Off season Ocean City recomendations

[tschwa2]

Ocean City, MD

Trying to decide between these 3 available resorts. Booking a week but only staying 4 days due to work/school. I am familiar with locations but not the interiors. I am very familiar with the area but none of my normal go to resorts are available on my dates I need. There will be 5 including one disabled so a wide bathroom to turn around is a plus.

I am going to rank them by view IMO but if the interiors are really bad I can adjust.

1. Bay Club 2 BR - 1 Queen and 2 singles plus sofa bed (will use as 12 year old just sleeping on sofa) Direct bay front. I understand some units are renovated and some not- knowing my luck I would assume an unrenovated unit.

2. The Quarters at Marlin Cove 2 BR . King and 2 singles and sofa bed. Canal front.

3. Lucayan 2BR King sofa not sure of second bedroom Some units have a limited bay view some have parking lot view. My brother stayed in a non renovated unit a few years ago and it was pretty bad. Per RCI they are still refurbishing some units.

 

[escanoe]

I am very familiar with the area but none of my normal go to resorts are available on my dates I need.

Unfortunately I am new to timesharing and do not have anything to add to your OP. I live in the DC area, and would love to know what your favorite resorts for MD and DE beaches are. I will be trying out a coupe of VA Beach City resorts (the Atrium and Ocean Key) this summer -- but would love to make it to a Delmarva next summer.

When making plans for this summer I was a little surprised at VA Beach having considerably more options on RCI (especially for points) than the Delmarva area.

 

[RLS50]

Are you going sometime in the next 3 months? Is pool or hot tub important to any in your party? If so can you get Club Ocean Villas II? A first floor unit there might work, and they come with hot tubs on the outdoor patio. And a very nice indoor pool.

If offseason I wouldn't choose Lucayan, I don't know anything about The Quarters at Marlin Cove. They have been improving Bay Club, and they do have an indoor pool. But as you said at Lucayan or Bay Club you might be playing Russian roulette with the room you get.

 

[wackymother]

Ocean City, MD

Trying to decide between these 3 available resorts. Booking a week but only staying 4 days due to work/school. I am familiar with locations but not the interiors. I am very familiar with the area but none of my normal go to resorts are available on my dates I need. There will be 5 including one disabled so a wide bathroom to turn around is a plus.

I am going to rank them by view IMO but if the interiors are really bad I can adjust.

1. Bay Club 2 BR - 1 Queen and 2 singles plus sofa bed (will use as 12 year old just sleeping on sofa) Direct bay front. I understand some units are renovated and some not- knowing my luck I would assume an unrenovated unit.

2. The Quarters at Marlin Cove 2 BR . King and 2 singles and sofa bed. Canal front.

3. Lucayan 2BR King sofa not sure of second bedroom Some units have a limited bay view some have parking lot view. My brother stayed in a non renovated unit a few years ago and it was pretty bad. Per RCI they are still refurbishing some units.

We love Ocean City, but I'm afraid we haven't stayed at any of these places. We have stayed at Club Ocean Villas II a couple of times, and we like it there very much, but even the downstairs units do have a couple of steps to get into the unit. You go through a gate and then have to pass through a somewhat narrow space between the hot tub and a small table and chairs, then you go up a couple of steps to get in. I'm sure you could re-arrange the table and chairs to make the path wider.

We've also stayed at Sea Time, which I don't recommend, and at Ocean Time, which we liked a lot.

Good luck!

 

[tschwa2]

I like Ocean Time too. It's basic but always nice with no or fairly minor maintenance issues.
I stayed at Sea Time in July in a 1 BR. It wasn't bad. There were only 3 of us and we lucked out with a high floor unit next to the end with a nice view.

We have given up on Club Ocean Villas II when travelling with my grandmother. They always promise us 1 or no steps and then there always are 3 or more and nothing available without steps. This is over 4 different reservations both weeks (which I realize may be fixed unit) and points. Once in the summer after promising a 1st floor unit (which I was willing to accept a few steps), they said all that they had was a 2nd floor unit. Luckily my husband was with me on that trip so we could carry her up the flight of stairs.

