Aruba OCEAN CLUB Refurbishments UPDATE & PICTURES!

qlaval · Sep 2, 2009

As of today, the renovation is moving slightly ahead of schedule as floors five and six are completed and the fourth should be as well within the next two weeks.
The lobby too is moving along and should be 90% finished by next Tuesday.

***A warm & special thank you to Mr.Corey Guest who graciously provided these pictures.

LisaRex · Sep 2, 2009

The decorating looks a lot like the newer Westin TSs with clean lines and darker furniture. I hope this cabinetry is actual wood -- the Westins are using laminate, which looks nice but won't last long, especially in a high usage apartment. Similarly, the kitchen chairs look nice, but you'll be replacing them often.

billymach4 · Sep 2, 2009

Nice photos. This is really stylish!

Steve A · Sep 2, 2009

As an owner, and despite the long thread on the costs involved, I always believed that this was a desperately needed update. The place was really getting shabby.

Now if we could only keep those folks from the Surf Club out of our lounges.... LOL.

rachel · Sep 2, 2009

Wonderful! We are due to arrive November 20, 2009. We cannot wait. We have a 2 bdrm. Is there a specific location I should ask for to get at least pool/ocean view. I am not an owner. I rented through redweek.

Thanks,

rachel

Kelly&Sean · Sep 2, 2009

Just returned Saturday from the Ocean Club. Spent two weeks in a brand new room on the sixth floor. It was great, the rooms are beautiful. I did not get the lobby at first but they were doing the painting the last week I was there and to me it will be pretty cool when done.

Bob B · Sep 2, 2009

rachel said:
Wonderful! We are due to arrive November 20, 2009. We cannot wait. We have a 2 bdrm. Is there a specific location I should ask for to get at least pool/ocean view. I am not an owner. I rented through redweek.

Thanks,

rachel

Rachel,

Ask for rooms 5536/5537. We had those (it's the 1br and studio sides combined for a 2br lockout). It is the two bedroom unit in the North Tower that is closest to the Ocean, on the fifth floor, with a view south. You will have a very clear view of the Caribbean as well as down the beach towards the Holiday Inn and beyond. This also overlooks the OC pool. And, it sounds like that floor is now fully refurbished.

Sunbum · Sep 2, 2009

Too modern, not enough Caribbean feel

For the Islands, i'm not fond of the dark wood & black appliances. It looks like it should be in the city, not on an Island. The chandelier in the Lobby looks rediculous. I hope it was a gift from an owner!
Other than those pet peeves, the place looks awesome

Just MHO.

Thanks for posting them.

griffer331 · Sep 3, 2009

As an owner at the Ocean Club, I think these improvements were really needed. Over the past year we have stayed at Grand Ocean, Grand Chateau and St Kitts and all of these units put the Ocean Club to shame. With the new decor the Ocean Club will be on par with these other timeshares. The new decor looks awesome.

Thanks for posting Glaval.

m61376 · Sep 3, 2009

Sunbum said:
For the Islands, i'm not fond of the dark wood & black appliances. It looks like it should be in the city, not on an Island. The chandelier in the Lobby looks rediculous. I hope it was a gift from an owner!
Other than those pet peeves, the place looks awesome
Just MHO.

Thanks for posting them.

There are multiples of those chandeliers in the lobby, each at a cost of something like 18K if I remember reading correctly

I didn't get them either- but beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

rachel · Sep 3, 2009

Thanks Bob, its worth a try for those rooms.

Maybe my taste is strange....I kinda like that chandelier

IngridN · Sep 3, 2009

Reminds me of a Chihully (sp?) except that I like his work much better!

Ingrid

sun&fun · Sep 3, 2009

As for the chandeliers, beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. This beholder is not in love with them, but at least they seem compatible with an island color scheme. I hate the cold, dark renovated lobby of the hotel. It lost it's Caribbean charm in favor of urban chic.

m61376 · Sep 3, 2009

sun&fun said:
As for the chandeliers, beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. This beholder is not in love with them, but at least they seem compatible with an island color scheme. I hate the cold, dark renovated lobby of the hotel. It lost it's Caribbean charm in favor of urban chic.

