Which is your favorite Marriott TS in Hawaii?

[Hankmoon]

We will just have to agree to disagree on the assertion that the weather in “Riviera Maya is identical to Miami...”. The weather on Mexican coasts is unbearably hot and humid, much more so than on the Gulf Coast or the Atlantic Coast. It is oppressively hot and humid, down there, and I am used to heat and humidity living in Houston. And good luck finding air conditioning anywhere but your room or some (not all) of the restaurants. IMHO.

I lived in Miami until I was 22 and from age 30-34. My family still lives in South Florida. The weather on Caribbean side of Mexico is identical to coastal Miami. Inland is a different story. But so is inland in Miami. Much hotter too. Sacramento, CA is 109 all summer! It feels like a sauna. Riviera Maya is like an air conditioner compared to that. Being from Miami, I do not understand the obsession with hot weather. I can tolerate hot humid weather, no problem for me. In the San Francisco Bay Area this summer, we had a few days of 109 weather and most people have no AC here either. People were freaking out like children. Summers in Northern California are getting warmer and warmer and most homes have no AC because they are so old and were built when CA used to be cool in summers. Global warming is here to stay.

Here are the average low and high temperatures per month (in Fahrenheit) in Riviera Maya:
January – 61/82
February – 62/86
March – 64/88
April – 66/89
May – 71/93
June – 73/90
July – 72/90
August – 72/90
September – 70/89
October – 68/88
November – 64/84
December – 64/84

Here's Maui by month:

Average Maui temperatures
High °F Low °F
79 65 January
79 65 February
80 65 March
81 67 April
82 68 May
84 70 June
85 71 July
86 72 August
86 71 September
85 70 October
82 69 November
80 67 December

It's not that different. Basically, to each his own, as the saying goes. Frankly, I say let's visit both!

 

[Dean]

Yes I agree with you. I am not a traditional timeshare person and I am new to timesharing. I do not like the quality of most timeshares and do not exchange. I am an RCI and SFX member but will not exchange. I will occasionally purchase through a sale if something I like comes up. Yes, you are correct we have purchased our timeshares from the developers. We tried twice to purchase through TUG and we got burned the first time by the seller who lied to us. The second time, we came close to buying a Marriott trader but then decided buying to exchange would not be a fit for me since I would not be happy with the exchanging process. Plus, in the end, Marriott maintenance fees are not that cheap. You do save a little on the upfront fees by buying resale, but you do not save anything after that and you do not get any developer perks on the resale market.

The problem with buying a Marriott or Westin in Hawaii on the resale market if you want ocean view is you have to pay about $10,000+ and there are high MFs annually and can only go to that one specific resort. If you exchange, anything you exchange for is worth less. I know you can usually get the extra coupon for an extra free week but it must be used within a year and it has restrictions, I have heard.

I think buying a specific resort on the resale market is perfect for someone who has identified their favorite place and they want to visit it again and again. I think buying a trader is perfect for someone who is flexible and does not care so much about what resort or place they go. Traders are perfect for value oriented travelers.

I think exchange restrictions are good for those of us who paid a lot of money to buy into an expensive vacation clubs. I think exchanging should be "like for like." That is generally the policy of the exchange companies.

You're kidding yourself on the exchange restrictions, you get nothing for it unless you consider that those exchanging in repeatedly are of a lower class you want to avoid. The only way it helps the owners is if no exchanging is allowed or only internally. Exchangers are fresh meat for sales which is the specific reason for exchange restrictions, nothing more. I haven't followed the product you quote but the last I heard, even owners there were restricted from exchanging in. IIRC the transfer fees are high for the type you are referencing, this is done simply to discourage privates sales and push buyers to retail, it worked with you it appears. What happens when you have a bad trip and the rose colored glasses are removed?

Certainly anytime you own a high end/high demand timeshare you are almost always trading down when you exchange, that's part of the understanding of the product one should have going in. I would agree that for high end options one should normally own if they want to be guaranteed and there is a price to those "guarantees". Personally I do both, own higher end where we want to stay and exchange. I have a hybrid of options that work well for both, I haven't had to make a choice between one or the other, I've done both successfully and to full advantage. But that takes volume, I have that luxury as well. I have Bluegreen, Marriott, DVC and Wyndham (small) and I find each has it's advantages and disadvantages but they all work well for our situation in their own way.

 

[dagger1]

I lived in Miami until I was 22 and from age 30-34. My family still lives in South Florida. The weather on Caribbean side of Mexico is identical to coastal Miami. Inland is a different story. But so is inland in Miami. Much hotter too. Sacramento, CA is 109 all summer! It feels like a sauna. Riviera Maya is like an air conditioner compared to that. Being from Miami, I do not understand the obsession with hot weather. I can tolerate hot humid weather, no problem for me. In the San Francisco Bay Area this summer, we had a few days of 109 weather and most people have no AC here either. People were freaking out like children. Summers in Northern California are getting warmer and warmer and most homes have no AC because they are so old and were built when CA used to be cool in summers. Global warming is here to stay.

