1 Night in Fort Lauderdale

[wvacations]

We are taking a cruise from Los Angles to Miami in February. I don't like flying home on the same day the cruise ends (do to possible delays) and I can get a fare home the next day for about half the price. Guess the airlines have figured out exactly when cruise ships are coming in!

We are going to fly home from FLL to get better flights and fares. I can get a studio with 175 DC points (approx. $85 if using 50 cents a point) at Beach Place Towers or I can use 40K Marriott rewards points to stay at Marriott Harbor Beach Resort, or Hollywood Beach Marriott.

The stay will be just 1 day and we will basically want to relax by the pool or beach and have a nice dinner. We will catch a cab to the airport at about noon the day after the cruise.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[chriskre]

I personally like Hollywood beach better than Ft. Lauderdale beach.
In Hollywood you are on the beach where in Ft. Lauderdale you are across the street from a public beach.

If you don't mind not being in Marriott type accommodations my little Enchanted Isle resort is a great safe beach night or day, free parking, free wifi, free beach chairs, BBQ, Pool and a super beach for FL standards.

www.eiresort.com
They do nightly rentals and if you get there early can park for free and use the facilities until your room is ready.
It's also very close to the Hollywood/FLL airport.

 

[Big Matt]

I liked the Courtyard a couple blocks away from Beachplace Towers. It is a block off of A1A and was nice.

 

[pwrshift]

Personally I wouldn't use points for a one night stay where you can't check in until 4 pm and have to leave by 10 am then next morning. Save the points for a longer stay. If you own a Marriott TS you can sometimes get a good cash rate with the mod code...and earn some points in the process.

Crossing the one way street to the beach in Ft Laud is a non issue, and IMO it's a much better upscale location than Hollywood with a 5 star hotel resort on almost very corner. Weekend stays are busy and great fun for people watching. Join the fun and the feasts.

 

[bazzap]

Personally I wouldn't use points for a one night stay where you can't check in until 4 pm and have to leave by 10 am then next morning. Save the points for a longer stay. If you own a Marriott TS you can sometimes get a good cash rate with the mod code...and earn some points in the process.

Crossing the one way street to the beach in Ft Laud is a non issue, and IMO it's a much better upscale location than Hollywood with a 5 star hotel resort on almost very corner. Weekend stays are busy and great fun for people watching. Join the fun and the feasts.

"The mod code", that is a blast from the past.

 

[BocaBoy]

Between the two choices you asked about, the timeshare stay using DC points is way cheaper the the hotel stay using MR points. 40,000 MR points is probably worth $400 if used wisely.

 

[suenmike32]

Bzzap is correct. The MOD is no longer in existence.
However, thanks to a previous post...a fellow Tugger posted this important info:

Discounts for cash stays at the MVCI resorts (and very infrequently, at certain of the Marriott hotels/resorts) are capacity-controlled and based on ownership status:

Presidential and Chairman's Club Members - 35% off (code "2VC")
Executive Members - 30% off (code "6VC")
Owners and Select Members - 25% off (code "7VC")

We are staying for one night in November at BPT and the "chairman's" discount yielded a price of $149.00 plus tax.
Mike

 

[pwrshift]

Thanks for this post. Guess it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

I haven't used MOD for a while obviously, but tried it today and it didn't work, but the 6vc did!

Brian

Bzzap is correct. The MOD is no longer in existence.
However, thanks to a previous post...a fellow Tugger posted this important info:

Discounts for cash stays at the MVCI resorts (and very infrequently, at certain of the Marriott hotels/resorts) are capacity-controlled and based on ownership status:

Presidential and Chairman's Club Members - 35% off (code "2VC")
Executive Members - 30% off (code "6VC")
Owners and Select Members - 25% off (code "7VC")

We are staying for one night in November at BPT and the "chairman's" discount yielded a price of $149.00 plus tax.
Mike

 

[Michigan Czar]

I would stay at BeachPlace Towers, it's close to the beach and restaurants within walking distance. The Marriott points for the hotel stay are worth anywhere between $400-$800 (depending on how you use them) for the one night vs. the $85 in DC points.

 

[hhoope01]

In Hollywood you are on the beach where in Ft. Lauderdale you are across the street from a public beach.

