# Need to Vent--Surf Club--Sorry, Looong!



## WeLv2Ski (Feb 25, 2008)

Ok, we're relatively new to this entire timeshare thing; however...I just don't get it.  Please, tell me, are all TS's run like this monster?  

After arriving at the airport last Thursday, we rented a car and drove to the market.  After loading up on groceries for the week, we went to check in at the Surf Club at 4:15 (check in is at 4:00 p.m.) only to be told that we would have to wait at least another 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours until our room was ready as housekeeping was just starting to clean the room from the prior guests, and “they left it a mess”.  My husband asked for a Mgr and gave him our grocery receipt and stated that we would be happy to wait as long as the Surf Club wouldn't mind paying for our groceries which were melting in the hot sun with our luggage.  The Mgr agreed to let the bell captain into our room to put the groceries away, but not us.  My husband at this point needed to get to a location with internet access to do some work.  The only spot is in the room for privacy and a secure connection.  Well, because we couldn't get to the room, and he couldn't get his work done, we missed our reservations at Blossoms.  (the only restaurant my kids actually beg to go to)  At 9:15 that night, we were given keys to the room.

Prior to leaving NY, I scheduled babysitting through the Concierge for all 11 days of our trip.  3 hours during the day and 3-4 hours every other night. We were sent a confirmation email along with the name of our babysitter.  On the first day that she was to start, I went up to my room at 12:30 for a 1:00 start.  I waited and waited and waited.  At 1:10 I called the Concierge and asked if I were in the right location.  (should I be in the Lobby?)  They told me to wait where I was.  By 1:30, still no babysitter.  I called the Concierge again only to be told that I had CANCELLED the babysitter for today.  WHAT????  I told the woman on the phone that I absolutely would not have cancelled and that I had just spent over an hour in my room waiting for her.  Could she confirm that the babysitter would be arriving that night?  After hemming and hawing I was told that if I would hold on she would try to contact her.  I requested that she just leave me a voicemail as I had already wasted enough of my day in my room.  At 5pm I arrived back in my room to find NO MESSAGE.  Oh, by the way, never try calling the Concierge from 3-7, they don't answer the phone.  So, I went downstairs to ask the Concierge if my babysitter would be coming that night and was told of course.  Not only that, the woman I spoke to claimed that I was in the system for the babysitter that day and she did not know why the babysitter never showed up.  Hello?????  What's going on here?

The babysitter arrived that night.  I gave her my key and asked her to take the kids downstairs for ice-cream and then back up to the room to watch a movie.  "No problem", she tells me.  "I have a 2 year old at home".  Ok, I feel a little better now leaving my 15 month old, 4 year old and 6 year old.  That is, until I get back to the room and it looks like my kids had a giant food fight.  There is dinner, still on the table and partially covering the floors.  The ice-cream that they bought is dripping out of the containers and onto the floor.  The baby is asleep, fully clothed, with all the lights on.  My oldest is still awake.  Now I know they do not have to clean.  However, I’m on vacation.  Do I have to come back to a disgusting mess that I'm responsible for cleaning?  Sorry, this just makes me nuts!  Shouldn't the room be left the way it was found if not close to the way it was found?  Yes, there is still more...then I find the ice-cream receipt.  Ice-cream all around.  (I didn't care about the sitter having some too)  However, then I find on the bill 3 Gatorades.  Where did this come from?   Ok, next.  

So, then she tells me that she doesn't know why she was scheduled for the afternoons as she has a job during the day and cannot baby-sit.  She does have a friend though who can cover for her.   Very long story short, the friend comes, doesn't speak English, takes the baby far away from the Hotel and leaves me no way of contacting her.  I'm done.  Off to the Guest Relations Manager now.  Her name is Erika Chemaly for anyone interested.  She is new to the Surf Club.  I tell Erika the events to this point and how I'm very upset with what has been happening.  She oohs and ahhs at all of the appropriate points and then tells me she will look into it.  As I leave her office, my husband comes storming down the hallway with all the kids in tow.  We are supposed to be eating at Madame Janette's and need to leave the SC in 15 minutes.  It turns out that a Concierge called while I was in with Erika and told my husband that I had cancelled the babysitter for that evening and that I had underpaid her for the prior night.  My husband explained that there could be no way I had cancelled as we were on our way out for dinner and were just waiting for her to show up.  He was told, and I quote, "you need to speak with and communicate better with your wife". :annoyed: 

So, talk, talk, talk.  Nothing gets resolved, nothing gets accomplished.  I lose my Madame Janette reservation that night; I lose my babysitter once again.  (good riddance)  My husband goes back to the room with the kids; I now have to go find dinner for the two of us.  The Surf Club has no room service.  (Captains Galley does deliver Pizza to your room though, prior to 7:00 p.m.).  The Surf Club has no restaurants.  (Captains Galley closes at 7:00 p.m.)  Oh, so I now get it.  You pay for a room and a pool...just like a condominium.  Did I miss the Hotel amenities?  IMO there is no connection beyond the name from the Marriott Resort and the SC.  But excuse me, I digress...

