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Spain - Are MVCI a good staging point?

R

rthib

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Doing a Tour of Belgium as part of wife's chocolate business. Cheapest flight home was out of Madrid.
So we have 7 days between when our tour ends and when we fly home.
Wondering if staying at the MVCI Marabella is a good home place to explore Spain or will we miss too much and better off traveling around. (Yes, I know it is a distance from Madrid).
If it is not, what are other timeshares in Europe that are similar to MVCI to look at in II.
 
rthib said:
Doing a Tour of Belgium as part of wife's chocolate business. Cheapest flight home was out of Madrid.
So we have 7 days between when our tour ends and when we fly home.
Wondering if staying at the MVCI Marabella is a good home place to explore Spain or will we miss too much and better off traveling around. (Yes, I know it is a distance from Madrid).
If it is not, what are other timeshares in Europe that are similar to MVCI to look at in II.
Click to expand...
I just did a week in Belgium then flew to Mallorca for a week. If you can get Son Antem, that may be a good option.
 
If I were spending a week in Belgium, then wanting to tack another week in Europe, I'd go for Northern Spain instead of clear across the Texas-size country. Check Bilbao or San Sebastian in the Basque country. Or Bordeaux in France. You should be able to fly home from Amsterdam easily. Or there are cheap flights and not-so-cheap high-speed trains if you want to depart from Madrid. Now if you are committed to timeshares, you'll be disappointed. There just are not loads of American-style timeshares in Europe. And those are mostly out in the countryside, NOT in the cities where most Americans want to visit. Europeans LIVE in the cities, so they don't want to vacation in them.

Jim
 
rthib said:
Doing a Tour of Belgium as part of wife's chocolate business. Cheapest flight home was out of Madrid.
So we have 7 days between when our tour ends and when we fly home.
Wondering if staying at the MVCI Marabella is a good home place to explore Spain or will we miss too much and better off traveling around. (Yes, I know it is a distance from Madrid).
If it is not, what are other timeshares in Europe that are similar to MVCI to look at in II.
Click to expand...
We are planning a stay at Playa in November so I have been researching.

One member of our party really wants to go to Seville. The concierge at Playa told me there really isn’t reliable public transport from there- you would have to go to Malaga center an hour away to get the train and then the schedule won’t allow for a very long visit without an over night. He told me it’s it’s a 2.5 hour drive to Seville or an hour to Malaga and then 1.5 hrs on the train.

There is plenty to see within driving distance to enjoy a week at Playa or Marbella and they offer several day tip tours from the resort- Granada, Gibraltar, Tangiers if you prefer not to drive. They also can set up private tours to Seville and others.
But if you are thinking Madrid, Barcelona, they are too far from the resort and each other to really stay put and see them all.

This is the email address for the concierge at playa. They have been great at answering all my questions.
Guest.Playa@vacationclub.com

Hope that helps.
 
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The last time we went to Playa we were able to take bus tours from the area to Cordiz, Gibralter, Seville, Cordoba, Ronda and Granada. They were around 2 hours or less each way but you can see a lot without driving yourself.
 
Thanks so far and keep the ideas/advice coming. As plans, already have plans to hit AMS after our Belgium trip. No direct flights from AMS and doubt I will find cheaper Business class reward than I found in MAD so that is where we leave from. Also Wife wants Spain, so she gets Spain. (FYI Amex MR has a 30% bonus on points transfers to avios.)
We will be coming from AMS so I assume AMS to Malaga to get there. What is best way to get to Madrid to leave? Fly or any Train (and is it reliable) or other transportation?
 
We just got done with a week at Playa Andaluzia. It was a fantastic base to see lots of things. We hit Grenada to see Alhambra, Caminito del Rey (spectacular), Seville. We went to an Andalusian horse show and flamenco dancing and dinner. We didn’t hit Gibraltar (but it was close). The olive groves that are planted throughout that part of the country are beautiful.

I understand Marbella resort is better for the Mediterranean Sea and beach vs. Playa Andaluzia (which wasn’t very good), but there are public beaches, beach towns nearby like estepona that are also very nice.

I think a week in southern Spain is a can’t miss!
 
rthib said:
Thanks so far and keep the ideas/advice coming. As plans, already have plans to hit AMS after our Belgium trip. No direct flights from AMS and doubt I will find cheaper Business class reward than I found in MAD so that is where we leave from. Also Wife wants Spain, so she gets Spain. (FYI Amex MR has a 30% bonus on points transfers to avios.)
We will be coming from AMS so I assume AMS to Malaga to get there. What is best way to get to Madrid to leave? Fly or any Train (and is it reliable) or other transportation?
Click to expand...
I believe you would have to get both plane & train from Malaga.
 
We took the high speed train from Malaga to Madrid to catch our flight home. Super fast (took a picture of the monitor when it hit 300kpm!), very reliable schedule. And spend a day or two in Madrid if you can. Fascinating city!
 
The MVC to the east of Paris would enable you to drive from Belgium and explore the wine country along the way, then use the MVC as a base for day trips to Paris. Depending on what month II getaways can be sufficiently cheap to be worth staying just 3-4 days, then you could fly to Madrid, do 3 days there for a citybreak and home from there.
 
