Westin Kaanapali Villas [Hotel pool access]

[lovemylabradoodle]

I am renting from an owner and assumed that we would be able to use the pool at the Westin hotel property. Friends of ours who have stayed at the Westin hotel said that people who stay at the villas can not use the hotel pool and can only use the villa pool. Does anyone have any information about this? could my friends be mistaken?

 

[Henry M.]

On Maui, early on you could stay at one Starwood property and use the pools everywhere (Villas, Westin and Sheraton hotels). Several years ago they did away with that, so if you are staying at the villas you can only use the pools at either WKORV or WKORV-N. I think this is mainly to protect the villas from the hotel crowds, but I don't know for sure.

You still can charge food and other items to your villa room at any of the other properties.

Henry

 

[DeniseM]

The Westin Hotel is not adjacent to the Villas - you'd have to drive there [or take the shuttle] and the Villas have multiple pools on site. I can't really think of any reason you would want to drive to the hotel and use their pools - they are much more crowded. This rule was put into effect, because HOTEL guests were driving to the villas and crowding out timeshare owners. They changed this rule just a couple of years after the resort opened. It's a good rule.

 

[lovemylabradoodle]

Ok, thanks for the information!

 

[ciscogizmo1]

Also, whatever you do, do not drive to the hotel where the Westin is located. There is a shopping center right next door to the Westin called the Whaler. There are some shops (a little high end) and some restaurants. Anyways there is a shuttle that runs like every 10-20 minutes between the Westin Villas, Sheraton and Westin Hotel. There is also another shuttle that runs to Lahaina where all the shops on Front street are located. Great little shuttle. We take it to go out to dinner on Front Street and it is so nice not to have to find parking and pay for it. Also, we take it to the Sheraton when we want to snorkel closer to black rock. I know you didn't ask for this advice but I thought I'd share... It is very reliable and great to use.

 

[Ken555]

Also, whatever you do, do not drive to the hotel where the Westin is located. There is a shopping center right next door to the Westin called the Whaler. There are some shops (a little high end) and some restaurants. Anyways there is a shuttle that runs like every 10-20 minutes between the Westin Villas, Sheraton and Westin Hotel. There is also another shuttle that runs to Lahaina where all the shops on Front street are located. Great little shuttle. We take it to go out to dinner on Front Street and it is so nice not to have to find parking and pay for it. Also, we take it to the Sheraton when we want to snorkel closer to black rock. I know you didn't ask for this advice but I thought I'd share... It is very reliable and great to use.

The parking lot next to the mall is great. I've never bothered with the shuttle to go there...

 

[ciscogizmo1]

The parking lot next to the mall is great. I've never bothered with the shuttle to go there...

We always go peak season and I've never found parking. Why wouldn't you bother with the shuttle? I think it is great. Plus, you can have wine with dinner and not have to flip a coin on who is going to drive home. But that's us. I'm all for public transportation and using it. But I can see how others don't like it.

 

[Ken555]

We always go peak season

That explains it. I don't.

 

[Pedro]

I almost always choose the option to walk from the villas to the hotel or viceversa. When we where there in June, I think I took the shuttle bus only once even though we went back and forth between both properties every day.

 

[DeniseM]

I almost always choose the option to walk from the villas to the hotel or viceversa. When we where there in June, I think I took the shuttle bus only once even though we went back and forth between both properties every day.

Do you walk along the street or along the beach? I'm guessing it's 45 min or so? What do you do at the hotel?

 

[Ken555]

Do you walk along the street or along the beach? I'm guessing it's 45 min or so? What do you do at the hotel?

Walking to the hotels is a great morning activity. I agree with Pedro, and I do it at least once or twice every visit (if not more).

I don't walk on the street, but the beach path, then the beach and then up thru the Sheraton to the continuation of the beach path. It takes about 30 minutes, depending if we delay en route or not, and many times stop for breakfast or lunch in the area before returning.

And, this reminds me that I have (!) taken the shuttle from the Sheraton back to WKORV as Pedro suggests in the past.

 

[DeniseM]

We used to do it once per trip as well, but I don't like the hotel well enough to do it every day. After staying at the Villas - the hotel and the area around it seems really crowded. Of course, we go to Hawaii during July, so it is crowded!

 

[Quadmaniac]

Walking to the hotels is a great morning activity. I agree with Pedro, and I do it at least once or twice every visit (if not more).

I don't walk on the street, but the beach path, then the beach and then up thru the Sheraton to the continuation of the beach path. It takes about 30 minutes, depending if we delay en route or not, and many times stop for breakfast or lunch in the area before returning.

Going to have to try that. Never thought about going through Sheraton. Kind of walked toward it and then turned around. I like the beach walk much better on the Marriott side of Sheraton as it is not so broken up.

