Ka'anapali time-share to grow
By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer
Marriott Vacation Club International is planning a roughly $100 million addition to its Ka'anapali time-share project, Maui Ocean Club Resort, in anticipation of continued growth in Hawai'i's rapidly expanding vacation-ownership market.
The company is getting ready to prepare a draft environmental assessment, according to the state and Steve Busch, Marriott Vacation's regional vice president for development and construction.
According to preliminary plans, the expansion project would increase the Maui Ocean Club by about 50 percent, with 146 more units in two 10-story buildings constructed on each side of the existing two-tower resort.
Construction is projected to begin in 2005 after conversion of the resort's Lana'i Tower from hotel rooms to time-share units, Busch said.
Marriott Vacation began transforming the 23-year-old former Maui Marriott from a 720-room hotel into 312 time-share units two years ago.
The first half of the original $63 million project has been completed by converting the Moloka'i Tower of the hotel into 153 time-share units and renovating the hotel pool and other guest facilities.
The second half of the conversion, the Lana'i Tower, is scheduled in three phases beginning in late April and finishing in 2005.
Busch said sales of time-share intervals have been good, and lead the pace of construction.
"We build in concert with the sales pace," he said. "We think Hawai'i is a premium destination. It is a prime market for timeshare. We believe it will continue to grow and we are investing accordingly."
The state's time-share market is being expanded by players including Fairfield Resorts Inc., which earlier this month bought 76 condominium-style units at Royal Sea Cliff Resort on the Big Island, Alexander & Baldwin Inc.'s Kukui'Ula resort on Kaua'i as well as Starwood, Hyatt and Hilton hotel chains.
Marriott is also finishing construction of a time-share tower at Ko Olina on O'ahu's Leeward Coast. Through 2005, roughly 20 time-share projects in the works around the state are scheduled to be completed.
On Maui, Marriott's $100 million time-share addition plans also include demolishing existing ballroom space, a parking structure, most at-grade parking, tennis courts, a lu'au area and an exercise facility.
The facilities would be replaced with two new pools, two parking structures and landscaping. According to plans, the changes would result in dramatically increased open space on the property.
The deadline to submit public comments on the proposed project is Nov. 22. Comments should be addressed to Marriott Vacation Club with copies submitted to the to the Maui County Planning Department, consultant Chris Hart & Partners Inc. and the state Office of Environmental Quality Control.
More information can be obtained from the offices of Environmental Quality Control on all major islands or online at www.state.hi.us/health/oeqc/index.html.
Reach Andrew Gomes at agomes@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8065.
