Westin Kaanapali Ocean Studio - advice

[rthib]

Reserving for 2 nights using abound points, Mainly going to visit our friends at the chocolate factory but will enjoy sitting out on Lanai.
Kitchen doesn’t matter, just need a small fridge for pie from Leona’s.
So many options with same cost. Island view and Ocean view are same price and two choices there full Lanai and one with the Juliet balcony,
The for the north, 125 more but also OceanView and Island View are the same cost. These look like the one with the Juliet balcony but have a lanai. I included pictures of each.
So for those who have stayed what is your recommendation for view type and configuration to get and why?

 

[dioxide45]

You might get more answers and visibility in the Vistana Forum.

 

[GrayFal]

If you want to sit on a lanai and book a studio unit you need to book at WKORV North. South studios do not have balconies/lanais (a very few do).
South also has parking lot views aka island views while the island views at North are much better.
Ocean view at North also better as the buildings are angled towards the ocean.

Both north and south studios have nice almost full kitchens with apartment size refrigerator freezers plus washer dryer.

 

[rthib]

Reserving for 2 nights using abound points, Mainly going to visit our friends at the chocolate factory but will enjoy sitting out on Lanai.
Kitchen doesn’t matter, just need a small fridge for pie from Leona’s.
So many options with same cost. Island view and Ocean view are same price and two choices there full Lanai and one with the Juliet balcony. I assume the Lanai ones are the one's to choose.
Any idea why Ocean View and Island View are same point cost? I assume Ocean View with the Full Lanai is the way to go but concerned because of the same price.

There are also ones in the north, 125 more. Also OceanView and Island View are the same cost as each other. These look like the one with the Juliet balcony but have a lanai.

So for those who have stayed what is your recommendation for view type and configuration to get and why? Is North really worth the extra cost for 2 nights if I will not really be staying in the units except late at night and drinking a morning beverage.

Pictures are of the options. The Juliet and Full Lanai balcony. And the unit that is straight but has the full balcony too at North.

 

[dioxide45]

--deleted---

 

[Hindsite]

Delete

 

[Eric B]

The value in use is completely different from resale value. Resale value is based on supply and demand. More timeshares for sale than people wanting to buy them pushes the price down. Developer timeshare sales work completely differently than resale timeshares. People buy an expensive timeshare from a developer because the developer has created a product that is sold in a high pressure presentation with "today only" sales techniques. Developer timeshares are sold, not bought. There is no inherant demand for timeshares. None. Very few people go into a timeshare presentation planning to buy but the sales person makes the person think it is something they need. Thus why they pay a lot. Developer timeshare sales do not work on a supply and demand system to determine pricing.

I do not believe people should travel to timeshare resorts with fraudulent service animals. It drives up the costs and is fundamentally wrong to misrepresent your pet ferret as an emotional support ferret.

Edited to add: Ooops!; pardon me but I posted this in the wrong thread....

 

[dioxide45]

Is this in the right thread?

Nope, it wasn't. I've edited accordingly.

 

[EnglishmanAbroad]

The only studios that have a lanai at WKORV are Ocean Front. All other studios at WKORV have a Juliette balcony.

All studios at WKORVN have a small lanai with a side table and 2 chairs.

Ocean View and Island View at both resorts are exactly the same number of SO so I'm guessing you are talking about Abound points? Island View at WKORV face inland (over the parking lot). Island View at WKORVN and Ocean View at both properties face the ocean and have varying levels of 'Ocean View'.

 

[rthib]

The only studios that have a lanai at WKORV are Ocean Front. All other studios at WKORV have a Juliette balcony.

All studios at WKORVN have a small lanai with a side table and 2 chairs.

Ocean View and Island View at both resorts are exactly the same number of SO so I'm guessing you are talking about Abound points? Island View at WKORV face inland (over the parking lot). Island View at WKORVN and Ocean View at both properties face the ocean and have varying levels of 'Ocean View'.

The picture here is what Abound is showing as the layout for one of the studios (they list two different studios under each view, with different layouts)
So are the ocean view studio at regular (not the north) ok if this is the layout?

 

[vacation dreaming]

The South property has what Vistana calls “Deluxe” units on the corners of the buildings. There are very few OV Deluxe units and they are as far away from the ocean as possible. If you find an OF studio available, those are close to the ocean. Generally when booking a studio people prefer the north property, although I wasn’t pleased with my OV unit at north because it was back closer to the road and had road noise, it did have a view. You can find many discussions on tug listing the order preferences between the buildings and depending on if you are reserving OV, IV, studios or 1 bedrooms. If you want a balcony and a studio, north is probably the way to go for OV and IV.

 

[Henry M.]

The only studios that have a lanai at WKORV are Ocean Front. All other studios at WKORV have a Juliette balcony.

This is not correct. The end of building 4 is considered ocean view and has the same unit types as the ocean front side of buildings 2 and 3. The studios of the corner units have balconies and some of those would be called ocean view. They are relatively far away from the ocean overlooking the park next to the resort.

I prefer having the small.anai of the North studios over the Juliette balconies of south. I would prefer an ocean front studio in south because they all have balconies,but they also cost more.

