# Wow bad Tripadvisor review on Frenchman's Cove



## alwysonvac (Aug 2, 2010)

Hmmm... is this just an isolated case? 

NOTE: Folks going in August might want to be careful using the pool (see review below) 

From Tripadvisor July 25, 2010 



> "Shockingly bad service. We'll never go back!”
> 
> _We had the distinct displeasure of staying at Frenchman's Cove this week (7/18 - 7/25). We are Marriott Vacation Club Owners & we own two units at Marriott's Aruba Surf Club, where we have never experienced anything less than stellar service and amenities. We had to trade our three-bedroom unit in Aruba for a two-bedroom unit at Frenchman's Cove, so naturally our expectations were extremely high.
> 
> ...


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## glypnirsgirl (Aug 2, 2010)

It does not appear to be isolated. There were 8 reviews that marked the resort as "terrible" and 6 that marked it as "poor." All of the reviews for terrible or poor have been posted since November, 2009; most since March, 2010.

Sounds dreadful!


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## Sunbum (Aug 2, 2010)

*Staff turnover?*

We were there in Oct 08 and everything was fine. I wonder if they have had alot of staff turnover? or a new Manager??? That is a shame, it is a nice resort.


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## jjluhman (Aug 2, 2010)

This is very upsetting to read.  We were there in March 08 and loved it.  We have it on our list as a place to return to.  I sure hope that Marriott gets it together!


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## Numismatist (Aug 2, 2010)

There is often confusion about this:

Marriott Frenchman's COVE versus Marriott Frenchman's REEF; they are side by side and COVE owners (the timeshare) have access to the REEF (hotel).

The REEF is indeed run down and in need of some TLC, the COVE is still being built and brand new in many respects.

It's hard to determine if reviewers stayed at the REEF and picked the COVE to review because they both say FRENCHMAN'S in front of them.


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## RedHook (Aug 2, 2010)

glypnirsgirl said:


> It does not appear to be isolated. There were 8 reviews that marked the resort as "terrible" and 6 that marked it as "poor." All of the reviews for terrible or poor have been posted since November, 2009; most since March, 2010.
> 
> Sounds dreadful!



Is this a joke? Did you miss the 65 'Excellent' reviews and the 47 'Very Good' reviews while pointing out the grand total of 14 bad reviews? If you bothered to look, you would also find that Aruba, Newport Coast, Marbella and Grand Chateau also have their share of awful reviews. And you're wrong about your dates. Eight of the fourteen bad reviews were before November, 2009. The dates are right there. Not sure how that got messed up.

You're always going to have someone pissed off about something. This was probably an angry wife who didn't want to trade out of Aruba, but her husband insisted. So she was irritated from the moment she stepped on the plane.

Cracks in the bottom of the pool? Who &^&^%ing cares? My daughter went down the slide +-1500 times, and I can't remember one time when the bottom of the pool affected her enjoyment. As for the villa, when you're inside you can't tell if you are in St. Thomas, Aruba, or West Palm Beach. We thought the villa was immaculate, just like everywhere else.


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## jimf41 (Aug 2, 2010)

Being an owner at MFC it is disappointing to read a negative review of a resort that you own. Unfortunately some of the points made by the review are true, no exaggerations. The pool was built poorly initially and they are shutting it down for a month this September to completely rebuild it. The beach is what it is. It's very small and there is a about five feet of dead coral reef that has to be negotiated to get to the sandy bottom. This reef will never be removed without permission of the US Park service.

I read a lot of complaints about the food at the resort and the neighboring hotels. I don't pay to much attention to these as Marriott, or any other hotel chain, is not known for their excellent cuisine. The few times I've used them I found they were expensive and average at best. I'm always amazed at the interest in all inclusive promos and the 2-1 dining certificates at Marriott locations. I've only had two good meals at a Marriott. One was a hamburger at the County Hall in London that cost $25 and the other was at Frenchmans Reef. My wife had the 1.5 lb Maine lobster special. Hers was great and whatever I had was so unremarkable I don't remember it.

The coffee pot thing is absolutely inexcusable. That would have uncorked my temper big time. As far as the staff being nasty I've not encountered this at MFC or any MVCI property. ST Thomas does operate on what is euphemistically called "Island Time". It's a laid back place and nobody does anything in a hurry. It's hard to get used to especially for New Yorkers like myself.

The concierge in the lobby is not really what most people would call a concierge. I'm not excusing it, if they have one they should make sure it's professionally staffed. It's not and the concierge at the Reef is a well staffed desk that most people use. If it's your first time there you wouldn't know that though.

Tripadvisor reviews have to be taken with a grain of salt most times. I disagree with glypnirsgirl's post about the negative reviews. Going back to January of 2010 there are 39 reviews. 31 are positive, 6 are negative and 3 are neutral. That's a pretty good average IMO.


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## Ridewithme38 (Aug 2, 2010)

When i'm looking for a place to vacation i usually only read the Negative reviews...they tend to be MUCH more detailed and specific then the positive...You'd be surprised but on some of those review sites ALOT of the positive reviews are by employees of the resort or people that never actually stay'd there...they include such generic information as "We had a great time, the room was bigger then we expected!" and "The staff was great and just around the corner from everything" or the ever popular "We would Definatly go again"

In general if you want real information on a resort the only reviews Worth reading are the Negative reviews...Most point out a couple things that were great and then things to look out for


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## Dolphin (Aug 2, 2010)

We were just there July 18th - 25 as well.  We were staying at the Marriott Morningstar using my Marriott Reward points, but we also own at Frenchmans Cove.

There was for first part of the week rain, rain and more rain.  Tuesday there were floods on the island (tropical waves one after another) and it effected everything there.   My wife and I went over to the Frenchmans on Wed to check it out (ate lunch was good) and the pool was indeed green, due to the storms (they had closed them down).  We went back over Saturday and the pool had been clean and looked great (and people playing having fun). 

Because of the economy construction has stopped, and that area is very messy and weeds are grown up (typical construction site) because of this.  My understanding that this construction is to startup soon and  another pool is going in too. Until this is done or determined they are not building more, it will be an eye sore for now. To the point made it is an eye sore and hope something is done one way or another, but lot of these complaints are do to this construction I believe. 

At the Morningstar the pool had green tile and after I complained, they had someone out there the next morning scrubbing it. I will admit that the Marriott Resort itself is dated, but I understand talking to locals that there is a new GM there and that they will be closing down parts of it this fall to remodel rooms and parts of the building.  I also talked to some locals about the Frechman Cove (timeshare) and was told it was one best locations there.


