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Seapointe or MarBrisa?

judgerey

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Planning a trip with my family (wife, 2 teenage sons) for late-April. Suggestions on which resort I should choose?:wave:
 

JSparling

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Tough call. Since they're too old for LegoLand and may be more interested in the beach you could go with SeaPointe. It's directly across from the beach. However, I've heard it's run down (although I have not stayed there).

We stayed at Marbrisa last month. We were in the older, neglected, forgotten phase of the resort and it wasn't great. The newer side (Phase 2) is awesome and you and your family would love it. However, unlike SeaPointe, there is nowhere to walk to if you're not doing LegoLand. Phase 2 - the grounds, the units, the pools - are amazing. The location - far from town and the beach - isn't ideal (unless you're going to LL and then it's perfect).

If you end up picking Marbrisa let me know and I'll get you the tips to making sure you get a room in the correct location. The points are the same regardless of location but the experiences couldn't be more different. Looking at the reservation system you really can't tell which is which so you definitely will want some pointers.
 

presley

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Ocean will still be very cold in April. If you think you'll enjoy going to the beach anyway, Seapointe has all the beach equipment you could ever need and the beach is across the street. Granted, it isn't the nicest beach, but it is still the beach. Great sunset views on the property. Lots of activities on site for all age ranges. Rooms are older and not up to HGVC standards.

Marbrisa rooms have the look of HGVC and they have a large pool area, now. Most rooms are far away from the pools unless you book one of the new buildings. Construction is still going on as far as I know. The Sheraton Hotel is on property and it has a nice restaurant and day spa.

Personally, I love Seapointe. I like watching the sun set into the ocean every day and the on site activities are staff are top notch. Marbrisa is a pretty big let down to me, but it has the overall look of Hilton if that is important to you. Some of the smaller one bedrooms at Seapointe look like beach apartments on the inside. That isn't a compliment.
 

judgerey

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Tough call. I'm a high maintenance guy, but since my wife is low maintenance, and is a sucker for a romantic sunset walk on the beach, I think Seapointe is the way to go. Thanks all for the advice.
 

Steve

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I was not impressed with my stay at Seapointe. The unit was rundown, the train tracks run right smack behind the resort, and access to the beach was awkward at best. MarBrisa is a lot farther inland, but it is a much nicer resort.

Steve
 

klpca

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Wow, I am surprised to see the comments about the condition of the Seapointe units. I stayed there in August (2015) and I felt that with the exception of the kitchen cabinets (which are dated and should be replaced, imo) the units were quite nice. The units have been fully refurbished in the past two years. I do own there, so perhaps there is inherent bias, but I am a pretty critical person - just ask my husband!:D I don't care if I own a unit there or rent, if it is icky I will say so. We own the largest B unit (both the living room and bedroom face the ocean). Maybe that's why my experience is different than others?

I haven't stayed at Marbrisa so I can't comment or compare the units.

With teens, I would prefer the location of Seapointe with it's proximity to the beach. Also there is a ping pong table, a foosball table and a pool table, plus a basketball court and tennis court. We also love the adult pool with it's great ocean view.
 

mjm1

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Resorts Owned
Marriott: Resorts and Abound Points;
Westin Kierland Villas;
HGVC Flamingo & Blvd;
Hyatt Pinon Pointe
We aren't owners and we haven't stayed at either resort, but we did visit both resorts when we were thinking of buying into HGVC earlier this year.

With that caveat, we were more impressed with MarBrisa based on the property and the units in phase 2. The location is more inland but one can drive to the beach for a walk along it and/or for the sunset. We would prefer to do that and have a nicer unit and resort to stay in. Just one person's opinion.

Either way, it's a nice area and relatively close to the other attractions in San Diego. Have fun
 

buzglyd

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HGV Lagoon Tower
HGV Carlsbad Seapointe
Gaslamp Plaza Suites
SVV Bella
Mar Brisa: Nicer units and resort, pool, spa restaurant.

Seapointe: Sunsets and you can hear waves crashing on the beach from your balcony.
 

SeattleKnitChick

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I'm curious about this too!

We are planning a vacation for the same area and same time frame. How does the Grand Palisades compare to the other two? Also I notice that everything seems to have different levels of each size bedroom (ie two bedroom and two bedroom plus etc) I am having difficulty figuring out if the "regular" two bedrooms are in the new phase or old phase at Marbrisa.
 

presley

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I'm curious about this too!

We are planning a vacation for the same area and same time frame. How does the Grand Palisades compare to the other two? Also I notice that everything seems to have different levels of each size bedroom (ie two bedroom and two bedroom plus etc) I am having difficulty figuring out if the "regular" two bedrooms are in the new phase or old phase at Marbrisa.

Grand Pacific Palisades is the best if you have kids. If not, it still offers the nice adults only pool area, but the rest of the complex can be loud due to so many kids.

Standard 2 bedrooms do not have an ocean view. At Marbrisa, the new buildings are standard and not deluxe. Deluxe rooms have an ocean view, but the ocean is so far away from Marbrisa, that the view is not worth considering. Some of the older buildings do not have ocean views and will also be considered standard.
 
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