Escapes to the Gulf at Galveston

[Kauai Kid]

Never have stayed at this group but I'm quite impressed. Week after spring break and all is quiet and great for visiting. Unit is absolutely spotless, has two balconies overlooking the Gulf.

Found an out of the way restaurant, Nates, that is right up there with the best of New Orleans for Gumbo and has incredible Crab Balls.

More Later,

Sterling

 

[jjnavy]

Stayed here in '09 over the 4th of July. Visited Moody Gardens and NASA Johnson Space Center. Too bad Galveston beaches have that murky brown looking Gulf water. At least the Escapes is on the beach where as most of the resorts/hotels in the area must cross a 4 lane busy highway to get over to the beaches. No complaints about the 1 br unit we had.

 

[Kauai Kid]

Good news for us no brown water except for the first day with heavy winds stirring up the sand in the shallows.

Hard to believe it is March 86 degrees yesterday!

Sterling

 

[jjnavy]

You may want to try Shrimp N Stuff, 3901 Ave. O, casual service, locals place; we thought it had good gumbo and great shrimp. Very reasonably priced. Check Trip Advisor. Lines out the door.

 

[Kauai Kid]

Thanks: Will do. If you ever get down this way again give Nates Seafood a try. Five miles south of Escapes. We got their Shrimptastic Platter with 20 shrimp prepared 5 different ways. My favorite was the Shrimp stuffed with crab.

Sterling

 

[Noni]

Thanks: Will do. If you ever get down this way again give Nates Seafood a try. Five miles south of Escapes. We got their Shrimptastic Platter with 20 shrimp prepared 5 different ways. My favorite was the Shrimp stuffed with crab.

Sterling

We live in the Houston area. I think you moved from NOLA to Texas. If you say Nates Seafood is that good, I'm planning a car trip to Galveston to sample the food. Sounds great.

Joan

 

[Kauai Kid]

Very good Gumbo too. Needed just a dash of hot sauce and that was readily available.

I'd pass on the bread puddin though.

Crab balls were incredible--best we've had since Maryland days long ago.

Around 5 pm no wait. 6 pm almost full. 7 pm 45 minute wait.


We drove through Texas City today on the way home to Austin. Started raining just as we got in the city limits.

Sterling

 

[Texasbelle]

New management company

Escapes to the Gulf at Galveston has been sold and will no longer be a part of Escapes/Cooper. It will be "rebranded" starting in January. It wil be part of Holiday Inn Club Vacations [Orange Beach]. We think Escapes has the best service/cleanliness so we are disappointed they have sold out. You will not be able to trade through II to go back, the trading company will be RCI as well as internal trades [no Escapes trades].

 

[Sandy VDH]

That may be the incentive I needed to join HIVC.

A few days in Galveston might just be the ticket.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[bookworm]

So what about those that already own Escapes points at Galveston? Will they now be switched to HIVC? Will existing owners trade with II or RCI? I think that HIVC also took over the Orange Beach property.

 

[Sandy VDH]

So what about those that already own Escapes points at Galveston? Will they now be switched to HIVC? Will existing owners trade with II or RCI? I think that HIVC also took over the Orange Beach property.

I think you mean Orange LAKE not beach. Orange Lake and HIVC are both owned by the same organization, the guys who started up Holiday Inn, they just started branding OL into HIVC. So I guess HIVC did not really take over OL.

 

[bookworm]

I was actually thinking of the Escapes resort at Orange Beach in Alabama. I just looked on their website now and the Galveston resort is gone but Orange Beach is still there. The other resort that is now HIVC is not Orange Beach, but Tropical Breeze in Panama City Beach, Fl.

 

[Texasbelle]

Owner's Choice

Sandy, we have the choice of keeping our week as fixed weeks or when our contract for the club part of Escapes ends, we can join the new club. So far, I have been unable to work with HIVC in using my rollover/saved points. I'm hoping when I join the new club they will be more responsive. Either way, I think the timeshares that were sold to HIVC will trade through RCI. We have used all of our Escapes points at Galveston since buying there and plan to continue that. We never used II so RCI will be okay and it is included in our HIVC club dues when we join.

 

[Sandy VDH]

At the Vegas resort that was recently taken over my HIVC, they only charged us $100 for convert to HIVC. Since I was not an RCI points owner already, just a season owner, it wasn't an expensive option to try out the HIVC system.

 

[Kauai Kid]

shucks==at least they did't close nates.

we really liked s padre better but it is much longer drive.

 

[Texasbelle]

Nate's

The problem with Nate's is that it advertises as a "steak" house and only has one steak. So you were wise to stick to seafood. There are lots of restaurants in town and it is not all that far.

 

[Kauai Kid]

The problem with Nate's is that it advertises as a "steak" house and only has one steak. So you were wise to stick to seafood. There are lots of restaurants in town and it is not all that far.

Right you are. If traffic, 3 or 4 waits at a traffic lite, dodging pedestrians on a 4 lane highway, and paying to park are your thing Galveston is great.

Sterling

 

[Sandy VDH]

Has anyone been down to Galveston since they started renovation on this to convert it and upgrade it to HIVC.

I am looking forward to having access via a point system to Galveston. My only other reliable option before was Silverleaf, and if that is far from Galveston compbared to Escapes location.

I am looking for early 2013 dates. Hope something pops up.

 

[thinze3]

I pass by Escapes all the time and have not noticed any major construction going on. Maybe they are working on the interior and I just can't see it.

Seaside is only a few miles down the road. It's a totally different setup. Seaside is spread out with multiple buildings and a couple more under construction now. You basically have to drive to the beach unless you are in a building near the front. Then you still have to cros a fairly busy highway.

Escapes is a U-shaped ocean front complex where everyone has a water view.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I think that renovation was limited to upgrade interiors and upgrade some furnishings. Don't know how much exterior upgrade they would have to make.

 

[Sandy VDH]

HIVC just featured the 2 new gulf resorts in their latest news letter/magazine. The Panama beach is suppose to be open for bookings with the Galaveston location suppose to be available by the end of the year.

I have not tried to look for inventory on the Panama city resort yet. So I can't confirm.

 

[Kauai Kid]

Terrible news. Every single time they re-do an old classic movie the new one is never as good.

Same thing with timeshares. Get a decent timeshare and some company buys the management out and almost invariably the old mgt company is better than the new.

Sterling

 

[thinze3]

Just received these plans

Looks like they are converting lock off units to much roomier fixed 2 BR units.


Before:

After

 

[Sandy VDH]

They have 1 and 2 BR and 1 and 2 Deluxe bedrooms. Do you know what the difference is. Location or size or something else?

I also read on another thread that Escapes has been taken over by Festiva. I am sure now that those Galveston owners are happy to be with Holiday Inn rather than Festiva.

 

[thinze3]

They have 1 and 2 BR and 1 and 2 Deluxe bedrooms. Do you know what the difference is. Location or size or something else?

I also read on another thread that Escapes has been taken over by Festiva. I am sure now that those Galveston owners are happy to be with Holiday Inn rather than Festiva.

I will look into the different floor plans, but I have no idea on the floors. Escapes Galveston was taken over by Holiday Inn Vacations. That's whose name is on these plans. It is a job out for bid at this time.

I do believe that many units have already had a facelift and are ready to occupy.