[2012] MOC Lahaina Tower Rooms

[molemay]

I was wondering if anyone has been in one of the corner units of the Lahina Tower 2 bedroom OF rooms? We will have a full house with 4 kids and 4 adults in a week and I was wondering if the corner unit rooms have more space than one of the middle rooms since they have the little hallway entrance? Or does this take away space in the living area? We will need to use a rollaway bed and I was wondering where the best place to store it during the day would be and if there was a good place to use it at night other than moving furniture around? Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks,

Monika

 

[bobmcgraw]

We stayed in one of these last October. The hallway did not take any room away. In fact, if my memory serves me, it felt like it added a little space but not anything that made any real difference.

We did, however, really like the corner lanai off the master bedroom. What great views!!!

 

[GregT]

Monika,

My friend stayed in one of these last year (and I agree, great view looking South to Lahaina) and we agree that the primary living space was the same as the other units.

The difference was he was able to use the hallway for some storage of his beach stuff. It was a good use of the space, as long as you don't mind the minor chaos in the hallway.

He had four adults and 2 kids and it worked well for them. What's two more kids? Maybe they can sleep in the hallway?

All the best,

Greg

 

[BocaBoy]

The only drawback to these corner units is that you get a lot of very loud noise from outdoor evening events next door at the Hyatt a few nights each week. Other than the Hyatt noise, these are very nice units.

 

[TXTortoise]

Other than the comments above, does anyone have any personal experience in comparing the middle 2BR OF in Lahaina to the corner units. Emmy has lots of photos of her 8th floor 2BR and the 1BR corner seems to be excellent....as long as you don't compare to the 3BR corner. ;-)

I haven't seen any photos from the middle 2BR (6th floor and above), so wondered how the middle 2BRs stacked up, particularly the high floors. I do find it strange that the 12 floor penthouse floor doesn't have the railing and full length windows like floors 5,7, and 9 do.

 

[BocaBoy]

I do find it strange that the 12 floor penthouse floor doesn't have the railing and full length windows like floors 5,7, and 9 do.

I don't think the top floor is really a "penthouse." It is just the top floor. At Ko Olina, the top floor penthouse units have higher ceilings and were sold as a separate more expensive category. That was not the case in Maui. If they had been sold as a separate higher priced category, I would find it strange, too, but they were not.

 

[TXTortoise]

I agree, should have just said 12 floor. ;-)

 

[taffy19]

Monika,

My friend stayed in one of these last year (and I agree, great view looking South to Lahaina) and we agree that the primary living space was the same as the other units.

The difference was he was able to use the hallway for some storage of his beach stuff. It was a good use of the space, as long as you don't mind the minor chaos in the hallway.

He had four adults and 2 kids and it worked well for them. What's two more kids? Maybe they can sleep in the hallway?

All the best,

Greg

It is true that you can store some beach stuff in the hallway but not a rollaway bed but an air mattress should work. I have never seen the balconies in the center condo (#8208) but I believe that the floorpan is the same. I have a picture in my Smugmug album but linked to it here and it is still active as I just looked.

I should have made pictures of our corner unit inside but never did because it isn't that important to us. We come for the location, ocean view, sound of the surf and tropical flowers and Ka'anapali Beach. We also love the Hawaiian culture, music and Hula dance. My pictures are mainly of the view and when the towers were built. We went to look several times during that year and a half.

I believe that there is room in the living and dining room to add two rollaway beds, if they allow that, but the people in the living room will lose their privacy completely, IMO.

I would call the front desk and ask them if a rollaway would fit in the hallway if you want it more separated from the sofa in the living room but it will still not be private either because there are no closing doors or walls in between.

I posted pictures of the show model that they used to have in the parking lot but that wasn't a corner unit either and I didn't take a picture of the entrance as I never thought of it.

We mostly use the whole unit for the two of us because we like to have the choice of what Lanai to use. It can be very windy in the corner so then we use the middle Lanai that is out of the wind. The Lanais are too small for more than two people in the middle Lanai or four people in the corner Lanai and that is very cramped with the dining room table and four chairs. There is no more space but to stand up.

They put the space in the the living room instead with nice picture windows to look out from and be comfortable when it is hot in the summer. There is no shade on the Lanais when you are on the oceanfront late in the afternoon and it can be hot even when we are there in March unless there are strong tradewinds to cool you off.