So starving, grumpy and truly upset I now make my way over to Champions figuring I can bring back some Pub food for us.  No way.  The line is out the door and into the Lobby just to get to the Host stand.  I turn around only to find a lone Concierge getting ready to end her day (in the Ocean Club for those of you that are unavailable).  I ask her where to find dinner to take to my room.  She can't come up with a suggestion.  She finally digs and gets an abbreviated story of our past couple of days.  BINGO.  Not sure who this woman was, but, I am sure she was responsible in some way.  She looks at me and actually offers to go out to get us dinner and bring it back.  She calls La Vista (the buffet at the hotel) and tells me to get dinner there.  I walk over only to find her and her Mgr waiting for me.  The Mgr (Rosa) of the Ocean Club is helpful and offers to pay for our dinner and make reservations for us at Madame Janette for another night.  (she did do both)

She got us a new babysitter the next day (Rosa's Aunt).  Ah...peace at last.

Skipping to our last night.  We asked for a late check out—and are told never on the weekend (10:00 a.m. it is and they will hold our bags in storage (I am sure Customs and the Department of HomeLand Security would like to hear we were not in possession of our bags for the day of our flight).  We reviewed our bill to find that we were charged the incorrect amounts for our first 3 nights.  (We paid with our owners discount for 3 nights prior to our week beginning).  Looking further, our wonderful first babysitter made local calls on our phone.  The SC front desk staff wouldn't remove them even after calling the local numbers and speaking to some random male.  We were told, and again, I quote, "if you had a guest to your home and they made phone calls, you would be responsible for those calls, not the phone company?"  We were told to follow up with the original babysitter to find the source of the calls.  Not only this, we should also go to the Concierge to discuss, but they have left for the evening (just what we want to do our last morning in Aruba).  All this from the ever so helpful Andrea Herts, the Saturday front desk night Mgr. 

I'm sorry if I'm being ignorant.  We paid alot of money upfront to own in this place.  Am I crazy to expect a certain amount of helpfulness, care and catering?  I am an owner of one the largest units during one of their Platinum Plus weeks.  I'd be cursing alot right now if I actually cursed.  I feel like I've been taken.

Sorry for the length of this.  I know there are so many other stories out there.  We spoke to so many people during the week and everyone had the same complaints.  I'm not even going to get into the pool, palapas and beach situations.  My thoughts at the moment???  Sell!!!  Sell!!!  Sell!!!  Get away while you can!  Now they're saying there going to be building Marriott/Ritz Carlton Condominiums right next door (behind the new building).  It's just too much.  Too big.  Understaffed and not being maintained very well, with limited Customer Service, if any.  I'm REALLY disappointed.


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## pwrshift (Feb 25, 2008)

Timeshare ownership is certainly a new world to new owners, especially when the glitz of the sales presentation perhaps paints a different picture from reality. I remember being bothered when I found out my first timeshare (years ago) didn't have daily maid service and found out when I came back and found the suite the way we left it. You mean I have to make my own beds or pay someone to do it ... the answer they gave me was that you pay for those services in full service hotel rates, which I guess was true.

Most timeshare owners buy them for 'family vacations' where you are with your kids 24/7 and it's nice to have the 'space' of a timeshare instead of a hotel room. Personally, I'd be afraid to leave my small children with babysitters I didn't know, even at a Ritz Carlton. Some of us have taken relatives with us to do that for us, rather than strangers.

Reality bites. Unfortunately it looks like you were expecting something entirely different from what you got, and it could happen at any timeshare or hotel resort. I for one like my TS to be 'associated' with a nearby/adjacent JW Marriott and/or Ritz Carlton as you generally can use their facilities (while their guests can't use yours) and I think it increases the value of your timeshare.  Some people prefer a home away from home.

It's too bad you came away with such a bad taste about timesharing, and you may have to reassess your initial objectives of why you bought in the first place. If you sold today, and if you bought direct, you could lose as much as half of what you paid - maybe more. There are a great many benefits of timeshare ownership that most of us enjoy - but it's not always a bed of roses. But, then, what else is?

Brian


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## Dave M (Feb 25, 2008)

I'm very sorry that you had an unpleasant experience. Some of those things, especially the baby sitter issues, should not have happened. However, other experiences are part of the timeshare experience - with most timeshares – which would suggest a revision of your expectations for future timeshare stays.

Normal check-in time at most Marriotts is 4:00, but it often happens that some units are not ready by 4:00. Thus, doing grocery shopping - probably for any timeshare - before getting access to your unit is a good way to lose frozen and refrigerated items. A better plan is to expect that there will be a delay and take the family to dinner the first night, saving grocery shopping for the next morning, unless you find yourself with extra time after moving into your unit.

Room service and restaurants are not common amenities at timeshares. Marriott timeshares, just like most timeshares, are not full-service hotels. Thus expecting “catering” from Marriott was not realistic. 

Unlike hotels, most timeshares do not allow late checkouts when the resort is full. A late checkout would increase the likelihood that the next guests for your unit would be inconvenienced at check-in, just as you were. Thus, expecting the resort to allow a late checkout was not realistic. 