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## m61376 (Aug 2, 2010)

wow- surprising that there are so many construction issues for such a new resort.

Hopefully Marriott officials will heed the reviews and take corrective actions wrt staff and maintenance. The OP is right- there is no excuse for this.

And even with a severe rainstorms- a properly maintained pool should not turn green. If the water chemistry is right it may get a little turbid, but a dose of shock and perhaps a vacuuming and it should be good to go within a few hours. Even after days of rain, my pool never turns green unless it is closed for the winter. If they are not maintaining the pool properly, that is a big cause for concern; poorly maintained pools are a great source for bacterial infections, and one of the major causes of kids getting sick over the summer months. More than anything else, the pool condition is alarming.


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## southernpat (Aug 2, 2010)

*Next Stop*



Numismatist said:


> There is often confusion about this:
> 
> Marriott Frenchman's COVE versus Marriott Frenchman's REEF; they are side by side and COVE owners (the timeshare) have access to the REEF (hotel).
> 
> ...



I'm scheduled to visit the "Cove" on August 6 - 13.  This will be my 3rd trip, obviously I have found the resort adequate and will report any positive or negative experiences upon my return.


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## mkahanek (Aug 2, 2010)

*Was There*

September 09.  The only real complaint I had was the pool being over run by staff/local kids.  That was a bit frustrating.  Other than that my group had a good time.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 2, 2010)

Tripadvisor is a great site for hotel reviews but, it's about the worst site I've seen for timeshare reviews. It's not a site I realy on when making a decision about a timeshare to visit.


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## gwhamm (Aug 2, 2010)

*Similiar Negative Experience*

We visited MFC the week of 7/2 -7/9.  It was our second trip to the resort and we have determined that it will be our last.  We too experienced many of the same deficiencies and poor conditions that the OP encountered.  My wife is still communicating with someone at Marriott Customer Advocacy regarding the conditions and lack of upkeep.  We found the upkeep and the sanitation conditions to be the poorest that we had experienced in any of the Marriott Vac. Club locations we have visited.

We also had the same shower door situation which we reported and got no fix for.  We had a broken kitchen sink faucet, again was told that there was nothing they could do about either the sink or the shower door.  

We also experienced two power outages, elevator outages/service disruptions, backed up sewers, no water for a day while repairs were made, and some very smelly trash situations in their collection sites to which I think they could do a better job of cleaning and emptying with greater frequency.

As I said we have voiced our concerns with Marriott and have discussed the issues also with Michael Wilcox, however at this point we will not have Frenchmen's Cove on our list of MVCI locations we will be returning to.  While it is a beautiful island this resort seems to have some definite underlying issues.


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## hotcoffee (Aug 2, 2010)

What I have read here is distressing.  We will be there in less than a week, and we will be bringing visitors.  It would be a shame if it is as rundown as some of these posts imply.


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## californiagirl (Aug 2, 2010)

I was sorry to read this bad review.  We love FC and were there last Oct.  I noticed that the pool was in need of repair at that time.  Tiles were missing from the bottom.  I was glad to hear earlier this year of the pool renovation. 

I agree there is no excuse for the poor service.  I know however that the Virgin Islanders will respond in like to a rude (condescending) initial approach.  This is true all over the island.  They will also respond positively to a pleasant hello prior to beginning a complaint.  

I was unhappy to read about the shower.  I agree that Marriott needs to stay on top of repairs to the resort.  There is also no excuse for poor maintenance.  Some of the better rooms get non-stop use.  Like the bottom floor at Waiohai...lots of families who want to walk out of their patio into the resort.  But management should be aware of this and schedule repairs and inspections accordingly.  I also think it is sometimes difficult to keep a stock of replacement kitchen appliances.  This is an island and they are dependant on ships and planes to bring ALL items to the resort.  When we were there every grocery store was out of limes for 3 days until the shipment came in.  (One year on Kauai our favorite shave ice store was out of a particular flavor of ice-cream.  We had to wait for the shipment to arrive...by boat.)  It is not like they can call a regional distribution center and have them bring it by truck the next day.  That is part of the package of visiting a place that moves at a slower speed.   

It is too bad the poster did not request to speak with the general manager of the resort.  Perhaps he could have made a difference.


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## hotcoffee (Aug 2, 2010)

If it turns out that Frenchmen's Cove has some of the deficiencies noted in this thread, I will particularly be sad about it.  At least one (if not all three) of the guests we are bringing with us have never been to a Marriott resort before.  Wouldn't it be shame if their first (and probably only) experience at a Marriott turns out to be to be at a resort in need of repair?  I'm hoping for a better experience than some of what I am hearing.


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## jimf41 (Aug 2, 2010)

hotcoffee said:


> If it turns out that Frenchmen's Cove has some of the deficiencies noted in this thread, I will particularly be sad about it.  At least one (if not all three) of the guests we are bringing with us have never been to a Marriott resort before.  Wouldn't it be shame if their first (and probably only) experience at a Marriott turns out to be to be at a resort in need of repair?  I'm hoping for a better experience than some of what I am hearing.



Except for the pool I don't think you'll find too much to disappoint you at MFC. As I said before it's being rebuilt in September and there is nothing that can be done about that during your visit. Here are my suggestions. 

When you speak to the staff, especially the resident Virgin Islanders be polite. It sounds obvious but they really are a very polite people. If you were to find something wrong or missing from with your room you might say "Hey, there is something wrong in my room can you get over here and fix it please". In the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan that would be a perfectly reasonable request. In the USVI you would be considered a rude person. Always initiate any conversation with a "Good morning" or afternoon or evening as the case may be. Try to use that as you pass the staff in the hallways as it is considered good manners to do so down there.

Do visit Secret Harbor and Smith Bay beach (AKA Lindquist Beach) while you are there. Pay a visit to a restaurant in Frenchtown called Oceana. Get there before six and you'll be treated to a front row seat to a Seaplane landing. You'll be amazed how close they come when landing. It also has great food and a great view. There's an Italian restaurant in town, Virgilio's, that has great food but the best part is that you are eating in an art gallery.

A day trip to St John is a great time as are the many day sailing and powerboat excursions. If you like snorkeling the beach at the resort is decent and convenient but the best is in the BVI. There are many excursions over there just ask the concierge at the Reef hotel. While you at at the Reef have a cocktail on any deck in the hotel at sunset. They're all good.

