jerseyfinn
TUG Member
We just return from an Ocean Pointe stay where we also do a preview of the new Oceana Palms resort. Thought I would proffer an opinion/observation about Marriott's newest timeshare offering, Oceana Palms. I hope you find this useful, but it's all simply our own take on things.
Lots of folks were anxious to see what Marriott will unveil as they create an Ocean Pointe sequel on Florida's east coast. It's a pleasant suprise to learn that Oceana Palms will be located all of 3/4 mile from Ocean Pointe on the same pristine, beautiful stretch of beach. But other than close proximity to each other, Oceana Palms will have its own distinct look and feel.
Oceana Palms offers new choices which might appeal to the tastes/expectations of some but not all folks. IMO, the demographic which might find Ocean Palms most attractive will be both experienced or new owners between the age of 40 and 65 who are looking for a beach front location on Florida's Atlantic side.
Marriott is consciously marketing to folks seeking a more distinctive resort experience. This difference does not initially sink into our minds. We initially focus upon the pricing which is much higher than what many long-time MVC owners are accustomed to for a pre-construction resort. Our sales rep throws out the words "botique resort" several times as he describes how Marriott has for the first time, turned to designers from Ritz Carlton to have a go at creating a new, distinctive feel in the villas and throughout the property. Oceana Palms may be a harbinger of what Marriott is pondering for MVC's future as drawing board resorts slowly become real brick and mortar.
We finaly realize what botique means when we do a walk-through in the full-scale model of an Oceanfront villa. "Beautiful", "elegant", "fresh" & "enticing" are all words which describe the design concept in real life. Being the good TUGger that I am, I take my time moving through the model. I'm well aware that Marriott villas are shrinking in size these days. I look carefully at ergonomics and design as we move through kitchen, living/dining rooms the master suite and second bedroom. We come away with a feeling of "wow", but not that deer-in-a-headlight wow. It's more a pleasant surprise at the subtle yet striking design changes Marriott brings to Oceana Palms.
Not only has Marriott come up with a sweeping villa design, they redefine the timeshare experience. Marriott tweaks interiors creating a sense of space ( villas will have 9 foot ceilings ) while finishing off the villas with upscale appliances and trendy new furniture & a snappy decor ( which Mr. Marriott has a hand in selecting ). This is not to say that other MVC resorts are not equally satisfying & cozy. Owners here will simply enjoy a more upscale design interpretation/experience which combines a hybrid feel between an upscale hotel with the cozy familiarity of home -- and all of this with a view of ocean and beach below.
But is this enough to compel one to purchase at Oceana Palms? Well, the real answer to this question lies with each individual and their goals of ownership. We ourselves own multiple weeks at Ocean Pointe and always enjoy our resort stays. Why move up the block and change addresses? What differences do we perceive between Ocean Pointe and Oceana Palms?
First off the Ocean Pointe campus is wide and expansive at some 15 acres of land and 7 story villas. Oceana Palms comes into being during the new reality in which land acquisiton costs are prohibitive and property parcels are smaller. Hence Oceana Palms is constrained to a narrower lot. There will be two buildings, one behind the other. Though shorter in length than their sister buildings at Ocean Pointe, the Oceana Palms buildings will be 19 stories with 6 floors of above-ground parking & 13 floors of villas. Everybody gets a room with a view at Oceana Palms. The other big change are significantly larger balconies for all villas, some of these wrap-arounds.
Another important consideration is that Oceana Palms will only consist of 169 units, just slightly more than the capacity of two of Ocean Pointe's buildings. Oceanfront villas will be locagted only in the front (East) building. The second ( west ) building will consist only of oceanview villas. Some folks might like this smaller resort concept while others may prefer the roominess of Ocean Pointe.
Next is the floor design of Oceana Palms. Each floor has but 7 units -- 3 oceanfront and 4 oceanview. Additionally, Oceana Palms does not have lock-off units. Truth be told, the days of lock-offs are gone as Marriott also eschews 3 bedroom units in favor of an all 2 bedroom resort. Likewise, there are only two seasons at Oceana Palms, platinum and gold. Platinum season runs from 11 November into May, and gold season consists of the rest of the year.
Oceana Palm villas will have slight design variations.Interior layouts will vary most between the oceanfront villas which will consist of two mirror-image corner villas ( each has a wrap-around balcony ), and a middle oceanfront villa with a straight balcony. Not including the balconies, oceanview villas have between 1120 and 1149 sq/ft and Oceanfront villas have 1125 and 1147 sq/ft. Platinum weeks trade for 110K MRPs every year while gold weeks trade every other year for 100K MRPs. All weeks are floating weeks save for Christmas, New Years, and Presidents Day weeks which sell as fixed weeks at nose-bleed prices ( but folks are buying them ).
