jerseyfinn
TUG Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2005
- Messages
- 760
- Reaction score
- 90
- Points
- 388
- Location
- Sedona AZ
- Resorts Owned
- MMB MVO
I've already made some initial comments about Oceana Palms ( MVO ). We spent 2 weeks on resort and my wife and I have just returned for another week. Armed with my previous insights, I offer these comments as we do this return visit in a corner ocean front unit which allows me to speak to most aspects of what a guest might experience here.
First off, conversations with other owners/guests during the 3 weeks we experience MVO reveal that folks are mostly blown away by what they see and experience. Marriott has nailed it in terms of aesthetics, & elegance combined with an informal, relaxing feel. While the villas have the 'wow factor', even this attribute is surpassed by the vista views from every balcony. Marriott listens very closely to guest surveys & 'wish lists' for this resort and among those wishes were a desire for larger balconies. I expect that the attribute most remembered by guests will indeed be the views. There is not one single unit in this first building that does not have a superlative view. In fact, every villa ( excepting the middle ocean front villa ) has a view of the ocean and the inland waterway. That middle ocean front villa instead has a 30 foot long balcony from which you're mesmerized by the ocean. The ocean view villas have a balcony similar to that ocean front middle villa, except that the balcony is not quite as long or wide ( but still very generous ). The two corner ocean front units have smaller balconies, but they are wrap-arounds which give unbelievable views.
Basically speaking, all of the 2BR non-lockoff villas have the same floor plan; this includes all of the ocean view units and the middle ocean front units. That said, the MBR in the ocean front unit is slightlly larger than that of the ocean view villa. Both have expansive MBR showers. The ocean view villa bedrooms have windows which reach to the floor and this affords a unique view below you -- you do not even have to get out of bed to enjoy it. The two corner ocean front villas also have bedroom windows which reach the floor. There is also a window in the dining room which makes for an extremely bright villa experience. I suspect that these corner ocean view villas will be the most requested view. That said, folks doing a longer stay or those who prefer clean linear lines and space might notice the narrower feel in these corner units as the kitchen is laid out in an 'L' and there are lots of angles and corners to navigate throughtout the villa. There also are lots of 'tight spaces' where closet & other doors compete/collide with each other for space. Additionally, the master bath/shower in the corner unit are much smaller than the middle ocean front unit, and the W/D are rather clumsily situation. But above all things, these corner units are about the view so some alterations were necessary to deliver this view.
The pool deck functions well and it's really nice to look at. Attendants are constantly realigning chairs to maintain that symmetric Ritz look and feel -- just another example of how Marriott is trying to tweak the guest experience. During our return visit, the weather is warmer and the resort feels a bit livelier than on our earlier visit. But lively does not imply noisey or crowded. Everyone is finding their own space here and the resort remains a quiet place.
The restaurant continues to tweak and innovate as does the Market Place. It's been interesting to witiness 'thinking on the fly' as the F&B folks listen to guests to seek out their ideas and preferences. The Market Place introduces on-site baked pastry as well as sandwiches and light fare that people seem to want to take out onto the beach. The restaurant serves breakfast 3 days a week ( and will expand that if demand requires it ) as well as pondering new menu items to a menu that is partly beach grill like other resorts while also offering more unique and distinctive tasty salads and wraps. I had remarked about the lack of hot dogs ( beach and hot dogs are an American past time ) and upon our return, we discover that not only do they now offer hot dogs, but they went out and acquired a shiny hot dog cart complete with umbrella which is parked at the beach entrance a few days a week. The innovation here at MVO is refreshing and reveals that this team is working hard to create a different sort of resort experience.
Lots of people are doing preview tours ( can you believe a waiting list to do a preview ? ). Can't speak to how sales are going, but they are selling units here and the first building is pushing 60% sold -- not bad in a recession. Occupancy at the resort in this more busy part of the platinum season has been over 90% and essentially full on certain nights. Yet one does not really notice the people. It's all part of the botique concept.
Folks trying to trade in (either to the ocean front or ocean view weeks) might want to queue up for the south side units as these units have the ocean/waterway views as well as the sunset. Then again, the north side ain't exactly a bad view either ( and could be the preferred view for the ocean view villas in the summer when that sun is gonna be pretty intense ). Keep in mind that requests will be prioritized by MVO multi-week & then single week resort owners occupying in season, & then MVC traders coming in followed by the rest of the pecking order. So there may not be many oceanfront south corners & limited ocean view south views for non-MVO owners. You'll have a great stay anyhow.
