Marriott Grande Vista

[Savannahsmom]

Does anyone know if they have completed the renovations at this property?

 

[Savannahsmom]

Anyone?

 

[summerrluvv]

I was wondering the same thing. Trip Advisor reviews lead me to believe they haven't though.

 

[Savannahsmom]

I get the same impression from trip advisor, surely someone knows the answer.?.

 

[Detailor]

I get the same impression from trip advisor, surely someone knows the answer.?.

I don't have the answer for your question and am guessing that the lack of response is because nobody else here does either.

Here's a couple of things...

1) This (https://www.my-vacationclub.com/common/respages/pdf/resorts/gv/gv_sitemap.pdf) is a map of the resort showing the 24 buildings and the rest of the resort layout. Buildings 77, 78, 79, 84, 85 and 86 are the newest at the resort and I don't believe that they are part of the otherwise comprehensive refurbishment at the resort (they were built very shortly before the refurb. began). I saw some rather extensive working beginning on Building 92 the last time that I stayed at Grande Vista - early March 2008 - and am guessing that the refurb. work started around that time. But as far as I know the work was expected to continue at least through most of this year.

2) But I don't know which of the older building have been completed and which are queued up for work. So I'd suggest that the best way to find out is to get it from the "horse's mouth," so to speak. Grande Vista's telephone number is 407-238-7676.

I hope that helps.

Dick Taylor

 

[Savannahsmom]

Thanks, I appreciate the insight.
I called today and got someone who really didnt have any info that would help. I will call again hopefully with better luck.
Thanks again

 

[Detailor]

Thanks, I appreciate the insight.
I called today and got someone who really didnt have any info that would help. I will call again hopefully with better luck.
Thanks again

I'd suggest asking for the General Manager. I'm not sure if he's still there but I think that the GM at Grande Vista is Paul Ryan.

Dick Taylor

 

[cathypa]

Savannahsmom when you find out the info would you mind sharing it with us all ? My son & his wife will be staying there in Sept. I have a very picky son. I guess he learned to be that way from his mom . Lol

Dick thank you for the help you have given me in the past. You are very helpful on this site. Have a great night everyone.

 

[dioxide45]

We own at Grande Vista, so hopefully can provide some insight. The last newsletter we received about renovations was back in May 2010. Remember that Grande Vista is a very large resort and built out over a 10+ year time period. That means in any given year they will be doing 5 year soft goods and 10 year case goods renovations. There will always be something being renovated in a year.

According to the newsletter, in 2010 buildings 82, 83, and 87 underwent case goods refurbishment. 79 and 84 underwent a soft goods renovation after Thanksgiving 2010. So any of these five buildings should be a good pick and be fairly recently updated.

In 2011 buildings 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 85 and 87 were set to also undergo renovations. I don't know if this was only soft good or case goods. I also don't know if those buildings were set for spring or fall renovations, so some or all may not be completed yet.

 

[cathypa]

Does any body know the age of this resort? Also what year the last buildings were added & where the new & older section's are ? That night help in finding some thing more modern.Doing some reading on the trip resort it seems if you get a room that's not refurb people are saying furniture is so out dated & worn.
After running around the parks all day a firm bed is what I always need.Sounds like the grounds & pools are so beautiful.

 

[Detailor]

Does any body know the age of this resort? Also what year the last buildings were added & where the new & older section's are ? That night help in finding some thing more modern.Doing some reading on the trip resort it seems if you get a room that's not refurb people are saying furniture is so out dated & worn.
After running around the parks all day a firm bed is what I always need.Sounds like the grounds & pools are so beautiful.

I don't have many definitive answers to your questions but am happy to relate what I've seen and what I've been told over the years.

When we were there for the first time in late June 2005 the newest section of the resort was being built. As I recall, buildings 77, 78, 79 and 84 (surrounding and near the Plaza del Sol pool area and Copa Loca bar and grill were open and buildings 85 and 86 were under construction. They were also doing landscaping all through that area. So, the newest buildings are 85 and 86.

During that same visit I was told by a resort staffer that the resort was seven or eight years old (could be true but I don't know how long that staff person had been there). If the staffer's estimate is correct then the resort has been open since the 1998/1999 time frame. Based on the maturity of the trees and other landscaping at the time, I thought that seemed about right.

I didn't ask which sections were built first but I assume that buildings 80, 81, 82, 83, 93 and 94 were the first to be built as they're in the area of the original main pool area and the registration building (which is building 80). I'd guess that the next section to be built included buildings 87, 88, 89, 90, 91 and 92 (we stayed in building 90 back in 2006) and then buildings 95, 96, 97, 98, 99 and 100 (we stayed in 99 in March 2008) over by the golf course clubhouse/Nick's restaurant building. I assume that latter order because, while the units seemed about equal when we stayed in those two section, the pool area near buildings 95-100 looked to be newer than the one serving buildings 87-92.

Despite those assumptions on the relative age of the buildings, I think it's a little different you're thinking about the relative age of the villas in the buildings - because they started the refurbishment projects after building that newest section of the resort the villas in those refurbished buildings are actually newer and fresher than those in the "new" buildings. So if you're looking for the newest/freshest then you'd pick the most recently refurbed building - whichever one that is. However, we stayed in 'older' villas in 2005 (building 90), 2007 (a three-bedroom unit in building 80) and 2008 (building 99) and we were very happy with all three of those stays. But then I'm not overwhelmed by granite countertops in the kitchen for a one-week vacation stay. As others have indicated, even if a full refurbishment hasn't taken place, Marriott does a nice job of swapping out soft goods in the villas every few years to keep guest comfort at a high level. It's true that more can be out of order with an older villa but the maintenance staff at the resort is very responsive and they've taken care of any issues that we've identified very quickly (and there haven't been many).

Dick Taylor

 

[jlp879]

We stayed a few months back in a dedicated two bedroom unit at Marriott Grande Vista in building 77. It definitely was a refurbished unit with granite in the kitchen, all flat screen TVs etc. I don't know what to compare it to, since it was my first time at the resort. I do have photos to share of the room if you are interested in seeing its condition.

 

[dioxide45]

Does any body know the age of this resort?

I believe they started to build the resort in 1996/97.

 

[dioxide45]

I didn't ask which sections were built first but I assume that buildings 80, 81, 82, 83, 93 and 94 were the first to be built as they're in the area of the original main pool area and the registration building (which is building 80). I'd guess that the next section to be built included buildings 87, 88, 89, 90, 91 and 92 (we stayed in building 90 back in 2006) and then buildings 95, 96, 97, 98, 99 and 100 (we stayed in 99 in March 2008) over by the golf course clubhouse/Nick's restaurant building. I assume that latter order because, while the units seemed about equal when we stayed in those two section, the pool area near buildings 95-100 looked to be newer than the one serving buildings 87-92.

The order of buildout that you described is what I understand also.