Why Stay at Aulani vs Other resorts (or even an Airbnb / VRBO)

[Tink316]

We are contemplating trip to Hawaii in 2022 -- Why would you want to stay at Aulani vs other options on the island? Is the cost really worth it - especially if you are planning day trips to explore the areas? We are not DVC owners - so would pay cash. Also, can you rent/buy points through DVC owners who cannot use theirs? I know you can do with WDW DVC resorts. Pros and Cons? Thanks!!

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I have never been to Aulani so I can’t answer that part of your question.
I can tell you as a DVC member that rents point I do rent them to people to go to Aulani from time to time. It can be done. Pretty much the same as renting at any of the DVC resorts. There is some state or local room fee tacked on to the room at time of checkin that must be paid to the hotel.

is it worth it

 

[kdonnel]

Aulani is nice, we have stayed 4 times. Some of those trips were split stays at other resorts either on Oahu or other Hawaiian Islands. I never felt like Aulani was much better than any of the other resorts.

It is definitely located in a nice quiet area but if you are looking for hustle and bustle you will be disappointed.
The beach is great but it is man made with absolutely no waves so if you want waves you will be disappointed.

The pool complex is great.

The resort is isolated, is that a positive or a con? Depends on the family.

I don't think I would pay cash to stay at Aulani but I see it as a good use of my DVC points.

 

[needvaca]

We stayed at Marriott Kolina a couple years ago and it was great. It’s on the same beach as Aulani, so we walked there several times. Aulani is beautiful and amenity packed, but it was 2-3 times more crowded than the Marriott (which is much cheaper). I loved both and if we go back (with the kids) we will probably do a split stay- a few days at Aulani for the water park, kids club and beach activities, and then a few days at Marriott to just relax at the pools

 

[alohamom]

You CAN rent points which honestly makes Aulani competitive price wise with other high end resorts.
It obviously depends on when you stay and what type of room you choose.
Pro=When you rent DVC points your parking is included. Con=Parking at Aulani is approx $37/night and you pay for that on top of your cash reservation.

The major draw for my family is the lazy river pool.
We have stayed at quite a few Hawaiian resorts with fantasy pools.
Ask me about any fantasy pool in Hawaii and I can probably give you a rating LOL
For a long time the Grand Hyatt Kauai was out favorite but then we went to Aulani and the lazy river changed our opinion.
Even when Aulani is super crowded, the lazy river pool doesn't feel like it IMO

I think if you are visiting Oahu and just need a place to lay your head, there are other options that are cheaper.
However, having said that, we kind of treat Aulani like others do staying on site at WDW.
Our days out and about on Oahu are equal to park days and we pace them so that we have days in between.

If exploring Oahu is more important than staying at Aulani, so people do split stays like @needvaca suggested above. You can also look at the Turtle Bay resort up in the North Shore as that is a way to experience two very different parts of the island.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

FWIW AirBnB is very regulated in Hawaii so it will not be as cheap as you may expect.

 

[badiggio]

Imo,the Ko Olina Beach Villas next door,not the Marriott, are beautiful huge condos for far less than what you pay at Aulani.I love the thought of the lazy river,but not enough to pay to stay there for it.

 

[kdonnel]

Imo,the Ko Olina Beach Villas next door,not the Marriott, are beautiful huge condos for far less than what you pay at Aulani.I love the thought of the lazy river,but not enough to pay to stay there for it.

Staying there for the first time starting tomorrow.

 

[alohamom]

Staying there for the first time starting tomorrow.

As much as I love Aulani, I also LOVE the Marriott! We have done a couple of trips where we did split stays with Aulani.
The thing about the Marriott is that is spread out and the space of the resort makes it feel so luxurious.
The pools are really fun too and they stay open much later than the Aulani ones. There is one large hot tub kind of just past the gym as you walk toward the lagoon that we enjoyed under the stars late at night one time, it was just soooo nice! I love the landscaping at this resort too, it is simply gorgeous.
I don't know if the BBQ's are still available post-covid but one thing I really liked here better than Aulani is that the BBQ times are not restricted and they have more so it was never an issue to BBQ.
The rooms are spacious and bright with high ceilings.
They always had sooo many activities included, I hope they still do. One thing I really enjoyed the few times we have stayed there is the morning exercise classes on the lagoon. My daughter and I did yoga and a stretch and roller class (which was incredible) I gotta admit, I was super disappointed that Aulani charges for premium classes like these, only basic beginner yoga was offered there.
The parking at the Marriott was kind of tight and a few times we have had to wait for someone to leave before finding a spot.
I know you will have a wonderful time, it is a really lovely resort.