Most of all don't worry about things being in disrepair. Since it opened in 2010 I've spent 10 weeks there. The worst I've experienced was the card keys that for some reason always seem to go bad. If that happens you have to trudge back over to the front desk and get a new one. Have a great time.


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## gores95 (Aug 3, 2010)

We were there a couple of October's ago and while we absolutely LOVED the unit itself I personally would not purchase there.  If I am going to purchase an expensive timeshare in the Caribbean I would want a stellar beach on site and frankly we were very unimpressed with the Cove's beach...and I wasn't a fan of the Morningstar's beach either.  Plus we needed to take two elevators to get down to the pool area.

We are going back to the USVI this November this time staying at STJ at the Westin.  I know the beach area there is also not the best but we are excited nonetheless!


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## Old Hickory (Aug 3, 2010)

Ridewithme38 said:


> When i'm looking for a place to vacation i usually only read the Negative reviews...they tend to be MUCH more detailed and specific then the positive...You'd be surprised but on some of those review sites ALOT of the positive reviews are by employees of the resort or people that never actually stay'd there...they include such generic information as "We had a great time, the room was bigger then we expected!" and "The staff was great and just around the corner from everything" or the ever popular "We would Definatly go again"
> 
> In general if you want real information on a resort the only reviews Worth reading are the Negative reviews...Most point out a couple things that were great and then things to look out for



I'm also NOT surprised by NEGATIVE reviews being written by competing resorts/properties.  It happens.   In addition, I know some people are very difficult to please and any small detail will make them "go-off" on a rant.   

So read both sides of the story and think somehwere in between.  

TUG is invaluable as is Flyer Talk.


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## Ridewithme38 (Aug 3, 2010)

Old Hickory said:


> I'm also NOT surprised by NEGATIVE reviews being written by competing resorts/properties.  It happens.   In addition, I know some people are very difficult to please and any small detail will make them "go-off" on a rant.
> 
> So read both sides of the story and think somehwere in between.
> 
> TUG is invaluable as is Flyer Talk.



Details are what matter though...There are A LOT of people who will overlook the details on a vacation because they just do not care that much...I do not drink coffee...so the Carafe missing would not have bothered me, I would not have mentioned it in a review, Some would not have been bothered by the short towel selection, if you're only traveling with two people 4 towels would not have been that big a deal, Some would not have even noticed cracks in the bottom of the pool or cared about the shower door issue... 

If you want to do a HONEST review...Its going to have a lot of negative issues, I've stayed in hotel's that have had nothing but glowing reviews but when i checked in the whole room was a dump, those with negative reviews i know what to expect and am Almost Always pleasantly surprised....Positive Reviews really AREN'T reviews...they're just fluff pieces written by inattentive people who either do not know what to look for or just do not care enough to warn the next person

There really is no reason to read positive reviews, the majority are "This place is great", "Will definatly stay here again" or some such non-specific information...i just assume those were written by someone's 8yr old child and move onto the reviews that actually weight the pro's and con's(the Negative reviews)


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## NboroGirl (Aug 3, 2010)

*key cards*



jimf41 said:


> Most of all don't worry about things being in disrepair. Since it opened in 2010 I've spent 10 weeks there. The worst I've experienced was the card keys that for some reason always seem to go bad. If that happens you have to trudge back over to the front desk and get a new one. Have a great time.



I hate to get off topic, be we noticed at MGV key cards go bad if you keep them next to (or in a pocket with) your cell phone.  They get demagnatized and no longer work.  I also had this happen to me at Grand Chateau.


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## Beverley (Aug 3, 2010)

RedHook said:


> Cracks in the bottom of the pool? Who &^&^%ing cares? My daughter went down the slide +-1500 times, and I can't remember one time when the bottom of the pool affected her enjoyment. As for the villa, when you're inside you can't tell if you are in St. Thomas, Aruba, or West Palm Beach. We thought the villa was immaculate, just like everywhere else.



Although this review may not be the majority, my expectations of Marriott is that the extent of this family's experience should never happen and it is significant.  If there are others of similar nature than it says to me when expectations are high, the resort has been missing the boat lately.

This resort is not sold out and should be just the opposite.  It should be a "perfect 10" .  I will be going there in spite of the bad reviews in the not too distant future, however, I will probably not be as patient as the OP.  And, I would have filled out accident reports with regard to the injuries regardless of how minor if caused by there negligence. 

Once at the Barony the refrigerator malfunctioned and within the hour a second one was brought and swapped out.  Once at Ocean Point the washer didn't work and again within 2 hours it was swapped out.  A coffee pot is much cheaper and easier to stock for just those types of circumstances.  Should have taken until they were ready to leave to get one.

By contrast, Barony Beach Club has been in service since 1999 - 2000 and has yet to have any cracks in the pool ... any of the 4 pools on site.  No cracks in the hot tubs either.  We have been here every year for a minimum of 2 weeks since its opening.  While pool cracks truly do not bother everyone, they would tell me that the resort is not being kept up as it should be.  If I were an owner, I would be questioning the use of my MF fees and reserves.  

I appreciate the review on tug.  I am happy to hear that this experience is not pervasive as there seems to be only 14 others out of perhaps 80 ... but that is 15% ... a little high on the negative.

Beverley

Beverley


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## curbysplace (Aug 3, 2010)

Interesting that the OP's comments are with respect to a Trip Advisor (TA) review.  I view the poster of that TA review to be one whose glass is probably always half empty instead of half full.  My stay at MFC the week of May 22 was wonderful.  Did I like the dead coral on the bottom just off the beach, no, but I knew about it before I went there (thanks to TUG) so it was not a shock or surprise and definitely not worthy of a compaint--maybe a comment but so what.  I did not even notice the pool issues though we spent many hours there.  The resort is addressing the pool situation next month.  I found the staff friendly and attentive with every question and every request.  I agree with an earlier poster that you have to remember St. Thomas runs on island time, not big city fast fast and ever faster time. Just go, enjoy and smell the roses.


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## jimf41 (Aug 3, 2010)

Seems the OP on TA doesn't like the places she visits. She has one other review on TA. Very similar to her MFC review.


