The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas North Reviews & Ratings

We just visited the new WKOR North property (and having stayed at both properties), I thought it might help to clarify some of the differences and similarities between it and the Original WKOR.

The North property has only been opened for around 4 months when we visited and was about 70% complete. I'm not sure if some of the observations I will list are things that will be attended to within time. Most of the loud/external construction is finished while they complete the interiors of the farthest-most north wing and the last adult pool. The staff is attentive and helpful.

Upon entering, the lobby is less grand and simpler that the Original KOR. It has a similar open style but something about it seems less dramatic (less flowers perhaps?). The whole layout of the wings are closer together which gives a more intimate, close-in impression as you walk the grounds.The landscaping is very pretty but cannot yet compare to the more mature growth of the older property.

The main pool is smaller but meanders so there are more unique areas to sit. There are also more pools with the inclusion of a very sweet Pirate Ship pool for the very young that looks like fun. The Original property is more spread out and has a larger pool with a slide. Therefore, there is much more energy around that property in general.

The halls are also less appealing. I venture to say, downright ugly. They are all open-air which prompted them to install plasticated, mold-proof flooring and the most basic of ornamentation There are even places where there are no baseboards which leads to a very unfinished look.

There will be more Ocean Front rooms although some that are listed as ocean front, you must actually look over the top of the pool restaurant. There are no screens on the glass sliding doors and although insects in the area are few, we were forced to close our door at night to prevent mosquitoes. This is a shame since we love the sound of the breaking waves while we sleep. We did not see the Ocean view category of room but the Island View suites would be much more desirable on the North side. There are no units looking a parking lot as with the Original building.

The units themselves are very, very similar. Layout and caliber of appointments are virtually identical except the square footage of the rooms in the new property is considerably smaller. They've chosen to decrease the size of the living and bedrooms while the massive bathrooms remain the same. The walls are thick and we did not hear another person within the unit the whole week. Even though Westin is a non-smoking property, they do allow it on the lanai's so unfortunately, you can have someone smoking around you and the smell will waft in through an open door.

The trademark Westin bed and shower/bath are awesome! They even changed to a frosted shower door on the 1 bedroom side. this is great if you have multiple people in the unit that sleeps 4, the person in the shower can have privacy if others want to use the room. They have replaced the rectangular dining table with a round one that only sits 4. I'm not sure of the philosophy of this decision and I don't think it was an improvement especially if you are using the 2 bedroom option with more than 4 guests.

The restaurants, although open, are not at their full capacity. We were told that both properties are being currently being served from the same small kitchen in the original building. The rumor was that the only thing worth eating at the beach restaurant are the burgers since they are cooked on-site. Our choices (not burgers) confirmed this impression and were not very good. The other main restaurant is currently be run as a buffet. It was often empty since there are kitchens in the hotel's rooms. We were told that they will at some point convert this to a first class destination restaurant.

The beach is inviting and the surf is approachable. The surf had a a nice balance between not being too calm or too rough. There is a very nice snorkeling reef not far from shore. They rent individual chaise chairs with shade cloths on the beach. Around the pool, they have both cabanas and double chaise with shade overhangs for rent and "palapa" style umbrellas scattered around for shade for free.

We visited on a non-school holiday so most of the guests either had very small children or none at all so it was much quieter. This could also change when the hotel is at full capacity. It was our observation that the North property is better for adults and very young children whereas the Original has more going on for school-age and older families. They are both beautiful properties worth the visit for true Hawaiian relaxation.

Stayed here over christmas week 2007. Agree with one of the other reviewers who said most of the rooms have at least a partial ocean view, and none have a bad view. Probably the nicest resort in kaanapali in terms of location, rooms, and resort amenities. Snorkling right off the beach was better than our boat trip to molokini. We were able to see plenty of turtles and exotic fish. Plus, plenty of dolphins and whales could be seen from the beach. We stayed in a 2-bedroom, 2-bath lock-out. Both bathrooms have jacuzzi hot tubs and large showers with frame-less glass doors. Kitchen could have used a better oven, but granite counter-tops and bar with stools were nice. Bedding was nice and included high thread count sheets and down comforters. 9 foot ceilings with crown molding throughout. Each room has its own washer/dryer set, which is convenient. Three, nicely-landscaped pools on the property. Crowds were light, and it was easy to get a lounge chair. Lots of activities for the kids. Overall, a wonderful experience.

