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[2008] Barbados- Residences at The Crane

S

Snappy Sam

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We promised our fellow Tug members from the Mexico site that we'd give an update on the Caribbean site about the Residences at the Crane in Barbados where we also have a fractional ownership. For anyone interested, go to the TUG Resort database/reviews and you'll find a new post. :)
 
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I look forward to reading it.

I absolutely love the Crane after being there twice now. I have only stayed at the Crane Resort, the older building, but loved it and bought a small, studio, Room 7, there just to get a foot in. It's right off of the pool and the check-in lobby.

The Residences are incredible !

Am returning there for Christmas. Oh, to be me !!! :whoopie: :whoopie:
 
Beaglemom3 said:
I look forward to reading it.

I absolutely love the Crane after being there twice now. I have only stayed at the Crane Resort, the older building, but loved it and bought a small, studio, Room 7, there just to get a foot in. It's right off of the pool and the check-in lobby.

The Residences are incredible !

Am returning there for Christmas. Oh, to be me !!! :whoopie: :whoopie:
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You need to update your ownership to the left - but they may have to up the total number of 'spaces' for you :wave:
 
GrayFal said:
You need to update your ownership to the left - but they may have to up the total number of 'spaces' for you :wave:
Click to expand...

Yes, I need to, but don't want to jinx it until I have the deed.

Somebody stop me, please...................:doh:
 
Crane review

Don't stop now Beaglemom 3...we might just have a chance to meet you at the Crane if you keep at it. :)
We have a 4th floor two bedroom for four weeks in April but some day we hope to get there at XMas time!
We sent in our review on Sunday to the members database and did get an email letting us know it was received. Hopefully it will be up soon. We really gave a ton of details so I hope it's not too much info for everyone!
 
Snappy Sam said:
Don't stop now Beaglemom 3...we might just have a chance to meet you at the Crane if you keep at it. :)
We have a 4th floor two bedroom for four weeks in April but some day we hope to get there at XMas time!
We sent in our review on Sunday to the members database and did get an email letting us know it was received. Hopefully it will be up soon. We really gave a ton of details so I hope it's not too much info for everyone!
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Which building ? Four weeks, ooooooooooh to be you !!

I am so in love with the place. Love the Sunday brunch, the Carriage House, the pools, gazing at the ocean, the manager's party..................
 
How does their factional program work? Do you get rotating weeks, block of time???
 
caribbeansun said:
How does their factional program work? Do you get rotating weeks, block of time???
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I have a fixed week in a modest studio in the old building, May 23rd next year (forgot the week number). As for those blessed souls with 4 weeks, count 'em - 4 !, I'm not sure how that works, but I'd love to experience it.
 
Fixed weeks for The Crane

We aren't experts about Fractional Ownership but we have a deed now that means we own it in perpituity. I'm sure some other TUG members can share far more info about fractional ownership than us.

We purchased 4 weeks for the month of April for a two-bedroom Residence at the Crane. Four weeks allows you in to their rental pool so any weeks we don't use we put in to the rental pool if we choose not to rent it out ourselves. While you don't make a ton of money using the rental pool, it makes it very easy and you get enough money to cover the maintenance fees.

If you go to The Crane website at www.thecrane.com and look at the information they give you about the Private Residences, you will see EXACTLY what you pay for any unit during any particular week. We LOVED that part as their is no "bargaining" for a better deal or any question about what anyoine else has paid for their unit during any week. While the Crane is not cheap we have to agree with Beaglemom3 that it is fabulous.

The Crane is part of the Registry Collection and we go every year so don't choose to list it through RCI like we do for our timeshare in Puerto Vallarta. Rather we go directly through the Crane and can also bank points with them. THis past year we used some of our points for meals in their restaurants. All this might be standard info for most of you but we aren't time share experts and my guess is some others might want some basic information too. :)

We did send in a review to TUG last weekend but it isn't posted yet. Hoepfully soon so you all can find more information.
 
Residences at the Crane Review

We did send in a review to TUG last weekend but it isn't posted yet. Hoepfully soon so you all can find more information.[/QUOTE]

For those who are interested, our review of The Residences at the Crane is now posted. :whoopie:
 
Snappy Sam said:
We did send in a review to TUG last weekend but it isn't posted yet. Hoepfully soon so you all can find more information.
Click to expand...

For those who are interested, our review of The Residences at the Crane is now posted. :whoopie:[/QUOTE]


Excellent and "spot on" review.
It's such a special place and you managed to convey that while reporting objectively.
I've only stayed in the original building, but have toured the new residences and attended the manager's cocktail party there.
Wonderful and special place of sacred memory.
B.
 
