# Grande Ocean Was... Okay



## EKniager (Sep 4, 2014)

We are working our way through the HHI resorts with just Heritage Club and Monarch remaining.  After reading all the raves about Grande Ocean we were excited about our Labor Day weekend visit.  Here are some of our impressions:

- As expected, the resort is located on a nice section of the beach.  We had a nice walk the first morning on really firm sand down to Monarch and back.
- The location is probably a bit further down from Coligny than we thought so it ruled out walking to dinner (and ultimately the Coligny restaurants).
- When we arrived at night we thought there was a Lazy River below our balcony.  In the light of day we realized it was some sort of faux nature pool(?) with dirty looking water, turtle, koi, and carp.  I think I know what they were trying to do, but to us it seemed like a misuse/waste of space.
- Rooms were typical MVC.  Decent size.  The kitchen seemed awkward with the stove and dishwasher in locations that seemed backwards.
- The bathroom had glass blocks in the shower/water closet on the wall that faced the bedroom.  That turned out to be a problem as the overhead nightlight disturbed our sleep the first night.  First thing the next morning, I removed the diffuser and unscrewed the bulb.  That sort of solved the problem, but if one of us had to use the potty in the middle of the night, the main light still lit up the bedroom (because of that darn glass block window).
- The resort had all the amenities we've come to expect.  In addition to pools and grills there was a putting green, bocce court, cornhole sand pits, bike rentals, etc.

We'd return to GO but DW seems to like Surfwatch better.  

Next up... Monarch.  Being within walking distance of the upgraded Beach Club and Live Oak, the fine new restaurant at the new golf clubhouse across the street, makes Monarch seem a bit more attractive than previously.  We'll see!

All in all, another enjoyable trip to HHI.


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## Saintsfanfl (Sep 4, 2014)

I have done Surfwatch and Barony. Next up is GO during the kids Spring Break next year. I like Surfwatch over Barony but it's very close.


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## jont (Sep 4, 2014)

Let the debating begin!!!!


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## EKniager (Sep 4, 2014)

We typically do very little at our resorts so location (MB, HHI, Singer Island) is what is important to us.  T/S for us is about condo vacationing.  That is... a living room to go to while the DW sleeps in, a kitchen to make breakfast and chill beverages, and a spare room to share with friends.  Sure, if it is on the beach we really like long morning walks, but rarely do we just hang by the pool.  So... all of the HHI resorts meet our needs.  We just like spending time (eating, golfing, boating, shopping, etc.) in the area.  

No debate from me, they're all good and meet our modest needs!


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## jont (Sep 4, 2014)

EKniager said:


> We typically do very little at our resorts so location (MB, HHI, Singer Island) is what is important to us.  T/S for us is about condo vacationing.  That is... a living room to go to while the DW sleeps in, a kitchen to make breakfast and chill beverages, and a spare room to share with friends.  Sure, if it is on the beach we really like long morning walks, but rarely do we just hang by the pool.  So... all of the HHI resorts meet our needs.  We just like spending time (eating, golfing, boating, shopping, etc.) in the area.
> 
> No debate from me, they're all good and meet our modest needs!



My comment wasn't directed at you. I agree with you 100%. I like all the HHI resorts I have been to. But at least once a year a debate occurs as is to what is the best resort on HHI. Its always enjoyable reading.


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## SueDonJ (Sep 4, 2014)

jont said:


> My comment wasn't directed at you. I agree with you 100%. I like all the HHI resorts I have been to. But at least once a year a debate occurs as is to what is the best resort on HHI. Its always enjoyable reading.



And writing.  

They're all more similar than different so it all seems to come down to a "feeling" in the end, and there's really no way to quantify that, is there?


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## EKniager (Sep 4, 2014)

We could just measure the distance from the Santa Fe Cafe!


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## live4life (Sep 4, 2014)

Hey Jont:


Remember... taste great (grrrr!) less filling!!!


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## Saintsfanfl (Sep 4, 2014)

live4life said:


> Remember... taste great (grrrr!) less filling!!!



That's not true.


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## DebBrown (Sep 4, 2014)

Grande Ocean isn't walkable to Coligny Plaza?  I would have thought that would be an easy walk.  But maybe it was too hot and humid.

We are Sea Pines "snobs" so I'd pick one of the Sea Pines resorts.  We own at Swallowtail which is no longer Marriott but still love Sea Pines and Hilton Head.  