I agree with this, except for the Harbor Beach Marriott. It is right on the beach (no road to cross) and actually is on a more secluded beach area than you will get at either the Beach Place Towers or the Hollywood Beach Marriott.

I can't comment on the value comparison between the DC points and MR points. But I will say that of those 3, the Harbor Beach Marriott has, by far, the nicest pool and beach location. The one thing the Hollywood Beach Marriott has though is a Concierge Lounge. So if you are a Marriott Gold/Plat, then you will get access which should get you free breakfast and possibly evening snacks and dessert.

 

[vail]

I agree with this, except for the Harbor Beach Marriott. It is right on the beach (no road to cross) and actually is on a more secluded beach area than you will get at either the Beach Place Towers or the Hollywood Beach Marriott.

I can't comment on the value comparison between the DC points and MR points. But I will say that of those 3, the Harbor Beach Marriott has, by far, the nicest pool and beach location. The one thing the Hollywood Beach Marriott has though is a Concierge Lounge. So if you are a Marriott Gold/Plat, then you will get access which should get you free breakfast and possibly evening snacks and dessert.

The Harbor Beach Marriott is a beautiful property with all the amenities.
As said above, you do not have to cross the street to go to the ocean.
It also has a great restaurant and is close to the airport.
Much better than Beach Place...

 

[dioxide45]

I prefer flying home the day a cruise ends vs flying in the day it starts.

I would check out the cash price of the Hollywood Beach Marriott, it seems to be the closest to the cruise port. The cash price is probably much more economical than using 40,000 points for one night.

 

[Old Hickory]

Bzzap is correct. The MOD is no longer in existence.
However, thanks to a previous post...a fellow Tugger posted this important info:

Discounts for cash stays at the MVCI resorts (and very infrequently, at certain of theMarriott hotels/resorts) are capacity-controlled and based on ownership status:

Presidential and Chairman's Club Members - 35% off (code "2VC")
Executive Members - 30% off (code "6VC")
Owners and Select Members - 25% off (code "7VC")

How do these relate to the older MOD code?

 

[Fasttr]

How do these relate to the older MOD code?

MOD was 25% discount....but had the ability to be 35% if paid for with your Marriott Visa. They removed the extra 10% when they changed the benefit tiers.

 

[bazzap]

MOD was 25% discount....but had the ability to be 35% if paid for with your Marriott Visa. They removed the extra 10% when they changed the benefit tiers.

The only discount codes available now, however you pay, are
Chairman’s Club and Presidential: Code 2vc 35%
Executive: Code 6vc 30%
Owner and Select: Code 7vc 25%

 

[SueDonJ]

How do these relate to the older MOD code?

Weeks owners who aren't DC Members (in other words, who haven't enrolled their Weeks or bought DC Points) can use the "7VC" code to get the same 25% cash discount as has always been available using the "MOD" code. DC Members (including Owners of Enrolled Weeks regardless of whether they've been converted to DC Points) use whichever code corresponds to their DC Membership status. And as Faster said, the additional 10% VISA component has been discontinued.

**Copying this from an older post for details about how to use these codes:

... You can book through marriott.com; in the "Find A Hotel" box click on "Special Rates" and then input "7VC" in the box that comes up when you click the "Corporate/Promotional Code" button. You can also book these through your my-vacationclub.com account by clicking on "Browse for Resorts" under the picture at the top of the page, then "Rent More Nights" under "Extend My Vacation" in the column on the right. The page that comes up will be auto-populated with your applicable discount code.

 

[dioxide45]

Weeks owners who aren't DC Members (in other words, who haven't enrolled their Weeks or bought DC Points) can use the "7VC" code to get the same 25% cash discount as has always been available using the "MOD" code. DC Members (including Owners of Enrolled Weeks regardless of whether they've been converted to DC Points) use whichever code corresponds to their DC Membership status. And as Faster said, the additional 10% VISA component has been discontinued.

**Copying this from an older post for details about how to use these codes:

I would think if the higher level codes are not available for a specific property/time, that a higher level member could use one of the lower codes?

 

[SueDonJ]

I would think if the higher level codes are not available for a specific property/time, that a higher level member could use one of the lower codes?

It'd be worth trying. I wonder if you'd only be able to do it on marriott.com, if changes to the auto-populated field on the my-vacationclub.com page aren't accepted?