Not a fan of the "new" Unbeach Club Villas

[kid-at-heart]

This is our first stay in a BCV villa since the renovation and there is nothing "beachy" about the villa. It looks like any generic studio across the country with an extremely modern format. Hate the silverly space-themed lamps and mirror trims. I do like the bluish walls but they do not make me think of a beach side villa.

Also, it has been a busy year so I have been off boards quite a bit. I did not realize they removed the DVD players (we brought movies), the clock (I do not have a "smart" phone) and the 12 cup coffee maker (4 cups are not enough). The location is still awesome but we won't be wasting points staying here unless they go back to the beach club theme. We can stay at the Swan using our SPG credits and enjoy the location at a much cheaper rate.

We have been spending a lot of time at Hilton Garden Inn (child in college, visiting her...) and I am sad to say, the rooms at the Garden Inn are nicer than what I am seeing here and they are more deluxe. Fluffy duvets, nice pillows, large rooms, good coffee.... DVC needs to take a look at quality along with saving money.

We are moving today to AKL and then OKW (yes, three moves in one visit). I am hoping the next two villas we stay in have maintained the original theme.

 

[bwvBound]

I do hope you've called the appropriate departments and requested the missing or downgraded items to be brought to your room: DVD player, full size coffee maker and alarm clock.

 

[disneynutz]

It's the new DVC, do refurbs more often but remove the theming and create an expensive motel 6. Other DVC resorts are receiving the same treatment.

Bill

 

[rwcmath]

Sorry you do not like the changes. I do get a beachy feel at BCV. I do not like the little table in the studio, but many members really want 5 in a studio. We can live with it, BCV is definitely my favorite summer time on site DVC choice.

 

[schoen]

Did you stay in a one-bedroom+ or a studio? Is the 4-cup coffee pot an across the board change? Or just in renevated rooms? Ugh. Coffee is ALWAYS such an issue at DVC.

 

[CarolMN]

The usual practice was/has been to put 4 cup coffeemakers in the studios. But housekeeping will trade that for a 12 cup if you call to request. They don't come back and swap back though, so over time, the 12 cup makers seem to be in all the studios. I've never had anything but the 12 cup in the 1 & 2 bedroom villas.

 

[kid-at-heart]

Back again, we have moved to AKL-K, a one bedroom (because that was all that was left when I made reservations). This villa has a 12 cup coffee maker . I should have called at BCV for one and a clock, thanks for the reminder bwvBound. If enough requests are made, maybe the missing items will become standard again. I did call down a few minutes ago and requested a DVD player. It should be here soon. No alarm clock in the bedroom, I just checked so I will need to make another call. Yuk, I hate asking for things. Other than those three missing items, the room is great, except that whoever stayed in the room last night, decided to bathe in cologne and I am asthmatic so we are having to air out the room. Do not want to request a different room because 1. we are tired, 2. the location is great, 3. the room is clean but smelly, 4. the room is clean 5. we are tired...

It has been an awesome visit so far. Started out stressful. We were supposed to stay for a week to celebrate our 20 anniversary but then the person who was supposed to stay with my 90 year old mother (Mom lives with us) backed out so I am coming back three days early while my husband stays behind to celebrate alone. Seriously though, it is ok. At least we are able to get away for a few days thanks to some wonderful neighbors and my mother's aide who agreed to come in for additional hours.

Today we hung out at Epcot, ate in France, took a behind the seeds tour and visited the DVC lounge. Nice space with free pop and coffee. We were told someone was passing out snacks but they did not come around while we were there. Best part though, it was quiet and cool. Then we made our way over to the festival center to check out some of the food and wine booths. Again, quiet and less crowded than the rest of the park. Perfect for us old folks.

Kate

 

[bumbershoot]

I did call down a few minutes ago and requested a DVD player.

Good; I'm glad you did that. I cannot stand that they have made us request DVD players. Ridiculous.

whoever stayed in the room last night, decided to bathe in cologne and I am asthmatic

UGH.

the person who was supposed to stay with my 90 year old mother (Mom lives with us) backed out so I am coming back three days early while my husband stays behind to celebrate alone.

Probably can't help for this trip, but if you hvaen't checked, when you get home see if there are any respite care places around you and if they ever actually have openings. We have, for instance, a Merrill Gardens community nearby that says they do respite care for people outside their community (if they have space). Someday I'm going to look into that, because it's getting stressful leaving town with my MIL alone. I mean, she lives alone; she chooses that and cannot be swayed, but my sibs in law are less than helpful even for the most basic things when we're gone. Paying big bucks for respite would be worth it.

 

[mustinjourney]

somewhat off topic -- but will mousekeeping provide a fan if requested?

 

[disneynutz]

somewhat off topic -- but will mousekeeping provide a fan if requested?

Not that I have ever seen or heard of.

Bill

 

[mac_tlc]

When you get to OKW, you will feel like you are at the Beach Club. I think the refurb at OKW a number of years ago made it seem like the beach club, and not Key West.

 

[Smile&Nod]

When you get to OKW, you will feel like you are at the Beach Club. I think the refurb at OKW a number of years ago made it seem like the beach club, and not Key West.

Of course they have announced a refurb at OKW - but the outside of the buildings I suspect will remain the same ....the inside may be more generic ....who knows!

 

[Cyberc1978]

With all respect, I understand why dvc removed the DVD player. A dvdplayer is old and the New Technology is streaming. Dvc provide good wifi coverage through out their resorts or at least they did at the resorts I visited.

Why not just embrace the new technology instead of hanging on to the old obsolete technology?

It's been years since I threw out my old dvds and I can't recall when I had a dvdplayer.

