Aulani or RCI exchange ??

[mouseaider]

I need a little help. My wife and I will be celebrating our tenth anniversary in April, 2012 and we are planning to be in Hawaii for this special time.

While we hope to be able to book a week at Aulani, I've also noticed only the first phase will be available for booking and trying to book at the seven month, might make it difficult.

How long does it take to book and RCI exchange ? If I find out on September 15th, 2011, that I can't get into Aulani, will I still have time to book an exchange for April, 2012 ?

And if I have to book and exchange, does anyone have any suggestions on where to try to book ? I want to gather as much info as possible to make the right decision. I do not want to break my Brides heart.

 

[kjd469]

You may run into a problem booking Aulani at 7 months out for April 2012...Easter falls on April 8 that year, and is a popular holiday for travel, so those with home resort priority may have already booked for that time.

 

[mouseaider]

Well our anniversary is on April 20th so our trip would be later than Easter.

I'm sorry.... I guess I should have included that info.

 

[mouseaider]

How long does it take to book and RCI exchange ? If I find out on September 15th, 2011, that I can't get into Aulani, will I still have time to book an exchange for April, 2012 ?

And if I have to book an exchange, does anyone have any suggestions on where to try to book ? I want to gather as much info as possible to make the right decision. I do not want to break my Brides heart.

Can anyone answer these ??

 

[cyndiloveswalt]

I know you can book an RCI exchange 2 years out. I haven't done it yet, but I called about an exchange to London and the next 2 years were already booked. You are already in the 2 yr window, so you could atleast call and see what they have available for your time period in HI. I wouldn't count on Alauni. We are definitely planning to go there, but will probably wait a couple years. Good luck, you are so sweet and make husbands everywhere look good!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

One thing to remember.....Booking with RCI for the exact time you want to go depends on another RCI member giving up their rental week. RCI ressies are based upon one of their members who has ownership at the Hawaii location and that person gives up their rental week at which point you could book it but you would have to be lucky enough to call when that week becomes available.

If it were me I would stay at Aulani because your chances of getting a room are better. If there is not a room available you can at least be waitlisted for DVC. RCI doesn't have waitlisting.

 

[JimMIA]

I think I'd back up a step or two and look at some other options. Hawaii is a very large, and extremely complex market.

First of all, I'd consult some real Hawaii experts and resources and determine where you really want to go. The island of Oahu (and in particular the part of Oahu where Aulani is located) may not be the place for such a special trip. Sure, Aulani is going to be spectacular (if you can get in), but it's located in a pretty out-of-the-way part of probably the least favorite island in the Hawaiian chain for most folks. If you do some research, I think you'll find that most seasoned Hawaii hands prefer either Maui (for developed, touristy vacations) or Kauii (for beautiful scenery and a slower pace) or the big island of Hawaii (also for a more relaxed atmosphere).

For RCI exchanges, I think you're going to find that DVC's Hawaiian exchanges are very limited. First of all, RCI doesn't have many Maui resorts. Secondly, there are only a small fraction of RCI resorts that are accessible with DVC points (probably the nicer ones). And then, you have the whole supply/demand thing with Hawaii being a very popular destination.

Another option to consider is renting a reservation from an owner. TUG and Redweek (and others) are good sources of owner rentals. A rental might be your best bet to get exactly what you want, when you want it.

Good luck, and have a great trip!

 

[Anal Annie]

We go to Hawaii every 5 years. Each island is spectacular in its own way and they all have different personalities. It is also a very LONG trip and you WILL pay a lot for airfare from the east coast. My suggestion for your first trip is to plan for more than 1 island and for more than 1 week (while you are THERE and while you are paying for the airfare). I think you would be surprised at the differences between the islands and I really think you should try more than 1 island. We never go for less than 10 days. We usually only spend a couple of nights on Oahu & maybe a few nights on the Big Island as we really like Maui best but with Aulani on the horizon I suspect we'll spend at least 5 nights on Oahu next time and 5 nights on Maui.