Here are the average low and high temperatures per month (in Fahrenheit) in Riviera Maya:
January – 61/82
February – 62/86
March – 64/88
April – 66/89
May – 71/93
June – 73/90
July – 72/90
August – 72/90
September – 70/89
October – 68/88
November – 64/84
December – 64/84

Here's Maui by month:

Average Maui temperatures
High °F Low °F
79 65 January
79 65 February
80 65 March
81 67 April
82 68 May
84 70 June
85 71 July
86 72 August
86 71 September
85 70 October
82 69 November
80 67 December

It's not that different. Basically, to each his own, as the saying goes. Frankly, I say let's visit both!

Maybe it’s just been the twenty plus times I have been to Mexico. But every one of those times it has been unbearable, especially the humidity. I have lived in Houston since the 1950’s, I know humidity as well. Miami is on the Atlantic, not the Gulf, but I’m sure it gets hot/humid there. But the Texas Gulf Coast gets extremely hot and humid as well. The most unbearable place I’ve been heat/humidity was the Persian/Arabian Gulf. Second was Mexico. Hawaii can get hot and humid, but nothing like Mexico. I love Hawaii, as I have said, but kinda done with Mexico...

 

[Hankmoon]

You're kidding yourself on the exchange restrictions, you get nothing for it unless you consider that those exchanging in repeatedly are of a lower class you want to avoid. The only way it helps the owners is if no exchanging is allowed or only internally. Exchangers are fresh meat for sales which is the specific reason for exchange restrictions, nothing more. I haven't followed the product you quote but the last I heard, even owners there were restricted from exchanging in. IIRC the transfer fees are high for the type you are referencing, this is done simply to discourage privates sales and push buyers to retail, it worked with you it appears. What happens when you have a bad trip and the rose colored glasses are removed?

Certainly anytime you own a high end/high demand timeshare you are almost always trading down when you exchange, that's part of the understanding of the product one should have going in. I would agree that for high end options one should normally own if they want to be guaranteed and there is a price to those "guarantees". Personally I do both, own higher end where we want to stay and exchange. I have a hybrid of options that work well for both, I haven't had to make a choice between one or the other, I've done both successfully and to full advantage. But that takes volume, I have that luxury as well. I have Bluegreen, Marriott, DVC and Wyndham (small) and I find each has it's advantages and disadvantages but they all work well for our situation in their own way.

Yes, I agree with you. Yes, they use exchangers as fresh meat for membership sales. That is completely true. I always tell folks who go to say no to presentations. They give me certificates for discounted visits and I warn my friends to say no to presentations. I am a sucker for presentations, I agree! I just love new stuff. I grew up in the swamp in Florida, what more can I say.

 

[Hankmoon]

Maybe it’s just been the twenty plus times I have been to Mexico. But every one of those times it has been unbearable, especially the humidity. I have lived in Houston since the 1950’s, I know humidity as well. Miami is on the Atlantic, not the Gulf, but I’m sure it gets hot/humid there. But the Texas Gulf Coast gets extremely hot and humid as well. The most unbearable place I’ve been heat/humidity was the Persian/Arabian Gulf. Second was Mexico. Hawaii can get hot and humid, but nothing like Mexico. I love Hawaii, as I have said, but kinda done with Mexico...

Miami is unbearably hot most of the year. Probably like Houston but maybe worse. My spouse, who is from Montana, can't stand going to Miami with me. Initially my wife would only go to Hawaii so we went every year in the first 6 years of marriage. Then I said I am done with Hawaii. We had one trip to St John together and she said she would never go to the Caribbean again because we had airline connection problems. Then we switched to French Polynesia (and I dragged her there kicking and screaming too) but she did fall in love with French Polynesia so I got two trips out of that. I had to trick her into going to Cozumel last May after 11 years of marriage and I did that by offering her a Oahu deal at the end of the summer. She finally admitted the Caribbean waters are clearer than Hawaiian waters. But I am not sure if she would really prefer to go back to Hawaii - Kauai is her favorite island. She is very conservative and risk averse.

 

[Dean]

It's not that different. Basically, to each his own, as the saying goes. Frankly, I say let's visit both!

We live in FL so we're accustomed to heat somewhat. Kaanapali is around 10 deg lower during the summer time both in average and in max temp compared to Riviera May. http://www.hiddencancun.com/mexico-info/cancun-weather/ and http://www.areavibes.com/kaanapali-hi/weather/ and HI has far more consistent winds that make it feel cooler still. IMO that is a BIG difference but YMMV.

