Hapuna Beach Resort, Waimea, Hawaii [to become a Westin Spring 2018 after renovation]
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Hapuna to *wood, Mauna Kea to Marriott
Interesting. The Mauna Kea is now part of the Autograph Collection to Marriott. And the Hapuna Beach is now going to *wood as a Westin.
I've stayed at both. I wonder if the reciprocal privileges between the two will go away - used to have a shuttle between the two, could book hotel guest rates at either golf course, charged restaurant charges at either. I haven't been there for 10 years, though. Flew into Hawaii the day of the big earthquake. When I finally got to the Hapuna Beach (8 hours later after landing), could see some cosmetic cracks in the huge columns at the Lobby and lower level. Dinner was a "bbq" - couldn't use the kitchen without power. The staff scrambled to get every room checked - putting TVs back after falling over, other shifting things. The Hapuna and the Mauna Kea were very close to the epicenter just down the road offshore of Kawaihae. Had some aftershocks while I was there. Loved both hotels. Nice to know that I can use points to ease the sticker shock at them now! |
Well, I remember staying at the Hapuna Beach Prince with Priceline bidding in the mid-$80s per night several years ago. The rooms certainly needed a refresh, but at those prices with that prime location, I wasn't complaining.
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Seems like this will no longer be a Westin. The reference has been removed.
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Has it opened as an independent hotel? Or is it being flagged under some other chain?
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I appears to be unchanged as the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, according to the website.
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Looks like the change to Westin is still happening. This is from the hotel's website under updates:
'Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel will embark on an exciting transformation to become a Westin Resort commencing fall 2017 through January 2018. We look forward to sharing our ho’okipa (hospitality) along with reimagined guestrooms, fresh new food and beverage concepts and invigorating wellness options. Our namesake, Hapuna, translates as "Ha" (the breath, the life) and "Puna" (the spring, the place). Our transformed resort will beckon travelers who appreciate Hawaii’s unique perspective and Hapuna’s sense of place that will be heightened through the strength of the Westin brand." |
I'm wondering if this place will be flagged as a typical Westin beachfront hotel, or as a Westin villas resort under the Vistana flag. The latter would seem to me to require a major overhaul, while the former would just need a more standard renovation, and I would guess would be in line with the Westin and Sheraton hotel on the main part of Kaanapali beach, as opposed the the Westin villas further north in Kaanapali.
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Originally Posted by DeweyCheathem
(Post 28443010)
I'm wondering if this place will be flagged as a typical Westin beachfront hotel, or as a Westin villas resort under the Vistana flag. The latter would seem to me to require a major overhaul, while the former would just need a more standard renovation, and I would guess would be in line with the Westin and Sheraton hotel on the main part of Kaanapali beach, as opposed the the Westin villas further north in Kaanapali.
The timeline suggests a standard renovation to me, but I am by no means an expert in these things. |
Originally Posted by DeweyCheathem
(Post 28443010)
I'm wondering if this place will be flagged as a typical Westin beachfront hotel, or as a Westin villas resort under the Vistana flag. The latter would seem to me to require a major overhaul, while the former would just need a more standard renovation, and I would guess would be in line with the Westin and Sheraton hotel on the main part of Kaanapali beach, as opposed the the Westin villas further north in Kaanapali.
https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/...and-hotel.html |
Official announcement now, it converts in Feb 2018:
https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article95943.html |
Under current MR and SPG T&Cs (uncertain what happens in 2018), Plat members will get free continental breakfast for 2 at the Hapuna Beach Westin, but no free breakfast at the Mauna Kea Autograph Collection. All else being equal, that may be the tie breaker.
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Originally Posted by CIT85
(Post 28701548)
Under current MR and SPG T&Cs (uncertain what happens in 2018), Plat members will get free continental breakfast for 2 at the Hapuna Beach Westin, but no free breakfast at the Mauna Kea Autograph Collection. All else being equal, that may be the tie breaker.