So would you recommend Playa Andaluza or Marabella Beach. The 6VC rate is cheap so I may just do that and is about the same for both.
 
rthib said:
So would you recommend Playa Andaluza or Marabella Beach. The 6VC rate is cheap so I may just do that and is about the same for both.
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There is a thread here someplace that talks about this- I asked questions and used it before we booked.
Everyone leans slightly one way but sounded like both are great.
My take away was Marbella is livelier, bigger, closer to airport and near beach restaurants.
Playa is smaller, maybe 10 minutes further from Malaga, walkable grocery and restaurants.
We chose Playa because we are going in November and they allow you to book a view.

try this thread-
tugbbs.com

Spain MVC Recommendations

We are looking at a Spain MVC 2024 vacation and looking for recommendations on which property we should choose. We will have 3 families, including children from ages 8-13. Thoughts?
tugbbs.com tugbbs.com
 
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Studio at Playa became available. Anyone have a floorplan or pictures, Marriott site only show the bed. Also, Full size or dorm fridge?
And looks like grills to use for cooking?
 
rthib said:
Studio at Playa became available. Anyone have a floorplan or pictures, Marriott site only show the bed. Also, Full size or dorm fridge?
And looks like grills to use for cooking?
Click to expand...
The Guest room is the secure lock off via a shared hallway of a larger 3 Bed unit.
It has a kitchenette with small fridge and microwave


IMG_2628.jpeg
IMG_2630.jpeg
IMG_2629.jpeg
l
 
rthib said:
Studio at Playa became available. Anyone have a floorplan or pictures, Marriott site only show the bed. Also, Full size or dorm fridge?
And looks like grills to use for cooking?
Click to expand...

There were 4 outdoor grills at Playa Andaluza, however, only 3 worked when we were there. The grills were also electric, rather than gas, and one temperature (REALLY HOT), so cooking on them is a little different experience. Lots of others were out at the grill so it made for some fun conversations while we all cooked. Finally, there is an Aldi within walking distance of the resort that has a nice meat selection - so you really can't go wrong.
 
rthib said:
Studio at Playa became available. Anyone have a floorplan or pictures, Marriott site only show the bed. Also, Full size or dorm fridge?
And looks like grills to use for cooking?
Click to expand...

The studio we had at Playa (lockoff of 3BR) is what Marriott calls a "guestroom" but, unlike the ones in the US which have a sleeper sofa and sleep 4, this guestroom sleeps 2 and is probably around 300sq ft (25-28 sq m). It did have a bathroom and balcony and a small kitchenette which make it very nice as a hotel room, but it's not what we've come to expect with timeshares just in terms of the room size. We used it as a 3rd bedroom as part of a 3-bedroom lockoff. Our teenage daughter enjoyed the privacy while our pre-teen son was jealous of her privacy and immediately called "dibs" on the top bunk on the next cruise... But if booking it as a stand-alone room, keep in mind that it's the size of an average hotel room, and smaller relative to MVC US "guestrooms".
 
Another question. Looks like the only flights to Malaga from where we are coming from (still on flux) are:
easyjet, Ryanair or vueling.
None of which have great reviews. Anyone have any insight on those.
 
rthib said:
Another question. Looks like the only flights to Malaga from where we are coming from (still on flux) are:
easyjet, Ryanair or vueling.
None of which have great reviews. Anyone have any insight on those.
Click to expand...
We use Easyjet multiple times per year for flights from the UK to Spain especially.
Are they great?
Perhaps not, but they are good value and with Extra Legroom, Speedy Boarding…etc, and for us they offer more space and a better deal than BA, even with their Business Class?
 
We flew Ar Europa between Madrid and Malaga. Flight was fine - nothing to write home about. Had bigger issues coordinating tickets between Delta and Ar Europa, and the airport in Madrid was chaotic in my opinion.
 
Would you recommend taking the train or flying back to Madrid from the Marriott?
Our return flight is Madrid
 
We own at Marbella, although Playa is actually my favorite, and have taken the fast train from Madrid, as well as flown using BA Avios to and from Madrid. We really enjoyed the train, (lots of beautiful olive groves and small villages, though not truly spectacular scenery) and last time had a ticket that included a special train station lounge in Madrid with snacks and drinks, as well as a full lunch including wine on the train. With BA avios, we flew on a small airline I had never heard of, but all went smoothly. We have also, on other trips, used Easy Jet, Lisbon to Paris, and Paris to Rome, Ryan Air Malaga to Rome, and Malaga to Hahn, Germany, and had no problems whatsoever with any of them. However, maybe we have just been lucky.

We always try to go a couple of days early to stay at the Marriott Malaga Palacio, usually using a couple of free night Bonvoy certificates. Great rooftop pool bar overlooking the harbor, always have been upgraded to a larger suite with sea view and balcony, but being an AC, the wonderful buffet is not complementary, though it is well worth the extra expense. It is also a great location for wandering Malaga. One time we stayed up the hill at the Parador de Malaga near the Gibralfaro castle ruins. Fabulous views, and lovely terrace dining, or for coffee and cake after visiting the castle ruins. We hiked the Caminito del Rey in 2016 just after it opened following the big renovation, and the if you have time, Ronda and many of the "white villages" are truly spectacular and charming. Ronda, and Arcos de la Frontera are two of our favorites. Spain is wonderful! Bon voyage!
 
We have to fly out of Madrid so will go there day or two before flight. Any recomendation on a place to stay.
 
Update. Now have a week with a 3 bedroom at Playa. Do we need a rental car or should we use shuttles/tours?
 
rthib said:
Update. Now have a week with a 3 bedroom at Playa. Do we need a rental car or should we use shuttles/tours?
Click to expand...
Go for the rental car. It'll provide much more flexibility plus it'll be cheaper than paying for all the tours and getting to and from the airport.
 
rthib said:
Update. Now have a week with a 3 bedroom at Playa. Do we need a rental car or should we use shuttles/tours?
Click to expand...
Agree get a rental. Playa is a fine location, but I didn't think there was a lot around it. A vehicle gets you wherever you want to go. The roads and freeways are well maintained, and I suspect there will be less traffic this time of year than in the summer. I'm too lazy to search for alternative routes, but getting from Malaga into Playa you hit a toll road. Credit card is accepted which made paying easy, but it is an additional charge you'll have to deal with when renting a vehicle.
 
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