The Elysian Beach Resort is now a part of WorldMark, The Club.

[tillamookrn]

Looks like we officially own some Caribbean inventory now....

https://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts/te/

 

[GregT]

Looks like we officially own some Caribbean inventory now....

https://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts/te/

I think this is fantastic -- I love this property and am really excited to see it in Worldmark -- thanks for posting this!

Best,

Greg

 

[rhonda]

Thanks for posting that update!

 

[GregT]

This is a really interesting development -- to take an existing Wyndham property (that already participated via WM+A with Worldmark) and increase the access for Worldmark owners.

I wonder will we see this at other Wyndham properties? Or was this simply for a selling point for Worldmark?

I find this a little peculiar -- but remain very very happy.

Best,

Greg

 

[CraigWMF]

I give WN two thumbs up on this and totally support the addition. (I know people will complain about this but that's just a given fact.) I've been to St Thomas many times and have toured this beautiful resort. One of the first things I noticed is that I would not consider the credit values to high when considering I have paid a lot more money then what the credits equate to for a very tiny hotel room. Good deal! I love St Thomas.

 

[Ron2]

Will this result in less availability for Wyndham owners or was there non-Wyndham units at the Elysian that Worldmark picked up?

 

[CraigWMF]

Hi

I just wanted to post some about the new resort for people who may not have ever been to St Thomas. It has been several years since I was last there but I have been to the Island many times. I have also been to the resort twice but I have not stayed there. I had a cab driver take me there to show it to me since it was a resort that WorldMark owners could use.

There is a nice palm tree covered beach. If I recall right the swimming area is not huge but is a roped off area with floats holding the ropes up. The pool looks really nice. There is outdoor seating and there was two restaurant's when I was there. I think the ownership had changed so there were mixed reviews. The place is really beautiful. The resort sits on a hill so some units will need a small amount of walking. That is a small amount for someone like me who hikes a lot.

One thing you need to know is about the cab system. It use to be that for around twenty dollars you could get from the airport at the West side of the Island to the resort on the South East end. A year ago when I checked out cab rates I was told they came up with a new rate called the private cab rate. That is around 70-80 dollars one way from the airport to the resort. I asked how can you get around this high rate for the short drive? The cab company said take a group cab to Red Hook (Ferry boat dock) for a couple dollars a person. Then take a private cab to your resort since the two are fairly close. I think I would go with the higher cab rate. Also my cab driver showed me a store about a 5-10 minute drive West of the resort where a person could get groceries. As for cab drivers on the Island, for the most part I have found them to be honest. I have been ripped off on a few times. If you find an honest driver with a warm friendly Island personality get the persons card. Normally, they will be thrilled to be your personal cab driver while you are on the Island and this is a good deal.

A good magazine to pick up while on the Island is St Thomas this week. I know it always use to be free and I assume it still is. Here is a link: http://virginislandsthisweek.com/

Here is a web link to a forum on St Thomas and they can be very helpful with your travel questions. I think the membership is small so possibly all of your questions won't get picked up on but they have helped me a lot in the past. http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/virgin-islands/viewforum.php?f=5

I have found the following beaches to be very nice on my trips: Coki Beach and Magen's Bay on St Thomas. From the Red Hook ferry boat dock go to St John and see Trunk Bay it is a once in a lifetime place to snorkel. If for some reason the North Side beaches on St John are covered with high tide/high water ask the cab driver to take you to Salt Pond Beach. It is dry and hot but also a very nice place. It will be on the South East side of St John and high tides/water on the North side of the Island will not effect your swim here.

I hope this is helpful for fellow owners considering this new location for WorldMark.

 

[GregT]

CraigWMF,

Thank you for the comments, they are much appreciated! I also reviewed this property (twice) in the TUG Reviews -- it has been a personal favorite of mine for years, and I bought Wyndham specifically to be able to access it. I later gave away the Wyndham when the program fees skyrocketed, so I am so happy to have access again.

As Craig noted, it is on a good beach (Cowpet Bay) with a beautiful view of the boats anchored/moored in the bay. The on-site pool is large, but not a super pool. Very pleasant with the required beach bar right next to it. On-site restaurants used to be very good, but I understand they've changed ownership. I hope they are still good.

The property is very hilly -- and the timeshare units are mostly at the top of the hill in Buildings W-Z. I have some property pics and other info on the property if anyone is interested.

Again, I'm so pleased to see this as a Worldmark, and I hope this is a permanent addition.