I think exchange restrictions are good for those of us who paid a lot of money to buy into an expensive vacation clubs. I think exchanging should be "like for like." That is generally the policy of the exchange companies.

I wanted to go back to this point. It's actually somewhat true for II but not for RCI related to resort quality, they simply use the TPU system on the weeks side and the number of points assigned/cost on the RCI points side. And it's really only true for SFX related to whether they'll take the deposit, not how they segregate deposits from what I understand. II does put emphasis on "like for like" within a range which can be good or bad. It keeps you from exchanging to a number of properties so if you're educated and investigate possible exchange options, it doesn't add anything and removes options. It does tend to protect the uneducated from exchanging to something too far off the ratings of the resort deposited. Last I heard II uses their internal resort ratings to determine the range they allow but it's been a while since I've had any direct information so that could have changed. And it doesn't do anything to help the resort one owns or those that don't exchange routinely just like exchange restrictions don't.

 

[Hankmoon]

So back to the original goal of this post...

Marriott Ko Olina is a beautiful resort. However, it is very dry all around the resort so the island views are not that beautiful. There are empty lots on both sides of the resort. Marriott said a new hotel is being developed on the right side and that will block a lot of the ocean views. On the left, we were told a shopping mall is being put in. That might be good since there is little to do out there. Oahu has a very run down look. It does not feel like Hawaii to me. It was my first trip to Oahu in September. The airport felt like JFK - big and crowded. I am used to the smaller Hawaiian airports on the other islands. My wife, who loves Hawaii, decided she does not want to return to Oahu. However, I am sure I could twist her arm if we got a good deal to stay at the Marriott Ko Olina. But I would say it is only worth staying there if you get a guaranteed ocean view. The Marriott Ko Olina rooms with an ocean view are stunning.

We have also been to the Marriott Waiohai Beach Club. The Poipu beach is great. The hotel is set back so hard to get an ocean view. I would not recommend the other Marriotts on Kauai because of their location near the airport. The best place to stay in Kauai is either Poipu or Princeville. We have stayed at the Westin Princeville. It is fabulous and the Westin Princeville also gives you use of the St Regis Princeville beach since Westin owns it.

We have not stayed in the Marriott Maui Ocean Club but we have been to Maui several times. We prefer Kauai over Maui because it is a more beautiful island. Kaanapali is the older part of Maui and the nicer, newer resorts tend to be in Wailea but I do not believe there are any timeshares on Wailea.

For location, I would choose Marriott Waiohai on Kauai. For the resort room layout, resort quality and ocean views, I would choose Marriott Ko Olina.

I have not been to Marriott Maui Ocean Club but even without having been there I hesitate for a few reasons: 1) it is an older resort converted from a hotel to a timeshare, 2) no full kitchen 3) Kaanapali not as nice as Wailea area. I have read the Lahaina and Napili Towers are newer, were built as a timeshare and do have full kitchens so perhaps those might be better.

 

[Hankmoon]

Okay, guys, my love affair with Mexican timeshares is dying a quick death. I just had a bad experience with Occidental Vacation Club this week. I went to book my first usage of my 2 bedroom and to my surprise, the room they showed me at the sales presentation is not the quality of room I purchased! Shame on me! I feel like an idiot. I bought a First Club membership and they showed me a Grand Level room but did not tell us it was a Grand Level room and that is a different category of membership. However, I got a letter from the Membership Director guaranteeing that we would get an ocean view, since that is critical to me. Now they are not honoring the letter!!! So I have escalated my problem to management. I will find out next week if they will resolve this or not. More to come next week. Dumb, dumb, dumb me! Well, if this one turns out to be a loser timeshare, no biggie. I knew it was not the most high end resort, 3.5 to 4 star at most. But I had no idea they were liars - just like I read on TUG posts. They did the bait and switch on us. I do have all the evidence so I submitted it to their management and they are investigating. I hope they fire the entire sales team. In Mexico, if they get complaints like this, everyone gets fired. I will also report it to the Mexican government. Mexico is trying to regulate these abuses. It is hard. I just hope my case gets resolved in a satisfactory manner. I would prefer to remain a member and not lose my money. We will dump it if this is not resolved in a satisfactory way out of principle.

