Just stayed here last week for 7 nights, in a 2-bed/2-bath floor-level villa (we traded 3500 HGVC pts) with view of the pool area from...
Read more »
Just stayed here last week for 7 nights, in a 2-bed/2-bath floor-level villa (we traded 3500 HGVC pts) with view of the pool area from the screened-in lanai/patio. Check-in was only available on a Friday which made travel on a Friday afternoon difficult. We are mid-30s and just the wife and I went. This facility is not owed by Hilton but is operated and managed by them. Nice location on the beach with a REALLY nice Marriott hotel to the north next door, and a Hilton hotel to the south about 3-doors down.
The resort facilities are nice, and clean; however not as nice as we are accustom to as a HGVC owner. There were a few daily activities and a schedule posted but nothing spectacular, just time fillers. Staff had a nice welcoming and intro on SAT morning with coffee and pastries. Main bldg has front desk, sales office, internet room, and pool table with ping-pong on the second floor but a lot of wasted, unused space that could be much better utilized. No bar/lounge on site, no live entertainment, no happy-hour, not even a big screen TV....this is what makes for a 5-star resort Kitchens are well stocked with all the essentials; stack washer/dryer; rooms nice and clean but not luxurious or even modern and even a little sparse looking; rooms were redone in 2003 and are already starting to look dated because they did the furnishings and decorating on the cheap. Not a very "happening" or "exciting" resort. Since we went off-season, the folks that were there during our time were "seasoned citizens", hence the water aerobics, so not a lot of excitement or activity most of the day, and I'm not sure if it is like that all the time. Some complaints: bed was not comfortable, pillows were either hard and over-stuffed or flat, no music anywhere in the facilities or poolside, must rent an umbrella and lounges on the beach ($20/day), items in the resort store were convienient but overpriced and we bought nothing from them during our whole stay...opting to go into town and shop at the beach stores or grocery stores (Publix & Winn-Dixie) to stock up.
As for the location on Marco Island, not much happening there either with little to no night-life but lots of restaurants. The water was green to brown in color but very warm (76-78 degrees) with little to no waves or surf and a long shallow shore, and the sand was exquisitly soft and white (crushed coral and shell based). We went jet-skiing thru Capt. Rons everglades tours, riding dual on a Yamaha wave runner for 3-hours cost $240, the beach rented ones were $80/hr. We wanted to do the dual parasailing but it was $200 and the actual "air-time" was only 15 minutes...this is REALLY expensive considering we took a 90minute helicopter tour in Hawaii for $500.
Overall, a nice place for relaxing, sleeping in, being lazy and lounging poolside or on the beach but not very "stimulating" when you want a little excitement or are in the mood to party a little.