New Building opens @ Oceana Palms

[jerseyfinn]

The 'Sunset' building opened at Oceana Palms on Saturday, 23 February. This new building is located directly behind the 'Sunrise' building. It has 6 side view apartments per floor and will add 72 apartments to the resort (? someone else can verify ).

Wife & I got in on Sunday, the day after. We're told that 67 check-ins occur these two days ( unconfirmed info but likely close). The one sure fact is that the addition of this second building allows Marriott to go gang busters pushing the VC program. It is amply clear here already that we legacy owners will be treated as Marriott guests whilst Marriott's mind and heart refocuses upon VC.

Resort does feel more peopled & the big improvement is at the Reflections bar which aside from afternoon traffic, can be a no man's land at night.

That said, something is awry here at Oceana Palms. My early take is that new management is more disengaged than the previous GM and the measure of this is that most of the veteran frontline associates have left. It's difficult to draw any distinct conclusion here as people do indeed move on, especially those dependant upon tips. The new frontliners are Marriott trained, but very wet behind the ears. They are not up to speed on how to deal with and interact with owners. A fixable problem witih time and supervision, but it is the later which is so dearly missing at the front desk as I fear managemant's mind is elsewhere.

This is at least my initial sbjective reaction as my Marriott radar scans the resort and interacts with other owners. But hey, no one can mess up the great beach, the vista views from the hi-rise towers or the great apartments ( well, with the later they can indeed create problems as my wife and I learn ). I leave it for other owners to come and smell the roses and see if they smell what I smell -- it could be my socks .

Barry

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Tell me, have all the roadway improvements in front of the resort been completed yet? Last time I was there everything was torn up and in a mess.



.

 

[pwrshift]

My daughter and I just spent 5 nights at Oceana Palms on a good MOD rate for the stay...daily maid service was a nice treat. Much of the roadway improvements have been done. We left the day the new building opened...but while we were there the pools and beach were virtually empty. My preference is for much more 'activity' than that, so the new bldg might double the people factor. Sylvia told me each bldg has 75 suites.

Barry, I do think something could be amiss at all Marriott timeshares. Here's a comment in a current thread made by BeachPlace's HOA President that tells a story regarding salary/staffing/benefit increases Marriott forces through that increased MF way more than the cost of living...8% this year and 5% for each of he next 3 years.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1429717&postcount=13

You have a very nice resort in Oceana Palms. Loved the parking and fast convenient elevators...compared to BeachPace where I am now. I couldn't use my IPhone MagicJack app, Slingbox, or Netflix as the WIFI in our suite was terrible...MBP's is much better. I hated the master shower (flooded the floor every time I used it) and prefer soaks in the jacuzzi at MBP. Balcony furniture was first class compared to the junk at MBP. We had a south view which is wonderful until a bldg goes in next door. Interior furniture, as expected, was fresh and professionally designed compared to the aged mismatch at MBP. But I still feel more 'at home' at MBP because there's more people to watch and so much going on just outside the resort...you really don't need a car here. The computer desk with chair, and a very comfy upholstered chair in the master was great...MBP has just a bed. But...the location gets me back...while I'm sure some feel there's too much going on in Lauderdale.

Enjoy your holiday. Suggest dinner at Entre Nous on US 1. Also PA BBQ for ribs on US 1.

Brian

 

[jerseyfinn]

A brief update tidbit that will hearten legacy week owners at Oceana Palms. I put the question and get an answer about apartment allocations. Unless an owner specifically requests to be placed in the Sunset building, the resort makes every effort to locate we legacy week owners in the Sunrise building which is closer to the beach/ocean.

Now this may not always be possible during this high demand period of February thru March, but the resort attempts when possible to keep legacy folks up front. Owners visiting the resort might want to stop at the front desk and ask to see the photo book where pictues are taken during costruction phases which also show the views looking from the furtherst back apartment(s) in the Sunset building showing SE/SW and NE/NW views. The north side of the Sunset building will always have a clear view whilst the south side would be impacted when/if the vacant lot is finally built upon. At this moment, the scuttlebutt remains that the owner of that vacant lot continues to ask more than developers are willing to pay.

