First off, I would like to THANK all of you that submitted your reviews of your Aulani trips and vacations that I have been reading and enjoying over the past few months. Without these great posts, we would probably not have enjoyed our vaction as much as we did.
This is my first review here and will be in several posts. Sorry, but I am trying to type this at work and things are a bit crazy, so please bear with me…
For years my wife and I have been talking about going to Hawaii. Personally, it always appeared a bit boring to me. I know, I know… crazy, huh? I am used to the Disney parks, Vegas,
Disney Cruise, something with action, lights and activities. We are not the types to lie near a pool all day, soaking up rays. lol
This year, being that it marked our 20th wedding anniversary, we decided to finally make the move and go. Being
DVC members since 2006, the opening of Aulani definitely helped with our decision. In all honesty, one of the things that prevented me from getting too excited was the 11 hour plane ride from NY. I am not that good of a flyer anymore. We decided to finally use up all those saved points and fly 1st class on United. I can tell you, it made a big difference on this incredibly long flight. Being that this was a big occasion for us, we decided to splurge (neither one of us had EVER flown 1st class before).

Upon arrival at Honolulu Airport, we picked up our bags and took the Hertz shuttle bus to pick up our rental car. We decided on getting a car because it was just a bit more than the car service to and from the airport. If you do plan on getting a car from Hertz, be prepared to be there for around 30-45 minutes. One major reason for this was the language barrier with the Japanese tourists who were there to rent cars. Also, hertz or any other car rental company will try and rent you their GPS system. We declined and simply used Google maps on my Android phone and it got us where we wanted to go with no problem. Unfortunately, the wait landed us right into rush hour. Now, one thing I have to say about the Hawaiian drivers that I encountered is that they all seemed relaxed and calm and took their time with little to no aggression. So, we just took in the sights as the scenery changed from the congestion of the city area to the more rural area of the south western part of Oahu in which Ko’Olina is located.
The exit for Ko’Olina off of H1 was very well kept with the walls lined with purple flowers and stones and is just a hint of what awaits you.
As you go through the manned gate for Ko’Olina, you will pass the golf course (were not golfers but it looked fantastic!) and Paradise Cove which is one of the advertised Luau’s on the island. Due to the missed reviews, we opted to pass on it this trip. The exterior of Aulani is beautiful and very well kept. It definitely stands out in comparison to the Marriott next door. Being DVC members, we had free self parking for the length of our stay. The parking is convenient and very close to the main entrance.
Outside the building, there is a stand with 2 cast members who greeted us with leis and gave us water that had orange and pineapple infusion in it. Very refreshing, to say the least, PLUS a nice touch!
We were then greeted by a cast member who took care of our “express check-in” which we had done the day before at home. We were given our packet and keys and a mini-tour of the lobby and sent on our way. Obviously, we were exhausted after the long flight, (which I slept maybe 15 minutes out of the 11 hours) and only 2.5 hours of sleep the night prior. We didn't even get a chance to take in the lobby, so I will post those pics in a bit. ;-) As we dragged ourselves down the hall, the cast member who had checked us in outside ran up to us and told us that we needed to go to the front desk to leave a credit card on file. Keep in mind that this is part of the “express check-in” process. So, we head to the front desk and wait in line for an agent to be free. When we finally go up, they look at us puzzled and tell us that our CC is already on file. HUH???!!! This confusion and inconvenience did NOT sit well with me. Anyway, I let it pass and we went up to our room on the 12 the floor. We had used extra points for an “ocean view” and were assigned room #1284. Upon opening the door, we breathed a sigh of relief and our tired faces quickly turned into exhausted smiles.
The room was perfect! Clean and pristine. Having been in the hospitality business, I usually give the room my personal inspection. If you have seen the Travel Channels show "Hotel Impossible" you will get an idea of how thorough I am. lol. Needless to say, we were very happy. The addition of the rain head in the shower was very nice touch and something I have yet to encounter in a DVC resort. The artwork and appiontments in the room were cheerful and made you feel that you were in hawaii even without looking out the window.
Speaking of the view...
As you can see, it was WELL worth the extra points. However, we spent so little time in the room that next time we will go standard and just see what we get.
Next part... The lobby and Monkeypods and Ko'Olina market.