Just back from Mauna Lani resort in Hawaii

[travelbug]

Just got home from 8 wonderful days at the Mauna Lani Bay resort in Hawaii. The resort was absolutely gorgeous. It was everything we could have hoped for, and more!

The landscaping and facilities were truly breathtaking. It was very classy, yet really relaxed and comfortable. We had been concerned ahead of time that the atmosphere would be "hoity toity", making us feel out of place. Well, we never felt that way at all. Everyone was very friendly and laid back.

The service was excellent. Plenty of pampering! We were greeted at the entrance with fresh leis. Then they seated us at a desk in the lobby and served us fruit juice while they checked us in. There is housekeeping service twice daily. Love that turndown service with the mint on the pillow, and the neverending supply of fresh towels!

Our room was very spacious. We seemed to be in a handicapped-accessible room, so there was probably lots of extra floor space to accommodate a wheelchair. There was a small refrigerator, so we could keep breakfast and lunch fixings there. Restaurant prices there were super high, so we were glad to be able to have some meals on our own. They also provided iron & ironing board, umbrella, flashlight, blowdryer, robes, slippers, and a good size safe.

The pool and beach were beautiful, and really well maintained. And the grounds were awesome to stroll around. We don't golf, but others staying there were raving about the golf course on-site.

We stayed 8 nights. I booked a "mountain view" room in order to use the least number of points. We were more than happy with that decision, since we were not in our room much until after dark. So the view didn't matter to us. They also run a deal (seems to be ongoing??) where you get a free night (no cash or no points, whichever applies) for every 4 nights you stay. So our 8 nights only cost 7 nights' worth of points.

The best part was checking out at the end, and seeing the zero balance for the room charge courtesy of DVC! (Of course, we managed to add on our share of incidental charges, but that's okay.)

As you can tell, I highly recommend the Mauna Lani to anyone thinking of staying there. We would go again in a heartbeat.

In the meantime, only 264 days till we leave for BWV!

 

[Terry S]

Thanks for the trip report sounds like you had a good time. We hope to go there some day also, (we went to Hawaii on our honeymoon) but we have a 5 and 6 year old and I am not sure there is much for little ones to do while there, so it might be a few years.

If you spend the points on a water view, would you get a nice view of the ocean?

 

[ffnole]

just curious what 8 days gets you in hawaii...thanks

 

[zurgswife]

Thanks for the report I always wonder how the other timeshare trades go....

 

[DVC'96]

travelbug,
I would love to go to Hawaii someday if I can ever get myself on a plane again! Coan you tell us more about what there is to do in the area? You mentioned golf and the pools, I assume the beach is right there? It's so great to hear about all these great trips. Thanks!

 

[travelbug]

Thanks, everyone, for your nice replies! Let me see if I can answer your questions and comments:

Terry S - There were actually lots of people there with kids, ranging all the way from infants to teenagers. The hotel has a day camp called "Camp Mauna Lani" that appeared to be well-attended. I overheard one mom say that her 7 and 9-yr.-olds were begging every day to go back to the camp, which of course she didn't seem to mind at all! I saw the kids trooping by with 2 supervisors, one time going to catch minnows, several times in the pool for supervised pool time during camp hours, one time getting organized for "exploring caves". Not sure what that was about or where they were going. I just heard them talking about it. Besides the camp, the resort supplies snorkel stuff, surfboards, floats, rafts, and all kinds of beach and pool toys (all for free, I'm pretty sure). So the kids never looked or sounded bored. I also talked with a few moms who all were repeat visitors and said that their kids LOVE it there. One mom said that every year her kids (ages between 6 and 15) beg to go to Disney World. So she tells them "OK, you can choose at Easter time whether you want our trip to be to WDW or to the Mauna Lani." The kids talk about it, and have always chosen going back to the Mauna Lani. I think she said this was their 5th or 6th trip there.

Regarding ocean view - There are 2 categories called "partial ocean view" and "full ocean view". They are just the way they sound. The full ocean view faces fully toward the water. Most of the rooms in the place would be partial ocean view, because of the configuration of the bldg. Some would get excellent water views, while others would only see a little of the ocean from more of a distance. If I remember right, the full ocean rms. were 61 pts. a night and partial ocean rms. were 53 pts. a night. Don't have a point chart here, but that's pretty close I think.

ffnole - We got a mtn. view room for 43 pts. a night. So we used 301 pts. and got 8 nights out of it. I was more than satisfied!

DVC'96 - Besides the resort itself, which I could happily stay at without ever leaving the grounds, here are some other things available to do:

Take a guided tour of the island - We did this and loved it. It was a 12-hr. circle island tour on a mini-bus for about $70 per person.

Take a helicopter tour - There is a helicopter tour service only a mile down the road.

Shop the shops - Some at the Mauna Lani, and some 2-3 miles away at the Hilton Waikoloa.

Drive around according to your interests. We found a rental car to be pretty necessary, although a person could rely on cabs and some free shuttle service. We drove up into the mountains to explore one day on our own. Pretty hair-raising road with no guard rails, but we took it slow and enjoyed the views. We also drove down to Kona a couple days (20 mi. or so) and shopped, explored, etc. There's lots of historical sites in the area, which we found really interesting.

Snorkel on the grounds, or by arranged snorkel trips.

Deep sea fishing

Hiking

Go to the Mauna Lani Spa. I never did go and check it out, since I'm not into massages and spa stuff (go figure!). But again, I heard people raving about it.


Well, that's all I can think of and I've rambled on long enough. Hope these details help! Let me know if you'd like any more information! Have a great day.

