Help! Should I take the exchange to HHI Harbor Club at Harbour Town or wait?

[coachb]

Hi Fellow Travelers,

I have an ongoing search to HHI and have a very narrow travel window of the first 2 weeks of June. The past 4 years we've easily traded into the Shelter Cove properties and LOVE them. My search has yet to hit but I can get into Harbor Club at Harbour Town. Reviews I've read have been mixed. We like being near activities, walking to restaurants, are content with pool days and are willing to travel a bit to the beach. We generally love the Shelter Cove area. We've been to the lighthouse area in Sea Pines once and found it pleasant. Should I pull the trigger on Harbor Club at Harbor Town or wait for my preferred resort? Or am I over thinking it? I have 24 hours to decide!
TIA for any guidance!

CoachBill

 

[MOXJO7282]

Hi Fellow Travelers,

I have an ongoing search to HHI and have a very narrow travel window of the first 2 weeks of June. The past 4 years we've easily traded into the Shelter Cove properties and LOVE them. My search has yet to hit but I can get into Harbor Club at Harbour Town. Reviews I've read have been mixed. We like being near activities, walking to restaurants, are content with pool days and are willing to travel a bit to the beach. We generally love the Shelter Cove area. We've been to the lighthouse area in Sea Pines once and found it pleasant. Should I pull the trigger on Harbor Club at Harbor Town or wait for my preferred resort? Or am I over thinking it? I have 24 hours to decide!
TIA for any guidance!

CoachBill

I really would be surprised if you were disappointed. Being inside Sea Pines is always a great experience for us. We own at both the Monarch and Harbour Point and love both for their own charm and have never stayed at the Harbour Club so no personal experience but have never been disappointed in any MVC so I expect you would enjoy the different experience. Just my .02

 

[Dean]

Hi Fellow Travelers,

I have an ongoing search to HHI and have a very narrow travel window of the first 2 weeks of June. The past 4 years we've easily traded into the Shelter Cove properties and LOVE them. My search has yet to hit but I can get into Harbor Club at Harbour Town. Reviews I've read have been mixed. We like being near activities, walking to restaurants, are content with pool days and are willing to travel a bit to the beach. We generally love the Shelter Cove area. We've been to the lighthouse area in Sea Pines once and found it pleasant. Should I pull the trigger on Harbor Club at Harbor Town or wait for my preferred resort? Or am I over thinking it? I have 24 hours to decide!
TIA for any guidance!

CoachBill

We much prefer any property other than HP/SP for the MVC resorts on HHI. It's more the location than the resorts themselves but you enjoy the location. Still I think most people would be as happy or happier with Heritage or Harbor Club than HP/SP. Is this trading MVC to MVC under a corporate or private account? If it's a private II account you may want to consider doing ePlus, I would not purchase this if it's under a corporate account.

 

[jme]

Harbour Club is fine, no problems at all with that property. We've stayed there many times when we need some extra HH time.
Our first choice when not getting one of the Big Three.
I'd choose that over HP/SP, just like Dean says. Dean knows the resorts, and I concur 100%.
Easy walks to restaurants and nice shops there in Harbour Town, and the villa layouts at HC are quite nice and a favorite among the HH Marriotts.....
Very different layout of rooms and a change from the general similarity of the others.
Three weeks before your stay, call the front desk and make a request for a high floor with a view.
Shelter Cove is awesome but give HC a shot. You've got CQ's, one of HH's nicest fine-dining restaurants,
and the new mega-restaurant Quarterdeck at the Lighthouse is quite good with awesome views. Harbour Town Bakery & Cafe is very good for lunch.
And don't forget the amazing "Links, an American Grill" at the Harbour Town Golf Club----it is OUTSTANDING.
Just had brunch there three weeks ago.
Bike riding in Sea Pines is world-class, and has the BEST trails on the island. Lots of stuff to see and do in Sea Pines.