Oceana Palms is scheduled for first occupancy in January 2010. The footings for the first (east) building are scheduled to be laid next week, weather permitting ( week of March 3rd ). The second ( and final ) west buidling is scheduled shortly after the completion of the east building. Two swimming pools ( & a kiddie splash zone ) will be located at the front of the east building along with jacuzzis, grills and other outdoor ammeneties along the sides of the buildings. A hotel-like lobby will be located in the east building along with a market place and a bistro with outdoor seating adjacent to the lobby as well as a pool bar and grill. In final phase, a guest retreat
multifunctional space will also be created.
So Oceana Palms is both yet another addition to the MVC timeshare family as well as a new MVC concept which attempts to create a more distinctive resort feel and experince ( hence the "botique" part which initially goes over our heads ).
Whom might Oceana Palms appeal to?
It's really for every individual to decide as you can choose between a larger more expansive campus such as Ocean Pointe, or a smaller resort with a potentially more cozy feeling. Ocean Pointe has established itself as a great year round destination. If I had to guess ( we are Ocean Pointe owners) I would venture that larger families with kids might prefer Ocean Pointe simply because of the larger campus, larger choice of pools and the on-site Pizza Hut which makes beach life so much easier. Couples, DINKs, or small families might prefer the smaller resort size and sense of elegance Oceana Palms has to offer ( along with views no lower than the 7th floor ). That said, some folks may place a higher value upon Ocean Pointe's lock-off feature as it offers additional trading potential or the ability to get two weeks of occupancy out of one weeks owner ship. And this is very typical of many platinum owners who spend 8 to 16 weeks at Ocean Pointe.
So once again, Marriott adds yet another choice for destination travel to the MVC portfolio. What do Mrs. Jerseyfinn and I think?
We attend a preview out of curiosty along with an urge to grab our 15K MRPs. Although the "botique" part initially goes over our heads, it all changes when we see the full-scale preview villa and the light suddenly goes on. The villa design is fresh, clean and invigorating -- it brings to mind the feeling of "specialness" or "distinction" that one feels inside a Marbella or Playa Andaluza villa ( although they're completely different in design and aesthetic from Oceana Palms).
So suddenly I'm sitting there looking at the preview villa's balcony telling myself that we could be sitting in this same villa in an Oceana Palms oceanfront view from high. We see an opportunity that we do not anticipate when we sit down for the preview. The rest is history, as they say. We take the plunge with oceanfront units. We will use our equity in our Ocean Pointe weeks to keep our transaction relatively cost-neutral ( something to be said for purchasing early in the life of a resort and building equity which allows one to sell at break-even or a modest profit ).
Purchase incentives are decent ( I say that from the perspective of "now" and not the "good old years" of the past ) and creative owners who have exisitng strong portfolios might benefit most. Marriott is at this time requiring all purchases to be financed via Marriott for at least 6 months. As noted in other threads, there are creative ways to deal with this. I don't see this requirement as a rip-off as much as I see it as business as usual as developers and buyers both scratch around for means to assert their own interests.
There's several ways to do the deal though Marriott is pushing a 1 for 2 strategy ( turn back one week and purchase two weeks -- this method meets the long-standing MVC policy of having at least a $20K difference between purchase cost and tradeback ). In some instance one can do this deal as a 1 for 1 tradeback depending upon the kind of week you have to trade back. Finally, one can simply pay the man and do the deal and sell their week(s) on their own ( or via Marriott ) to recover equity cost over time.
Once again, all of the rules of TS 101 apply here such as purchase at a resort you will occupy and enjoy, choose a season/view which fits your goals/needs and always try to look at the big picture. Don't let emotion rule you and think about how you can use the property and benefit from ownership. We were surprised to discover that opportunity still exists for some folks to jump on board pre-construction and have a prospect that time will confer upon them great destination travel and equity growth in their purchase. But remember, none of this is ever etched in stone. But neither is all TS created equal.
Oceana Palms is not for everyone, especially given today's higher pricing. Timeshare remains destination travel in essence and form. In our own calculus, ocean front Florida remains a prime destination both today and into the future. Folks pondering Florida ownership, especially beach front ownership, should at least come down and take a look at Oceana Palms during this early pre-construction phase and the early build phase. Likewise for any of you old MVC sea-dogs who bought early at your resorts and thought that the days of wheeling and dealing into a new resort were behind you. At the very least, come and have a look and enjoy a few days in the Florida sun.