Barry

PS: Brian thanks for the link. Also a comment about housekeeping at Oceana Palms. Legacy owners staying for two or more consecutive weeks receive a full clean on their 7th day. Otherwise only cash in hand gets a legacy owner a daily tidy, mid week clean, or a full clean ( all expensive ). So a MOD code stay does indeed have benefits.

Another tidbit is that HKers here are assigned to solo clean an apartment and they have 4 to 4 1/2 hours to do so. I'm a bit surprised at this strategy as the Spain resorts tag team their people ( stipping/making beds etc. together ) before leaving a solo HKer to finish cleaning the villa. It's a more efficient strategy. Then again Oceana Palms continues to operate under the delusion that it is a Ritz-like resort; a vestage of the original (failed) timeshare concept which once envisioned higher-scale legacy timeshare resorts before the recession brings reality back to the realestate market. Given that a good chunk of guests in the new building will be preview folks doing 3 night stays, I do not see this 4 1/2 hour-being-better concept as a realistic idea to the resort's funcitonal interest.Then again, the spin-off's hope is to fetch higher room rates for nonpreview stays ( if only the economy would cooperate ).

 

[6scoops]

new tower open

Hi Barry,

Thanks for posting this, I always look forward to your take on Oceana's journey. I'm curious if the facilities in the new building are up and running as well? Can't wait to see your wonderful pictures.

Thanks Coop

 

[Superchief]

My greatest concern with the opening of the new tower is whether there will be sufficient space at the pool (sun/shade) with both towers open. Only about 1/3 of the pool area is in the sun after 2pm. Luckily, OP provides complimentary lounge chairs on the beach. Enjoy your trip. I can't wait for our October trip.

 

[jerseyfinn]

My greatest concern with the opening of the new tower is whether there will be sufficient space at the pool (sun/shade) with both towers open. Only about 1/3 of the pool area is in the sun after 2pm. Luckily, OP provides complimentary lounge chairs on the beach. Enjoy your trip. I can't wait for our October trip.

You identify one of several weaknesses of the Oceana Palms resort. During February thru March, when cold spells can and do hit the region < as it does during our current stay > there was always competition for the "sunny" seats mostly located on the east and south sides of the pool deck. The pool deck remains the same finite dimensions and this "search for sun" is now a bigger issue given the new building which more than doubles guests. Already I'm observing signs of Aruba with saving of lounge chairs in those choice sunny locations at 7AM when my wife and I are out and about on the way to Johnny's for breakfast. There exists no solution for this pool deck issue. That said, we are beach people through and through and are unaffected by this issue.

Of course in the summer it will be a shade issue,thoug IMO I don't think this competition will be as intense since the beach is where lots of folks head in the summer.

As to the beach, the resort has purchased lots of strap chairs which are free to resort guests. However management forbids the Oceanside Beach concession folks from assisting guests with these free chairs. Guests must now move ( and return ) their own strap chairs whereas the concession guys used to move, place, and return the chairs out of courtesy to guests and the resort. This also creates some spacing issues when some guests impede upon those who have paid the concession for cabanas/lounge chairs /umbrellas etc. by placing their chairs where ever they want. A real "treat" when a guy with a cigar plops down 4 feet away from you The real deal here is that the previous GM thought he could co-opt/coerce the concession owner ( who has worked this beach since the early 1980s & runs several beaches in the area) into selling out to Marriott and giving Marriott full run of the beach. Call this 'Marriott arrogance', but such is life with Marriott in the new VC program.

A positive change is that the new building doubles the guests and brings more life to the pooldeck and Reflections bar ( at least during daylight hours ). They also create a mini alcove on the wooden deck just out the front beach gate called "Turtle's Nest". They set up some high chairs & tables astirde a portable bar and on nice days, some folks gather here. The only problem here is that not all bartenders agree to work the Turtle's Nest as it's still gaining momentum & likely generates less tips -- then again, who is running this place, the associates or management? Some of these folks need to learn that if you want tips, you gotta work for it as a couple of the more serious bartenders scour the beach and offer beach side food service in addition to serving food at the Turtle's Nest. This could be a pretty busy place in the summer.

