We also bought at the Westin Ka'anapali. So far, SVO is great. We received a good number of Starpoints as incentive for purchasing (130K), and look forward to vacationing every year in a 2-bedroom villa. I've heard a lot of great things about other SVO properties as well, Kierland included. As an owner, you also get referral Starpoints for others who purchase.
Our analysis was simple. We wanted spacious accommodations with a kitchen for annual vacations in an area that we love. We own in Maui, but we could someday trade into Harborside at Atlantis, St. John, and other locations. Starwood is also going to build on Kauai and the Big Island some day. Resales on timeshares can be low..as low as 25% of your original purchase price, but Starwood so far is holding its value and we can recover close to what we paid last year if we sold today.