I still haven't made up my mind. I might just go with 2 hotel rooms ocean front. We would lose a kitchen and living room but gain ocean front, on the boardwalk. Weekends are still in the $70 per night range but week nights are $50 and with a late check out I wouldn't need to pay for an extra day so 2 weekend nights in one room (husband and older son leaving on Sunday evening) and 2 weekend nights plus Sunday night is about the same as the off season exchange 5 pts plus $239 through rci or $289 with free cert from II.

 

[RLS50]

I like Ocean Time too. It's basic but always nice with no or fairly minor maintenance issues.
I stayed at Sea Time in July in a 1 BR. It wasn't bad. There were only 3 of us and we lucked out with a high floor unit next to the end with a nice view.

We have given up on Club Ocean Villas II when travelling with my grandmother. They always promise us 1 or no steps and then there always are 3 or more and nothing available without steps. This is over 4 different reservations both weeks (which I realize may be fixed unit) and points. Once in the summer after promising a 1st floor unit (which I was willing to accept a few steps), they said all that they had was a 2nd floor unit. Luckily my husband was with me on that trip so we could carry her up the flight of stairs.

I still haven't made up my mind. I might just go with 2 hotel rooms ocean front. We would lose a kitchen and living room but gain ocean front, on the boardwalk. Weekends are still in the $70 per night range but week nights are $50 and with a late check out I wouldn't need to pay for an extra day so 2 weekend nights in one room (husband and older son leaving on Sunday evening) and 2 weekend nights plus Sunday night is about the same as the off season exchange 5 pts plus $239 through rci or $289 with free cert from II.

If you are considering a couple of rooms and want to be oceanfront on the Boardwalk, have you considered Boardwalk One? The rooms are Studio but plenty of room, especially if you got 2 rooms. There is an elevator from the parking lot, so no steps to worry about at all. The oceanfront rooms are actually quite nice (the view), with large balconies, and not expensive in the offseason even when booking thru the Front Desk. The units come with a stove, sink, and almost full size fridge. And the location literally can't be beat, right near everything (depending on what's open in the offseason of course).

 

[RLS50]

Also Boardwalk One was running a 20% off special for 2 nights or more thru Dec 31, 2018. You might be able to get them to honor that if staying soon? Worth asking about if staying there is something you would consider.

 

[Poette]

We recently stayed at a new Residence Inn there that opened in April. Bayfront, full kitchen, indoor & outdoor pool, fitness area, great breakfast and also had a bar/small restaurant. Rates were very reasonable for the time frame we traveled. We were more than pleased.

 

[rainbows1957]

The only timeshare that I would stay in now in Ocean City is Ocean Time. I love the oceanfront Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel on 12th Street. It's a basic hotel room but does have a mini frig and microwave. Has an indoor swimming pool, restaurant, bar, balcony and free parking garage. Off season rates are good if it's not a special weekend. https://hjoceanfrontplaza.com/

 

[rainbows1957]

You can also rent directly from Ocean Time. Sometimes 3-day weekends are available. http://paradiseoc.com/ocean-city-md-rentals

 

[cerralee]

Also Boardwalk One was running a 20% off special for 2 nights or more thru Dec 31, 2018. You might be able to get them to honor that if staying soon? Worth asking about if staying there is something you would consider.

I second Boardwalk One...especially if you can get two rooms. If there is anyone out the people watching is a lot of fun. I would only want an ocean front room, not one in the back. You will be in walking distance to a lot of restaurants. I haven’t seen much luxury in Ocean City-but if you have been there then you know that.

 

[chapjim]

Unfortunately I am new to timesharing and do not have anything to add to your OP. I live in the DC area, and would love to know what your favorite resorts for MD and DE beaches are. I will be trying out a coupe of VA Beach City resorts (the Atrium and Ocean Key) this summer -- but would love to make it to a Delmarva next summer.

