bethjb1

Trying to decide which Marriott to try to book using points. Any recommendations for Marriotts on either Kauai or maui? and which island should we visit 1st? Does it matter from ease of geting to and from airports?

annk

In Mauai we used Marriott points for the Ritz in Kapalua. The grounds and hotel were gorgeous! The Banyon Tree restaurant on site was excellent but pricey. But you can always find dining elsewhere. I'd highly recommend staying at this hotel.

dawnmre

We have used Marriott points and stayed at both the Kauai and Maui resorts. Each island is quite different. The airport situation for each is about the same, but the island of Maui has alot more activity and tourism than Kauai does. If you are looking for relaxation, Kauai is definitely the place to go. If you are looking for action, Maui is the place to go. The resorts are both exceptional. Golf is good on either island, but alittle better on Kauai. It is very expensive on either though, so be aware of that prior to getting to the courses. Dining out is great at either, but there is little or nightlife in Kauai. Very romantic atmosphere though, where Maui has a very 'family feel'.

bethjb1

We are planning to visit both Maui an Kauai so we can have a variety of activity. At this point there seems to be more Marriott properties on Maui to choose from so I am leaning towards using points there and finidng a non Marriott property to stay at in Kauai. If you had to pick from the Marriott properties would you choose Marriott or either of the two Rennaisance properties?

bethjb1

The Marriott propeties are: Kapalua Bay Renaissance, Wailea Marriot Resort, Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort

Thanks for your help....I'll have to see if we would even have enough points to stay at the Ritz...I assume it would be more than the Marriott?

dolciani

Beth,
We've stayed at the Kauai Marriott and the Maui Ocean Club. Both have lavish pools and are walkable to Dukes (my favorite restaurant for Mai Tais and good food). The Maui Marriott will be hard to get for points but the Kauai is usually available. The Kauai is nearby to the Lihue airport and provides a shuttle back and forth. The Maui is further from the airport. If you play golf, the Kauai also provides a shuttle to the nearby Kauai Lagoons course - which is breathtaking. Keep in mind that you get a discount for staying in a hotel that is located in the vicinity of the golf courses. We are going this summer (w/ points)and staying 1st at the Kapalua Bay and then at the Renaissance Wailea so that we get discounts at golf in both areas. We are also returning to the Kauai Marriot (timeshare trade) b/c we liked it so much. Good luck in your planning

ORD2LIH

A few thoughts to consider:

On Maui - The Maui Marriott is NO longer a hotel - it is all vacation club. It is still possible to use points but VERY difficult to get into.

Marriott sold the Renaissance in Wailea to Starwood, who is planning on converting it to a W. It no longer takes Marriott reservations. The Outrigger, a Marriott flag, is undergoing MAJOR construction beginning in either April or July and will last well over a year.

Marriott recently purchased the Kapulua Bay Hotel from Starwood and re-flagged it a Renaissance. Last week, it announced it plans to raze the entire property and replace it with condos and timeshares.

On Kauai, there is the vacation club in Poipu to consider, the Kauai Marriott and now a Courtyard in Kapa'a.

Happy hunting.

Mary2Go

I have used points to stay at the Marriott Waiohai in Kaui and the Maui Marriott Resort. We liked both places for different reasons. The Waiohai is brand new on on Poipu Beach which was gorgeous. The rooms are "Villas" so it was really nice to have the option of eating there. The Marriott on Maui had no beach when we were there in Sep 04, but we had a blast playing in the pool, going down the water slide. I would have been dissapointed by the lack of beach if it were not for us only being there for two nights then going to the Fairmont. We decided that as great as Maui was we would rather go back to Kauai because it was a more laid back lush tropical island. Marriott called me a few months ago and offered me a great deal for 6 days and 5 nights at the Waiohai if we would attend a timeshare presentation. Included a 2 bedroom villa and a car for $750.00!! I normally balk at any kind of timeshare presentation deal but the price was too good to pass up especially since we can use it anytime for 15 months.

Chico

We just returned from Maui and split our trip between the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua and the Wailea Marriott. I would definitely use my points at the Ritz Carlton. This is a wonderful resort and beautiful area. We were very disappointed with the Wailea Marriott and we had a deluxe ocean front room. The rooms, especially the bathrooms are very dated.

weimer

I agree with Annk's comments. I also used my Marriott points to stay the Ritz in Kapalua. It does cost more points to get the Ritz but it's worth it.

As for transportation from the airport, plan to rent a car.

sk84fungirl

Not sure when the change is expected...

HOWEVER, I booked a stay with Renaissance Wailea using Marriott Reward points for mid-April a couple of weeks ago. Not sure about when the cutoff date is or was.

bethjb1

We ended up booking using points at the Kapalua Bay Renaissance Resort. This got the best reviews. The Wailea Marriott is now under construction.

sk84fungirl

bethjb1,

Just got off the phone with a Marriott reservation agent. They will be accepting reservations using reward points until September at the Renaissance Wailea.

Good luck.

bethjb1

If you had your choice between staying in Kapalua Bay are or Wailea which are would folks choose and why? I got the impression from prior posts that the Kapalua are is preferred