I wouldn't allow a cup of coffee and a coconut danish be my deciding factor. The beach at the Mauna Kea is superior. The Mauna Kea has true Hawaiian history. Hapuna was nice, but it just lacked some of the quiet elegance that the Mauna Kea had to me. |
Originally Posted by slidergirl
(Post 28702657)
When you see Hapuna's breakfast buffet, you won't want to make do with just the continental...
I wouldn't allow a cup of coffee and a coconut danish be my deciding factor. The beach at the Mauna Kea is superior. The Mauna Kea has true Hawaiian history. Hapuna was nice, but it just lacked some of the quiet elegance that the Mauna Kea had to me. |
This hotel is now bookable through Starwood and is a category 5.
https://www.starwoodhotels.com/prefe...ropertyID=4751 |
Has anyone stayed here? I'm looking at a February stay. Right now, it's showing but on SPG but it is unclear if SPG benefits will be honored and SPG points will be awarded for a stay. The renovations look wonderful.
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Originally Posted by hockeyinsider
(Post 29168628)
Has anyone stayed here? I'm looking at a February stay. Right now, it's showing but on SPG but it is unclear if SPG benefits will be honored and SPG points will be awarded for a stay. The renovations look wonderful.
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Originally Posted by travelinmanS
(Post 29191538)
I stayed at the Mauna Kea last week and ran over to the Hapuna to check it out. The hotel was a complete construction zone and it required 3 different elevator rides to get from the makeshift lobby to the beach. I'd avoid this place unless you could be absolutely sure the renovations will be done in mid-Feb. Certainly in mid-Dec it didn't look like they'd be ready by then. That said, the beach is wonderful and if the renovations are done, there is no reason not to stay there.
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I decided to wait until August.
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Do we have any idea if this property will have a lounge?
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Originally Posted by ashley1245
(Post 29286819)
Do we have any idea if this property will have a lounge?
khabah |
Originally Posted by khabah
(Post 29286835)
Seeing as it’s a Marriott-brand resort, there’s a 99.99 percent chance it won’t. khabah |
Lounges are Sheraton brand standard for North American properties. (No, Hawaii isn't part of North America, but that's where SPG had it organized.) Lounges are not Westin brand standard in NA.
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If anybody has any questions about what it is like at present I suggest looking at the photos on Tripadvisor. I'd be furious if I paid for a vacation in paradise to see that. And then to still be charged a Resort Fee. Not good. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserR...regationId=101
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My travel agent said to stay far far away from Hapuna until at least June. So that's out for us at this point.
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On their site today. They say they anticipate construction will be finished in March. Caveat emptor.
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Originally Posted by Fizzer
(Post 29299698)
On their site today. They say they anticipate construction will be finished in March. Caveat emptor.
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I was looking for February but chose the Sheraton instead. The photos of the construction on TA, some fairly recent, lok truly horrific.
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I have a visit booked for Jan 21-27. I will post pictures and a review when I complete my trip. On the phone today they claim that they have 2 restaurants open and that they have the breakfast buffet down by the pool (Naupaka Beach Grill) instead of at the Ikena Landing where it used to be. This can only mean that the lobby and area between the building and the pool is still under construction.
So I am not very excited about our food choices with only a coffee shop (Piko) and the pool grill as my choices. Will be exploring the island for other food options it appears, but my wife wanted to stay there using points. |
Originally Posted by FOOLISHRUNNER
(Post 29300482)
I have a visit booked for Jan 21-27. I will post pictures and a review when I complete my trip. On the phone today they claim that they have 2 restaurants open and that they have the breakfast buffet down by the pool (Naupaka Beach Grill) instead of at the Ikena Landing where it used to be. This can only mean that the lobby and area between the building and the pool is still under construction.
So I am not very excited about our food choices with only a coffee shop (Piko) and the pool grill as my choices. Will be exploring the island for other food options it appears, but my wife wanted to stay there using points. |
Originally Posted by soliloquy
(Post 29300580)
Have you seen the pics on trip advisor?
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The link in my post 8 above shows photos posted about a stay in January. Seems recent to me, although within the last 2 days no.