 

[maburke]

Thanks so much for all the details. I am so glad to know that one can do such a nice location on points! How far in advance did you book it? And how did you find out about the free night promotion?

 

[chip1]

How difficult is it to book a room in Hawaii? We are thinking of going to Hawaii in December 2004. How far in advance were you able to book it?

 

[qqq]

Check out
www.maunalani.com/accommodations/packages.asp

for info on the latest promotional packages available at Mauna Lani. Then call MS to see if that package is available for points. That's what we did.
DVC was participating in a lot of package options, but only after I named each package and had them check.
Many stays can end up costing fewer points than the amount published in the Member Guidebook.
We're going for 10 days in June. Can't wait. Especially after that great review. Thanks for sharing!

 

[chip1]

Thanks. Please be sure to write and let us know about your trip. I love hearing trip reports. Since we are big fans of eating (!) we especially love restaurant reports. You can't get better seafood anywhere. Have a good trip. I look forward to hearing about it.

 

[travelbug]

maburke - I booked the trip at the end of last July, which was 8 months ahead of time. Since it's part of the Concierge Collection, I think I could have booked the stay 11 months ahead (isn't that the rule?) but our plans weren't firm at that point. But I had no problem booking the room 8 months out.

I didn't even know about the special deal on points until I called MS to make my ressie. I was fully prepared to use 8 nights' worth of pts. to stay 8 nights. So I was pleasantly surprised when MS told me that I would only need 7 nights' worth of points. It never occurred to me to look into any discount of points. I guess I sort of assumed that any discounts would only apply to cash paying customers. Live and learn!

qqq - Hope you have a wonderful trip to the Mauna Lani in June! I wish I could stow away in your suitcase and go again. Be sure to tell us all about your trip when you return. Can't wait to hear how you like everything! If you would like any more info (nearest grocery store, cheap places to eat, whatever), just give a shout.

My guide also highly recommends the Kapalua resort on Maui. That's the other Hawaii location in the Concierge Collection. He said that his family thoroughly enjoyed it there. So maybe I'll check that out in a few years too.

 

[JoEllen]

qqq - your link took me to an email address. Is that what you meant?

JoEllen

 

[Terry S]

Travelbug... Thank you very much for the detailed info. The kids have been asking to go to Hawaii because they look at our Honeymoon pictures often, maybe we will go back earlier then I thought.

 

[goofyfordisney]

Just wondering...

Are there many choices of similiar type hotels on the island of Maui?

I am in the process of trying to convince DH to buy into DVC--he is a huge Maui fan! If I could tell him that we would be able to trade for a Maui vacation every-other year--that might be the way that I could convince him!

Thanks!

 

[travelbug]

Hi, goofyfordisney!

Yes, there are 7 other Maui locations which are all part of the World Passport Collection. I just doublechecked the DVC members' website and they list Kaanapali Keys at Papakea Beach Resort, Kahana Beach Vacation Club, Maui Schooner, Marriott's Maui Ocean Club, One Napili Way, and Sands of Kahana Vacation Club. Those locations would be booked for you by Disney in more of a time share trading method. So there would be a variety of possible size units and possible point totals to make your arrangements. Also, the World Passport Collections locations are typically only available in one-week increments (usually Sat.-Sat.).

The 2 Hawaii locations in the Concierge Collection (Mauna Lani Bay and Kapalua) are available for any number of nights, and are listed with specific point values. So it is straightforward when booking. Since our days needed to be more flexible than Sat.-Sat., and we were hoping for 8 nights in one place rather than 7, and since we were locked into going at Easter time, we chose to book the Mauna Lani instead of having Disney put out a search for one of the World Passport Hawaii locations. We have no regrets whatsoever, but that's what worked for us in this case. I think that having many other options of destinations through World Passport Collections is a terrific perk of DVC.

Hope I explained this clearly, and that it's helpful.

 

[travelbug]

I said there were 7 Maui locations, but there are really only 6. Sorry about that!

 

[kel3420]

Your link is an email, not a website is that correct?

 

[Lisa P.]

If I could tell him that we would be able to trade for a Maui vacation every-other year--that might be the way that I could convince him!

Goofyfordisney, I can certainly understand the desire to show your DH some nice benefits of DVC. In this instance, it really may be a disservice. Look at the number of points you would need to use for a nice Maui hotel room every other year and what those DVC points would cost you in purchase and maint fees. 301 points provides a week in a mountain view hotel room. Is it worth it to you? It may be better to pay hotel cash rates for those stays, especially with occasional discounts or package deals. Or get an annual (resale) week at a nice Maui timeshare.

Using DVC points this way is fine for those points that one may lose otherwise. And it is fun for a once-in-a-great-while change from the usual. But it's generally pricy to do repeatedly, as your potential idea suggests. If that's how you'd plan to use them (for hotel rooms), be sure that you understand what it will co$t you.

There are people who simply want to pre-pay their vacation lodging. They want the convenience of one-stop shopping for travel planning (DVC Member Services). They are willing to pay extra for this and don't mind. But most folks prefer better value for their dollar. Be sure you understand what you would pay for this idea. Then decide whether it's worth it to YOU, before you pitch it to DH. JMHO.

 

[goofyfordisney]

travelbug,
Thanks for the info about Hawaii/maui properties!

Lisa P,
Thanks for your reply also...I just wanted to be able to tell hubby that we would have some other options every once and awhile instead of WDW every year. I realize it's probably not the best way to use our points though. We have thought about going to the timeshare presenatation at the Marriott when we've been there in the past--just have never done it!

Sue

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Thank you for sharing. I think some of these offsite trip reports are some of the best information on our DVC owners board, its great to hear about these experiences. Thanks for sharing.