We are also hoping to get into Aulani at 7 months for the summer of 2012. I plan to monitor the threads about availability there very closely. We're really not in a position to buy more points BUT if people start reporting that they can't get in at 7 months then I could see doing a small add-on there prior to our 7 month window in order to have some booking advantage to use with banking & borrowing.

I recommend booking a hotel on another island for a few nights to go with Aulani thru like Costco travel or something. That way if you book a hotel they can price flights & car rental for you too. They will not book flights without a hotel booking tho. I have found that their prices are pretty good in most cases.

If you look into trades thru RCI I think the options in Hawaii are pretty bad (there are much nicer places than what they offer). On Oahu I think they offer the Hilton maybe. I forget. They don't offer anything on Maui that I am interested in. The properties available thru II were much better. I would rather pay cash and book a place that I WANT to stay at than just take whatever they may have. Their list is pretty limited. I know that's not what you were looking to hear but that's how I feel about most of the RCI options there.

Good luck getting into Aulani - I think it looks great so far and am looking forward to getting in!!

 

[Dean]

Assuming 1 week I'd put in a request with RCI for all resorts acceptable. Then at 7 months out I'd book the DVC resort if available and wait list if not. At that point I'd decide what's best, RCI or DVC. If it's DVC, I'd cancel the RCI request at the time. Look at the Hilton's and Wyndham on Oahu and the Hilton's on the Big Island as some of your better RCI choices.

 

[mouseaider]

Thanks for all the good ideas..... it looks like I will need a lot of luck to pull this one off.

 

[2tink4u]

I happen to be an RCI owner and I've been watching these threads. While much of the information is accurate it's not always exactly on. Hawaii is very desirable and there are few RCI properties in Maui, however you can almost always get the Big Island and Kauai. Researching and knowing what you want is great, but taking what's available is better. The Aulani is being built in a very desirable location on Oahu and Oahu is pretty darn fabulous. It takes time to see them all and pick a favorite. Oahu has Pearl Harbor, The Polynesian Cultural Center and the North Shore. Along with tons of gorgeous scenery and beaches. Tons of fabulous restaurants and shopping. It's a wonderful diverse place. I think it's perfect for a first visit. Research what's there. I suggest you try first with DVC as I think the Aulani, from what I've seen, will be amazing. If not then take a Kauai property. Many properties aren't right on beaches, Aulani is. But that's not been a problem for us. We pack up and go to a different beach every day anyway. The great thing about Oahu is just about every flight stops here. So, it's cheaper airfare and quicker.

 

[karana]

Many thanks to all the posters of this thread. I am in the beginning stages of helping my son plan his honeymoon hopefully using our DVC points. He is married 2 weeks before the DVC resort opens but we had also considered RCI. When I called I was told there is some sort of waitlist for the RCI resorts but you have to request a certain resort and know what you want.

I learn so much on these boards! Thank you all for your time and willingness to share.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Annie and Jim are both RIGHT ON with their advice. We have decided this time to try a direct owner to owner exchange. We want to go to Hawaii in October of 2013. We have been there enough to know there are some resorts we do NOT want to visit.

While I think the Ko'Olina area is beautiful, it has the misfortune of being on Oahu, and then nowhere near the part of Oahu where there are things to do and see. Add to that the fact that Aulani has horrendous point values, and we decided to at least TRY a direct exchange this time.

I have a listing on TUG, but so far most of the people who have responded are looking to exchange Worldmark or Diamond resorts. There is really only 1 Worldmark I know anything about, and while I love the location and views there, I also know they are NOT known for being well maintaned. Most of the other places offered me are places I KNOW I don't want to stay. On the other hand, I did have one request off the listing for someone who had EOY at Marriott Ko'Olina and EOY at Marriott on Maui.

My point is that you need to do a LOT of research before you head into this. I would never go to Hawaii for less than 2 weeks, and frankly, I prefer close to 3.