Grande Ocean Dolphin Pool construction [Oct '21 Start Delayed] [MERGED]

[pedro47]

Looks liked I need to plan for a vacation stay at GO for 2022.

 

[Big Matt]

Now all we need is a market place.......

 

[dioxide45]

Now all we need is a market place.......

Didn't they have one before and it wasn't sustainable? Buy more stuff in there and you could have had one still.

 

[Fasttr]

Just heard this was delayed a year. Anybody have any concrete updated info?

 

[dioxide45]

Just heard this was delayed a year. Anybody have any concrete updated info?

I bet they watched my video and realized the lagoon should be converted instead!

 

[jd2601]

I saw a post that said construction will not start until next year. Not sure when next year?
Construction and staffing issues were mentioned.

 

[jme]

Renovation of the southside Dolphin Pool (including adding some new features), addition of a Kids' Splash Pad area,
and addition of a Lazy River, was scheduled to begin in October of this year, but various things contributed to it being put off at least a year.
Among the things cited were the current explosion of material costs and serious staffing issues, and frankly as an owner I agree with this decision
despite the excitement that the proposed project generated. I spoke directly with the general manager recently about it,
but we purposefully didn't get into specific details.
The architectural rendition had recently been publicly displayed on site, and can be seen in post #23 above (thank you, Jeremy).
Word spread quickly about the renovation and the details, and I'm privately wondering whether the plan itself was fully and readily
accepted or not, but that is my own speculation.
I have second thoughts about a couple of the items myself, one being the "shallow water sunning shelf", which looks like wasted space,
and also becomes a potential source of considerable daily conflict among guests, which we don't need. This is the perfect time, imho,
to begin to evaluate the plan, and come up with something that appeals to the majority and stays within the budget, whether it is achieved
by a questionnaire issued to the owners, or by whatever means deemed appropriate.
The final master plan won't be perfectly and universally loved, but it is a necessary step. We have the time to do this the right way.

(posted above by dioxide45)

 

[dioxide45]

I have second thoughts about a couple of the items myself, one being the "shallow water sunning shelf", which looks like wasted space

I would agree on this one. Most often, people don't want to swim in a few inches of water. So no one ever uses these "shelves". I do understand that zero entry is good for people with disabilities and people who have issues with stairs, but it is pretty much the same. No one actually swims in the few inches of water. It ends up taking up what could be usable space in the pool.

 

[jme]

I would agree on this one. Most often, people don't want to swim in a few inches of water. So no one ever uses these "shelves". I do understand that zero entry is good for people with disabilities and people who have issues with stairs, but it is pretty much the same. No one actually swims in the few inches of water. It ends up taking up what could be usable space in the pool.

The diagram seems to show a few lounge chairs in that small entry space, presumably for sunning.
If so, that will create a "fight" for those chairs all day long, every day. Not a good idea at all, and frankly a total waste of space.
The whole entry there, including the wide rounded steps, seems another wasted use of space. Has to be a better way.

 

[Big Matt]

If you are familiar with the layout of the existing pool, it is essentially replacing part of the pool with a lazy river. It is not a big space and if it is popular there will be log jams in the river. The more that I look at it, the less I like it.

 

[Fasttr]

If you are familiar with the layout of the existing pool, it is essentially replacing part of the pool with a lazy river. It is not a big space and if it is popular there will be log jams in the river. The more that I look at it, the less I like it.

I agree, which is why the North side seems a better fit for a lazy river with the simple dioxide45 conversion.

 

[Ixchel]

I saw a post that mentioned the Grande Ocean Dolphin Pool will be closed to construct a Lazy River. Marriott Vacation Club web site does state state that the Dolphin Pool will be closed from October 2021 through June 2022. Has anyone heard of construction of a Lazy River at Grande Ocean? If this might be true? Thanks, jd2601

Headed to GO early Nov 2021. Is it correct that this project has been delayed?

 

[Big Matt]

It is delayed at least a year from what several of us were told.

 

[SueDonJ]

Our Hilton Head community is planning on a major pool refurbishment and has already started putting the projects out to bid but we've been told to not expect anything to begin anytime soon, that we may be looking at as late as a 2024 completion date, due to delays with materials combined with local labor forces being affected by COVID (and to a lesser extent, legislative restrictions on the imported work force.)

Just like most everywhere else, HHI property owners who during the last year and a half spent lots of time at home and little money outside of it took advantage of the situation to have home remodeling done. Specific to pools, over the last couple months we watched the final stages of a new pool installation at a neighbor's private home - they waited a year for construction to begin, then it was more common for the laborers to be onsite for half-days or not at all because they're stacking jobs. This total job took five months longer than it would have pre-COVID and at this point, there are more jobs in the queues now than when this one started.

