My SFX exchange experience

[camachinist Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close camachinist]

As promised, I will chronicle our most current exchange experience with SFX. I tried unsuccessfully to use our bonus week (now expired) and am now working with the main deposited week, which was a "gift of time" 2BR interval from Christmas of 2006 at the Marriott in Las Vegas.

Background: We are planning a multi-week vacation in Hawaii for Thanksgiving 2008, utilizing exchanges through II and SFX with appropriate hotel stays thrown in to cover any gaps. Total stay to be no more than 3 weeks with Thanksgiving in the middle.

Timeline: I am currently a SFX Platinum member but my membership will run out in 2008, I think in August. The only option to renew that I currently know of is 3 years, so I have opted not to renew at this time.

I am requesting the week after Thanksgiving 2008 in Hawaii, with preference to Waiohai and Lawaii Beach Club <on edit, actually The Point at Poipu>, but will consider any comparable resort in the islands. Due to the timing of the request, I had to request it as a Gold member, since my membership will be expired by the time of the request. I made the request according to the parameters of gold membership, which is a year in advance.

After requesting, upon which the confirmation made the appropriate notations of holiday and Hawaii being difficult trades, I received three phone messages over the next month to call SFX regarding my exchange (no specifics in the mesage). As we were traveling and I had no sound method of researching anything they offered, and assumed I would be automatically confirmed into the requested resorts, I did not return their calls.

I received a call yesterday and did speak with an agent, who offered the Wyndham Mauna Loa Village by the Sea, in a 2BR unit. Info below:

Wyndham Mauna Loa Village (Kailua-Kona, Island of Hawaii) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor

I have not been to the big island and am interested, but upon first glance, a RCI silver crown resort doesn't appear to be a comparable exchange for a relatively powerful trader like Christmas week at the Marriott in Vegas. I sent the information along to my wife (who is away from home right now), who remarked:
"It sure doesn't seem an even trade for what we gave them...i'm underimpressed"

I told the agent that I would check with my wife and call her back, which I will do. I also talked briefly about other areas in Hawaii we were interested in, mentioning specifically the FF Beachwalk property in Honolulu. I got the impression that Hawaii pickings were pretty slim, based on her responses.

Questions:
Any experience with the property offered?

Is my assessment of the proposed exchange erroneous and, if so, why?

My understanding is that RCI recently downgraded the offered property from gold to silver in their exchange system. Should that have any bearing on my perception, as I have no experience with RCI?

In closing, I have read many annecdotes about exchanges with/through SFX and wish to add one of my own. It's a beginning

Pat

[Pat H Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pat H]

Stayed at Mauna Loa a few years ago. Units are very spacious but not on a luxury par with Marriott. Location is so-so. Not near the beach and you can't see the water. I don't think it's an even exchange for the unit you deposited.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Stayed at Mauna Loa a few years ago. Units are very spacious but not on a luxury par with Marriott. Location is so-so. Not near the beach and you can't see the water. I don't think it's an even exchange for the unit you deposited.

Pat - there is a big difference between the units a few years ago, and today. It is my understanding the units have been completely refurbished and I believe may be rated "Gold Crown". It may well be, these would be different to what you stayed in.

What is interesting is, the link in the previous thread shows a completely different set of photos from this one at Hotels.com (click the photo gallery) which show the "current' refurbished units. I wonder how old the other photos are?

I don't believe there are any high quality resorts on the beach or on the ocean on the Big Island of Hawaii. About 98% of the coastline is "Lava-rock". All the quality timshare resorts are built quite a way back from the ocean front. (Bay Club, Kona Hawaiian Resort, Kona Coast Resort and Mauna Loa Village). These are the best timeshare resorts on the Big Island.

Hope this helps...

Thank you,

[Pat H Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pat H]

Pat - there is a big difference between the units a few years ago, and today. It is my understanding the units have been completely refurbished and I believe may be rated "Gold Crown". It may well be, these would be different to what you stayed in.

What is interesting is, the link in the previous thread shows a completely different set of photos from this one at Hotels.com (click the photo gallery) which show the "current' refurbished units. I wonder how old the other photos are?

I don't believe there are any high quality resorts on the beach or on the ocean on the Big Island of Hawaii. About 98% of the coastline is "Lava-rock". All the quality timshare resorts are built quite a way back from the ocean front. (Bay Club, Kona Hawaiian Resort, Kona Coast Resort and Mauna Loa Village). These are the best timeshare resorts on the Big Island.

