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Maui Marriot Ocean Club or Westin Ocean resort Villas?

Maui Marriot Ocean Club or Westin Ocean resort Villas?

Old Feb 7th, 2008, 01:39 PM
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Maui Marriot Ocean Club or Westin Ocean resort Villas?

We are planning on a Maui vacation during April and I'm trying to decide between the Marriot Ocean Club and Westin Villas. We have 2 kids 3yrs and 5 months and are looking for a place with nice rooms, decent on site dining, good pool and beach. We'll be spending quite a bit of time at the resort itself. Is is correct that there isn't much of a beach in front of the Marriott? How far would you have to walk to get to a sandy beach? Would the Marriott be more crowded during Spring break? Thanks for any info!
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Old Feb 7th, 2008, 02:39 PM
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I can't speak to Marriott Ocena Club, but we have spent a morning at Westin Villas when we were staying at Westin Maui Resort & Spa @ Ka'anapali Beach.

This is what we found: the beach is pretty narrow and you have to pay for chairs, umbrellas etc. The pool is pretty basic. There is only one onsite restaurant as these are timeshares. It is away from the main area of Ka'anapali/Whalers Village where there are way more choice to eat and lots of activity.

There is 1 BBQ grill and a couple of tables where you could eat.

You can take a shuttle bus to the Westin and Sheraton, but you cannot use their pools -- only their beaches. With 2 little kids, I can't imagine dragging all the stuff you need with you and having to wait for the shuttle to take you and return you.

There are a number of condo places in/near Whalers Village that might work out better for you.

Hope this helps,
Deb

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Old Feb 7th, 2008, 03:41 PM
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As I recall from my visit last year Marriott was about to develop a second Ocean Club and that one may not have a great beach. If you are looking at the original one on Kaanapali Beach there really is not a problem. The beach is not VERY wide but it goes the entire length of the Kaanapali walkway and there is plenty of beach space. It is a really pretty spot, In addition the pool area at the original Ocean Club is great and has a wonderful area for small children. I would choose the Marriott over the Westin Villas.
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Old Feb 7th, 2008, 05:57 PM
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I would definitely choose the Marriott Ocean Club, if only for it's location in the middle of the "prime" part of Kaanapali Beach -- you can walk along the entire beach walk, and there's Whaler's Village practically next door. We stayed in that area years ago when our kids were the same ages as your's will be on the trip -- it's great to be able to walk with the baby in the stroller early in the morning, stop at Whaler's Village for a cup of coffee, etc.

We were back last summer and toured the Marriott, as well as drove into the area around the Westin.

The beach by the Marriott is great! In answer to your question, you'd have to walk 10 steps. It's not a wide beach like Hilton Head or Jones Beach, but it's a better beach -- deep white sand. The beach does widen as you get closer to Black Rock (great snorkeling in front of the Sheraton).

More importantly, the Marriott Ocean Club has two parts - one part is the former Marriott Hotel. These are suites (2 or 3 rooms, I think), but they are NOT full-service condos -- they don't have kitchens. Adjacent, they have built "villas", which are full-blown condos with bedrooms, kitchen, living and dining areas, and absolutely gorgeous. Both are timeshares, but, because this used to be a hotel, the pool is more resort-y than many timeshare development pools. There's a good place to eat lunch, or pick up lunch to eat in, but again, Whaler's Village is a short walk away. I don't know about other restaurants on-site.

I would definitely pick the Marriott Ocean Club, but be sure it's one of the "villas" (which I think are 2 or 3 BR). They told us there was only one unit that had zero view, so you might want to try to avoid that unit, too.

You can see pictures on the Marriott vacation club website, along with a description of the various types of units.

http://tinyurl.com/2zuv6k
 
Old Feb 7th, 2008, 06:42 PM
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The Marriott is in a much better location and has a great pool area for little kids as well as a sandy beach frontage. It's within the Kaanapali Resort so you can easily get to the restaurants, other hotels and shopping within the resort. There is a mile-long sidewalk along the beachfront which connects the hotels and shopping center. The Westin villas is located outside of the resort on the north side.
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Old Feb 7th, 2008, 06:47 PM
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well, we just returned from the Westin Villas two days ago and I can't agree more with the concerns that everyone has brought up.
Yes, the pools at the Villas are nothing fancy and the beach is very narrow. I can't imagine what it is like during High season. When the sun came out on Saturday the pool was packed at the neighboring Westin and that was without visitors from the Westin Villas (as others mentioned, you can use the beach, not the pool).

That being said, the Westin Villas are very nicely appointed. We stayed in a large studio with a good size kitchenette, comfy living room, very large bathroom and the washer/dryer was a great convenience. Its almost as though its geared toward people without young children (we have a son in college). After finding out the prices to purchase these timeshares (49k - 68k) we were quite shocked. I'm sure there are timeshares with better appointments and closer to Whalers Village.

So I vote for something close to Whalers Village with large pool areas and large living quarters. But be warned...April is super crowded on Maui and all the other islands. I've been to Hawaii in almost every season and April was the most crowded. Its still paradise in my book!

p.s. if anyone wants a detailed trip report, let me know...everything we did has already been written about before, but I'd be glad to try to ask any questions you might have!
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Old Feb 7th, 2008, 10:11 PM
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Marriott Ocean Club is definitely the better location if you're into action. There's more to do at the resort and along the oceanside path that parallels Kaanapali Beach.

However, the biggest downside is that you'll probably be renting from the older section (as opposed to the new towers) and they weren'b built to be timeshares. So they are more cramped than other condos. And the upkeep on them is hit and miss acc to reviews on TripAdvisor.

Also, the older buildings at Marriott don't have washer/dryers in the room, which is a bummer esp since UA just announced that travelers are now allowed one checked luggage now - each additional luggage will cost you $25 each way.

I own at the Westin villas and love their location because it's close to the action without being in the middle of it. But I don't think it's a great resort for kids.

Personally, if I had the money, I'd rent at Kaanapali Alii, which is nearby. Very nice condos and within walking distance to the other resorts for dining, etc. Downside is that the pool isn't great. Of course, the nicer the pool, the more kids you'll find. Which may not be good if you're trying to keep an eye on young ones.
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Old Feb 8th, 2008, 08:44 AM
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the biggest downside is that you'll probably be renting from the older section (as opposed to the new towers)

I repeat what I said earlier -- the older former hotel are suites, but not really "apartments" - no kitchens and apparently no W/Ds. If you want a full-on apartment with a real kitchen, you must rent in the new villa towers.
 
Old Feb 8th, 2008, 11:29 AM
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Thank you all for your replies. It was very useful. Based on your input. I've decided to go with the Marriot. We'll be staying in the new towers with the full kitchen. Although I don't intend on cooking much... wouldn't be much of a vacation for me to do that . Walking distance to restaurents really sold me on the place. Is the entertainment book worth getting to save some $$ eating out?
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Old Feb 8th, 2008, 11:31 AM
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I don't know about the entertainment book, but I do suggest that even if you don't plan to cook much (neither would I), you should stop on the way in from the airport (there's a Safeway in Lahaina, about 3 miles before you reach the Marriott) for the things your kids will need -- milk, cereal, juice, and most of all, diapers!
 
Old Feb 9th, 2008, 01:16 PM
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Entertainment book is much more useful for Oahu than Maui. However there are a few restaurants in Maui which might save you a few bucks. Not sure if it'll be worth the $25 though.

I use the Maui gold card, which is worth its weight in, er, gold if you can snag some of the 2-for-1 activity vouchers.
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