Regards

 

[BillPA]

We just returned last night from a stay at OKW. It may NOT be the final design. Many that have seen the units have complained about the lack of theming. Took an unofficial tour of the new units, studio/1 BR. Looks nothing like Key West, more like it belongs in BLT. Stainless steel appliances, look nice, white cabinets in a shaker style, white counter tops. The island has been expanded to hold a 55 inch TV, the back side, facing the sink has storage shelves and in normal counter height. The furniture is the same old stuff just with new plain fabric. The big tub is gone, replaced with the same as BCV tub, but again the complaints indicate they will keep a whirlpool tub. The shutter between the Master bed and tub has been removed and is now a solid wall. Big screen TV added with a wall mount in Master BR. New tile in bath, gray wood look long tiles on floor. Shower has all glass sides and door. Studio side has new carpet, larger TV but nothing else that stood out. All paint color is light gray not at all Key West feel. The Key West photos are gone, more generic photos have replaced them.
The unit looks very nice, but just nothing looks like a beach or Key West theme.
Again, it is NOT final as they get feed back from owners and their designers changes are being looked at. I could not take photos as it is still "a work in progress"

 

[bwvBound]

With all respect, I understand why dvc removed the DVD player. A dvdplayer is old and the New Technology is streaming. Dvc provide good wifi coverage through out their resorts or at least they did at the resorts I visited.

Why not just embrace the new technology instead of hanging on to the old obsolete technology?

It's been years since I threw out my old dvds and I can't recall when I had a dvdplayer.

Regards

Yeah, that is what we thought, too -- but we haven't yet been given a menu of streaming, on demand, videos of similar quantity and variety as the collection borrowed from a Community Hall. So it appears they removed the video player (be it DVD, Blu-ray or whatever) before offering the streaming options??

And, FWIW, I've been growing my collection of media-dependent video in recent years as my specific area of study is still churning out lots of DVDs with very limited streaming access. I plan to tote a stack of DVDs on my next vacation -- all training related. (All fun topics -- nothing that takes away from the vacation mood.)

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I love the studios...I have 2 more stays in one this year.

Streaming options? Can you stream to the TV via a Chromecast now? That's usually not an option at hotels unless you have a travel router. You can do it via a Samsung phone on the Samsung TV (quality wasn't particularly good though), but wasn't able to make it work on an Apple phone (there is an app but it didn't work). I know I'd rather watch on that big TV than on a tablet.

From what I understand you can still request a DVD player although they are not in the studios now.

 

[sleepydog25]

We just returned last night from a stay at OKW. It may NOT be the final design. Many that have seen the units have complained about the lack of theming. Took an unofficial tour of the new units, studio/1 BR. Looks nothing like Key West, more like it belongs in BLT. Stainless steel appliances, look nice, white cabinets in a shaker style, white counter tops. The island has been expanded to hold a 55 inch TV, the back side, facing the sink has storage shelves and in normal counter height. The furniture is the same old stuff just with new plain fabric. The big tub is gone, replaced with the same as BCV tub, but again the complaints indicate they will keep a whirlpool tub. The shutter between the Master bed and tub has been removed and is now a solid wall. Big screen TV added with a wall mount in Master BR. New tile in bath, gray wood look long tiles on floor. Shower has all glass sides and door. Studio side has new carpet, larger TV but nothing else that stood out. All paint color is light gray not at all Key West feel. The Key West photos are gone, more generic photos have replaced them.
The unit looks very nice, but just nothing looks like a beach or Key West theme.
Again, it is NOT final as they get feed back from owners and their designers changes are being looked at. I could not take photos as it is still "a work in progress"

Your report seems to support what I've thought of the last couple of refurbishments around the World. They're making everything generic in order to save money, I presume. Case in point, the refurb of VWL a couple of years ago. They took what was, granted, a dark theme and lightened it. Along the way, however, they removed the character from the rooms. Other than a few very subtle touches, I wouldn't be able to tell a VWL room from a BCV room. They wanted generic--they got it.

 

[gluestickgirl]

We're in the minority, but absolutely love the recent renovations. They actually pushed us to buy in - we'd avoided doing a cash res or renting points because we thought the villas decor was too loud and dated. I like that the rooms have a more subtle theme now.

 

[sleepydog25]

We're in the minority, but absolutely love the recent renovations. They actually pushed us to buy in - we'd avoided doing a cash res or renting points because we thought the villas decor was too loud and dated. I like that the rooms have a more subtle theme now.

Well, there is that. To be sure, there are many out there who do like the newer looks. I do think they look nice (and appreciate the stainless steel appliances) just lacking pizzazz for lack of a better term. I believe there was a third option DVC could have taken which would be to keep a unique theme for each resort and still modernize it. Doing so, undoubtedly, would have taken more thought, planning, and ultimately dollars all of which explain why they didn't take option three. That being said, while I'm not a huge fan of the refurbishments, they are a first-world issue and mostly beyond my control. We will still go out on our balcony(ies) and sip our beverage of choice and listen for boat horns.

 

[gluestickgirl]

Well, there is that. To be sure, there are many out there who do like the newer looks. I do think they look nice (and appreciate the stainless steel appliances) just lacking pizzazz for lack of a better term. I believe there was a third option DVC could have taken which would be to keep a unique theme for each resort and still modernize it. Doing so, undoubtedly, would have taken more thought, planning, and ultimately dollars all of which explain why they didn't take option three. That being said, while I'm not a huge fan of the refurbishments, they are a first-world issue and mostly beyond my control. We will still go out on our balcony(ies) and sip our beverage of choice and listen for boat horns.

I can see that side, too. And I'll join you out on that balcony - cheers!