Otherwise, they are counter-intuitive removing the ceiling space heaters at Reflections the day before the cold spell arrives, replacing them with ceiling fans -- I suspect that this move coincides with the arrival of turtle season which has light restrictions, but the surrounding local restaurants all continue to utilize space heaters, but they are tilted with their backs facing the beach and their glowing heat coils can not be seen. So given the chilly nights and often strong winds, Reflections remains a cold, isolated, uninviting night time venue which has only a stray guest or two after dark.

Hi Barry,

...I'm curious if the facilities in the new building are up and running as well?

Yes,the new exercise room is in full operation on the ground floor of the new building. I've only observed it from through outside windows on our way to Johnny's or Drunken Goats, but the equipment and the room look pretty amazing. I also fail to take time to hunt down the new grills which were suppossed to be relocated near the second building and would be better shielded so as not to offend the turtle vigilantes who didn't even want folks to use flashlights when the grills were placed astride the front building.

Despite the cooler days/nights, my wife and I manage to live on the beach every day as only a few days were cloudy and one could use a cabana to deflect the wind on a couple of really windy days. Two Drunken Goats has a special a few times a week with honey mustard basted blackened mahi over a bed of spinich with 2 sides. Folks might want to check this out as we really enjoyed it.

Some big swells the past couple of days swamping our wide beach at the resort. I suspect that Ocean Pointe's beach took a harder hit since their beach has been more slowly recovering since the hurricane last year. The huge dredge at the inlet finally went away - not sure if this is temporary or if they are done dredging the inlet. The pump house near Ocean Pointe has yet run since the hurricane dragged up power cables in the inlet; the dredge was the first step in preparing to re-power the pump house and begin sending sand over to the Palm Beach side. The Oceana Palms beach tends to repair itself quickly given the natural flow of sand from north to south.

Folks coming down in the next couple of weeks might notice more shark activity as tigers are migrating north and spinners and hammer heads are also more active right now. No signs of sea turtles yet, but the turtle season has started, and the presence of tigers suggests that the turtles can't be far ( tiger sharks eat sea turtles ). But the ocean and the beach are spectacular, at least in the eyes of beach people.

Not sure when I'll get some new photos up from Ocean Pointe and Oceana Palms. Got a new computer system that I completely dedicate to Photoshop / video and I'm still migrating files and devisig new back up routines while also learning the newest version of Photoshop as my old version was 4 generations back. I'll try to put together some shots which convey what's going on down here.

Barry

 

[Quilter]

Thanks for the resort report Barry. We check in a week from tomorrow. Tiger and spinner shark migration. . .is there anyone brave enough to swim in the ocean? I had hoped to work on my sharkophobia but that seems very unlikely now. Better to just take the water taxi over to Peanut Island and play with the barracuda. At least they smile.

I called Owner Services today trying a round of the puck trick. Didn't work for me. The 5 nights I have at OP2 has no availability. I then have 1 night on DC points at OP in a 1 bedroom oceanfront. That would be the only night available at OP2 (3/22) but it would be MORE points than I'm currently paying, not less.

Have you visited OP on a day pass?

 

[Smooth Air]

Hello, Barry!
Thanks for the update! We always enjoy your comments and photos.

We were @ Ocean Pointe (home resort) in Feb but did not get a chance to view Oceana Palms.

Do you happen to know why beach chairs are provided @ Oceana Palms but not @ Ocean Pointe? Like you, we are dedicated "beach people". Sometimes we buy chairs @ CVS & just leave them @ OP when we leave. But those chairs are not very comfortable. And, it is a pain lugging them back & forth every day. In Feb we rented from Aimen(sp? ) & Scotty & the boys @ the beach concession. But I don't like those "wooden lounges" w/ no arms & the backs are not adjustable. And, it is v/ difficult to move them. I find the wooden/canvas chairs with arms equally uncomfortable. I really wish that Ocean Pointe wld provide beach chairs....white loungers like the ones they have in Aruba. Easy to move around. Comfortable. And, they don't come & whisk them away @ 5:00PM....often the best part of the day!!!