My family and I were there over Thanksgiving (end of November) 2007. What an amazing property!!! While the lobby has less of an impact upon arrival as the older Westin Ka'anapali resort, almost every room has at least a partial view of the ocean.

The kids club and Pirate ship pool was a well thought out addition to both the properties. My three-year old just couldn't get enough of it. It was difficult to tear him away from the feature.

All of the amenities between the two properties are shared, so if you want to use the older South property, you are welcome.

Great place for families - and couples.

As far as luxury and comfort I give this place a 5 star, but their sales pitch is boarderline "used car salesperson". Tried to sell me the same 2 bedroom units listed on Redweek for $30,000-$57,000 for $99,000 and told me that the starwood points (hotel stays) I would receive as a "bonus" would out way the price difference. I find this quite "two-faced" since aren't they selling these villas to get you AWAY from the hotels????? I asked the rep 4 times to review the contract and the CC&R's before making a purchasing decision...they cleverly overcame my objections and virtually refused to allow me to see the documents without signing a "non-binding" agreement to purchase. As an Attorney, I find big RED FLAGS going up in the deception mode! Becareful about buying from a developer on an impluse buy! These guys sell you HARD and you shouldn't be presured into such a big decision such as this. I do like the resort, it's beautiful and perfect for my family, I would like to purchase, but I am going to find a resale and save myself the hassel of working with the developers "rats!!"

Sales pitch was misleading. Tried to sell mainly by telling half-truths and untruths about Marriott. Resort has units they call ocean front that would only be ocean view at other Kaanapali resorts. And they sell for much more. Very nice property in most respects, but not a purchase that would give you fair value for your money.

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.

In respnse to Robert comments on the property; you cant use the pools at the Westin or Blackrock resort. In the sales pitch they said you could use all the resorts - spa, pools, etc, and then changed their mind. You are limited to the pool at the South property only if you own in north and south can use North. Many people staying tried to go use the Westin pool and waterslide (the hotel) and were turned away and told the policy had changed.

In response to Larry, of course the pool is not crowded now becuase only 50% of the rooms are open at this time.

I think this asset has some real flaws and when I tried to point these out to Westin their response was "they are seilling so its not a problem" - wait until the place is packed and you will see what I mean. They ruined the whole project by putting the one building right in the middle of the resort.

I Own multiple weeks here and bought before it was done and what a mistake.

October 14, 2007 (not sure why my posting date shows Aug 1) ...

You really have to give the resort a chance to start up. The first 146 villas only became available in July, 2007. In December 2007, the remaining 112 villas will open - a total of 258 villas when completed.

Don't forget it's located right next door to the old Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas -- which can also be enjoyed if that's your preference. North is on its own 11 beachfront acres -- on what is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Poolside has great casual dining at the Pailolo Bar & Grill -- burgers, sandwiches, and salads or you can BBQ yourself at the poolside grills.

As of September they opened Pulehu, the resort‘s fine dining restaurant, with a great variety of steak and seafood.

You've got three awesome swimming pools, including two hot tubs and a separate area children‘s pool with clubhouse and play area, including a large pirate ship, slides and water cannons for its Keiki Club program.

In addition to having full use of the services and amenities next door, you also get the other Starwood resorts on Maui, including The Westin Maui Resort & Spa and the Sheraton Maui Resort, and have charges billed back to your villa. And there's the complimentary shuttle service between the resorts and Lahaina, the Whalers Village, etc.

By December 2007 we'll have two more lagoon-style pools with the opening of the mauka (mountain) and adult swimming pools.

They're still building a full-service luxurious spa and signature fitness room, powered by Reebok, opening February 2008.

The final completion of the resort is scheduled for March 2008, so lets at least give it time to get the bugs out before comparing and critiqueing too vehemently.

We own four units. This year my family will be there for three weeks over Christmas and New Years and looking forward to what has become a yearly sojorn. Once the kids are grown up my wife and I will spread out our stay over 8 weeks - as our space requirements will likely be reduced - but that's 10 - 15 years away at least. Westin is a trusted name that should ensure our future interests are well looked after.

