North building vs Existing building

I am interested in purchasing a 2 bedroom, ocean view villa in the North building. I am just waiting for more resale listings to become available. Anyone recommend waiting for the north building listings or find some bargins in the existing building. THANKS!

We own an existing in the older building and when we saw the new units, the kitchen was smaller and the dining configuration did appear to seat as many people. You might want to check out the floor plans for the older building vs the new.

Yes, there is one resale that just came up--you might be interested for Westin Kaanapali villas North. Pls. go to their resale section. thank you.

mildredf2 wrote:

Yes, there is one resale that just came up--you might be interested for Westin Kaanapali villas North. Pls. go to their resale section. thank you.

Thanks!

I am an owner in the new North property but I am staying in the existing buildings next week. I tell you my honest assessment when I get back.

We stayed at the original villas last May with 2 couples who are also owners. We bought into the North building ( that is what they were selling at the time) and our friends bought and or traded one of their units for the North building. The new North building seems to have more "stuff", pools, restaurants, etc. but I agree that the rooms may not be as spacious and the dining area doesn't seat as many people so isn't as good for a group. I think both have their advantages, it just depends on what is most important to you. The one thing we liked, since we aren't into listening to other peoples kids while we're trying to relax on vacation is that the North resort has a kids pool on the side of the resort and away from the main pool area.

staciem9 wrote:

We stayed at the original villas last May with 2 couples who are also owners. We bought into the North building ( that is what they were selling at the time) and our friends bought and or traded one of their units for the North building. The new North building seems to have more "stuff", pools, restaurants, etc. but I agree that the rooms may not be as spacious and the dining area doesn't seat as many people so isn't as good for a group. I think both have their advantages, it just depends on what is most important to you. The one thing we liked, since we aren't into listening to other peoples kids while we're trying to relax on vacation is that the North resort has a kids pool on the side of the resort and away from the main pool area.

I stayed last week at the existing property. We really enjoyed ourselves and the snorkeling was great! Ironically, we are looking forward to staying at the North Property because of the new kids pool. . . but for different reasons. You see, I have two toddlers and while the kiddie pool was nice, it was a little bland. The North property will not only have a kids pool but in the kids pool will be a Pirate ship with slides and water cannons. Moreover, there will be a whole building dedicated to kids right next to the pool. In the existing property, the kids club is only for 5 and older. Whereas I am of the understanding the new kids building will offer things to do for the toddler to 5 range that parents can come in and do with them. I can't comment on the units themselves as Westin didn't allow any tours of the new property. From what I could see the site is still very much under construction and they are working hard to get it done by July - so "hard hat" only type folks on site. However, they did mention the North units will have larger Flat Screen TVs.

North building vs Existing building depends on the Villa view type. In my opinion, if you are interested in Ocean Front or Deluxe Ocean Front -- the Exisiting building wins hands down. Note the Existing building footprint which is parallel to the Ocean vs. the angled footprint of the North building. Westin did not design the Existing buildings, they purchased them from the origional developer and built to those specs. The North building is all Westin in design. I am told there were new building codes which prohibited Starwood from building the North building as close to the ocean as the Existing building. The jury is out on if Island View is better at the North or better at the Existing building? Let's face it -- what matters is that both the North and Existing buildings are in paradise!

We were in the South property last week and purchased the North while we were there. The square footage for the South is a bit more than the north (around 200 sq ft). I do agree that the south building has a better ocean front location, but the North has more OF units. I think the new building design and resort layout with 3 pools offers more variety. Keep in mind, owning the north still allows you to stay at the south facility. Best of both worlds, and as mentioned before, it is Maui.

I am an owner at both the existing and the North. I haven't stayed at the North yet. But my feeling is how can it get any better I truly enjoyed the stay. But what I know is that there are more pools. As for the villa itself the small side will now have a balcony. At the existing villas only the larger villa had a balcony. They will have flat screens too. The floor plan is smaller and each villa will have their own seperate entrance. At the exisiting you share a small foyer area for a double lockoff. If you only rent one side you are sharing. Sorry if confused. The existing area is wonderful too. But when you build you do learn what to improve. There wasn't much to improve.

North Upgrades: All studio villas have private lanais with chairs, full size refridgerators, Bose CD player instead of just a radio, LG plasma tv. The overall 2 bd sq footage is 154 smaller but with a better design (no shared foyer, pocket doors, breakfast bar with stools) and a much nicer decor (still Westin design but with a Hawaiian feel), and the views are outstanding from almost all the villas, i.e. no carpark views and most of the villas are angled to face the ocean more directly, even most of the Island views are better than Ocean Views at the South resort. The resort amenities are better with 2 restaurants, 3 pools, Heavenly Spa and fitness etc. but these are available to owners at both resorts. And again, it's Ka'anapali Beach in Maui - what more can you ask for.