 

[pedro47]

Sounds like the OP, loved the Shelter Cove properties.
I feel the OP, liked being close to nature and the wetlands.
Plus, less tourists onsite at the resort.

 

[dioxide45]

We much prefer any property other than HP/SP for the MVC resorts on HHI. It's more the location than the resorts themselves but you enjoy the location. Still I think most people would be as happy or happier with Heritage or Harbor Club than HP/SP. Is this trading MVC to MVC under a corporate or private account? If it's a private II account you may want to consider doing ePlus, I would not purchase this if it's under a corporate account.

That is the best option. Just keep the existing exchange and try for a retrade. Either through a corp account or with Eplus.

 

[heathpack]

We much prefer any property other than HP/SP for the MVC resorts on HHI. It's more the location than the resorts themselves but you enjoy the location. Still I think most people would be as happy or happier with Heritage or Harbor Club than HP/SP. Is this trading MVC to MVC under a corporate or private account? If it's a private II account you may want to consider doing ePlus, I would not purchase this if it's under a corporate account.

We have an exchange next May into Harbour Pointe which I actually hope to retrade.

But I am curious: what is your rank order list for HHI Marriotts, and why?

 

[Tuggernaut]

CoachBill, since you have been to the Shelter Cove properties already 4 times, my recommendation would be to go for Harbour Club. Harbor Club has 40 2-bed units. We stayed there last year. Parking is very easy and plentiful as you park below the units. It's very nice and there are several restaurants just steps away. It's in Sea Pines and the bike trails are very nice there. You can rent bikes right there at Harbour Club. Marriott provides a free Sea Pines shuttle van. Just ask the front desk for the phone number of the shuttle and the driver will pick you up and take you to whatever you want to go within Sea Pines. When you are done eating or whatever, call the number again and the shuttle will take you back to Harbour Club. We always tipped the shuttle driver. Be advised that if you are going to Harbour Club via an Interval International week exchange, the check-in day is SUNDAY.

 

[Dean]

We have an exchange next May into Harbour Pointe which I actually hope to retrade.

But I am curious: what is your rank order list for HHI Marriotts, and why?

1. Grande Ocean
2. Surfwatch
3. Barony
4. Monarch
5. HC
6. Heritage
7. SP
8. HP

Personal preference of course. For Barony & SW it depends somewhat on the unit type and method of reservation. For OF definitely Barony, for an exchange I think SW is the safer bet. We don't golf, if I did I'd move Heritage above HC. For us there's a pretty big gap after #3. We've stayed at HP a couple of times and owned there for several years (Resale Sally). I don't care for the location, view or the units. That's esp true for an exchange where there's a good chance of getting a D unit. We like the DVC resort there much more than HP/SP but IMO it still suffers based on view and location. Put another way:

1. Grande Ocean
2. Surfwatch, Barony
3. Gap
4. Monarch
5. Gap
6. HC, Heritage
7. Gap
8. SP, HP

For GO we like the location, units and that it's beachfront. We prefer the location of SW more than Barony. OF & OS units at Barony are better but the GV units at SW are better IMO. For Monarch we don't enjoy the smaller units with the twin beds (like HP) but it has the beachfront location. I'd lump HC & Heritage together, we prefer Harbor Town to Shelter Cove and the larger units are a nice benefit.

Just for fun I did cross reference with cash prices on Marriott.com and the prices tracked my preferences pretty well other than HC being higher at times and Heritage not generally available.

