- Joined
- Jun 6, 2005
- Messages
- 5,529
- Reaction score
- 29
- Location
- Toronto
- Resorts Owned
- Marriott Manor Club - 3 weeks platinum, 2 weeks at Marriott Beachplace Towers, and 1 week at Marriott Canyon Villas
I'm in BeachPlace Towers and don't see many changes from the previous year. Other than some broken roof tiles (which seem to be a problem all over the city) the timeshare looks 'normal'.
The St. Regis is not open yet, and still has a long ways to go if they expect to open in August...in fact you don't seem any construction workers at all. The Hilton up the road has a sign on it that it will open in July 2006 ... definitely won't make that date. A huge space has been cleared for the W condo/hotel next to the Hilton, and they've started the Trump condo/hotel foundation next to the Atlantic Starwood...all within easy walking distance. There are still a lot of dumpy hotels that will eventually be sold and torn down and replaced. But, in a couple of years you won't recognize Fort Lauderdale's Ocean Drive. I suspect the Hurricane affected a lot of closing dates.
Went to Max's for dinner two nights ago...prices are much higher and service much lower. Drinks (3 for 1) were watered down so much they were unrecognizable. I don't think Max's is long for BeachPlace. We stayed an hour without them taking our food order, and couldn't drink the drinks, so left and had a great hamburger at Cheeburger instead. I don't think the Beachplace shops are anywhere near as busy as they were in previous years, even lower than last year which was the lowest I had seen. Those that don't like the bar noise will be happier as it seems to close up much earlier.
The decor in this 1bdrm is pretty tired...seams exposed in carpeting between doorways, bathroom wallpaper loose, obvious patchwork painting on some walls to cover marks I assume (why wouldn't they just paint the whole wall?), and no DVD player (I actually prefer the VCR as you can tape shows while out). The WIFI works on and off, probably based on the number of people signed on - quite annoying at times due to having to 'repair' the connection several times, and the connection is better in the bedroom than the living room, but quite often I've felt dial-up was better. Local phone calls are free now. Nobody explained the 'parking fee' situation upon checkin so don't know if I'll be charged or not. Bathroom fixtures all pitted and some don't work well at all. Cheap quality won't last near the ocean air. The pull-out sofabed in the living room is unsleepable and doesn't even pretend to lie flat! I'm at the oceanside south end of the building and the construction noise on the condo going up next door is pretty active - but I can't believe how far they've come in just one year when last year they were just putting down concrete flooring.
Sales gal called to invite me to buy another week and said they are going to have a major renovation in 2007 - I asked what was being done and all she knew was a granite countertop. Didn't sound 'major' to me...but long overdue. They have a lot of work to do to get this place up to 5-Star quality and once all the fancy hotels are up along this strip I'm sure most BP owners will be quite envious. Still...it's a million dollar location!
Brian
The St. Regis is not open yet, and still has a long ways to go if they expect to open in August...in fact you don't seem any construction workers at all. The Hilton up the road has a sign on it that it will open in July 2006 ... definitely won't make that date. A huge space has been cleared for the W condo/hotel next to the Hilton, and they've started the Trump condo/hotel foundation next to the Atlantic Starwood...all within easy walking distance. There are still a lot of dumpy hotels that will eventually be sold and torn down and replaced. But, in a couple of years you won't recognize Fort Lauderdale's Ocean Drive. I suspect the Hurricane affected a lot of closing dates.
Went to Max's for dinner two nights ago...prices are much higher and service much lower. Drinks (3 for 1) were watered down so much they were unrecognizable. I don't think Max's is long for BeachPlace. We stayed an hour without them taking our food order, and couldn't drink the drinks, so left and had a great hamburger at Cheeburger instead. I don't think the Beachplace shops are anywhere near as busy as they were in previous years, even lower than last year which was the lowest I had seen. Those that don't like the bar noise will be happier as it seems to close up much earlier.
The decor in this 1bdrm is pretty tired...seams exposed in carpeting between doorways, bathroom wallpaper loose, obvious patchwork painting on some walls to cover marks I assume (why wouldn't they just paint the whole wall?), and no DVD player (I actually prefer the VCR as you can tape shows while out). The WIFI works on and off, probably based on the number of people signed on - quite annoying at times due to having to 'repair' the connection several times, and the connection is better in the bedroom than the living room, but quite often I've felt dial-up was better. Local phone calls are free now. Nobody explained the 'parking fee' situation upon checkin so don't know if I'll be charged or not. Bathroom fixtures all pitted and some don't work well at all. Cheap quality won't last near the ocean air. The pull-out sofabed in the living room is unsleepable and doesn't even pretend to lie flat! I'm at the oceanside south end of the building and the construction noise on the condo going up next door is pretty active - but I can't believe how far they've come in just one year when last year they were just putting down concrete flooring.
Sales gal called to invite me to buy another week and said they are going to have a major renovation in 2007 - I asked what was being done and all she knew was a granite countertop. Didn't sound 'major' to me...but long overdue. They have a lot of work to do to get this place up to 5-Star quality and once all the fancy hotels are up along this strip I'm sure most BP owners will be quite envious. Still...it's a million dollar location!
Brian