Ka'anapali Beach Club

OV vs. Deluxe OV

So what is the difference then, between the Deluxe Ocean View and regular Ocean View if you don't get the direct Ocean Front?

rj80 said:

So what is the difference then, between the Deluxe Ocean View and regular Ocean View if you don't get the direct Ocean Front?

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For the most part, Deluxe Ocean View rooms are on the southwest corner of the building, so you are either ocean front or pool front. However, on the 12th floor, just about all the rooms are Deluxe Ocean View.

daventrina said:

I would expect that to not work [slipping the desk clerk a $20 for 'anything they can do' upgrade?]

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Have you tried it? You'd be surprised. These folks are not people of means- even if they are in nice uniform suits. A few bucks to a bellman or housekeeper early in a stay, a maitre'd, valet, Skycap. They all have access to what will make your travels better, faster, easier.

Passepartout said:

Have you tried it? You'd be surprised. These folks are not people of means- even if they are in nice uniform suits. A few bucks to a bellman or housekeeper early in a stay, a maitre'd, valet, Skycap. They all have access to what will make your travels better, faster, easier.

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With DRI, I suspect that's a good way to lose your job. They're pretty set it their customer service. I'm not saying it wouldn't work. I'm just saying it might not be in the best interest of the employee if they get caught.

DRI has a hierchy, like most timeshares, of owners first then exchangers, as far as unit placement.

I will say that I sent a young couple to Maui on their honeymoon she real years ago. DRI was aware it was their honeymoon and they yearned them wonderfully. The couple had a unit with a great view and couldn't have been happier.

Tell them to ask to see available units first

We stayed there on a DAE exchange (which was an ocean view unit) and they would not even consider changing the unit type to full ocean front telling me those were for owners only. But upon checking in they did let me look at a couple of units before I picked which one I preferred.

I thought I'd want a unit closer to the ocean but that one was on the 3rd floor over the pool. We picked the unit on the 11th floor, farther back but higher away from pool noise and it was fabulous. We had a full ocean view over the rooftops of adjacent complexes. We had the most beautiful sunsets from our lanai.

We sat outside every morning for coffee and every evening for sunset cocktails, and often into the night to listen to the ocean and the musician from the bar below. The only night we stayed inside was to avoid the noise from weekly outdoor movie that they played poolside.

We did smell the sewage plant sometimes, but not bad enough or often enough to make us go inside.

I posted a TUG review and my photos are here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/vinolover78/MauiKaAnapaliBeachClub1BR1BAUnit1104November2010

BJRSanDiego said:

On the Google Maps, it shows a sewage treatment plant on the east side of the highway where Lower Honoapiilani Road connects to Honoapiilani Highway.

I wonder if this is where the sewer smell is coming from?

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It is. When Maui Ocean club was competing with the Westin for sales of weeks, the MOC sales team were fond of mentioning this smell and its source.

Kaanapali Beach Club is a converted Embassy Suites hotel. It is not comparable in quality to the Marriott Maui Ocean Club or the Westin timeshares, but it is at the top of the next tier in the area. I would be happy to stay there.

BocaBoy said:

Kaanapali Beach Club is a converted Embassy Suites hotel. It is not comparable in quality to the Marriott Maui Ocean Club or the Westin timeshares, but it is at the top of the next tier in the area. I would be happy to stay there.

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It's not quite correct to say that it is a converted Embassy Suites Hotel. It, like all of the other old Embassy Vacation Resorts, was purpose built as vacation resorts, not as hotels.

That being said, I do agree that it is at the top of the next tier of resorts in the area, and we wouldn't mind staying there either. It's a nice enough property that HIlton was apparently seriously thinking of acquiring it from Sunterra - I understand they couldn't agree on price. (It was only after the Hilton negotiations ended that Sunterra set up its Hawai'i trust and brought Po'ipu and Ka'anapali into Club Sunterra.)

BocaBoy said:

... It is not comparable in quality to the Marriott Maui Ocean Club or the Westin timeshares, but it is at the top of the next tier in the area....

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Totally agree...

