Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas

This resort would be rated much higher except for the fact that Westin decided to offer "fixing" weeks/units for Preferred View Villas without notifying owners of record of this decision in a timely manner. This shows that Westin dosen't adequately value its existing owners. Available information suggests Westin intends to "fix" up to 50% of total resort villa weeks. If "fixing" is implemented to this extent, any owner who is either unable or unwilling to "fix" his or her weeks will be assigned a relatively unattractive unit at checkin. Anyone considering purchasing at this Resort should seriously consider the implications of this dramatic departure from Westin's traditional "floating" regimen!

My wife and 7-year old stayed here for the first time the week after Thanksgiving. It was truly a magnificent experience. The Villas are incredible - top quality in appearance, layout, bathroom, beds (Westin's Heavenly bed lives up to its name), and views. And my son had a blast at the Kid's pool, the Westin Kids' Club (they have a Wii...and take nature hikes to balance that out), and playing on the beach of nearby Hanalei Bay .

One thing that was great was the large market just a few minutes down the road. We dropped $250, and it lasted us almost 9 days (with a few nights eating out, of course). On our first night, I grilled some T-Bone steaks on one of the many BBQ's near the pool. A bottle of wine, a tasty meal, and a breathtakingly serene atmosphere in the most beautiful place on earth was the PERFECT way to start a holiday.

The grounds are impeccable, the staff helpful and friendly, and there's plenty to do to keep you occupied and interested. I'd list things to do, but the Concierge will help you with that...

Kauai is different from Maui. I love them both, as they offer different types of experience. You'll get a bit more activity from Maui, and if you're looking to find moments of extreme solitude and beauty, Kauai is the place to go. We were never bored here...not even close.

My one regret is that I didn't have a chance to play at the golf course next to the Villas. Next time.

We own a 2 bed room lock out and stayed in late January 2009- using only the premium one bed room half. Having bought, sight unseen, we were totally impressed by the layout, and the quality. The villas are absolute top quality where you don't hear anyone else, unless through an open window. We stayed in an end unit overlooking the ocean, and the unit has everything, including the most comfortable bed you've ever slept on and flat screens etc. The kitchen is well equipped and countered with granite marble surfaces -again very high quality. The pull out couch for sleeping is fine for one or kids, but two adults would spend some time meeting in the middle.

The restaurant serves very good food; the onsite store has most basics with a major plus being the full array from Starbucks; and the staff looks to help you in every way. Among the most impressive things are the pool/hot tub complexes, including the kids pool area. They are absolutely first class - frankly the best I have ever seen.

Another nice characteristic is the peaceful atmosphere. There are no jet skis or para- sales out front...simply ambling surf seen off the cliffs and frequently seen breaching whales. I am not sure that kids ages 5 to 16 would be very entertained here. Westin Princeville is IMHO the polar opposite of the Westin Maui resorts, which are absolutely packed with people and activities.The concierges do make every effort to match your activity requirements.

I played the Prince golf course which is adjacent and it is a very challenging course and among the highest ranked in Hawaii. As a 2 handicap, I absolutely had my hands full, yet the up tees keep the challenge fair. The Princeville Resort, just down the road is scheduled to reopen in late Summer where westin guests have full priledges, and the Makai Golf course is currently under renovation.

Negatives are few: The first is that there is no real beach access from the property although some attempt to represent that there is.. When the Princeville Resort reopens then there will be a nice beach complex, and Anini State Park below does require a drive. Yes, if you have climbed Mt. Everest you can walk down a very steep path fromthe Westin Princeville, but I promise you that you will stress test your heart for the journey back up. On the return journey up the hill, my heart rate tracked as if I were in a full sprint, and I'm in decent shape. The other negative is that Kauai is the rainiest place at its center on earth with over 450 inches of rain per year. The north shore at Princeville gets 85 inches of rain, so you are likely to get rain at some point in your stay. For us, it was mostly squalls although we had fun timing cooking steaks on the outside grills while there was a lot of rain; they came out perfectly, and fyi, the grills are fabulous...again first class. For January 2009 they have had 10 inches of rain in Princeville.

All in all, we'll be looking forward to returning even though we travel from the east coast.

We stayed here for one week the last week of August 2008. This resort is excellent in design, quality, service and location. Furnishing are superior to any I've seen in any timeshare. Appliances, plumbing fixtures, overall engineering and design are all high quality. One aspect that we thoroughly appreciated was the quietness inside the villa. Obviously sound-proofing was considered when constructing these buildings. We enjoyed every aspect of this resort. As long-time Marriott owners with time in Maui and Palm Desert, we are very loyal to Marriott but Westin has created a product that Marriott could learn from.

We will return to the Westin at Princeville.

Service and front desk were exceptional.

I'm here right now. These villas are awesome.

> Outside cooking areas close to at least three different pools > Wonderful view of the ocean from grounds and many rooms > Friendly staff > Willingness of staff to learn what their customers want in the resort while its being built and becoming fully operational > 5+ star rooms > Great food and beverage on-site