When making plans for this summer I was a little surprised at VA Beach having considerably more options on RCI (especially for points) than the Delmarva area.

Maybe it has changed but The Atrium was the worst timeshare resort we've occupied since 1995. Daughter was attending Old Dominion University in Norfolk and we had been looking for a place in the VA Beach area for spring break. The Atrium popped up about a day before spring break started so we grabbed it. Should have stayed home.

Small living/dining area in the front, bedroom in the back. A short corridor between the two had the "kitchen" area. Small fridge, sink, next to zero counter space -- we had to put the toaster on a Coleman cooler. No view from this cave-like unit. Pool looked awful.

Like I said, maybe The Atrium has changed. Daughter graduated ODU in 2003 so a lot could have happened in that time.

I'd look for some recent reviews before I booked The Atrium.

 

[tschwa2]

We decided to go the 2 hotel room route. Amenities at Ocean City timeshares are sparse. Most only have pools and many of those are only outdoor, which obviously are not open this time of year or are off site. This way we can have a true handicap accessible unit for my grandmother plus a big accessible lobby for a change of scenery from the room.

We booked a corner oceanfront room with 2 queens and a sitting area with sofa and an ocean side unit with a king bed and views of the ocean and bay. I did splurge a little on the ocean front room -weekends still $87 vs the $63 side view but the unit is twice as big. Both have full kitchens and there is an indoor pool that we don't have to get in the car to use or even run across the parking lot to another building to use. During the week the ocean side drops to about $43 per night.

In the summer and even spring and fall, when the price difference is huge we stay in the timeshare. Hotels just lower their rates enough that even paying $50-$75 per night timeshares can't compete. If we were staying a full week it might be different but that is the thing, when its cold and 90% of the shops and restaurants are closed and there limited entertainment open staying a week isn't that appealing.

Hotels can make up for it by charging $200+ a night in season. Timeshare can't. The associations own off season weeks that they can't even rent for enough to cover MF's. The don't own high season weeks so they still only get the $65-125 per night for their 2 bedroom timeshare units. The 2 rooms that we are renting next weekend would go for probably just over $600 per night in the summer. At its a doubletree not something super fancy. I remember when I went to Hawaii with my husband 18 years ago and we had a 1 BR ocean side unit at an Aston hotel in Maui and I joked that it cost less per night than a smaller hotel unit with mini kitchen with similar view would be at Ocean city.

 

[escanoe]

...the Atrium was the worst timeshare resort we've occupied since 1995 .... Small living/dining area in the front, bedroom in the back. A short corridor between the two had the "kitchen" area. Small fridge, sink, next to zero counter space -- we had to put the toaster on a Coleman cooler. No view from this cave-like unit. Pool looked awful.Like I said, maybe The Atrium has changed ....

It is silver crown on RCI. I have seen it describes as a little sparse in a few reviews. We just have a three day beach weekend in the summer. I am sure it will be better than some of the hotels we have stayed at before. Thanks for your input. I will report what I find on TUG.

Here is the most recent from Trip Advisor.

 

[tschwa2]

I stayed in the atrium years ago. It was slightly smaller than the already fairly small VB accommodations. It was also dark. I've owned and stayed in ocean key resort and they have the same management company along with the Sands. They brightened the rooms with paint and upholstery. It's toward the bottom of my preference list mainly because of the location vs the other VB timeshares.

 

[chapjim]

It is silver crown on RCI. I have seen it describes as a little sparse in a few reviews. We just have a three day beach weekend in the summer. I am sure it will be better than some of the hotels we have stayed at before. Thanks for your input. I will report what I find on TUG.

Here is the most recent from Trip Advisor.

View attachment 9883

No doubt there are some bare minimum hotels in VA Beach.

Let us know what you think when it's over. Thanks!