Stay Date: 9/28/2007 - 10/5/2007

I hate to be a contrarian, but my wife, our friends, and I really liked this resort. It may not have been perfect, but there is little could suggest to improve it.

Check in was quick and painless. Our suite (we shared a 2-bedroom lockoff) was very clean and comfortable. We had an ocean view room, which was nice, but the alternative would have had us looking at either the kiddie pool of the center pool, both of which would have been fine. When we bought we decided paying a view premium wasn't a good investment.

The suite was very well appointed with high end furniture (our friend is a lighting designer and was surprised by the quality of the lighting fixtures!). The kitchen was well equipped (dishes, glasses, cooking utensils, etc). There was a small bottle of dish detergent, 2 packets of dishwashing powerder, a package of laundry powder, and a roll of paper towels. We typically bring this sort of thing with us, but it was nice to find it there. The bathrooms also had shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and soap. There were plenty (I mean plenty!) of towels. A broom and vacuum was in the closet, in case we felt compelled to clean.

The linen and towels were changed in mid- stay, but the room was not cleaned otherwise. My wife and I have different recollections if this is typical or unusual. But cleaning the bathroom and the kitchen would have been nice.

The pool area was never crowded; we could find chairs at any time of day. The same was true for the beach. Westin does not provide beach chairs, which is something they might reconsider. I was told that it had to do with permitting and providing an opportunity for local businesses, but I am not sure I buy that story. I also don't know what other timeshares in the area do. The beach itself was terrific. You can walk, swim, or snorkel in front of both the North and the South properties. The beach was clean, the water was clear, and they were both terribly inviting.

We ate a 'grill meals' there -- the full kitchen wasn't working yet. They were good, and the prices were what you would expect at a resort; a little pricey, but not outrageous.

The concierge staff was very helpful and their advice was always good.

All in all, we had a great time and are already looking forward to our next visit in 2009.

My family and I have been a number of different places over the years, all at very top notch resorts. We thought that the Westin reputation would allow us to stay in this resort comfortably and in leisure. We traveled in August 2007. THINK AGAIN, this resort is every but top notch!! This resort just opened two weeks prior to our arrival; none of the amenities are operating and everything is an extra charge. Of the most ridiculous things we have encountered , here is our laundry list. 1. No daily housekeeping, yet they have a midweek cleaning but only change sheets and replenish towels. Towels are not provided every day and the room by day three was dirty. There are not appropriate cleaning supplies to clean it yourself. After spending a day on the beach with my family, the floor was gross.......but you can't clean it up. 2. The restraunts are not all open and they close down early. There is one restraunt that is open but it doesn't have a great selection of food. 3. If you are at the pool and want a drink, you will die of thirst before anyone approaches you to take your order. 4. The pool is open until 10pm but they only hand out towels til 5pm. 5. If you want to sit pool side there is a charge for that. $85.00 dollars a day to see your kids in the pool, otherwise you must find a seat or lounger that is about 20 feet from the pool. 6. There are no organized activities and the concierge had no great ideas. 7. The rooms are equipped with a full kitchen but when we tried the microwave/convection oven was not working. We called the front desk and they said they would send someone up to fix it. An hour later someone came up, said they would send someone else up. Another hour later, our kids were starving and no one ever came. We called downstairs to ask for a manager, we got a voicemail. No one ever called back. Finally we went downstairs to speak to the manager and she offered nothing in return for our inconvenience. 8. We went to the beach, which was absolutely breathtaking but in order to use a lounger or chair on this beach, there is an extra charge for the chair. Maybe I missed something but didn;t we already PAY visit this resort? 9. There is one on-site shop, so if you want to shop for souvineirs you have to venture out. Also, they provide one load worth of laundry soap and when we went to the sundries to buy more they were all out. Over our entire visit they never got a new shipment.

Our overall feeling about this resort is that is stunk! If I had bought here (which we own at two other resorts and have been very pleased) I would be extremely disappointed and ready to demand for my money back. What a joke.....this resort is as much work as being home but cost more!

Both properties here have serious issues with quality. Between no hot water, dishwashers broke, garbage disposals backed up, the list goes on and on. Would not recommend you spend your hard earned dollars one either on these two resorts. I wish I had bought elsewhere

Beautiful resort on coveted Ka'anapali Beach. Studio is perfect for a couple or a couple with children.