Any thoughts on Wyndham Sea Gardens?

[JerseyDeb]

I am scrambling to find a replacement for the trip Margaritaville Puerto Rico we had scheduled for February. Let me start by saying that this is not really a "problem" when you consider what the people of Puerto Rico are going through right now. We were booked with bonus points that expire 2/28. At first I thought I should wait and see. Even if things were not perfect, the island would really need the tourism dollars down the road. I thought it may be good to go and stimulate the economy. But everything I see now makes me think it will be years before the island recovers. At this point there is limited availability for Wyndham warm weather resorts in February.

I can put together a few days at Sea Gardens but the only thing available is a studio deluxe. My other alternative is to deposit with RCI. Family/work issues make it impossible to travel before February.

Any Floridians out there who can tell me what the weather and ocean temps are like in Pompano Beach in February?

Thanks guys!

 

[Avislo]

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/pompano-beach-fl/33060/month/337610?monyr=2/01/2017

Not from FL but here are is the data for Feb 2017 for the temp.

 

[ronparise]

February is the height of the the south Florida snowbird season. I live on the Gulf coast and although the water temps are too cold for me, plenty of tourists do go in. It's actually funny to see locals like me walking the beach wearing sweaters and jeans and the snowbirds in their bikinis and speedos

The pools will be heated

 

[ilya]

I am scrambling to find a replacement for the trip Margaritaville Puerto Rico we had scheduled for February. Let me start by saying that this is not really a "problem" when you consider what the people of Puerto Rico are going through right now. We were booked with bonus points that expire 2/28. At first I thought I should wait and see. Even if things were not perfect, the island would really need the tourism dollars down the road. I thought it may be good to go and stimulate the economy. But everything I see now makes me think it will be years before the island recovers. At this point there is limited availability for Wyndham warm weather resorts in February.

I can put together a few days at Sea Gardens but the only thing available is a studio deluxe. My other alternative is to deposit with RCI. Family/work issues make it impossible to travel before February.

Any Floridians out there who can tell me what the weather and ocean temps are like in Pompano Beach in February?

Thanks guys!

If you are looking for something to replace Margaritaville you will be very disappointed..

 

[JerseyDeb]

February is the height of the the south Florida snowbird season. I live on the Gulf coast and although the water temps are too cold for me, plenty of tourists do go in. It's actually funny to see locals like me walking the beach wearing sweaters and jeans and the snowbirds in their bikinis and speedos

The pools will be heated

Thanks. The bikini days are over for me but I will settle for shorts and no jacket! I was hoping to avoid going from 25 degree NJ weather to say, 55 degree weather. And while I have your attention Ron, since I consider you a New Orleans expert, how is the weather in NOLA in late February? Also, how is the town AFTER Mardi Gras? Totally dead? Considering that option as well.

 

[JerseyDeb]

If you are looking for something to replace Margaritaville you will be very disappointed..

Yeah, I already know I will need to lower my expectations. Again, mine is a "first world problem" compared to what is going on in the Caribbean. I was going to wait it out and see if there was any type of recovery by February but sadly for the people of Puerto Rico, I think it could take years.

 

[vacationhopeful]

I know a bit more about Sea Gardens .. .the studio deluxe units are mostly in the North and South Oceanview building on the beach. North Oceanview units have W/D in the unit; South building has them in a basement. North Oceanview units FACE due south with the patio doors. South OV face due north. The is SOME parking on the beach side of A1A ..separating these units from the main resort. The Oceanview pictures SHOW a wonderful pool between the buildings ... EXCEPT ... that pool is NOT HEATED .. but the other 3 Sea Gardens pools across A1A are HEATED plus there are several versions of HOT TUBs plus the resort Tiki Bar and all activities.

A BIG beware ... NONE of the oceanview units have balconies .... just 4" wide "Juliet style" foot holds off the patio doors.