The corner condos do have a nice view because you can see still part of the mountain from the corner Lanai and the Lahaina harbor plus the ocean in front of you but only the tip of Molokai from inside or the Lanais while you can see the whole Island of Molokai from the 3 BR corner units inside and out. They have by far the best panoramic views plus the condos are much lighter inside.

Edited to correct the fact that there is only one center oceanfront condo #8208. The second 2 BR condo is #8210 and #8206 is the 3 BR on the other corner. I always thought that there were two until I looked at these pictures again last night.

https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-pMXGQ/i-8zZPxb8/A

 

[taffy19]

I was wondering if anyone has been in one of the corner units of the Lahina Tower 2 bedroom OF rooms? We will have a full house with 4 kids and 4 adults in a week and I was wondering if the corner unit rooms have more space than one of the middle rooms since they have the little hallway entrance? Or does this take away space in the living area? We will need to use a rollaway bed and I was wondering where the best place to store it during the day would be and if there was a good place to use it at night other than moving furniture around? Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks,

Monika

If you are staying in a 2 BR corner unit then you should have no trouble having four adults and four kids. Two kids can sleep on the sofa bed in the living room and two should easily fit in the living and dining room in two rollaways.

For some reason I thought that it was all in a 1 BR condo and that would give you no privacy at all. I guess, that would be against their policy too.

 

[TXTortoise]

Based on Taffy’s observations, it would seem that the only major difference between the middle and corner 2BR Lahaina OF units is the corner has a slightly larger balcony and a bit better view south to Lahaina harbour.

Since many(most?) of these 2BRs are fixed Week/units, one could differentiate value/owner preference by the following observations from TUG postings...

- Corner units...
- have slightly larger balcony, with view of Lahaina harbour
- more likely impacted by periodic Hyatt activity noise
- subject to more wind in the summer

- Floors 5, 7 and 9 have full railings with open view and floor to ceiling windows in LR
- Floors (6?) 7 through 12 have clear views over the palm trees
- Floors 10-12 have an above the crowd experience, but lose all or part of the ‘sound of the surf’ experience.
- 1st floor has appeal for those that like easy access to grounds

 

[taffy19]

I am not sure that the balcony is bigger but it has bigger furniture in it like a round table for seating four people with comfortable chairs.

The middle balcony has only two chairs with a tiny table in between for only a cup of coffee or a drink so the balcony may seem more roomy.

The chairs here are low so you will look at the railing but I have done what Greg has recommended by bringing a bar stool out and leave it in that room when we go in again in case it may rain suddenly. That can happen any time in Hawaii.

My husband prefers the lower chair because it is more comfortable and we both wished that the railing didn’t block our view like some floors have the open railings so the view is much better.

I know that BocaBoy has often complained about the high noise level from next door but we have never experienced that yet in March.

We have seen some small private parties but the music wasn’t loud so we had to go outside on the balcony to even hear it.

There were three Hula dancers and we enjoyed the Hawaiian music and songs but only from the balcony if we wanted to listen to it all evening and by standing there if we wanted to see it too but it would be too far away.

These parties are catered by the Hyatt Regency Hotel and we have been here 11 years on a row already but we may have been lucky.

We once saw and heard one big private dinner show when we were staying a week at the Hyatt timeshare next door and the music was way too loud upstairs so they must have heard that from the Lahaina tower too that night.

I even went downstairs to make a few movie clips and the fire dancer was very good and the drums went louder and louder at the end. I have no idea if some of the guests complained that evening or not but we didn’t.

 

[GregT]

I did end up staying in a corner 2BR and I found I much preferred the balcony to the one time I stayed in the middle stack. I liked having the open side that faced Lahaina town. We also did like the hallway for storage of beach and pool items -- it's a great property under all scenarios.

Best,

Greg

 

[taffy19]

Greg, I am curious now so is there a difference in size in the center condos between the 1 BR and lock-off units? Judging from standing downstairs and looking up, they look the same size to me.

We like the open feeling too and see part of the lush green mountain still because the Hyatt tower, next door, took quite a bit of that view away but we knew that when we bought.

We still see the ocean all the way to the Lahaina harbor like they promised us and all the the condos too on the side of the building that were originally sold as ocean view condos on the higher floors.

 

[GregT]

Hello Emmy,

I think the living space is the same, it’s the balcony that I preferred in the corner stack. It was a beautiful view to the west and south .....

Best,

Greg

 

[tugcccsp]

I purchased the corner unit on the 12th floor of the Lahaina Villas, but I haven’t had the chance to use it yet. After what I am reading, I am looking forward to staying there. I own the middle unit, yet I don’t know what to compare it to.

