Posts: 4
From:
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 04-03-2005 21:17            

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Just got back from a week in Ko' Olina (2 BR OV)

FANTASTIC condo. Roomy and comfortable with three balconies and great views. Nice people. The food at the JW Marriott Ihilani up the beach is OK, but not great. Roy's at the Ko' Olina Golf Club 2 minutes away is fantastic.

So if the rooms are A+ and the staff is great, why am I worried? Well, I reviewed the master plan for the area. There are 4 beautiful lagoons. Ultimately lagoons 1 and 2 will be occupied by the JW and a Ritz-Carlton being planned as well as a larger upscale hotel with a $500 million "dolphin experience" like the one in Kona. That leaves lagoons 3 and 4 for the Marriott timeshare. During my stay, 125 Marriott units were complete and full. When the development is complete, there will be more than 700 units! Good luck finding a spot of free sand on the beautiful lagoon in 2007. The planned pools are woefully inadequate.

Ko' Olina? A beautiful part of Oahu that may soon resemble Lahaina or even worse, Waikiki.

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Posts: 619
From: Yorba Linda, CA USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 04-04-2005 11:08               

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Don't fully agree with your scenario, but that's what makes the world 'go round'.
I have heard/read there is to be a Ritz-Carlton Hotel and a Ritz-Carlton Timeshare next to the Ko'Olina MVCI Timeshare. Had not heard of the 500 room upscale hotel with Dolphin Experience'. There is to be a 'world class' aquarium around the Marina area.
Certainly, after it's all built out ... who knows when & if ...around 2012 it may be a bit more crowded. All 4 lagoons are available to all people, including locals, as Hawaiian beaches are not private. Pools don't bother me, as I would only drown. Could do that in the ocean too.

More crowded maybe, but as far as the area becoming another Lahaina or Waikiki, I would seriously doubt it. The characteristics are vastly different. Ko'Olina proper is a contained residential/resort area with it's own security force and HOA's. Occassionally we receive stuff from the Ko'Olina HOA (thru Marriott) that says things such as all golf carts have to be the same color, no kite flying, no rollerblades, etc.
I'm not worried.
Do agree about the Marriott Ko'Olina resort. Really nice with an exceptionaaly 'Aloha' friendly staff.

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Posts: 33
From: USA
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 04-04-2005 11:34            

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I don't agree either. Waikiki is a city, whereas Ko'Olina is purely a residential area with what is planned to be a few resorts along the lagoons. And ZCar is correct in alluding to the strict HOA rules governing the area. Jeff Stone, the main developer, has said he envisions Ko'Olina to be something like Wailea on Maui, consisting of upscale shopping, dining and such, but for it to NOT be another Waikiki. I'm not worried either.

For those interested, here's a link to an article discussing the billion dollar Grand Ko'Olina http://starbulletin.com/2005/01/08/news/story1.html

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Posts: 619
From: Yorba Linda, CA USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 04-04-2005 13:31               

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Hi Buzzmom,
Thanks for the link. Only about 7-1/2 months to go, but later this month it's Kauai and Maui for a week each. Rough, huh?

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Posts: 10
From: BWV, OKW
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 04-04-2005 18:29               

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A few facts:
Between Ihilani, Grand Ko Olina, the Ritz and the Ko Olina Beach Club there will be 2,350 rooms. We bought last week, and with about 25% of the [lanned capacity already in existence, the lagoons were virtually DESERTED. I can't see them becoming Waikiki. Plus, the Grand Ko Olina is going to be patterned after the Atlantis in Nassau. In short, an extremely upscale area where you can walk to the beach or to the Marina for some whale watching, or to the shark aquarium. Paradise cove is down the beach. Check out the hotel websites for further facts.

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Posts: 33
From: USA
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 04-04-2005 21:06            

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When I grow up, I wanna live like ZCar! Well, I shouldn't complain. We leave for our place at Ko'Olina in 4 days. Woo hoo!! Gosh, I love that place. I never forget how fortunate we all are that we can afford to go to these amazing places.

I'm sure the lagoons will be more crowded than they are now once it's fully built out. But I have confidence in the original vision of the developers, and believe that I will never regret our purchase.

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Posts: 4
From:
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 04-05-2005 05:43            

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Thanks folks. I feel better now. Wailea is one of my favorite spots in the islands, so if Ko' Olina plans a Wailea-style build out it will still be nice.

I bought Ko' Olina based on a friends recommendation before I ever visited the site. I was not disappointed. What a beautiful place. Like Wailea, it's on the dry side of the island. Pretty hard to miss with the weather. During my visit, I drove to the north side (Turtle Bay) to play golf. I met a fellow from New Jersey who was finishing his first week in Hawaii. He had rain all week. One hour away in Ko' Olina, I had sun all week.

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Posts: 619
From: Yorba Linda, CA USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 04-05-2005 09:48               

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Buzzmom,
Don't grow up.You'll just get old. E-mail promptly me and I have have a few thoughts for you for Ko'Olina. Tag it so it doesn't look like spam. (Well, not Spam in Hawaii).

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Posts: 33
From: USA
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 04-05-2005 10:58            

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ZCar - I emailed you. Hope ya received it.

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Posts: 17
From:
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 04-08-2005 19:58               

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I just did an internet search on Ko'Olina and came up with a tour company that does boat tours (snorkelling, dolphin-watching) to the Ko'Olina area and they stop at the lagoons. Just wondering if these types of tours are goig to create a problem with crowding. I know all beaches are public and that is really cool, but I don't want to buy if it is goig to become a tourist attraction. We really want something more secluded and less crowded. Any thoughts on this? Thanks

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Posts: 619
From: Yorba Linda, CA USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 04-09-2005 10:10               

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Stefa,
I doubt if those lagoons/cove beaches will really be crowded, at least not for a few years. I hadn't heard of a tour that came to Ko"olina and stopped, but, of course, that doesn't mean one hasn't started. I know of tours that begin at the Marina though. Any tour boat would be unable to enter the lagoons/coves, I think. Maybe someone can post a photo of a cove entrance to show why a boat could not enter (or maybe that one could!)

Ko'Olina is more secluded, too much so for some people, but being only 30 minutes or so from the airport, with one (so far) guarded entrance.

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