Leaving bags in temporary storage after checking out is standard practice in the hospitality industry, although you could have left them in your car if you were concerned that someone would tamper with them. Most airlines no longer even ask whether your bags have been under your continuous control.

No, you were not wrong to expect a reasonable level of responsiveness to your babysitter concerns. And having to wait until after 9:00 to check in was very unusual, although not unheard of. You deserved better.

Timesharing can be a wonderful vacation experience. But it can be very frustrating for those who expect something that timesharing is not. And it can be very infuriating when you rely on independent contractors (babysitters) that are not employees of the timeshare resort and they fail to meet reasonable standards. 

In addition to lowering some of your expectations, you might consider taking your own babysitter next time. More expensive? Definitely, yes. More reliable and relaxing? Almost certainly, yes.


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## tlwmkw (Feb 25, 2008)

It's too bad you had this experience but I would caution you against leaving your young children with an unknown babysitter.  You just need to search the internet to find horror stories about these type situations.  I would agree with the other two posters who suggest taking a sitter, or family member, along with you if you wish to spend long stretches of time away from your kids.  You can't really blame the resort if the sitter is unreliable- they are not employees of the resort after all.

Most timeshares don't have restaurants and can't help if you miss a reservation.  Just chalk that one up as a learning experience.

You said the facility is not being maintained- what problems exactly did you have?  This is always a concern because your yearly maint fees should be used to keep things up to "Marriott" standards.


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## MikeM132 (Feb 25, 2008)

too bad your first impression was so bad. Ours was the opposite! I guess much of this has to do with your expectations coming in. We expected a "condo" in a resort area. That is pretty much what you get, at least with Marriott. Maybe it's just me, but truly helpful staff in the resort/hotel industry seem to be the exception rather than the norm. Sounds like you had a little of each in Aruba. The 9:00PM check in is what concerns me--that stinks. Usually they will store your bags and stuff for you until your rooms are ready. You could then go to dinner. 
If I ever even mentioned getting a strange babysitter for my kids to my wife, I would have been sleeping alone on the beach. We know people here who always took a young girl babysitter with them all over the world on vacation to help with the kids (and the Mom still did most of the work except when they went out). The young kids loved it...they got great vacations all  over the place for free (actually got paid, too). They were treated just like a big sister and particpated in everything the family did. We always admired that, but we took care of our own kids. They grow up too fast anyway. You are lucky to have a timeshare with really young kids. You'll have a lot more good memories than us (we started in t/s much later).


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## lprstn (Feb 25, 2008)

Wow, there is so much going on here I don't know where to begin.  I understand your frustration as my mom works in an upscale hotel and the services you expect you would definately gotten at most of them.  However, the babysitter issue, that happens when you are in another country and childcare services are rare.  Unlike Disney who has great childcare facilities on property, some hotels/timeshare do offer the names of contractors that provide this service and they presume no liability for the services of the childcare operators.  As for the late check-in, I would write Marriott about that issue as the time was extremely late, and they gave you no incentive or assistance in making you comfortable throughout your wait.  The dinner issue, someone handled that.  The calls issue, I write Marriott/Childcare contractor about that situation, maybe they can appease you for the charge.  All in all TS is not the same pampering vacation that you get when staying in a hotel, unless you go to an All Inclusive TS resort, where you get that type of personal service.  Also, as far as babysitting goes, I always take one with us, except when staying on Disney property where they have childcare centers onsite, it just makes things easier, and with having a TS where you can have 3 bedrooms the babysitter can have their own space when not working.  Please give it a longer try, as the financial lost is great when purchased through the developer, and see if it improves.


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## lovearuba (Feb 25, 2008)

There is no excuse for what happened to you.  You didnt do anything wrong and you should not have to anticipate that you shouldnt buy groceries until you were in your room iespecially since you got their past check in time.


I've checked into the ocean many times and have had to wait but usually because I got there too early.  Marriott should be ashamed of themselves.

Things will go better the next time, they really cant get any worse can they?


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## buzzy (Feb 25, 2008)

I am still trying to get over the thought of leaving my 3 children, especially at that age with a babysitter that I do not know??? Sorry.....


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## Beverley (Feb 25, 2008)

If you think about it ... how could a late check in of 9:00 even happen if they never allow late check out? Hmmmm There must be a serious staffing problem for housekeeping!  I know how difficult it is to complain about services to the front desk.  One of our visits we had complaints about the suggested vendor for the jeep tour to the "wild side".  Our complaints were pretty much given "lip service".  

I am sorry, but I, too, suggest a babysitter that you may know and bring her with you.  An attractive weekly rate along with a vacation "on the house" should help out,  If you think about it, I can't imagine that if the sitter showed up for all the times you wanted her, that what you would be paying by the end of the week isn't too far from the cost of a fair weekly rate.  I realize that it might be difficult to find one whose family will allow you to take her out of the country and the added responsibility you should feel for her safety. (sorry ... considering the whole Natalie Holloway thing ... ).  None-the-less, a passport would need to be obtained etc .. so planning planning planning on this one.