I bought into the north buildings and what a mistake. The south building is a much better property. When you arrive at the South property (older Property) you can look out from the lobby to the ocean and sit by the pool and see the Ocaen on one side and the mountains on the other. On the North property your staring at a building from the lobby. They also put units above the lobby/arrival area and you cant see any mountains from the pool. The pool is way to small and once they open up 100% I dont know how everyone is going to be able to sit around the pool. The BBQ's are not along the beach like at the older property but at the kids club facing the south property - what a mistake. Also the kids club should have been put on the other side of the property facing the open space. Its now between the north and south property and its going to be loud. They also need a large sliding door in the shipping and recieving area as you pull up to the lobby for the north property because the last thing you see is all the laundry etc that is being collected for both properties upon arrival. They need to hide this, it should be a simple fix. The units are nicer in North but they are smaller. Long term, this is not the property to own. The South is a better property and the new Phase 3 which should start to be built in 2009 has a similar superior plan like the south property, however it will not have lock off units per new County codes. The North property design is flawed and I would not expect such mistakes from Westin. I think they have comprimsied their brand with trying to put so many units on this site. They got greddy and wanted to sell more oceanfront units and I think this really impacted the property in a negative way.

jenniferc190 wrote:

mildredf2 wrote:

Yes, there is one resale that just came up--you might be interested for Westin Kaanapali villas North. Pls. go to their resale section. thank you.

Thanks!

brianl56 wrote:

We were in the South property last week and purchased the North while we were there. The square footage for the South is a bit more than the north (around 200 sq ft). I do agree that the south building has a better ocean front location, but the North has more OF units. I think the new building design and resort layout with 3 pools offers more variety. Keep in mind, owning the north still allows you to stay at the south facility. Best of both worlds, and as mentioned before, it is Maui.

I am confused: we own in the original and we were assured there would not be crossover in rentals between the two. I am curious and concerned as to why you think you can choose which facility to stay in? Thanks.

tom635 wrote:

I bought into the north buildings and what a mistake. The south building is a much better property. When you arrive at the South property (older Property) you can look out from the lobby to the ocean and sit by the pool and see the Ocaen on one side and the mountains on the other. On the North property your staring at a building from the lobby. They also put units above the lobby/arrival area and you cant see any mountains from the pool. The pool is way to small and once they open up 100% I dont know how everyone is going to be able to sit around the pool. The BBQ's are not along the beach like at the older property but at the kids club facing the south property - what a mistake. Also the kids club should have been put on the other side of the property facing the open space. Its now between the north and south property and its going to be loud. They also need a large sliding door in the shipping and recieving area as you pull up to the lobby for the north property because the last thing you see is all the laundry etc that is being collected for both properties upon arrival. They need to hide this, it should be a simple fix. The units are nicer in North but they are smaller. Long term, this is not the property to own. The South is a better property and the new Phase 3 which should start to be built in 2009 has a similar superior plan like the south property, however it will not have lock off units per new County codes. The North property design is flawed and I would not expect such mistakes from Westin. I think they have comprimsied their brand with trying to put so many units on this site. They got greddy and wanted to sell more oceanfront units and I think this really impacted the property in a negative way.

I gotta agree. We own oceanfront in the south and when we were there two years ago they tried to sell us north. We wanted a second week but having seen what they call "ocean front" over there (and at what price), we refused to buy until they miraculously found us an available unit in the "sold-out" south building. I agree the amenities look good in the north, but some of those ocean front units can be on the ground level behind a lemonade stand (or whatever). Not what I wanted to pay for. If you want ocean front, buy south on resale or wait for Phase 3. If you don't mind what the exact view is, north has its good points for sure and heck it's all Maui.

janets24 wrote:

tom635 wrote:

I bought into the north buildings and what a mistake. The south building is a much better property. When you arrive at the South property (older Property) you can look out from the lobby to the ocean and sit by the pool and see the Ocaen on one side and the mountains on the other. On the North property your staring at a building from the lobby. They also put units above the lobby/arrival area and you cant see any mountains from the pool. The pool is way to small and once they open up 100% I dont know how everyone is going to be able to sit around the pool. The BBQ's are not along the beach like at the older property but at the kids club facing the south property - what a mistake. Also the kids club should have been put on the other side of the property facing the open space. Its now between the north and south property and its going to be loud. They also need a large sliding door in the shipping and recieving area as you pull up to the lobby for the north property because the last thing you see is all the laundry etc that is being collected for both properties upon arrival. They need to hide this, it should be a simple fix. The units are nicer in North but they are smaller. Long term, this is not the property to own. The South is a better property and the new Phase 3 which should start to be built in 2009 has a similar superior plan like the south property, however it will not have lock off units per new County codes. The North property design is flawed and I would not expect such mistakes from Westin. I think they have comprimsied their brand with trying to put so many units on this site. They got greddy and wanted to sell more oceanfront units and I think this really impacted the property in a negative way.

I gotta agree. We own oceanfront in the south and when we were there two years ago they tried to sell us north. We wanted a second week but having seen what they call "ocean front" over there (and at what price), we refused to buy until they miraculously found us an available unit in the "sold-out" south building. I agree the amenities look good in the north, but some of those ocean front units can be on the ground level behind a lemonade stand (or whatever). Not what I wanted to pay for. If you want ocean front, buy south on resale or wait for Phase 3. If you don't mind what the exact view is, north has its good points for sure and heck it's all Maui.

