• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Marriott - Tour of South Florida

DJensen

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
277
Reaction score
107
Points
404
Location
Plymouth, MN
Looking at a possible "Tour of South Florida" for a week next June and looking for insights. I have read reviews on Villas at Doral (typical Marriott, setting is just average) along with Pulse @ South Beach (no pool but fun location and near beach) and possibly Key Largo Bay Beach Resort (hotel).

I would greatly appreciate any insights as we have typically set-up home base at one resort rather than jumping around, but seems if going to south Florida this might be an option to see some of the area while maximizing our DC points and possibly Bonvoy points too. The Everglades would also be included as well - any thoughts?
 

Sea Six

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
4,045
Reaction score
872
Points
349
Location
Marco Island, FL
Resorts Owned
Club Regency - Marco Island
Lagunamar - Cancun
Vistana Villages Key West (2) - Orlando
Consider making a few moves - It's a long drive from most of south Florida to Key West. Several nice options all over the place. I'd consider a place in Miami, then one in Key West, then one on the Gulf coast. Marco Island has a JW Marriott. You can't see much in one week. Too much to see. It isn't a 1 week trip.
 
Last edited:

Big Matt

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
6,146
Reaction score
1,608
Points
599
Location
Northern Virginia
Poster isn't going to Key West. Going to Key Largo which is way closer to Miami.

I guess my take would be to decide how many days you want to stay in Key Largo and pivot off of that. Pulse is a waste of points. It's a good location, but you can stay at the Winterhaven (Autograph Collection) right up the street for less if paying cash. June is pretty hot so not high season at all. If you want lots of activity and a beach environment you can stay at Beach Place Towers in Lauderdale. Everglades is an enormous expanse so pick one of the state parks or wildlife refuges and plan on a day trip. Lauderdale or Miami are close enough to those locations. Doral is sort of near the airport and is really just a golf resort with condos on the grounds. The positive about staying there is you get a 2BR and a kitchen and your points outlay will be small. You could stay 5 nights (Sunday-Thursday) at Doral for 625 points or Beach Place for 1750 (less for a 1BR). Doral is 30 minutes to South Beach and an hour to Key Largo. You are also way closer than you think to places like Marco Island (2 hours).
 

jwalk03

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
May 3, 2016
Messages
3,486
Reaction score
2,584
Points
348
Location
Ohio
If you want to see gators I would recommended driving through Big Cypress National Preserve in addition to visiting the Everglades. We did the Gator Park boat tour and saw a couple of gators, but we drove from Ft. Myers over to the East coast and went through Big Cypress instead of taking I-75 and we saw tons and tons and tons of alligators at various stops just along the side of the road. It was very cool!

In Key Largo go to John Pennekamp State Park. You can swim out to a Spanish shipwreck right from the beach. Pretty cool.
 

avelox

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Messages
113
Reaction score
3
Points
378
Location
RCILAND
Great, great suggestions provided for you in this thread. But, I must suggest, since you will maybe have the option, and, because the ongoing pandemic will make last minute options available to you, is at least a 2 night stay in Miami Beach. Usually this is impossible, last minute, but these are unusual times! Do a Google Search and try to book on the "strip", which, for me, is anything within walking distance of Ocean Drive and the wonderful night life and street music.
Stay safe! Wash your hands! Keep your face mask on! And cheer and appreciate the street performers who continue to entertain us all along the strip.
 

Talent312

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
17,461
Reaction score
7,277
Points
948
Resorts Owned
HGVC & GTS
The Doral vicinity is a good central location for excursions.
Key Largo could be done as a day trip via the Turnpike.

The Everglades in June... Just bring some bug spray.
But anywhere there's coastal breezes will be fine.
shopping

.
 
Top