“Avoid the Naples Grande at all costs!!”
Naples Grande Beach Resort, The Waldorf Astoria Collection




Choogirl123   2 contributions
New Jersey
Aug 8, 2009 | Trip type: Family
4people found this review helpful
We booked a seven-night stay in one of the resort's bungalows. The room was infested with bugs (ants & caterpillars), had electrical problems (lights that blinked on and off, outlets that weren't working), and a phone that beeped incessantly and ultimately woke up my entire family at 6am. The beach is actually about a mile away and is only accessible via tram, which is completely impractical if you have young children as I do. Of the three pools, only one is available to families (one is "adults only" and one is a small lap pool). The pool was overcrowded and my toddler was hit in the face with a ball that another family was playing with, despite repeatedly being told by hotel staff that the ball was not allowed in the pool. When my husband asked the man to stop throwing the ball around, he shoved my husband into my son, who fell into the pool and was completely submerged (my son can't swim). Hotel staff did absolutely nothing; in fact, the pool manager never even left the cabana, despite witnessing this altercation. The police were ultimately called & the staff told the sheriff's officers and my husband and I that the guest that assaulted our child would be ejected from the hotel. He was not. In fact, the hotel's manager advised us to "give him space" if we see him at the pool again. We checked out after one night because we felt our children's health and safety were in jeopardy. The Naples Grande is NOT a Waldorf Astoria quality property. Do not be fooled by their website or the Waldorf brand name!!


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## DanCali (Aug 3, 2010)

jimf41 said:


> Seems the OP on TA doesn't like the places she visits. She has one other review on TA. Very similar to her MFC review.



...or she doesn't bother posting positive reviews about the places that she likes.

One would arguably be more compelled to write a negative review when disappointed rather than write a positive review when expectations are met.


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## RedHook (Aug 3, 2010)

DanCali said:


> One would arguably be more compelled to write a negative review when disappointed rather than write a positive review when expectations are met.



Which must be good news for MFC. If people are compelled to write negative reviews, and there are only 14 in three years, people must be pretty happy.


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## Ridewithme38 (Aug 3, 2010)

RedHook said:


> Which must be good news for MFC. If people are compelled to write negative reviews, and there are only 14 in three years, people must be pretty happy.



Only 14 bad Reviews on that ONE review site...Now realize how many review sites there are, and how many people vacation that never post a review...i'd say AT MOST a review site consists of 1-5% of all written reviews...less then .001% of all people who have stay'd at the resort..With those numbers...PLUS people don't post negative reviews unless the resort is REALLY REALLY REALLY BAD...postives they post for ANYTHING...14 in three years means the resort REALLY REALLY SCREWED UP 14 times over 3yrs...that equates to hundreds if not thousands of Small screw ups over that time


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## RedHook (Aug 3, 2010)

Ridewithme38 said:


> Only 14 bad Reviews on that ONE review site...Now realize how many review sites there are, and how many people vacation that never post a review...i'd say AT MOST a review site consists of 1-5% of all written reviews...less then .001% of all people who have stay'd at the resort..With those numbers...PLUS people don't post negative reviews unless the resort is REALLY REALLY REALLY BAD...postives they post for ANYTHING...14 in three years means the resort REALLY REALLY SCREWED UP 14 times over 3yrs...that equates to hundreds if not thousands of Small screw ups over that time



Like I have already posted once, pick any resort in the world and that site is going to have some reviews of "Terrible". The freaking Hilton Bora Bora has some reviews marked "Terrible". People flipping out over 14 negative reviews on one site really need to take a step back and get a dose of reality. EVERY RESORT has some people who were pissed off from the moment they stepped foot on the property. Making vague assumptions - especially those of you who have never been there - based on Trip Advisor is just ludicrous.

But don't let me stop you folks. I would rather have MFC to myself. You guys should take the advice of the lady who couldn't find the coffee pot and just stay away.


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## DanCali (Aug 3, 2010)

RedHook said:


> Which must be good news for MFC. If people are compelled to write negative reviews, and there are only 14 in three years, people must be pretty happy.



Actually, quite a few of the "*3 star = Average*" reviews complain about service as well.

Some quotes about service from the "Average" reviews:

MinnesotaSophie: "The staff was not friendly, they acted like we were imposing on them..."

caramcnr: "Nice rooms.... bad food and bad service"

mjt63: "I'm sorry, but in a resort of this size someone should be welcoming guests in and providing assistance. Once inside the resort the service was not better."

global_traveler_08: "Property nice...service sucks!!"

minnesotagogophers: "Great accomodations, Indifferent Service"


In fact, here are some "service" related comments from the "*4 star - Very Good*" reviews:

June2007 (that's his id): "Our biggest problem was the VERY POOR service by the front desk staff. "

threekidsct: "The staff overall was subdued, did not promote the facility, activities, services, excursions as they should in such a location. "


I focused on service and ignored comments about the "worn look" of the place, but it's mentioned in several places. The worn look is something that should be taken care of over time from reserves. The comments about service are inexcusable imo.

I've never been there and don't want to rush to judgment. Buy saying it's only 14 bad reviews in three years is a bit understating it.


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## RedHook (Aug 3, 2010)

DanCali said:


> Actually, quite a few of the "*3 star = Average*" reviews complain about service as well.
> 
> Some quotes about service from the "Average" reviews:
> 
> ...



Attempt #3........

Does anyone understand yet that the BEST RESORTS IN THE WORLD have "terrible" reviews? 

Does anyone understand yet that if 140 people take the time to write a review, and the vast majority of those had no issues, that maybe the "terrible" experiences were isolated?

Would someone other than myself bother to go look at the reviews for any great resort you can think of? According to some of the folks in this thread, there isn't an acceptable resort on the planet.


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## DanCali (Aug 3, 2010)

RedHook said:


> Attempt #3........
> 
> Does anyone understand yet that the BEST RESORTS IN THE WORLD have "terrible" reviews?
> 
> ...



I agree that every resort/hotel messes up once in a while. The questions are:

How did they mess up? Is it an isolated incident? What are they doing about it?

Maybe they are doing the best they can. And maybe they can do some things better. I just don't know enough about the resort or incidents involved.


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## RedHook (Aug 3, 2010)

DanCali said:


> I agree that every resort/hotel messes up once in a while. The questions are:
> 
> How did they mess up? Is it an isolated incident? What are they doing about it?
> 
> Maybe they are doing the best they can. And maybe they can do some things better. I just don't know enough about the resort or incidents involved.



