As Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, approaches its 10th anniversary, its Disney Vacation Club villas are receiving some overdue TLC.
Aulani’s DVC villas are in the midst of a refurbishment. The soft goods, including carpet, drapes, and upholstery, are being refreshed as well. But unlike the soft goods refurbishments conducted at other DVC resorts — where new designs replace the old soft goods—- Aulani is keeping much of its same colors, textures, and patterns in the villas.
Refreshed eating area in one-and two-bedroom villas
Some hard goods are also being replaced including kitchen appliances in the one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas, TVs are being upgraded to smart TVs in all villas that will allow guests to stream Disney+ and other services from their other devices.
New kitchen appliances
Aulani will not be installing the new Murphy-style sofa beds that other DVC resorts at Walt Disney World are getting. It is staying with the conventional sofa beds that have been in place since the resort opened in 2011.
New sofa and upholstery, but same pattern and colors as before
This project is something of a hybrid between DVC's typical soft goods refurbishment and a full "tear down to the drywall" hard goods project. Normally a soft goods refurbishment is scheduled about 7 years into a resort's life with the major hard goods renovation following at 14 years.
Side chairs in model villa
According to Aulani cast members, the refurbishment may take until the end of 2021 before all villas are updated. In mid-August 2021, the villas on floors 9 and 10 on the Ewa (south) side of the resort were cordoned off and undergoing refurbishment. Based on the upgraded carpet on the floors above the construction floors, it appears that the villas on floors 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16 on the Ewa side have completed their refurbishments.
Refreshed hallway carpet off elevator alcove
The Ewa villas have room numbers ranging from xx50 to xx89. It does not appear any of the DVC villas or hotel rooms on the Waianae (north) side have started to be refreshed at this time. The Waianae villas are numbered xx01 to xx13.
Wil Lovato is a contributor to DVCNews.com and has been a Disney Vacation Club owner since 2009. His DVC Home Resorts include Bay Lake Tower, Animal Kingdom Villas, and Aulani. He can be found posting on many Disney discussion forums under the username of “wdrl.”