Now if you get a studio UNIT in the Waterfalls section ... you will NOT get a washer/dryer, a coffee maker with microwave and an adjoining to the 1bdr lockoff unit's balcony ... yes, lockoff noise is likely.

Look for a STUDIO unit in Santa Barbara .. full kitchen, sofabed plus a QUEEN bed, full balcony and a heated pool plus a parking garage. Just walk across A1A at the light, south for a 150+/- feet to Royal Vista and use their beach access and ocean front TIKI bar.

 

[Avislo]

You might want to take a look at the Southwest, not a huge amount of Club Plus/Access resorts but there are some. If you have to drop expectations down, Myrtle Beach should be real easy and Tenn maybe.

 

[vacationhopeful]

February is a wonderful WARMER February climate than MB or Tenn. I have stayed a could of times in the North Oceanview studios. I rather stay in the SG Oceanview units than the Cabanas studio units at Wyndham Sea Gardens.

There are other resorts very near the beach in South Florida ... every older resort has pluses and some less factors.

I own at the Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort ... cheap studio units can be found there ... BUT .. no balcony, no sofa, a partial & small kitchen (2 burner cooktop plus microwave plus coffee maker ... just a KING size bed plus 2 wooden chairs with a 24" round wooden table). And multiple comments on noise from the adjoining 1 bdr unit that the studio is locked off from (all though towels wedged under the door does reduce the noise element). Now the 1bdr units ... 3 versions .. the 1bdr/1/5 bath units are NOT lockoff units; the 1bdr units with the last 2 unit ids of "03" or "04" are dedicated 1bdr units with balconies facing the ocean as is the "02" unit with 1.5 baths. And ALL the 2/2 units are corner units.

 

[NHTraveler]

I know a bit more about Sea Gardens .. .the studio deluxe units are mostly in the North and South Oceanview building on the beach. North Oceanview units have W/D in the unit; South building has them in a basement.

I had heard the OV North building are Studio Deluxes and the OV South buildings are "just" Studios. Maybe I got bad info? I have stayed in the OV North building and loved it.

EXCEPT ... that pool is NOT HEATED .. but the other 3 Sea Gardens pools across A1A are HEATED

This pool would be the most popular if it was heated. Can't think of why they would have left that one unheated. Weird.

 

[JerseyDeb]

February is a wonderful WARMER February climate than MB or Tenn. I have stayed a could of times in the North Oceanview studios. I rather stay in the SG Oceanview units than the Cabanas studio units at Wyndham Sea Gardens.

There are other resorts very near the beach in South Florida ... every older resort has pluses and some less factors.

I own at the Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort ... cheap studio units can be found there ... BUT .. no balcony, no sofa, a partial & small kitchen (2 burner cooktop plus microwave plus coffee maker ... just a KING size bed plus 2 wooden chairs with a 24" round wooden table). And multiple comments on noise from the adjoining 1 bdr unit that the studio is locked off from (all though towels wedged under the door does reduce the noise element). Now the 1bdr units ... 3 versions .. the 1bdr/1/5 bath units are NOT lockoff units; the 1bdr units with the last 2 unit ids of "03" or "04" are dedicated 1bdr units with balconies facing the ocean as is the "02" unit with 1.5 baths. And ALL the 2/2 units are corner units.

Thank you for all the detailed information. Would you know a particular studio unit # to request in Sea Gardens? I have temporary VIP status (bought developer points before I learned better!) that also expires in February. Supposedly I can request an individual unit.

BTW TUG folks are the best!!

 

[ronparise]

Thanks. The bikini days are over for me but I will settle for shorts and no jacket! I was hoping to avoid going from 25 degree NJ weather to say, 55 degree weather. And while I have your attention Ron, since I consider you a New Orleans expert, how is the weather in NOLA in late February? Also, how is the town AFTER Mardi Gras? Totally dead? Considering that option as well.

