Did Aulani Blow You Away?

[cgattis]

Aulani, see Waikiki/food and drive around to see the beautiful greenery and beaches. We are foodies and love nature. We have a person in a wheelchair with us so we can’t do crazy hikes but want to see the beauty of Hawaii that’s accessible.

Hmm well Kauai has a LOT of things that are beautiful to just look at. Waimea Canyon overlook is accessible, and a gorgeous boat tour of the Na’apali Coast wound be also. Poipu Beach has good flat access and close parking; not sure if your companion can walk at all but some beaches have sand wheelchairs to borrow. I’d recommend looking that up on the county websites. Kauai is obviously much smaller and more limited on lodging choices, so that might play into your decision as well (or maybe not).

Maui is amazing, and there is a lot you can see there from a car also. You could also do a sightseeing flight which gives you an amazing vantage point. Several of the public beaches (like Kalama Park and I believe Kam 1 on the south side; I’m not familiar with the west side) have pretty easy access also, but many do not,so again, check the county websites. They have good descriptions and pics of access and facilities. You can see a lot on the road to Hana, but the east side of the island is definitely less accessible (it’s just more rustic). But Maui is a foodie paradise!! From all the famous chefs’ restaurants to the amazing food trucks, you can eat like maniacs and not come close to doing it all!

You really can’t go wrong with any island IMO!

 

[DVacationer]

Hmm well Kauai has a LOT of things that are beautiful to just look at. Waimea Canyon overlook is accessible, and a gorgeous boat tour of the Na’apali Coast wound be also. Poipu Beach has good flat access and close parking; not sure if your companion can walk at all but some beaches have sand wheelchairs to borrow. I’d recommend looking that up on the county websites. Kauai is obviously much smaller and more limited on lodging choices, so that might play into your decision as well (or maybe not).

Maui is amazing, and there is a lot you can see there from a car also. You could also do a sightseeing flight which gives you an amazing vantage point. Several of the public beaches (like Kalama Park and I believe Kam 1 on the south side; I’m not familiar with the west side) have pretty easy access also, but many do not,so again, check the county websites. They have good descriptions and pics of access and facilities. You can see a lot on the road to Hana, but the east side of the island is definitely less accessible (it’s just more rustic). But Maui is a foodie paradise!! From all the famous chefs’ restaurants to the amazing food trucks, you can eat like maniacs and not come close to doing it all!

You really can’t go wrong with any island IMO!

Wow that is so thorough and helpful thank you soo much!

 

[MouseOfCards]

Aulani blew us away on our first visit. We came back from our 5th stay a few months ago and still love it there.

As another PP has mentioned, Kauai (we did a split stay there with Aulani) was also beautiful and made us want to explore more islands.

 

[havoc315]

I'll do a full trip report in a few days, but just returned from 9 nights in Hawaii. 4 nights at Aulani and 5 nights in Maui.

I'll buck the trend here --- No Aulani did NOT blow me away.
There were things I loved about the resort -- it really did have beautiful theming. The pool complex was great, especially the lazy river. My wife did love the spa. And sunsets at the lagoon were breathtaking.
So plenty of positives.

But I found the rooms to be mediocre at best. As a common DVC theme, there were maintenance issues -- a leaky shower, a loud buzzy ceiling fan. Food was mediocre through resort dining, and staffing issues remained a major problem. (Half hour wait at Off the Hook for a table, when half the tables were still completely empty).

Overall, I would definitely rate Aulani positively. But it did not blow me away, and it does not meet the quality of a 5-star luxury resort. It was very nice, I would go back. But I stayed in a much nicer resort in Maui.

 

[SueInBoston]

Hmm well Kauai has a LOT of things that are beautiful to just look at. Waimea Canyon overlook is accessible, and a gorgeous boat tour of the Na’apali Coast wound be also. Poipu Beach has good flat access and close parking; not sure if your companion can walk at all but some beaches have sand wheelchairs to borrow. I’d recommend looking that up on the county websites. Kauai is obviously much smaller and more limited on lodging choices, so that might play into your decision as well (or maybe not).

@cgattis
can you recommend any boat tour and helicopter tour company?

Thank you.

 

[Minniesgal]

We love going to Hawaii especially the North shore. We like Aulani but I have to confess if we didn’t use DVC points to go we would probably stay somewhere else

 

[chainkid]

I have been to Aulani twice. The first time we spent 6 nights in a grand villa before heading to Kauai resort Hanalei Bay. The room and view were spectacular but for 8 adults there wasn't much to do once the sun set. It was pretty far from anything so it didn't turn out to be my favorite part of vacation. Kauai though not as beautiful a room, the resort was every bit as breathtaking in a different way. I went back last summer after spending 10 days on Maui for just 5 days with my grandson and my kids. I thought they would love it but they just felt it was too limiting in food options. I'm planning a new trip in two years and my family chose to skip Aulani and Oahu in favor of two weeks in Maui at a private home rental on water. Packing and unpacking with kids for island hopping is alot of wasted time in their view.