I don't understand why Marriott can provide beach chairs @ Oceana Palms but not @ Ocean Pointe. We have raised this issue w/ Management in the past but it went nowhere. Any suggestions? Comments?

Smooth Air

 

[dioxide45]

A positive change is that the new building doubles the guests and brings more life to the pooldeck and Reflections bar ( at least during daylight hours ). They also create a mini alcove on the wooden deck just out the front beach gate called "Turtle's Nest". They set up some high chairs & tables astirde a portable bar and on nice days, some folks gather here. The only problem here is that not all bartenders agree to work the Turtle's Nest as it's still gaining momentum & likely generates less tips -- then again, who is running this place, the associates or management? Some of these folks need to learn that if you want tips, you gotta work for it as a couple of the more serious bartenders scour the beach and offer beach side food service in addition to serving food at the Turtle's Nest. This could be a pretty busy place in the summer.

I wonder if there are not some local ordinances that restrict their ability to solicit bar and or food sales on the beach. I could see some issues with the sale of alcohol directly on the beach. Perhaps this is why they don't go out of their way to try to sell to those on the beach? That wouldn't explain why some servers do solicit sales on the beach an others don't. Perhaps those that do, really shouldn't be?

 

[dioxide45]

Hello, Barry!
Thanks for the update! We always enjoy your comments and photos.

We were @ Ocean Pointe (home resort) in Feb but did not get a chance to view Oceana Palms.

Do you happen to know why beach chairs are provided @ Oceana Palms but not @ Ocean Pointe? Like you, we are dedicated "beach people". Sometimes we buy chairs @ CVS & just leave them @ OP when we leave. But those chairs are not very comfortable. And, it is a pain lugging them back & forth every day. In Feb we rented from Aimen(sp? ) & Scotty & the boys @ the beach concession. But I don't like those "wooden lounges" w/ no arms & the backs are not adjustable. And, it is v/ difficult to move them. I find the wooden/canvas chairs with arms equally incomfortable. I really wish that Ocean Pointe wld provide beach chairs....white loungers like the ones they have in Aruba. Easy to move around. Comfortable. And, they don't come & whisk them away @ 5:00PM....often the best part of the day!!!

I don't understand why Marriott can provide beach chairs @ Oceana Palms but not @ Ocean Pointe. We have raised this issue w/ Managemnet in the past but it went nowhere. Any suggestions? Comments?

Smooth Air

After our recent stay at Oceana Palms, I wondered the same thing. Perhaps it has more to do with beach frontage? The beach frontage at Oceana Palms is pretty small, making keeping track of the beach loungers fairly easy. At Ocean Point the frontage is huge and chairs would get spread out over a very long distance, the split resort with Kingfish on it's own might also raise challenges. It would be good though if you could at least get a decent explanation of the refusal to provide them from Ocean Pointe management.

 

[mindface]

we just checked out from OC today, and the road work is all nicely done, with bike routes and side walks.

there is also a very nice public tennis court behind Ocean Mall and we spent lots of time there. The court is well-maintained.

the new building also houses new facility, like fitness and a cool den for XBox: we only played it there this morning after check-out.

the weather is a little cool for most of the week, but swimming is still good before 2:00 pm for several days.

Tell me, have all the roadway improvements in front of the resort been completed yet? Last time I was there everything was torn up and in a mess.



.

 

[chriskre]

So do you guys think that exchangers will be put in the old building or the new building. I have an exchange for August this year and just curious.

 

[dioxide45]

So do you guys think that exchangers will be put in the old building or the new building. I have an exchange for August this year and just curious.