 

[VacationForever]

Okay, guys, my love affair with Mexican timeshares is dying a quick death. I just had a bad experience with Occidental Vacation Club this week. I went to book my first usage of my 2 bedroom and to my surprise, the room they showed me at the sales presentation is not the quality of room I purchased! Shame on me! I feel like an idiot. I bought a First Club membership and they showed me a Grand Level room but did not tell us it was a Grand Level room and that is a different category of membership. However, I got a letter from the Membership Director guaranteeing that we would get an ocean view, since that is critical to me. Now they are not honoring the letter!!! So I have escalated my problem to management. I will find out next week if they will resolve this or not. More to come next week. Dumb, dumb, dumb me! Well, if this one turns out to be a loser timeshare, no biggie. I knew it was not the most high end resort, 3.5 to 4 star at most. But I had no idea they were liars - just like I read on TUG posts. They did the bait and switch on us. I do have all the evidence so I submitted it to their management and they are investigating. I hope they fire the entire sales team. In Mexico, if they get complaints like this, everyone gets fired. I will also report it to the Mexican government. Mexico is trying to regulate these abuses. It is hard. I just hope my case gets resolved in a satisfactory manner. I would prefer to remain a member and not lose my investment. We will dump it if this is not resolved in a satisfactory way out of principle.

Sorry that you are encountering issues. The conventional wisdom here is be leary of Mexico developer timeshare systems. They are great to exchange into, just do not buy into them. Their sales tactic is often fraudulent and filled with lies. It is also very difficult to sell. Some of the resort systems there levy a transfer fee equal to 10% of original sales price.

You used the word investment. Timeshares are never investments in the financial sense. It is an investment for pleasure and relaxation.

 

[Hankmoon]

Sorry that you are encountering issues. The conventional wisdom here is be leary of Mexico developer timeshare systems. They are great to exchange into, just do not buy into them. Their sales tactic is often fraudulent and filled with lies. It is also very difficult to sell. Some of the resort systems there levy a transfer fee equal to 10% of original sales price.

You used the word investment. Timeshares are never investments in the financial sense. It is an investment for pleasure and relaxation.

Yes, I agree, not an investment. I changed the word to money. A timeshare is just money thrown away but hopefully creating some good memories.

 

[Dean]

Okay, guys, my love affair with Mexican timeshares is dying a quick death. I just had a bad experience with Occidental Vacation Club this week. I went to book my first usage of my 2 bedroom and to my surprise, the room they showed me at the sales presentation is not the quality of room I purchased! Shame on me! I feel like an idiot. I bought a First Club membership and they showed me a Grand Level room but did not tell us it was a Grand Level room and that is a different category of membership. However, I got a letter from the Membership Director guaranteeing that we would get an ocean view, since that is critical to me. Now they are not honoring the letter!!! So I have escalated my problem to management. I will find out next week if they will resolve this or not. More to come next week. Dumb, dumb, dumb me! Well, if this one turns out to be a loser timeshare, no biggie. I knew it was not the most high end resort, 3.5 to 4 star at most. But I had no idea they were liars - just like I read on TUG posts. They did the bait and switch on us. I do have all the evidence so I submitted it to their management and they are investigating. I hope they fire the entire sales team. In Mexico, if they get complaints like this, everyone gets fired. I will also report it to the Mexican government. Mexico is trying to regulate these abuses. It is hard. I just hope my case gets resolved in a satisfactory manner. I would prefer to remain a member and not lose my money. We will dump it if this is not resolved in a satisfactory way out of principle.

With few exceptions, this is true of most timeshare developers but MX in general and many companies tend to be that way as well though more some than others. I will predict you will get nowhere with their management or at best they may throw you a bone and move you to a better view but you'll likely have to do it all over again next time. You've learned some valuable lessons that will help you going forward in timesharing. One bottom line is to investigate independently and not take the word of the sales people plus spend your time doing so. ASAMOF, if you assume the sale staff are lying when their lips are moving, you'll be far closer to reality than anything else. There are extremely few situations where buying retail, or even resale from the developer, is a good choice for the individual. Many, if not most here, started with a developer purchase that was a poor choice itself. And I got the impressions you might not be completely happy with some of the resorts that most here would be thrilled with like Ko Olina or Maui Marriott's. While I don't think you said so, I also got the sense you might be frustrated if you couldn't get the reservation you wanted.

The one thing I'd question myself on if I were in your situation, is whether timesharing was for me at all. You've already stated you were an extreme outlier in your expectations of the quality and amenities of the resorts you visit. I predict you'll either need to get out, or lighten up expectations and be more flexible to be happy with timesharing.

Yes, I agree, not an investment. I changed the word to money. A timeshare is just money thrown away but hopefully creating some good memories.

It is not an investment in the usual sense but it is an investment in you and the family but really only as much as it saves you money or gives you options you couldn't do with cash for similar. As such you want to get the best option that works for you for the least money and the least risk going forward. Knowledge is power so investigate and spend time doing so for purchases and exchange options. Forewarned is forearmed as they say.

