Improvements to Barony Beach Garden Pool area

I was pleased to see the newsletter from Barony Beach with improvements to the pool area of the Garden units. It is great to see these changes to the Garden units area.


The Garden Side Enhancement Project is probably the most exciting vision we have for the future of Barony. We have heard many times from our Owners and guests that the feature pool is overcrowded, everything is located on the Oceanside of the property, etc. This will no longer be the case! We approached the redesign with the idea of bringing the beach to the garden and tying in our resort theme, a “Playful Beachside Retreat”. While we are still finalizing the plans for this project, our goal is to create some neat water features that will appeal to all age groups. Below is a list of some of the features being considered:

The Camp Fire Pit – a natural setting with a camp-style fire pit placed within a maritime forest

Themed landscaping – indigenous plants and trees with historical and interpretive signage

The Salt Marsh Splash Pad – a splash pad with a marsh and wetland themed features with historical influences featuring water cannons, tidal buckets, geysers and many other water features

The Tidal Treasure Pool – literally a pool for all ages, featuring a zero entry with toddler water features, the swaying palm water feature, the Shark Shoals Water Slide and Lookout

Beach Combers and the Dune Spa – the beach in our little island paradise with tiki hut lounging on a beach sand surface and a secluded spa set within a dune style grass theme

The Hammock Lawn – a natural grass area for use with lawn games or for wasting a lazy day in a hammock

The Oasis Pavilion – a multi-use pavilion with a summer kitchen featuring five grills, wash area, picnic area and a fireplace

jd2601

Although I own an oceanside unit, I am excited about the improvements. My husband and I enjoy using the pool on the garden side. The tidal treasure pool should be a really bit hit with the younger crowd. This middle-aged person definitely plans on using the pool.

Joyce

No slide!???

What about a slide! The things my kids love the most at the newer resorts is the awesome slides which they will go down a hundred times over the course of a week....

How can they overlook that??!!

Just re -read it and I realize there IS in fact a slide, so I am happy to say I am quite excited about that and my kids will be overjoyed....Sorry, I read that too fast and missed that part....looking for trouble, I guess.

That sounds really awesome actually!!! We love Barony and own a bunch of weeks, but I always think that they could stand some updating on that front, so this is fantastic.....

You must have missed this ...

jd2601 said:

The Tidal Treasure Pool – literally a pool for all ages, featuring a zero entry with toddler water features, the swaying palm water feature, the Shark Shoals Water Slide and Lookout




jd2601

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We must have been posting at the same time ... those will be wonderful additions, don't you think? I agree it's time for an update.

I agree that these will be wonderful additions even though I might never use them. It will make the garden section more popular.......kind of like the wooded area at Oceanwatch........where people with small children may even request that section.

I own 2 gardenside weeks and am pleased that they are looking to improve this area.

But we need to note that this is only a list of some of the features being considered. It doesn't say that they will all be implemented.

aka Julie said:

I own 2 gardenside weeks and am pleased that they are looking to improve this area.

But we need to note that this is only a list of some of the features being considered. It doesn't say that they will all be implemented.

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hmmm...good point...

I think it's great they're looking to make outdoor improvements. In particular the firepit idea - SW recently put in a new multi-firepit area closer to the units and I really like it. In addition to the proposed gardenside changes, this one sounds really good. And it's to be funded by MVCI? Even better!

The Pool Bar and Grill Project will be at no cost to the Association as it will be funded by Marriott Vacation Club. This project includes relocating the pool bar to a more central location on the feature pool deck with better seating, access and a true restaurant style kitchen.

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The indoor 10-yr refurb has just been completed and we're looking forward to our visit in June to see how those look. (Except every time I visit a newly-done resort, I want to come home and fix up my house!)

Man, Barony just keeps getting better and better. Love it.

Thrilled

I own oceanside weeks but was (and continue to be) thrilled with the Board at Barony. Keeping costs down on a continuing basis and doing a great job IMO. But...the absolute best part as Sue said funded by Marriott! Love Barony!

SueDonJ said:

And it's to be funded by MVCI? Even better!

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Grande Vista recently finished it's Village Enhancement project.

