scubalinda

My family (myself, husband, 13 year old son, 11 year old daughter)is planning a trip to Hawaii for next summer. We have enough Marriott points to stay at any of their resorts for a week to 10 days and want to use them! I have narrowed down our choices to the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on the Big Island or either the Wailea Beach Marriot Resort & Spa or the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort on Maui. Both Marriotts are apparently undergoing major renovations to be completed next spring and this fall respectively. We have never been to Hawaii before. My children are fairly well travelled and adventurous. We travel to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico a lot and so don't want to go all that way from the East coast just to sit on beautiful beaches -- although we definitely want to do some of that! We would like to experience all the things that make Hawaii unique and different from other places we have been. We generally prefer more out of the way, less commercialized destinations. I am leaning toward the Big Island and maybe including a couple of days at Volcano National Park. Can anyone give me some guidance or suggestions before I make my final decision? Does anyone know about these specific Marriott hotels? Sorry this is so long-winded!

iamq

I may be wrong, but the last I heard the Renaissance was actually closing in April.

-Bill

scubalinda

Thanks. I didn't know about the Renaissance possibly closing. Even though no one else has replied to this post, I just read a long post about the most over-rated resorts and Maui was mentioned so many times, I think I'll go with the Big Island since I was leaning that way anyway!

DebitNM

I am not familiar with those hotels. I suggest you do a search on here [and on google too for travel reviews]by typing in the name of each hotel in full and see what comes up.

We were in HI just back in Oct and stayed on Ohau, Maui and BI. We really liked BI most. We are into exploring and loved VNP. It was less crowded, something else we liked...other islands can be very busy in certain areas.

Here is a link to some trip reports I did:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34899956

and some pictures:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...4&tid=34891295

Hope this helps...
Debi

Lex1

Er, Maui is not a resort, though it has some magnificent ones. Wailea can be idyllic, though it is not isolated.
Maui is often named in travel surveys as the best island destination in the world.

I'm not a huge fan of the BI (though more so than Captain James Cook), but acknowledge that it has its attractions (feral donkeys and a green sand beach come to mind). It has far fewer scenic beaches than Maui, and many on the BI at the resorts are man enhanced/made. The BI looks to me as though it's mile after mile of broken asphalt. We enjoyed Volcanos Nat'l Park, though I cannot imagine what anyone would do there more than 1 day and night.

In any event, you have an enviable decision.

girlonthego

We just stayed next door to the Marriott, at the Hilton last spring. The Marriott was under major construction and will probably look very nice when complete. The grounds were smaller than the mega hilton next door.
We went to the marriott's luau and that was fun.
I haven't been to Maui in 14 years so I can't give a recent analysis.
I would say that the Big Island is more unique. When we got off the plane and started to drive north to the Hilton, it is all black lava rocks for miles. Very weird looking place. The snorkeling was the best I ever saw (we are novices). My kids loved swimming with turtles.
To me, Maui was a beautiful resort area.It is a great place to go relax, but nothing unique. (My opinion). Big Island was strange looking and had different climates throughout the island. Very Hawaii looking to me.

girlonthego

You can also split your time between two islands with 10 days. (just a thought)

trippinkpj

I also went to the Waikoloa Marriott Luau a few years ago, and we were staying in the Waikoloa resort area in a Condo. Also we dined at the Marriott a couple of times, and it was very good. I personally didn't care for the Waikoloa resort area that much, although did like Kona which is only a 1/2 hour (I think) away. The snorkeling was great there also. My personal preference is Maui, but for you I'd go for the BI.

wtm003

We stayed at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott two years ago (before renovations) and really enjoyed our stay. I was worried because I had read mixed reviews but I didn't experience any problems. It is much smaller and quieter compared to the Hilton next door. I loved this aspect, although my kids would have preferred the fabulous pools at the Hilton next door. I choose the Marriott because it is on a beach. It was a short walk from our room to A-bay where we were able to do some snorkeling.

I have also stayed at the Renaissance Wailea. It is a great place to stay. Unfortunately, I have also heard it is closing. It does seem the closing date keeps getting pushed back, so I would call the hotel for more information.

I don't think you can go wrong with either island. My personal preference leans toward the BI. We spent 10 days on the BI and we didn't get to do everything we had planned. The BI is so diverse with rainforests on one side and a black lava rock desert on the other. I actually found the miles of black lava rock to be very interesting and beautiful.

Good luck on your decision!