 

[Hankmoon]

I am happy with the quality of rooms at the Marriott Vacation Clubs and the Westins. We loved the Westin Princeville and would stay there again in a minute. We just like to get an ocean view when we go to the beach. Marriotts and Westins are a solid 4 star, which is acceptable to me. If I get an ocean view, that always lifts my rating to 4.5 stars. Occidental Vacation Club showed me a room that was a 4-4.5 star with an ocean view but without the ocean view, it drops down to a 3.5-4 star at most. That is not what we paid for. I would have put Occidental and Marriott on the same quality level. If they are lying and deceitful, Occidental will fall off the list. I will let you know next week how they resolve this. If they throw me a bone and only resolve this one incident, that will be unacceptable. I already told them I will not travel like this for the next 25 years.

My other timeshare is Grand Luxxe. That is 5 star. We have already stayed there and have two reservations coming up in November and January. Excellent quality. Great food. Wonderful service. Rooms and views are out of this world in Grand Luxxe Nuevo Vallarta. We have not yet been to Grand Luxxe Riviera Maya but only jungle views there, I have been told. Expensive but worth it. Terrible sales staff. But pretty great otherwise and they always have something new. Just stay away from presentations if you trade into it.

 

[Dean]

That is not what we paid for.

While it may not be what you thought you paid for, it sounds like it is what you purchased. Again, part of the pre-purchase investigation should highlight those issues if done well.

If they throw me a bone and only resolve this one incident, that will be unacceptable. I already told them I will not travel like this for the next 25 years.

So what is your exit strategy? How much are you willing to lose to get out if you're not satisfied going forward?

 

[Hankmoon]

We paid for an ocean view 2 bedroom suite at all clubs where ocean views are available. We have it in writing. Occidental Vacation Club hotel managers are not honoring it now but the company is trying to fix it. Sales has been in touch with us today. It will take a few months to fix it and we do not know if they will offer an acceptable solution. We have an exit strategy but we will give Occidental until January to fix it. No rush at this point.

I must say the hotel managers at many of the clubs are not that great. We have not yet stayed in an Occidental club but we have visited 5 clubs during our vacations in Mexico since we purchased our membership. It is hit or miss as to whether the club managers are nice or not. I have complained about customer service at the clubs in the past. Some clubs are wonderful and some are mechanical.

Customer service in the vacation industry is hit or miss everywhere. Years ago, we visited one of my favorite resorts in the world, Caneel Bay in St John. Great resort, horrible customer service. Sadly, it is gone right now due to the hurricane.

 

[Dean]

We paid for an ocean view 2 bedroom suite at all clubs where ocean views are available. We have it in writing. Occidental Vacation Club hotel managers are not honoring it now but the company is trying to fix it. Sales has been in touch with us today. It will take a few months to fix it and we do not know if they will offer an acceptable solution. We have an exit strategy but we will give Occidental until January to fix it. No rush at this point.

I must say the hotel managers at many of the clubs are not that great. We have not yet stayed in an Occidental club but we have visited 5 clubs during our vacations in Mexico since we purchased our membership. It is hit or miss as to whether the club managers are nice or not. I have complained about customer service at the clubs in the past. Some clubs are wonderful and some are mechanical.

Customer service in the vacation industry is hit or miss everywhere. Years ago, we visited one of my favorite resorts in the world, Caneel Bay in St John. Great resort, horrible customer service. Sadly, it is gone right now due to the hurricane.

Good luck, I hope it works out but it doesn't sound overly favorable.

 

[RussellSun]

The answers you'll get will be all over the place. You'll have to look at the pros and cons, prices, etc. If you get a good week they should all trade well. None will be a good choice for exchanging but using most of the time and exchanging part of the time will be helpful. We despise KBC so we'll not go rather than stay there but all the rest are nice. Ko Olina is likely the best value $$$ wise. Ko Olina and Maui have lockoff's. All have high fees comparatively speaking. My ease of exchanging has been more in than out as I own at Ko Olina but elsewhere. Generally I've deposited Ko Olina as separate deposits and gone to Aruba or taken Destination Club points which I'll likely do for next summer as well the way things are shaping up (exchanged in).

Ultimately the answer I'd give you would depend on your preferences and how you'd use it. To go to HI every year I'd likely own Maui and Kauai (non KBC, likely Waiohai). To go EOY and exchange on off years I'd likely own Maui and Ko Olina because they are the ones with a lockoff.

We are thinking of buying Marriott Ko Olina EOY. How far in advance are you allowed to book your week as an owner at Marriott Ko Olina? Do you ever have trouble booking the week you want as an owner. For example, if we ask the seller to book Thanksgiving week 2018 for us before we close escrow, are we likely to get it?

Is it worth depositing the 2 BR lockoff into II when you don't use it? Do you get good exchanges for the 1 bedroom deposit and the studio deposit?

Is parking free at MKO?