 

[heathpack]

1. Grande Ocean
2. Surfwatch
3. Barony
4. Monarch
5. HC
6. Heritage
7. SP
8. HP

Personal preference of course. For Barony & SW it depends somewhat on the unit type and method of reservation. For OF definitely Barony, for an exchange I think SW is the safer bet. We don't golf, if I did I'd move Heritage above HC. For us there's a pretty big gap after #3. We've stayed at HP a couple of times and owned there for several years (Resale Sally). I don't care for the location, view or the units. That's esp true for an exchange where there's a good chance of getting a D unit. We like the DVC resort there much more than HP/SP but IMO it still suffers based on view and location. Put another way:

1. Grande Ocean
2. Surfwatch, Barony
3. Gap
4. Monarch
5. Gap
6. HC, Heritage
7. Gap
8. SP, HP

For GO we like the location, units and that it's beachfront. We prefer the location of SW more than Barony. OF & OS units at Barony are better but the GV units at SW are better IMO. For Monarch we don't enjoy the smaller units with the twin beds (like HP) but it has the beachfront location. I'd lump HC & Heritage together, we prefer Harbor Town to Shelter Cove and the larger units are a nice benefit.

Just for fun I did cross reference with cash prices on Marriott.com and the prices tracked my preferences pretty well other than HC being higher at times and Heritage not generally available.

Why do you prefer Harbor Town to Shelter Cove? I’m not familiar with either area.

What is the difference in the views in the two areas? I read about Shelter Cove having nice Broad Creek views, and I’ve never stayed at DVCs HHI resort but I’ve been there and walked out onto the dock and thought that view was lovely and serene.

I love a great ocean view from my unit but we spend a lot of time on the beach itself so can deal with other non-ugly views. We own a Barony garden view and find that to be fine for us. I’m trying to understand why others value the resorts the way they do, to help me make the best choices. We definitely don’t love shutting to the beach or looking at the roof of a parking garage. But we also are talking about an exchange of a Mountainside gold studio into a HHI May week, which is already quite an upgrade- unless it’s awful.

Legends Edge is actually a closer beach vacation for us that we also want to try, and I think would be a realistic retrade. It’s also not walkable to the actual beach. Also I think “fair” views. I think HHI is overall a nicer place but we place great value on the beach itself. So part of my equation is also whether the “least” of the HHI resorts is still better than Legends End. Although I am of course already stalking II for a better HHI resort.

 

[jme]

1. Grande Ocean
2. Surfwatch
3. Barony
4. Monarch
5. HC
6. Heritage
7. SP
8. HP

Personal preference of course. For Barony & SW it depends somewhat on the unit type and method of reservation. For OF definitely Barony, for an exchange I think SW is the safer bet. We don't golf, if I did I'd move Heritage above HC. For us there's a pretty big gap after #3. We've stayed at HP a couple of times and owned there for several years (Resale Sally). I don't care for the location, view or the units. That's esp true for an exchange where there's a good chance of getting a D unit. We like the DVC resort there much more than HP/SP but IMO it still suffers based on view and location. Put another way:

1. Grande Ocean
2. Surfwatch, Barony
3. Gap
4. Monarch
5. Gap
6. HC, Heritage
7. Gap
8. SP, HP

For GO we like the location, units and that it's beachfront. We prefer the location of SW more than Barony. OF & OS units at Barony are better but the GV units at SW are better IMO. For Monarch we don't enjoy the smaller units with the twin beds (like HP) but it has the beachfront location. I'd lump HC & Heritage together, we prefer Harbor Town to Shelter Cove and the larger units are a nice benefit.

Just for fun I did cross reference with cash prices on Marriott.com and the prices tracked my preferences pretty well other than HC being higher at times and Heritage not generally available.

Nice review, and the finer points noted that distinguish each resort are valuable to know.
Having stayed at all of the Marriott resorts multiple times, I agree with everything said.
Any of the resorts are enjoyable, though, even down the list, and imho have things about them that make staying there better than most non-Marriotts.

 

[Big Matt]

I find Harbour Club to be very nice and the location is great, but Harbortown gets very busy during certain parts of the year and during the week. You can either drive to the beach club or take the shuttle. There are more restaurants in Sea Pines that people think about.

 

[dioxide45]

I find Harbour Club to be very nice and the location is great, but Harbortown gets very busy during certain parts of the year and during the week. You can either drive to the beach club or take the shuttle. There are more restaurants in Sea Pines that people think about.