Deb


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## gmarine (Sep 4, 2014)

I recently returned from GO and also found the glass block wall in the bathroom to be an issue. The rooms were recently renovated and its definitely one of the most ridiculous designs I have ever seen. According to someone at the front desk they are getting many complaints about it. Either you have the small light in the bathroom on all night which lights up the room because of the glass wall or you take that lightbulb out but if someone needs the bathroom during the night the bathroom light then illuminates the whole bedroom. 

I liked GO very much but I liked Surfwatch a little better.


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## PamMo (Sep 4, 2014)

We thoroughly enjoyed our week in a 3BR at Surfwatch least year, and can't wait for our week in a 3BR in Monarch next year. We love the beach, bike riding all over the island, and exploring the area. It's interesting to hear from others what they like about the different Marriott resorts. Grande Ocean and Barony Beach sound great, but we've never been able to trade into them!


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## jont (Sep 4, 2014)

live4life said:


> Hey Jont:
> 
> 
> Remember... taste great (grrrr!) less filling!!!


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## BocaBoy (Sep 4, 2014)

We have never stayed at Hilton Head, but we have a long trip planned there for January/February. We had originally planned a three and a half week trip to stay at three of the ocean front resorts and one of the others, but we have since decided to spend nearly 6 weeks there and stay at all eight of the MVCI resorts.  We now have all of our reservations, so by mid-February I will be a self-proclaimed "expert" on the whole MVCI Hilton Head collection.

As an example of the value of the DC option to us for off season stays, we are using DC points for almost four of our weeks there (II ACs for the other 2 weeks).  We turned in one of our Maui weeks for DC points and used only a third of those points for these weeks.  So for one Maui week we got almost 4 off season weeks in Hilton Head and still have 4800 DC points remaining.  That is more than enough points to reserve 6 days in a 1BR ocean front villa in the new towers in Maui in all but five weeks of the year.


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## jme (Sep 4, 2014)

jont said:


> My comment wasn't directed at you. I agree with you 100%. I like all the HHI resorts I have been to. But at least once a year a debate occurs as is to what is the best resort on HHI. Its always enjoyable reading.



I like them all the same


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## SueDonJ (Sep 4, 2014)

BocaBoy said:


> We have never stayed at Hilton Head, but we have a long trip planned there for January/February. We had originally planned a three and a half week trip to stay at three of the ocean front resorts and one of the others, but we have since decided to spend nearly 6 weeks there and stay at all eight of the MVCI resorts.  We now have all of our reservations, so by mid-February I will be a self-proclaimed "expert" on the whole MVCI Hilton Head collection.
> 
> As an example of the value of the DC option to us for off season stays, we are using DC points for almost four of our weeks there (II ACs for the other 2 weeks).  We turned in one of our Maui weeks for DC points and used only a third of those points for these weeks.  So for one Maui week we got almost 4 off season weeks in Hilton Head and still have 4800 DC points remaining.  That is more than enough points to reserve 6 days in a 1BR ocean front villa in the new towers in Maui in all but five weeks of the year.



That sounds like the perfect way to spend January and February!  Can't wait to hear your opinions about each of the resorts.

I keep trying to get over to either of the Shelter Cove resorts but always end up back at our two favorites instead.  That spot on Broad Creek is so pretty, much better than the oceanfront resorts for viewing sunsets, and I just imagine that it's as peaceful a place as can be.  One of these years ...


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## jont (Sep 4, 2014)

BocaBoy said:


> We have never stayed at Hilton Head, but we have a long trip planned there for January/February. We had originally planned a three and a half week trip to stay at three of the ocean front resorts and one of the others, but we have since decided to spend nearly 6 weeks there and stay at all eight of the MVCI resorts.  We now have all of our reservations, so by mid-February I will be a self-proclaimed "expert" on the whole MVCI Hilton Head collection.
> 
> As an example of the value of the DC option to us for off season stays, we are using DC points for almost four of our weeks there (II ACs for the other 2 weeks).  We turned in one of our Maui weeks for DC points and used only a third of those points for these weeks.  So for one Maui week we got almost 4 off season weeks in Hilton Head and still have 4800 DC points remaining.  That is more than enough points to reserve 6 days in a 1BR ocean front villa in the new towers in Maui in all but five weeks of the year.



that is awesome! have a great time.