Hope this helps...

Thank you,

It was Gold Crown when we stayed there. The photos on both sites are the same. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there but it is not a "resort". There are small pools every building or 2. I much prefer the Kona Hawaiian Village both for it's location and the units. Even refurbished it's still not on a par with Marriott.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Pat - there is a big difference between the units a few years ago, and today. It is my understanding the units have been completely refurbished and I believe may be rated "Gold Crown". It may well be, these would be different to what you stayed in.

What is interesting is, the link in the previous thread shows a completely different set of photos from this one at Hotels.com. which show the "current' refurbished units. I wonder how old the other photos are?

I don't believe there are any high quality resorts on the beach or on the ocean on the Big Island of Hawaii. About 98% of the coastline is "Lava-rock". All the quality timshare resorts are built quite a way back from the ocean front. (Bay Club, Kona Hawaiian Resort, Kona Coast Resort and Mauna Loa Village). These are the best timeshare resorts on the Big Island.

Hope this helps...

Thank you,

I can't comment on the quality of the resort as I'm not familiar with it, but Mark is right about the Big Island resorts not being "on the beach." The best beaches on the island are public and don't have resorts on (or in some cases even near) them. My first exchange through SFX was to Kona Hawaiian Resort, and I was similarly skeptical but ended up so happy I bought a week there. You could easily drive to a different beach every day, and we were on the go much of the time.

But since the resorts you initially named are on Kauai, if you want a more 'on the beach' resort experience, you may want to stick to an island other than the Big Island. But even on Kauai or another island, I would recommend you plan to leave the resort and explore other beaches and attractions, there is so much to do in Hawaii. Even when we stayed at the Marriott Kauai Beach Club, we only used the beach there one day.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

It was Gold Crown when we stayed there. The photos on both sites are the same. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there but it is not a "resort". There are small pools every building or 2. I much prefer the Kona Hawaiian Village both for it's location and the units. Even refurbished it's still not on a par with Marriott.

It's really apples and oranges. If you are comparing it to the grandiose style of a mega-Marriott resort, there are no such resorts that exist like that in the Kailua-Kona area. These are much smaller properties as required by code, and although the refurbished units could be considered no better or worse than Marriott, without question these smaller properties do not offer the mega-resort experience with huge spread of land and amenities.... especially in the "Hawaiian Islands".

Properties like this at one time were built as whole ownership units in a condo association. After time, a large number of them were purchased by timeshare developers. So you have more of a vacation second home experience instead of a "big" hotel brand extravaganza. Two completely different experiences.

The photos in the original post (Trip Advisor) are completely different to the latest ones as posted in Hotels.com. The tripadvisor photo's are not representative of refurbishment as in Hotels.com.

[camachinist Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close camachinist]

I'll advise TUG that RCI has re-rated Village by the Sea to Gold Crown again; evidently, it had been Gold Crown and was de-rated in advance of refurbishment.

.: RCI :.
As I outlined in my OP, I'm chronicling the process and am seeking input. We're targeting Waiohai with our Marriott II deposit but I left the island essentially wide open for our Marriott SFX deposit. I'll pitch the property offered to our friends at dinner this weekend and see what they say about location, etc (they'll be joining us). I'm in no hurry. The right thing will come along.

Well, off to take wife to airport; girls weekend in Vegas

Pat

[catwgirl Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close catwgirl]

I was just at that resort in November. The Wyndham units have not been refurbished. In fact the bathroom vanity in our unit was falling apart and in dire need of replacement. The rest of the unit was fine.

The pictures on the hotel.com site are not of the Wyndham units at Mauna Loa Village. Part of that resort is owned by Shell Vacations Club and is called Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village. Those are the brightly colored refurbished units in the pictures on the hotels.com website.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Part of that resort is owned by Shell Vacations Club and is called Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village. Those are the brightly colored refurbished units in the pictures on the hotels.com website.

I stayed at this part 4 years ago, Unit was Huge! very well decorated. We had to change 1 unit because of a bug infestation.

[camachinist Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close camachinist]

I was just at that resort in November. The Wyndham units have not been refurbished. In fact the bathroom vanity in our unit was falling apart and in dire need of replacement. The rest of the unit was fine.

