# How small is DSVII studio unit



## abg1688 (Jul 15, 2014)

I just booked a week at Dessert Spring Villa II (MPD) using an AC from Interval.  But realized it might be small.  Has anyone stayed there?  Please advise.  Thanks!


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## Saintsfanfl (Jul 15, 2014)

I haven't stayed in one but it looks fairly small to tiny. It's only 200 sq ft. It's probably one of the smaller Marriott studios. It does have a King and a Sofa bed so I am thinking very little floor space.

Here is the floor plan of the full 2BR. The bottom part is the studio. The studio is 200 sq ft and the 1BR master side is 1000 sq ft. Anything more than 2 people looks very tight. There doesn't appear any space for luggage.


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## PropertyManager4 (Jul 15, 2014)

*Marriott Desert Springs Villas II size*



abg1688 said:


> I just booked a week at Dessert Spring Villa II (MPD) using an AC from Interval.  But realized it might be small.  Has anyone stayed there?  Please advise.  Thanks!



Don't know the exact square footage but the room and bathroom are both really small.  We have had our kids stay in the studio for a week but only  when we stay in the complete villa so they have access to the middle area dining/living room area and kitchen. It is definitely  smaller than your average Marriott hotel room.  My opinion would be it is okay for a couple of days but a week is stretching it (no pun intended)  for 2 adults.


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## Bob B (Jul 15, 2014)

It's basically a hotel room with a mini-fridge, microwave and some dishes/utensils.


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## s1b000 (Jul 15, 2014)

Bob B said:


> It's basically a hotel room with a mini-fridge, microwave and some dishes/utensils.




Agreed, I stayed there in March and would only recommend for 1-2 people


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## dioxide45 (Jul 15, 2014)

Saintsfanfl said:


> I haven't stayed in one but it looks fairly small to tiny. It's only 200 sq ft. It's probably one of the smaller Marriott studios. It does have a King and a Sofa bed so I am thinking very little floor space.
> 
> Here is the floor plan of the full 2BR. The bottom part is the studio. The studio is 200 sq ft and the 1BR master side is 1000 sq ft. Anything more than 2 people looks very tight. There doesn't appear any space for luggage.



That does look like a tiny studio, but I don't see how it can be from DSVII. I realize it is a conceptual drawing, but it doesn't even look like a lock off unit. I believe that all 2BR units at DSV are able to be locked off.


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## nokaoi9 (Jul 16, 2014)

Shadow Ridge are much nicer, and bigger.  With both, I'd recommend them for a short stay (3-4 days), but not a full week.  The 1BR is huge, sunken living room, very comfortable for a week stay if one becomes available,


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## dougp26364 (Jul 16, 2014)

abg1688 said:


> I just booked a week at Dessert Spring Villa II (MPD) using an AC from Interval.  But realized it might be small.  Has anyone stayed there?  Please advise.  Thanks!



I have a photo album of the 2 bedroom LO unit we were in at DSV II, which includes pictures of the studio LO portion of the unit. 

You can view the album by clicking this link http://dougp26364.smugmug.com/Trave...as-II/21969326_7JjRmx#!i=1760843294&k=7hRdXm7


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## Beefnot (Jul 16, 2014)

nokaoi9 said:


> Shadow Ridge are much nicer, and bigger. With both, I'd recommend them for a short stay (3-4 days), but not a full week. The 1BR is huge, sunken living room, very comfortable for a week stay if one becomes available,



You must be talking about DSV1--which I have seen the huge 1br with sunken living room--not Shadow Ridge, as I am there now and there is no sunken living room.

 Also, I have stayed at DSVII and that drawing doesn't match.


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## taffy19 (Jul 16, 2014)

It is a lock-off unit as we stayed a week in the 1 BR part. Doug's pictures show the lock-off unit in detail in his album. There are more photos after this one here.


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## dougp26364 (Jul 16, 2014)

dioxide45 said:


> That does look like a tiny studio, but I don't see how it can be from DSVII. I realize it is a conceptual drawing, but it doesn't even look like a lock off unit. I believe that all 2BR units at DSV are able to be locked off.



Looking back at my album of our DSV II stay, the layout in the pic is accurate.


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## Saintsfanfl (Jul 16, 2014)

dioxide45 said:


> That does look like a tiny studio, but I don't see how it can be from DSVII. I realize it is a conceptual drawing, but it doesn't even look like a lock off unit. I believe that all 2BR units at DSV are able to be locked off.



