What are your top 5 Marriott Resorts

[Gemini Chica]

So I am new to time sharing and excited looking into where to travel to in the future. Wondering what's everyone's top Marrioot resorts and why!?

 

[BocaBoy]

I posted a list a while ago in this forum ranking the 30 MVCI resorts we have stayed at. Perhaps someone can give you a link. Here are my top 5:

1. Maui Ocean Club--New Towers
2. Kauai Lagoons
3-4 (Tie). Ko Olina
Grande Ocean
5. Manor Club (original section)

 

[mjm1]

I would recommend you review the resort reviews here on TUG to get a good overview as well as specific feedback on the various resorts. This is a personal view and will vary based on one's experiences and preferences. However, based on our experiences to date, I would list the following as our favorite five resorts:

1. Maui Ocean Club- Napili and Lahaina Towers (ocean front or ocean view): rooms are extremely nice and the location is outstanding.

2. Ko Olina (ocean view): once again, beautiful resort with very nice rooms. A remote location on Oahu, but have access to all of things to do on the island.

3. Desert Springs Villas 1: our favorite desert resort. Very nice grounds and large units (maybe the largest in the system). Partial access to JW Marriott next door.

4. Newport Coast: large resort on the Southern CA coast. Access to a beach (walking), Los Angeles and San Diego for day trips, nice weather

5. Frenchman's Cove, St Thomas- good Carribean location, beach, day trips to St John.

It is hard for us after the first four as there are so many resorts that we've stayed at and really like. That is part of the beauty of the Marriott program. With that in mind, others that we have enjoyed are: Grand Ocean in Hilton Head, Ocean Point in West Palm Beach, Cypress Harbour in Orlando, Ocean Club in Aruba, and Desert Ridge in Phoenix. If you want night life,etc. Grand Chateau in Las Vegas is in a great location one block off the strip.

We will be visiting the resort in Marbella this fall and have heard great things about that one too.

Visit them all I say! Happy vacationing.

Mike

 

[kds4]

So far (since 2009), we have opted to travel only in the Southeast. Of the 10 MVCI properties we have stayed at, our top 5 picks are:

1. Lakeshore Reserve - Love the atmosphere, access to adjacent J.W., lazy river and water slides.

2. Cypress Harbour - Love the water taxi, great kids center programming, and Polynesian Revue.

3. Ocean Watch - Beautiful location, convenience to MB activities, bustling activity calendar, and the views from their oceanfront units in the Conch and Scallop buildings are amazing.

4. Barony Beach - Great Port Royal Plantation location and spa facilities.

5. Grande Vista - Love the lake, great for golfers, best indoor small kids activity center (MAZE).

Adding 2 more in the next year with upcoming stays at Surfwatch and Sabal Palms. Will have to see if our list changes as a result.

 

[dioxide45]

This is from the sticky.

http://www.tug2.com/BrowseResorts.aspx?Top Marriott Resorts&top=Marriott

 

[Gemini Chica]

Thanks all, gonna have a look at all those mentioned!

 

[Gemini Chica]

I would recommend you review the resort reviews here on TUG to get a good overview as well as specific feedback on the various resorts. This is a personal view and will vary based on one's experiences and preferences. However, based on our experiences to date, I would list the following as our favorite five resorts:

1. Maui Ocean Club- Napili and Lahaina Towers (ocean front or ocean view): rooms are extremely nice and the location is outstanding.

2. Ko Olina (ocean view): once again, beautiful resort with very nice rooms. A remote location on Oahu, but have access to all of things to do on the island.

3. Desert Springs Villas 1: our favorite desert resort. Very nice grounds and large units (maybe the largest in the system). Partial access to JW Marriott next door.

4. Newport Coast: large resort on the Southern CA coast. Access to a beach (walking), Los Angeles and San Diego for day trips, nice weather

5. Frenchman's Cove, St Thomas- good Carribean location, beach, day trips to St John.

It is hard for us after the first four as there are so many resorts that we've stayed at and really like. That is part of the beauty of the Marriott program. With that in mind, others that we have enjoyed are: Grand Ocean in Hilton Head, Ocean Point in West Palm Beach, Cypress Harbour in Orlando, Ocean Club in Aruba, and Desert Ridge in Phoenix. If you want night life,etc. Grand Chateau in Las Vegas is in a great location one block off the strip.

We will be visiting the resort in Marbella this fall and have heard great things about that one too.

Visit them all I say! Happy vacationing.

Mike

Marbella is the only one I have been in so far and it was fabulous, this is subsquently where we have bought our resale week (pending completion)!