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Just finished a short stay here. Terrible experience, but the place has a lot of potential. I had made a reservation for Sheraton Kona a year ago, but as the trip approached, my SO and I talked about it, and it turned out that both of us dreaded going back there. I looked at Marriott options – cash rates were trough the roof, and the only places available on points were the Courtyard and Mauna Kea (with a $200 cash copay, gulp!). So despite the warnings on this thread, and encouraged by several recent posts on TA, which suggested that the construction was no longer as major as it had been, we decided to book the Westin.
The first thing we learned is that it’s not a Westin. It’s not even a real Starwood hotel yet. You arrive at the hotel driveway, and the signs refer to the Prince. You drive up to the gate and tell the attendant that you’re here to check in to the Westin, and he chuckles and says, we’re not a Westin yet, we still need to finish a little bit of construction. You make your way to the front desk, where you are greeted by deafening construction noise, and employees in Prince uniforms, who welcome you to the Prince. The front desk agent we had at check-in was very friendly, and told me with wide eyes and great excitement that I was “so, so lucky” because I booked a partial ocean, and was upgraded to a premier ocean, and then “extra extra lucky” because I was also given one of their brand new remodeled rooms. (I am not sure I got the room types exactly right; there were several dozen workers producing any kind of construction noise imaginable – wood and tile being cut, jackhammers blasting, although in fairness the giant excavator seen in some pictures on TA was no longer there). The agent then searched for the breakfast card – her counter, the adjacent counter, the back room, and finally, someone else came out and brought it. I was also given a card explaining the resort fee, and opted against starting an argument about my alternate amenity – clearly, given the staff’s level of familiarity with the SPG program, this wouldn’t have led anywhere. I was, most importantly, provided with a map that explained how to get to the beach/restaurants/parking without getting entangled in one of the many construction zones. We went to the room, and were pleasantly surprised. Unlike the “light remodels” often found in Hawaii, this room was brand new and very nicely done. Comfortable bed, seating area, huge TV, excellent bathroom with Japanese toilet, and a large balcony with a daybed, seating area, and great view. The problem was that stepping on the balcony during daylight hours meant being subjected to the cacophony of construction noise. I had to work for 3-4 hours a day and would have loved to sit outside – it just wasn’t possible. Cooped up in the room with the doors closed, I merely had to deal with occasional jackhammering inside the building. The lowest pool level is now available, and it looks pretty nice. The beach is fantastic. There are a lot of remnants of the old Prince that still need to be brought into the current century – the beach loungers, for instance, are threadbare beyond belief. The pool area also is home to Naupaka Beach Grill, which is the hotel’s only open and viable dining venue (in addition to Piko, a bar/grab-and-go/test your tolerance for construction noise place located in the lobby). We had our Plat breakfast twice at Naupaka. There’s a temporary buffet set up next to the pool, and by North American standards it’s pretty nice (scrambled eggs/bacon/sausage/potatoes, smoked salmon, pancakes/waffles, miso/rice, fruit/pastries/yoghurts, and an omelet station). We hadn’t been instructed by the front desk what the Plat breakfast entails, and the first morning, our server told us we could have the buffet. When we came back with omelets, she said, oh, I didn’t mention, omelets are $10 extra. I hate arguing over this kind of stuff, so we paid. The next morning, we skipped omelets and just took stuff from the buffet, and when we sat down, another server told us, oh you can only have what’s listed on the card (pastries/yogurt/etc), it’s a $10 charge for the full buffet. This kind of inconsistency of course happens at hotels all over North America, but here the staff seemed unusually out-of-touch with SPG policies. We also had dinner at Naupaka, and it was pretty terrible. We had the audacity of showing up 18 minutes before closing time (which is at 8.30pm), and the server slammed the menus on our tables and tried to ignore us. Food was lackluster – fish and chips ok, fish tacos bland, Chinese chop salad inedible. The other night, we had room service, and the food was ok (I suspect it also comes from Naupaka, so we ordered as basic as possible – Cesar salad, club sandwich). The room service pricing appears to be one of the few things that have been Westinized; unfortunately, the printed menu was still Prince, so the check held a small surprise. Here are my takeaways for SPG members considering a stay here. If you’re thinking of coming here soon, don’t! We thought the disruptions wouldn’t be so bad, but the construction is major and everywhere. It’s grinding when you’re on vacation. I am frankly shocked that they would keep the hotel open during this major project, and disappointed that SPG fails to properly warn of the magnitude of the chaos. I would expect the pool and lobby to take another month or two, but based on what we were told, most of the rooms are not done yet. You may only experience minor disruptions from late spring onward, and I’d think Thanksgiving would be safe. The new rooms are very nice, the beach is great, and at Cat 5 this place will be a steal compared to other hotels in Hawaii, once construction is finished. I think the play here is to give the hotel a wide berth for another half year, but to book far out while it’s reasonable on points. Some pictures: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ffefe52870.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6178bb788d.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...08b130dbcc.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...25b74b5e92.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0b30a6bc17.jpg |
Sorry about your experience. I was told by Plat Concierge that Hapuna Beach will become Westin on 2/19. So I think you gambled on early timing and lost.