 

[taffy19]

I don’t understand your last sentence but you will love your 3 BR condo on the corner of the Lahaina tower and will have a fabulous view.

Your balcony is bigger too. Enjoy your trip soon.

 

[tugcccsp]

I was referring to my 2-bedroom corner unit that faces Lahaina Harbor. I haven’t stayed in it yet. It sounds like the 2-bedroom units are nice. I have weeks 3 and 4.

 

[BocaBoy]

I know that BocaBoy has often complained about the high noise level from next door but we have never experienced that yet in March.

The noise when we stayed there was from events held 2 or 3 times during the week in an area that is now part of the Hyatt timeshare next door. Even with that noise, I preferred it to the center units.

 

[taffy19]

I am sure that you are telling the truth, BocaBoy, but I am too. I believe that you go in May or June? I only heard it once from the Marriott and took pictures of it that I was trying to find last night. The other time was from the HRC and it was very noisy. I would complain if that would go on several times a week but I wonder if timeshare owners can do anything about it since that fake grass area belongs to the hotel, I believe?

They have a sunset routine every night too. Someone lights up the torches and there is a drummer and people shout "Yahoo" from the balconies. The children love it and run after the torch lighter but it doesn't last too long to light up all the torches. It wasn't as professional anymore as in the beginning nor at the right time either. The guy didn't know how to blow the conch shell very well but he was trying and people were responding so must have liked it anyway.

I doubt if they would even hear that next door.

 

[lizap]

The only drawback to these corner units is that you get a lot of very loud noise from outdoor evening events next door at the Hyatt a few nights each week. Other than the Hyatt noise, these are very nice units.

I don't know what noise your're referring to, unless there was a special event going on. We were at HRC-Kaanapali week before last, and didn't notice any outdoor evening events or noise.

 

[taffy19]

I don't know what noise your're referring to, unless there was a special event going on. We were at HRC-Kaanapali week before last, and didn't notice any outdoor evening events or noise.

Do they have no more lighting of the torches either? They still did when we were there but it was during spring break and Easter.

They have always done this ceremony from the beginning all four years when we were there.

Sometimes they had a very good fire dancer too by the pool with a drummer. I believe that they borrowed them from the Luau at the Hyatt Resort next door that started later.

The Marriott, next door, has a poolside show too around sunset with music and the Hula.

Almost all restaurants do this at sunset time when they are on the ocean and it is Paradise.

 

[lizap]

Do they have no more lighting of the torches either? They still did when we were there but it was during spring break and Easter.

They have always done this ceremony from the beginning all four years when we were there.

Sometimes they had a very good fire dancer too by the pool with a drummer. I believe that they borrowed them from the Luau at the Hyatt Resort next door that started later.

The Marriott, next door, has a poolside show too around sunset with music and the Hula.

Almost all restaurants do this at sunset time when they are on the ocean and it is Paradise.

Yes, they had the lighting of the torches, but not very noisy, and it only lasted a few minutes. No fire dancer/drummer.

 

[BocaBoy]

I don't know what noise your're referring to, unless there was a special event going on. We were at HRC-Kaanapali week before last, and didn't notice any outdoor evening events or noise.

You quoted from something I posted in 2012. This was long before the Hyatt timeshare was built and the site had a few loud events at night each week. This is gone now that the Hyatt timeshare is operational.

 

[GaryDouglas]

Just left 9209/10 last week. The entrance of the middle units (see my MOC pictures showing the Villa floorplan) go directly into the kitchen where the master bathroom is on the left and kitchen entrance in ahead to the right with the Washer/Dryer is next to the refigerator. 9210's entrance goes behind the kitchen turning right where the Washer/Dryer is on the left and a different entrance structure to the kitchen, making the kitchen look smaller and less open to the living spaces. Don't know if there is more space in the master bathroom or not, but it did not appear to. So besides giving you hall space to keep your bags, it changes the entrance to the kitchen which makes it look smaller. So other than a larger hallway, it appears to be effectively the same size, only rearranged and perceptionally smaller.

 

[taffy19]

You quoted from something I posted in 2012. This was long before the Hyatt timeshare was built and the site had a few loud events at night each week. This is gone now that the Hyatt timeshare is operational.

No wonder because this thread started several years ago, BocaBoy.

I replied to a post posted only recently. The original OP must have been there a long time ago but never came back to let us know if it worked out for his family or not.