Sanibel - resorts to avoid?

[jamstew]

Are there any resorts on Sanibel that you'd avoid if you were looking for a reasonably priced TS?

 

[Bwolf]

No. When we looked we concentrated on Sanibel Beach Club I, Sanibel Beach Club II, and Lighthouse Resort and Cove, but we had reasons for that. I can't think of a timeshare to avoid. We wanted a larger room than Caribe Beach Resort offered, but we stayed in one of the former motel rooms there and it was updated, clean, and the place is well-run. Caribe does have some larger units and is in a nice location.

We had an offer for a Tortuga at a very low price, but we aren't Friday to Friday people, so we passed on that.

I'd suggest that you decide what you want in a room and then go for it. If you want any specific advice, I'll gladly answer a PM.

HTH

 

[theo]

My $0.02 worth...

Are there any resorts on Sanibel that you'd avoid if you were looking for a reasonably priced TS?

Jamie:
The "reasonably priced" part might be the tough part, at least "in season". There really are no "unacceptable" facilities on Sanibel. However, be mindful of unit size in regard to the space needs of your particular traveling group. A number of Sanibel Island facilities are essentially converted motels --- with very small units.

 

[jamstew]

Jamie:
The "reasonably priced" part might be the tough part, at least "in season". There really are no "unacceptable" facilities on Sanibel. However, be mindful of unit size in regard to the space needs of your particular traveling group. A number of Sanibel Island facilities are essentially converted motels --- with very small units.

My traveling group right now consists of one person -- me In a perfect world, I'd love to find a 2BR lockoff somewhere on the Florida gulf coast between Clearwater & Naples so I could use half and rent half. However, I don't know if such an animal even exists--I know I haven't seen any. A 2BR that's a good trader is my second choice. I'm all over the place on what I should buy to accomplish what I want to accomplish, both for me now and for my family (adult children and grandchildren) down the road when I can't travel solo any more. I need a 2BR for them but only 1BR for me right now. That's why I'm thinking a lockoff. If none exist in the area I want, would be a 2BR lockoff in another location (AZ maybe) that would trade into the Florida gulf be a good idea?

The one reasonably priced unit I've seen was at Sanibel Beach Club I, but I haven't seen any reviews less than 3 years old, which is a little scary.

I can travel whenever I want to, but I usually do Florida in early May. My kids will only be able to travel during school breaks for many years to come, so the possibility of a floating week has crossed my mind although I have no experience with that.

 

[theo]

A few thoughts...

My kids will only be able to travel during school breaks for many years to come, so the possibility of a floating week has crossed my mind although I have no experience with that.

If it's coastal SW FL you specifically have in mind as a geographic area, please be aware in advance that at many (maybe even most) facilities in that particular area, you likley won't ever be able to use a floating week ownership to reserve within approximately weeks #4-16 (those weeks are generally all owned by "fixed" week owners already). That goes ditto for "exchanging" into that area during that same time period. It's highly unlikely --- at best --- and that time frame restriction covers virtually the entire winter! Some sellers of floating weeks in that area sometimes conveniently "forget" to mention that very significant reservation limitation fact to prospective buyers (info which is also never actually reflected or discoverable within the deed either). Years ago, when still "green" about timeshares, not yet knowing how to perform my "due diligence" and ask all of the right questions, I bought just such a floating week , completely unaware of those severe reservation limitations. The purchase immediately proved to be absolutely useless for my intended objective of spending a winter week in FL at that facility. I ended up selling the week for less than a third of what I had paid --- and it was a low cost resale purchase to begin with! I fully disclosed the "floating" week reservation limitations to my buyer (unlike the "forgetful" person who sold that "floating" week to me).
Live and learn, I guess....

Good luck.

 

[Bwolf]

Jamie: I just turned in a review for SBCI. Haven't seen it posted there, yet. It has been about a week, so maybe it will be posted shortly.

We bought there almost three years ago and used our new acquisition last September. If you have any specific questions, just send me a PM.

 

[jamstew]

If it's coastal SW FL you specifically have in mind as a geographic area, please be aware in advance that at many (maybe even most) facilities in that particular area, you likley won't ever be able to use a floating week ownership to reserve within approximately weeks #4-16 (those weeks are generally all owned by "fixed" week owners already). That goes ditto for "exchanging" into that area during that same time period. It's highly unlikely --- at best --- and that time frame restriction covers virtually the entire winter! Some sellers of floating weeks in that area sometimes conveniently "forget" to mention that very significant reservation limitation fact to prospective buyers (info which is also never actually reflected or discoverable within the deed either). Years ago, when still "green" about timeshares, not yet knowing how to perform my "due diligence" and ask all of the right questions, I bought just such a floating week , completely unaware of those severe reservation limitations. The purchase immediately proved to be absolutely useless for my intended objective of spending a winter week in FL at that facility. I ended up selling the week for less than a third of what I had paid --- and it was a low cost resale purchase to begin with! I fully disclosed the "floating" week reservation limitations to my buyer (unlike the "forgetful" person who sold that "floating" week to me).
Live and learn, I guess....