I have a 5 night stay on award booked for Dec., expecting all transition pains to be over. |
Originally Posted by CIT85
(Post 29378787)
Sorry about your experience. I was told by Plat Concierge that Hapuna Beach will become Westin on 2/19. So I think you gambled on early timing and lost.
I have a 5 night stay on award booked for Dec., expecting all transition pains to be over. |
Originally Posted by jpdx
(Post 29377283)
Just finished a short stay here. Terrible experience, but the place has a lot of potential. I had made a reservation for Sheraton Kona a year ago, but as the trip approached, my SO and I talked about it, and it turned out that both of us dreaded going back there. I looked at Marriott options – cash rates were trough the roof, and the only places available on points were the Courtyard and Mauna Kea (with a $200 cash copay, gulp!). So despite the warnings on this thread, and encouraged by several recent posts on TA, which suggested that the construction was no longer as major as it had been, we decided to book the Westin.
The first thing we learned is that it’s not a Westin. It’s not even a real Starwood hotel yet. You arrive at the hotel driveway, and the signs refer to the Prince. You drive up to the gate and tell the attendant that you’re here to check in to the Westin, and he chuckles and says, we’re not a Westin yet, we still need to finish a little bit of construction. You make your way to the front desk, where you are greeted by deafening construction noise, and employees in Prince uniforms, who welcome you to the Prince. The front desk agent we had at check-in was very friendly, and told me with wide eyes and great excitement that I was “so, so lucky” because I booked a partial ocean, and was upgraded to a premier ocean, and then “extra extra lucky” because I was also given one of their brand new remodeled rooms. (I am not sure I got the room types exactly right; there were several dozen workers producing any kind of construction noise imaginable – wood and tile being cut, jackhammers blasting, although in fairness the giant excavator seen in some pictures on TA was no longer there). The agent then searched for the breakfast card – her counter, the adjacent counter, the back room, and finally, someone else came out and brought it. I was also given a card explaining the resort fee, and opted against starting an argument about my alternate amenity – clearly, given the staff’s level of familiarity with the SPG program, this wouldn’t have led anywhere. I was, most importantly, provided with a map that explained how to get to the beach/restaurants/parking without getting entangled in one of the many construction zones. We went to the room, and were pleasantly surprised. Unlike the “light remodels” often found in Hawaii, this room was brand new and very nicely done. Comfortable bed, seating area, huge TV, excellent bathroom with Japanese toilet, and a large balcony with a daybed, seating area, and great view. The problem was that stepping on the balcony during daylight hours meant being subjected to the cacophony of construction noise. I had to work for 3-4 hours a day and would have loved to sit outside – it just wasn’t possible. Cooped up in the room with the doors closed, I merely had to deal with occasional jackhammering inside the building. The lowest pool level is now available, and it looks pretty nice. The beach is fantastic. There are a lot of remnants of the old Prince that still need to be brought into the current century – the beach loungers, for instance, are threadbare beyond belief. The pool area also is home to Naupaka Beach Grill, which is the hotel’s only open and viable dining venue (in addition to Piko, a bar/grab-and-go/test your tolerance for construction noise place located in the lobby). We had our Plat breakfast twice at Naupaka. There’s a temporary buffet set up next to the pool, and by North American standards it’s pretty nice (scrambled eggs/bacon/sausage/potatoes, smoked salmon, pancakes/waffles, miso/rice, fruit/pastries/yoghurts, and an omelet station). We hadn’t been instructed by the front desk what the Plat breakfast entails, and the first morning, our server told us we could have the buffet. When