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## NYFLTRAVELER (Sep 4, 2014)

What is the average weather in that area during Christmas week and early January?


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## Fasttr (Sep 4, 2014)

NYFLTRAVELER said:


> What is the average weather in that area during Christmas week and early January?



http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/29928


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## NYFLTRAVELER (Sep 4, 2014)

Do the pools remain open in Dec/January and if so, are they heated?


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## Luvtoride (Sep 4, 2014)

*The Pointes at Shelter Cove*

Question...does anybody ever stay at Marriott's Harbor Pointe or Sunset Pointe both at Shelter Cove?  We happened to find them while biking around shelter cove (we were staying at Grande Ocean).  They didn't look as nice as the other Marriott TS on HH with small pools and no beach being on the "cove".  I never really see any discussions of these properties compared to the Beach front and harbortown locations.  Just curious....not that I'm planning to stay there. 
Thanks.


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## ilene13 (Sep 5, 2014)

Having owned at Harbour Pointe, Grande Ocean, Barony and Surfwatch I can say I am an expert on all 4.  We bought Harbour Pointe as a new build and we loved it in the beginning. The demographics changed in the early to mid 90's so we sold it.  I'm glad to hear they have changed back again as I always loved it.  We were founding owners at GO and we liked it a lot.  When we sold HP we bought Barony preconstruction--Oceanside.  Once it was built the town of HH would not allow the resort to cut any of the trees down.  Not that I need to see the Atlantic Ocean, but I felt claustrophobic on the balconies.  I also think that the property is too small for the number and size of the buildings.  When SW was being built, Marriott offered us a deal we could not refuse-- if we bought a 3 bedroom platinum week at SW they would give us a credit of the current asking price at Baroney.  It was a win win.  We had sold GO about 2 years before we bought SW as I changed jobs and we could no longer spend 2 weeks in the summer in HH.  We love SW but everyone has their own opinion.  Personally just being on HH is a pleasure and regardless of which resort you stay at it was great!


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## EKniager (Sep 5, 2014)

Luvtoride said:


> Question...does anybody ever stay at Marriott's Harbor Pointe or Sunset Pointe both at Shelter Cove?  Thanks.



Our first visit to HHI was at HP.  (We used our locked off studio at Aruba Surf Club to get a 2-BR unit there for my DW's parents' anniversary.)  Fell in love with HHI and the resort.  The views are beautiful and the central location is great.  A year later we bought Week #21 for less than $1,000.   

Due to scheduling conflicts we have not been able to use that week yet; it has traded well, though.  2015 will be our first time back, LOL, unless our Request-First exchange comes through at Monarch!  It has also nabbed us a couple of II AC's!


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## NYFLTRAVELER (Sep 5, 2014)

Do the pools remain open in Dec/January and if so, are they heated?


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## EKniager (Sep 5, 2014)

NYFLTRAVELER said:


> Do the pools remain open in Dec/January and if so, are they heated?



"_*Swimming Pools*

Harbour Point and Sunset Pointe have two swimming pools, one of which is heated for comfortable year-round swimming. Both pools have received all new pool furniture this year in a beautiful navy blue and off-white color scheme. In 2007, the resort switched to a new saline-based system for controlling water quality. The new system is easier to balance as well as being environmentally friendly. 

The pools are open for swimming between the hours of 8:00 am and 10:00 pm seven days a week. There are no lifeguards on duty and swimmers swim at their own risk. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a responsible adult._"

http://harbourpointcoa.com/harbourpointcoa/page.html?page_id=9


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## Janette (Sep 5, 2014)

I can honestly say that I have stayed in many Marriott properties and have never been disappointed. I always do my homework so I know exactly what to expect. Location and cleanliness are my requirements. On HHI, nothing could made my stay less than a 10.


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## Fasttr (Sep 5, 2014)

NYFLTRAVELER said:


> Do the pools remain open in Dec/January and if so, are they heated?



Certain HHI MVC resorts have indoor pools as well as outdoor, which makes usage in the winter a bit more bearable for the faint of heart.


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## MOXJO7282 (Sep 5, 2014)

Janette said:


> I can honestly say that I have stayed in many Marriott properties and have never been disappointed.



I'd have to agree with Janette.  We do tend to stay in the nicer OV/OF units at most resorts but even when I don't I still enjoy the overall experience of all the Marriott resorts we own or have stayed at. I haven't stayed in a ton of different Marriott resorts yet but it's starting to add up and each and every one were all top notch.

