RCI trade on Maui

[JoEllen]

We are wanting to book Aulauni for a week and then stay in Maui for a week. Has anyone stayed at the Kaanapali Beach Club thru RCI? It looks nice but, I would appreciate your feedback.

We traded into the Wyndom (Princeville) on Kaui two years ago and were very disappointed. I expect an RCI trade to not be as nice as DVC but this one was really bad.

thank-you!

JoEllen

 

[Dean]

We are wanting to book Aulauni for a week and then stay in Maui for a week. Has anyone stayed at the Kaanapali Beach Club thru RCI? It looks nice but, I would appreciate your feedback.

We traded into the Wyndom (Princeville) on Kaui two years ago and were very disappointed. I expect an RCI trade to not be as nice as DVC but this one was really bad.

thank-you!

JoEllen

We've stayed there, had two 1 BR units a few years ago when it was with Embassy. It's a little under DVC but not much and given the location, I'd say it's a fair exchange. Note that the kitchens (unless they've changed with updates) were not a full kitchen. IIRC it was a 2 burner top, small fridge and microwave (? may have been a convection microwave). Historically it's been available through other exchange companies like San Francisco exchange (SFX), Trading places International (TPI) and HI Timeshare Exchange (HTSE). I'm not sure how that parts going since it's now part of the Diamond system. I'd say put in a request first a year out if possible and see what happens. I'd also talk to some of the independent's or even call the resort itself and ask the FD people who they get exchanges in from.

 

[JoEllen]

Thank you Dean. Good information as usual from you!

 

[Dean]

Thank you Dean. Good information as usual from you!

You're very welcome of course. IF you do proceed, keep the group informed as this is one of the relatively few exchanges that are consistently a good choice. Do realize that while it's on Kaanapali beach, it's not really, do plan for a car. The other component is that there are other resorts that come on the table with the independent's, private exchanges or even renting points and paying cash for a private rental. Maui is our first choice and the Marriott and Westin properties are the best of the lot.

 

[asunutgirl]

I'm not familiar with this resort but as a former RCI member, I wouldn't book anything that is not a Gold Crown resort.

 

[kshark1958]

We stayed here in 2010. We exchanged our DVC points. We got one week for 160 points. We originally were suppose to have a one BR but were upgraded to a 2 BR. The resort is pretty nice. Check in was quick the pool area was nice and you were right on the ocean. But the beach itself was a little rough and rocky. The room was clean and pretty roomy. Just like any timeshare you get a full cleaning once a week.The kitchen was fully stocked with all the utensils you need and a full size fridge but what was weird was their was no stove or oven. Instead they provided an electric skillet. Their was no washer and dryer in the room but their was a laundry facility in the hallway. The location was pretty central and you will need a rental car to get around the island.We didn't have to many issues during the week but when we did the staff was pretty responsive. There are plenty of places to shop real close in case you want to stock the kitchen including a pizza shop across the street.
But let me warn you right now you will see brochures and such for discounts on things such as luas, helicopter rides and different excursions. But to get the discount through the resort you need to attend a timeshare sales pitch. These sales pitches are hard core. Nothing like the relaxed atmosphere during the time we bought DVC. The timeshare company is DRI and they are horrible nothing like DVC. We ended buying a timeshare and it was a big mistake. I can't even give it away.
The resort itself is nice like I previously mentioned and yes I would stay there again but definitely stay away from the sales pitch

 

[kshark1958]

Hawaii is full of timeshare resorts and no matter where you stay you will get the hard sell if you attend the seminars. Avoid the seminars and enjoy one of the most beautiful and relaxing islands you will ever see.
To know more about the resort go to tripadvisor.com. IMO it is probably the best place to check at ratings for hotels and resorts.

 

[DVC Sue]

I'm a Sheraton owner and I am able to secure Ka'anapali using my Starwood options. Maybe another Sheraton owner can help you? I know it can be hard to find a week thru RCI. I've looked out of curiosity and I only ever see weeks in November.

 

[Dean]

I'm not familiar with this resort but as a former RCI member, I wouldn't book anything that is not a Gold Crown resort.

KBC is gold crown but this illustrates the issue I was alluding to, that one must investigate the resorts independently. The issue is that the qualifications for Gold Crown do not necessarily guarantee quality. Many Silver Crown resorts are very appropriate and some are better than some Gold Crown resorts. One way to get a view of the discrepancies is to look at dually affiliated resorts and see how they differ in ratings. There is certainly some element of politics within RCI and II esp in the area of ratings. There are other factors, maybe you want a beach and the resort may be on a cliff. Other issues are unit types and unit assignments. KBC is a good example because they have historically given exchangers island/mountain/parking lot views and offered upgrades for cash. I'm not sure if that is still happening with the management change. Lawaii Beach on Kauai is another good example where they aim exchanges to the coral building in most cases.

Hawaii is full of timeshare resorts and no matter where you stay you will get the hard sell if you attend the seminars. Avoid the seminars and enjoy one of the most beautiful and relaxing islands you will ever see.
To know more about the resort go to tripadvisor.com. IMO it is probably the best place to check at ratings for hotels and resorts.

I would disagree that TA is the go to option. It's questionable for hotels and even worse for timeshares IMO though simply having the volume can offer some help. This is due partly because the businesses can stack the deck in their favor and have negative posts removed or even proactively blocked in some cases. I'd say that the Timeshare Users Group is the best single option with the reviews offering more benefit than the ratings and that Timesharing today likely gives the most complete and objective evaluations but they don't have as much data. Redweeks can also give some info. IMO you need to investigate to see which resorts that are right for you.