I am sorry  you had such a nightmare-ish beginning, but all experiences are not this bad.  We vacation 6 - 8 weeks each year via timeshares.  We have never had it as bad as your description, although we have had some irritations and one or two disappointments.

Don't sell .... bring a sitter with you, food shop after check in, and enjoy the sun, sand, and lazy river. 

Beverley


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## CatLovers (Feb 25, 2008)

buzzy said:


> I am still trying to get over the thought of leaving my 3 children, especially at that age with a babysitter that I do not know??? Sorry.....



Wow!  Pretty judgmental!! I am always reluctant to make a blanket statement like that ... considering I don't know the situation, what the concierge said in the original phone call when the booking was made, etc., etc.  In terms of risk, not that much different than signing them up for an all-day kids' club, IMO.  If they're supposedly recommended by the Marriott, there is some expectation of quality ... but apparently not!


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## buzzy (Feb 25, 2008)

CatLovers said:


> Wow!  Pretty judgmental!! I am always reluctant to make a blanket statement like that ... considering I don't know the situation, what the concierge said in the original phone call when the booking was made, etc., etc.  In terms of risk, not that much different than signing them up for an all-day kids' club, IMO.  If they're supposedly recommended by the Marriott, there is some expectation of quality ... but apparently not!



I don't mean to sound judgemental but I would not under ANY situation leave my 15 month, 4 and 6 year old with someone I don't know.  It's just me...everyone may not feel that way.


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## m61376 (Feb 25, 2008)

I don't think where your kids are concerned you can ever be too cautious. Yes, you are right, there should be some expected quality level if they are rec. by Marriott; on the other hand, how well can Marriott be expected to know even its employees, let alone people who may not even be employed by them on a regular basis. 

While I never used all-day kids' club services either (admittedly I am far too neurotic to leave my kids in some stranger's care), at least they are more visible. There are generally several personnel and people coming in and out during the day. I think there is a lot more risk when you leave a single individual behind closed doors. That's just my 2 cents.

I don't think most of the posters here are trying to be judgmental; we're letting the OP know there are other options that she should perhaps at least consider next time, because she needs to be aware that simply being with a "Marriott rec. babysitter" doesn't ensure her children's safety. A lot of very well meaning parents oftentimes never realize that their kids are in a dangerous situation until something bad happens.

As for the rest of it- obviously, the late check-in was inexcusable and management should have to answer for it. However, expecting a late check-out is equally unrealistic. The check out rules should be enforced so no one is inconvenienced. The concierges are generally very good at the SC, so I am surprised that things couldn't have worked out smoother, but maybe the holiday week just had them stretched a little too thin. The biggest issue here seems to be, at least to me, that the OP bought without really understanding that a Marriott timeshare, despite being a great timeshare and having resort type amenities, is not a 5* hotel with the services you'd naturally expect there.


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## jimf41 (Feb 25, 2008)

buzzy said:


> I don't mean to sound judgemental but I would not under ANY situation leave my 15 month, 4 and 6 year old with someone I don't know.  It's just me...everyone may not feel that way.



I have to go with Buzzy on this one. I would also be very surprised to find out that Marriott is in the baby sitter recommending business. I know they will furnish a list of local people that do this at various resorts but I don't think you'll actually get them to recommend one. If they did and the legal Dept. found out it would stop very quickly. I do not know anyone personally that would leave a 15 month old with someone they never met. Being a cop for 27 years in the area where the OP resides I can tell you that's not a good practice. In a foreign country that has a recent history of kidnapping and murder involving a tourist I would be a bit more cautious.


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## LUVourMarriotts (Feb 25, 2008)

As an owner at Surf Club, I feel the need to comment.  I've now been to the Surf Club 3 times.  I can safely say that each visit has been absolutely incredible.  I can't wait for our upcoming 2 weeks.  I have never spoken to anyone while at SC that has said anything negative about the stay.  Yes, there are no restaurants, but you should have known that going in, right?

The babysitter situation, although obviously annoying, is mostly out of Marriotts control (IMO).  If you booked it through the concierge, its probably an external service, right?  Marriott does use information from guests to start/stop recommending outside vendors.  For instance, they stopped using a 4-wheeler/horse tour company when the 4-wheelers maintenance started to degrade and guests were complaining.

I'd recommend checking out bb.visitaruba.com for your future visits.  There is a lot of info you can get there, and a bunch of highly recommended babysitters.  Or, you may go the other way and review the sticky's on the Buying, *Selling*, Renting page.

Some of your comments are hard to believe, based on my experiences with the Surf Club, and with Marriott in general.  I have had a few issues, but after bringing those issues to Marriotts attention, they were handled professionally and appropriately.  I'm not saying your comments are not true, I'm just saying they are hard to believe.  I also agree with buzzy.

