Ooops, sorry guys, I have only just seen this. The internet charges only apply to non-owners, it is free for owners. A lot of the owners (not me, I promise) have complained about how much our maintenance fees are because renters do not take care of the units like owners do. Therefore they seem to need more maintenance than the other Marriott resorts. The charges for the internet to non owners are an attempt to keep the maintanence fees (nearly £1000 a year already) down but supplementing the expenditure by adding an additional revenue strand.
As for the maintanence, well, here is the latest update from Marriott:
November 2009
Dear Marriotts Village dIle-de-France Owner:
Greetings from Marriotts Village dIle-de-France, your home away from home! It is my pleasure to share with you the latest news and developments from your French resort.
With the opening of the most recent section in July, the resort construction is almost complete with a total of 184 townhouses. Since the summer, Owners have been enjoying the new views of the newest and largest lake onsite, the few unique two-story buildings of the resort and the much awaited three-bedroom units, most with the lock-off option.
One more major project, which will be implemented between now and June 2010, is a renovation that will fully optimize the usage of the existing public buildings. First, a new meeting and entertainment room dedicated to Teenagers will be created in the ground floor of the former Preview Gallery. The Preview Gallery will be remodeled inside the main Clubhouse, with its entrance near the current Bistro Bar and MarketPlace. The majority of the ground floor of the building opposite Reception in the courtyard will become the central operations facility, and house the Engineering, Housekeeping and Lost & Found departments. As an additional benefit, the move into the new Operations Building will allow us to remove all the construction-like buildings from the entrance area, and Marriotts Village dIle-de-France will become as beautiful when viewed from the main public road outside as it is once you are on premises.
The indoor pool, hot tub basins and the mixed steam bath received an annual general rehabilitation in early September. All tile, painting and technical areas are again as new. The next annual maintenance is scheduled for the week of 6 September, 2010, because the weather during this period traditionally allows Owners and guests onsite to enjoy the outdoor pool. In addition to the pool and steam bath, the Fitness Center has also received a floor renovation which will ensure a long-lasting quality of the traditionally sensitive surface surrounding the water fountain.
During the coming months the Lobby and Bistro Bar Le Coin des Artistes will receive a complete renovation, combined with a re-design of colors, space distribution and new atmosphere. The floor in the Bar will be changed to a warm, wood-like surface and special separating elements will be installed in order to create a more intimate, private feeling around the Bar.
In order to bring a more lively atmosphere to the public areas of the resort seven days a week, and to add revenue into the Homeowners Association, the resort has launched the Pool and Fitness Membership Club which started in early summer 2009. The club membership, designed for the residents in the local area who are looking for high quality pool and/or fitness facilities near their home, has proven a surprising success. While it was initially communicated as a test only to members of the neighboring Disney Golf course, the information has now spread by word of mouth and we receive new club members every week. The program will be extended for another year in 2010. The maximum number of authorized members will be kept within an acceptable limit to ensure optimum usage conditions for all Owners and guests staying at the resort.
Additionally, the resort will also soon introduce individual resort access cards for Owners from the local area that make regular use of the Year Round Facilities Usage program. These cards will include the Owners photograph and will be requested at the entrance gate.
Many renovation and rehabilitation works are also ongoing or soon to be scheduled inside the townhouses. If your next stay will be in one of the townhouses in the section which opened in 2006 (the Le Pré area of the resort), you will notice the new thermostat units on both floors, which make it much easier to achieve your ideal room temperature in all seasons. Further, this entire section of townhouses will receive new living room sofas and a new coat of exterior paint. In early 2010, similar scheduled renovations will occur in the townhouses in the Giverny and Le Verger areas of the resort.
On a more seasonal note, it is a pleasure to inform you that all the plants in and around the central courtyard have been recently changed and now accentuate the impression of picturesque central village square. Before the end of this month, the resort will receive a newly selected, warm and joyful Christmas decoration, both in the main building and in the outdoor areas. The decoration is due to stay until early January so that as many Owners and guests as possible will be able to enjoy it.
Marriott Vacation Club® International is pleased to offer travel insurance offering Owners the most comprehensive travel insurance and assistance available in the industry. Coverage includes unforeseen situations such as inclement weather, sickness or death, medical evacuations, lost or stolen baggage and much more! For information, please visit
www.My-VacationClub.com.
If you are giving or renting your week to someone else, please be sure to contact Owner Services and provide the name of the party that will be using your week.
The resort team is very interested in your personal feedback, your impression of your townhouse and the public areas, and the service received during your stay. Please dont hesitate to let us know, during your stay, if you notice anything that you would like to see changed for the future with your vision as an Owner we will be able to ensure that your home resort continues to meet and exceed your expectations in the years to come.
In response to several inquiries received from Owners, we would like to remind you that you can contact your Advisory Board of Directors anytime on My-VacationClub.com, or by sending an e-mail directly to
Ownerboard.Paris@vacationclub.com.
I hope to see you soon at your home resort, Marriotts Village dIle-de France.
A bientôt,
Warmest Regards,
Jo Habets
General Manager
As for the Champion being a Carrefour, it does not surprise me as Carrefour were the parent company of Champion. Seems like they are stripping down the brand to reduce costs (kind of like if all the Tescos Metros, Tescos, and the Tesoos Extra all became simply Tesco).
Hope this is useful.