Guess what? A Marriott Vacation Club property is coming to Waikiki! But, unlike other Vacation Club properties in Hawaii, this one is going to be on the smaller side and will be in a rather unusual location.
At the moment, Oahu is home to only one Marriott Vacation Club (MVC) property out in Ko Olina. It’s a gorgeous area that’s popular with many visitors, but sometimes you want to be closer to all the action. Hence, executives with MVC are looking to build a new location in Waikiki.
Location
As reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the site for the proposed Marriott Vacation Club development is the site of the former Niketown in Waikiki, now known as King Kalakaua Plaza. Located between Kalakaua Ave and Kuhio Ave, the building is but an empty shell and has been for the past nine years. The nearest landmark to the building is the newish Ritz-Carlton Residence Waikiki, which is right across the street. The Courtyard Waikiki Beach, by the way, is about two blocks away from the Ritz too. That means the site is a quick, three-minute walk from restaurants like Bill’s Hawaii and Hard Rock Cafe. However, the Beach Walk shopping complex is nine minutes away, while the Royal Hawaiian Center and more are even farther.
Details
Not much is known about the proposed project at this time. What we do know is the new Marriott Vacation Club property will likely be a seven-story, U-shaped building with 110 timeshare units. Those units will occupy the upper five levels of the building. However, there is no word on what the developers will place on the bottom two floors. Two basement levels will house 200 parking stalls.
Marriott Vacation Club Property Coming to Waikiki, Final Thoughts
This new development, while not in an ideal location, is likely exciting for MVC owners. But, it’s such a small development, I’m sure it’ll always be filled. That said, I’d much rather see new hotel development, as it brings more jobs to the economy than timeshares do. But, something is better than nothing. Especially for a site that’s been vacant for so long. Oh, and if the project does move forward, the developers expect to break ground in the spring of 2021.