 

[kyton]

Beach Villas are lovely - we’ve stayed twice, both times were for stays of 25 days so we really enjoyed the space.

Their only “drawback” if you can call it that is there is no onsite dining or shops but this wasn’t an issue for our family as we quite happily walked to either Aulani / Marriott / Golf Club / strip mall to buy what we needed.

 

[monsterkitty]

As much as I love Aulani, I also LOVE the Marriott! We have done a couple of trips where we did split stays with Aulani.
The thing about the Marriott is that is spread out and the space of the resort makes it feel so luxurious.
The pools are really fun too and they stay open much later than the Aulani ones. There is one large hot tub kind of just past the gym as you walk toward the lagoon that we enjoyed under the stars late at night one time, it was just soooo nice! I love the landscaping at this resort too, it is simply gorgeous.
I don't know if the BBQ's are still available post-covid but one thing I really liked here better than Aulani is that the BBQ times are not restricted and they have more so it was never an issue to BBQ.
The rooms are spacious and bright with high ceilings.
They always had sooo many activities included, I hope they still do. One thing I really enjoyed the few times we have stayed there is the morning exercise classes on the lagoon. My daughter and I did yoga and a stretch and roller class (which was incredible) I gotta admit, I was super disappointed that Aulani charges for premium classes like these, only basic beginner yoga was offered there.
The parking at the Marriott was kind of tight and a few times we have had to wait for someone to leave before finding a spot.
I know you will have a wonderful time, it is a really lovely resort.

We always stay at the Marriott because we can use our points. If you're not MVC owners and have to pay for the rooms, they are a lot cheaper than paying cash for a room at Aulani.

When we were there in March not only were the BBQs open, but they were selling meal kits at Longboards. You placed your order in the morning and the BBQ kit (chicken, pork, or beef with veggies and a starch) was ready that afternoon. We didn't buy one because they were for 4 people and it was only DH and me.

We always walk to Aulani to get Mickey Bars and shop. The pool area is so much more crowded that the pools at the Marriott. I really do like the looks of the Lazy River, though.

 

[nkereina]

We are contemplating trip to Hawaii in 2022 -- Why would you want to stay at Aulani vs other options on the island? Is the cost really worth it - especially if you are planning day trips to explore the areas? We are not DVC owners - so would pay cash. Also, can you rent/buy points through DVC owners who cannot use theirs? I know you can do with WDW DVC resorts. Pros and Cons? Thanks!!

We rented points from an Aulani owner to stay in a studio. It was significantly cheaper than paying cash, and we were able to get free parking and free laundry tokens since we were on a points reservation. Didn't matter that we weren't DVC owners. Since a rental car is a must in Hawaii, the free parking was part of the significant savings at $37 per day.

IMO, its worthwhile to do a split stay with another resort on Oahu or another island. I would not spend the entirety of my trip at Aulani. I think an Aulani stay is worth it for any Disney fan, but a couple days max to enjoy the resort/amenities is good enough for me. Its in a remote part of the island in a gated tourist community so you need to leave that area to experience anything true to Hawaii. If you do a split stay, its best to plan your sightseeing based off the locations of your hotels. For example, did a split stay in Waikiki and visited Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head from there. From Aulani, we visited North Shore, Kualoa Ranch and Kailua.

 

[Paul Stupin]

I prefer Aulani to any other resort on Ko Olina. I have no doubt that the Beach Villas have larger, nicer and no doubt more reasonable rooms, but I don’t believe there are any real grounds or facilities other than a blah pool. It’s “world” just isn’t immersive enough. The Marriott has nice grounds and looks super nice, but for me is missing a bit of the wow factor, or features which are truly unique. The magic factor is just a lot higher at Aulani, and the facility itself is one of a kind.

 

[Nikodemos]

My son started going to Aulani at 6 years old and now he's 10. He rates the Aulani #1 for all the hotels with pools he's been to. Since there are multiple pools, multiple hot tubs, lazy river, it can't be beat for kids who have gills. We usually buy DVC points and get a one bedroom suite, and the rooms are incredible with nice kitchenettes. Although a nice place to relax for a few days, sans kids, I would choose a different venue for the money.