Where is the beach they shuttle you to?

 

[Dean]

Nice review, and the finer points noted that distinguish each resort are valuable to know.
Having stayed at all of the Marriott resorts multiple times, I agree with everything said.
Any of the resorts are enjoyable, though, even down the list, and imho have things about them that make staying there better than most non-Marriotts.

Obviously third world problem. I wouldn't have an issue staying at HP/SP as a place to sleep but not as a resort to enjoy for a number of days.

Where is the beach they shuttle you to?

DVC shuttles to the DVC Beach House in Palmetto Dunes. For the Harbor Town resorts it'd be the public beach close to Monarch. For MVC members they might be able to get a day pass for Monarch or MGO.

 

[jme]

Where is the beach they shuttle you to?

For those interested in the Harbour Club (or Heritage Club) shuttle,
I just called the Harbour Club front desk to ask about the HC shuttle service.

The resort itself does not have a private shuttle, but you can take the Harbour Town/Sea Pines Trolley which makes stops at the Sea Pines Beach Club,
which is 1/2 mile inside the Sea Pines entrance gate (off N Sea Pines Drive which you run into from South Forest Beach Drive),
and actually adjacent to Marriott Monarch Resort.
There is a restaurant there at the gorgeous and impressive Beach Club facility. There is also an outdoor dining area and often live entertainment during the high seasons.
The beach access there is the MAIN beach access for all of Sea Pines, with ample parking too.
The Sea Pines Trolley service doesn't begin its seasonal operation until early-to-mid April.

The Harbour Town Trolley also makes stops at the popular South Beach area where you'll find several clothing and gift shops,
plus the always busy seafood spot the "Salty Dog Cafe" (inside/outside dining---LOTS of outside tables which is GREAT for evening dining and live entertainment)
The Salty Dog T-Shirt Factory is definitely the main attraction at South Beach. It's their flagship location, and has tons of inventory in every style and color.
(Funny, but EVERYWHERE we go, even in Boston, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, you name it, we run into people wearing the famous Salty Dog T-Shirts.)

 

[Dean]

Why do you prefer Harbor Town to Shelter Cove? I’m not familiar with either area.

What is the difference in the views in the two areas? I read about Shelter Cove having nice Broad Creek views, and I’ve never stayed at DVCs HHI resort but I’ve been there and walked out onto the dock and thought that view was lovely and serene.

I love a great ocean view from my unit but we spend a lot of time on the beach itself so can deal with other non-ugly views. We own a Barony garden view and find that to be fine for us. I’m trying to understand why others value the resorts the way they do, to help me make the best choices. We definitely don’t love shutting to the beach or looking at the roof of a parking garage. But we also are talking about an exchange of a Mountainside gold studio into a HHI May week, which is already quite an upgrade- unless it’s awful.

Legends Edge is actually a closer beach vacation for us that we also want to try, and I think would be a realistic retrade. It’s also not walkable to the actual beach. Also I think “fair” views. I think HHI is overall a nicer place but we place great value on the beach itself. So part of my equation is also whether the “least” of the HHI resorts is still better than Legends End. Although I am of course already stalking II for a better HHI resort.

Now that I have more time, I'll try to address the issue. For us it's really about the resets on the beach, esp the newer 3. As for. Harbor Town vs Shelter Cove, I think it's the SeaPines access and better shops. Restaurants are probably somewhat comparable at this point. For HP/SP we simply didn't enjoy the resort. I'd skip it completely rather than stay there as a vacation. Now if it were the best or only resort in the area, I might hold a different opinion but that's not the case for HHI.

LE is a nice little resort as a place to sleep and explore but there's essentially no beach or view there. The Bluegreen Resort nearby has a small beach but it's still not much to speak of. It's great if you want a quiet 2 BR and a good place to explore from. No restaurants all that close though many within 5-10 miles. If there one of the bike weeks, the quieter ambience can be a godsend. We do find the Wyndham resort much better though overall.