I was at last years Mardi Gras and weather was great; shorts and tee shirt weather

I was at a Mardi Gras years ago and I stayed at a campground in my VW Bus (I told you it was years ago) and I damn near froze

So about the weather after Mardi Gras, pretty much like South Florida. Probably warm, but maybe not

New Orleans is never dead, but it's less lively after Mardi Gras

 

[vacationhopeful]

When the GREAT hurricane HIT Sea Gardens YEARS ago ... North Oceanview was redone first. The plan was to make it NICE ... and the washing machines .. with the permits ... drove the REHAB costs to the moon. Hence, NO "in unit W/Ds" in South OV. I don't KNOW if North OV originally had the 'lockoff' function between 2 units .. like SOUTH OCEANVIEW still does where some units are connecting.

As for unit numbers ... in OV. EVEN numbers are North Oceanview. 3rd or 4th floors. Unit 412 is 4th floor ocean corner; 312 is 3th floor ocean corner. Corner units have a sofa bed backed up the double window facing due EAST (aka the Atlantic Ocean waves).

BUT before you get your VIP DREAMS and HOPES up ... Sea Gardens ... all of it ... was originally SOLD as Fixed Deeded weeks and units. And many Snowbird owners had NO REASON to even convert to Wyndham points. Plus as older owners turn their deeds back to Wyndham via Ovations .. those deeds go into CWA. CWP owners KEEP the underlying fixed week ARP til the start of the 10 months booking window.

 

[nicemann]

I was at a Mardi Gras years ago and I stayed at a campground in my VW Bus (I told you it was years ago) and I damn near froze

Global warming over the decades

 

[chapjim]

<snip>

Look for a STUDIO unit in Santa Barbara .. full kitchen, sofabed plus a QUEEN bed, full balcony and a heated pool plus a parking garage. Just walk across A1A at the light, south for a 150+/- feet to Royal Vista and use their beach access and ocean front TIKI bar.

If you go south from Wyndham Santa Barbara, you'll never get to Royal Vista.

 

[vacationhopeful]

If you go south from Wyndham Santa Barbara, you'll never get to Royal Vista.

If I can see it, I will get there. My main concern, is to NOT GET RUN OVER BY THE SNOWBIRDS when crossing A1A ... between the Royal Vista and Santa Barbara resorts.

And yes, you are right ... have to go NORTH from Santa Barbara to both Royal Vista and Sea Gardens.

Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort is SOUTH of Pompano Beach.

 

[Avislo]

Thanks for the information. Did not know that many resorts were so close.

 

[slabeaume]

When we lived in South Florida a couple years ago, we spent a few nights in the various Wyndhams. Here is my blog of 3 of the studio units at Sea Gardens: 1 in Waterfall North; 1 in a North Oceanview unit; and 1 in a South Waterfall unit. All were actually really nice and quite large for a studio. The waterfall units had washer and driers; the OV unit didn't.
http://southernfloridaliving.blogspot.com/2015/11/11-23-24-15-2-nights-in-pompano-beach.html

 

[NHTraveler]

When we lived in South Florida a couple years ago, we spent a few nights in the various Wyndhams. Here is my blog of 3 of the studio units at Sea Gardens: 1 in Waterfall North; 1 in a North Oceanview unit; and 1 in a South Waterfall unit. All were actually really nice and quite large for a studio. The waterfall units had washer and driers; the OV unit didn't.
http://southernfloridaliving.blogspot.com/2015/11/11-23-24-15-2-nights-in-pompano-beach.html

I believe the Oceanview North building are all Studio Deluxes. The OV South Building are Studios. We stayed in the north building...we had a w/d. We knew someone staying in the south building and they did not.

 

[slabeaume]

I believe the Oceanview North building are all Studio Deluxes. The OV South Building are Studios. We stayed in the north building...we had a w/d. We knew someone staying in the south building and they did not.

oops, yes, we checked out the South OV building, not the North OV building.