we came back with omelets, she said, oh, I didn’t mention, omelets are $10 extra. I hate arguing over this kind of stuff, so we paid. The next morning, we skipped omelets and just took stuff from the buffet, and when we sat down, another server told us, oh you can only have what’s listed on the card (pastries/yogurt/etc), it’s a $10 charge for the full buffet. This kind of inconsistency of course happens at hotels all over North America, but here the staff seemed unusually out-of-touch with SPG policies. We also had dinner at Naupaka, and it was pretty terrible. We had the audacity of showing up 18 minutes before closing time (which is at 8.30pm), and the server slammed the menus on our tables and tried to ignore us. Food was lackluster – fish and chips ok, fish tacos bland, Chinese chop salad inedible. The other night, we had room service, and the food was ok (I suspect it also comes from Naupaka, so we ordered as basic as possible – Cesar salad, club sandwich). The room service pricing appears to be one of the few things that have been Westinized; unfortunately, the printed menu was still Prince, so the check held a small surprise. Here are my takeaways for SPG members considering a stay here. If you’re thinking of coming here soon, don’t! We thought the disruptions wouldn’t be so bad, but the construction is major and everywhere. It’s grinding when you’re on vacation. I am frankly shocked that they would keep the hotel open during this major project, and disappointed that SPG fails to properly warn of the magnitude of the chaos. I would expect the pool and lobby to take another month or two, but based on what we were told, most of the rooms are not done yet. You may only experience minor disruptions from late spring onward, and I’d think Thanksgiving would be safe. The new rooms are very nice, the beach is great, and at Cat 5 this place will be a steal compared to other hotels in Hawaii, once construction is finished. I think the play here is to give the hotel a wide berth for another half year, but to book far out while it’s reasonable on points. Some pictures: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ffefe52870.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6178bb788d.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...08b130dbcc.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...25b74b5e92.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0b30a6bc17.jpg |
Planning a 6 night award stay here end of August so all construction should not be an issue. Is there a Club Lounge? No resort fee? Just parking?
Rooms certainly look spacious. |
Originally Posted by stevengodfrey1
(Post 29436286)
Planning a 6 night award stay here end of August so all construction should not be an issue. Is there a Club Lounge? No resort fee? Just parking?
Rooms certainly look spacious. |
Originally Posted by CIT85
(Post 29378787)
Sorry about your experience. I was told by Plat Concierge that Hapuna Beach will become Westin on 2/19. So I think you gambled on early timing and lost.
I have a 5 night stay on award booked for Dec., expecting all transition pains to be over.
Originally Posted by stevengodfrey1
(Post 29436286)
Planning a 6 night award stay here end of August so all construction should not be an issue. Is there a Club Lounge? No resort fee? Just parking?
Originally Posted by Cledaybuck
(Post 29437786)
Looks like there is $30+tax/day resort fee. Other sites say that includes self parking, but there doesn't seem to be any mention on the hotels site of what that includes. They just expect you to fork over the money.
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Originally Posted by jpdx
(Post 29438883)
There was no club lounge when we stayed, and I can't imagine there will be one. Doesn't seem to be a Marriott thing (and also isn't a Westin requirement afaik).
I would like to stay at Hepuna, but what concerns me is the property staff and management haven't changed since the Westin affiliation and, as a result, may not be trained or accustomed to providing benefits to SPG elites. The staff and management seem to be holdovers from when this was flagged as a Prince hotel. |
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