Marriott's BeachPlace Towers - Studio Unit

[pedro47]

Will we be disappointed exchanging into a studio unit at the MBP or should we wait for a one bedroom villa with a full kitchen? Looking at the first week in April 2018.

 

[dgf15215]

Pedro, I am joining this conversation late in the game here but I like Beachplace Towers better than most other locations and don't mind saying so. Over the years we've occasionally done studios, it depends on where we are and how much we want to go out to eat. Generally, we get a one-bedroom there but always a studio in Aruba. We've gotten to the point where we don't feel we need a car at BP and simply fly down and walk almost everywhere we want to go, Uber where we can't. Parking does charge but we're not owners there. If you do have to pay don't park in the Marriott part of the parking lot, you can park for the week on the lower floors at less cost and a lot less inconvenience, it's a weird parking garage and takes up a lot of time parking in the upper floors and having to go through two checkpoints. After our first few trips there, we figured that out. You need to buy a pass at the garage office. The Marriott check-in people are not wild about the idea and might warn you that you could find yourself without a parking space. Never have come close, often the Marriott part of the lot is way more crowded.

There are restaurants all over the place within walking distance and if you're up for walking, Rocco's Taco's on Las Olas Blvd is 1.7 miles away and a beautiful walk. Even better margaritas. If I drive I can have one, if we walk we can split a pitcher. You could Uber back and forth easily. At the Ritz Carlton next door there's a great restaurant and some nights have a terrific hamburger and beer deal, too good to pass up. We walk a bit over two miles to the Publix on Sunrise Blvd. which is across the street from the Galleria Mall which has a ton of great restaurants including Seasons 52 and the Capital Grill. There are also places along the strip but we've mostly avoided those over the years, they seem to focus on giant drinks.

The laundry facilities are free and very nice from what I remember from the times I've used them. Then again, I've enjoyed laundromats the world over and see it as a wonderful part of traveling. Then again, I also like clean clothes so go figure.

This has all made me a little hungry. Looking forward to our first trip down there this winter season the second week of December if I remember correctly. We'll be down there in FL a couple of times during the winter and also once at West Palm and once at South Beach. Early December has always been nice for us, we try to time every other year around the Art Basel show in Miami which is the weekend of the 8th so that's when we'll be there this year. You could easily google that event to get more information. And no, we've never purchased much of anything there, it's way out of our league.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

 

[pedro47]

Is the studio to small and will we feel crampled? We normally stay in two (2) bedroom villas. Can you hear sounds from the one bedroom villa?

 

[dgf15215]

Is the studio to small and will we feel crampled? We normally stay in two (2) bedroom villas. Can you hear sounds from the one bedroom villa?

Whether or not you'd feel cramped in a studio isn't a question that anyone can answer for you. For the two of us, it's a way of stretching our points in places where the goal is to be outside on the beach, taking a walk or sightseeing. We spend four to six weeks of the winter following the warm weather in a series of trips, not all at one time. So the consumption of points is relevant to us. On occasion, we've been put in two bedroom units and I always thought they were a great waste of space for the two of us.

Of course, there are real advantages to larger units in that they have real kitchens, washers/dryers and a lot more room to spread out in when we're there. But the truth is that we're even in larger units we're on the porch a lot, on our laptops a lot and perhaps watching a movie on Amazon together. We have never had undue noise in either a studio or a one-bedroom in our Florida visits that I can recall. Maybe we're just lucky. The tiny kitchenette is merely a small refrigerator, a couple of dishes and a bar sink. However, we manage breakfast pretty well and most of the time lunch. Since BPT doesn't have grills, dinner is pretty much out of the question but in other locations, all we need is a grill to be happy. We refrain from eating out as much as some other people do but we vacation a lot and I'd do nothing but gain weight if I did that - it's tough enough as it is!

So that call is up to you, Pedro. And good luck.

 

[pedro47]

Thanks dgf15215 we are shooting for a one bedroom villa with a full kitchen. Looks liked the first two (2) weeks for Month of April is prime time.