Hawaii advice needed

[willettj Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close willettj]

I am planning way ahead for a possible 2010 trip to Hawaii. Almost tried to schedule it for Spring Break '09 but couldn't make it work. Our 20th anniversary is actually in 2011 but I don't think we can wait that long. Anyway I am a Bluegreen owner and our only club option is Pono Kai, or the Select Connections with Shell. I "think" I want to go to Honolulu first and get all the tourist stuff out of the way, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki etc. However I hear that Kauai is the most beautiful of the Islands, and I know people that have only been to Maui and raved about it. I am pretty sure we cant afford to Island hop and besides that I would think that would be a scheduling nightmare and almost impossible to do with timeshare in a 7-10 day window.

So what I know we want is an upscale beachside resort, with a very nice pool area, that is very close to nice dining options and nightlife. For day trips and excursions to things to see and do we would not mind a drive (or ferry).

So what I need to know is should I use my Select Connections to get into the Ilikai and just mooch off the Hilton ammenities next door? Deposit into RCI or II and hope for the best? (Yes, I can get into II with Bluegreen but still investigating what type of trading power I would actually have.) Or it was suggested that I just look for a direct trade with someone in these forums. The later seems a bit risky to me, but only because I haven't really investigated how that would work and how you would protect yourself.

I guess I should end this novel of a post and hope that someone or many of you can lead me in the right direction.

Thanks,

Joe

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

I am planning way ahead for a possible 2010 trip to Hawaii. Almost tried to schedule it for Spring Break '09 but couldn't make it work. Our 20th anniversary is actually in 2011 but I don't think we can wait that long. Anyway I am a Bluegreen owner and our only club option is Pono Kai, or the Select Connections with Shell. I "think" I want to go to Honolulu first and get all the tourist stuff out of the way, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki etc. However I hear that Kauai is the most beautiful of the Islands, and I know people that have only been to Maui and raved about it. I am pretty sure we cant afford to Island hop and besides that I would think that would be a scheduling nightmare and almost impossible to do with timeshare in a 7-10 day window.

So what I know we want is an upscale beachside resort, with a very nice pool area, that is very close to nice dining options and nightlife. For day trips and excursions to things to see and do we would not mind a drive (or ferry).

So what I need to know is should I use my Select Connections to get into the Ilikai and just mooch off the Hilton ammenities next door? Deposit into RCI or II and hope for the best? (Yes, I can get into II with Bluegreen but still investigating what type of trading power I would actually have.) Or it was suggested that I just look for a direct trade with someone in these forums. The later seems a bit risky to me, but only because I haven't really investigated how that would work and how you would protect yourself.

I guess I should end this novel of a post and hope that someone or many of you can lead me in the right direction.

Thanks,

Joe

Your upscale beach resort near dining options and nightlife limits your choices when it comes to Hawaii. I am no expert but we've been to Kauai, Maui and the Big Island. Here is what I know:

Kauai:

There are beach resorts in Poipu, Lihue, Kapaa and Princeville. If near means walkable, Kapaa is the only choice. If a short drive is ok, Princeville is the more upscale side of the Island but they all have dining options close by. As far as nightlife goes, be prepared to party in your unit.

Maui:

Kaanapali has a couple of nice beach resorts. Not sure about Lahaina, Kihei and Waimea. We've only been to Maui once but we will go back in February to stay in Kihei. If there is nightlife, it is in Lahaina which is right next to Kaanapali.

Oahu:

Our first trip there will be in October. The HGVC resorts and the new Wyndham would seem to match what you need. I got an HGVC Lagoon tower unit from RCI by watching the Exchange Ops that are posted here every day. You'll be able to see those after you accumulate a couple dozen more posts. HGVC and Wyndham have web sites that will make you drool over these places.

Big Island:

It's not on your list but here is what I know. Forget beach resorts here but there are small beaches all over the place. The nightlife would be in Kona with Kona Hawaiian Village being the closest nice resort. There are plenty of dining options in Kona, too. In Waikoloa, the beach is close by and there is a large upscale outdoor mall with dining options called the Kings Shoppes and they were opening the Queens Shoppes (or something like that) soon when we were there in March, 2007.

I'm sure some of our Hawaii experts will be along soon to help more....

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

I am a Hawaii expert and a Bluegreen owner. In addition, I happen to be a big owner in WorldMark and Wyndham. If you want to do a direct exchange, I am willing to help you with that.