The pic looks like a lock-off but more the shared corridor type rather than standard. Similar to the 2BR OF at Ocean Pointe in the Sailfish building. Not sure if it is but looks like it might be. The pic does show two entrances.


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## abg1688 (Jul 16, 2014)

Thank you all so much for all of your comments and pictures.  At least we know what to expect.  Greatly appreciate your help!!!


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## abg1688 (Jul 16, 2014)

One more question, is the Jasmine Court area better than the rest of the resort?  Thanks!


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## Mamianka (Jul 16, 2014)

abg1688 said:


> I just booked a week at Dessert Spring Villa II (MPD) using an AC from Interval.  But realized it might be small.  Has anyone stayed there?  Please advise.  Thanks!




We keep a database of places we might consider - you can get the square footage of the HOTEL site,.  Here is what we have for the 4 places in CA we were thinking about - guest, master, total.


Desert Springs I	  CA	LO            300	1375	  1675
Desert Springs II  CA	LO	        200	1204	  1404
Shadow Ridge I	  CA	LO	        425	825	  1250
Shadow Ridge II	  CA	LO	        356	751	  1107


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## dougp26364 (Jul 16, 2014)

abg1688 said:


> One more question, is the Jasmine Court area better than the rest of the resort?  Thanks!



We were in Jasmine Court when we were at DSV II. Friends we sent there last year also were placed in Jasmine Court. At first, I wasn't to thrilled. I like being closer to the main pool and/or the Marketplace. However I think if I were to go back I'd request Jasmine Court again and ask for one of the buildings close to the main pool, smaller Marketplace in the lobby there and the fitness center. We had a very nice golf course view and everything we needed was convenient. BUT, we didn't have kids with us. I think if we had youngsters with us I'd prefer to be in the main complex where the activities center is located and closer to the main pool.


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## Beefnot (Jul 18, 2014)

Beefnot said:


> You must be talking about DSV1--which I have seen the huge 1br with sunken living room--not Shadow Ridge, as I am there now and there is no sunken living room.
> 
> Also, I have stayed at DSVII and that drawing doesn't match.



I thought about it and realized that I simply had a reversed layout. The rendering is accurate.



Mamianka said:


> We keep a database of places we might consider - you can get the square footage of the HOTEL site,. Here is what we have for the 4 places in CA we were thinking about - guest, master, total.
> 
> 
> Desert Springs I CA LO 300 1375 1675
> ...



Where did you get these measurements. I have stayed at DSVII and am currently at Shadow Ridge. I can say with 100% certainty that SR studio is not twice as large as a DSVII studio, nor is the DSVII one bedroom 50% larger than the SR 1br. Rather the studios were comparable in size and the DSVII one bedroom was a bit larger. I have also viewed the DSVI units, and the studio was not 50% larger than the DSVII studio, nor did it seem 25% smaller than the SR studio.


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## Mamianka (Jul 18, 2014)

Beefnot said:


> I thought about it and realized that I simply had a reversed layout. The rendering is accurate.
> 
> 
> 
> Where did you get these measurements. I have stayed at DSVII and am currently at Shadow Ridge. I can say with 100% certainty that SR studio is not twice as large as a DSVII studio, nor is the DSVII one bedroom 50% larger than the SR 1br. Rather the studios were comparable in size and the DSVII one bedroom was a bit larger. I have also viewed the DSVI units, and the studio was not 50% larger than the DSVII studio, nor did it seem 25% smaller than the SR studio.




We got these figures, as I said, from the HOTEL site.  We have not visited any of these.  The Studio figure is for the studio itself, apparently, while the 1BR includes the LR. dinging room, larger kitchen, etc. - the normal split.  If you go back and check these on the hotel sites, then by all means let me know, so I can correct any errors before I perpetuate them.  I will also check later today if I have the chance.  We ALL benefit from accuracy here, and if I have mis-stated anything, I would want to be the first to know - and not mislead others.
M


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## Fasttr (Jul 18, 2014)

Mamianka said:


> We got these figures, as I said, from the HOTEL site.  We have not visited any of these.  The Studio figure is for the studio itself, apparently, while the 1BR includes the LR. dinging room, larger kitchen, etc. - the normal split.  If you go back and check these on the hotel sites, then by all means let me know, so I can correct any errors before I perpetuate them.  I will also check later today if I have the chance.  We ALL benefit from accuracy here, and if I have mis-stated anything, I would want to be the first to know - and not mislead others.
> M



I just checked marriott.com, and your numbers match what they are showing.