Wow - there's 9 phases to this development!

Looks like just one phase is actual whole ownership and there's nothing formal about a fractional plan there. I'm guessing you just bought the 4 week block of weeks from the developer.

Pretty amazing up tick from a full-ownership to buying by the week:

~~Unit~~~~~~ By the week ~~~ Full ownership ~~~~ % up charge

2BR - Grd floor ~~ $1,952,040~~~~~ 1,364,000 ~~~~~ 32%
2BR - 2rd floor ~~ $2,038,740 ~~~~~ 1,426,000 ~~~~~ 43%
2BR - 3rd floor ~~ $2,154,540 ~~~~~ 1,545,000 ~~~~~ 43%
2BR - 4th floor ~~ $2,428,940 ~~~~~ 1,845,000 ~~~~~ 39%
3BR - 5th floor ~~ $3,573,640 ~~~~~ 2,795,000 ~~~~~ 28%
 
We started out by buying a two bedroom 4th floor for two weeks in the 2nd building of residences which were still pre-construction at the time for weeks 16 and 17. Three years ago we bought week 15 and then last year we bought a 1 bedroom for week 14 which was available right next door to our two bedroom . We thought it would make it easy to just move into the two bedroom for weeks 15-17 and also it was available for the first time so that we could have 4 consecutive weeks if we wanted to stay that long. It looks like Beaglemom3 agrees that was a good idea!:whoopie:

We made the purchases gradually over time which made it affordable (well, almost affordable....) And think of it as "Assisted Living with Room Service" for when we retire. :D
We also knew that 4 weeks ownership would qualify us for the rental pool. We aren't going to use week 14 ( the 1 bedroom) this year and are thinking about trying to rent it on our own.
 
Has anyone gotten a RCI weeks exchange into a 2 bedroom at the Crane?

What did you use to trade with?
 
mlsmn said:
Has anyone gotten a RCI weeks exchange into a 2 bedroom at the Crane?

What did you use to trade with?
Click to expand...

I'm sorry you've received no answers yet but I can at least let you know that we have met a couple this past year who were staying at The Crane when we were there. They did use RCI for their stay but they also had timeshare at one of the Registry Collection properties which they used for their stay. I don't know if that mattered or not so this is just a sharing of info.
 
My understanding is that "weeks" trade into the older section and that the Residences is in Points. Although I think the older section also has some in points, maybe? I have traded into a 3BR in Residences once and into 1BR units on 3 occassions using points. Stay away from building #2 ( units start with a 2 ) since the AC does not work properly in that building and you still get charged $4 an hour for usage. It appears that buildins #3 and up are OK with the AC. I would NEVER AGAIN STAY IN #2.
 
caribbean said:
My understanding is that "weeks" trade into the older section and that the Residences is in Points. Although I think the older section also has some in points, maybe? I have traded into a 3BR in Residences once and into 1BR units on 3 occassions using points. Stay away from building #2 ( units start with a 2 ) since the AC does not work properly in that building and you still get charged $4 an hour for usage. It appears that buildins #3 and up are OK with the AC. I would NEVER AGAIN STAY IN #2.
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You are correct.

As a rule, unless there's an exception, points = the Crane Residences (new) and weeks = the The Crane Resort (older).

Building 1 is the old building, my favorite. I bought a small stuido (unit 7 off the "Grecian"pool )there. Not a great unit, but a foot in the door. Unit 110 is my all-time favorite, hands down.

Building 2, I think is the building directly behind and a little off to the side of the old building ?

Building 5 is nice, set off towards the cliff area at the end.

I love this place.
 
Looking for the parking lot, Building #2 is the left most one of the new buildings & the first new one built. We took the tour several years ago and they explained that the architect grossly undersized the AC system in the first two buildings ( # 2 & 3 ). They said that when building # 4 was complete, that #3 was going to be switched to accessing the unit on the top of #4 and that then #2 should be sized correctly when #3 was no longer served by that unit. So they are aware of the problem, but have never done anything about upsizing it. Don't know if that switch ever happened or not, all I do know is that building # 2 is still hot. In fact during the tour they explained that was why they were not going to charg for AC.