That would be good to know. Of course if you are confirmed in to an Ocean Front unit, my guess is they will keep you in that view. Oceana Palms tends to keep exchangers in to the unit type on their II confirmation. I think either building will have great views from an Ocean View standpoint. I would think even the sunset tower would be good and I don't think it would be a bad thing to be in Sunset.

 

[dougp26364]

So do you guys think that exchangers will be put in the old building or the new building. I have an exchange for August this year and just curious.

In my experience, placement with Marriott resorts tends to follow a predictable pattern. Most have a hierchy starting with multiple week owners in their season being at the top of the placement priority list, then single week owners staying on their time, then multiple week owner/exchangers, single Marriott owner/exchangers, all other exchangers. Renters get the view catagory they paid for, which sometimes includes a choice of high/low floor with a premium paid for a high floor.

So if owner occupancy is low the week you're there and if you're relatively high on the priority list for exchangers then you stand a better than average chance of getting your building and high/low floor request filled. On the other hand, if you happen to hit a week when owner occupancy is high, you don't stand much of a chance in getting your prefered location.

I don't know how popular August is for Oceana Palms. I've never been there during the family summer months so I can't venture a guess as to if it's primarily owners staying on their time or primarily exchangers.

 

[Superchief]

So do you guys think that exchangers will be put in the old building or the new building. I have an exchange for August this year and just curious.

August is usually not a prime month for owner occupancy, so I think you will get the view you request. Although I haven't yet stayed in the new tower, I find the views in the sunrise tower to all be exceptional. Because villas start on the 9th floor, there are not any 'parking lot' views and the ocean is visible from all of the large balconies. I think most villas in the new sunset tower will also have great views, but some of the north locations may be less able to see the ocean.

 

[Superchief]

After our recent stay at Oceana Palms, I wondered the same thing. Perhaps it has more to do with beach frontage? The beach frontage at Oceana Palms is pretty small, making keeping track of the beach loungers fairly easy. At Ocean Point the frontage is huge and chairs would get spread out over a very long distance, the split resort with Kingfish on it's own might also raise challenges. It would be good though if you could at least get a decent explanation of the refusal to provide them from Ocean Pointe management.

I believe the main reason Oceana Palms offers the free beach lounge chairs is due to the small footprint of the pool area. There is very limited space near the pool that is in the sun throughout the day. Ocean Pointe has substantially more space by the pools. I appreciate not having to get down to the pool by 9am to get a lounge because I can go to the beach at any time.

As others have mentioned, there is also the possibility that Ocean Pointe is limited by previous contracts or local restrictions.

 

[jerseyfinn]

. . . Do you happen to know why beach chairs are provided @ Oceana Palms but not @ Ocean Pointe? . . . I really wish that Ocean Pointe wld provide beach chairs
Smooth Air

As far as I know, the decision to provide strap chairs at Oceana Palms is influenced by Marriott's mindset that O Palms was to be an upscale botique resort with the "new vision" for upscale MVCI timeshare ( which lasted only until the recession brings the 180 change of course with VC points ). I believe that our HOA pays for these chairs ( or at least for a proportion of them since we legacy owners now only represent 20% of resort inventory ). But these strap chairs are not a "free lunch" sort of thing and they come at a cost to owners & guests .

To be honest, I see more problems with these chairs. The resort keeps these strap chairs stacked up on the beach astride the dunes. Already I'm noticing several broken chairs -- broken frames, which puzzles me as these are hi-quality, strong framed chairs. This leads me to think that the relative openness & isolation of the beach tempts some to be rougher with these chairs. It could also be as simple as some guests being unhappy with having to lug and return these chairs themselves -- remember, legacy owners who tend to be more concerned & focused upon their home resort are a distinct minority at Oceana Palms & are outnumbered by the preview guests who do not share our ethos. We see kids & adults use these chairs as trampolines. And the beach here is many times wider than Ocean Pointe's beach, creating more wear & tear when moved by inexperienced strap chair hauler guests. When the beach concession guys were graciously moving chairs for guests & stacking them at days end, these chairs were better looked after. Now the resort sends out any able bodied Marriott male to drag, carry or convey these strap chairs back to their stacks near the dunes. Until these guys arrive, some chairs can sit in the wave wash if guests walk away & aver returning them to the stacks.