A killer view does ADD a lot for us but if I'm not entitled to a view it doesn't detract from the overall resort "score" for us if we don't have one.


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## Saintsfanfl (Sep 5, 2014)

Question on MGO. MVCI lists the units as sleeping 8 but marriott.com lists it as only sleeping 6 and details 1 King, 1 Queen, and 1 Sleeper. Both sites show the same pic of the second bedroom having two beds, which would sleep 8. 

Which is it?


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## EKniager (Sep 5, 2014)

Saintsfanfl said:


> Question on MGO. MVCI lists the units as sleeping 8 but marriott.com lists it as only sleeping 6 and details 1 King, 1 Queen, and 1 Sleeper. Both sites show the same pic of the second bedroom having two beds, which would sleep 8.
> 
> Which is it?



Two beds in the guest room.  Maybe Queen.  I never went in there.


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## Saintsfanfl (Sep 5, 2014)

EKniager said:


> Two beds in the guest room.  Maybe Queen.  I never went in there.



II also shows only 6. Strange.

I wonder if some of the rooms only have one bed and they don't differentiate the units for a reservation.


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## SueDonJ (Sep 5, 2014)

Saintsfanfl said:


> Question on MGO. MVCI lists the units as sleeping 8 but marriott.com lists it as only sleeping 6 and details 1 King, 1 Queen, and 1 Sleeper. Both sites show the same pic of the second bedroom having two beds, which would sleep 8.
> 
> Which is it?



MVCI lists total sleeping capacity; marriott.com, and I think II, list private sleeping capacity.  MGO has only 2BR non-lockoff units with a King in the Master and either 2 Queens or a Queen and a sleeper sofa (in very few units) in the second bedroom, plus a sleeper sofa in the living room.  So eight total, but only six in three different rooms.


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## Saintsfanfl (Sep 5, 2014)

SueDonJ said:


> MVCI lists total sleeping capacity; marriott.com, and I think II, list private sleeping capacity.  MGO has only 2BR non-lockoff units with a King in the Master and either 2 Queens or a Queen and a sleeper sofa (in very few units) in the second bedroom, plus a sleeper sofa in the living room.  So eight total, but only six in three different rooms.



Marriott.com is supposed to list the maximum occupancy, and the line is always  "Maximum Occupancy: X", although I do not believe it is necessarily the fire marshal max. It is definitely supposed to the total sleeping capacity. Comparing other resorts like Ocean Pointe it lists the total, which is 8, while the private is 6. Ocean Pointe has two Kings and two sleeper sofas in every 2BR with an 8 stated capacity.

I am just glad to know that it is really 8. My only trepidation in staying at GO next year was that I thought it only slept 6.


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## SueDonJ (Sep 5, 2014)

I know at least one Hilton Head resort - Harbour Point - has twin beds in the second bedroom so that would of course affect the max occupancy.  A quick check of the unit layouts at either marriott.com or my-vacationclub.com should be sufficient to verify, or owners here could chime in.

SW 2BR's are listed on the sites the same as GO - max occupancy is 8 but with 2 queens in the second bedrooms the private occupancy is 6.  SW's 3BR units have 2 queens in both the second and third bedrooms so max occupancy is 12 but you'll see it listed as 8 because of private occupancy.  (At SW the 3BR's are outfitted with place settings for 10 but you can request the additional 2 settings if needed.)

I believe Barony's gardenview units are set up with double masters so a king (and soaking tub) in each bedroom plus a sleeper sofa in the living area - meaning max occupancy and private occupancy are both 6.  But the oceanside and oceanfront units are the same as SW's 2BR units with a king in the master, 2 queens in the second bedroom and a sleeper sofa in the living area, making max occupancy 8 but private occupancy 6.


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## SueDonJ (Sep 5, 2014)

BocaBoy said:


> We have never stayed at Hilton Head, but we have a long trip planned there for January/February. We had originally planned a three and a half week trip to stay at three of the ocean front resorts and one of the others, but we have since decided to spend nearly 6 weeks there and stay at all eight of the MVCI resorts.  We now have all of our reservations, so by mid-February I will be a self-proclaimed "expert" on the whole MVCI Hilton Head collection.
> 
> As an example of the value of the DC option to us for off season stays, we are using DC points for almost four of our weeks there (II ACs for the other 2 weeks).  We turned in one of our Maui weeks for DC points and used only a third of those points for these weeks.  So for one Maui week we got almost 4 off season weeks in Hilton Head and still have 4800 DC points remaining.  That is more than enough points to reserve 6 days in a 1BR ocean front villa in the new towers in Maui in all but five weeks of the year.



Just a thought that occurred to me this morning - occupancy levels on Hilton Head during that time of year make your DC reservations ripe for The Puck Trick.  I'd give it a try.


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## Saintsfanfl (Sep 5, 2014)

SueDonJ said:


> I know at least one Hilton Head resort - Harbour Point - has twin beds in the second bedroom so that would of course affect the max occupancy.  A quick check of the unit layouts at either marriott.com or my-vacationclub.com should be sufficient to verify, or owners here could chime in.
> 
> Barony and SW are listed on the sites the same as GO - max occupancy in the 2BR units is 8 but with 2 queens in the second bedrooms the private occupancy is 6.  SW's 3BR units have 2 queens in both the second and third bedrooms so max occupancy is 12 but you'll see it listed as 8 because of private occupancy.  (At SW the 3BR's are outfitted with place settings for 10 but you can request the additional 2 settings if needed.)



The 3BR at Surfwatch is actually listed as 10 occupancy on Marriott.com, which is neither the private or the total sleeping capacity.

I thought I had it figured out with the assumption that they are excluding the sleeper sofas for the occupancy numbers, which would hold true for Barony, Grande Ocean, and Surfwatch.  Harbour Point shoots a hole in this theory since it lists 6 which includes the sleeper sofa.

Unfortunately the Marriott.com and the MVCI room layouts are highly unreliable. They are almost always developer renditions prior to anything being built. Sometimes they are accurate but they can't be the only indicator. Marriott puts as little effort as possible in updating the available information.


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## Saintsfanfl (Sep 5, 2014)

SueDonJ said:


> I believe Barony's gardenview units are set up with double masters so a king (and soaking tub) in each bedroom plus a sleeper sofa in the living area - meaning max occupancy and private occupancy are both 6.  But the oceanside and oceanfront units are the same as SW's 2BR units with a king in the master, 2 queens in the second bedroom and a sleeper sofa in the living area, making max occupancy 8 but private occupancy 6.



That is interesting. Marriott.com lists all the available units the same with 2 Queens in the second bedroom and a sleeper sofa, including the garden view units. It's not surprising and obviously will lead to people being upset when they find out there are only two beds and a sleeper.


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## SueDonJ (Sep 5, 2014)

Saintsfanfl said:


> The 3BR at Surfwatch is actually listed as 10 occupancy on Marriott.com, which is neither the private or the total sleeping capacity.
> 
> I thought I had it figured out with the assumption that they are excluding the sleeper sofas for the occupancy numbers, which would hold true for Barony, Grande Ocean, and Surfwatch.  Harbour Point shoots a hole in this theory since it lists 6 which includes the sleeper sofa.
> 
> Unfortunately the Marriott.com and the MVCI room layouts are highly unreliable. They are almost always developer renditions prior to anything being built. Sometimes they are accurate but they can't be the only indicator. Marriott puts as little effort as possible in updating the available information.



I agree, all the different numbers make it very confusing.  On my-vacationclub.com it says the max occupancy is "up to 8" for SW so that's obviously counting the private sleeping areas of the 3BR units.

(* Sorry!  I edited my post above to include the variances in Barony's GV units - do you want to edit where it's quoted in your post or do you have any objection to me doing it?   )

[eta] HAHAHA!  The two of us post the same, it seems, shoot first and edit later.  Now I see you caught the Barony stuff.


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## Saintsfanfl (Sep 5, 2014)

SueDonJ said:


> I agree, all the different numbers make it very confusing.  On my-vacationclub.com it says the max occupancy is "up to 8" for SW so that's obviously counting the private sleeping areas of the 3BR units.
> 
> (* Sorry!  I edited my post above to include the variances in Barony's GV units - do you want to edit where it's quoted in your post or do you have any objection to me doing it?   )
> 
> [eta] HAHAHA!  The two of us post the same, it seems, shoot first and edit later.  Now I see you caught the Barony stuff.



I have a really bad habit of posting quickly then reading and rereading my post and editing. It's a sick obsession. 

If there is something you want to edit in my quotes feel free


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## SueDonJ (Sep 5, 2014)

Saintsfanfl said:


> I have a really bad habit of posting quickly then reading and rereading my post and editing. It's a sick obsession.
> 
> If there is something you want to edit in my quotes feel free



I share your obsession, and raise you OCD.  

Thanks for the permission to edit but at this point we've fleshed out the topic enough so that it all should make sense to readers.  No worries.


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## jd2601 (Sep 5, 2014)

I have stayed multiple times at Barony and own in the garden units. I have only had 2 queen beds in the 2nd bedroom.  There is a 2nd Jacuzzi soaking tub in the that bedroom. 

Maybe some of the units have a 2nd King but I have not come across these units. 



SueDonJ said:


> ... I believe Barony's gardenview units are set up with double masters so a king (and soaking tub) in each bedroom plus a sleeper sofa in the living area - meaning max occupancy and private occupancy are both 6.  But the oceanside and oceanfront units are the same as SW's 2BR units with a king in the master, 2 queens in the second bedroom and a sleeper sofa in the living area, making max occupancy 8 but private occupancy 6.


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## SueDonJ (Sep 5, 2014)

jd2601 said:


> I have stayed multiple times at Barony and own in the garden units. I have only had 2 queen beds in the 2nd bedroom.  There is a 2nd Jacuzzi soaking tub in the that bedroom.
> 
> Maybe some of the units have a 2nd King but I have not come across these units.



Thanks, jd, for correcting me.  I could swear that in the past when I've said that the GV units have the same set-up as the others onsite, folks have said that's wrong and that they have a second master set-up.  So when saying that, it only applies to the GV units having a second garden tub in the second bath, and not a second king bed?  Eeeesh, that's sort of a big thing for me to keep getting wrong.  Sorry!  I'll remember this from now on.

{eta} So no good reason for Barony's max occupancy showing as 6 on all the sites?  Hmmmm.


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## EKniager (Sep 5, 2014)

So back to Grande Ocean... literally!  

I was just checking our II account and the Request-First exchange for moving from Harbour Point to a beach resort in 2015 got confirmed today, LOL, at Grande Ocean!!!  We made the request on Tuesday and it took a whole 3 days!   :hysterical:

So much for getting into Monarch.  Oh well, the next trip will be for a full week, maybe we will explore Coligny.


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## 1st Class (Sep 5, 2014)

SueDonJ said:


> Thanks, jd, for correcting me.  I could swear that in the past when I've said that the GV units have the same set-up as the others onsite, folks have said that's wrong and that they have a second master set-up.  So when saying that, it only applies to the GV units having a second garden tub in the second bath, and not a second king bed?  Eeeesh, that's sort of a big thing for me to keep getting wrong.  Sorry!  I'll remember this from now on.
> 
> {eta} So no good reason for Barony's max occupancy showing as 6 on all the sites?  Hmmmm.



We're annual visitors to Barony's garden units and our experience has been the same as jd -- 2nd jacuzzi, 2 queen beds, and soaking tub (but no separate shower).  Interestingly, the villas are somewhat larger to accommodate the 2nd jacuzzi, so the living area is a bit stretched out.   

When we've been to MGO, there were 2 queen beds in the 2nd bedroom.


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## BocaBoy (Sep 5, 2014)

SueDonJ said:


> Just a thought that occurred to me this morning - occupancy levels on Hilton Head during that time of year make your DC reservations ripe for The Puck Trick.  I'd give it a try.



Thanks for the suggestion, Susan.  I already had it on my radar to start looking at this 60 days ahead.  Based on my experience in making our initial reservations, it seems that a couple of the smaller and cheaper resorts (especially Sunset Pointe and Heritage Club) were already almost out of DC point availability for most of January/February as of a couple weeks ago.  The bigger and more expensive resorts, however, were still wide open, especially Grande Ocean and Barony Beach.  I suspect we will be able to get at least a few of our DC points returned to us via the Puck Trick, and since it is so early in the year, penalty box points will still be quite valuable.


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## dmharris (Sep 6, 2014)

Reading this thread, a couple questions were not answered yet.  I do know that Grande Ocean has an indoor heated pool and as of January, no outdoor pools were heated BUT they were planning to heat one of them soon, so we'll be there in a few weeks so I'll check it out.

Regarding the sleeper sofa situation at GO.  A few "stacks" = rooms on top of one another in a building, like all the rooms with the same last number in the villa number, eg. 8811, 8821, 8831, 8841 will be sleeper sofas and a queen bed in the guest bedroom.  If you want that situation, you should request it when you are sent your room preference form and/or call the room assignment person.  The majority of the guest rooms are two queen beds (I think they're queen size, I've never slept in that room) so you are likely to get that set up unless you ask.  

Now, the one thing I like about the villas with the sleeper sofa rooms is they are typically on the ends so you get an extra window or two to let in light in the dining room or master bath, depending upon the room set-up.    We go with just DH and me so I use the guest room for my scrapbooking workshop so it actually gives me more room to set up a table in the room with the sleeper sofa set-up.


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## SueDonJ (Sep 6, 2014)

dmharris said:


> Reading this thread, a couple questions were not answered yet.  I do know that Grande Ocean has an indoor heated pool and as of January, no outdoor pools were heated BUT they were planning to heat one of them soon, so we'll be there in a few weeks so I'll check it out. ...



Both Barony and SW have indoor heated pools and at least one of the outdoor pools at each resort is heated throughout the off-season.  As well, I believe all of the HHI resorts keep their hot tubs open and heated throughout the year, but all of them rotate closures of the pools and hot tubs for cleaning during the off-seasons.  Usually there's a pop-up notice on the resort pages at my-vacationclub.com a month or so before any closures.


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## jont (Sep 6, 2014)

dmharris said:


> Reading this thread, a couple questions were not answered yet.  I do know that Grande Ocean has an indoor heated pool and as of January, no outdoor pools were heated BUT they were planning to heat one of them soon, so we'll be there in a few weeks so I'll check it out.



during our stay at Grande Ocean in jan '13 I recall the lap pool and the north pool both being heated as well as several of the hot tubs being open.


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## Saintsfanfl (Sep 6, 2014)

The outdoor pool at GO is advertised by Marriott as heated.


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## 1st Class (Sep 6, 2014)

Saintsfanfl said:


> The outdoor pool at GO is advertised by Marriott as heated.



When we were at GO last fall it seemed most folks were gathered in the heated lap pool with little room for swimming.  The other pools were very cold!  That was disappointing.


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## Saintsfanfl (Sep 6, 2014)

1st Class said:


> When we were at GO last fall it seemed most folks were gathered in the heated lap pool with little room for swimming.  The other pools were very cold!  That was disappointing.



I sure hope it's heated when we are there week 13 of next year. 



> SWIMMING
> 
> Atlantic Ocean Beach (On-site)
> Heated Indoor Lap Pool at Ocean Spa
> ...


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## Pat H (Sep 8, 2014)

Well, when all you visitors are here next winter maybe we can have a TUG gathering?


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## rsackett (Sep 8, 2014)

EKniager said:


> So back to Grande Ocean... literally!
> 
> I was just checking our II account and the Request-First exchange for moving from Harbour Point to a beach resort in 2015 got confirmed today, LOL, at Grande Ocean!!!  We made the request on Tuesday and it took a whole 3 days!   :hysterical:
> 
> So much for getting into Monarch.  Oh well, the next trip will be for a full week, maybe we will explore Coligny.



What week did you get if you do not mind my asking?

Ray


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## EKniager (Sep 8, 2014)

rsackett said:


> What week did you get if you do not mind my asking?
> 
> Ray



Week #21 for #21


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## chunkygal (Sep 10, 2014)

DebBrown said:


> Grande Ocean isn't walkable to Coligny Plaza?  I would have thought that would be an easy walk.  But maybe it was too hot and humid.
> 
> We are Sea Pines "snobs" so I'd pick one of the Sea Pines resorts.  We own at Swallowtail which is no longer Marriott but still love Sea Pines and Hilton Head.
> 
> Deb



Remember what comedian Steven wright says, everything is in walking distance if you've got the time.:rofl:


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## jme (Sep 10, 2014)

chunkygal said:


> Remember what comedian Steven wright says, everything is in walking distance if you've got the time.:rofl:



Grande Ocean to Coligny Plaza....0.8 mi

what's the big deal?

a nice stroll along a paved shaded sidewalk, or a 3 minute bike ride. 

We routinely and easily walk that same distance in both directions each time we hit the beach, and never less than that, so it's all relative. 

(takes a few seconds to fully load)
http://goo.gl/maps/6BshI



.


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## EKniager (Sep 10, 2014)

jme said:


> Grande Ocean to Coligny Plaza....0.8 mi
> 
> what's the big deal?
> .



It's typically very hot and humid on HHI.  If you are in the middle of the day and wearing beach attire, no biggie.  If you have showered and dressed for the evening...


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## jme (Sep 10, 2014)

EKniager said:


> It's typically very hot and humid on HHI.  If you are in the middle of the day and wearing beach attire, no biggie.  If you have showered and dressed for the evening...



dinner?  that IS a big deal.....I would never walk that distance at dinner time.

Walking there in the evening for an ice cream cone, however, is another story----Coligny has a great little ice cream shop for that....several booths, lots of fun.

Originally I was thinking more of a leisurely walk to the shops wearing shorts and a T-shirt, 
or our favorite > morning walk to coffee and breakfast. 

anyway, now everyone knows exactly how far it actually is.....just a few blocks, and I had wanted to post that map anyway. Googlemaps is a tremendous help to put everything in perspective. 

BTW, Monarch is a nice walk southward from Grande Ocean along the beach.  It's farther, maybe twice the distance, but still doable as a daily beachwalk....reaching Monarch is our cue to turn around and head back.  
Now with the addition of the new Beach Club, we'll most likely stay a while and have a sandwich and drink.

http://goo.gl/maps/FHO6c



.


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## dmharris (Sep 10, 2014)

deleted post


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## dmharris (Sep 10, 2014)

jme said:


> dinner?
> Now with the addition of the new Beach Club, we'll most likely stay a while and have a sandwich and drink.
> 
> http://goo.gl/maps/FHO6c
> ...



Speaking of which, are there any opportunities to dine at the new clubhouse across the street as a visitor?


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## jont (Sep 10, 2014)

jme said:


> dinner?  that IS a big deal.....I would never walk that distance at dinner time.
> 
> Walking there in the evening for an ice cream cone, however, is another story----Coligny has a great little ice cream shop for that....several booths, lots of fun.
> 
> ...


 From Grande Ocean to Monarch is 1.7 miles along the beach.
From Grande Ocean to Coligny is about .8 milees.


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## jme (Sep 10, 2014)

dmharris said:


> Speaking of which, are there any opportunities to dine at the new clubhouse across the street as a visitor?



I called the Monarch front desk for you just now, and the new clubhouse across the street (former site of Plantation Club, and I'm assuming it's still the same), does indeed have a restaurant which is open for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner daily....opens each morning at 7:00 am, and it's open to anyone. It's called Live Oak.)


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## jont (Sep 10, 2014)

jme said:


> I called the Monarch front desk for you just now, and the new clubhouse across the street (former site of Plantation Club, and I'm assuming it's still the same), does indeed have a restaurant which is open for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner daily....opens each morning at 7:30 am, and it's open to anyone. It's called Live Oak.)


They also have a restaurant at the Beach Club  that also has an outdoor dining terrace  
its called Coast


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## dmharris (Sep 10, 2014)

jme said:


> I called the Monarch front desk for you just now, and the new clubhouse across the street (former site of Plantation Club, and I'm assuming it's still the same), does indeed have a restaurant which is open for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner daily....opens each morning at 7:30 am, and it's open to anyone. It's called Live Oak.)



Awesome!  Aren't you kind?  Thank you!


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## dmharris (Sep 10, 2014)

jont said:


> They also have a restaurant at the Beach Club  that also has an outdoor dining terrace
> its called Coast



Double Awesome!  You're kind too!  Thank you!


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## EKniager (Sep 10, 2014)

Live Oak is terrific.  Had a wonderful lunch there.


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## jme (Sep 10, 2014)

EKniager said:


> Live Oak is terrific.  Had a wonderful lunch there.



*Live Oak* info......looks pretty good.......I'll have to visit next time.
http://www.liveoaklowcountrycuisine.com/

*Photos:*
http://www.liveoaklowcountrycuisine.com/photo-gallery/

*Menus*---click on the one you want:
http://www.liveoaklowcountrycuisine.com/our-menu/


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## EKniager (Sep 10, 2014)

jme said:


> *Live Oak* info......looks pretty good.......I'll have to visit next time.
> http://www.liveoaklowcountrycuisine.com/
> 
> *Photos:*
> ...




Service was great.  
Everyone loved their food/lunch.
Atmosphere was relaxing and beautiful.
If you're a golfer, you'll like the view!  :whoopie:


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