Tips and Tricks When at WKORV

[triangulum33]

I wanted to hear what some of you have learned to make your stay on Maui better or cheaper.

Here are some of the things we usually do:

• Request pool view bottom floor so kids can go in and out to pool during the day.
• Check out max # of towels. Take clean ones back to room at the end of the day for extra bath towels.
• Tip your pool waiter.
• Stop at Costco and stock up on water, breakfast, lunch and some bbq items. I think last time we actually went to Safeway and liked it better because we didnt have to buy huge quantities of stuff.
• Buy beach toys at Walmart or Costco. Leave them for other guests when we leave.
• Stock up spirits to avoid the $1000 liquor bill.
• Take the kids to the aquarium.
• Eat at Star Noodle and Aloha Mixed plate at least once.

 

[hypnotiq]

We eat @ AMP 3 or 4 time a trip. We love their food/menu and its super cheap.

Times Supermarket (up by KBC) has had the best prices for groceries (outside of your bulk buy @ Costco) the last 2x we've been to Maui.

 

[crf450x]

We used to buy beach chairs and umbrellas at costco each time and give them away on our last day but now rent from maui baby rental. Having shade from the umbrella and beach chairs allows us to hang out at the beach for much longer than we would without.

Then by the time we have had our time at the beach we can usually find some chairs by the pool and if we are lucky something under one of the palapas (sp?)

The foodland has an excellent selection of poke and they now carry the bubbies Mochica ice cream at the deli section. We also like to hit up Star Noodle at least twice. That is our favorite place around the WKORV.

Don't forget to take the free shuttle into town and walk around front street, check out the many art galleries and get shave ice from Ululani's.

The WKORV has various activities throughout the week and we especially liked the evening discussion on ancient Polynesian navigation. The girl that did the presentation when we were there was very passionate about the art of navigating by the stars and it was very informative.

If you have kids, it is worth putting them in the kids club for at least one day. We have heard some parents drop their kids off everyday and that is not us. Our kids would probably like to go more often but we let them spend one full day per week there. They really take care of the kids and have plenty of crafts and activities to keep them busy all day. They even get a cool backpack at the end. Plus we get a full day to relax and do whatever we want knowing the kids are well taken care of. However we usually don't leave the property while the kids are in he kids club to be on the safe side.

 

[Bill4728]

We used to buy beach chairs and umbrellas at costco each time and give them away on our last day but now rent from maui baby rental. Having shade from the umbrella and beach chairs allows us to hang out at the beach for much longer than we would without.

Then by the time we have had our time at the beach we can usually find some chairs by the pool and if we are lucky something under one of the palapas (sp?)

The foodland has an excellent selection of poke and they now carry the bubbies Mochica ice cream at the deli section. We also like to hit up Star Noodle at least twice. That is our favorite place around the WKORV.

Where is Star Noodle?

If you have kids, it is worth putting them in the kids club for at least one day. We have heard some parents drop their kids off everyday and that is not us. Our kids would probably like to go more often but we let them spend one full day per week there. They really take care of the kids and have plenty of crafts and activities to keep them busy all day. They even get a cool backpack at the end. Plus we get a full day to relax and do whatever we want knowing the kids are well taken care of. However we usually don't leave the property while the kids are in he kids club to be on the safe side.

Great Idea! Although at 24, I do not think they will take our kid. LOL

 

[MichaelColey]

Do you remember what the charge is for the kids club? We just might have to check that out!

 

[SMHarman]

Do you remember what the charge is for the kids club? We just might have to check that out!

http://www.westinkaanapali.com/activities/westinkids
has no pricing but mentions a $55 cancellation fee which concidentally is the half day rate on another Westin destination on the island so the prices below are about right.
http://www.westinmaui.com/propertyoverview/activities/keiki/

 

[MichaelColey]

Great! Thanks! Only hitch looks like it's only for kids 5-12, and my youngest is 3. I know some places make exceptions for potty-trained siblings, so I'll have to ask once we're there.

 

[crf450x]

Do you remember what the charge is for the kids club? We just might have to check that out!

http://www.westinkaanapali.com/pdf/2013_6_KC Info.pdf

Here is the link for the Kids Club. Full day is $75 for 1st kid then each additional sibling is $37.50. Great deal for two or more kids considering the half day is $55 per kid with no discount for additional siblings. Therefore $112.50 for two kids for the full day or $110.00 for two kids for the half day.

 

[crf450x]

Where is Star Noodle?

Here is the link for Star Noodle: http://www.starnoodle.com/

Don't miss out on the garlic noodles, filipino bacon & eggs, pork buns, Big Island Rib eye, vietnemese crepes and their specialty drink Cranzu or Sake Cranzu. All great stuff.