ChristieP

Linda, if you plan to see VNP, especially with kids, you will do well to stay in or near Volcano for at least one night. The drive from Waikoloa to VNP is 2-4 hours each way depending on traffic. Add this to a fuil day of hiking, and you'll have a very long day. I highly recommend going to VNP as it is about the best geology lesson your kids will ever get!

Lex, if all you saw on the BI was lava rocks, you missed 3/4 of the island! The side near Hilo is gorgeous rain forests and the area areound the Parker Ranch is beautiful rolling hills and grassland. The climatic diversity on the BI is unrivaled anywhere else in the world!

scubalinda

ChristieP - I was definitely thinking about staying near Volcano National Park for our time there because I had read it was a couple of hours away. Do you have any specific recommendations for places to stay? How long should we plan to spend there? I was thinking one night, maybe 2 if needed. What do you think?

Lex1

ChristieP:

I saw both Parker Ranch and Hilo-tasted my first and last poi in Hilo. Circumnavigated the island and did not care for it, much. To each his own. Mine's not the Big Island.

scubalinda

Lex1 - I take it you prefer Maui. (which I know is not a resort! It just got mentioned in general many times on the posting about most over-rated resorts.) Never having been to either Maui or BI myself, help educate me -- why do you prefer Maui? My concern is that it may be more crowded and commercialized than BI, although I'm sure there are plenty of parts of it that aren't. If my choices are limited to the Marriotts (Wailea Beach area on Maui and Waikoloa on BI), do you still prefer Maui? ALso, if I split the time between the two islands, am I going to be seeing a lot of redundant things?

Samsaf

Hi, Scubalinda. My husband and I returned last month from spending 10 nights on the Big Island. Click on my name to find my report.

We've been to Maui, Kauai, Oahu and the Big Island. We love all of them, but we loved the Big Island so much this past month! We spent 3 nights near Kona, 2 nights near Volcano, then 5 nights in Kohala area.

I definitely think you should spend 2 nights near Volcano if you decide to go to the Big Island. We drove the southern route to the Volcano area (stopping at beaches, southern point along the way). The next morning, we visited the volcano, hiked, saw lots of sites, then drove to Hilo for the afternoon. We came back to VNP around 4 p.m., drove Chain of Craters road, and hiked on the lava. We stayed there until after dark and saw lava flowing in the ocean, and then we hiked back in the dark. It was so awesome!

Let me know if there's any way I can help you. We've taken our 3 kids sto Hawaii twice, and it's one of their favorite places.

ChristieP

I loved the Big Island. I'm a cowgirl at heart, so the whole Parker Ranch scene was great for me. I've also always loved science, so the VNP was fascinating.

Linda, we stayed at the Country Goose. Since your family has 4 members, I'd recommend renting one of their cottages. www.countrygoose.com If you only do 1 night, CG is about the only place you can stay. Personally, 2 nights would be better.

scubalinda

Thanks to everyone for all the great information and advice! I am pretty sure we're going to choose the Big Island. Does anybody have any MUST SEE recommendations that we don't want to miss out on for sure? Thanks again for all your responses!

girlonthego

There is a beach in Kona area that is called Turtle Beach. It is a public beach and has so many colored fish and giant turtles swimming around! Take a snorkel cruise out to Captain Cooks monument. Go boogie boarding at Hapuna Beach which is close to the Marriott(about ten minutes north). See the waterfalls and explore!!!
We did not get a chance to horseback ride in Waipo Valley, but I hear it is wonderful.

KendraM

We stayed at the Wailea Marriott earlier this year (May 2006). Our room had just been renovated, and it was very nice. The public areas were messy, but the property will be very nice when completed.(Try to get a day pass for the pool at the Grand Wailea next door.)

We've never stayed at the Marriott in Waikoloa, but have stayed in Waikoloa Village. It's a beautiful area.

As far as which island... it's kind of a personal experience/choice thing. We prefer the big island over Maui. It's a very diverse island, so if you are into island exploration, there's a lot more to do and see.

Of course, each island had the standards: waterfalls, ocean activities and great restaurants.

Don't get me wrong, Maui is beautiful. But it's the most expensive of the islands, and (to us) the culture seems more like California than Hawaii.

SMM

My vote is the Big Island. There is so much to do besides sitting on the beautiful white sand beaches. Must sees include:
1.Black sand beaches
2.Standing on the top of Mauna Kea at sunset
3.Helicopter ride over the active volcano and rainforest
4.Spelling out a message along the highway
5.Walking out on the hardened lava at VNP
6.Driving completely around the island
7.Snorkling in pristine waters with sea turtles beside you