So I'm on resort a few days more and snapping photos of the corner ocean front unit which will pretty much help tell the visual story of the resort. I'll post those shots sometime next week. A rainy day today, but no cabin fever on our part with these vista views.
Barry
First off, conversations with other owners/guests during the 3 weeks we experience MVO reveal that folks are mostly blown away by what they see and experience. Marriott has nailed it in terms of aesthetics, & elegance combined with an informal, relaxing feel. While the villas have the 'wow factor', even this attribute is surpassed by the vista views from every balcony. Marriott listens very closely to guest surveys & 'wish lists' for this resort and among those wishes were a desire for larger balconies. I expect that the attribute most remembered by guests will indeed be the views. There is not one single unit in this first building that does not have a superlative view. In fact, every villa ( excepting the middle ocean front villa ) has a view of the ocean and the inland waterway. That middle ocean front villa instead has a 30 foot long balcony from which you're mesmerized by the ocean. The ocean view villas have a balcony similar to that ocean front middle villa, except that the balcony is not quite as long or wide ( but still very generous ). The two corner ocean front units have smaller balconies, but they are wrap-arounds which give unbelievable views.
Basically speaking, all of the 2BR non-lockoff villas have the same floor plan; this includes all of the ocean view units and the middle ocean front units. That said, the MBR in the ocean front unit is slightlly larger than that of the ocean view villa. Both have expansive MBR showers. The ocean view villa bedrooms have windows which reach to the floor and this affords a unique view below you -- you do not even have to get out of bed to enjoy it. The two corner ocean front villas also have bedroom windows which reach the floor. There is also a window in the dining room which makes for an extremely bright villa experience. I suspect that these corner ocean view villas will be the most requested view. That said, folks doing a longer stay or those who prefer clean linear lines and space might notice the narrower feel in these corner units as the kitchen is laid out in an 'L' and there are lots of angles and corners to navigate throughtout the villa. There also are lots of 'tight spaces' where closet & other doors compete/collide with each other for space. Additionally, the master bath/shower in the corner unit are much smaller than the middle ocean front unit, and the W/D are rather clumsily situation. But above all things, these corner units are about the view so some alterations were necessary to deliver this view.
The pool deck functions well and it's really nice to look at. Attendants are constantly realigning chairs to maintain that symmetric Ritz look and feel -- just another example of how Marriott is trying to tweak the guest experience. During our return visit, the weather is warmer and the resort feels a bit livelier than on our earlier visit. But lively does not imply noisey or crowded. Everyone is finding their own space here and the resort remains a quiet place.
The restaurant continues to tweak and innovate as does the Market Place. It's been interesting to witiness 'thinking on the fly' as the F&B folks listen to guests to seek out their ideas and preferences. The Market Place introduces on-site baked pastry as well as sandwiches and light fare that people seem to want to take out onto the beach. The restaurant serves breakfast 3 days a week ( and will expand that if demand requires it ) as well as pondering new menu items to a menu that is partly beach grill like other resorts while also offering more unique and distinctive tasty salads and wraps. I had remarked about the lack of hot dogs ( beach and hot dogs are an American past time ) and upon our return, we discover that not only do they now offer hot dogs, but they went out and acquired a shiny hot dog cart complete with umbrella which is parked at the beach entrance a few days a week. The innovation here at MVO is refreshing and reveals that this team is working hard to create a different sort of resort experience.
Lots of people are doing preview tours ( can you believe a waiting list to do a preview ? ). Can't speak to how sales are going, but they are selling units here and the first building is pushing 60% sold -- not bad in a recession. Occupancy at the resort in this more busy part of the platinum season has been over 90% and essentially full on certain nights. Yet one does not really notice the people. It's all part of the botique concept.
Folks trying to trade in (either to the ocean front or ocean view weeks) might want to queue up for the south side units as these units have the ocean/waterway views as well as the sunset. Then again, the north side ain't exactly a bad view either ( and could be the preferred view for the ocean view villas in the summer when that sun is gonna be pretty intense ). Keep in mind that requests will be prioritized by MVO multi-week & then single week resort owners occupying in season, & then MVC traders coming in followed by the rest of the pecking order. So there may not be many oceanfront south corners & limited ocean view south views for non-MVO owners. You'll have a great stay anyhow.
So I'm on resort a few days more and snapping photos of the corner ocean front unit which will pretty much help tell the visual story of the resort. I'll post those shots sometime next week. A rainy day today, but no cabin fever on our part with these vista views.
Barry
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