Need

When I was there back in December, the dining discount card was only $26 and it includes 2 $10 certificates for any food not just drink. I think it was the same certificates (2 per day per room) they gave me as Diamond. So $6 to get 10% off every food/drink inside the resort is amazing. We did the Luau in there for 6, so that alone saved us $50+. It is pretty much all you need to do is to buy one meal inside the resort.

Barbella7

All,
I can't find any specific threads on this, so I think it will fit here, too. Mods, please move if appropriate.

We are looking at a week at the HGVC properties at HWV but don't know which one to choose. I see that there is the Koahala Suites, Kings Land, and the Bay Club. Could someone please explain what the differences, pros and cons, are of each of these? Thanks!

linsj

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread....ight=kingsland
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread....light=waikoloa

jimmyrules712

Hey guys,
I've read through the last few dozen pages of this thread but still have a few questions.

I'm considering a 5 night points stay here in Oct this year (2014) with just my wife and I. I have 265k HH points and Gold status. After researching the room options and towers i think that I want something in the lagoon tower. We want to be able to leave the resort as conveniently as possible and after reading reports and looking at the resort map the ocean tower seems too far away. Also the renovated rooms are appealing.

Right now the website shows I need 71k points per night (355k total) for a room described as "MAKAI-OCEAN SIDE AT LAGOON TOWER 1 KING BED". This is with the "5th night free" benefit (normally the room would be 80k points per night).

Is there any way I can swing getting a Lagoon Tower room with my points? Either by just reserving the cheapest resort view (which would be 200k points) and then upgrading or reserving the most expensive room I can afford and then upgrading? I can't figure out what would produce the best results (if anything).

Also are there any "standard" rooms in the lagoon tower?

Thanks

RAPC

When we stayed in December, I had a standard points redemption and then paid to upgrade to a Dolphins room. I just contacted them and they offered up a price. It was peak season, so not sure if it was inflated to reflect seasonality or not.

This hotel is like most others. Offer them cash and they will willingly take it to secure an upgrade

jimmyrules712

Someone else just PMed me and suggested I email a particalar manager at the hotel directly. I did that and got a response back from a different person saying I had to call the general/national hhonors desk to inquire about upgrading rooms with points. I'm guessing they're going to quote me the same rates I see on the website, which are really high.

What should I do from here? I really don't want to pay cash for an upgrade, is 265k HH points + gold membership not enough to get into the lagoon tower for 5 days during off-peak season?

RAPC

Points rates I believe are set to standard rates. (As they normally are for most hotels) Cash upgrades have a bit more flexible.

Why not email the hotel and ask about the chances of an upgrade to a Lagoon Tower room for your dates. If you don't like the answer, then you can always take your chances. Normally if you really want a room that is more than a standard upgrade (which a Lagoon Tower is) then the only way to be sure you get one is to pay via points or cash. You may get the upgrade on arrival, but no guarantee of that.

Filthy Monkey

That seems really expensive for a standard room. I paid 86,000 points per night last October for the Presidential Suite in the Lagoon Tower. It may be worth hanging off a couple of months to give them time to load low season rates. Alternatively, book the standard room now and keep checking back.

aww3583

My wife and I are staying here in April for our "babymoon".

We have a king room, golf/resort view for 40k points/night.

Six weeks ago, we emailed the revenue/sales manager for the hotel, inquiring about an upgrade for Diamond members. We haven't received a response.

Does anyone have any tips as to getting an upgrade in advance? I don't like asking at the front desk at check-in, and since it's a busy week, I don't think there will be at that point.

Which tower is preferred? We'll have a car and plan on exploring the island each day.

Do we get a free breakfast with our Diamond credentials?

Golf is $140/round for resort members. Do they offer any specials if you book while you're there, as opposed to several weeks in advance?

ksyrah

Being a Diamond, I have never been upgraded to less than a partial ocean view room even with using the least amount of daily points

Gotta have a contact. It does work.

Lagoon is closest to the Lobby. If you don't mind the walk, Ocean is good - my kids prefer that building. Only stayed in the Palace tower once, but in a suite. That was worth it.

$20/day in food vouchers good anywhere

Can't answer that

aww3583

Do you have a contact to ask about diamond upgrades?

We don't have kids, and don't really mind a walk, we just want a new, clean room with a view.

airb330

That worked for me in 2009. I booked a non refundable rate under my HH account in late 2008. I had no status and no points. My husband then traveled a lot in late 2008 and early 2009 and earned Gold. Upon check-in we explained that to her, she put it all under his HHonor's number so we could earn more points and did upgrade us to an oceanfront room in the Ocean Tower.

On a side note, anyone else notice the new branding of the renovated Lagoon tower rooms to Makai? I'm sure it is a way to charge more and also a way to deny all upgrades to the new lagoon rooms regardless of view in that tower. I wish they'd redo all of the rooms at the resort.

airb330

For my honeymoon in 2011 I originally booked on points. The rates came crashing down so I canceled that and booked with cash. I then emailed a very nice woman who was director of revenue and upgraded that reservation to a suite in the Ocean Tower. She provided me all of the information needed for the Level 4 Upgrade Reward, rate plan code R5. It was only 20,000 points per night to upgrade! It was 20K points regardless of if I was on a points stay (i.e. 60K a night) or a cash stay (Cash+20K a night). Hint...it's rather easy to find the E-Mail information online.

Paying $179 for the room, with breakfast, earning points, and 20K to upgrade to the suite was a steal. Thinking about it though, an axon awar of 145K plus 80K for the upgrade (225K total for 4 nights) is a steal today too.

I'd call them, it cannot hurt. ^

sargenet

I am hoping that MY status will help us get the coupons for breakfast vs anything else. My husband is Gold but that ends next month. We have stayed at this property a few times and we are using HIS points for a June stay. At the time of our stay he will no longer have any status.

I have already contacted the hotel and asked them to make sure we are in the Lagoon Tower. My last stay I had major issues with moldy rooms in the Ocean Tower. We saw 4 rooms and they were horrible as far as a moldy smell. I have to say I am VERY sensitive. We stayed in the Lagoon Tower during a previous visit BEFORE the renovation and I did not have issues.

I let them know I don't care about the view and NOT to upgrade us to the Ocean Tower, even though I booked a resort view room and we might be eligible. They said since I am a prior guest I will be blocked into Lagoon Tower, especially since I had so many issues last visit.

My hope is that when we check in during our June stay they will provide us with the breakfast vouchers since I personally hold status with Hilton and will be staying in the room.

airb330

I bet when you show the front desk your gold card, they'll give you the coupons. Just explain, as you did here, that he lost status, but you still have it and you'd really appreciate it if they'd honor your status. I know they can change it to your # (for the 25% bonus) as they did it for us, but I doubt that is usually done.