Report Abuse
[Q=55amg] [Q=steven2090] [Q=jimw143] FYI, All Time Share maintenance fees in Hawaii are going up this year. Hawaii revalued property in 2006 and so it impacted everyone. I also own a week in Maui and the same thing happened there. Ugh! Ko Olina was also hit a bit harder this year because the developer subsidy ended. This was money the developer paid MVCI for the uncompleted units. Although construction continues, the subsidies are gone. As an owner, you should have received a letter in late November or early December explaining why maintenance fees went up so drastically. Although I stay at my Ko Olina property almost every year, I have not any any trouble trading out for another location since Hawaii is the #1 requested trade. However, I try to stay within Marriott VCI as you have priority within II over non-Marriott owners. There is some talk that Marriott plans to start doing its own exchanges, but that is a couple years away yet. With regard to bonus weeks, they are only given on property, like Ko Olina, where the demand is high. Its an incentive to trade your week. Hope this helps shed some light.[/Q] Not totally correct, I own Marriott in Horizon, Orlando, FL the cheapest resort you could buy at the time from Marriott. I have never had any problem transferring into Hawaii, I own a 2 bedroom, and usually go for a one bedroom, last year I requested and received a 2 bedroom in Ko-Olina. Here were my tranfers, 2002 Marriot Kuai, 2003 Marriott Ko-Olina, 2004 II Transfer to Puerto Rico, 2005 Marriott Ko-Olina 2 bedroom, 2006 Marriott Ko-Olina, and purchased a week at Hilton Hawaiian Village for $1,200 on Red Week.[/Q] How far in advance did you make your request and how far in advance did you deposit your week in Florida to be able to trade in Hawaii???[/Q] Normally I can not do it before 6 months because of my sechedule: When I went to Kaui I did it myself off Interval's website. The first Ko-Olina trip was probably 6 months in advance. The second time when I received the two bedroom was Aug or Sept for a Dec travel date, same year. This year was earlier like May or June for a Dec. travel date. I do not travel on major holidays, or the summer. But then I live in Virginia Beach a resort town, so I really don't want to go to Hawaii in the summer anyway. Hope this helps. If you are a Marriott member they will work to get you in. My thought on time shares is buy the cheapest Marriott resort you can in a good location like Orlando. I own Orlando Red Time (summer time), then trade it. Hey want to hear something else, our units were originally non-lock off two bedrooms, now they are lock off bedrooms. Also for some unkown reason have to call Interval, Interval gave me a free week this year. Maui and Kaui are easy to get into anytime of the year, you can do that off the II web site on your own. But if you really want a little bit of heaven, spend your first week at Ko-Olina or your second, then rent another week at Hilton Hawiian Village (check for the construction, terrible noise when we went). Try