bosmikeyb

I recently got an invite (thanks Caroline!) for the Westin Maui, five nights for $749. Includes Avis rental car ($185) and $75 for dinner.

Has anyone taken advantage of this package? Is there any downside I should be aware of? Did you use Gold or Plat status to be upgraded? I'm a Gold, so I'm hoping for placement in the Beach Tower.

Jeeves

I got the same offer in the mail recently. I thought it was a pretty good deal at $150/night. It's tempting.

Do you earn starpoints on the package purchase price?

Does anyone know if there are similar packages for any of the other Hawaiian properties?

I know this is all part of a plan to sell you a time share but I can deal with that.

CPRich

I'm booked for a stay in mid-August, along with a week on other islands with a MR island-hopper award (thanks again, Caroline!!). There was also a similar thread to get your name on an invite to Princeville on Kauai that I just received on email about. Maybe that will be next summer....

From our discussions with the folks on the property, no timeshare/vacation ownership sales pitch is involved, other than the "we want you to experience it - we think it sells itself". I have heard that once you are there, you can choose to attend a seminar for an additional offer of $$/points, but it's not required as part of the package.

I haven't called Avis yet, but since I found a rate for a full-size car for $161 all-in, I'm hoping the $185 will cover the car for all 5 days.

svenskaflicka

Trust me, this is a time share pitch. Of the many times I have stayed at the Westin I learned that this is to pitch the time share down the street from the Westin. There are no upgrades because the price is so low. This info I got from one of the front desk staff. They thought it was funny that the people coming in at this rate would dare even ask for upgrades. The rooms are at the front of the hotel overlooking the parking lot. If you get a high enough floor you may see the mountains. I did not stay at the rates you have been quoted, but I did listen to the pitch and the guy was ruthless. This is very high pressure sales at it's best. If you don't mind enduring this and many other families there on the same bargain rates and being at the front of the hotel then go for it. Afterall it's Maui. The Westin has become so crowded with families staying there on these bargain rates that we don't visit there anymore. The whole hotel has been taken over by the timeshare people. We had three or four messages a day on our phone from these people wanting us to attend. The try to break you down by hounding you to death to attend. This is not my idea of a vacation. I remember when the Westin was a nice peaceful hotel...pre timeshare. You could actually find a lounger by the pool after 8:00 am and you could get a seat immediately for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Our room would actually be cleaned before 4:00 PM. (not anymore) There were only adults at the adult pool and if you wanted pool service you could get it in less than 45 minutes, which is about what it takes now.

I miss it there, but I don't miss the crowds and the constant noise of screaming children running up and down the hallways. There is no more relaxation there.

bnaboy

Sorry to hear about your experience. I was there in February, on a non discounted rate, and had a wonderful time. I was never called about a time share presentation but sought one out on my own at both Westin and Marriott. I would describe neither as high pressure. I walked out of Westin presentation w/o buying and was treated well, given everything I had been promised and offered a return visit within next 12 months at a rate similar to the ones described above. A couple of weeks after I got home, with no further contact from them, I re-initiated contact and ended up bying a timeshare from them.

bosmikeyb

Svenska -- How long ago did you stay? Sounds like your experience is different than other FT'ers...

deant

How did you get the invitation? My wife and I are thinking of going to Maui this summer and 5 nights for $750 would be fantastic.

Thanks.

bosmikeyb

A FT member has some invitations for the program and that she offered up for members... I assume hers are all gone by now, but perhaps someone else here can recommend you.

CPRich

You're probably out of luck for this summer. I was in on the original request and squeezed in a visit returning the Saturday before school starts. They were full up to then, and that was 2 weeks ago.

On the positive side, the offer is good for 18 months - with the other coupons it nets out to $100/night. No, I'm not expecting an upgrade

The offer came from someone on FT who either already owns a timeshare or had just stayed there. If they ask me for referrals, I'll post here.

svenskaflicka

I think it's just that we have been over there so many times now that we like to stay away from the crazy part of the island. We prefer the quieter area's. If you have children then this is the place for you. One year pre-timeshare we stayed there for 52 days (at different times) and it was heaven. Now it's always packed. They now have the stay at one, play at all so it's hard to find a pool chair and you hear screaming all day long from so many children. There are people coming to use the pool from the Sheraton so it's impossible to get any peace and quiet. We love the staff there. We made some nice friends. It's really for families now. We have also seen the prices jacked up so many times for all the little things. Now they charge for beach chairs (not the covered ones) and the "free" internet access is not free anymore. They have since added it into the resort fee. It has changed in many ways that we don't care for, but that's not to say that everyone will feel the same way. We just know what it was like pre-timeshare and post timeshare. We hate the changes.

bosmikeyb

Yeah, I'm with you. We don't have kids either, and if we wanted that experience we'd stay at the Grand Wailea. On the other hand, at these prices we wouldn't be able to stay anywhere else nearly as nice, and we can't afford anything much more expensive. So for us, it might still be a good deal. I paid about the same price for the Diamond resort up the mountain a bit in Wailea (the Japanese one) a few years ago; the rooms were huge and it was incredibly serene, exactly what we were looking for. But my last check on Expedia had rooms there at $300 a night.

Hmm... I'll have to give it more thought.

CPRich

Also be aware that, as I suspected before I called today, the Avis reservations are at the equivalent of the Rack Rate.

In advance of receiving my confirmation, I reserved a car at Avis - Full size, 5 days, for $133, or $167 after taxes. 5 days rental through the package deal is $282, or 70% higher. So the net value of the Avis $185 coupon is actually about $70.

Assuming you would have spent the $75 on property anyway, so it is really worth face value, it still works out to $121/night.

l etoile

I think you're confusing offers. The promotion people are talking about requires no timeshare pitch. Here's a long thread about the offers: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ht=Princeville

This about sums it up though:
$798 for 5 nights at Princeville for two people; no timeshare presentation required; $185 Avis credit; and 8000 SPG points or $100 resort cert for dining spa , etc. You have 18 months to visit, but must pay half up front and the balance when you select your dates.

$749 for 5 nights at Westin Maui; no attendance at presentation required; $185 Avis credit (probably a points or resort credit here too)

I received the Princeville offer and there is absolutely no requirement to attend a timeshare pitch and I confirmed this with the agent on booking as there is no way in the world you will ever catch me at one. The letter that accompanied the offer claimed we received it because they want to "reintroduce us to The Luxury Collection." This makes some sense as we haven't been to one in some time having switched most of our stays to Hiltons.

svenskaflicka

Wow, this IS a new one on me. It just seems weird that a lot of people say how jammed it is at the Westin Maui and yet they are trying to get more people in there? Perhaps it is always so crowded because the people there are the people that they send this pitch to. More power to the people that take up this offer. Just be warned about how insanely busy the place is.

bosmikeyb

Anyone else with experiences on this trip?