HGVC Marbrisa March 2013

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

Did a quick weekend stay at Marbrisa by using HGVC open season. For 2 weekend nights in a deluxe studio, we pay around $180.00. I was looking forward to seeing the newly opened up pool area and anything else that had opened since my visit a couple months ago. Personally, I'm still not feeling it as a great place to stay. It is adequate and would be less than adequate if they didn't have the Sheraton right in the middle of the Marbrisa buildings.
I hope in 5 years or however long it will be before it is all built up, that it will be more impressive.

First day I had an appointment at Ocean Pearl Spa at the Sheraton. I wasn't having a relaxing treatment. I had my eyelashes and eyebrows dyed and for those who don't know, there is pain involved. The Spa was huge. It has this little entry door that makes it look so small but when you go inside, there are rooms and more rooms and more rooms. It is very large, clean, professional and a place that I will visit again. They didn't try to upsell me anything, which was a pleasant surprise.

Next, we had lunch at Twenty/20 grille. As usual, the food was spectacular. I had the Ensalada Verde, a very delicious green salad with green beans, lettuce, avocado, and asparagus. I also had the chicken tacos. The food there is high quality. They buy organic and local whenever possible and have a very good chef. That was my third time eating there and I was very impressed once again. We sat outside and here is a picture of the water feature I was next to (bottom) and the view with the ocean in the distance.




We had room # 5021 which was a dedicated studio. It is listed as a deluxe studio. I had stayed in a deluxe studio here before, 2 buildings over, but it was part of a lockoff and not as nice as the dedicated room. We were on floor 2, which is ground level entry. Floors 1 and 3 require stairs. This brand new resort has no elevators. We had a corner unit and had a view of the golf course looking one direction and a view of the ocean (far away) looking in the other direction on our lanai. The bed was so comfortable that when I sat on it to watch TV, I feel asleep and never wanted to get up. The furnishings are very nice.

Golf Course View:


Ocean View with the new Legoland Hotel in foreground:

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

Here are a couple pics of the inside of the dedicated studio room. When we stayed in the lockoff studio unit, there wasn't a dining table and chairs. The door to the other unit was where the dining table is in this room. The room is comfortable for 2 people.






What I cannot understand about this resort is that when given the deluxe units with an ocean view, you have to trek uneven terrain to get to any of the pools at the resort. The original pool is up a hill behind the unit that I was in. However, it is also fenced in. So, you can't just walk up the dirt hill. You have to walk around, which is about a full city block of a walk. It just seemed really strange to me.

Here's a picture of what we see leaving our unit and going towards the pool. That is the parking area and up where the umbrella is, is the original pool and spa. To get there, you have to walk around the building on the far left in the picture.



So, that leads me to the new pools which is the newest area opened up to the public. To get there, you walk past the building in the preceding picture, past the Sheraton Hotel and down a hill to an area that is still very much under construction. It is a far walk from the room to the pool. I can't imagine trekking all that way at night after soaking in the spa. The new area has 2 very large free form pools. One is heated and the other is not. It also has 2 free form jacuzzis, both had kids jumping around in them. There are a few hammocks, a very nice sitting area, some outdoor games and an outdoor bar with very loud, very bad music.

Additionally, there is a large workout room and his/hers locker rooms. There is also a very large "preview" center. The salesweasles were salivating out the windows at us as we were walking by. Too bad, so sad, we weren't there for a preview tour. They reminded me of the car lot salesmen.

I didn't take picture of the pools and stuff because I think it is rude to take and post pictures of people/kids mostly in their bathing suits. Here are 2 pictures of the seating area in the middle of the 2 free form pools.

I can imagine a nice fire in this pit in the evenings.




I didn't enjoy sitting by the new pools. The bar had super loud bad music, the salesweasles were staring out their windows and us and there were kids jumping in and out of the pool and jacuzzis. I would much prefer to kick back by the original pool. Also, I didn't like the feeling of being so close to the beach but not being able to see it. The adult pools at Grand Pacific Palisades and Seapointe have ocean views and sunset views. I'm thinking Marbrisa will appeal to people visiting from afar and not to the locals.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

I agree with you Presley.
I was also underimpressed with this resort.
And the elevator thing is totally ridiculous.
I know HGVC didn't develop this resort so sort of inherited the mess that it is now
but they told me that the new buildings were going to have elevators.
Did they not put them in?

The rooms were comfortable but the resort didn't feel like a resort to me.
It's definitely lacking in alot of areas.
To me it felt like an apartment community.
Did they put in a security gate yet?
There was none when I visited.
It's way too open for my taste.

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

I know HGVC didn't develop this resort so sort of inherited the mess that it is now
but they told me that the new buildings were going to have elevators.
Did they not put them in?


Did they put in a security gate yet?
There was none when I visited.
It's way too open for my taste.

No elevators that I saw anywhere.

The new pool had a security gate, which was unlocked.
The drive into the resort was open on both ends, but each had a sign that said only guests of Marbrisa and the Sheraton could enter. There is no way to stop other people from driving through. It does feel like an apartment complex. I don't know what all their plans are for the future development, but for now the buildings are scattered on either side of the Sheraton Hotel.

[buzglyd Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close buzglyd]

Too bad you missed Thursday night. That is the best night for Twenty/20 when the weather is nice. Tapas night!

While you were at MarBrisa, My GF and I were enjoying some wine at Seapointe. The weather wasn't that great but the hot tub was warm. We talked to a few other people at the pool and they were all locals. I don't know if I've met an out of town person at Seapointe yet!