The pictures on the hotel.com site are not of the Wyndham units at Mauna Loa Village. Part of that resort is owned by Shell Vacations Club and is called Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village. Those are the brightly colored refurbished units in the pictures on the hotels.com website.

I had read reviews talking about the difference between the two parts of the property, but, not ever having been to the Big Island, I'm pretty clueless from practical experience. Poipu, I could tell you about LOL. Hence my questions. I didn't want to dismiss it out of hand but do want a comparable exchange (mainly quality accomodations and professional staff). I don't need to be on a beach (Waiohai will handle that for us on our other weeks), so that leaves a pretty wide open opportunity. I wish could be more date flexible, but the exchange is driven by my wife's salon schedule and our friend's vacation time. Me, I can go anytime anywhere.

I know plenty of members here and on TUG have received excellent exchanges through SFX, and that's one reason we deposited our Marriott with them. I'll see it through, right here

Pat

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Pat, we used to own at this resort. The two bedroom units are very spacious and comfortable. The condo is bigger than the condos at your own resort. We liked the area because it wasn't as touristy as some other areas in Kona and it is adjacent to a golf course too so nice and green. I don't remember about the staff as we stay out of their way unless it is necessary.

The grounds were very attractive in Japanese style but that may have changed by now. It was very close to a little harbor where we took boat trips from but we never saw the little beach that wasn't far away supposedly. The resort doesn't have the nice pools like you have at your own resort. I don't know if any units have ocean view? We never had that view.

The main reason we sold it was that it was too far from the beach. We like to step on the sand and walk the beach right from our unit and we want an unobstructed ocean view too or we may as well stay home unless there is a lot of sight-seeing to do and there is plenty to see on the Big Island. You will be too busy for lounging around at the resort until you have been many times and seen it all.

[camachinist Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close camachinist]

Hi Emmy,

Thanks for taking the time to share that. Can you give me a timeframe as to when you last visited? I saw some pretty brutal reviews from 2005-2006 but they are more mixed to positive now. My wife is used to Marriott resorts and she is much more critical of little things like the prior poster noted (broken furniture and bugs) than I am. Marriages are a fragile thing you know

Take care!

Pat

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I have stayed at Mauna Loa Village (Wyndham) twice - most recently August of 2007 (last summer)

While we enjoy the facility, it most definitely needs some significant refurbishment and is considerably below the quality level I would expect of Marriott property.

The unit we were in was greatly in need of some work - more than cosmetic. The refrigerator clearly had been moved in used, and in it's previous home it had been in a space too small. The entire side of the refrigerator was mottled, with rust stains and surface damage in others. It clearly had been stood for some time touching a wall and had adhered to the wall, then was jimmied free. This was not something that you had to look to see - half that side of the refrigerator was open above the kitchen counter. When the refrigerator was installed, whoever installed obviously had decided the refrigerator was "good enough". Oh - and the ice diispenser on the door didn't work.

The furniture was in the l.r. was showing significant wear. It wasn't quality stuff to start with, and was now nearing it's end. The carpeting was getting threadbare in places.

In the bathroom water the vanity was made of pretty cheap stuff - simple vinyl over particle board, and the particle board was not covered on the bottom face. Naturally, a bathroom sink vanity is going to get wet and water is going to drain down the front and drip to the floor from the bottom of the panel. Of course, as it drips, the water will curl over the bottom of the vanity face panels and thus gain access to underside of the panel. Did I mention the underside of the panel is exposed particle board?? When particle board gets wet it swells and loses strength. So the particle board is now swelling at the bottom and the cheap vinyl covering is starting to separate from the now expanding particle board. Totally the result of selecting inferior product that last time the vanity was installed.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

If you do end up at this resort IMO the best sunset view is at the back end of the resort. walk all the way to the back and you will see a small path that takes you to to the top of the cliff on the golf coarse. It is the best sunset view on the island.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

If you do end up at this resort IMO the best sunset view is at the back end of the resort. walk all the way to the back and you will see a small path that takes you to to the top of the cliff on the golf coarse. It is the best sunset view on the island.

You mean this spot?





*****

It's a nice spot, but 'Anaeho'omalu Beach is the most scenic place I've found to get sunset photos on the BI. You get the fish pond in front of the palm trees, with the sun setting behind: