# At NCV - Watch out for building 3700



## larue (Jun 20, 2011)

I have seen a few questions posted (including my own) about which villas to request.  We got in yesterday and were placed in building 3700, above the preview gallery.  The entire second floor (villas 3730,31,32,33, etc) is recessed back from the back of the first floor preview area so they have NO view whatsoever, other than the backside of red tile roofing sloping back toward a flat roof.  If you request building 3700, it should be for the top floor only.  I have been here several times and it is the worst view I ever had.  Luckily, the back sliding glass door would not lock and I was able to get switched to another building after about an hour wait for the engineer.

If you wanted the safest bet, I would ask for buildings 3800, 3900 or 4000, as it looks like from the park below that there is not a single unit in any of those buildings that has a bad view.

Other than the minor problem above, the units and the resort are as beautiful as ever.  Either they have been refurbished or I am in a newer section than usual.  They have a sign up saying final phase opening soon, but the front desk tells me that they final phase is in fact open (part of the reason the engineer took so long to fix my lock was because they were working out bugs in the newly opened buildings).  

The pass for state parks/beaches now has to be picked up in the activity center in building 2200 and costs $5 per day, still a pretty good deal but no longer free.

Let me know of any questions.


----------



## Cathyb (Jun 20, 2011)

*Questions*



larue said:


> I have seen a few questions posted (including my own) about which villas to request.  We got in yesterday and were placed in building 3700, above the preview gallery.  The entire second floor (villas 3730,31,32,33, etc) is recessed back from the back of the first floor preview area so they have NO view whatsoever, other than the backside of red tile roofing sloping back toward a flat roof.  If you request building 3700, it should be for the top floor only.  I have been here several times and it is the worst view I ever had.  Luckily, the back sliding glass door would not lock and I was able to get switched to another building after about an hour wait for the engineer.
> 
> If you wanted the safest bet, I would ask for buildings 3800, 3900 or 4000, as it looks like from the park below that there is not a single unit in any of those buildings that has a bad view.
> 
> ...



Are they enforcing any swimming pool identification?  
What types of food is now being offered at the little cafe at the pool?
How is parking at your building -- is it difficult to find a space in evenings?
Is the resort overly crowded?

Anxious to hear how your stay goes as the week progresses.


----------



## larue (Jun 20, 2011)

Cathyb said:


> Are they enforcing any swimming pool identification?
> What types of food is now being offered at the little cafe at the pool?
> How is parking at your building -- is it difficult to find a space in evenings?
> Is the resort overly crowded?
> ...



Hi!  They have little yellow rubber wrist bands (I assume they change the color each week) that they give you on check in, but they were more than willing to give me as many as I thought I would need, including for guests that might be visiting.  They asked us to have them on when using the shuttle for the resort or when being in the pool area.  We did not go to the pool yet as we spent yesterday walking the trails at Crystal Cove beach.  

Parking gets terrible around checkin time but gets pretty good as the evening progresses.  We got moved to building 3500 top floor which has views of the ocean and which is directly above check in and we were able to find our choice of 2-3 spaces right out front of the building last night at 8:00 p.m. or so.  There is also an outdoor parking lot right next to building 3400 and the underground parking there too but we have not had to use either yet.

The resort was sold out this weekend and it still seemed fine in terms of crowding - lots of room throughout the resort to spread out.  I took my daughter down to the park (Bella something or other - cannot recall the name) and we had plenty of room to kick around a soccer ball on the lawn.  We walked through the pool very quickly on the way back from a walk and although there were lot of people out (great afternoon/early evening weather after the clouds burned off) there were chairs available in various locations around the pool.  

This really is a great resort and we are looking forward to enjoying the rest of the week.  

Tips that we have found useful:

There is a Trader Joe's on Pacific Coast Highway about 1/2 to a mile south of the turnoff for NCV.  There is also an Albertsons in Corona Del Mar on Pacific Coast Highway north of the turnoff.
Gina's pizza in the same complex as Albertsons had great authentic pizza.  We ate in but takeout and delivery is available.
The activity center has day passes to all state beach parks for $5.  It says Crystal Cove on the pass, but we used it successfully at Huntington Beach at the state beach by Beach Blvd.
Tuesday nights Huntington Beach closes off some of its downtown streets right by the Pier and has a streetfair of sorts.  We have not been yet but we plan to check it out.
We changed our zip on Groupon to NCV and we are getting daily emails of deals.  We got one today for $1 dollar tickets to AMC theatres (though I think it is because I just signed up) that is good for movies out for 12 days or more.
The park below building 3700 is a great place to take kids of various ages.  Lots of room and it includes a putting green and a basketball court.
The internet changed to ATT since the last time I was here (It used to be the stayon typical of Marriotts) and I have not had to use my mifi at all!  Much better than in the past.
If you have kids and want great cheap ice cream, take them to RiteAid (I know it is a pharmacy) in Corona Del Mar and get them a Thrifty cone.  I grew up in Southern Cal and it was a nostalgia trip to find a Thrifty icecream counter in a Rite Aid of all places!  It is about a block south of Albertsons on Pacific Coast Highway.
If you have a GPS, set yours to avoid toll roads or it will keep taking you along 73 and you will have to have exact change for the toll when you exit.  We take McAurthur blvd to avoid the toll but we got caught in the toll without money once.  If that happens to you, get the front desk to help you with a number you can call to pay the toll and avoid a large ticket.

That's all I can think of right now.  I will let you know what the pool menu looks like once we get down there.  We are off to Disneyland and California Adventure park today.


----------



## thickey (Jun 20, 2011)

*What is NCV?  Newport Coast Villas?*

Sorry... so many acronyms to memorize.


----------



## larue (Jun 20, 2011)

thickey said:


> Sorry... so many acronyms to memorize.



Sorry, yes Newport Coast Villas.


----------



## Big Matt (Jun 20, 2011)

If you want to find some very good groceries and specialty foods go the opposite direction from Trader Joes to this place:  

http://www.bristolfarms.com/

I was amazed at the quality and price for what you get.  It isn't inexpensive, but they have good sales and specials.


----------



## twinglez (Jun 20, 2011)

*3600 Building?*

We just got confirmed into the 3700 building.  When I called to email me a map, they told me this was a good ocean view.  Any feedback?

Thanks


----------



## twinglez (Jun 20, 2011)

*Newport Coast building question*

We just got confirmed into the 3700 building. When I called to email me a map, they told me this was a good ocean view. Yet in another post they said view of the hills?  

Any feedback?

Thanks


----------



## taffy19 (Jun 20, 2011)

I would read this thread here.


----------



## twinglez (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks!  I just realized there are several posts on the same question. I apologize for paying attention.


----------



## ricki999 (Jun 20, 2011)

Heard the buildings near the upper pool have finally opened.  Can you confirm.


----------



## larue (Jun 20, 2011)

twinglez said:


> We just got confirmed into the 3700 building. When I called to email me a map, they told me this was a good ocean view. Yet in another post they said view of the hills?
> 
> Any feedback?
> 
> Thanks



Third floor is a great view of the ocean and hills to the south of the resort.  Second floor is looking at the red roof tile with no view whatsoever.  I would clarify you have the top floor or ask to be confirmed to the 3800, 3900 or 4000 building.  

They told me the same thing about 3700 before I got there and found myself on the second floor.


----------



## larue (Jun 20, 2011)

ricki999 said:


> Heard the buildings near the upper pool have finally opened.  Can you confirm.



The entire resort is now open.  They have a sign up today that says "final phase now open."  I think it happened just yesterday and the engineers were working out several bugs.


----------



## ricki999 (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks!  Will be there in July and may add those buildings to my room request!


----------



## l2trade (Jun 21, 2011)

larue said:


> Third floor is a great view of the ocean and hills to the south of the resort.  Second floor is looking at the red roof tile with no view whatsoever.  I would clarify you have the top floor or ask to be confirmed to the 3800, 3900 or 4000 building.
> 
> They told me the same thing about 3700 before I got there and found myself on the second floor.



I'm trying to imagine this.  I always thought building 3700 was one of the  very best, yet very hard to get.  Do you have pictures?  If not, I will look next time I visit.  I always put buildings 3500 & 3700 on my preference list, due to the location (close to the lobby) and what I thought would be some of the best views.  Never had a room in either.


----------



## JMSH (Jun 21, 2011)

Does anyone have an email address for the resort?


----------



## larue (Jun 21, 2011)

l2trade said:


> I'm trying to imagine this.  I always thought building 3700 was one of the  very best, yet very hard to get.  Do you have pictures?  If not, I will look next time I visit.  I always put buildings 3500 & 3700 on my preference list, due to the location (close to the lobby) and what I thought would be some of the best views.  Never had a room in either.



Unfortunately I did not take pictures.  The problem is that the first floor is the preview gallary and it is much deeper (front to back) than the second and third floors.  So, in the back of the second floor unit, where the Lanai is, at the end of your Lanai is another 10-15 feet or so of flat roof top, with drains for rainfall.  An added problem - when I first went out to see this, there were several teenagers from one of the other second floor rooms that had crawled out over their Lanai rail and were exploring the rooftop.  Not a great deal for security, particularly with my sliding glass door lock broken!

Beyond the 10-15 feet of flat rooftops with drains on them is a backward sloping (sloping from the outside of the building back toward your Lanai, high on the outside, lower on the inside, so rain drips down from the roof to the flat roof area with drains) red tiled roof that is about 8-10 feet higher than the floor of your Lanai and the flat roof beyond.  So, when you look out from your Lanai, you see a flat roof that goes the length of the entire second floor (left to right, with the same view for all second floor units) and the backward sloping roof over the first floor preview gallary blocks everything in front of you.  I went out to the park below and looked upward and you cannot even see the second floor Lanais.  You can, however, see the third floor Lanais very well and at least from where I was it looked like they were high enough to see over the top of everything below.

If you got the top floor in 3700, you would be very pleased as it is southward facing and you get some good ocean views.  Again, as stated by others here in the past, your best bet if you want to get into a building where every view appears to be great is to get into 3800-4000.  There are also some other buildings to the south of 4000 that appear to be equally good views but I have not gotten over to check the building numbers.  The nice thing about each of these buildings is that they all have full on westward-facing views of the ocean and they are high enough above everything else (with the Bella park below) that there is nothing to obstruct the view.


----------



## larue (Jun 21, 2011)

JMSH said:


> Does anyone have an email address for the resort?



This is who contacted me for room requests.  I am not sure if he is specific to Newport Coast or whether it is something managed out of Vacation Club.

Pre-Arrival.Request@vacationclub.com

Alberto Rios
Pre-Arrival Marriott's NewportCoast Villas
23000 Newport  Coast Drive 
Newport Coast, CA92657
Phone: (949) 464-6000


----------



## Cathyb (Jun 21, 2011)

*Great early summary!*



larue said:


> Hi!  They have little yellow rubber wrist bands (I assume they change the color each week) that they give you on check in, but they were more than willing to give me as many as I thought I would need, including for guests that might be visiting.  They asked us to have them on when using the shuttle for the resort or when being in the pool area.  We did not go to the pool yet as we spent yesterday walking the trails at Crystal Cove beach.
> 
> Parking gets terrible around checkin time but gets pretty good as the evening progresses.  We got moved to building 3500 top floor which has views of the ocean and which is directly above check in and we were able to find our choice of 2-3 spaces right out front of the building last night at 8:00 p.m. or so.  There is also an outdoor parking lot right next to building 3400 and the underground parking there too but we have not had to use either yet.
> 
> ...



Thank you for the update!  Sounds like you are really enjoying yourselves!  If you want to see the rich and famous -- go to Newport's Fashion Island shopping center (the free shuttle takes you there).  I know you said you used to live around there; but they have changed that place immensely.


----------



## Superchief (Jun 21, 2011)

*Parking Problems*

Parking near your villa continues to be a major problem at NCV. We recently stayed in Bldg 4000 over Memorial Day week and weekends were particularly problematic. Evidently, there is only one spot per villa in the parking areas near the building. For the 4000 bldg., three buildings shared one parking lot. Even though you were only supposed to park in that lot if you had a 'blue' parking permit, several other cars parked in the lot. When we first checked in at 4:30pm, there were no available spaces. Two spaces were occupied by the MVC employee golf carts. We had to double park to unload the car. If we didn't return to to park by 8:00pm, the lot was usually full.

For these buildings, the closest 'overflow' parking was at the top of the hill (two long flights of steps and across two parking lots) in the lots of the unopened villas. Now that these are open, I don't know where the overflow people will park. I was very disappointed that several guests ignored the rules, and the only enforcement appeared to be 'stickers' being place on the offenders.


----------



## pedro47 (Jun 21, 2011)

Would the Month of April or late October be a better time to visit this resort to avoid the crowds?


----------



## l2trade (Jun 21, 2011)

Thank you Larue for the detailed descriptions!  I will check this out next time I visit.  And to think, I thought I pretty much knew everything worth knowing at this resort.  I appreciate great Tuggers like you taking the time to share.  Building 3700 will be removed from my room preferences.  You've probably saved headaches and disappointments on one of my future vacations.


----------



## larue (Jun 22, 2011)

l2trade said:


> Thank you Larue for the detailed descriptions!  I will check this out next time I visit.  And to think, I thought I pretty much knew everything worth knowing at this resort.  I appreciate great Tuggers like you taking the time to share.  Building 3700 will be removed from my room preferences.  You've probably saved headaches and disappointments on one of my future vacations.



Thanks!  By the way, I double checked and there are two top floor that both have reasonable views.  It is the second floor that has the problem.  There is a full third floor that has good views and a partial fourth floor, I think with two units, that has the best views.  

I also double checked and all the last buildings above 4000 are up and running.  I would also add 4100 and 4200 to buildings with pretty much great views regardless of the unit you get.  For a combination of proximity to the pool, Bella Vista park and great views, I will be requesting 3800 and 3900 from now on.


----------



## mamadot (Jun 23, 2011)

Yes!  I prefer spring or fall.


----------



## tropical1 (Jun 30, 2011)

Is anyone at NCV now?  For the first time I did not get any of the buildings I requested.  I am going to be in 4900.  It is one of the buildings that just opened.  If anyone is there and has the time to take a look and let me know if there is a good ocean view from up there I would reallly appreciate it.  I have stayed in 4400 which is just below it but I don't know if building has the same straight on view of the ocean.  Thanks in advance.

Susan


----------



## JimIg23 (Jul 5, 2011)

*just was placed in 3700 for next week*

I am arrive this weekend at NCV for a week and a half, they said I have 3700 Bldg, 3rd floor.  For those who stayed there:

1- Is the ocean view partial or is it very good?  

2- Are the rooms in good shape?

3- are the BBQ grills close?

Thanks, Jim


----------

