Need Opinions: Marco Island & Sanibel

[Wanna_run_faster Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wanna_run_faster]

JLB, I know you'll be able to help me!

I'm looking at some auctions for Club Regency, The Surf Club, and Tortuga Beach Club.

I've only stayed at the Charter Club of Marco but I love the area. The unit and the grounds are extremely well-kept. The units themselves have been well-kept with nothing looking worn or run-down, if the decor (fish wall paper in the bathroom and rattan furniture in the living room) is a bit dated. And of course, all units are oceanfront.

Does anyone have any opinions about how Club Regency, The Surf Club or Tortuga Beach Club compares? I'm also open to other suggestions.

Thanks in advance,
WRF

[bevvy5 Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bevvy5]

We have been to the Charter Club twice, but stayed at the Eagles Nest last month. We loved it. The unit seemed a bit smaller than the Charter Club, but we really liked the amenities, including a snack bar down in the pool area.

Has some issues in that we were on a "maintenance floor" but received some comps, so at least it was made right.

We took a look at Club Regency - like the units but it's very much a homey place, not as resorty, and very view units would have a Gulf View.

We looked at the Surf Club too, and would stay there as well, although I think you have to be careful not to get a parking lot view.

It may not be a popular view but I don't think I would care to stay in Sanibel/Captiva, although I've driven over there on a day trip. The $6.00 or whatever it is to cross the bridge would annoy me and it's just a bit too isolated for me.

I'm sure Jim will weigh in, I believe he's stayed at Club Regency for sure.

Bev

[RichinPa Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RichinPa]

Just a quick note on Tortuga Beach. Stayed there for two weeks about 5 years ago and really liked the place. Convenient locaton on the island, the units were roomy, in good shape, and clean, beach was out the back door. Staff seemed helpful. AS I remember correctly, they had some discount deals with a few golf courses that we took advatage of.

Sanibel had plenty for us to do and plenty of good restaurants to visit to keep us busy enough. We only went off island a few times.

It may have completely changed since then, but if it hasn''t I would go back.

[pcgirl54 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pcgirl54]

We have stayed on Captiva pre hurricane in South Seas Plantation. Although people love Sanibel,Captiva was even more beautiful. Sanibel has a lot more places to eat,bike trails and a couple of grocers. Now all that tropical foliage has changed for awhile. We did not want to leave the island to go to the mainland,it seemed to be a bother and I'm not sure why. Seashells were incredible,never seen them like that anywhere else. Although we liked the island I am unsure if we would want to own there.

We are booked in Charter Club Marco for late May this year and intend to tour the 3-4 resorts ourselves to compare. It is one of the few gulf areas we have not been to. Love the gulf beaches but worry about owning due to future hurricanes and SA fees. Ebay has units regularly for Surf and Charter sometimes Eagles Nest that are reasonable IMHO. People have told me there is not much to do on Marco as it is more remotethan other spots. Can't wait to find out in a few months. I will post when we return.

Marriott is converting a Marco beachfront resort and I think sales start this fall at a much higher price than the existing resorts.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

As far as the areas, Marco or Sanibel, you could not go wrong with either.

Since Captiva has crept into this conversation, I am suspicious of the new owner of South Seas' attitude toward the timeshare parts of that resort. There is an obvious and outright attempt to make South Seas much more exclusive, upscaly, and expensive to be a part of than it was under the former regime. JoAnn and Rapmarks have shared local articles to the affect.

There is no doubt that it is the most exclusive resort area of SW FL as it is the northern tip of Captiva island and you cannot access it unless you are a guest.

A good person to ask for an opinion would be Sandcastles as a she and her husband are longtime owners in that area.

Now, different strokes for different folks. I confess to not owning anything on Sanibel or Marco and our only firsthand experience was a Week 1 at Club Regency and a few dozen drive-bys. We like the homey places over the mega-resort types of places, and were well-pleased with Club Regency. Unless you have an extremely over-sized vehicle, everyone parks underneath your unit and walks up to it.

The extent of my visual of Eagles Nest is the exterior and the lobby, where we checked into CR as a late arrival.

Yes, only the beachfront building at CR has beach/gulf-views, but we were fine with our gardenview unit. We were fine with the entire resort even with the hot tub being closed a couple of days. The BBQ grills were sufficient.

As it sounds like you know, I know of all of the SW FL RCI resorts from my 5000-plus searches of that area for January. When the Gold Crowns on the beach used to appear, Club Regency was the most freqent, frequent being an extremely relative terms, meaning once or twice a year. But I have also seen Eagles Nest and Surf Club.

If memory serves me right, Surf Club used to be a Gold Crown but got demoted to RID, now called Silver Crown. But politics of ratings is suspect and I sense that those resorts that trade through II also, and more frequently, get a lesser rating on RCI, sorta dating back to the early 90's with Westgate. Actually, now that I look, CR and Tortuga are GCs and Eagles Nest and Surf Club are Silver Crowns.

I have tried to keep my own SW FL rankings over the years, similar to what some websites do although mine vary a bit, and although I have not touched it in quite awhile, the order I have them in is Tortuga, CR, and SC, but by so little that it really does not make a difference.

In reality, if they all appeared the same morning for the same date (which is not really reality), the choice would come down to unit size and location. Any of the three would be a 10-Carat Diamond Crown in January.

