Hi, we just returned home last night. We did the whole timeshare thing (had a great offer from Hilton- 3 nights in a 1 bedroom for about $200 plus tax). We were extremely sceptical when it came time for the 2 hour timeshare presentation. Yes, the property is gorgeous, but we never saw ourselves buying a timeshare. Well, Saturday morning my husband and I bought a 2 bedroom in platinum season! After we did the math, it actually made sense for us. We are going on a huge trip to Hawaii in 2006 with my parents and our two kids, so the total purchase price of the timeshare is only $10,000 more than we were planning on spending for lodging in Hawaii. Plus, they gave us a huge amount of bonus points to use next year as an incentive to join. So, we will be going to Hawaii next year with a 3 bedroom suite for almost 2 weeks! However, we don't vacation like everyone else (we tend to go overboard), so it may not be a good deal for other people.
The property is not finished yet. They have three complete buildings and are working on buildings 4 & 5 right now. There will be 7 buildings total when the property is fully developed, and another pool and pizza parlor. The pool is nice, but does not have a slide. There is a game room with pool tables, a quiet room, and a little store. The resort is beautifully themed, with italianate pieces of artwork in the lobby and common areas. The one and two bedrooms are very roomy, with fold out couches in the living rooms, flat screen tvs, and dvd players. There is a screened in porch in every unit. The kitchens have granite countertops and are well stocked with dishes, silverware, pots/pans, and cooking utensils. There are also small stacked washers and dryers and nice two person jacuzzi tubs in the one/two bedrooms. We toured all the units, and the studios have kind sized beds and a small kitchenette area with refrigerator and microwave. I didn't look too much at the studio, so I might be missing some of the details there.
There are pictures of the resort on the hgvc website. It really is as beautiful as it looks!!! If you have any other questions, let me know.