For a while, the resort ( or more specifically "loss prevention" ) was not securing these chairs each night with chains. Finally some clever thiefs made off with some 40-50 resort strap chairs < not sure if "loss prevention" calls this incident a 'failure to prevent' as I'm a more traditional guy who still calls them by the simpler word, "security" >. A new batch of chairs just arrived during our visit to account for that failure to prevent. So yes, these strap chairs are a nice touch on our beach. But methinks that Marriott dropped the ball when they fail to enlist the most logical people ( the beach concession ) to oversee the entire process & ensure better handling of the chairs.

Should Ocean Pointe follow with their own strap chairs? Honestly, I think not.

The beach at Ocean Pointe is too changable & often narrow or constrained by high tides & swells. A couple of days of swells can take away so much beach that both safely storing these chairs and properly deploying them becomes a problem. But from a practical sense, I don't think the resort should take on that beach burden. During last year's hurricane the beach concession lost over $40,000 of inventory at their multiple sites in the region. Actually, it doesn't even take a hurricane for the concession to lose those heavy chairs to the ocean as night time swells can pop up and wash out some sets. Better to leave the risk and headache with the concession than take on the task of managing chairs on that ever-changing beach.

The beach concession has 3 types of set ups. They have only a few cabanas because they take up valuable space on the Ocean Pointe end. The heavy wooden chaise lounge chair sets are adujstable & comfortable. We simply ask the guys to move them for us when need be. The wooden canvas chairs are indeed better for sitting than reclining for long periods, but they do keep you closest to the water with your umbrella.

I think I'd be more satisfied with Oceana Palms if they work more closely with the beach concession folks who know how to read the wind and the waves and when to sniff out trouble like we have on our final two days when high tide wave surges suddenly swamp one level of our beach. The resort belatedly sends out Marriott "volunteers" who must first take off their shoes & roll up their pants before retrieving foundering strap chairs from the surging surf. Then again, the beach concession guys have taught me how to read surf & wind here & I simply sat watching wind and waves change & we watch the Marriott chair show ( after already moving our own chairs up to higher ground )

Barry

PS: for those beach people who like to track the weather radar, there's an app called "MyCast" which is close to the best overall weather tracker we've found ( I think it costs $4 ). Weather Underground is also a decent free source, though a bit more clumsy to use. But both have good radar images which help you figure out those cloudy days and determine if you can 'hold em or fold em' with approaching storms. Used My Cast one day last week when rain clouds threaten, but the radar clearly shows that the wet stuff was just skirting Singer Island. We never left the beach and a couple of hours later the sun came out and lots of people finally join us. Talk to the beach concession guys to learn the subtle wind changes which signal good news or bad news. This last trip I learned how to count swells and swell sets & figure out when the big waves were coming in.

 

[dioxide45]

As far as I know, the decision to provide strap chairs at Oceana Palms is influenced by Marriott's mindset that O Palms was to be an upscale botique resort with the "new vision" for upscale MVCI timeshare ( which lasted only until the recession brings the 180 change of course with VC points ). I believe that our HOA pays for these chairs ( or at least for a proportion of them since we legacy owners now only represent 20% of resort inventory ). But these strap chairs are not a "free lunch" sort of thing and they come at a cost to owners & guests .

I would have expected the "upscale" nature of Oceana Palms would have made them not provide the strap chairs. The "upscale" guest would be willing to fork over the $$$ to rent the loungers from the beach concessions. Getting free use of chairs doesn't really lend toward an upscale experience. Think of a high end Ritz type resort. I wouldn't think they would have free chairs that the guests have to lug around. They would charge a pretty penny to rent it and have someone move it for you, for tips.