 

[Dean]

We are thinking of buying Marriott Ko Olina EOY. How far in advance are you allowed to book your week as an owner at Marriott Ko Olina? Do you ever have trouble booking the week you want as an owner. For example, if we ask the seller to book Thanksgiving week 2018 for us before we close escrow, are we likely to get it?

Is it worth depositing the 2 BR lockoff into II when you don't use it? Do you get good exchanges for the 1 bedroom deposit and the studio deposit?

Is parking free at MKO?

I'm sure some others will have more knowledge and experience in this area than I do. We own the EOY week there and we are enrolled in Destination Club points. I don't go to HI every 2 years, our goal is every 4 and for this trip it'll have been 6. Generally I've taken DC points rather than exchanging it with II since we mostly travel to Marriott's and similar and I have another Marriott trader that gives me a better value though likely has a lower trade power.

For this coming summer at Ko Olina we needed two 2BR plus something else. I initially reserved my week plus a 2 BR & a studio on DC points. I've since traded back with my trader to cover all those needs and thus canceled all and took DC points on the Ko Olina week. The last trip we did something similar but it was too late to take points so I deposited it with II as a studio and a 1BR and got a 2 BR for each, one at Ocean Watch and he other Legend's Edge.

I've never had any trouble booking but I'm usually booking as a string more than 13 months out though I doubt you'd be shut out if you booked day 1. That first year might be an issue if you're under 12 months and sometimes you can't get the seller to book the week for you. I believe parking is free as a Marriott owner staying or exchanging in.

I think the real question is whether you should buy a week there. I'm not sure I would buy it currently if I didn't own it already. If you're going every 2 years and the OV is important to you, that might be a reason to do so. The other issue is whether you'll want to go to Oahu consistently, if the answer is no and you're largely looking for at trading unit that also gets you to HI here and there, I'd likely buy elsewhere and try to trade to HI when needed.

 

[RussellSun]

I'm sure some others will have more knowledge and experience in this area than I do. We own the EOY week there and we are enrolled in Destination Club points. I don't go to HI every 2 years, our goal is every 4 and for this trip it'll have been 6. Generally I've taken DC points rather than exchanging it with II since we mostly travel to Marriott's and similar and I have another Marriott trader that gives me a better value though likely has a lower trade power.

For this coming summer at Ko Olina we needed two 2BR plus something else. I initially reserved my week plus a 2 BR & a studio on DC points. I've since traded back with my trader to cover all those needs and thus canceled all and took DC points on the Ko Olina week. The last trip we did something similar but it was too late to take points so I deposited it with II as a studio and a 1BR and got a 2 BR for each, one at Ocean Watch and he other Legend's Edge.

I've never had any trouble booking but I'm usually booking as a string more than 13 months out though I doubt you'd be shut out if you booked day 1. That first year might be an issue if you're under 12 months and sometimes you can't get the seller to book the week for you. I believe parking is free as a Marriott owner staying or exchanging in.

I think the real question is whether you should buy a week there. I'm not sure I would buy it currently if I didn't own it already. If you're going every 2 years and the OV is important to you, that might be a reason to do so. The other issue is whether you'll want to go to Oahu consistently, if the answer is no and you're largely looking for at trading unit that also gets you to HI here and there, I'd likely buy elsewhere and try to trade to HI when needed.

Thanks Dean, for your input. We really want to buy a 2 BR lockoff with an ocean view in Hawaii. The choice is either Maui Ocean Club or Ko Olina. We visited Ko Olina and loved the resort and the lagoon. The units are beautiful, the ocean views and mountain views are very nice and we like that they have a full kitchen. I know Maui is a more popular island but MOC does not have a full kitchen and the Napili Villas are too expensive. We are not looking for a trader. We are looking for a place to visit ourselves and perhaps we would deposit the studio into II if we want to go somewhere else sometimes. We own another timeshare too and have other travel options. We might also trade for the other Hawaiian islands and the Caribbean sometimes. A few questions:
- How do you sign up for DC points?
- Is it possible to visit the Disney Aulani next door and eat dinner or watch shows? Or buy a day pass and use the facilities?

 

[Dean]

Thanks Dean, for your input. We really want to buy a 2 BR lockoff with an ocean view in Hawaii. The choice is either Maui Ocean Club or Ko Olina. We visited Ko Olina and loved the resort and the lagoon. The units are beautiful, the ocean views and mountain views are very nice and we like that they have a full kitchen. I know Maui is a more popular island but MOC does not have a full kitchen and the Napili Villas are too expensive. We are not looking for a trader. We are looking for a place to visit ourselves and perhaps we would deposit the studio into II if we want to go somewhere else sometimes. We own another timeshare too and have other travel options. We might also trade for the other Hawaiian islands and the Caribbean sometimes. A few questions:
- How do you sign up for DC points?
- Is it possible to visit the Disney Aulani next door and eat dinner or watch shows? Or buy a day pass and use the facilities?