 

[Pedro]

Do you walk along the street or along the beach? I'm guessing it's 45 min or so? What do you do at the hotel?

We always walk along the path, and then along the beach and through the Sheraton just like Ken explained above. Our kids prefer the pool at the hotel :ignore: , and also the occasional Banana boat ride on front of the hotel. On top of all, walking makes me feel less guilty about the extra calorie comsumption associated with MaiTais and Pina Coladas .

 

[Ron98GT]

Walking to the hotels is a great morning activity. I agree with Pedro, and I do it at least once or twice every visit (if not more).

I don't walk on the street, but the beach path, then the beach and then up thru the Sheraton to the continuation of the beach path. It takes about 30 minutes, depending if we delay en route or not, and many times stop for breakfast or lunch in the area before returning.

And, this reminds me that I have (!) taken the shuttle from the Sheraton back to WKORV as Pedro suggests in the past.

Going to the Sheraton from the TS, how do you get around Black Rock? From the beach at the Sheraton, I didn't see anyway around, but I didn't check from the North side down.

By the way "Colors" didn't work, which is why I selected Bold & Italics. How do I report this problem?

NOTE: Looks like Italics didn't work either

 

[Ron98GT]

Also, whatever you do, do not drive to the hotel where the Westin is located. There is a shopping center right next door to the Westin called the Whaler. There are some shops (a little high end) and some restaurants. Anyways there is a shuttle that runs like every 10-20 minutes between the Westin Villas, Sheraton and Westin Hotel. There is also another shuttle that runs to Lahaina where all the shops on Front street are located. Great little shuttle. We take it to go out to dinner on Front Street and it is so nice not to have to find parking and pay for it. Also, we take it to the Sheraton when we want to snorkel closer to black rock. I know you didn't ask for this advice but I thought I'd share... It is very reliable and great to use.

Thanks for the tip/info. We'll use it next year when we'll be at the TS to get to Ka'anapali beach and Whaler Village.

NOTE: Underline works, but still no color.

 

[Ken555]

Going to the Sheraton from the TS, how do you get around Black Rock? From the beach at the Sheraton, I didn't see anyway around, but I didn't check from the North side down.

"Thru the Sheraton" is what I wrote, and I meant it. Walk thru the hotel... Going north to WKORV just walk past the Sheraton pool and to the front (actually, no need to go inside the hotel since they have walkways to the front) then stay to the north and you'll find yourself on a path back to the beach. It's fairly obvious once you start.

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks for the tip/info. We'll use it next year when we'll be at the TS to get to Ka'anapali beach and Whaler Village.

NOTE: Underline works, but still no color.

Don't forget that there is also a free continuous shuttle.

 

[Eagle7304]

If you are traveling south on the boardwalk, you will come to the end of the boardwalk and you will see Black Rock in front of you. The golf course will be on your left. An abandoned pier is on your right. Go left and you will see a parking lot.

Don't go up the road when you get to Black Rock...It's a nice view from up there but there is no way down to the beach.

Enter the parking lot and you will go through the tennis courts to a breeze way. This will eventually take you out towards the pool. Walk through the grassy area south, and the boardwalk will eventually start up again. It continues all the way to the Hyatt.
If you get lost, just ask anyone at the Sheraton. They will be glad to get you going in the right direction.

 

[Pedro]

And if you happen to be passing by the Sheraton at around 6:00 pm, stop to see the torch lighting ceremony. It ends with the guy carrying the torch jumping into the ocean from Black Rock. It is pretty nice, especially when the sun is setting behind Black Rock.

 

[Ron98GT]

"Thru the Sheraton" is what I wrote, and I meant it. Walk thru the hotel... Going north to WKORV just walk past the Sheraton pool and to the front (actually, no need to go inside the hotel since they have walkways to the front) then stay to the north and you'll find yourself on a path back to the beach. It's fairly obvious once you start.

I've walked along the beach at the Sheraton up to Black Rock lots of times and thought that was where the Sheraton ended. After your post, I checked Google Maps and what a surprise. The Sheraton extends along the top of Black Rock. I'll check it out next year when we stay at WKORV.

Is there parking up on top, or is all of the parking South of the hotel?

thanks for the tip,

 

[Eagle7304]

There is a parking lot up top, but you don't want to end up there. Go left and you will see a parking lot next to the tennis courts. Go though that parking lot and the tennis courts. It's confusing the first time but if you need help getting through ask anyone working there

 

[Pedro]

GPS tracking of walk form WKORV to Whaler's Village

The attached picture shows the path recorded by my IPhone on one of my runs between WKORV and Whaler's village.