Here would be my recommendation. First, determine the exact dates you want to go including arrival and departure dates. You can get better airfares if you don't travel on weekends. I personally like to fly in and out of Hawaii on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

Second, if your arrival isnt' on a weekend, then book a hotel that you can cancel for the first couple of days. Then, book a week at Pono Kai or any other resort that you can cancel later if you find something better.

Third, wait until Flexchange period in II or last calls for RCI and watch all the independents like a hawk. You will have an excellent chance to upgrade your accommodations at a much nicer resort. And, replace your hotel stay with either the ilikai in Waikiki through Select Connections or bonus time at Pono Kai with a flex week owner where bonus time is much more readily available (like me).

Fourth, book your interisland flights last based on where you get your ultimate accomodations.

I am so confident that I will get something good in Hawaii whenever I want, I don't even do the middle stuff anymore. I just plan my trips and wait for the right exchange to happen.

Vacationing by roulette wheel makes timesharing exciting.

[willettj Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close willettj]

Thanks Jim,

Since you are a Hawaii expert, can you offer some advice on what time of year to visit? I assume the weather stays close to the same all year but I have no idea. Best time to go with kids, without kids? I have the usual dates available with or without the kids, Spring Break around easter, the summer season, Thanksgiving timeframe, or between Christmas and New years.

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

Jim nailed it. Hawaii for the foreseeable future is extremely easy, We always book on the basis of airfare, we will get our units later.

Sean

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

The first time we went, years ago, we did 3 days Oahu and 7 days Kauai. We truly enjoyed our trip. I will advise you make it for 2 weeks though. Travel from the east coast is arduous.

We return for a week Maui a week BI next summer.

There are tremendous exchanges available in the short term window with RCI roulette as Jim and others have mentioned.

I booked my weeks through Trading Places and am very happy with what I was offered.

Tix were booked frequent flyer miles. Airfare is very scarey.

[Amanda Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Amanda]

I agree with Lawren, it's best to take 2 weeks (or as many days as possible) when flying to Hawaii from the east coast.. its a Loooong trip.

My husband and I went to Hawaii for our honeymoon this past November. We stayed at a hotel on Kauai for 5 nights, then a week at the new Wyndham in Waikiki, then a week at the Ka'anapali Beach Resort in Maui.

I would suggest staying in Oahu either when you get to Hawaii or before you leave (unlike we did) as it makes for one less hour of flying on the day you do the long flight to/from Hawaii.

We LOVED Oahu and the Wyndham - it is in walking distance of lots of restaurants, nightlife, shopping, the beach, etc. But keep in mind, it's a city hotel - it does not have great views (its a block away from the beach) nor a pool to really speak about. However, you can rent a car easily and drive to Kailua beach, Sandy Beach, Waimea bay, etc. - beautiful serene beaches during the day, and have your selection of places to walk to for dinner / entertainment at night.

Between the 3 islands, we liked Oahu best, Kauai second and Maui third.

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

I agree with Lawren, it's best to take 2 weeks (or as many days as possible) when flying to Hawaii from the east coast.. its a Loooong trip.

We fly from the west coast, and we rather quickly decided that with the length of the flight it was best to take at least two weeks.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

We fly from the west coast, and we rather quickly decided that with the length of the flight it was best to take at least two weeks.

Wimps.

All I remember from our flight out is that it was the longest Wednesday of my life.

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

Wimps.

We Neanderthals have survived millenniums of Homo sapiens repression by knowing when to pick our battles.

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

There is no direct correlation between the length of the flight and the amount of time you need to spend in Hawaii.

[willettj Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close willettj]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I just used my RCI deposit to go to Big Cedar in June, so I need to make another deposit and keep my eye on Hawaii. I had been checking every other day or so and NOTHING was coming up for Hawaii at all..except maybe Pono Kai. Then I paid the fee and let the ongoing search run for awhile.. still NO Hawaii, and then I got restless and booked Big Cedar.

I had even called RCI, and they said I had good trading power, there was just no inventory...

Was I just to impatient??

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

Was I just to impatient??

What dates were you searching for?

[willettj Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close willettj]

What dates were you searching for?

Second week in April and anything June - Aug 2009

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

I got 8 resorts but I don't know that any meet your criteria. I'll Pm the list to you.