The point is, we could have filled in this blank, "Wow bad Tripadvisor review on _________________" with any resort of your choice and had people panicking about the quality of the resort. Want to scare people away from Maui? Use Tripadvisor reviews. Want to put down Vail? Use Tripadvisor reviews. Caneel Bay? Tripadvisor reviews. If people went solely on bad Tripadvisor reviews, they would never leave the house for any destination on earth. People are now worried about MFC because the original poster thought a "Terrible" review was unique to MFC.


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## DanCali (Aug 3, 2010)

RedHook said:


> People are now worried about MFC because the original poster thought a "Terrible" review was unique to MFC.



It's not a reason to be worried... even the Peninsula Chicago and St. Regis in NYC have some bad reviews.

I just think owners (and exchangers) don't want to see this turn into a pattern.


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## jimf41 (Aug 3, 2010)

A quick review of Marriott TS reviews on Tripadvisor.

Resort 	Good	Neutral	Bad	% Bad
NCV	191	23	21	                  11%
MPB	175	25	29	17%
MKO	378	34	31	8%
MBY	70	5	4	6%
MCU	117	2	9	8%
MBP	126	26	39	31%
MMO	239	26	30	13%
MAO	383	52	49	13%
MSU	152	16	20	13%
MFC	113	16	14	12%

TOTAL	1944	225	246	13%
Among the more popular Marriott resorts it seems MFC  is slightly better than average as far as negative reviews go. If you put a lot of stock in negative tripadvisor reviews I wouldn't recommend visiting any of these resorts.


Sorry about the formatting, I can't figure out how to make the formatting come out right.


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## winger (Aug 3, 2010)

Ridewithme38 said:


> When i'm looking for a place to vacation i usually only read the Negative reviews...they tend to be MUCH more detailed and specific then the positive...You'd be surprised but on some of those review sites ALOT of the positive reviews are by employees of the resort or people that never actually stay'd there...they include such generic information as "We had a great time, the room was bigger then we expected!" and "The staff was great and just around the corner from everything" or the ever popular "We would Definatly go again"
> 
> In general if you want real information on a resort the only reviews Worth reading are the Negative reviews...Most point out a couple things that were great and then things to look out for


I agree to some extent.  I normally make use of the TUG resort reviews - the ones I have read have been right on the ball.  You have to be a TUG paid member (like $12/yr?) to see these reviews.  Well worth the annual TUG membership fee (among the other useful things offered)


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## pianodinosaur (Aug 3, 2010)

jimf41 said:


> A quick review of Marriott TS reviews on Tripadvisor.
> 
> Resort 	Good	Neutral	Bad	% Bad
> NCV	191	23	21	                  11%
> ...



That took a great deal of time and effort on your part.  Thank you.  

It seems the overwhelming majority of the tripadvisor reviews are positive.


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## gblotter (Aug 3, 2010)

Just for curiosity, I browsed the TripAdvisor reviews for Maui Ocean Club (we own there) to get a feel for the accuracy of the most negative reviews.  I don't dispute the truth of what the reviewers said, but it is apparent that for some people the glass is always half-empty.

If you have a sour disposition, you will likely find something to complain about anywhere you go.  If you have a sunny outlook, you will likely find it easy to look past the inevitable annoyances at any resort you visit.

My advice: Go, be gracious, and have a good time.


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## Ridewithme38 (Aug 3, 2010)

gblotter said:


> Just for curiosity, I browsed the TripAdvisor reviews for Maui Ocean Club (we own there) to get a feel for the accuracy of the most negative reviews.  I don't dispute the truth of what the reviewers said, but it is apparent that for some people the glass is always half-empty.
> 
> If you have a sour disposition, you will likely find something to complain about anywhere you go.  If you have a sunny outlook, you will likely find it easy to look past the inevitable annoyances at any resort you visit.
> 
> My advice: Go, be gracious, and have a good time.



Just watch out taking reviews and advice from those with a sunny outlook...When you brain is in the clouds its VERY easy to miss the rusty railings, broken bulbs, stained carpets, leaky faucets and "Working girls" in the lobby...you love any resort that has clear sky's


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## Numismatist (Aug 3, 2010)

Also consider that folks who go to timeshares already have a higher expectation and may have already felt 'screwed' by the timeshare salesman/process.  I know I love my vacations at Marriott timeshares but can't stand Marriott anymore...what a strange thing.


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## gblotter (Aug 3, 2010)

Ridewithme38 said:


> Just watch out taking reviews and advice from those with a sunny outlook...When you brain is in the clouds its VERY easy to miss the rusty railings, broken bulbs, stained carpets, leaky faucets and "Working girls" in the lobby...you love any resort that has clear sky's


Hahah - you made me laugh.  No doubt those places exist, but not within the MVCI resort system (hopefully).

My wife would certainly never accuse me of being a perpetual ray of sunshine (lol), but I do know from personal experience that one's attitude toward the inevitable annoyances can make or break a vacation experience.


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## gblotter (Aug 3, 2010)

Numismatist said:


> I know I love my vacations at Marriott timeshares but can't stand Marriott anymore...what a strange thing.


I'm struggling with the same sentiments.  I have no intention to join the new points system, but I'm waiting to see if my ability to reserve at my home resorts will be negatively impacted before completely turning against Marriott.  In that regard, the truth may not be known for a few years.


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## Big Matt (Aug 3, 2010)

I'll throw out one more comment on this.

Many resorts have lousy rooms especially as it relates to location, view, etc.  In resorts like Grande Vista where they are constantly refurbishing, the nicest units are way nicer than the older and worn out ones that haven't been upgraded in a while.

Guess where most nightly paying guests are put?

Of course they are given the lousy units.

Think about it.


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## Ridewithme38 (Aug 3, 2010)

Big Matt said:


> I'll throw out one more comment on this.
> 
> Many resorts have lousy rooms especially as it relates to location, view, etc.  In resorts like Grande Vista where they are constantly refurbishing, the nicest units are way nicer than the older and worn out ones that haven't been upgraded in a while.
> 
> ...



So your saying the resorts deserve those bad reviews.....if the rooms are actually as bad as some of these reviews imply....the resort needs to do something about that...not use them for the *less desirable*! clean them up


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## alwysonvac (Aug 3, 2010)

LOL, I didn't post this to cause panick or scare people away  :rofl: 

I read all reviews from various sources but I also take all reviews (both positive and negative) with a grain salt. 

I also don't expect any resort to have all positive reviews. Some folks will simply be pissed off because they didn't get to check-in early, didn't get their room request, received a room with a bad view, embarrassed by some little thing that went wrong because they were trying to show off to their guests, didn't do their homework and now are complaining about it after the fact, and the list goes on and on.