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## Mamianka (Jul 18, 2014)

Fasttr said:


> I just checked marriott.com, and your numbers match what they are showing.



Thanks.  I only had time to re-check the first one, and yes, the numbers were the same.  We really try - like most folks - to get into the larger ones when possible, but kept this list just in case we ONLY could get a small one - and some small ones would make us antsy.  
M


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## Saintsfanfl (Jul 18, 2014)

Beefnot said:


> Where did you get these measurements. I have stayed at DSVII and am currently at Shadow Ridge. I can say with 100% certainty that SR studio is not twice as large as a DSVII studio, nor is the DSVII one bedroom 50% larger than the SR 1br. Rather the studios were comparable in size and the DSVII one bedroom was a bit larger. I have also viewed the DSVI units, and the studio was not 50% larger than the DSVII studio, nor did it seem 25% smaller than the SR studio.



The only way you can know this is by measuring. Eyeballing can be very deceiving. They will put more "stuff" in a unit that has more sq ft. The closet, bathroom, and entryway could also be larger. This can result in the available floor space in the main area being close to the same while the sq ft could be very different.


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## curbysplace (Jul 18, 2014)

Whether the studio works for you can depend on how much you plan to or want to be in your room.  We were at DSVII a week ago in the 2 bedroom - my son was in the studio.  Granted they had the access to the full villa the studio worked well for the two of them (i.e., they were not the type of folks who just stay in the villa).


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## presley (Jul 18, 2014)

I stayed in the studio of a DSVII last year.  It was like an oversized hotel room with a small patio.  It was adequate.  We were out exploring during the days and the nearby BBQ grill also had a burner, which would be useful if we brought a pot or a pan.  The only downside I saw to the room was that if you wanted to watch TV, you had to sit on the uncomfortable bed to see it.

The very small kitchenette was fine, but we weren't cooking large meals.  I'd stay in one again if I was going to be out during the day every day.  The bathroom was larger than my bathroom at home, so I would never describe it as small, even though I've read several times that it is small.


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## Saintsfanfl (Jul 18, 2014)

presley said:


> It was like an oversized hotel room with a small patio.



Oversized? The average hotel room in the US is about 325 sq ft. If that studio is really only 200 sq ft like Marriott states then it is more of an "undersized" hotel room. Maybe their info is wrong. The smaller hotel rooms in the us usually run about 180 sq ft, but rooms that small are not common. 

Motels are generally smaller than hotels and many of the bigger motel chains have a strict requirement of a room size that is larger than 200 sq ft. Days Inn and Comfort Inn are 288+. Sleep Inn is 256+. Super 8 is 240+.


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## Fasttr (Jul 18, 2014)

Saintsfanfl said:


> Oversized? The average hotel room in the US is about 325 sq ft. If that studio is really only 200 sq ft like Marriott states then it is more of an "undersized" hotel room. Maybe their info is wrong. The smaller hotel rooms in the us usually run about 180 sq ft, but rooms that small are not common.
> 
> Motels are generally smaller than hotels and many of the bigger motel chains have a strict requirement of a room size that is larger than 200 sq ft. Days Inn and Comfort Inn are 288+. Sleep Inn is 256+. Super 8 is 240+.



If I just take a ruler to your diagram above, or to the diagram it shows at myvacationclub.com (click link then click "floorplans" under the far right picture), and do some rough math (assuming the site is correct and the total 2BR is approx. 1400 sq. ft), it appears the studio with the bathroom combined would be around 400 sq. ft.  I can only get to approx. 200 sq. ft. if I just take the bedroom area and exclude the bathroom.  I gotta believe the 200 sq. ft. on Marriott.com is incorrect.


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## Saintsfanfl (Jul 18, 2014)

Fasttr said:


> If I just take a ruler to your diagram above, or to the diagram it shows at myvacationclub.com (click link then click "floorplans" under the far right picture), and do some rough math (assuming the site is correct and the total 2BR is approx. 1400 sq. ft), it appears the studio with the bathroom combined would be around 400 sq. ft.  I can only get to approx. 200 sq. ft. if I just take the bedroom area and exclude the bathroom.  I gotta believe the 200 sq. ft. on Marriott.com is incorrect.