BocaBoy said:

Kaanapali Beach Club is a converted Embassy Suites hotel. It is not comparable in quality to the Marriott Maui Ocean Club

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Well the center three parts of the MOC is a converted hotel. How do you figure it is not comparable in quality

We owned at MOC and sold it to get more time at Embassy.

daventrina said:

Well the center three parts of the MOC is a converted hotel. How do you figure it is not comparable in quality

We owned at MOC and sold it to get more time at Embassy.

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My comments on it being a converted hotel was just a statement of fact, not a reason in and of itself to be of less quality than other conversions like MOC.

My comment that it is not comparable to MOC in quality is based on several things: the new towers at MOC, the location differences; the grounds; the staff; and more. I think most people would agree. I can easily see someone choosing to go to Kaanapali Beach Club in order to get more time due to the cost differences. It is a nice place as I made clear in my earlier post. If you actually think Kaanapali Beach Club is nicer than MOC, by all means you should own there.

Kauai Beach Club is also a Marriott hotel conversion and it is also not comparable in quality to the Maui Ocean Club.

T_R_Oglodyte said:

It's a nice enough property that Hilton was apparently seriously thinking of acquiring it from Sunterra - I understand they couldn't agree on price.

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Darn! Didn't know that. HGVC desperately needs a location on Maui. I'd love to spend my HGVC points there. Too bad.

-Bob

Blues said:

HGVC desperately needs a location on Maui. I'd love to spend my HGVC points there.

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Couldn't agree more.

Hilton missed the boat on that one.

I wish Hilton would buy my ordinary Maui resort. We are paying high fees already so I don't think Hilton would be worse than Consolidated/ Soleil, whom I believe is the worst management company for sticking it to owners. No AC, uncomfortable old furniture in the living room, and pretty sparse furnishings in general.

But it would take a lot of updates to make it a Hilton. :rofl:

Seriously, I know of no other resort on Maui worthy of Hilton, unless they convert a hotel in Wailea or Lahaina.

Unless there have been some dramatic improvements over the past couple of years do not expect a 5* resort. When we were last there the resort was showing its age (i.e. peeling paint and stained balconies and ceilings in the atriums, faded and worn out chairs by the pool as well as those in the lobby etc). At one time there was a full service restaurant but last time we were there only the pool bar was operational. As an exchanger don't expect too much - lower floor rooms facing the highway and close to the loading dock are the standard for exchangers (though of course you could get lucky). The sewage smell comes and goes - it depends on the wind. The beach is not really swimmable due to the high waves and wind most of the time - there is a better snorkelling beach near the Westin.

rickandcindy23 said:

Hilton missed the boat on that one.

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Yep ... too bad.

AKE said:

The beach is not really swimmable due to the high waves and wind most of the time - there is a better snorkelling beach near the Westin.

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We dive there every trip, wouldn't say it isn't swimmable. Of course we also dive at old airport every trip too. Once we did a drift dive from one to the other.

Seems to be a number of swimmers ... the beach really isn't that bad is it
2012-10-16_14-41-15_667.jpg by daventrina, on Flickr

AKE said:

Unless there have been some dramatic improvements over the past couple of years do not expect a 5* resort.

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Nearly all of the resort has been refreshed and will be recolored too. The pink is supposed to be replaced. After 20 years ... it kinda grows on ya.

We exchanged through RCI and received a low floor room assignment with a non-ocean view. As an exchanger, I expect that owners get the best views. We didn't smell any bad odors, but our view wasn't bad. I agree that honeymooners might be able to get a better room location.

Please let them know about the timeshare presentation. The timeshare sales presentation was low key, high pressure--if that makes sense. They were very friendly but didn't like to hear "no" as we moved up the chain of people. Unfortunately, we purchased a small Sampler with the intent of using it in Hawaii, but no availability. We were even willing to go back to Hawaii at another time of the year--nothing available. (We've had great success with HGVC, Westin, Wyndham, Marriott in similar packages getting properties we wanted.) We never would have paid that much money if we thought we would be using the points for the US mainland.