However on the other hand... we also have some folks on the other extreme that will sugar coat and simply ignore the negatives.  

This particular review struck me because of the multiple issues encountered.  Of course, I was well aware of the pool maintenance schedule for Sept, lack of a good beach near the resort and sometimes the laid back attitude when you go to the islands but I felt this review overall was a bit shocking. I'm sure the exchange of the three bedroom for the two bedroom just added more fuel to the fire.  

In the customer service industry, it's known that folks in general will tell more people about a bad experience than a good experience.
I hope the detailed public posting on Tripadvisor will cause a quicker resolution from Marriott.

Perhaps I also feel a little guilty for posting so many sightings for Frenchman Cove and telling folks not to let the Sept pool maintenance stop you from enjoying the resort & what the island has to offer. 

Thanks to all who shared their experiences at the resort  and Thanks to those who are planning to report back 

I hope those who have an upcoming stay have a wonderful trip


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## Clemson Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

Big Matt said:


> Many resorts have lousy rooms especially as it relates to location, view, etc. In resorts like Grande Vista where they are constantly refurbishing, the nicest units are way nicer than the older and worn out ones that haven't been upgraded in a while.


 
My worst experience at any MVCI property (I've been to over 10 of them) was actually at Grande Vista.  We got a 3 bedroom as an II getaway and to be frankly honest it pretty much sucked.  The unit was very worn and not that clean at all.  There are too many other nice places in Orlando that I know I will never stay there again.


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## Big Matt (Aug 4, 2010)

What I'm saying is that any one review is based on that individual's experience at that resort.

If they get a crappy unit, it will taint their experience.

If you read tripadvisor reviews the negative ones are usually due to either a bad unit (old, unclean, view, etc.) or bad customer service.  The bad customer service reviews are often due to management not "fixing" things related to the bad unit or the resort itself.



Ridewithme38 said:


> So your saying the resorts deserve those bad reviews.....if the rooms are actually as bad as some of these reviews imply....the resort needs to do something about that...not use them for the *less desirable*! clean them up


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## Big Matt (Aug 4, 2010)

That example is exactly what I'm talking about.  I stayed at GV during April and got a brand new unit.  I promise that mine was light years better than the one you got.  I own there, so it's not a surprise that mine was better.  





Clemson Fan said:


> My worst experience at any MVCI property (I've been to over 10 of them) was actually at Grande Vista.  We got a 3 bedroom as an II getaway and to be frankly honest it pretty much sucked.  The unit was very worn and not that clean at all.  There are too many other nice places in Orlando that I know I will never stay there again.


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## hotcoffee (Aug 4, 2010)

Since I will be going to MFC in a few days.  If I can find this thread when I return, I will give my opinion of what I found there.  I've stayed in everything from flea-bags to 5 star.  So, I think I can give an honest evaluation.


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## Ridewithme38 (Aug 4, 2010)

hotcoffee said:


> Since I will be going to MFC in a few days.  If I can find this thread when I return, I will give my opinion of what I found there.  I've stayed in everything from flea-bags to 5 star.  So, I think I can give an honest evaluation.



Keep your eyes open...we're all excited and looking forward to your Detiled review


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## Luckybee (Aug 4, 2010)

Dh and I have Frenchmans Cove booked on a getaway for next May, which we managed to snag a month before the new program came out for what we thought was a very low price($700 and change). We've often stayed at Marriott timeshare properties paying the owners discounted nightly rate and not once had we received what I would have called a bad room(ie parking lot view, shabby room etc.). I've had friends book the Aruba OC along side of our owners bookings and they've ended up right next door to us in the best view rooms. Im getting the impression that as a non owner at this particular property we'll likely be relegated to the bottom of the barrel, and that this property perhaps does have some bottom of the barrel suites. Can any owner suggest, who we should make a room request of and when?(and yes I know on a getaway we arent likely to get a great room but I'd prefer one where at least the shower door works , and perhaps not on the ground floor)...if we cant get a good room thats ok too(for what we paid I cant complain), but if you dont ask you cant get.


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## suzannesimon (Aug 4, 2010)

*I posted a posititve MFC Review & I'm not an Employee*

I own 2 MFC timeshares, Wk 51, and we were there the first time last December.  It is a nice resort.  We had one of the older 3 BR's and it was fine.  When I posted my TripAdvisor review, however, there were a number of incorrect posts where they thought they were in the Cove when it was obvious it was the Reef.  However, this post was from a Marriott owner so I'm sure she was in the right place.   It is such a beautiful location that I can't understand why Marriott hasn't updated those properties.  My previous visit to the Reef was in 1999 and I don't think they have updated a single thing in the hotel since then.  I just returned from Maui and Kauai, stayed at the Marriott hotels, and I commented to my relatives that I have found the staff at the Marriott resorts to be rather unfriendly -  St. Thomas, plus the Hawaii locations.  I stay at an airport Residence Inn in Florida and they roll out the red carpet like I'm royalty, but you drop a lot of money in Hawaii or St. Thomas and the desk clerks don't even smile when you check in.  I think I'm a pretty courteous person and it has to be pretty awful for me to complain, but I have found the reception lately at the high-end Marriott resort locations disappointing.


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## hotcoffee (Aug 16, 2010)

*Back from Frenchman's Cove*

We just returned from our trip to Frenchman's Cove.  Since this was my first trip to the USVI, I posted some initial impressions in the Caribbean forum.  However, given this thread's existence concerning a bad trip report on Frenchman's Cove, I wanted to make a few comments about this resort.  As I have noted in a previous post, I have stayed at a lot of different quality hotels and resorts.  I suspect that people who only like to stay a five-star hotels will be more critical of imperfections than people who have stayed in a wider range of hotel qualities.

I believe that I can give a simple and brief synopsis of Frenchman's Cove with just the following sentence.

Frenchman's Cove is fine.

One needn't be scared off by a few bad trip reports.  We enjoyed our stay there and would have no problems staying there again.