Regarding your baggage comment, I believe you will find that any hotel will do the same thing, hold your luggage.  Locking your luggage is recommended while the hotel stores it.  If I'm not mistaken, you gave your luggage to Marriott to hold, they didn't take it from you.
The construction next to/behind the new building is NOT a Ritz/Marriott, it is a private condominium complex.


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## janapur (Feb 25, 2008)

In defense of the OP, we used a babysitter one night at the Grand Mayan. She was a staff member in staff uniform with name tag and ID and spoke excellent English. The unit was spotless, the kids were asleep, and my wedding ring (which I stupidly removed to apply sunscreen) was on our bedside table. Just my experience.


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## Steel5Rings (Feb 25, 2008)

buzzy said:


> I am still trying to get over the thought of leaving my 3 children, especially at that age with a babysitter that I do not know??? Sorry.....



Yeah, totally agree.  If I am bringing the kids in the first place then we are spending time as a family.  If we are going to pawn the kids off for 6 hours of the day, then we just may as well leave them at home with their grandparents.

These are pretty young kids that need extra attention....I would guess that most of these sitter services at resorts are for teens and pre-teens that just need a pair of eyes on them and not actually care and feeding.

Aruba and the Marriott in general are NOT Disney....this is a foreign country...I can't imagine having any reasonable expectation of quality child care or a focus on kids like you might see at the Disney resorts.......and even at that, I wouldn't leave my 6,5, and 3 year olds with a sitter at Disney.

Not judging...different strokes for different folks.


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## qlaval (Feb 25, 2008)

jimf41 said:


> ... In a foreign country that has a recent history of kidnapping and murder involving a tourist I would be a bit more cautious...


Sorry, but for a cop you're jumping fast to a verdict...
An history means a repetition of such acts. There weren't any before the tragic Halloway event.
History of kidnapping !?! As far as we all know there weren't any.
Murder !?! Non assistance to a person in danger? probably, as for murder sadly it looks like we will never know for sure.

Still I understand your reference, but it would serve us better if we were to stay with the facts.


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## rachel (Feb 25, 2008)

come on now glaval...I dont think because hes a police officer hes jumping to conclusion...i understand your protecting of aruba...but don't be so far fetched.  you know the facts he is speaking of ...the truth he is speaking...he said nothing against aruba or the people....just stating a fact!  get off of the high horse.  stay with the subject matter here.


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## Dave M (Feb 25, 2008)

*With my moderator hat on....*

Please adhere to the BBS "Be Courteous" rule, which states in part:





> Refrain from name calling and behaviour lectures. Personal attacks will not be tolerated and repeated offences could get you banned from the bbs. Lively discussion is what the board is all about, but that is no excuse for boorish behaviour or bad manners.


Among other things, that means that you can disagree (politely) with content of another's post, but you can't attack an individual poster or ridicule what the poster has written.


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## Andar (Feb 25, 2008)

deleted by poster.  Point was already made.


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## qlaval (Feb 26, 2008)

rachel said:


> come on now qlaval...I dont think because hes a police officer hes jumping to conclusion...i understand your protecting of aruba...but don't be so far fetched.  you know the facts he is speaking of ...the truth he is speaking...he said nothing against aruba or the people....just stating a fact!  get off of the high horse.  stay with the subject matter here.



First I don't think that because jimf41 is a police officer that he's jumping to conclusion.
It's more like since he's a police officer I'm sure he's aware of many accusations that didn't turn to be totally true even if at first we all think they were.

As for facts there are two.
-A young lovely lady disappeared in Aruba  
-Joran Van der Sloot is a first class scum....

As for what really happen between the two remains assumptions not facts. (even with the secret video tape)

I do understand that this is a very emotional issue for many me included.
The reference toward stating facts only was to this intend only, more it was to avoid what has already started...

As for using the service of an unknow babysitter the exact same precautions that someone use at home should apply for Aruba.
It is not less of a danger or worst  in Aruba then at home.

Now back to the thread subject.


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## vlapinta (Feb 26, 2008)

After reading through these posts what comes to my mind is it seems the original poster called Marriott for the names of babysitters. In her mind she expected, being furnished names from Marriott, a certain standard. Forget all the judgemental comments about wether she should or should not leave her children with a babysitter in SC. The point I feel she was making was her dissapointment in the situation. Its clear she is new to all of this. She was venting... I just want to say to her I am sorry you were put with a bad taste in your mouth.  I can tell you, as many can on these boards that you will have some wonderful vacations owning a Marriott time share. The babysitter thing it seems is what caused most of your problems. I am sorry for your bad experience and hope next time you will see how differant it really can be. 

Vicki


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## rachel (Feb 26, 2008)

Sorry glaval...didn't mean any sarcasm...I cant wait till I get to aruba and the surf club in July...got tired of waiting for an exchange with II and decided to rent instead.


Rachel


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## DG001 (Feb 26, 2008)

Waiting till 9 to get your room, especially since the OP paid cash for it - is pretty bad. 

OP says she arranged babysitting through Concierge. To me, when the Concierge takes up the responsibility of "setting up", they are in a way saying they will stand behind the service. 