We have completed our first of a kind endeavor, the “Village Enhancement Project”. This project involved turning the original exercise facility into The Spa at Grande Vista, creating a new larger exercise facility and introducing an open-air game pavilion. Additionally, we opened Grande Cove, our new bar and food and beverage outlet located on the north side of the Village Center facing the main pool area. The former Lighthouse Bar was converted to the Village Sweetery, a family oriented sweet shop where the entire family can enjoy ice cream and assorted sweets by the water. Also, there were additional improvements made to the MAZE activity area and The MarketPlace. These enhancements were developed in partnership by your Board of Directors and representatives from Marriott Vacation Club® International and the project was jointly funded through an agreement between the Grande Vista of Orlando Condominium Association, Inc., and Marriott Vacation Club.

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So MVCI has in the past either paid for or assisted in the costs of enhancement projects. Though as I understand it, the management company (MVCI) retains income garnered by the bars, grills, and Marketplaces. So I would expect them to assist in paying for the renovations of these areas.

I am all for paying for things that will enhance our vacation experience. Seeing MF increase without any improvements is defeating, but even with the high MF we pay for our properties, I am okay with it given the great resorts we get to stay at.

dioxide45 said:

Grande Vista recently finished it's Village Enhancement project.



So MVCI has in the past either paid for or assisted in the costs of enhancement projects. Though as I understand it, the management company (MVCI) retains income garnered by the bars, grills, and Marketplaces. So I would expect them to assist in paying for the renovations of these areas.

I am all for paying for things that will enhance our vacation experience. Seeing MF increase without any improvements is defeating, but even with the high MF we pay for our properties, I am okay with it given the great resorts we get to stay at.

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I agree completely.

Just a quick update. We were at Barony last week and wandered over to the garden area to see if anything had started over there, nothing yet. We were busy and didn't get to the owners' meeting, probably something was mentioned there about both the garden pool improvements and the main pool bar plans. And I think there was something in the last letter from the GM but I can't remember right now.

The in-unit refurb looks great! I love the fabric choices and how the whole package fits together for a "lighter" feel; it's not that color is missing or understated but instead the fabrics, especially the window treatments, aren't as heavy as before. The side chairs in the living area are now very comfortable. Very nice all around!

We tried a new restaurant for us, the Sea Grass Grille on 278 just past the Palmetto Dunes entrance heading south. Excellent! I had an asiago-encrusted tilapia that was delicious, the others had salmon, mahi-mahi and a pasta/clams dish. They don't offer a choice of sides but I think they change them up every day. The night we were there the potato dish was a very light au gratin-type that tasted of gruyere, and the vegetables were mixed grilled asparagus, broccoli, carrots and snap peas. It's pretty inside - low lighting, different printed cloth tablecloths on every table, different oil lamps, comfy chairs. We liked it very much and will go back.

With every trip I get more and more tired of having to take connecting flights, and we won't drive for a single-week trip. When we first started going to Hilton Head years ago there were direct flights every Fri, Sat and Sun between Boston's Logan to Savannah Int'l. For the last four years or so we've had to connect through Charlotte or DC or Atlanta and it's such a time suck even when we only leave enough time to get from gate to gate for the connection. From now on we're thinking that we'll search more to find whatever direct flights are available, or, we'll take one connection but fly into Hilton Head instead of Savannah. The little bit higher price will be well worth it.

This was our owner's week, we were placed in Unit 9647 in the Sea Oat building. Nice, got our "high floor" request. Here's our view:






We had clouds all week long but there wasn't much rain, maybe once or twice we had a shower. I missed seeing colorful sunsets and sunrises but there's always next time. A typical sunrise last week:


Don and I walked the beach one late afternoon from Barony north to the bridge. We met a couple who live there and told us that the beach restoration will begin Oct 1. They said they've lost 30-40 feet of beachfront in the last few years. This shows some of the erosion, I hope that tree manages to hang on until the restoration:


And here's my new favorite house from that stretch of the beach:


We saw a double rainbow when we went to Bluffton Friday night. It poured buckets on the way over but stopped before we got to the restaurant about 10 miles down 278. We were just in time to see it:


Okay, so maybe not such a quick update. Last picture to leave you with, from the butterfly garden over at Barony's garden area:


Enjoy!

Grea pics Susan! Thanks Funtime

Thanks for the pictures Susan. We have an exchange in April which will be our first time staying at Barony (we're GO owners). Looking forward to the stay.

We were at Barony the first week of September and they had drawings of the new garden pool in the lobby - it looked very, very nice. This was our first visit (exchanged in) and we absolutely loved it. I did feel there was room for improvement with overcrowding in the main pool area as well as some limits for kids' activities, both of which should be addressed with the new pool. I have two young ones so this addition is right up my alley. We left with our sights on a platinum resale week and curious how the DC program will affect HHI inventory moving forward...