To be honest, I see more problems with these chairs. The resort keeps these strap chairs stacked up on the beach astride the dunes. Already I'm noticing several broken chairs -- broken frames, which puzzles me as these are hi-quality, strong framed chairs. This leads me to think that the relative openness & isolation of the beach tempts some to be rougher with these chairs. It could also be as simple as some guests being unhappy with having to lug and return these chairs themselves -- remember, legacy owners who tend to be more concerned & focused upon their home resort are a distinct minority at Oceana Palms & are outnumbered by the preview guests who do not share our ethos. We see kids & adults use these chairs as trampolines. And the beach here is many times wider than Ocean Pointe's beach, creating more wear & tear when moved by inexperienced strap chair hauler guests. When the beach concession guys were graciously moving chairs for guests & stacking them at days end, these chairs were better looked after. Now the resort sends out any able bodied Marriott male to drag, carry or convey these strap chairs back to their stacks near the dunes. Until these guys arrive, some chairs can sit in the wave wash if guests walk away & aver returning them to the stacks.

I do agree that people are hard on the units (and these loungers). I was also surprised on our stay last November that they were not locked up. There were several broken ones and others that were bent. I have no idea how they get bent. As you said, they are not cheap and well made loungers. I once bought one for our home that wasn't near the level of quality and it was $75. I would put these well north of that price range. Losing 40-50 is a big hit to the HOA. Glad they are locking them up now.

For a while, the resort ( or more specifically "loss prevention" ) was not securing these chairs each night with chains. Finally some clever thiefs made off with some 40-50 resort strap chairs < not sure if "loss prevention" calls this incident a 'failure to prevent' as I'm a more traditional guy who still calls them by the simpler word, "security" >. A new batch of chairs just arrived during our visit to account for that failure to prevent. So yes, these strap chairs are a nice touch on our beach. But methinks that Marriott dropped the ball when they fail to enlist the most logical people ( the beach concession ) to oversee the entire process & ensure better handling of the chairs.

Should Ocean Pointe follow with their own strap chairs? Honestly, I think not.

The beach at Ocean Pointe is too changable & often narrow or constrained by high tides & swells. A couple of days of swells can take away so much beach that both safely storing these chairs and properly deploying them becomes a problem. But from a practical sense, I don't think the resort should take on that beach burden. During last year's hurricane the beach concession lost over $40,000 of inventory at their multiple sites in the region. Actually, it doesn't even take a hurricane for the concession to lose those heavy chairs to the ocean as night time swells can pop up and wash out some sets. Better to leave the risk and headache with the concession than take on the task of managing chairs on that ever-changing beach.

The beach concession has 3 types of set ups. They have only a few cabanas because they take up valuable space on the Ocean Pointe end. The heavy wooden chaise lounge chair sets are adujstable & comfortable. We simply ask the guys to move them for us when need be. The wooden canvas chairs are indeed better for sitting than reclining for long periods, but they do keep you closest to the water with your umbrella.

I think I'd be more satisfied with Oceana Palms if they work more closely with the beach concession folks who know how to read the wind and the waves and when to sniff out trouble like we have on our final two days when high tide wave surges suddenly swamp one level of our beach. The resort belatedly sends out Marriott "volunteers" who must first take off their shoes & roll up their pants before retrieving foundering strap chairs from the surging surf. Then again, the beach concession guys have taught me how to read surf & wind here & I simply sat watching wind and waves change & we watch the Marriott chair show ( after already moving our own chairs up to higher ground )

Barry

PS: for those beach people who like to track the weather radar, there's an app called "MyCast" which is close to the best overall weather tracker we've found ( I think it costs $4 ). Weather Underground is also a decent free source, though a bit more clumsy to use. But both have good radar images which help you figure out those cloudy days and determine if you can 'hold em or fold em' with approaching storms. Used My Cast one day last week when rain clouds threaten, but the radar clearly shows that the wet stuff was just skirting Singer Island. We never left the beach and a couple of hours later the sun came out and lots of people finally join us. Talk to the beach concession guys to learn the subtle wind changes which signal good news or bad news. This last trip I learned how to count swells and swell sets & figure out when the big waves were coming in.