 

[crf450x]

Great! Thanks! Only hitch looks like it's only for kids 5-12, and my youngest is 3. I know some places make exceptions for potty-trained siblings, so I'll have to ask once we're there.

I know that we had my son there when he just turned 4 several years ago and they took him based on the fact that he was potty trained and that he would be there with his older sister, 6 at the time. I would think if you signed your kids up for one of the days where they don't use the pool or beach and stay in the kids club most of the day, it shouldn't be a problem. However, they have days when they do go to the pool and/or beach and I can see them not taking kids younger than 5 on those days.

 

[jarta]

Star Noodle - Yum! Long wait for even a shared table when I have showed up. But well worth the wait. Salty

 

[DavidnRobin]

Only WKORVN has direct access to outside when on the 1st floor...

We bring a Brita Water Pitcher and filter to save on water (and not use plastic as plastic water bottles are extremely detrimental to our environment).

Call at 6am PST 12 months ahead to get highest floor available as timestamp is king (do not depend on 'status') - and we a WKORV OFD villa and there are only 24 of them.

Buy alcohol at an ABC store - I was amazed on how low the liquor prices were. I also bring a 1L nalgene container filled with Grey Goose.

Get a Safeway and Foodland discount card - this will save a bundle if going to these stores. We go to both for different products. Hypno - We have never found the Times store to be cheaper, but have not gone in a couple of years.

Buy Maui Brewing Co Big Swell IPA (or others) at Safeway or Foodland - much less than from MBC in Kahana. They come in cans so good for pool and beach - bring coozies to keep cold.

Get a Tommy Bahama chair (and umbrella) as they are the best quality - versus renting chairs/umbrella from WKORV/N

Bring zip-lock bags (quart and half-gallon) - and a soft-sided cooler (TB chair has cooler in back)

Bring spices and hot sauces.

Don't use pool waiter at all - and only buy drinks/appetizers during Happy Hour.

Bring a parasheet for laying/sitting the beach - lightweight and water repellent.

Bring loose fit sunshirts (UnderArmour HeatGear SPF50+) and sun hat - will save $$$ on sun lotions.

 

[Quadmaniac]

My sister just came back and said she found No.1 BBQ in Lahaina to be really good cheap and huge portions - Korean/Asian BBQ with lots of variety.

 

[maja651]

Price of wine at Costco in Maui

Question for those who have been to Costco-

Do they have the Kirkland Chardonnay at the Maui in Costco? If so, how much is it? We are thinking if bringing some wine with us, as we can get it for $6.99 a bottle at our Costco in AZ, but will skip that if they have wine in Costco close to the same price.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Question for those who have been to Costco-

Do they have the Kirkland Chardonnay at the Maui in Costco? If so, how much is it? We are thinking if bringing some wine with us, as we can get it for $6.99 a bottle at our Costco in AZ, but will skip that if they have wine in Costco close to the same price.

I don't drink it, but they probably do... I would guess $7.99 or close enough - they have a large collection in Maui - so does Safeway - got a Conundrum for $23 at Safeway.

 

[maja651]

I don't drink it, but they probably do... I would guess $7.99 or close enough - they have a large collection in Maui - so does Safeway - got a Conundrum for $23 at Safeway.

Thanks! You just saved us packing the wine!

 

[ThreeLittleBirds]

I second going to the star navigation presentation. We still use the techniques we learned.

If you have some miscellaneous Hawaiian miles that are about to expire, you can trade them for a Foodland gift card.

I'm a (pesce)vegetarian, so my food choices are different than the consensus here.

Foodland for poke
Pinatas in Kahului has the best fish tacos in the country
Java Jazz has a really good falafel sandwich
Pizza Paridiso is some of the best non-NY pizza I've ever had
The pumpkin pie at Grandma's in Keokea is second to none (as is their organic coffee).
Haili'imaile General Store is a gem of a restaurant

Stock up on pineapples at Costco. So good. And buy the bulk bag of Hershey macadamia nut kisses to bring home for gifts. I'm always the popular one at school when I show up with them.

Not all of these places are in the Westin vicinity, but good if you are out island exploring.

We also are comfort-seekers/lazy/parents/ and like minimal hassle at the airport. We now take a shuttle to and from the resort, and rent a car from the Kapalua airport for a small portion of our stay. That way, we can rent the economy size car and get the best rates.

 

[triangulum33]

We now take a shuttle to and from the resort, and rent a car from the Kapalua airport for a small portion of our stay.

Which shuttle do you take and how much does it cost?

 

[ThreeLittleBirds]

We have used both Speedi and Aurthur's. Both were fine. Cost is about $120 for 3 of us.

 

[triangulum33]

Anybody have tips on car rental? We usually just go through Expedia/Hotwire/etc.

 

[MichaelColey]

Question for those who have been to Costco-

Just a general observation on Costco (and Sam's Club) in Hawaii... The prices are close enough to mainland Costco prices that it's not worthwhile to bring anything that you could buy at Costco once you're there.