Best,

Greg

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

I too wonder if changing this to Worldmark will reduce access for those of us who are Wyndham members. I've never been there, but will not be too happy if it goes the way of other Worldmark resorts (very little availability for Wyndham owners).

TS

 

[CraigWMF]

Greg, it sounds like you love St Thomas too. I think the place is really wonderful, there is a very peaceful nature there.

I wanted to point out one other thing to people considering going here. Since I am on a tight retirement budget I have to be aware of all the travel costs I can. There is a nightly Government tax of which I think most or all is some kind of utility tax. It is to be paid at check in time. As far as I know WYN will allow you to put this on your credit card when you check it. Some places on St Thomas require you to pay cash for this. I think the daily tax is high. Prior to getting your airline tickets you may wish to contact the WYN resort directly to find out what the daily tax is to make sure it fits into your budget. Again I am retired lower income so I have to be made aware of expenses like these.

I hope this helps.

 

[lprstn]

I wonder if Wyndham owners will have a shot at reserving there?

 

[Ron2]

Could Wyndham be making the Elysian less available to us Wyndham owners so we will be more likely to go to the new Wyndham Margaritaville when it opens in 2015?

 

[markb53]

Looks to me like there is less availability than there was before. I've been watching the Elysian and Bluebeard's Beach Club for a while now since I am planning to go to St. Thomas at some point. It the Elysian nicer than Blue Beard's beach club?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[GregT]

Looks to me like there is less availability than there was before. I've been watching the Elysian and Bluebeard's Beach Club for a while now since I am planning to go to St. Thomas at some point. It the Elysian nicer than Blue Beard's beach club?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I've not been to Bluebeard's Beach Club and can only go by what I've read in reviews. Both properties have been recently renovated and sit on good beaches. I believe visitors have been happy with both properties.

One of the benefits to the Elysian (in my opinion) is the close proximity to Red Hook, where the ferry can take you to St. John (or other islands) as well as serve as a departure point for excursions.

Additionally, the Ritz Carlton is immediately next door to Elysian, and we've gone over there for dinner (which wasn't worth it). In early 2011, we stayed a few days at Elysian and then went and stayed at the Ritz Carlton. We found ourselves coming back to the Elysian's restaurants for dinner because we liked them more and also because we preferred the piano bar at night.

I'm sorry on behalf of my Wyndham owning friends that there appears to be a visible decrease in access to Elysian as a result of this move. While its great for Worldmark owners, it is a curious move by Wyndham. Perhaps this is intended to drive the Wyndham demand to the new property.

Interesting stuff.

Best,

Greg

 

[rhonda]

The credit values for this resort are really funky. Most of the year is Blue (lowest) and only 8 nights of Red (highest)? I'm not complaining ... but hmm, that seems funny.

 

[GregT]

The credit values for this resort are really funky. Most of the year is Blue (lowest) and only 8 nights of Red (highest)? I'm not complaining ... but hmm, that seems funny.

I agree -- these were the credit values assigned to the property when it was a WM+A property (but only a few units were available and inventory loading was unpredictable).

Perhaps they felt they had to retain the original credit allocation when they received the property? It is odd....

Best,

Greg

 

[CraigWMF]

The credit values for this resort are really funky. Most of the year is Blue (lowest) and only 8 nights of Red (highest)? I'm not complaining ... but hmm, that seems funny.

Greg and Rhonda, this also caught my attention. With Hurricane season being around June 1 to December 1 I would have thought the colors would have been different.

They have up to December 26th as blue for 2014, I would have thought this would be Red, and they show Jan 4 to May 2 as White for next year. Again I would have thought this was Red season. I have been on many cruises down there during these dates and have found the rates to be much higher at this time since it is non-Hurricane season. Interesting!

 

[cotraveller]

A typical WorldMark studio is 7,000 credits in Red season and less in White and Blue. It looks to me like what they did was assign the White season the credit values for a studio that would be normal for a Red season studio. They bumped up the credits a little (only 500) for New Year week, and lowered the credits a little (also 500) for the summer/fall hurricane season. Leaving Christmas week in the Blue season seems strange though. They have the Studio Parlor units with more credit difference for the different seasons. Someone familiar with the resort probably knows the difference in the studio types, I don't.

I have no data to support the above theory, strictly opinion. I did look up the resort in the RCI directory and they list it as RED all year. The WorldMark credit allocation, at least for the basic studios, is close to that with only a 500 credit variation for the Red, White, and Blue weeks. Maybe it is their way of essentially making it all Red season without being as obvious about it.