There are very few Deluxe OV studios in South so I think I would rather take my chances with a North studio where if I don't like the initial unit assigned I'd have some chance of changing to another one.

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

Ocean view at north is facing the free space between Nanea and North. Views are nice but you can hear street noise early morning from your lanai during rush hr. Island view at north are great and quiet facing the pool with sometimes a peekabo ocean view. All views at North are nice IMO. Unless we are doing a 1 or 2 bedroom we chose North

 

[vacationtime1]

The only studios that have a lanai at WKORV are Ocean Front. All other studios at WKORV have a Juliette balcony.

All studios at WKORVN have a small lanai with a side table and 2 chairs.

Ocean View and Island View at both resorts are exactly the same number of SO so I'm guessing you are talking about Abound points? Island View at WKORV face inland (over the parking lot). Island View at WKORVN and Ocean View at both properties face the ocean and have varying levels of 'Ocean View'.

Not quite.

The only studios that have a lanai at WKORV are ocean front or deluxe (or OF Deluxe). But there are very few IV deluxe and OV deluxe studios and you don't want any IV studio because many of them face the parking lot.

If you want a studio, stay at WKORVN.

 

[vacationtime1]

The picture here is what Abound is showing as the layout for one of the studios (they list two different studios under each view, with different layouts)
So are the ocean view studio at regular (not the north) ok if this is the layout?




View attachment 114503

This is a deluxe studio at WKORV.

 

[aland0524]

Reserving for 2 nights using abound points, Mainly going to visit our friends at the chocolate factory but will enjoy sitting out on Lanai.
Kitchen doesn’t matter, just need a small fridge for pie from Leona’s.
So many options with same cost. Island view and Ocean view are same price and two choices there full Lanai and one with the Juliet balcony,
The for the north, 125 more but also OceanView and Island View are the same cost. These look like the one with the Juliet balcony but have a lanai. I included pictures of each.
So for those who have stayed what is your recommendation for view type and configuration to get and why?

Agree with GrayFal. You want to do North if you want to sit out on Lanai. Take the Ocean view if same price. All studios have full kitchens and also washer/dryers in the room. Studios in South all have Julie balconies and unless you want to play Romeo and Juliet...stay in the North.

 

[dlpearson]

Agree with GrayFal. You want to do North if you want to sit out on Lanai. Take the Ocean view if same price. All studios have full kitchens and also washer/dryers in the room. Studios in South all have Julie balconies and unless you want to play Romeo and Juliet...stay in the North.

Added clarification: studios do not have "full" traditional kitchens--they have a 3/4 size fridge, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, sink, small dishwasher, and 2-burner stovetop. No oven. But perfectly comfortable for 2 people (I prefer North IV or OV studio over South IV or OV, so as to have a balcony with 2 chairs to sit on.)

 

[rthib]

Studios in South all have Julie balconies and unless you want to play Romeo and Juliet...stay in the North.

Curious about this because this what shows up on South as an option for Studio. There are two options under each view type for studio. One shows the Juliet but the other shows this picture which has a full Lanai?

 

[GrayFal]

Curious about this because this what shows up on South as an option for Studio. There are two options under each view type for studio.
View attachment 114515

There are three oceanfront units at the end of each building. A center where all balconies face the ocean and one on either side. These are the studios of of the two other units and these balconies face the side of the building.

There is another island view unit that has this configuration - all the rest are Juliette.

Now someone will come and tell you the "real" name of these units.

 

[rthib]

There are three oceanfront units at the end of each building. A center where all balconies face the ocean and one on either side. These are the studios of of the two other units and these balconies face the side of the building.

There is another island view unit that has this configuration - all the rest are Juliette.

Now someone will come and tell you the "real" name of these units.

So are those good units?
OV with that configuration (Full Lanai) was on 775 for 2 nights vs 900 at north
Other than Lanai (which should be a wash) is there any other reason the north is better/worth extra 125 points.

 

[rthib]

This is a deluxe studio at WKORV.

That is what is showing on the reservation I booked. Is that as good as the ones in North. It is 125 points cheaper.

 

[vacationtime1]

That is what is showing on the reservation I booked. Is that as good as the ones in North. It is 125 points cheaper.

If it's ocean view, keep it.
If it's island view, dump it (very likely a parking lot view).

 

[rcv82]

If it's ocean view, keep it.
If it's island view, dump it (very likely a parking lot view).

This is the way. It is a “ deluxe “ studio. If it’s ocean view it will be on the NW corner of building 4. If it’s resort view, it will be one of the other corners of building 4, which are either parking lot or the side of building 3.

Oceanfront will be good units in building 2 or 3, albeit on the side but still with a nice view.

Note from the interior perspective, the deluxe studios are the best studios. They are substantially larger and have windows on two sides, plus the full size lanai.


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[rthib]

Got the Ocean View - And the image shows the full lanai
Just find it strange that all of these have same point value and only the Ocean Front is more but also shows both layouts (lanai and Juliet)
Now we will see what I actually get when I arrive. Luckily this is just the first two days of a much longer Island adventure so even if we end up with the bad layout, won't ruin anything.