 

[Superchief]

. When the beach concession guys were graciously moving chairs for guests & stacking them at days end, these chairs were better looked after.

But methinks that Marriott dropped the ball when they fail to enlist the most logical people ( the beach concession ) to oversee the entire process & ensure better handling of the chairs.

.

I agree that it would make sense for Marriott to work with the local concession guys. As an owner, I would be willing to pay a little higher MF ($10/week) for this service. I have noticed the same person working the concession for the past two years and am very impressed with how hard he works and how he helps everyone in the area (including non-paying customers). I couldn't believe how this skinny guy could carry 15 lounge chairs or cushions at a time.

 

[dioxide45]

I am really quite surprised that the beach concessions doesn't raise issue with the resort providing the strap loungers. Would the resort have had to seek county/city approval to provide the loungers on the beach? Does the beach concessions do a good business? I would think the free loungers would eat in to any business that beach concessions would get.

 

[Smooth Air]

Barry & others:

Thank you for your comments on the beach chairs (or lack therof) @ Ocean Pointe. I wonder if OP cld provide comfortable loungers & simply stack them inside the gate entrances to the beach....Sailfish, Pompano and Kingfish. Then we could move them down to the beach & return them at the end of the day. We already lug our CVS chairs (purchased upon arrival & left @ OP when we leave) from the room so this would be a big improvement for us!

I am not averse to paying for beach loungers rented from the concession guys. My problem w/ the concession chairs @ OP is that they are uncomfortable and cumbersome to move around. And, having them whisked away at 5:00PM is not ideal for us.

Smooth Air

 

[dioxide45]

Barry & others:

Thank you for your comments on the beach chairs (or lack therof) @ Ocean Pointe. I wonder if OP cld provide comfortable loungers & simply stack them inside the gate entrances to the beach....Sailfish, Pompano and Kingfish. Then we could move them down to the beach & return them at the end of the day. We already lug our CVS chairs (purchased upon arrival & left @ OP when we leave) from the room so this would be a big improvement for us!

The problem is that with all good intentions, some people who take the strap loungers simply don't return them to the stack by the gate when they are done. Some get lost, others get broken, and others get lapped away at by the ocean waves and break down rather quickly as a result. So while it is great in theory, many loungers would get broken and damaged which becomes a cost to the HOA.

 

[pwrshift]

While I don't know whether exchangers will be out in the new bldg further from the ocean, I suspect that would be true.

Before the new bldg opened, I was a paying guest at Oceana Palms recently (at the MOD rate) for 5 nights, I called ahead to see if I could get ocean front (spoiled because of BeachPlace views I guess) and thought my Platinum Elite status might help. I was told all ocean front rooms are for owners but they would try to get me into an ocean view room facing south as all north facing rooms don't have sun on balconies. That's what I got and enjoyed it, but suspect when and if a new hi-rise is built in the vacant lot the south view will be spoiled.

I haven't consulted the MF rates for Oceana Palms and Ocean Pointe or compared it to BeachPlace but I think BPT is lower MF cost with better views and in a location where you don't need a car. Weather wise neither Singer Island or Ft. Laud. has had nice warm temps this year...better than at home in Toronto but perhaps the coolest mid-Feb to mid-Mar period I've seen over many years here.

Brian

 

[mjkkb2]

The problem is that with all good intentions, some people who take the strap loungers simply don't return them to the stack by the gate when they are done. Some get lost, others get broken, and others get lapped away at by the ocean waves and break down rather quickly as a result. So while it is great in theory, many loungers would get broken and damaged which becomes a cost to the HOA.

I would venture as far as to say that most people don't return them,. IF anything, it is my observation every time I'm there. WE do sit on the beach a lot and use the loungers. Many a time, when the sun was going down and it was time to drag the chairs back up the beach I could see pople just getting up and walking away. I think some are just lazy and don't feel like doing the work, but many may assume there's somebody at the resort that supposedly does it. Especially, since the free chairs are supposed to be for owners only - thus non owners that may use them aren't even informed about the need to return them, by the front desk.