at the end of May/beginning of June (including Memorial Day).

 

[mauitraveler]

I like the fact that you can use all facilities from either property. I prefer WKORVN slightly over south because there are no parking lot views and there are patios for both sides of the lock off. I have always exchanged in and so would be more likely to get the parking lot view. If you want ocean view or ocean front, make sure you buy that view.

Jkt,

You've received some great advice regarding purchasing a good trader to get into KORV/KORVN, or purchasing at KORV/KORVN if you're interested in getting the view that you own.

If and when you're ready to trade into Kaanapali, many prefer the North Villas for the reasons that MommaBear listed, and some prefer them for fact that those units are newer. I may be in the minority, because we actually prefer the South Villas because they are 150 sq. feet larger, and because they have real ovens. I can't reach the combination microwave/convection oven comfortably, so I sometimes use the step-stool!

Good luck with whatever decision you choose! CJ

 

[mauitraveler]

okwiater,

Thanks for the tip on splitting your WKV. Hearing about your successful exchange, I'm now less hesitant to try II for an exchange so that we can really maximize the use of the SO. (We also enjoy visiting Maui in May, and also in October/November.) Thanks again and have a great summer! CJ

 

[Jkt]

One last question

Thanks everyone for being so helpful. This site is truly a godsend for newbies like me.

I'm looking at resales here in the Tug marketplace, and none of the MF's are the same on identical units. Why is that?

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks everyone for being so helpful. This site is truly a godsend for newbies like me.

I'm looking at resales here in the Tug marketplace, and none of the MF's are the same on identical units. Why is that?

-errors
-North and South phase have completely different MF's
-some may include the SVN fee, and some may not
-some may include taxes and some may not
-some may be every-other-year ownerships
-some may understate the fees to make their TS look more attractive

For more accurate numbers, look at the maintenance fee sticky at the top of the forum

 

[pacman]

We used II because it allowed us to get 2 weeks for the price of 1, by doing instant online exchanges. We split our WKV and used half to reserve a 2BR lockoff at WPORV, and the other half to reserve a 2BR lockoff at WKORV the following week. Would've cost 296,200 SOs in the SVN, but we were able to do it for half that instead.

Just to repeat what Denise said, if you are going to go the II route, it would make more sense to buy at SDO, and not WKV. I own at SDO, and have had good luck trading into WKORV and WKORV-N over the years. It seems to be getting a little more difficult lately, but just did snag 2 consecutive weeks for November that I was looking for - 1 one bedroom, and one studio in the N side. BUT, if you do go the SDO/II route, you have to be very flexible, and very patient .

pacman

 

[baf99]

So the SDO/II route is not recommended for February/March stays in Hawaii? I would be OK with 1 bedroom, or even a studio if necessary, and would probably not be going to Hawaii every year. I'm planning way in advance, since I don't have SDO or any other Starwood timeshare yet. I'm just thinking ahead to retirement in a few years.

Research first, buy later (or rent) using all the info I have been getting on TUG.