Regardless, the fact they gave the OP the WRONG information - first with a confirmation email and then asking her to wait up in her room, and then saying she cancelled - says there is either massive mismanagement or miscommunication in the concierge desk. Either way she should write to the general manager at the Surf Club.


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## WeLv2Ski (Feb 26, 2008)

Wow, I guess it’s pretty easy to post on here in blind judgment when you know nothing of our situation.  Thanks to those of you who responded in relation to my venting post.  A few days have passed since we’ve been home and I’ve been able to regain much perspective.  The fact is we love Aruba.  No, the Surf Club is not what we envisioned when we bought in.  Yes, we knew there would be no restaurant. However, with 3 young children (when we bought, we only had 2) we didn’t realize that would become an issue for us.  I don’t necessarily mind the cleaning and the dishes.  (I do think that our units will have more wear and tear in the long run because of the lack of care taken)  My 3 bedroom unit has dishes for 5 people.  The façade is already cracking because the table and chairs on the balconies are actually too big.  So, when you move your chair, you smack the walls.  The carpets in the bedrooms are getting dirty.  Still, the space is unbelievable when you have a large family.

My frustrations were and are in the attitudes of some of the Marriott people we met.  As far as a customer service stand point, I don’t think I, as an owner, should be treated any differently than a customer at the Hotel. (In fact, I paid more!)  No, I don’t think this is a 5* resort, however, I would like to feel like I am at a resort.  There were people we met this past week that were actually getting on line at 4am to secure their huts on the beach.  People were calling the line of chairs lined up in front of the beach “the wall”.  The pool area was filled with people who blocked the aisles and made it difficult to walk through.  (Try doing this with a stroller).   In addition, when you actually got a spot at the pool, unless you grabbed one of the first chairs in the morning, you were already behind the plants or 1-3 other rows of people.  That’s not quite laying out at the pool in my mind.  The beach and pool by mid afternoon were littered with trash—cups, papers, plastic.

Now, as far as the babysitter goes, not that any of this is really your business but I feel so defensive that I’ll try to explain…first of all, we don’t dump our kids for 6 hours a day.  Marriott has a policy that sitters must come for a minimum of 3 hours at a time.  The afternoon 3 hours are for my youngest son who must nap.  The first hour the sitter is with us is on the beach, all together.  She plays with the baby in the sand or gives him lunch which in turn gives my husband and I the ability of playing with our older two children in ways we couldn’t achieve with the youngest in tow.  The next two hours my youngest naps.  My husband works in excess of 70 hours a week.  This leaves little time for him to spend with our children, and with me.  We felt that once we had a babysitter, we could spend some time at night together.  Every other or every second night, we bath our children, feed them and get them ready for dessert and a walk.  Since we have younger children, they do go to bed early.  We’re not deserting them; we’re just making time to be a couple.  Sorry if any of you find this offensive.  It would be ideal if we could take our family or a sitter along.  Obviously, we can’t.  Yes, I would consider hiring someone from our area however after the MANY SUCCESSFUL babysitting experiences we have had—it’s rather nice to just be alone.  

We have met the most marvelous Island women who are only interested in making some money and caring for our children.  The Marriott offers a wonderful referral service through their Concierge that we are very familiar with through our own experiences as well as those of our friends.  (Many of them use babysitter’s too-gasp)  In addition, what do you think would happen if anything ever happened in the Marriott from a referral that they gave?  Each babysitter is given a handbook with rules and instructions from Marriott that they must abide by.  Believe me, I understand the world we live in is a dangerous place.  I am a caring and attentive mother and relish the time spent with my family.  I find some of your comments hurtful as well as ignorant.  You don’t know us.  Please don’t judge our situation.  You may or may not choose to do as we do and that is ok.  This post was supposed to be about our frustrations, limitations and learning experiences surrounding the timeshare world in general, and I was looking to you all as experienced owners to offer some advice and direction.  I thank those of you who stayed on point and offered some helpful suggestions for us to improve our visit next year.  So, now I’ve vented again.


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## CatLovers (Feb 26, 2008)

*Take a deep breath!*



WeLv2Ski said:


> Now, as far as the babysitter goes, not that any of this is really your business but I feel so defensive that I’ll try to explain ...



I know you've explained because you felt defensive, but you really didn't need to.  Trust in yourself, your instincts, and your own best judgment.

Unfortunately, I find that it's very easy for some people to make blind judgments and say things on a bulletin board that they would never dream of saying to someone in person.  Yes, using phrases such as "pawning kids off" and applying the DOH emoticon  (translate: you're stupid) to someone whose situation they know nothing about is not only judgmental, but disrespectful.  At the end of the day though, it's a bulletin board and most of the posters here are people with whom you will probably never cross paths in real life, so don't let the negative comments here get under your skin.  

FWIW, I think you were entitled to expect a higher level of service than what you received.  It sounds like some others have received better service than you have.  Their experience, while fantastic for them, is irrelevant to yours.  Focus your energies on the places where it might make a difference - send a well-thought out letter to Marriott Customer Relations expressing your concerns and disappointments.  Try to be succinct, and I'm sure you'll get a response.


