Is this an Ocean View Inn Room?

[Dean]

If you can "view the ocean"...that is an "ocean view". That's the industry standard.

Not with many timeshares. I can think of many examples where the view does not consistently match the label. For BWV it's the pool/garden view. For VB and many other resorts including several Marriott's, ocean view and ocean side simply means location and not view. I can understand how one might arrive expecting something specific with this label but now you know.

Lets take Marriott's Grande Ocean resort which has ocean front and ocean view units. About 10% of the ocean front and maybe 30% of the ocean view units do not match your expectations. They may have when the resort was built but the vegetation has grown and matured changing the dynamics. I'd say about 20-30% of the ocean view units there are actually a much better location and view than 10-20% of the ocean front ones. And the novice might say just switch them around, but that's not possible because they are actually deeded based on the unit, just like DVC. Or say look at HI where garden view, island view and mountain view frequently mean parking lot or strip mall view or similar. Given your expectations, I'd suggest you be very careful about exchanging because exchangers are frequently put in the least desirable units possible even when better units are available and will sit empty, many times being offered an upgrade for cash.

 

[walter]

Dean,
I was wondering whether you visited "Surf Watch" at HHI recently. We had a one day pass last Oct. when we stayed at DVC/HHI, and much more work needed to be done to complete the project. We will be staying there this Oct.

 

[Dean]

Dean,
I was wondering whether you visited "Surf Watch" at HHI recently. We had a one day pass last Oct. when we stayed at DVC/HHI, and much more work needed to be done to complete the project. We will be staying there this Oct.

No, not since anything was open. Will be there in July and supposedly both ocean view and the ocean vista buildings will be open by this month (Feb). Just heard from a fellow TUGGER who was just there on an exchange, I can put you in touch with him it it'd be helpful. We actually have two units for 7-14 July, one we own and he other an exchange. We like doing family trips with extended family for HH as it tends to be much more laid back than say a DVC trip, plus the location is pretty good, only 6 hours from most of our family.

You should file the info away and contact me this summer after I return.

 

[treloarf]

How do you get the "ocean front" rooms? Can you request certain room #'s? We will be there for our 1st time 4/10-4/15. Thanks

 

[BobH]

I have been to Vero Beach myself or have made reservations for my kids 5 times now. You can request an Ocean View Inn Room or a Garden View Inn Room in the main building. You cannot specify a view in the other buildings.
Twice I requested an Ocean View Inn Room and the balcony faced the ocean.
One time I requested an Ocean View Inn room and they told me all that was available was a Garden View Inn Room. The room was on the north corner of the main Inn but you could see the ocean. Last time I requested an ocean view Inn Room for my daughter and the room was on the South corner of the Inn building and the balcony faced the pool. This time DVC called it an Ocean View. You could see the ocean but the view was essentially the same view as the room they classified as Garden View. Personally I can't make sense of how they classify their rooms. In any case the resort is beautiful and all the views are nice. I think you just have to consider it a bonus if your so called "ocean view" happens to be one of the rooms that really do face the ocean. Even if you get a room that faces the ocean you run the risk of being right next to the Green Cabin Lounge which is not real loud but it can be les sthan peaceful if you need to go to bed real early I am not sure they will honor a request for a specific room. There are pluses and minuses to everything but the resort overall is fantastic. Maybe someone else can speak regarding requests for specific room numbers. Have a nice trip'

 

[BobH]

Sorry - posted twice by mistake

 

[BobH]

My daughter told me that only one of the Beach front cottages had a tarp on the roof and it appeared some roof repair was going on.

I received another DVC letter today (my son is going in March). The letter stated they would be "performing maintenance work in the Beachside Promenade pool area" They say the pool slide will remain open and slide refurbishment has been postponed to a later date. The letter said "roofing work will be done in the "pool area, including the gazebo and Comunity Hall" and scaffolding will be present. There is no mention as to the date of starting or stopping. Just a sugestion that it may be done in late April.

These sound like fairly broad form letters that anyone with upcomng reservations will get. We got a letter just before my daughter took a Feb 1st trip. As I said my son has reservations in March which probably alerted the computer to fire off this mist recent letter. I have reservations in May so I am sure I'll probably get another letter.

It has been my experience that DVC renovations really don't impact the quality of the vacation much they just tend to cause you to get less than perfect photographs of the resort.