After a year-long hiatus from travel to focus on health, I finally decided it was time to dip my toes back into the waters and go on vacation. To keep things simple and close to home, we used my Westin timeshare StarOptions for a week at the Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort in Cancun, Mexico. (NOTE: I have since sold my Vistana Starwood Ownerships as they no longer aligned with my lifestyle.)
This is a mish-mash of the original review I wrote back in January 2009 and my updated review following my visit in May 2013. I was in desperate need of a vacation after the Christmas season in 2009, so we decided to head to Kauai. This time, we were celebrating the graduation of my stepdaughter from high school. This was my fourth trip to the Hawaiian Islands and my second time to Kauai. After both stays, I think if I ever return to Hawaii (which I will!), I will always make Kauai a part of my itinerary.
I first stayed at the main Westin Kierland Resort back in 2005 when I first moved out to Arizona. I have continued to stay at the main resort since then because it’s far enough from home to call it a vacation, yet close enough to not be stressful; it happens to be next door to one of my favorite shopping centers, and it is home to one of the best mojito bars in the Valley. As I stated in my upcoming trip annoucement, my mom made good use of my Starwood Vacation Ownership week at the villa side of the resort this time around. I had previously toured the property, but oddly enough, had never stayed there. I thought for sure that we would find ourselves over at the main resort almost everyday since it would be far superior to the villas, but we only ever went to the main resort to enjoy our mojitos at Deseo’s! The rooms were quite nice- we were lucky enough to enjoy a two bedroom lock-off the first night since I had booked one night for myself before leaving my family to their vacation for the week. The premium one bedroom side of the lockoff is amazing: a huge kitchen, living room with fireplace, double vanity sinks in the bathroom with a giant walk in shower and jetted tub, and a nice Heavenly king bed. We commented that it would be a nice one bedroom condo for retirement! The smaller one bedroom side was similar, but did not have the larger kitchen, the fireplace, the walk in shower or the double vanity sinks. The bedroom also had a queen bed instead of the king. Our rooms were in Building 2, on the 3rd floor, which overlooked the activity pool and was next to the lobby area. There were absolutely no noise issues at all.
We love to travel to Palm Springs and use our timeshare because it’s only a three hour drive and a lot like being at home without actually being at home! This resort has received some negative reviews, but as a Starwood Owner, I know they have a great deal of construction still ongoing at this property and this property will improve upon most of the negatives as it continues to grow! It’s only a 1/4 of it’s true size! Starwood Vacation Ownership Properties vary a bit in how they are set up and run from standard Westin resorts, so that too lends itself to some confusion if you are not accustomed to the Vacation Ownership experience. For example, you won’t get room service here, nor should you expect it at SVO properties. Also, they usually will not recognize your Starwood status. You get what you book. It’s very rare that they will upgrade, but it has happened. You will earn points for your stay if you book using the timeshare option, but you do not earn points for anything else since your room cost is part of what you own. So my suggestion is that if you want a true resort experience with Starwood, make sure you do not book at a SVO property.
As I mentioned above, Desert Willow is a growing resort. The first phase thus far is very nice, with an exceptional golf course and friendly pool side service. You can choose to bring your own food or drinks with you to the pool, as we normally do, but we always reserve one or two days to be pampered. We actually just end up walking back to our room at lunchtime and cooking our own meals in our own kitchen. At Desert Willow, you also have the option of taking the golf cart shuttle to and from the room! The rooms are very modern, with colors to reflect the desert. Tans and greens create a soothing environment, just like a typical Westin. We stayed in a one bedroom unit, but took a peak at the larger portion of the of the lockoff suite and thought that much nicer. Not that our room wasn’t nice, but I like having the larger kitchen. We actually own a 2 bedroom lockoff, but stayed in the smaller one bedroom to save on StarOptions. When Desert Willow is complete, it will have more than just one pool area swarming with families, better access to dining, and it will be much more spread out. Construction will continue well into 2012 or beyond. They had some buildings under construction while we were there, but we did not notice any noise or issues.
I can say that the whole timeshare thing is a mixed blessing. It has saved us a lot of money, because going to Palm Springs costs the same as just being home, but having the timeshare locks you in to a set vacation each year. For me, it’s difficult because I’m always traveling to different places. Timeshares are great for those who really enjoy an area and want to go back each year, and I guess in my case, going to Palm Springs every other year (I don’t own annually there) is not so terrible! I may end up selling my unit at some point, but until then, we’ll plan on our Palm Springs adventure in 2012!
I visited the island of Aruba for a week with some friends for a nice vacation. I exchanged my Starwood Vacation Ownership-Westin timeshare in St. John, USVI, for something a little more lively and entertaining, but of course, relaxing! I chose the Renaissance Ocean Suites in downtown Oranjestad because it is located in the thick of things since my friends wanted to be within walking distance of shopping, restaurants, and nightlife.
We went to the all-inclusive Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort & Spa in St. Thomas (now Sugar Bay Resort and not affiliated with Wyndham) and the Westin St. John Resort in mid July 2005. Our main reason for traveling was to attend a friend’s wedding in St Thomas at the Wyndham, but we thought it would be nice to extend it for a few days. (more…)