I wouldn't be too quick to say the South is a better property than the North. Wait until it is done in March 2008. In regards to the location of the kids pool, for those of us with kids we are very much looking forward to the kids building and pool.

jonr5 wrote:

janets24 wrote:

tom635 wrote:

I bought into the north buildings and what a mistake. The south building is a much better property. When you arrive at the South property (older Property) you can look out from the lobby to the ocean and sit by the pool and see the Ocaen on one side and the mountains on the other. On the North property your staring at a building from the lobby. They also put units above the lobby/arrival area and you cant see any mountains from the pool. The pool is way to small and once they open up 100% I dont know how everyone is going to be able to sit around the pool. The BBQ's are not along the beach like at the older property but at the kids club facing the south property - what a mistake. Also the kids club should have been put on the other side of the property facing the open space. Its now between the north and south property and its going to be loud. They also need a large sliding door in the shipping and recieving area as you pull up to the lobby for the north property because the last thing you see is all the laundry etc that is being collected for both properties upon arrival. They need to hide this, it should be a simple fix. The units are nicer in North but they are smaller. Long term, this is not the property to own. The South is a better property and the new Phase 3 which should start to be built in 2009 has a similar superior plan like the south property, however it will not have lock off units per new County codes. The North property design is flawed and I would not expect such mistakes from Westin. I think they have comprimsied their brand with trying to put so many units on this site. They got greddy and wanted to sell more oceanfront units and I think this really impacted the property in a negative way.

I gotta agree. We own oceanfront in the south and when we were there two years ago they tried to sell us north. We wanted a second week but having seen what they call "ocean front" over there (and at what price), we refused to buy until they miraculously found us an available unit in the "sold-out" south building. I agree the amenities look good in the north, but some of those ocean front units can be on the ground level behind a lemonade stand (or whatever). Not what I wanted to pay for. If you want ocean front, buy south on resale or wait for Phase 3. If you don't mind what the exact view is, north has its good points for sure and heck it's all Maui.

I wouldn't be too quick to say the South is a better property than the North. Wait until it is done in March 2008. In regards to the location of the kids pool, for those of us with kids we are very much looking forward to the kids building and pool.

I have kids, thats not the issue. All I can say, if I was staying in north or south and was forced to look out over some pirate ship for a week and listen to kids yell and scream for a week that is not a vacation for me. Westin put this in the worse posisble spot they could - you have both wings (north and south) facing this pirate ship with a "ocean view room". What they did was try and upsell as many view rooms but they forgot to tell you that you have to look over some cheap plastic ship to see the Ocean and since its between both buildings that are at least 5 stories high your going to get a lot of noise bouncing back and forth as it resonates up. So as you try and enjoy your drink on your balcony you will hear a lot of kids - not smart planning. I would request a room that is not on that side of the property.

The entire property is lovely. We happen to have an Oceanfront Christmas and New Years existing building unit (very quiet, we can hear the waves crash all night). The property is always 100% occupancy during this holiday period, however, the kids don't bother us. Any resort in Hawaii will always be busy with families -- there is no travel bubble anymore. We have stayed at this property every year since opening, we first looked at the Marriott and quickly switched to Westin for the unbelievable product that it is! Aloha and enjoy this world-class Westin resort.

Does anyone know about the three pools at North? What are they? (As in, are they adults only, kids, family, ect....)

biancac9 wrote:

Does anyone know about the three pools at North? What are they? (As in, are they adults only, kids, family, ect....)

At North, there is a kids' pool with pirate ship, next door to the kid daycare building. It is outside the main North complex, sits in a lawn and bushes area between North and South complexes. Keeps a lot of the noise away from the main pools in both complexes.

The South complex has an oval kid area pool (not as fancy as the pirate ship pool), on a lower level and separated by rocks and waterfall from the main pool, which is large, wide, deep and has a basketball hoop and a roped-off area with a long water slide, open approx 9 or 10 to 5pm daily.

The North complex has a shallower, narrower, winding river-shaped pool, no slide area but pool volleyball net instead (it may be deeper in the volleyball area but overall the pool is shallower than South). I had never noticed North to be two separate pools as your question implies, but it could be -- or it could just be a drop / rocks between essentially the same pool. If there are two pools, they are basically next to each other. We are NOT talking separate locations in any significant way. The overall pool size at North is probably smaller than South but because it is narrow and winds around it stretches over quite a distance.

At South, there are two hot tubs with lots of kids in them. When we were there at Xmas, our daughter was kicked out of the ?one-and-only hot tub at North, told by guard that that tub was deliberately set to be hotter than at South and was therefore reserved only for adults.

Unless they changed it since Xmas, neither South nor North has a labeled "adults only" pool, so all main pools are family; but because of two kids pools, finding a reasonably quiet place to sit and avoiding excess splashing is not too bad.

We own at South and mostly use South pool / tubs plus the beach, so we don't use North much. But be aware that anyone is free to wander between the two areas -- it's about 2 mins. at aloha stroll pace from one complex's pool to the other via the kiddie pirate area.

Jan