Aulani Villas & Views -- REVISED 07/22/2017

[cjsbmiller]

Thanks for posting all the great pictures, but now i have a question. The beach area looks ok size wise, but the "lagoon" ocean swimming area looks really small. Can you go out into other areas or do you have to remain within the confines of the protected lagoon area?

 

[mouseaider]

Thanks for posting all the great pictures, but now i have a question. The beach area looks ok size wise, but the "lagoon" ocean swimming area looks really small. Can you go out into other areas or do you have to remain within the confines of the protected lagoon area?

The swim area is not really small at all. But, there are four lagoons available for use. Turn left after you walk down the stairs out of Aulani and keep walking all the way to the marina and you might just see the Black Pearl. Yes..... THE Black Pearl is in dry dock at the Ko Olina Marina.

It can be dangerous to swim out in the ocean because of strong currents so you had better be a strong swimmer with a swim buddy if you try that. I am a strong swimmer but I wouldn't try it.

 

[taaren]

Thanks for posting all the great pictures, but now i have a question. The beach area looks ok size wise, but the "lagoon" ocean swimming area looks really small. Can you go out into other areas or do you have to remain within the confines of the protected lagoon area?

You can go out of the lagoon area, just be aware that there are tides, including potential riptides and undertows to deal with. If you're used to swimming in the Caribbean, the Pacific is much rougher and more "natural" (you probably already knew this, but the word Pacific is one of history's greatest misnomers). If you're a strong swimmer you should be fine, just if you're feeling tired head back into the lagoons.

 

[TagsMissy]

We were in 857 and it was indeed an Island View studio. I'll post some pictures hopefully this weekend.

as promised... these are from my waterproof camera so not the best quality. I'll need to check the SLR when I get a chance

Couple beach views

Room View

 

[wdrl]

Thanks, TagsMissy, for posting your photos.

Your villa (857) is just one floor above the Standard View villas in the Ewa Building. Now that you have stayed in an Island View villa, do you think you'll upgrade to a Pool View or Ocean View for your next stay at Aulani? Or will you try and save even more points and book a Standard View instead?

 

[Mrbruin2k]

How hard to you think it will be to book a studio for New Year's from Dec 30th for a week? Hoping we can squeeze into a studio as it will be me and DW along with DD's 7,5,2 years old.

 

[TagsMissy]

Thanks, TagsMissy, for posting your photos.

Your villa (857) is just one floor above the Standard View villas in the Ewa Building. Now that you have stayed in an Island View villa, do you think you'll upgrade to a Pool View or Ocean View for your next stay at Aulani? Or will you try and save even more points and book a Standard View instead?

to be honest we aren't in our room a lot. pool view vs island view will depend on wdw plans we have.

 

[aymekae]

Thanks for the list! I have PV studio booked for this November for 9 nights. I requested the 5th floor, and it looks like there are only 4 options for a 5th floor, PV studio. That's okay with me, since I would still be happy with 1st floor, too, and anything in between.

 

[wdrl]

Someone asked whether I have the layout for the Aulani hotel rooms. No, I don't. I only have information about the Aulani DVC Vacation Homes.

If anyone wants to post photos of the views from their hotel room, please do so. If you do, please let us know the room number and the view category. I can maintain a separate list for the hotel rooms.

Just a reminder for anyone who visits Aulani: Please share your photos of your DVC Villa and views. Its greatly appreciated!

 

[wdrl]

Disboard member Izzy recently stayed at Aulani in villa #204. Its a Pool View Studio in the Waianae Building. Here is what Izzy said about her villa and some photos from villa #204:

The room was very quiet at night. It was kind of noisy during the day because of the kid's water play area and subsquent toddler squealing, loud fountains, and a large bucket emitting a loud horn/whistle about every 10 minutes when it was full and getting ready to drop water. Let's just say that it was loud enough that I couldn't use my cell phone on the balcony during the day. The good news is that they don't open that area until 9 a.m. and it closes at 6 p.m. Also, I didn't notice the noise so much during the day if I kept the balcony door closed. It does a pretty good job of blocking the noise.

Looking straight off my balcony:

Looking towards the left off of my balcony (towards the lobby)

Looking to the right off of my balcony (towards the ocean - which you can just get a peekaboo view of)

Thanks to Izzy for sharing her photos!

 

[Anek0618]

We stayed at Aulani over Easter and were in one bedroom island gardens view, #207 in the Waianae Building. My husband much prefers a lower floor and I ended up thrilled with the room. It overlooked the spa garden and was very quiet. In the evening we would sit out on the balcony and enjoy the lovely music that plays all over the resort. We are returning next Easter and I am going to request a room near the same location. We are actually hoping to get a ground floor unit in this area! I will see if we have any pictures of the view and post them.