I agree with you about the hotel lobby.
I'm not an owner at the OC, but my impressions when I saw the glass work in person was I couldn't quite understand why they spent roughly 100K on that when they were increasing fees so much, but admittedly if it was my taste I may have felt differently. The chandeliers and the wall mural glass certainly is colorful and has the Caribbean flavor. I guess I'm just partial to Murano glass work.

The decor of the villas looks very tasteful and consistent with the area. Sometimes these renovations try so hard to be chic that they lose their charm; fortunately the redo of the villas looks like money well spent.

OCsun · Sep 3, 2009

The new bathrooms look great! When I first saw the chandelier in the lobby I thought. . . WHAT THE HECK? While I was not happy about the special assessments, the units do look really nice and I am looking forward to my November vacation there. :whoopie:

modoaruba · Sep 3, 2009

Sorry,not impressed.

When are we getting the second assessment bill to pay for the eyes of the beholden?

Luckybee · Sep 4, 2009

Without once again getting into the merits of the situation someone pls tell me that in the master those very tiny drawers under the tv are NOT all they left us with for drawer space. Even with the big wall unit I had a hard time finding room for 2 or 3 weeks worth of stuff(and it is just hubby and I)...Im hoping (begging, praying or any other adjective one can think of) that the photos dont show the "other " drawer space. If that is it...and again all issues aside, I must say whoever did the design work was not considering practicalities...I mean comfort and convenience should be considered along with style. The 1 bedroom can be used by up to 6 people and the 2 up to 8......that cant be it can it?

Luckybee · Sep 4, 2009

Oh and on the chandelier....let me just say that that "thing " wouldnt be hanging in my home even if you gave it to me....but truly that is simply a matter of different strokes for different folks. As dh always says when we are looking for art of any kind the best art is what works for you

m61376 · Sep 4, 2009

Luckybee said:
Oh and on the chandelier....let me just say that that "thing " wouldnt be hanging in my home even if you gave it to me....but truly that is simply a matter of different strokes for different folks. As dh always says when we are looking for art of any kind the best art is what works for you

:rofl: That was my thought when I saw it in person. This is a case where the picture unfortunately does the "artwork" justice. But the colors are pretty.

luvmypt · Sep 4, 2009

modoaruba said:
When are we getting the second assessment bill to pay for the eyes of the beholden?

Unless there is more current news the last I've heard or read is the 2010 assessment bill will be included in this coming January's maintenance bill.

tmoscola · Sep 4, 2009

I think the new units look great. Although the kitchen is a bit dark for my taste.

LODISCOLEE · Sep 4, 2009

looks like the chandeliers are copies of the ceiling at the Bellagio - maybe the same artist did them ?? I think they look ok but hey I like the Bellagio

modoaruba · Sep 4, 2009

Good thing I don't spend much time in the room.Doesn't look like we're in Kansas anymore.

Since the AOC is known to have leaks,the last one was in July where the lobby ceiling was leaking,How secure are those works of art in the ceiling and are they insured?

Hate to see special assessments for the replacements of such fine arts

lovearuba · Sep 4, 2009

not caribbean

Those colors are a bit dark for the caribbean. I know darker wood is the trendy style and my bathrooms at home include that dark wood but for Aruba I would have preferred something light and fun, not dark and sleek. Again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Luckybee · Sep 4, 2009

LODISCOLEE said:
looks like the chandeliers are copies of the ceiling at the Bellagio - maybe the same artist did them ?? I think they look ok but hey I like the Bellagio

Funny...dh and I thought the same thing....and we like the Bellagio too....

but I just dont think they fit in as well in the beach enviorment(or in my house for that matter

Aruba OCEAN CLUB Refurbishments UPDATE & PICTURES!

qlaval

LisaRex

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rachel

Kelly&Sean

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