I expect that after bids are accepted then major jobs at gated communities (like ours) and large resorts (like GO) might get some preferential treatment when it comes to scheduling, maybe with more full days of labor workers onsite once construction begins, but I wouldn't expect our jobs to be placed at the top of the list ahead of others whose contracts were signed prior to ours. Even with many of these bigger pool companies it's the weekly maintenance contracts that follow an installation that sustain their business during downtimes, and homeowners will switch to smaller independent contractors after an installation if they're made to feel like the bigger companies don't need them.

********
About GO's design - we spent a couple days at Barony's gardenview pool area with our grandchildren last month (owners' Day Pass usage is open again) and that shallow shelf was CROWDED! One of the days there was a group of twenty-somethings celebrating a bachelorette weekend who parked there and treated all of us to GOOD karaoke, two groups of older foursomes sitting with their backs against the sides and legs stretched out after a round of golf, and about ten kids I'd say between 2 and 8 who went back and forth between it and the splash pad all afternoon long. The other day the singers were gone but the same happened with golfers and kids. It was fun!

 

[Retired2025 aka AlmostRetired]

I go to HHI in the summer season but this year it was last week in August. What a difference in the crowds at the GO and at restaurants. What a pleasure. I love the idea of the lazy river. It's implementation that gets me nervous. If it was in fact the lagoon area, I would be happier about this because it would lesson the load on the other pools. When I was there late August, I was told it was not. I have been to Aruba when the lazy river was a zoo and when it was more peaceful and the difference wasn't the number of people but the parents who believed the lazy river is an unpaid babysitter that allows their kids to do anything. Kids will be kids and will do anything. I think the GO will be no different. I know as an owner one could use the GO facilities when staying elsewhere. I had family stay at the Marriott Resort and Spa and used day passes to get them access. Again, love the idea, but get nervous about the implementation. In any case I will not lose any sleep over it and I will enjoy my stay at the GO no matter the impact. BTW, great video.

 

[Big Matt]

I personally don't think there is enough space for an effective lazy river where they want to put it at GO. I think its a waste of time and money.

 

[dioxide45]

I personally don't think there is enough space for an effective lazy river where they want to put it at GO. I think its a waste of time and money.

If you own there, let your BOD know.

 

[WBP]

[Moderator Note: Threads merged.] <-- SueDonJ

Does anyone know an Official/Marriott-stated date for the start of construction on the Lazy River at Grande Ocean?

Thank you.

 

[jme]

The resort's front desk says it will begin in October of 2022, which is a one year delay from the initial start date of October 2021.
We were at Grande Ocean last week and heard the new start date mentioned several times from the various staff members--- from the front desk
reps, the General Manager, and even from the Sales People across the street. The proposed new plan's rendering is on display in the lobby now,
and it is different from the original plan, which I personally thought had some issues that needed changing.

 

[ocdb8r]

The resort's front desk says it will begin in October of 2022, which is a one year delay from the initial start date of October 2021.
We were at Grande Ocean last week and heard the new start date mentioned several times from the various staff members--- from the front desk
reps, the General Manager, and even from the Sales People across the street. The proposed new plan's rendering is on display in the lobby now,
and it is different from the original plan, which I personally thought had some issues that needed changing.

Any pics of the renderings (old or new)? I hadn't seen this.

 

[jme]

Any pics of the renderings (old or new)? I hadn't seen this.

I had a new one printed out this past week but I'll have to search for it.
In the meantime, call the front desk and I'm sure they'll email one.
Front Desk (843) 686-7343

 

[Luvtoride]

The resort's front desk says it will begin in October of 2022, which is a one year delay from the initial start date of October 2021.
We were at Grande Ocean last week and heard the new start date mentioned several times from the various staff members--- from the front desk
reps, the General Manager, and even from the Sales People across the street. The proposed new plan's rendering is on display in the lobby now,
and it is different from the original plan, which I personally thought had some issues that needed changing.

any projected completion date for the lazy river?

 

[jwalk03]

I would love to see it too if someone gets it and can share it.

 

[needvaca]

the rendering is in this thread
[Link disabled after threads merged.] <-- SueDonJ

 

[dioxide45]

the rendering is in this thread
Grande Ocean Dolphin Pool construction | Page 2 | Timeshare Users Group Discussion Forums (tugbbs.com)
View attachment 53777

Apparently it has been modified from this first version...

It will now be where the Lagoon is.....