We are just finishing up a week in the Garden Units. We really enjoyed how quiet and thought the pool and area is very nice. I hope we like it as much with the improvements.

We walked to the north many times. We saw the tree from Susan's pictures nightly. We own at Grande Ocean and this is our first visit as owners at Barony. They are both wonderful resorts. The same yet different.

I also thought I would miss Sea Pines. We walked on this section of beach so much we did not have time to miss the south side of the island.

jd2601

jd2601 said:

We are just finishing up a week in the Garden Units. We really enjoyed how quiet and thought the pool and area is very nice. I hope we like it as much with the improvements.

We walked to the north many times. We saw the tree from Susan's pictures nightly. We own at Grande Ocean and this is our first visit as owners at Barony. They are both wonderful resorts. The same yet different.

I also thought I would miss Sea Pines. We walked on this section of beach so much we did not have time to miss the south side of the island.

jd2601

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All the newest Marriott Resorts have the zero entry pool so that they are ADA compliant (Disability Act). Anyone know whether this new pool will be of the "zero entry" design?

Obviously the zero entry feature makes entry and exit very easy for everyone to use.





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The Tidal Treasure Pool – literally a pool for all ages, featuring a zero entry with toddler water features, the swaying palm water feature, the Shark Shoals Water Slide and Lookout.

Should be a zero entry pool. I was told they should begin early November and hope to be finished by summer.

jd2601

We just got confirmed into Barony for the last week of February through an II exchange, continuing a decade-long-plus tradition of vacationing in Hilton Head in the off-season. Our first stay ever on HHI was in Barony, New Year's week in 2000, in a gardenside unit. I think it must have been just after the resort opened. This was also our first Marriott exchange ever, and we've been hooked ever since (have to say, though, have never been really tempted to buy due to high MF, and now the whole DC conversion has me more skeptical.) Glad to know about the refurb to the units, and the plans to expand the gardenside amenities.

My question is: what's the best time frame for contacting the resort to make a request for either a high floor and/or an oceanside unit? Is there even a chance of this? Is there a specific unit/building I should request? Any ocean view would be great. (I remember that first gardenside unit was high enough that we looked over the Westin to get our limited ocean view.)I might have a resort map buried in a cabinet somewhere (where I keep travel mementos for my imaginary scrapbooking habit,) but I know some of you probably have this information at the tips of your fingers.

Thanks in advance for the advice, and I swear I'll be joining TUG soon.

Barony Owner

I own at the garden units and went Labor day week. This is my favorite resort. Glad to know about these enhancements.

I just returned from Barony and although I did not have an ocean view I was in an ocean building - Sea Oats on the third floor. The room was sunny and inviting (tree view) and we were just steps from the main pool. I traded through II using a Marriott gold one bedroom unit at Summit Watch. I did not have to ask for the Sea Oats building - it is off season and they just gave it to me. Funtime

Work has begun!

We are at Barony Thanksgiving week in the Gardenia building with a birdseye view of the demolition going on in the pool area.

Work begins about 9:00 and runs until sundown. At times it's been quite noisy (chainsaws cutting down trees, etc.).

Here are a few pics I took with my cell phone camera.



Tree trimmer cutting down tall trees near Jasmine building:



Picture from Friday morning, November 25, 2011:

Oooooh, nice "in progress" pics, Julie, thanks! There's something mesmerizing about watching big construction equipment, isn't there? I'd be out on the balcony for as long as I could stand the noise!

We'll be at SurfWatch after Christmas and hope to get over to Barony to see how it's progressing. If you're in the lobby at all can you snap a pic of the artist rendering? It'll be interesting to compare ...

Thanks for sharing the pictures. We are owners as well, and have only visited a few times prior, but I just realized that we have never even been to the garden unit pool, so I will be eager to see it when we return.

Thanks for the fabulous updates.

SueDonJ said:

We'll be at SurfWatch after Christmas and hope to get over to Barony to see how it's progressing. If you're in the lobby at all can you snap a pic of the artist rendering? It'll be interesting to compare ...

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I tried taking a picture but it didn't turn out very well -- can't read any of the many notations on the artist rendering.

I have to say as a silver multiple week owner, all this improvement means little to me since when we are at Barony in March and November, it's too cool to be in the Gardenside pool. I used to love to go down there and sit around the pool and just enjoy the solitude. That wasn't possible this week. We're scheduled to be back here in late March and the reno will still be going on. Seriously thinking of turning in the week to II and going someplace else.