My wife and I? We're soon to be former Ocean Pointe owners who await a change of address as we transition up the beach to oceanfront villas and first occupancy at Oceana Palms in 2010.
travel happy and safe,
Barry
Lots of folks were anxious to see what Marriott will unveil as they create an Ocean Pointe sequel on Florida's east coast. It's a pleasant suprise to learn that Oceana Palms will be located all of 3/4 mile from Ocean Pointe on the same pristine, beautiful stretch of beach. But other than close proximity to each other, Oceana Palms will have its own distinct look and feel.
Oceana Palms offers new choices which might appeal to the tastes/expectations of some but not all folks. IMO, the demographic which might find Ocean Palms most attractive will be both experienced or new owners between the age of 40 and 65 who are looking for a beach front location on Florida's Atlantic side.
Marriott is consciously marketing to folks seeking a more distinctive resort experience. This difference does not initially sink into our minds. We initially focus upon the pricing which is much higher than what many long-time MVC owners are accustomed to for a pre-construction resort. Our sales rep throws out the words "botique resort" several times as he describes how Marriott has for the first time, turned to designers from Ritz Carlton to have a go at creating a new, distinctive feel in the villas and throughout the property. Oceana Palms may be a harbinger of what Marriott is pondering for MVC's future as drawing board resorts slowly become real brick and mortar.
We finaly realize what botique means when we do a walk-through in the full-scale model of an Oceanfront villa. "Beautiful", "elegant", "fresh" & "enticing" are all words which describe the design concept in real life. Being the good TUGger that I am, I take my time moving through the model. I'm well aware that Marriott villas are shrinking in size these days. I look carefully at ergonomics and design as we move through kitchen, living/dining rooms the master suite and second bedroom. We come away with a feeling of "wow", but not that deer-in-a-headlight wow. It's more a pleasant surprise at the subtle yet striking design changes Marriott brings to Oceana Palms.
Not only has Marriott come up with a sweeping villa design, they redefine the timeshare experience. Marriott tweaks interiors creating a sense of space ( villas will have 9 foot ceilings ) while finishing off the villas with upscale appliances and trendy new furniture & a snappy decor ( which Mr. Marriott has a hand in selecting ). This is not to say that other MVC resorts are not equally satisfying & cozy. Owners here will simply enjoy a more upscale design interpretation/experience which combines a hybrid feel between an upscale hotel with the cozy familiarity of home -- and all of this with a view of ocean and beach below.
But is this enough to compel one to purchase at Oceana Palms? Well, the real answer to this question lies with each individual and their goals of ownership. We ourselves own multiple weeks at Ocean Pointe and always enjoy our resort stays. Why move up the block and change addresses? What differences do we perceive between Ocean Pointe and Oceana Palms?
First off the Ocean Pointe campus is wide and expansive at some 15 acres of land and 7 story villas. Oceana Palms comes into being during the new reality in which land acquisiton costs are prohibitive and property parcels are smaller. Hence Oceana Palms is constrained to a narrower lot. There will be two buildings, one behind the other. Though shorter in length than their sister buildings at Ocean Pointe, the Oceana Palms buildings will be 19 stories with 6 floors of above-ground parking & 13 floors of villas. Everybody gets a room with a view at Oceana Palms. The other big change are significantly larger balconies for all villas, some of these wrap-arounds.
Another important consideration is that Oceana Palms will only consist of 169 units, just slightly more than the capacity of two of Ocean Pointe's buildings. Oceanfront villas will be locagted only in the front (East) building. The second ( west ) building will consist only of oceanview villas. Some folks might like this smaller resort concept while others may prefer the roominess of Ocean Pointe.
Next is the floor design of Oceana Palms. Each floor has but 7 units -- 3 oceanfront and 4 oceanview. Additionally, Oceana Palms does not have lock-off units. Truth be told, the days of lock-offs are gone as Marriott also eschews 3 bedroom units in favor of an all 2 bedroom resort. Likewise, there are only two seasons at Oceana Palms, platinum and gold. Platinum season runs from 11 November into May, and gold season consists of the rest of the year.
Oceana Palm villas will have slight design variations.Interior layouts will vary most between the oceanfront villas which will consist of two mirror-image corner villas ( each has a wrap-around balcony ), and a middle oceanfront villa with a straight balcony. Not including the balconies, oceanview villas have between 1120 and 1149 sq/ft and Oceanfront villas have 1125 and 1147 sq/ft. Platinum weeks trade for 110K MRPs every year while gold weeks trade every other year for 100K MRPs. All weeks are floating weeks save for Christmas, New Years, and Presidents Day weeks which sell as fixed weeks at nose-bleed prices ( but folks are buying them ).