That very well could be. 200 is frighteningly small. The diagram is just a developer "concept" drawing though. It was done before they even did the plans to build the place. It's impossible for a concept drawing to be accurate because it's really the "concept" before the architect drew the plan. Since marriott.com did not have the floor plan, which is usually a little more accurate, this was all I could find.


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## BJRSanDiego (Jul 18, 2014)

Fasttr said:


> If I just take a ruler to your diagram above, or to the diagram it shows at myvacationclub.com (click link then click "floorplans" under the far right picture), and do some rough math (assuming the site is correct and the total 2BR is approx. 1400 sq. ft), it appears the studio with the bathroom combined would be around 400 sq. ft.  I can only get to approx. 200 sq. ft. if I just take the bedroom area and exclude the bathroom.  I gotta believe the 200 sq. ft. on Marriott.com is incorrect.



I agree that the 200 sf is incorrect.  I have stayed in an efficiency and paced off the room because I thought that it could not be that small.  It feels about the same size as DSV1.  But, the DSV2 units are more likely to have a better view.  Many of the DSV1 studios face the parking lot and hear the ACs run out front.

However, the efficiency units at SR, DSV1 and DSV2 are all pretty small.  Small refrig., no stove/cook top. More like a nicely appointed hotel room with a balcony.  They may work for 1 or 2 people, but IMNSHO are a bit too cramped for more people.


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## Saintsfanfl (Jul 18, 2014)

BJRSanDiego said:


> I agree that the 200 sf is incorrect.  I have stayed in an efficiency and paced off the room because I thought that it could not be that small.  It feels about the same size as DSV1.  But, the DSV2 units are more likely to have a better view.  Many of the DSV1 studios face the parking lot and hear the ACs run out front.
> 
> However, the efficiency units at SR, DSV1 and DSV2 are all pretty small.  Small refrig., no stove/cook top. More like a nicely appointed hotel room with a balcony.  They may work for 1 or 2 people, but IMNSHO are a bit too cramped for more people.



If the 200 is incorrect, I wonder if the 1BR is also incorrect in offset. They list:

Studio - 200
1BR - 1204
2BR - 1404

1,404 is definitely a decent size for the full 2BR. It's probably larger than most Marriott 2BRs.


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## Beefnot (Jul 18, 2014)

I don't have a tape measure, but my rough approximation of SR1 studio, using my 12" long feet as a ruler, is about 350 to 375 sq ft. Could it be 425? Maybe, though I don't believe it is that large.

The 200sq ft for DSVII is unequivocally wrong, and I suspect that DSVI is wrong too. I am estimate that the DSVI, DSVII, and SR1 studios are relatively comparable, 350 to 400 range, with the offset (assuming the total square footage is correct) reflected in the size of the 1br.


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## Mamianka (Jul 18, 2014)

BJRSanDiego said:


> I agree that the 200 sf is incorrect.  I have stayed in an efficiency and paced off the room because I thought that it could not be that small.  It feels about the same size as DSV1.  But, the DSV2 units are more likely to have a better view.  Many of the DSV1 studios face the parking lot and hear the ACs run out front.
> 
> However, the efficiency units at SR, DSV1 and DSV2 are all pretty small.  Small refrig., no stove/cook top. More like a nicely appointed hotel room with a balcony.  They may work for 1 or 2 people, but IMNSHO are a bit too cramped for more people.




Easy enough to *eyeball* a 220 sq. ft. room on a cruise ship with a queen or king bed in it, and compare to the layout of a Marriott studio.  Yes, the numbers look off to me, too - but as I said, I got them ALL off the hotel websites, and if a mistake was made, it has been perpetuated throughout ALL the listings, like a rubber stamp.  Have never stayed in one of these properties, and if I were someone thinking about it, and ALL I had was the Marriott sq. footages to go by - then I would choose the larger room - and perhaps that is Marriotts ploy - but that leaves them with a whole pile of undesirable studios'(Getaways?  ACs?) . .  - if they had fudged the numbers the other way - they would sell more of the little guys.  Quick nickels - slow dollars?  Not planning on going there soon, so no skin in the game.
M


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