 

[rhonda]

Fred, the Studio Parlor unit is "almost" a 1BR unit. It offers a king bed in a loft (offering some privacy from the living room) and a full kitchen. The other unit types are partial kitchen with combined sleeping/living spaces.

Even though the credit spread is fairly close between seasons, there will be little conflict with Red Season rules. (Although, this is a property I'm likely to book for 7+ nights w/out resort hopping due to the travel required to reach it.)

 

[GregT]

Fred, the Studio Parlor unit is "almost" a 1BR unit. It offers a king bed in a loft (offering some privacy from the living room) and a full kitchen. The other unit types are partial kitchen with combined sleeping/living spaces.

Even though the credit spread is fairly close between seasons, there will be little conflict with Red Season rules. (Although, this is a property I'm likely to book for 7+ nights w/out resort hopping due to the travel required to reach it.)

A little clarification on this property. The Studio Parlor indeed does have a full kitchen (whereas the Studio King and Studio Double only have kitchenettes). However, the Studio Parlor only has a Murphy Bed. The Studio Loft has the spiral staircase that leads up to the top floor and private sleeping area.

The Studio Lofts are extremely rare and will go quickly. By definition, they will be on the top floor of the building and have very nice views.

I have a file with the floor plans of the different units, it is attached.

Best,

Greg

 

[rhonda]

Thanks, Greg. Indeed, I missed a missed the word 'loft' in the room type. From WM's resort info page:

Unit Types & Descriptions
Studio Double: Two double beds in living area. Unit has partial kitchen with no oven or stove. Maximum occupancy 4.

Studio King: King bed in living area. Unit has partial kitchen with no oven or stove. Maximum occupancy 2.

Studio Parlor: Queen Murphy bed in living area. Unit has full kitchen. Maximum occupancy 2.

Studio Parlor Loft: King bed in upstairs loft area. Unit has full kitchen. Maximum occupancy 2.

 

[joanncanary]

We were there last year and the restaurants are still good. the bar with mostly fast foods was one of our favorite hang outs. People were great and it was so peaceful. We actually were in the building right above the pool which was a great location. Is worldmark also only offering the studios? I don't know how you can get the larger units but it is defidently a place to relax and enjoy. This was actually the start of our caribbean adventure where we want to try most of the islands and see how we like them. Any suggestions are welcomed.

 

[ronparise]

The credit values for this resort are really funky. Most of the year is Blue (lowest) and only 8 nights of Red (highest)? I'm not complaining ... but hmm, that seems funny.

The same seasonal split is there for Wyndham points owners too. Only one week of Prime time (week 52)

 

[CraigWMF]

We were there last year and the restaurants are still good. the bar with mostly fast foods was one of our favorite hang outs. People were great and it was so peaceful. We actually were in the building right above the pool which was a great location. Is worldmark also only offering the studios? I don't know how you can get the larger units but it is defidently a place to relax and enjoy. This was actually the start of our caribbean adventure where we want to try most of the islands and see how we like them. Any suggestions are welcomed.

I'm glad to see a newer review on the resort. I know on my two cab visits to check the place out it was really nice. I just booked a week and a half for the beginning of April for next year. Also used my flight points and got a ticket.

I have been on a lot of cruises to the area you might wish to check out Marriott's on St Kitts. If you need any other suggestions please feel free to e-mail me on the forum here. Thanks for the resort review.

 

[ronparise]

We were there last year and the restaurants are still good. the bar with mostly fast foods was one of our favorite hang outs. People were great and it was so peaceful. We actually were in the building right above the pool which was a great location. Is worldmark also only offering the studios? I don't know how you can get the larger units but it is defidently a place to relax and enjoy. This was actually the start of our caribbean adventure where we want to try most of the islands and see how we like them. Any suggestions are welcomed.

I dont think that there are larger units, or more to the point the larger units are combinations of the studios. For example a one bedroom is a studio parlor plus the adjacent studio king, and a two bedroom is the addition of the studio double

I think the coolest unit is the studio loft, a two story unit with sleeping up a spiral starcase and a two story living room with balconies on each floor. open up the murphy bed and you can sleep 4 in this thing. reserve an adjacent studio double and you have room for 8

With either my worldmark credits or my Wyndham points this place is my new dream vacation home. 6 months here will cost something like $10000..what a deal