 

[wdrl]

We stayed at Aulani over Easter and were in one bedroom island gardens view, #207 in the Waianae Building. My husband much prefers a lower floor and I ended up thrilled with the room. It overlooked the spa garden and was very quiet. In the evening we would sit out on the balcony and enjoy the lovely music that plays all over the resort. We are returning next Easter and I am going to request a room near the same location. We are actually hoping to get a ground floor unit in this area! I will see if we have any pictures of the view and post them.

Thanks for posting! Looking forward to seeing photos of your villa. We don't have many Island View villas on our list.

 

[wdrl]

My sister and her family just checked into Aulani this afternoon. They are in villa #1152, a one-bedroom villa on the 11th floor of the Ewa Building. She just emailed me a photo of her view:

My sister mentioned that Aulani no longer has the cabanas by the main pool. A CM said they were owned and/or operated by a third party and that they were taken out just recently.

My sister and family have just started exploring the resort, but my sister says the parts they have seen look simply beautiful.

 

[ACDSNY]

Now that's a wonderful view!

 

[donmil723]

We stayed in an island view studio last week. It was #1655--on the 16th floor in the Ewa building. Our DD and her DH stayed in #1657 which was a studio right next door. Both were lockoff studios and were adjacent to each other but not connecting.

This is the view to the left off our balcony:

This is the view straight ahead:

This is the view to the right off our balcony:

Not the best views but we weren't really in the room that much! Just down the hall by the elevator there was a great view of the pool area and ocean. Unfortunately, my pictures didn't turn out as great as the view really was in person.

 

[NC State Tigger]

We hope to travel to Aulani in 2013 probably before phase 3 opens.

I will be traveling with DH and adult DD and her DH and daughter. Also traveling would be adult DS and a friend. I would like to get a 2 bedroom villa for DH, myself and DD and family. Would need additional studio for DS and friend.

My question is ---should I request a dedicated or lock-off 2 bedroom villa? I will request 2 bedroom and studio be "close" to each other. Would booking a lock-off 2 bedroom give me a better chance of getting units near each other?
What building to request?

TIA

 

[wdrl]

We hope to travel to Aulani in 2013 probably before phase 3 opens.

I will be traveling with DH and adult DD and her DH and daughter. Also traveling would be adult DS and a friend. I would like to get a 2 bedroom villa for DH, myself and DD and family. Would need additional studio for DS and friend.

My question is ---should I request a dedicated or lock-off 2 bedroom villa? I will request 2 bedroom and studio be "close" to each other. Would booking a lock-off 2 bedroom give me a better chance of getting units near each other?
What building to request?

TIA

There are advantages to both the dedicated and the lock-off configurations. With the dedicated, the second bedroom has two beds. You and your DH could take the master bedroom and your adult DD, her DH and their daughter could share the second bedroom. If you booked a lock-off, then there would be only one bed and a sleeper sofa in the second bedroom. Someone would have to sleep on the sleeper sofa. An advantage to the lock-off is that the second bedroom would have a kitchenette with mini refrigerator and microwave, as well as its own door to the outside hallway. Your traveling companions could enter and exit the villa without having to go through the living room.

When you book your accommodations, be sure to tell MS that you are traveling together and that you want the villas close to each other. I'm not sure whether the Ewa Building or the Waianae Building would improve your chances of getting near each other, although there are more vacation homes in the latter than the former. A lot depends on what type of view category you book. If you book an Ocean View 2BR and an Island View Studio, you could be right across the hall from each other.

Good luck on getting what you want!

 

[NC State Tigger]

A lot depends on what type of view category you book. If you book an Ocean View 2BR and an Island View Studio, you could be right across the hall from each other.

Good luck on getting what you want!

Guess I should have stated that I am thinking we would book a pool view for both 2 bedroom and studio.

 

[wdrl]

Guess I should have stated that I am thinking we would book a pool view for both 2 bedroom and studio.

That simplifies matters somewhat. As the charts in Post #1 show, there is only one dedicated two-bedroom villa with a Pool View in the Ewa Building. Thus, I would think your chances of getting both a dedicated and a studio in the Ewa Building are slim. If you want a dedicated and a studio close by, then your odds improve if you ask for the Waianae Building.

I've read reports from Aulani guests who say that its easy to get almost anywhere at Aulani in no time at all. Even if your villa and the studio end up in different buildings, it might not be that much of an inconvenience.

My wife and I have a Pool View Studio booked for our trip in September. We requested the Ewa Building just because we are hoping to be above the ground floor. However, someone on this thread reported they were on the ground floor and really liked the location. Frankly, I'll take any villa once we are at Aulani!

 

[Hunnypaw]

Great photos and good information. We will be staying in a island-side view studio in July. This helps set our expectations.