Hello

The best time to call is 2 weeks before reservation. Especially since RCI does not inform the front desk till close to reservation dates due to cancellations. September and May are the "slowest season" in Hawaii so more flexibilty with room assignments. Even if they do not give an upgrade, at least ask for a high floor. I don't know about slipping $20. Most of the front desk employees have been there over 5 years, some since it became a timeshare almost 10 yrs. Although economic reasons may dictate, why tempt them and cause them to lose their job. You can bring them a box of candy or other goodies perhaps unique from your home state. Kindness is always appreciated by service employees. If assigned unit is unbearable, go back to the desk and ask to speak to the manager. They do try to accommodate especially when asked nicely. How can anyone be nasty to honeymooners?

FWIW, the owners get what they pay for. If it's a points reservation, they pay a premium for the view. If it's a deeded week they get the view they purchased. I've stayed at DRI resorts as an outside exchanger and have been placed in premium units because that's what was available. I wouldn't expect that at KBC. Most people seem to pay for the view if they're going to go to Hawaii.

dougp26364 said:

FWIW, the owners get what they pay for. If it's a points reservation, they pay a premium for the view. If it's a deeded week they get the view they purchased. I've stayed at DRI resorts as an outside exchanger and have been placed in premium units because that's what was available. I wouldn't expect that at KBC. Most people seem to pay for the view if they're going to go to Hawaii.

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I think that's generally accurate. Some years back when I spoke with the reservations office at Po'ipu, I was told that when a week is deposited with an exchange company, they note that a reservation has been made for that unit but they do not assign a view category to the unit. Then they let the normal reservation process continue, with owners reserving units in accordance with their usage rights. Then a few days before checkin they slot the exchangers into whatever view categories remain unassigned.

dougp26364 said:

FWIW, the owners get what they pay for. If it's a points reservation, they pay a premium for the view.

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And the premium we pay for that unit is not trivial. Those DOV units are 11500 points ...
At $6 per point (I think that the current rate is closer to $7/point) anyone that wants to reserve one of the DOV units can buy the 11500 points to reserve that room for $69,000 and then pay the maint fees that are $.17 per point this year for $1,955. Amortized over 30 years, a stay in a DOV unit cost $4,255.

This should explain why owners would be more than a little peeved if an exchange slides into a OF unit.

One of those garden view units are 6500 points and points for that at $6/point cost $39,000 and the maint fees this year for that week are $1,150. A week there cost $2,450.

So getting stuck in one of those lousy units, depending on what someone exchanged in with can still be a bargain.

KBC is one of the most expensive resorts in the system.

For comparison if I remember correctly a 2BR in a new tower at MOC is over $125,000 and the maint. fees are near or over $2000/yr. Which over 30 years is $6,100 or so for the week.

artringwald said:

For the most part, Deluxe Ocean View rooms are on the southwest corner of the building, so you are either ocean front or pool front. However, on the 12th floor, just about all the rooms are Deluxe Ocean View.

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In the beginning the DOV units were limited to the ocean front and the pool side. As Sunterra rolled units from the hotel into timeshare they became very liberal in the definition of DOV including a large number of units in that category that should not be classified as DOV.

The OF units should have been sold as such. All owners would be happier and much better off if that was the case. That's the way units are at P@P.

daventrina said:

In the beginning the DOV units were limited to the ocean front and the pool side. As Sunterra rolled units from the hotel into timeshare they became very liberal in the definition of DOV including a large number of units in that category that should not be classified as DOV.

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When I was there last Feb. the sales guy let me take pictures of the categories.

http://artringwald.smugmug.com/Travel/KBC-Room-Categories/n-BLTtj/

Sorry they're out of focus, but the pink ones are DOV.

daventrina said:

For comparison if I remember correctly a 2BR in a new tower at MOC is over $125,000 and the maint. fees are near or over $2000/yr.

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Actually, the floating 2BR oceanfront units in the new towers at MOC were selling for developer prices in the $70's when MVCI stopped selling weeks. Current maintenance fees are slightly over $2,200 annually for each week.