 

[dioxide45]

We

1. Grande Ocean
2. Surfwatch, Barony
3. Gap
4. Monarch
5. Gap
6. HC, Heritage
7. Gap
8. SP, HP

Our list would be very similar, except that the gap is up a notch and #2 becomes #3. For us, Barony and Surfwatch just don't compare to Grande Ocean. Barony is too small and ending up in garden view changes the stay dynamic a lot. We did just enjoy a great week at Surfwatch in the Ocean Dunes building, but a garden view stay isn't as delightful. There are a lot of zonker views at Grande Ocean too, but the overall resort and location makes up for it.

One nice thing about SP and HP is they are centrally located. Not far to go for places to the north or south. HC and Heritage are way south and only ideal if you plan to do most of your dining and such in Sea Pines.

The rooms in HC are nice and big and the location is nice. Though I like the location of Heritage a little better.

 

[Dean]

Our list would be very similar, except that the gap is up a notch and #2 becomes #3. For us, Barony and Surfwatch just don't compare to Grande Ocean. Barony is too small and ending up in garden view changes the stay dynamic a lot. We did just enjoy a great week at Surfwatch in the Ocean Dunes building, but a garden view stay isn't as delightful. There are a lot of zonker views at Grande Ocean too, but the overall resort and location makes up for it.

One nice thing about SP and HP is they are centrally located. Not far to go for places to the north or south. HC and Heritage are way south and only ideal if you plan to do most of your dining and such in Sea Pines.

The rooms in HC are nice and big and the location is nice. Though I like the location of Heritage a little better.

While worded slightly differently, it sounds like we have essentially the same preferences. I think Heritage is 1465 sq ft, I believe HC is around the same. Two queens in the second compared to HP & Monarch with two twins. HP D units are under 1000 square feet. As for centrally located, with the cross island expressway that isn't as true as it once was but MGO is definitely the best location for us.

 

[coachb]

Thank you everyone! What a great thread with helpful replies. We’re sticking with HC for the trade.
Thanks again!
CoachBill

 

[Dean]

Thank you everyone! What a great thread with helpful replies. We’re sticking with HC for the trade.
Thanks again!
CoachBill

Keep looking online for a trade up. If you end up there, let us know what you think.

 

[pedro47]

The HC and the SP are liked night and day.
The HC have the location on Sea Pine Island and the units are large.
Plus, the surrounding areas are more scenic .
You have a famous restaurant on site, a PGA golf course on site, a marina fill with luxury yachts, a bike trail, a walking trail and a shopping center on site and finally it is a gated resort community..IMHO.

 

[RookWDW]

Fun discussion. We have stayed at MGO many times now and love it there, but now I need to go check out some of the other MVC-HHI resorts. I've been trying to talk tWife into going off season (i.e. outside of May - Oct), maybe Spring break or winter time. So far she objects to it not being warm enough, but it would be much less crowded that summer.

 

[ljlong15]

Hello,

We travel quite often there and the Grande Ocean is the best in my opnion. Resort itself, beach access, near sea pines and they give you a pass.

 

[Superchief]

Fun discussion. We have stayed at MGO many times now and love it there, but now I need to go check out some of the other MVC-HHI resorts. I've been trying to talk tWife into going off season (i.e. outside of May - Oct), maybe Spring break or winter time. So far she objects to it not being warm enough, but it would be much less crowded that summer.

If you live in Ohio, you would appreciate that Hilton Head is jacket weather in Jan-Feb. I can stay 3 weeks at this time for one week of MVC points from a high season. It is a great break from winter. I prefer Surf Watch for it's location. Although it isn't beach weather, it is great for walking, biking, and restaurants aren't crowded. I go to Planet Fitness nearby a few times per week and appreciated that the parking lot wasn't covered with piles of snow, like they were in Cincinnati.