Here are some specific bullets on Frenchman's Cove:

1.  We found the staff to be friendly and helpful.  No complaints at all.
2.  While the pool does not rank as one of the best, it is certainly adequate.  I never did see those missing tiles that the bad trip report referred to.  I probably did not look hard enough.  I guess I had better things to do than look for missing tiles.
3.  The beach is not the best, but it is a beach, and is functional as such.  My daughters and her friends took the shuttle to the beaches at the two Marriott hotels.  I believe they liked the Morning Star beach the best; but they also spent a lot of time at the beach at the Cove.
4.  Our room was great.  There were only a few minor issues.  None of them were worth complaining about.  The refrigerator door handle was loose, but it stayed attached.  So, it was not a particular problem.  The covering on the ceiling chandelier over the dining room table was pulled away slightly from the ceiling, but this did not affect the functionality of the chandelier.  The manager actually saw both of those issues while in our room for another reason, and he had someone come up to fix them.  Unfortunately, the refrigerator door handle also came loose at the bottom (previously it had been loose at the top).  We did not report that because it did not affect our opening and closing the refrigerator door.  One of the bathroom lights in the master bath stopped working; but because there were two lights, we did not report it.  Otherwise, everything in the room worked fine.
5.  We had run out of a few complementary items (such as paper towels), and the staff promptly sent up additional.  Overall, the staff was very responsive to all our needs.

Basically, Frenchman's Cove is a good place to go (assuming one wants to go to the USVI).  I would not want to say that the person who posted the bad trip report was lying or mistaken, but I certainly saw nothing to scare me away from Frenchman's Cove.


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## GrayFal (Aug 16, 2010)

jimf41 said:


> Seems the OP on TA doesn't like the places she visits. She has one other review on TA. Very similar to her MFC review.
> 
> 
> “Avoid the Naples Grande at all costs!!”
> ...



I just stayed at this property for 3 nights for a wedding in May - the pool and the beach were fabulous - as were the rooms, the bar/restaurants and the view from the tower....it takes all kinds of people, doesn't it.


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## alwysonvac (Aug 17, 2010)

hotcoffee said:


> We just returned from our trip to Frenchman's Cove.  Since this was my first trip to the USVI, I posted some initial impressions in the Caribbean forum.  However, given this thread's existence concerning a bad trip report on Frenchman's Cove, I wanted to make a few comments about this resort.  As I have noted in a previous post, I have stayed at a lot of different quality hotels and resorts.  I suspect that people who only like to stay a five-star hotels will be more critical of imperfections than people who have stayed in a wider range of hotel qualities.
> 
> I believe that I can give a simple and brief synopsis of Frenchman's Cove with just the following sentence.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the update


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## Ridewithme38 (Aug 17, 2010)

HEAVILY EDITED TO MAKE A POINT>>>NOT HOTCOFFEE'S ORIGINAL WORDS!!



hotcoffee said:


> Here are some specific bullets on Frenchman's Cove:
> 
> 2.   the pool does not rank as one of the best,
> 3.  The beach is not the best,
> ...



You need to report these problems to the Staff hotcoffee...Otherwise the next person that stays there will walk into a broken fridge handle, a messed up Chandelier and a light out...And it just gets worse and worse as more people don't report the little things, a loose fridge handle is something that can easier get broken worse, and just as easily be first before it gets worse...Guys this is a TINY part of why timeshare values are dropping...Maintenance just isn't what it should be in alot of these places...and part of that is the Maintenance crews and Desk staff not being Informed of the problems...

Please for the love and the respect of the next person staying in your room...Report EVERYTHING...what maybe a little thing to you...maybe a MAJOR deal to the next vacationer


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## hotcoffee (Aug 17, 2010)

Ridewithme38 said:


> You need to report these problems to the Staff hotcoffee...Otherwise the next person that stays there will walk into a broken fridge handle, a messed up Chandelier and a light out...And it just gets worse and worse as more people don't report the little things, a loose fridge handle is something that can easier get broken worse, and just as easily be first before it gets worse...Guys this is a TINY part of why timeshare values are dropping...Maintenance just isn't what it should be in alot of these places...and part of that is the Maintenance crews and Desk staff not being Informed of the problems...
> 
> Please for the love and the respect of the next person staying in your room...Report EVERYTHING...what maybe a little thing to you...maybe a MAJOR deal to the next vacationer



I debated reporting the fridge door and the bathroom light, but forgot in the hustle-and-bustle of getting packed and checked out.  Neither affected our stay.

The pool is scheduled for maintenance in September.  Otherwise, it is what it is.

The beach is what it is.  There are nicer beaches available on St. Thomas (including at the adjoining hotels).  However, the one at MFC is functional.

Complimentary day-to-day things such as paper towels frequently run out before a week is out.  I don't consider that a deficiency.  They brought more when requested.  I suppose they could have said "sorry, get your own".  Overall, I found the resort staff to be friendly and responsive.


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## Luckybee (Aug 17, 2010)

Although I understand exactly where you were coming from Hotcoffee, Ridewithme makes an excellent point. Years ago when the Aruba OC first opened the owners were constantly being asked to report any issues needing maintenance even the minor ones. Stuff that we normally wouldnt mention we'd pass on. There was even a flyer in the unit asking us to advise on these things. The flyer is long gone, and so is the request. We do still pass on minor maintenance issues even when they dont affect us now because I guess we're old school and we hope that someone attends to them after we've left. If it is a minor maintenance problem(s) then we just hand in a list when we check out


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## DKT (Aug 17, 2010)

Hi All,
After reading through this thread and some of the comments I felt I needed to add my 2 cents.

For anyone who does not read good reviews you can stop here....

Yes, I do give good reviews when a resort or hotel deserves it, and no my head is NOT in the clouds, and no I do not have rosey colored glasses on.

We are MFC owners and love it there, and have been going every year for several years.  This June we were there for 2 weeks, did we have a perfect trip no, but we had a wonderful trip.   

The first week we had wonderful weather, the second week in rained, rained and rained some more. I expect Marriott to make sure the weather is perfect the whole time I am there. 

There were a few minor issues that were rectified pretty quickly with only one taking a call to a supervisor.  The washer only had hot water, they came right away and replaced the washer.  Key Card did not work when we checked in, a little annoying but not that big of a deal. We stayed in building 3 Tortola(loved the view- worth it) so you have to stop and drop off you luggage before you park since there is no parking with this building (It would have been nice if when checking in they told us this instead of us trying to figure out where the best place to park was). Since we stayed 2 weeks, and they had just changed to a new system, we didn't have to check out and then check back in so housekeeping didn't realize they needed to clean our rooms. The checkin desk had no clue, but I left a message for the supervisor who called me as soon as she returned to the office and corrected the problem.  I also called on the airconditioning, my daughters room was really cold while the rest of the rooms were not, again they came right away and adjusted the vents which fixed the problem. Overall the room was very clean, and we had no problems with coffee pots, plumbing etc...if we did I would have called the first day and if it was not resolved within a few hours I go to the supervisor, if that doesn't work I call the GM.  Overall the staff was very helpful and friendly.  