 

[GregT]

We've visited some terrific properties, with no duds. But these would be our Top 5:

1. Maui Ocean Club -- Lahaina Villas
2. Ritz Carlton St. Thomas (if I lived on East Coast, these two would be reversed)
3. Ko Olina
4. Grande Ocean
5. Aruba Ocean Club

But again - no duds. Kauai Lagoons and Waiohai are terrific, Shadow Ridge is a local favorite, really no issues with any of the Marriotts we've stayed in.

Best,

Greg

 

[Big Matt]

Grande Ocean
Manor Club Original side
Cypress Harbour
Newport Coast Villas
Grande Vista

Not necessarily the best, but my favorites.

 

[BocaBoy]

We've visited some terrific properties, with no duds. But these would be our Top 5:

1. Maui Ocean Club -- Lahaina Villas
2. Ritz Carlton St. Thomas (if I lived on East Coast, these two would be reversed)
3. Ko Olina
4. Grande Ocean
5. Aruba Ocean Club

But again - no duds. Kauai Lagoons and Waiohai are terrific, Shadow Ridge is a local favorite, really no issues with any of the Marriotts we've stayed in.

Best,

Greg

Greg, it is remarkable how similar our "top 5" lists are. Three are in the same positions on each of our lists, you mention our second choice (Kauai Lagoons) and I have not stayed at the two on your list that I did not have on mine.

 

[hangloose]

We have been to 17 MVC resorts. As others indicated, every one of them is unique but all of them are great.

Our favorites.

1. Maui Ocean Club - Location, location, location. Great pools & ocean views.
2. Ocean Pointe - Something for adults or kids. Great pools. Many activities.
3. Ko Olina - Excellent rooms. High quality resort. Beautiful lagoons.
4. Ocean Watch - Nice beach. Great location. Love the garden pool area.
5. Grande Vista - Our home resort. Large and lots of amenities.

Will be hitting DSVII and Grande Ocean in 2017 so far, neither of which we've been to thus far.

 

[Gemini Chica]

This just gives me food for thought, we live in Spain so direct flights anywhere state side is impossible and for the likes of Hawaii is 2 stopovers! But it will have to be on the agenda sometime, maybe on a longer trip as a second week!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[frank808]

1. Ko'olina
2. Lakeshore reserve
3. Maui ocean club
4. Grand vista
5. Kauai lagoons

Like many more but these are the top 5 we keep going to. Have like all the marriott timeshares we have been to. Each one has their pluses.

 

[Superchief]

We have only been to one MVC off the US continent (Ko Olina), but have been to most in the USA. Although we loved Hawaii, it just takes to much time and money to get there when there are so many nice place within the 48 continental states. My top five are based on a combination of the facilities as well as things to do in the area.
1. Oceana Palms: Nicest villa, great views from large balcony, nice beach location that is away from crowds but close enough to good restaurants
2. Ko Olina: We were there when it first opened so we may not like it as much today, loved the lagoons and beauty
3. Newport Coast: Millionaire views, great weather, proximity to Anaheim and San Diego, Nothing better than watching gorgeous sunsets from balcony with a good glass of wine
4. Canyon Villas (especially in March/April): Access to JW, Sunny days, convenient to restaurants, usually tie in train to Flagstaff, day in Sedona and/or Grand Canyon.
5. Mountainside (summer), Beautiful area, great hiking and biking, good restaurants (reasonable prices in summer), proximity to gorgeous national parks that are never crowded, We try to avoid Mid-June through July because resort is overrun with unsupervised children

 

[dioxide45]

I am not really sure that I have a top 5. All of the resorts are great for different reasons. If I wanted to go back to Hawaii, Maui Ocean Club and Ko'Olina would be at the top of the list. But I wouldn't be going back to Hawaii because of the MVC properties, it would be because of Hawaii. For Florida, if we want beach, then Ocean Point or Crystal Shores would be at the top of the list. We tend to go to the ones in Floria more for the resorts than the location. For Orlando it would be Lakeshore Reserve and Grande Vista at the top. Going to Myrtle Beach only gives us one option and we haven't visited any in HHI except Surfwatch. I am not sure any of those would be at the top of the list simply because we probably wouldn't head back there any time soon.

If I were to base it on how often I have been to each, it would as follows;

Grande Vista
Ocean Pointe
Lakeshore Reserve
Harbour Lake
Ko'Olina or Maui Ocean Club or Aruba Surf Club

That however is skewed based on where we live and where we can travel the easiest most often. That being Florida.

We tend to like all of the Marriott properties that we have visited, though we choose them mostly based on where we are going, not for the resort.

 

[jin]

1) Phuket
2) Kuaii Lagoons
3) Muaii Napoli and other newer tower
4) Lakeshore Reserve
5) Grand Residence Lake Tahoe

 

[GregT]

All,

I would be curious how TUGgers who've visited other systems would include them in their favorites (and I'll expand to 10, for the heck of it).

