Just to summarize for those who may not already be aware ...
Maui Ocean Club is a single property with two different types of timeshare buildings.
MMO is a conversion of Marriott hotel rooms. The original building includes three sections: Molokai, Maui and Lanai. There is a kitchenette but no full kitchen. No washer/dryer in the unit - use communal laundry room instead.
MM1 is on the same grounds and shares facilities with MMO, but the two new towers (Lahaina and Napili) are purpose-built timeshare buildings with full kitchens and washer/dryer in the unit.
Recent refurbishment in 2011 has resulted in a similar interior decorating style for all the units - whether in the original building or the new towers.
I previously posted my opinions comparing MMO and MM1 - attached below:
-----------------
The new towers are very nice indeed, but have a distinctly different feel from the original building.
Biggest positives of new towers:
- Full size kitchen
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- Beautiful lawn area facing the ocean with palm trees and many lounge chairs
- No overcrowding problem at the Napili and Lahaina tower pools
Biggest negatives of new towers:
- Feels more like an apartment complex, less like a resort
- Noticeably smaller rooms
- Tile floors in the living/dining area (cold/sterile)
- Sleepy, feels detached from the rest of the resort (some may prefer this)
- Smallish pools next to Napili and Lahaina towers are under-utilized, boring (some may prefer this)
- Towel service but no food/beverage service at the Napili and Lahaina tower pools
- Very imposing parking garage structure looms over the Lahaina tower pool
- Lots of wind at the Napili tower pool during the afternoons
Biggest positives of the original building:
- Significantly larger rooms
- Bigger balconies
- 3 bathrooms with a 2-bedroom unit
- 2 bathrooms with a 1-bedroom unit
- Close proximity to hotel-style services (valet parking, bellman service, food/beverage service) gives a resort feel to the main building
- We like the feeling of being in the center of activity
- We like close proximity to the large central "super-pool" and the kiddie pirate ship
- We like the lush interior courtyard landscaping in the Molokai wing
- We really like the view out over the central pool and beyond to the ocean.
Biggest negatives of the original building:
- No full kitchen - kitchenette only. Mini-fridge is too small for a large family.
- No washer/dryer in the unit
- Overcrowding at the central pool is common
- Getting a lounge chair can sometimes be a challenge
- Not a fan of the Lanai wing interior courtyard - even with the decorative sails it can feel like a prison block with all the railings
- Can be a long walk from the elevator to your room (especially in the Lanai wing)
It all boils down to personal taste. Overall, we much prefer the hotel conversion units in the original building. We don't use a kitchen much while on vacation, so the smallish kitchenette is fine for breakfasts and lunches. Using a communal laundry room enables us to do several loads at once to get it all done quickly. We understand if others feel differently - to each his own.