When we were last there staying in the 3BR penthouse, we couldn't get the temp in the BRs down to anything close to being comfortable. And the unit is on such an angle that the trade winds don't really flow through the unit. We were miserable at night, 80 degrees with the AC, or mid-high 80s and no breeze without the AC. At least the AC helped keep the humidity down. We kept complaining. They came to work on it, but it never got any better. Same thing for the 1BR we had on the first floor the following week. After all of that, when we checked out, they had the audacity to charge us for the AC that never got the units down below about 79 degrees, and then blame us for turning it on when we knew it wasn't working properly. The first two times we visited, there was no charge, so even though it was hot, it was free. But when they started charging us several hundred dollars a week for using a defective system .......

From talking to others in buliding 4 & 5, those AC units work fine. Don't know about #3; I have reason to believe that it may still be having problems, but don't know for sure. It is a gorgeous place and we were contemplating buying. We were initially inpressed that they offered things like free Internet, etc. But when they started nickel & diming, like some other places, and cutting back on the toiletries, I really got turned off. Then taking the washer & dryer out of the penthouse unit.... Not sure I even want to go back since there doesn't seem to be a way to make sure what building you get assigned when trading in. I have traded in 4 times and every time we were in #2 which makes me wonder if they are putting all RCI people in #2. So just be aware. If you are comfortable without using the AC it should not be a problem.
 
Building #3

We have a two bedroom on the 4th floor of building #3 which is the second building of the residences that were built. We have had both family and friends stay in the lock off junior suite while we've been in the main unit. Our time is in April so maybe that's why we've never needed air conditioning. Or maybe because we are on the 4th floor where the breezes are fantastic!!
No one that we've met from our building complains about it being too warm although I can only speak for those who are there in April. For whatever reason, we've always been more than cool enough day and night and so have our family and friends in the lock off which doesn't face the ocean.
Building #5 is designed differently and even though the view is spectaular and units including the lock off junior suite are larger, the winds don't circulate throughout the unit as effectively as they do in #3.
We had friends who looked this past April at the newest units in building #5 and also in the same type of two bedroom as ours on the 4th floor of #3. Our friends bought in building #3 as it did seem "breezier" and also closer to the restaurants and beach. But we never have heard any complaints about the temperature from anyone in buildings #3 and #4 and really haven't met anyone to talk with for any length of time in #5.
That being said, our air conditioning does work but we use the master switch to turn it off during our stay so we don't accidently turn it on when looking for a light switch. The maintainence folks will do that for you if you don't know how to do that.
 
Sam-

You are right, the breeze seems to blow directly toward building 3 & 4 and away for 2 & 5. If you had a good breeze you probably would not even need the AC. But # 2 was horrible in the summer, 3 visits over 3 years. Good to hear that# 3 is OK. If I could figure a way of knowing what unit I was assigned to and it wasn't #2, I'd go back. The new pool complex is great.
 
Unit 110, the spectacular (IMHO) one on the second floor of the old building has an incredible breeze which is good, as there is no A/C.

I love that unit.
 
Is unit #110 a one bedroom or a two bedroom?

I am an RCI Weeks member and have an ongoing search on for this resort. If I am lucky enough to get an exchange here ~ how bad is Building #2? So this is the one you think I would get if the search is successful!? I have never been to Barbados and I am so excited at the thought that maybe I will have an opportunity to visit. Is there another resort you would recommend? Or should I tough it out in Building #2 ~ that is ~ if I even get the exchange.:(
 
gnipgnop said:
Is unit #110 a one bedroom or a two bedroom?

I am an RCI Weeks member and have an ongoing search on for this resort. If I am lucky enough to get an exchange here ~ how bad is Building #2? So this is the one you think I would get if the search is successful!? I have never been to Barbados and I am so excited at the thought that maybe I will have an opportunity to visit. Is there another resort you would recommend? Or should I tough it out in Building #2 ~ that is ~ if I even get the exchange.:(
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It's in the old building, therefore a weeks exchange with RCI.

Again, it's personal choice, but for me, #110 is incredible, 270 degrees oceanfront. No A/C, but a strong breeze all day.

It is a one bedroom and a two bedroom, depending on the lockout studio unit off of the living room right before the kitchen.

Again: New buildings (2-5) - Residences at the Crane = RCI points.
Old building: The Crane Resort = RCI weeks.
 
And Building #2 was the first built and still is absolutely great! The view is probably the best of the buildings and I checked and found out the air conditioning is working but not needed often.
 
New Crane Property

I don't know if this is of any interest to anyone but we've just returned from The Crane and they have a new project underway. It's also on the East Coast, will be part of the Registry Collection but will have a whole new look. In other words, they aren't replicating the Crane. This one will be lots of glass with ocean views.:cheer:
 
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