You should spend time getting your head around all of this prior to moving forward. Ko Olina will be easier to reserve than Maui. One can no longer just sign up for DC points but you could buy a Trust points package and a resale week directly with Marriott to get additional points. The cost is going to be dramatic though compared to the other options. For HI I'd decide about what/how you want to use it. Consider that the fees are considerably more for HI in general and more for Maui than Ko Olina. It sounds like you only need a studio or 1 BR, if this is the case and you're OK with going EOY, I'd still consider a trading purchase elsewhere, esp if you are already paying for II anyway. To buy in HI, I'd buy where I preferred to go, I wouldn't let the price dictate the island choices. Put another way, I wouldn't buy Ko Olina if I preferred Maui but I might buy both. There are lots of variables so keep asking and investigating, your best choices will become more clear as you do.

 

[RussellSun]

Believe it or not, Maui is my least favorite island in Hawaii. I like the Big Island and the Ko Olina section on Oahu. My husband loves Kauai. So I think the 2 BR lockoff at Ko Olina fits our needs the best because we can use 1 bedroom and deposit the studio and get another week at the Big Island or Kauai, I hope. We were recently at the Marriott Ko Olina and I loved it. The two bedroom ocean view was spectacular. I have not seen a unit with such a beautiful view and I love the two balconies on the 2 BR lockoff. I suspect we may often use it ourselves as a 2 BR since we have other timeshares for traveling year round and we like space. Our MKO will close by year end. Should I ask the owner to make a reservation for us for late next summer or Thanksgiving or do you think I can wait until after closing and make my own reservation? Does MKO tend to have space or does it book up?

 

[mjm1]

Believe it or not, Maui is my least favorite island in Hawaii. I like the Big Island and the Ko Olina section on Oahu. My husband loves Kauai. So I think the 2 BR lockoff at Ko Olina fits our needs the best because we can use 1 bedroom and deposit the studio and get another week at the Big Island or Kauai, I hope. We were recently at the Marriott Ko Olina and I loved it. The two bedroom ocean view was spectacular. I have not seen a unit with such a beautiful view and I love the two balconies on the 2 BR lockoff. I suspect we may often use it ourselves as a 2 BR since we have other timeshares for traveling year round and we like space. Our MKO will close by year end. Should I ask the owner to make a reservation for us for late next summer or Thanksgiving or do you think I can wait until after closing and make my own reservation? Does MKO tend to have space or does it book up?

Congratulations on your impending purchase. It is indeed a beautiful resort.

I would recommend asking the current owner to make the reservation now for you. The sooner it is made, the higher your priority for room assignments will be. You can make specific requests, which won’t be guaranteed, once you own it, but at least your reservation will be made.

Good luck and enjoy many years of great vacations there.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[Dean]

Believe it or not, Maui is my least favorite island in Hawaii. I like the Big Island and the Ko Olina section on Oahu. My husband loves Kauai. So I think the 2 BR lockoff at Ko Olina fits our needs the best because we can use 1 bedroom and deposit the studio and get another week at the Big Island or Kauai, I hope. We were recently at the Marriott Ko Olina and I loved it. The two bedroom ocean view was spectacular. I have not seen a unit with such a beautiful view and I love the two balconies on the 2 BR lockoff. I suspect we may often use it ourselves as a 2 BR since we have other timeshares for traveling year round and we like space. Our MKO will close by year end. Should I ask the owner to make a reservation for us for late next summer or Thanksgiving or do you think I can wait until after closing and make my own reservation? Does MKO tend to have space or does it book up?

I certainly wouldn't buy Maui unless I intended to stay there most of the weeks owned, it's too expensive to own and exchange or not use personally. Given your additional information, I wonder if Trust points wouldn't have been a better choice or a needed addition to your new purchase. Likely your only feasible option for Kauai exchanging the studio is going to be KBC which I don't personally care for and it remains to be seen how this will work out for the Big Island. You certainly could list the other Kauai resorts on an exchange option and you might do OK retracing it to get larger villas and/or other resorts. Points should get you into the BI better and give you the option of Kauai Lagoons on Kauai as well as the possibility of Maui if you decide to give it another try. OF course points will likely be more expensive. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Quadmaniac]

Believe it or not, Maui is my least favorite island in Hawaii. I like the Big Island and the Ko Olina section on Oahu. My husband loves Kauai. So I think the 2 BR lockoff at Ko Olina fits our needs the best because we can use 1 bedroom and deposit the studio and get another week at the Big Island or Kauai, I hope. We were recently at the Marriott Ko Olina and I loved it. The two bedroom ocean view was spectacular. I have not seen a unit with such a beautiful view and I love the two balconies on the 2 BR lockoff. I suspect we may often use it ourselves as a 2 BR since we have other timeshares for traveling year round and we like space. Our MKO will close by year end. Should I ask the owner to make a reservation for us for late next summer or Thanksgiving or do you think I can wait until after closing and make my own reservation? Does MKO tend to have space or does it book up?