 

[monsterkitty]

We rented points from an Aulani owner to stay in a studio. It was significantly cheaper than paying cash, and we were able to get free parking and free laundry tokens since we were on a points reservation. Didn't matter that we weren't DVC owners. Since a rental car is a must in Hawaii, the free parking was part of the significant savings at $37 per day.

IMO, its worthwhile to do a split stay with another resort on Oahu or another island. I would not spend the entirety of my trip at Aulani. I think an Aulani stay is worth it for any Disney fan, but a couple days max to enjoy the resort/amenities is good enough for me. Its in a remote part of the island in a gated tourist community so you need to leave that area to experience anything true to Hawaii. If you do a split stay, its best to plan your sightseeing based off the locations of your hotels. For example, did a split stay in Waikiki and visited Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head from there. From Aulani, we visited North Shore, Kualoa Ranch and Kailua.

On our trip in March we talked to a hand full locals from Oahu and the other islands while at the pool and on a few excursions. All of them said that for their staycations they will stay a night or two at Aulani for the pool but then switch to the Marriott because it's so much cheaper. The families we were talking to at the pool said this time their kids actually enjoyed the Marriott pools because they were as crowded. It was very interesting to get the perspective of the locals on the resorts.

 

[jimmymc]

Reasons it's worth it:

1. The neighborhood is nice and it is pretty price-competitive with the other resorts.
2. The beach is good for people who can't or don't want to swim in waves.
3. The pools and lazy river are a lot of fun.
4. There are Disney characters.
5. The Spa is great.
6. You're isolated, but also close enough to restaurants if you want to go out to eat.
7. You're not in Waikiki.

Reasons you might want to stay away:

1. You're far from surfing, if that's something you want to do.
2. You are on the other side of the island from most of the famous hikes and viewpoints.
3. While normal for the area, you can stay elsewhere on the island for less money, especially if the resort doesn't matter as much.

You should definitely rent points and try to get a 1 bedroom or larger villa. Having a kitchen will save you a ton of money and time on your trip. There isn't too much fast food in the area. It's also just a lot of fun to cook dinner after a day of enjoying the resort.

In my experience, most of the cheap Airbnbs are in Waikiki, and I personally hate that area. If I wasn't going to stay in Ko Olina, I would stay on the North Shore, which is closer price-wise to Aulani.

 

[kdonnel]

I just completed my stay at the Ko Olina Beach Villas.

I have stayed at Aulani 4 times prior.

I found this stay to have been very comparable.

Big pluses:
1. We stayed in a 3 bedroom villa. It was better equipped than the Grand Villa I stayed in at Aulani. Came with boogie boards, beach chairs, coolers, beach umbrella, etc. Many things we had to buy in prior Aulani trips.
2. The resort is so much smaller which translated into so much fewer people to fight with for space at the pools or ocean.
3. Centrally located between the Marriott and Aulani. Made it very easy to walk to both to take advantage of their restaurants. You could stop by and experience what you wanted and then leave the crowds behind as you went back to the Beach Villas.
4. The hot tubs and pools were a much shorter walk from the room.
5. Parking was so much closer and since the spots are assigned you always remembered where you last parked and never had to park out in the sun so the car was always cool.
6. Was WAY, WAY, WAY cheaper than what a cash Grand Villa would cost if you could even get one for cash.

The small negatives:
1. A little further walk to the ABC Marketplace but we had a car so often timed our trips to be part of our daily departure or arrival from/to the area.
2. Had to carry our chairs from the villa to the beach and back. There were 12 beach chairs in the owner's beach closet of the villa so there were plenty but at Aulani we would have just been able to grab a chair and umbrella on the beach. We only did 2 full resort days so it was only a small issue.

 

[DizKids2]

We went 3 years ago and did a split stay. 2 nights at Aulani and then on to Waikiki. My kids were then 14, 13 & 11. We all absolutely loved Aulani. The grounds/pool/beach were all amazing. The food - meh.

We are going to go back again next year and plan on doing something similar. For the cost of Aulani, I want to physically stay at the hotel while we are booked there. We will then book the remainder of nights someplace less expensive while we explore the Island.

 

[jimmymc]

If you do stay elsewhere on the island, I would start with the other Ko Olina resorts. They offer almost the same amenities but are sometimes cheaper.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

We did a split stay earlier this year. My opinion is it's only worth the money if you're using the facilities all day. If going out on the island all day and just using it for sleeping, other resorts are much cheaper and offer similar accommodations.