 

[hypnotiq]

Anybody have tips on car rental? We usually just go through Expedia/Hotwire/etc.

Yes, check OFTEN! We originally booked through Discount Hawaii and then kept checking other sites like Costco Travel and the specific sites for the rental car sites.

Costco Travel ended up being the cheapest on our last trip (few weeks ago). Final price for an Intermediate SUV for 1 week was $114.59.

 

[LisaRex]

I typed all my rental car tips and realized that most were universal. So I posted them in the Traveler Info tab.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1532981&postcount=1

In addition, below is my advice for WKORV specifically:

1. When we arrive on island, my husband immediately heads to the car rental shuttle (since he's the primary driver). The rest of us head to the luggage carrousel. By the time our luggage arrives, he’s usually out front with the rental car, and we just have to load the bags and go.
   
2. You get 24 hours of free valet parking at WKORV, so take full advantage of it. We use it when we first arrive, and then again the next morning after when we return with our week's supply of groceries. Valet has bins that they can load groceries into and deliver right to your villa.
   
3. Don’t forget to get your car out of valet within 24 hours, or you’ll pay for valet until you move it.
   
4. There’s no need for a GPS in Maui. There are only a few major roads, and signage is very good.
   
5. If you want to drive the backside of Hana, I’d recommend an SUV. My friends drove a convertible and got a flat tire.
   
6. If you drive the road to Hana, the West Maui mountains, or to the summit of Haleakala, take Dramamine if you get car sick.
   
7. If you are a timid driver, skip the Road to Hana, or let a tour company drive you. And forget about driving past the Nakalele Blowhole in the West Maui mountains.
   
8. Once again, take your valuables with you. Local thieves target rental cars. When we were boarding for our whale watching trip at Ma'alea Harbor, a couple had just gotten their expensive camera stolen from their trunk. It was broad daylight on a major road. I'm sure they put the camera in the trunk before they left, not realizing that thieves were monitoring their activity from a distance.

.

 

[LisaRex]

Other WKORV-specific advice:

• Call and ask for robes. They're not automatically supplied in the rooms anymore due to the green initiatives.
  
• You can’t bring liquor to the pool area, though enforcement is inconsistent. If you’re intent on testing the boundaries, for heaven’s sake, be discreet. Put your beer or wine in a plastic cup and your vodka in a water bottle.
  
• Go to the bar for your fruity drinks instead of ordering poolside. If you watch them, there’s a chance they’ll actually add liquor to it.
  
• If you want to watch the game, head to the Duke’s, a very popular sports bar, two doors up.
  
• Poolside service is sloooooow. Order well ahead of time.
  
• The walking/jogging path on the north end of Ka’anapali Beach is not as nice as the one south of Black Rock or in Wailea, but it does, indeed, exist. Just realize that it weaves through some of the older resorts that were built prior to the path.
  
• Don’t be boorish and try to “reserve” your lounge chair by placing a towel on it at 7am. If having a shady spot is imperative to your enjoyment, buy or rent a beach chair and umbrella and sit on the beach. Or rent a cabana for the day.
  
• If you have a redeye flight, there is an owner’s lounge on the south side where you can shower and change before leaving for the airport. You’re allowed to use the facilities, including pool and gym, the entire day before you officially check-in and after you officially check out.
  
• When you pack, have a bathing suit and flip flops handy. If you arrive and your room isn’t ready yet, go to the public restroom and change into your bathing suit. Head to the pool and order a MaiTai, checking occasionally with the front desk to see if your room is ready. (Don’t count on them calling you, even if you give them your cell phone. Been there, done that.)
  
• Pack a kitchen sized garbage bags to stow wet items (bathing suits/snorkels) in your suitcase on the ride home.
  
• It’s not clear, but when you return home, you have to have your bag inspected by the Agricultural department BEFORE you can check them in. It’s located in the front of the building. It can take awhile to get through Ag check, check your bags, and then get through TSA, so we always arrive at least 2 hours before our flight.
  
• There are only 2 tennis courts. Don't count on getting a court. However, there are public courts south of WKORV, on the left. And note that it's really windy in Hawaii, so it's not ideal tennis weather.
  
• Take advantage of the free shuttle! It's awesome!

 

[triangulum33]

Other WKORV-specific advice:

• If you want to watch the game, head to the Duke’s, a very popular sports bar, two doors up.

Is Duke's less crowded than Pailolo during games?

Other WKORV-specific advice:

• Take advantage of the free shuttle! It's awesome!

We are trying to figure a way to not rent a car. The shuttle would take care of almost all our travel needs except trips to the grocery store, a trip to Lahaina Divers (early morning) and a trip down to Spearfish Maui's site.