Maui used to be my favorite but with how many people are at the resort, less options for reasonably priced restaurants, higher cost for car rentals (marginally), more difficult access to Costco (by the airport only), more difficult to trade into, mostly MOC vs MM1 availability, Ko Olina became my primary choice as it was so easy to trade into, everything is close by like Costco, Walmart, Safeway, lots of Korean BBQ places for reasonable prices and so many things to do on the island at overall cheaper prices, it was a no brainer.

Definitely the earlier you can decide when you want to go and reserve the time, the better but I don't think it is as crazy as Maui in terms of booking in advance. There is plenty of availability but if it is a high demand time like Thanksgiving, spring break, etc. you might want to book at the first opportunity just in case. You could always phone and ask Marriott how fast they book up on certain holidays and they can tell you.

While you can use the MKO studio for trading, its really only worthwhile if you trade back into Ko Olina into a larger unit otherwise I would recommend getting a cheaper Marriott Platinum lock off trader to use as it will cost you less. If you figure the MF is about $2150 - while not exact, but if you alot half for the studio its $1075 plus half of the $80 lock off fee makes the cost to be $1115 plus trading fees. If you use a cheap trader, you might be looking at about $600 plus 1/2 lock off and trading fees. This will also get you into BI which you desire but you may or may not be able to get into the new Marriott in BI. Kauai is overall an easy trade so I wouldn't sweat that one. You might be better off renting your MKO studio for $1200-$1500 and taking the money offsetting some of your costs of trading with a cheap trader/cost to stay at MKO. IF you're getting $1500, your net cost to stay at MKO is $700 then. If you're only getting $1200, you're in it for $1000.

 

[Quadmaniac]

We paid for an ocean view 2 bedroom suite at all clubs where ocean views are available. We have it in writing. Occidental Vacation Club hotel managers are not honoring it now but the company is trying to fix it. Sales has been in touch with us today. It will take a few months to fix it and we do not know if they will offer an acceptable solution. We have an exit strategy but we will give Occidental until January to fix it. No rush at this point.

I must say the hotel managers at many of the clubs are not that great. We have not yet stayed in an Occidental club but we have visited 5 clubs during our vacations in Mexico since we purchased our membership. It is hit or miss as to whether the club managers are nice or not. I have complained about customer service at the clubs in the past. Some clubs are wonderful and some are mechanical.

Customer service in the vacation industry is hit or miss everywhere. Years ago, we visited one of my favorite resorts in the world, Caneel Bay in St John. Great resort, horrible customer service. Sadly, it is gone right now due to the hurricane.

Getting out of Mexican timeshares is not as easy as you think. Due to the transfer fees, it makes it unattractive to most who might want to take it over. That is another reason why so many are cautious about buying into Mexico. While some resorts may be more "5*" having the luxury of being able to exit without huge transfers fees, being high demand in Hawaii, the safety issues makes Hawaii a way easier choice than going to Mexico. I've been a number of times and I can safely say I'm done with Mexico. With how much some of my friends have spent on buying in Mexico, I could get numerous weeks in Hawaii and have a number of options to exit when it no longer suits my travel needs.

 

[RussellSun]

Getting out of Mexican timeshares is not as easy as you think. Due to the transfer fees, it makes it unattractive to most who might want to take it over. That is another reason why so many are cautious about buying into Mexico. While some resorts may be more "5*" having the luxury of being able to exit without huge transfers fees, being high demand in Hawaii, the safety issues makes Hawaii a way easier choice than going to Mexico. I've been a number of times and I can safely say I'm done with Mexico. With how much some of my friends have spent on buying in Mexico, I could get numerous weeks in Hawaii and have a number of options to exit when it no longer suits my travel needs.

Yes, this is an excellent point. We own at the Grand Luxxe in Mexico and the entry level contract is as expensive as the three resale contracts we are getting at Marriott Ko Olina EOY ocean view and the two Disney contracts with two home resorts. We can never sell the Grand Luxxe as there is no resale market for the Grand Luxxe. Our only option will be to let it expire at the end of 10 years if we do not want to renew. That will make the cost per year over 10 years really high. However, it is super luxurious. Nothing I have ever stayed in compares to the luxury of the Grand Luxxe. Not the Ritz, not the Four Seasons, nothing. So we are really paying for the luxury. It is not an economical decision at all. Marriott and Disney seem like "rational" decisions in comparison. In spite of how irrational it is to own at the Grand Luxxe, we are considering an upgrade to a more luxurious unit. We better love it before we decide because we can never sell it!