Oceana Palms is scheduled for first occupancy in January 2010. The footings for the first (east) building are scheduled to be laid next week, weather permitting ( week of March 3rd ). The second ( and final ) west buidling is scheduled shortly after the completion of the east building. Two swimming pools ( & a kiddie splash zone ) will be located at the front of the east building along with jacuzzis, grills and other outdoor ammeneties along the sides of the buildings. A hotel-like lobby will be located in the east building along with a market place and a bistro with outdoor seating adjacent to the lobby as well as a pool bar and grill. In final phase, a guest retreat
multifunctional space will also be created.
So Oceana Palms is both yet another addition to the MVC timeshare family as well as a new MVC concept which attempts to create a more distinctive resort feel and experince ( hence the "botique" part which initially goes over our heads ).
Whom might Oceana Palms appeal to?
It's really for every individual to decide as you can choose between a larger more expansive campus such as Ocean Pointe, or a smaller resort with a potentially more cozy feeling. Ocean Pointe has established itself as a great year round destination. If I had to guess ( we are Ocean Pointe owners) I would venture that larger families with kids might prefer Ocean Pointe simply because of the larger campus, larger choice of pools and the on-site Pizza Hut which makes beach life so much easier. Couples, DINKs, or small families might prefer the smaller resort size and sense of elegance Oceana Palms has to offer ( along with views no lower than the 7th floor ). That said, some folks may place a higher value upon Ocean Pointe's lock-off feature as it offers additional trading potential or the ability to get two weeks of occupancy out of one weeks owner ship. And this is very typical of many platinum owners who spend 8 to 16 weeks at Ocean Pointe.
So once again, Marriott adds yet another choice for destination travel to the MVC portfolio. What do Mrs. Jerseyfinn and I think?
We attend a preview out of curiosty along with an urge to grab our 15K MRPs. Although the "botique" part initially goes over our heads, it all changes when we see the full-scale preview villa and the light suddenly goes on. The villa design is fresh, clean and invigorating -- it brings to mind the feeling of "specialness" or "distinction" that one feels inside a Marbella or Playa Andaluza villa ( although they're completely different in design and aesthetic from Oceana Palms).
So suddenly I'm sitting there looking at the preview villa's balcony telling myself that we could be sitting in this same villa in an Oceana Palms oceanfront view from high. We see an opportunity that we do not anticipate when we sit down for the preview. The rest is history, as they say. We take the plunge with oceanfront units. We will use our equity in our Ocean Pointe weeks to keep our transaction relatively cost-neutral ( something to be said for purchasing early in the life of a resort and building equity which allows one to sell at break-even or a modest profit ).
Purchase incentives are decent ( I say that from the perspective of "now" and not the "good old years" of the past ) and creative owners who have exisitng strong portfolios might benefit most. Marriott is at this time requiring all purchases to be financed via Marriott for at least 6 months. As noted in other threads, there are creative ways to deal with this. I don't see this requirement as a rip-off as much as I see it as business as usual as developers and buyers both scratch around for means to assert their own interests.
There's several ways to do the deal though Marriott is pushing a 1 for 2 strategy ( turn back one week and purchase two weeks -- this method meets the long-standing MVC policy of having at least a $20K difference between purchase cost and tradeback ). In some instance one can do this deal as a 1 for 1 tradeback depending upon the kind of week you have to trade back. Finally, one can simply pay the man and do the deal and sell their week(s) on their own ( or via Marriott ) to recover equity cost over time.
Once again, all of the rules of TS 101 apply here such as purchase at a resort you will occupy and enjoy, choose a season/view which fits your goals/needs and always try to look at the big picture. Don't let emotion rule you and think about how you can use the property and benefit from ownership. We were surprised to discover that opportunity still exists for some folks to jump on board pre-construction and have a prospect that time will confer upon them great destination travel and equity growth in their purchase. But remember, none of this is ever etched in stone. But neither is all TS created equal.
Oceana Palms is not for everyone, especially given today's higher pricing. Timeshare remains destination travel in essence and form. In our own calculus, ocean front Florida remains a prime destination both today and into the future. Folks pondering Florida ownership, especially beach front ownership, should at least come down and take a look at Oceana Palms during this early pre-construction phase and the early build phase. Likewise for any of you old MVC sea-dogs who bought early at your resorts and thought that the days of wheeling and dealing into a new resort were behind you. At the very least, come and have a look and enjoy a few days in the Florida sun.
My wife and I? We're soon to be former Ocean Pointe owners who await a change of address as we transition up the beach to oceanfront villas and first occupancy at Oceana Palms in 2010.
travel happy and safe,
Barry