Good luck.

Thank you--that's exactly the kind of information I need and what scares me about floating weeks. I'm sort of in an exploratory mode right now and am not in a hurry to buy. All my travel for this year is arranged plus three weeks in 2010, and I have two RCI exchanges available to use before August 2011. I obviously don't want to start paying MFs unless and until I find something perfect, once I figure out what that is. I don't care about being in Florida during snowbird season (we don't have much winter where I live) and prefer to go between mid-April and the end of May. My mini-goal is to have a week on the Florida gulf to combine with a DVC week.

At some point, I'll figure out what my larger TS goals are and put them in a coherent post for the "Buying & Selling" board. I also need to learn and understand exactly what due diligence I need to do.

 

[Nancy]

Celebrity at Indian Shores

Celebrity Resort at Indian shores has 2 bedroom lockouts. It's not directly on the beach, but a short walk across the road to the beach. We stayed there several years ago and it was quite nice; however, it has since changed ownership and management a couple of times since then. It is a small resort with underunit parking and a small pool. If you want more information about this particular resort, maybe someone who has been there lately can tell you more.

Nancy

 

[theo]

Speaking of Celebrity Resorts Indian Shores....

Celebrity Resort at Indian shores.....
......changed ownership and management a couple of times since then. If you want more information about this particular resort, maybe someone who has been there lately can tell you more.

I too would like to read / hear some informed input from someone who has personal (...and recent) knowledge regarding this particular facility.

As I understand it, Celebrity first got involved at this facility about 5-6 years ago. Some people believe that Celebrity involvement is not necessarily a good thing or a positive development for any facility (...I have no personal knowledge or opinion on that matter myself). I would like to know how things have changed there, either for better or worse, since the appearance of Celebrity on scene 5-6 years ago. Anyone with any informed (not hearsay) "before and after" comparisons or viewpoints, or even just a more recent experience there than "several years ago"?

P.S. I'm also personally intrigued by the fact that Celebrity is (and has been) very openly advertising for a "resort manager" for this facility.
Kinda makes me wonder "....so who's minding the store now"???

 

[rickandjenn]

I too would like to read / hear some informed input from someone who has personal (...and recent) knowledge regarding this particular facility.

As I understand it, Celebrity first got involved at this facility about 5-6 years ago. Some people believe that Celebrity involvement is not necessarily a good thing or a positive development for any facility (...I have no personal knowledge or opinion on that matter myself). I would like to know how things have changed there, either for better or worse, since the appearance of Celebrity on scene 5-6 years ago. Anyone with any informed (not hearsay) "before and after" comparisons or viewpoints, or even just a more recent experience there than "several years ago"?

P.S. I'm also personally intrigued by the fact that Celebrity is (and has been) very openly advertising for a "resort manager" for this facility.
Kinda makes me wonder "....so who's minding the store now"???

STAY AWAY!!! Unless you enjoy skyrocketing MF's, untimely special assessments, horrible customer service. We have had a nightmare relationship with the property in Waikiki (see other postings) and will make it our mission to make sure that no one else falls victim to this ruthless and poorly managed group. Some of this is our own fault for being naive about timeshares and some of this is the extremely poor management of every "management company" (term used loosely) that has purchased these properties.

 

[theo]

Any real connection...?

STAY AWAY!!! Unless you enjoy skyrocketing MF's, untimely special assessments, horrible customer service. We have had a nightmare relationship with the property in Waikiki (see other postings) and will make it our mission to make sure that no one else falls victim to this ruthless and poorly managed group. Some of this is our own fault for being naive about timeshares and some of this is the extremely poor management of every "management company" (term used loosely) that has purchased these properties.

With due respect, except for the same corporate parent, I don't see much of a connection between your unfortunate experience with a property in Hawaii and this little facility located on the Gulf coast of Florida.

I'm certainly not waving the Celebrity flag; I know very little about Celebrity, but the few owners with whom I have communicated about the Indian Shores facility in SW FL (an older property, known as Aloha Bay Condos in pre-Celebrity days) seem generally satisfied with their large units and usage experiences. As I understand it, Celebrity took over that FL property in or around 2002. A hefty ($1k) special assessment reportedly took place in 2007 and maintenance fees did rise in recent years under Celebrity affiliation. That all said, isn't the Hawaii property issue an entirely unrelated one of property leasehold supposedly expiring in 2009?

In any event, I'd enjoy reading feedback from folks with "before and after" experience with Indian Shores, FL....and I still wonder who's minding the store while the resort manager position is vacant and advertised.