CHARACTER

We found paradise at the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club, a Marriott Vacation Club (MVC) resort property. This beautiful hotel offers 550 one, two and three-bedroom villas across several buildings, giving guests plenty of space to spread out and enjoy themselves.  

SETTING

The resort is located on the island of Oahu, surrounded by an upscale gated community with easy access to the beach and Pacific Ocean.

This area, known as Ko Olina, lies on the west side of the island and generally offers sunny and dry weather. Here you will find calm waters great for snorkeling, swimming, and dolphin watching.

OUR PERSPECTIVE

We used 1,290 MVC points to book 4 nights at the Ko Olina Beach Club. Average price during Christmas for a guest room facing the mountain is $620/night. 

THE PROPERTY

One side of the resort faces the ocean, the other side offers mountain views. The entire property was well maintained and landscaped. The lush grounds, tropical flowers, water fountains, and spectacular ocean views were enough for us to never want to go home! This resort is on one end of Ko Olina near the marina. On the other end is the Four Seasons Hotel. Connecting the two properties is a lovely, paved walkway that offers the most stunning sunset views. 

ROOM

We booked this property late and the only rooms available were the guest rooms with a mountain view. This was perfectly okay with us since we didn’t spend much time in the room. The room was equipped with a coffee pot, tea kettle, microwave, and small fridge. We sat on the balcony each morning and watched the sun come up. While we did not have a washer and dryer in the room, a free laundry facility was on site. Other room types would normally have a washer and dryer located in the room.

FOOD & DRINKS

The property offers two onsite restaurants. Longhi’s Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For breakfast, we enjoyed pancakes and lobster eggs benedict. For Christmas dinner we feasted on prime rib and potatoes. This open-air restaurant offers multiple views of the grounds and the ocean. Longboard’s Bar & Grill is between 1 of the 3 pools and the beach. While we did not eat there, we did sip on a couple of delicious frozen cocktails. Also, typical of vacation club properties are onsite markets where you can purchase food, snacks, drinks, and gift items. This property had one of the largest and best stocked markets that I’ve seen from our visits at other MVCs. 

SERVICE

As a Presidential Member of Marriott Vacation Club, we were offered complimentary shuttle service from the Honolulu airport to the resort, which was easy to arrange in advance of our stay. This was a nice touch since the airport is about a 30-minute drive. Unfortunately, the shuttle service on Christmas Eve was running significantly behind, enough so that we hired a taxi. The resort quickly resolved the matter and issued us a hotel credit for the cost of the taxi. The hotel employees were kind, thoughtful, and warm. We did not encounter anyone to the contrary. The resort was full and it was clear everyone was working overtime to meet the needs of the guests.

CONCLUSIONS

Who should stay here?

Stay at the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club if you are looking for a relaxed space that offers stunning views from every angle. If you have children or are planning a family get together, this resort will fit your needs.

Who should not stay here?

Don’t stay if you are looking for a wild and crazy time. The vibe here is lowkey and mellow.

Our Recommendation

We recommend spending 1 or 2 nights at The Royal Hawaiian and the rest of your time at the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club, especially if you have a family. This will give you a good taste of what different parts of the island have to offer.