As REDHOOK mentioned, you are never going to find a perfect resort and even the nicest resorts have a few issues.  

MFC is a beautiful resort, the pool could use some updating but it did not effect our fun. The staff and other guests are all really friendly, there was always someone to talk to and my teenage daughter never had a problem meeting new friends to hang out with. We like the beach at the Cove when we want to relax(there was someone there raking the sand everyday all day to make sure it stayed beautiful and clean) , and we like the beach at morningstar when we want to ride the waves. Being there 2 weeks this time we were able to see alot of  different beaches. We liked Sapphire Beach, and Lindquist Beach..and we also enjoy going over to the St Johns beaches.  This trip we took a sail boat trip to the BVI, and would do this again.

We really enjoy the food & drinks at the cove bar. We like Coco Joes (morningstar beach), but do not like their buffets (personal preference). Coco Joes service can be slow, but who wants fast service when you are eating on the beach. We ate at some really nice places, and some just ok places, based on TripAd Benny Iguana's was not very good, we Loved it. 

We shop for Food at the Food Mart near Red Hook since there is a nice selection, and we rent a car to get around.  

As for Trip Advisor, I usually read all of the latest reviews good and bad with a grain of salt. 

Denise


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## Former Cruiser (Aug 19, 2010)

We were at MFC in May 2010 and found the resort to be lovely.  The staff we met were very personable and helpful.  One young man made a point of talking to us every time he saw us, many times at the security gate.  The view from our villa was spectacular.  Especially when the cruise ship came in. We spent little time at the beach as it's in a cove so there's no breeze.  You can take the shuttle over to Morningstar.  We also found 3 other very nice beaches.  Our favorite was Sapphire Beach.  The timeshare that's there and the facilities that are there are real run down, but the colors of the water tell you why it's called Sapphire Beach.  

The complaint I had was on the first day there I spilled something on the kitchen floor.  When I wiped it up I noticed the paper towel was much dirtier than my spill.  I checked a couple other areas in the kitchen with the same results.  The next morning I took my damp bath towel and put it on the floors and foot moped all tiled floors in the villa. When I was done the towel was mostly black.  I took it to the front desk and very nicely told them they should know someone is cutting corners when they clean. The towel was so bad the person at the front desk didn't want to take it from me.  We never got any response from anyone about it.

Would we stay at MFC again? Yes, but that was our first Marriott stay so we have SO many places to check out first.


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## hefleycatz (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks for the positive posts.  I think I  will put in on the list to try to exchange via II.  Hope it works out.


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## Lisa Wiggins (Sep 1, 2010)

*My time at Frenchman's Cove.*

First, I am a Virgin Islander, who currently lives in the States, and I own a MFC week.

Second, I was at Frenchman's Cove the week ending the day that complaining poster arrived at the Cove.  The last couple of days I was in St. Thomas were pretty rainy and gloomy, as someone else posted.

When I was at the Cove, the washing machine in my room broke.  I called the front desk and told them of the problem, but I made it absolutely clear to them that I was not in a rush to get the machine fixed.  Nevertheless, they had someone in the room right away to look at the machine.  The guy told me that he was the only one on staff for repairs at that time of night, and I told him to just put in a request to have the machine repaired the next day.  It ended up taking two days to repair, since the guys thought they had fixed it, but it didn't stay fixed, and they came right back in and replaced the whole unit.  Having grown up in St. Thomas, I have learned that appreciation (via words of thanks and acknowledging the worker's best efforts) will take you a long way.  Being imperious (via demands and impatience) will unfortunately result in less speedy service.

The pool wasn't beautiful, but there were plenty of signs indicating that a repair job was in the works.  My son and the bunch of family and friends that accompanied me on the trip enjoyed every minute in the pool and at the beach, even if it wasn't perfect.  I am fine with private beaches being less than perfect, and public beaches being BEAUTIFUL (think Megan's Bay, Trunk Bay, Honeymoon Beach, Frances Bay, etc.).

BTW, when the guys took the washing machine out, they also took many of the room's beach towels and my personal beach towel.  Maintenance found my personal towel, washed it, dried it, folded it, and returned it to my room.  I was also able to go to the Kid's Cove and they gave me as many beach towels as I wanted.

I NEVER met a single person working at the Cove, who wasn't courteous, helpful, and exceedingly nice!

My sisters, my son, my friends, and I all plan to return to Frenchman's Cove next year (I have a waiting list of friends to join me).  I am certainly happy to know we won't be bumping into that imperious writer!

Lisa


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## jimf41 (Sep 1, 2010)

Welcome to TUG Lisa,

Nice to have a positive review. My only question is where is Frances Bay? We go every February and I'm always looking for a new beach to try out.


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## Lisa Wiggins (Sep 2, 2010)

I misspelled Francis Bay.  Sorry.  It is on St. John.  It was my favorite beach to swim on, when I was a kid.  Maho Bay campgrounds are nearby.  As a kid, I remember running up over the rocks and finding loads of huge caterpillars eating the leaves off of the frangipani trees.  Snorkeling on the reefs all around the area, I always found beautiful tropical fish.  I also remember seeing a large barracuda, every once in a while.


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## hotcoffee (Sep 2, 2010)

In my previous posts in this thread, I emphasized the positives about MFC.  There are some minor annoyances that one has to accept there.  I have already alluded to two: the pool is somewhat plain-jane when compared against many of the other Marriott resorts, and the beach is only so-so when compared to some of the other beaches in the USVI.

A couple of others:

The resort is built in tiers on a steep hillside.  So, if you are in the topmost building, you will need to go down through two additional buildings using elevators to reach the pool and beach level.  That could be looked at in two ways: on the one hand, one could say that it was a very clever way to build a resort on a steep hillside and still have it be functional and attractive; on the other hand, one could say that it is somewhat of a pain to keep waiting for elevators to get down to the beach.

A complaint in the Tripadvisor review referred to low water pressure.  What Marriott did (at least, in our room) was to put nozzles on the sink taps that spray the water out in thin streams like a shower head.  That does indeed make it challenging to use water pressure to clean something (like a multi-blade razor, for example).

I did not mention those two issues in my previous posts because they sort of are what they are.  I guess that Marriott is trying to save on water usage as far as the taps are concerned.


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