My top 10 would be:

1. Marriott Maui Ocean Club - Lahaina Villas
2. Ritz Carlton St. Thomas
3. Hilton Hawaiian Village - Lagoon Tower
4. Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas
5. Marriott Ko Olina
6. HGVC Kings Land
7. Harborside Resort at Atlantis
8. Marriott Grande Ocean
9. Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas
10. Marriott Aruba Ocean Club

Favorite non-Big System timeshare: Elysian Beach Resort

These are great properties and memories -- timeshares rock!!

Best,

Greg

 

[jont]

Our top five are:

1. Aruba Surf Club
2. Newport Coast
3. Grande Ocean
4. Ocean Pointe
5. Ocean Watch

 

[vikingsholm]

We haven't been to many of the beach/east coast, or international resorts, so here's the list with that in mind:

Top five by location:

1. Timber Lodge and Grand Residence Club
2. Newport Coast Villas
3. Kauai Beach Club
4. Desert Springs Villas
5. Mountain Valley Lodge


Top five by buildings and grounds:

1. Desert Springs Villas 1
2. Village d'Ile-de-France
3. Newport Coast Villas
4. Kauai Lagoons
5. Timber Lodge and Grand Residence Club

Then of course the Ritz's in their own category.

 

[bazzap]

Our Top 5, which are inevitably influenced by where we live (and where we own) are
1 Phuket Beach Club
2 Club Son Antem
3 St Kitts Beach Club
4 Playa Andaluza
5 Marbella Beach Resort

We are hoping these might be seriously challenged by some other resorts high on our "wish list", when we get around to staying at them
Kauai Lagoons
Lakeshore Reserve
Crystal Shores
Newport Coast Villas
...

 

[heatherw]

Obviously this is based only on those locations visited because some others look amazing and are on our bucket list, which may soon change this.


1. Phuket - home resort, utter paradise, J W marriot and facilities on site, beach location
2. Son antem- home resort, near for us, and we love mallorca
3. Boston custom house - so different, iconic and city location
4. Newport coast - another beach location but fab location in wonderful California
5. Playa andaluza - home resort, main land Spain, small and a great place to be based to explore.

 

[Gemini Chica]

Thanks for all the replies and it makes interesting reading. We have bought in Marbella and I am sure will try the other European ones easy enough, for us then Florida is an easy enough destination to get to. Usually we holiday in NYC which we also love. Traveling from Spain to the US is hard going especially with no direct flights, but I am looking forward to exploring some of the places you mention and one of the reasons we have gotten into TS is to force ourselves to explore the world more and open up our options!

 

[pedro47]

My favorite are as followers:
1. The Manor Club org. size
2. SurfWatch
3. OceanWatch
4. Grand Ocean
5. Grand Vista

 

[GregT]

Greg, it is remarkable how similar our "top 5" lists are. Three are in the same positions on each of our lists, you mention our second choice (Kauai Lagoons) and I have not stayed at the two on your list that I did not have on mine.

I missed this first time through - you have good taste in properties!

Best,

Greg

 

[normab]

This is so hard to answer! We've stayed at at least 22 resorts at this point. Sometimes the resort is very impressive and we use a lot of the amenities. Other times the resort is not the most impressive but we do lots of things away from the resort so we still have a fantastic vacation.

Based on our stay history, these would be our favorites so far--we have stayed at each of these multiple times and still would go back in a heartbeat:

Kauai Beach club. Love the resort amenities with the hotel and location. What a pool! Beach is nice too.
Waiohai. Love the resort size, location, layout of pools and beach.
Surfwatch. Love the wildlife and the resort activities , great beach.
Grande Ocean. Large but a great resort with lots of pools and a good beach. Close to Sea Pines.
Sabal palms. Older but walking distance from Marriott world center which has a top notch pool. Close to WDW.
Ocean pointe. Great pools, drinks, activities. Nice ocean and intracoastal views from high floors.
Oceana palms. Beautifully laid out. Love the pools and the beach there. Great views.
Beach Place Towers. All views are good. Beach is across street but it's a good beach. Great walk score!
Crystal Shores. Love the layout. Pools are great and the beach is large.

There were a dozen others that we liked but probably would only return to periodically. E.G. we aren't big fans of Maui so I didn't include the 2 resorts there, although they are very nice. And Ko Olina is great but we prefer to stay closer to Waikiki when we're on Oahu.

Clearly location is as important to us as how fabulous the resort is.

There was only one resort that we really weren't impressed with, Legends edge. We felt the resort was mediocre and the location was best for golfers only. We probably would not return. But the many other resorts were all great, just perhaps not in locations we favor.