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## Lisa8192 (Feb 26, 2008)

Now, as far as the babysitter goes, not that any of this is really your business but I feel so defensive that I’ll try to explain ...


Good for you! Those comments regarding babysitting were uncalled for. The post was about venting about the service at the marriott. She never asked
for anyone's personal opinion about leaving her children with a babysitter.


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## Beverley (Feb 26, 2008)

WeLv2Ski said:


> .
> 
> The Marriott offers a wonderful referral service through their Concierge that we are very familiar with through our own experiences as well as those of our friends.  (Many of them use babysitter’s too-gasp)  In addition, what do you think would happen if anything ever happened in the Marriott from a referral that they gave?  Each babysitter is given a handbook with rules and instructions from Marriott that they must abide by.  .



In that case, I would contact the highest level of Marriott's timeshare division and place a strong, written complaint about their referral service and about the lack of accountability on the part of the management at the SC.  

If, as I understand you to say, that Marriott actually recommends the sitter then, when she couldn't work during the day, the concierge should have come up with a suitable replacement rather than you securing a replacement from the sitter directly.  Perhaps this would have avoided one of the stressful moments you experienced.  

In addition, Marriott needs to know that this sitter ( the first one) is not particularly good since the villa was a wreck upon your return, melting ice cream, kids not ready for bed as you expected, etc.  If they are to recommend her to another family, there could be a repeat of your experiences with someone else. 

Whether you choose to use strangers or not is as you have said your business.  Perhaps you may want to ask if the sitters recommended are bonded and whether they have had background checks.  If anything were to happen, I honestly do not think Marriott would accept responsibility for their recommendation.  

Hopefully your next trip to Aruba will go more smoothly.

Beverley


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## tlwmkw (Feb 26, 2008)

I agree with the posts suggesting that you take all your concerns and let Marriott know so they can act on them and prevent future situations like this.  The late check-in is certainly unacceptable, and the situation with the pools and beach are a known/ongoing problem (just do a search of the posts on this bb).

The advice to take a babysitter with you was not judgemental but instead a suggestion of a way to avoid many of the problems that you had on this trip.  If you had taken your babysitter with you you would not have had all the time delays, mess, phone calls, worry when the sitter went AWOL with your children, and missed reservations that you experienced.  It would also be safer since you would have someone that you already know and trust.


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## PerryM (Feb 27, 2008)

*Some helpful pointers might make it easier next time...*

We go on 5 timeshare vacations per year – mostly to Marriotts.  I tell our friends all the wonderful adventures we have but I make it very clear to them that timeshares are in the class “Do it yourself” compared to a full service 4+ star resort.  Some of my friends would never consider a timeshare because of this and some are fine with it.  Here are some helpful hints that will make this transition a little easier:

1)	2 weeks before check-in call the resort and confirm the reservation and ask for a specific view or floor or location.  Reconfirm any other events, rentals, and schedules with vendors. 

2)	As soon as the plane lands and you switch on your cell phone call the resort and say you are here and when do they estimate your room will be ready.  You will have to talk to someone in rooms control but someone can give you an estimate – get their name.  Many times they will ask for your cell phone number and call you when it is ready or if they experience a problem.  Your room was probably assigned 2 weeks earlier and if the folks before you were my son and his frat brothers then yes the place will take a lot longer to clean.

3)	Some timeshare resorts have a “Call ahead” way to stock your unit with groceries from a local store.  This can be very handy if your plane lands late at night.  Nothing is worse than landing late and having the fridge empty for the crew who may be hours ahead from your time zone and wake up at 5 AM ready to eat and the restaurants are not open yet.

4)	Have directions to the resort printed out via Google Maps or have your GPS set for the location.  Finding a new resort in the dark can be very hard.

5)	You can check your luggage with the bell captain and most Marriotts are wireless and the Internet is available in the lobby or restaurants or pool side.

6)	We never used a babysitter on vacation but if we did I’d check her out somehow – don’t ask me how but I’d at least do a Google search and there are all kinds of services to check into the background of a person via the Internet.  They cost $20 or so but most of the time criminal records are indicated and if one was present I’d pass on that person.  This goes for the owner of the service too.

7)	When timeshares are busy, at 4 PM, your check-in can be 30 minutes and longer – the kids need to be entertained and that might be the time to take them to a nearby ice cream place.  I’ve watched kids and parents go nuts while everyone waits in line.

8)	Check local cell phone service!!!  In foreign countries you may need to buy a service package for your cell phone, and certain parts of the US still don’t have cell phone service.  We landed on Boston and drove 2 hours north in Vermont last September only to find our Sprint cell phones had no service 30 minutes out of Boston.  Roaming would cost a fortune so we had no cell phone service for 1 week – I could have gotten a 1 month package from Sprint but I’m too cheap.

Well anyway, hopefully your next timeshare experience will go better – once you get used to timeshare they just have a “home” feeling to them and its very similar to vacationing at your second home where you do much of the work that a pricy resort does for you.  We love and recommend it.