Aulani is a gorgeous resort but I don't go to hawaii for a beautiful resort as much as I do access to adventure. You won't be disappointed by going to Aulani but for us it was great but too many other options in better locations.

 

[DVacationer]

I’m looking at a 8 night getaway. I will do 4 nights in Aulani because I have DVC points. So now I’m debating to do all 8 nights in Oahu, or 4 Oahu, 4 Maui. Thoughts?

 

[tmoney007]

I went to Aulani like 3 times .The best DVC move , You really get the bang for your buck

 

[juju]

West coaster older adults with no kids. Been to Hawaii many, many times but used our DVC BWV points to stay at Aulani 3 times so far. It’s beautiful but we find it boring, but then I love the restaurants and activity at Waikiki.

 

[Lilsia]

I’m looking at a 8 night getaway. I will do 4 nights in Aulani because I have DVC points. So now I’m debating to do all 8 nights in Oahu, or 4 Oahu, 4 Maui. Thoughts?

What do you want out of your Hawaiian vacation? That is what is important. Not enough people think that way. No other group of people say that they are "going on vacation to the Hyatt", like Aulani people do. And I always say, plan your trip to Hawaii and then chose a hotel that fits you. DVC is a different animal all together and using your points at Aulani is an amazing value. Don't let negative reviews of Aulani discourage you because they are few and far between and most complaints are kind of ridiculous, IMO. If you have points, you might as well use them at Aulani and then treat it like any other hotel that you would stay at. Why pay cash for a room in Waikiki when you can do everything from Aulani and stay for next to nothing. Trust me, Waikiki is great, but it is a city. You will hear sirens, see homeless people, etc. Aulani is truly a relaxing place.

 

[Ashlotte]

Yes, Aulani blew me away. In 2015 I struck gold and got a seven-day exchange into Aulani in a two-bedroom, ocean view, 14th floor room by trading my other timeshare. The week cost us about $1000 in dues for our other timeshare. Everyone in the family loved the trip, and even though we've taken lots of great vacations, that trip became a favorite. I became sort of obsessed with going back and realized the only way to do so would be to buy into DVC. We finally got to a place where we could do so financially without feeling a squeeze, and just became owners this year. I can't wait to go back!

I will say that Oahu is my least favorite island. I don't care for Waikiki or Honolulu at all. I want beaches and wildlife... not high rises and crowds. Nothing about Waikiki appeals to me. Maui is probably my favorite, followed by Kauai. I haven't been to the Big Island yet, but now that we will be going to Hawaii more often with our Aulani ownership, I plan to island hop there eventually.

 

[Kmk2]

Hawaii blew me away. It’s very special. Aulani is a great use of DVC points and if you have points to use it’s a borderline no brainer. For cash stays it depends.

 

[havoc315]

I’m looking at a 8 night getaway. I will do 4 nights in Aulani because I have DVC points. So now I’m debating to do all 8 nights in Oahu, or 4 Oahu, 4 Maui. Thoughts?

We just came back from 9 nights... 4 in Aulani, 5 at the Andaz on Maui..

It really depends what you're hoping to get out of the vacation. Maui and Oahu are not the same, there are activities unique to each. But there are also similarities. If you just want to spend 8 nights lounging in a pool near the ocean, you can do that from either Island. Overall, Maui is more scenic, though there is plenty of beauty in Oahu.
Personally, I'd split the trip.

 

[cgattis]

@cgattis
can you recommend any boat tour and helicopter tour company?

Thank you.

I’m sorry; I can’t. We saw the coast from the Pride of America cruise ship, so I opted not to do another tour. It’s amazing to see, so I highly recommend doing some research and seeing if it works for your group!

 

[SueInBoston]

I’m sorry; I can’t. We saw the coast from the Pride of America cruise ship, so I opted not to do another tour. It’s amazing to see, so I highly recommend doing some research and seeing if it works for your group!

LOL...I'm a few $$ poorer because of your comment. I was already looking at boat tours but was hesitating because we are already doing a helicopter tour. Given that I don't know when I will get back to Kauai so I just booked the Holo Holo Napali Coast tour too.

 

[cgattis]

LOL...I'm a few $$ poorer because of your comment. I was already looking at boat tours but was hesitating because we are already doing a helicopter tour. Given that I don't know when I will get back to Kauai so I just booked the Holo Holo Napali Coast tour too.

Sorry to make you eat ramen for a week to pay for that I promise you won’t regret it! I spent a heinous amount of money on a luau and the whole time I was sitting there, I was thinking it was totally worth it. I have yet to regret a dime I’ve spent on Hawaii activities!!

 

[Nickylv]

My wife and I took our whole family in 2017 and we had the 3 bedroom grand villa. All our kids are grown and married and we have adult grand children and they all still say, when are we going back. On a scale of 1-10 this place was 100000000……. We had a great time and now I am retired so we will be going back with every one very soon again. They will not let us go without any of them. We now have a great grandson who loves the ocean and he would have a blast too. Here are some pics.

 

[Nickylv]

 

[Nickylv]