In real reality, if any of the following SW FL resorts appeared at the same time for January, they would all be equally at the top of the heap with us:

Plantation House at South Seas Resort
South Seas Club @ South Seas
Tortuga Beach Club
Hyatt Coconut Plantation
Plantation Bay Villas at South Seas Resort
Harbourview Villas at South Seas Resort
Sanibel Beach Club II
Charter Club of Marco
Vanderbilt Beach and Harbour Club
Sanibel Cottages
Cottages at South Seas Plantation
Eagles Nest
Sanibel Beach Club I
Plantation Beach Club @ South Seas
Casa Ybel Beach and Racquet Club
Seawatch on the Beach
Lighthouse Resort and Club
Hurricane House
Club Regency
Shell Island Beach Club
Surf Club
Lovers Key Beach Club & Resort

Since they no longer appear at all in January, there are other, lesser resorts we are fond of, we being the type to take in stray cats.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

In reality, if they all appeared the same morning for the same date (which is not really reality), the choice would come down to unit size and location. Any of the three would be a 10-Carat Diamond Crown in January.

with solid gold 24k tiara if you manage an easter week.

[Linda VH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Linda VH]

We traded into Marco for years. Our first choice was Charter Club with Eagle's Nest the second choice. Did not like Surf Club at all as we had no view. I asked to be moved as it was obvious that the gulf view units were empty but was told "they belong to RCI"???? I called RCI and they said they had no idea why management would say that. Hmmmm!

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Repeating what I recently said, we thought our timeshare buying days were over. But when we got to our favorite little lesser resort on 12/30, our favorite unit and week, the one we normally trade into, was for sale on the resale sheet for $2500.

We decided to buy it to have a permanent January base in SW FL, and then book exchanges on either side of it. On the first day of business, January 2, which was also the day of the welcome coffee and donuts meeting which the resale agent attends, we asked her for it. It had sold the end of the previous week and she just had not scratched it off the list.

But, we found out that the unit next to it, a suitable location and owned by a couple we have befriended, was for sale for both Weeks 2 and 3. We talked to them by phone a couple of times. They wanted more than we were willing to pay and already had another couple at the resort in mind. That's where most of the prime weeks go, and it appears these did, too.

We met that couple the first year they owned it, when I also met and played golf with the guy that owned it before them, a friend of theirs from Michigan who sold it because they bought a SW FL condo. Our friends have owned it for seven years now.

Time flies when you're having fun, or it's fun times when you're having flies.

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

WRF,

I own a week at Hurricane House on Sanibel and one at Club Regency on Marco Island. I much prefer Sanibel over Marco as a place to vacation because I love the low-rise, laid back, lush, "Old Florida" atmosphere. Sanibel has a lot more character and charm, in my opinion...and it's a prettier island.

Marco, in contrast, has a gorgeous beach...nicer than Sanibel's. But, it is a very bland place with wall-to-wall highrise buildings lining most of the beach. Some prefer one...and some the other. Both islands are very nice...it is just a matter of personal preference.

As for the resorts, I would say Tortuga is the nicest of the ones you have listed. I personally would pick Club Regency next...but mostly because it is the lone lowrise resort on Marco...and that is the style that I prefer. If you could get a week in the villas (as opposed to the tower building) at Eagle's Nest...then I think that would be the best choice on Marco. All of the resorts are nice. Club Regency has the lowest maintenance fees...if that is a consideration.

Steve

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

It's surprising how many things we agree on.

WRF,

I own a week at Hurricane House on Sanibel and one at Club Regency on Marco Island. I much prefer Sanibel over Marco as a place to vacation because I love the low-rise, laid back, lush, "Old Florida" atmosphere. Sanibel has a lot more character and charm, in my opinion...and it's a prettier island.

Marco, in contrast, has a gorgeous beach...nicer than Sanibel's. But, it is a very bland place with wall-to-wall highrise buildings lining most of the beach. Some prefer one...and some the other. Both islands are very nice...it is just a matter of personal preference.

As for the resorts, I would say Tortuga is the nicest of the ones you have listed. I personally would pick Club Regency next...but mostly because it is the lone lowrise resort on Marco...and that is the style that I prefer. If you could get a week in the villas (as opposed to the tower building) at Eagle's Nest...then I think that would be the best choice on Marco. All of the resorts are nice. Club Regency has the lowest maintenance fees...if that is a consideration.

Steve

[KenK Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close KenK]

Doesn't Tortuga have free golf? Thats a consideration.

I also agree with Steve & Jim.....I like Sanibel/Captiva a lot better than Marco Island. Same reasoning....they kept the lush green (tropical almost rainforest) look. And Tortuga is real nice...

When Deltona developed Marco....the island didn't have the same 'look'. It is still pretty nice, but it looks a lot more 'barren'....maybe due to the soil & fresh water?

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Sanibel does not have the canopy it had before Charley. Sorta a natural highrise limitation.

This morning I saw both Tortuga and CR for December, 2008.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Speaking of Exclusivity

In the aerial shot on this listing page you can see how South Seas sits at the northern end of Captiva.

http://www.vacationtimesharerentals.com/listings/23583/

[LMD Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close LMD]

Surf Club

My in-laws stayed at the Surf Club last week. The units are all redone- new furniture, new kitchen, new carpet- the place looks great!!
Lisa