 

[Dean]

I'm a Sheraton owner and I am able to secure Ka'anapali using my Starwood options. Maybe another Sheraton owner can help you? I know it can be hard to find a week thru RCI. I've looked out of curiosity and I only ever see weeks in November.

Can Starwood owners reserve then transfer the reservation to a third party? In most cases you can't with the affiliate agreements but I don't know with that one. I seem to recall that Diamond in general is somewhat negative to rentals compared to some other companies.

 

[czmom]

We recently rented a week at the Westin on Maui through an owner on Redweek. They reserved and then transferred to our names. Just wanted to throw out another option for you. You could always rent out your points to cover the cost.

 

[asunutgirl]

Regarding the Gold Crown comment, we've had some very bad experiences with RCI in booking resorts that were not Gold Crown. While the Gold Crown distinction still isn't on par with DVC, we have found that the GC resorts tend to be a better overall experience than other RCI resorts. I also read recent reviews.

That being said, we got out of our previous timeshare commitment and purchased DVC because the quality just wasn't what we wanted (we inherited the property). I wish we had purchased DVC long ago but it was Aulani that pushed us over the edge.

 

[disneypoor]

You're very welcome of course. IF you do proceed, keep the group informed as this is one of the relatively few exchanges that are consistently a good choice. Do realize that while it's on Kaanapali beach, it's not really, do plan for a car. The other component is that there are other resorts that come on the table with the independent's, private exchanges or even renting points and paying cash for a private rental. Maui is our first choice and the Marriott and Westin properties are the best of the lot.

We stayed at the Westin Kaanapali And rented through the VRBO. It was amazing!!! I'd definitely buy there if I was looking for another timeshare. We did walk down and tour the Beach Club since I knew we could exchange there, but after staying at the Westin, we have been spoiled and would likely rent again just so we could be there. Don't get me wrong, anywhere on Maui would be great, but the Westin was top notch.

Susan

 

[Dean]

Regarding the Gold Crown comment, we've had some very bad experiences with RCI in booking resorts that were not Gold Crown. While the Gold Crown distinction still isn't on par with DVC, we have found that the GC resorts tend to be a better overall experience than other RCI resorts. I also read recent reviews.

That being said, we got out of our previous timeshare commitment and purchased DVC because the quality just wasn't what we wanted (we inherited the property). I wish we had purchased DVC long ago but it was Aulani that pushed us over the edge.

In general GC properties are better but when it comes to individual resorts this is often not the case. One needs to look at resorts individually and not R/O silver Crown or even lower rated resorts simply by this rating alone.

We stayed at the Westin Kaanapali And rented through the VRBO. It was amazing!!! I'd definitely buy there if I was looking for another timeshare. We did walk down and tour the Beach Club since I knew we could exchange there, but after staying at the Westin, we have been spoiled and would likely rent again just so we could be there. Don't get me wrong, anywhere on Maui would be great, but the Westin was top notch.

Susan

We've stayed at KBC, the Westin and the Marriott. Of those we prefer the Marriott due to location though side by side we felt the Westin was better. KBC is definitely below but not enough to avoid it and it's the best RCI option on Maui.

 

[czmom]

We stayed at the Westin Kaanapali And rented through the VRBO. It was amazing!!! I'd definitely buy there if I was looking for another timeshare. We did walk down and tour the Beach Club since I knew we could exchange there, but after staying at the Westin, we have been spoiled and would likely rent again just so we could be there. Don't get me wrong, anywhere on Maui would be great, but the Westin was top notch.

Susan

Yay!!! This is where we are staying. Love to hear rave reviews.

 

[disneypoor]

Yay!!! This is where we are staying. Love to hear rave reviews.

We sat on our lanai and watched all the whales. No need for an excursion. It was breathtaking and one of our favorite trips to date.

Susan

 

[Tikiman]

Can Starwood owners reserve then transfer the reservation to a third party? In most cases you can't with the affiliate agreements but I don't know with that one. I seem to recall that Diamond in general is somewhat negative to rentals compared to some other companies.

We own at Westin’s Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas North and we often book ours for someone else and transfer it to them. We have ours available this year (2 bedroom lock off with an Ocean Front view). We just book the dates you want and then give the Westin your information for you to check in when you arrive.

 

[czmom]

We own at Westin’s Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas North and we often book ours for someone else and transfer it to them. We have ours available this year (2 bedroom lock off with an Ocean Front view). We just book the dates you want and then give the Westin your information for you to check in when you arrive.

That's exactly what our owners through Redweek did! I don't want to hijack this thread, but for those who have been there (either Westin Kaanapali Villas or Maui), I would love ideas of what to do while there. Please PM me if you have a chance.

 

[Dean]

We own at Westin’s Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas North and we often book ours for someone else and transfer it to them. We have ours available this year (2 bedroom lock off with an Ocean Front view). We just book the dates you want and then give the Westin your information for you to check in when you arrive.

I think I misunderstood her post. I read it as they could book KBC using their starwood points, not the Westin. Going back and rereading it, I think I misunderstood what DVC Sue was saying. I thought maybe Westin had entered into an agreement with Diamond that I wasn't aware of like Bluegreen with Shell or DVC with the BVTC. One can certainly do a private exchange with a Westin or Marriott owner or anyone else who can reserve directly with a given resort.

That's exactly what our owners through Redweek did! I don't want to hijack this thread, but for those who have been there (either Westin Kaanapali Villas or Maui), I would love ideas of what to do while there. Please PM me if you have a chance.

I would point you to the Maui Revealed travel book and iPhone app.