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## lovearuba (Feb 27, 2008)

Hi
You know Perry, your advise is great but it shouldnt be necessary to do all of this prework. Marriott should be more customer service focused than allowing their customers to put up with this nonsense.  You are proposing that we timeshare owners do Marriott's job for them.


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## PerryM (Feb 27, 2008)

lovearuba said:


> Hi
> You know Perry, your advise is great but it shouldnt be necessary to do all of this prework. Marriott should be more customer service focused than allowing their customers to put up with this nonsense.  You are proposing that we timeshare owners do Marriott's job for them.



I plan for the worst scenario and pray for the best.  I'm so used to doing all the above that it is second nature and our vacations go off like clock-work.

Some folks like the adventure of just getting there, me I like it afterwards.


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## UWSurfer (Feb 27, 2008)

Perry, that post should be a sticky in TS 101 as useful practices for any TS vacation.  I will review it a week or two before I leave for each trip from now on,.

Thank you!!!!


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## vlapinta (Feb 27, 2008)

Thank You Perry for your advise. I never thought about calling ahead to see if the villa is ready, or at what time it will be ready. I think that is a great idea and I will definately try that the next time. It sure beats waiting for hours after the proposed check in time. That happened to us once at MOW. We didn't get into our villa until after 6. We just sat and waited. Now I will ask if they can call our cell phone if there is a delay after the check in time. 

Thanks!
Vicki


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## JimIg23 (Feb 27, 2008)

_Some timeshare resorts have a “Call ahead” way to stock your unit with groceries from a local store. This can be very handy if your plane lands late at night. Nothing is worse than landing late and having the fridge empty for the crew who may be hours ahead from your time zone and wake up at 5 AM ready to eat and the restaurants are not open yet._

Do any of the Marriott have this?  Has anyone tried this?  I am pretty new to TS (I have stayed at 2 and going to 2 more in a few month) and in addition to doing alot of what Perry said, after I get the kids and DW settled in I take a run to a Walmart (some close by 10).  It would be good for the basics if not too expensive.


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## Matt B (Mar 26, 2008)

WeLv2Ski,

I apologize sincerely for your experience at the Aruba Surf Club.  If your issue(s) hasn't been resolved yet, please contact MVCI's Corporate Customer Relations department by phone or email at your leisure. 

customer.relations@vacationclub.com
800 952-8145

Thank you,
Matt Bove
Marriott Vacation Club Intl.
Manager, Customer Advocacy


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## JoeZuke (Mar 29, 2008)

vlapinta said:


> Thank You Perry for your advise. I never thought about calling ahead to see if the villa is ready, or at what time it will be ready. I think that is a great idea and I will definately try that the next time. It sure beats waiting for hours after the proposed check in time. That happened to us once at MOW. We didn't get into our villa until after 6. We just sat and waited. Now I will ask if they can call our cell phone if there is a delay after the check in time.
> 
> Thanks!
> Vicki



Perry makes a good recommendation about calling.  We just returned from Surf Club and had to wait until 5:30pm to check in.  We arrived early at 1:00pm and hung around the pool most of the afternoon.  We kept checking back at the front desk and the room finally became available around 5:30pm.  Spring Break week is very busy so you need to be flexible especially with the number of rooms at this location.


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## Armada (Mar 31, 2008)

First, I'm glad to see Matt B has chimed in and hopefully the contact he listed will be able to help you.  If they don't resolve the issue, call Marriott HQ and ask for the name and address of the brand manager for MVCI who I believe is Stephen Weisz. I used to have his e-mail address and will continue to look for it for you.  

I have to agree with the original poster regarding the babysitter service.  If it is a service that the Ocean Surf advertises(and it certainly does on its web site), then they have the responsibility to provide that service at typical Marriott standards.


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## MOXJO7282 (Mar 31, 2008)

I've been reading this thread with great interst because next Feb we'll be at the Surf Club for the first time since we bought in 2003. This isn't the first negative comments about the SC that has been presented over time. Hopefully they get their act together and these problems become a thing of the past.

To offer a little balance, I just received a note from my renter who used my SC unit this past Feb. She was very positive about the experience and offered to take my place next year as well.

Regards.
Joe


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## LUVourMarriotts (Mar 31, 2008)

BillMorrow said:


> I have to agree with the original poster regarding the babysitter service.  If it is a service that the Ocean Surf advertises(and it certainly does on its web site), then they have the responsibility to provide that service at typical Marriott standards.



Can you point out the website location where babysitting service is advertised?  I don't find it.  The only mention that I find is in the vacation experience guide, where it states:
"Need a little vacation from your little ones on this vacation?  The Conciege will be happy to provide a list of local babysitters."


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## Armada (Apr 1, 2008)

It's on this page.


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## jtrossi2 (Apr 2, 2008)

*So sorry about your experience*

The service that you experienced was poor - on the part of the Marriott and the babysitter.

I do think that you really should rethink leaving your small children alone with an unknown babysitter in a foreign country. The benefit is truly not worth the risk.


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