Florida Keys

[cbaur88 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cbaur88]

Hi everyone, I am very very new to timesharing and looking to invest in one down in beloved Florida Keys. Wanted know if anyone out there is an ower or if anyone has stayed in such down in the Keys. Any information or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!!

Chuck

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

No experience with the Keys

First, welcome to TS4M's.

I have been wanting to go there but have not tried yet. I think there are a few Hyatt properties that you might be interested in looking at. Hopefully someone with some experience at one of them will post a response.

[cbaur88 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cbaur88]

Two Bedroom Lock Off

Thanks Jimbo/JEMartin could you tell me what Two Bedroom Lock Off means and how does it work?

Chuck

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

We stayed at the Galleon in Key West and had a great time. There are resorts in other towns in the keys, too, such as Marathon and Key Largo. The Conch Man is the expert.

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

Thanks Jimbo/JEMartin could you tell me what Two Bedroom Lock Off means and how does it work?

Chuck

Lock off or Lockout means that you can split the unit into 2 units for deposit or rental. I have a 3 bdr lockout that allows me to split it into a 2 bdr and a 1 bdr, each with their own kitchen facilities and bathrooms. I can stay in 1 and rent or deposit the other with a trading company. I can occupy both sides. I can deposit both sides individually with a trading company and get two weeks of vacation from one maintenance fee.

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

Yeah, Conch Man will be here eventually. He is a Hyatt guy and Hyatt has a very strong presence in Key West.

The Galleon is the original, oldest timeshare in Key West, one of the fabled TS resorts that was on our list of have-to-once. We did that Week 1 last year. We really enjoyed it.

My impression is that Key West would be the place to own in the Keys, but the Keys is pretty limited in the things we like to do. Cheap golf comes to mind.

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

FLKeys

Hey Cbaur88,
I own 4 weeks in the FL Keys and I usually deposit my early-June week studio at Caloosa Cove (Islamorada) two years ahead with RCI. There is NOTHING that this cannot confirm an exchange for! I feel that it trades even better than my Gold Crown Galleon weeks of higher demand time.
OTOH, for strictly using the units, I'm happiest when I use my weeks at Galleon. Have had trades before through I.I. for Hyatt Sunset Harbor, Hyatt Beach House, Banyan, and Coconut Beach....IMHO I'd definitely like to stay at Banyan again, and (maybe) Sunset Harbor. Have toured Coconut Mallory and you couldn't pay me to stay there! Finally, I would avoid exchanging/using/owning anything in Key Largo.

[brucecz Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close brucecz]

We own 5 floating weeks at THe Florida Bay Club in Key Largo. Two of our ownerships can be used to book 3 bedroom units there and three of are ownerships are for 2 bedroom unts there.

We will be there starting this Sat in unit C1 which is 20 feet from the Gulf. We will have a chance to meet the people who rented our 3 bedroom for this Easter week.

Our units are not as fancy as the ones in Key west but they are a lot larger with 4 balconies and each having there own garage. They are about 2,000 square feet and we can do shrimping, fishing right at our resort.

We have a Christmas unit and two New Years units reserved for 2006 and at our resort and all are 2 bedroom units .

We have 3 bedroom reserved in 2008 for Easter and New years plus two 2 bedroom units for New years and a 2 bedroom for Presidents week in 2008,

We also own fixed week 4 in a 2 bed 2 bath unit 6 at THE Topsider in Islamorada.

If any one is interested in a rental me between 8 AM to 8 PM CST at 1-262-878-7566 as I do not have time to answer emails as I am trying to finish my &*%#&^&*&%#%#$& income taxes.

Bruce

[EvelynK72 Member Find all posts View Profile Close EvelynK72]

Finally, I would avoid exchanging/using/owning anything in Key Largo.

What are your reasons for saying this? I have been to the Keys but not to Key Largo so I'm interested in knowing why I should stay away from this area.

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

Evelyn

[brucecz Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close brucecz]

I se that the Caloosa Cove owner has made some statements that IMHO leave out some basic information about the all of the resorts he mentioned in their post.

I respect his right to express his opinions even though I am going to post some of my views based on my timeshare touring experiances that may differ from the Caloosa Coves owners statements posted on this string.

But one one person might like about one resorts features may be a feature that someone else may not like, and that's OK. In a lot cases it does not make either person views wrong, just differant, and that is OK.

Among some of the things the poster stated in their posting that was "There is NOTHING that this cannot confirm an exchange for"! Lets have some fun if you are willing to back up your above statement in the form of a bet?.

Try exchanging for our week 26 at our Rushes in Door County with that Studio on the RCI weeks side of your RCI account for next year. If you can I will pay the $165 exchange fee.

But if you are unable to exchange through RCI weeks using your Caloosa Cove studio then you pay me the $165 if you can not book that week 26 at our Rushes next year in 2008. That would give you over a years time to prove as you posted "There is NOTHING that this cannot confirm an exchange for"!

Remember this has to be a weeks to weeks trade, not a rental or a RCI Points trade.

In regards to our Florida Bay Key Largo units and our Topsider unit compared to the Caloosa Cove's unit size and location. We suggest you go to each resorts websites. But here are some things that IMHO I consider to be important that the websites might not show.

IMHO the studio units at Caloosa Cove are about the size of our Florida Bay Resorts one car garage. Their one bedroom sleep 4's are among the smallest one bedrooms we have toured. Their studios that Caloosa Cove has rated for 4 people I would rate for comfortable for only 2 people if you want to be comfortable and not cramped.

When we toured Caloosa Cove we rembered that a fair amount of those Caloosa Cove units do not have very good privacy when you look at their brochures picture taken from above the resort.

They do not indicate that there is a hot tub at Caloosa Cove. Their balconies-patio's are fairly small, Those are several other valid reasons reasons why did not buy a unit at Caloosa Cove.

We did not like the type of tavern was the next door nieghbor on the Caloosa Coves southren boundery line or the busy marina.

Our 2 bedroom 2 bathroom Topsider units and at our Florida Bay are larger units and you do not have people either above you or below you packed like sardines like you do at the Caloosa Cove, and at most of the others that were mentioned in Key West.

But the Banyon looks interesting type of place that is a fairly easy II trade using a white week. But the other resorts in Key West like the Hyatts and Galleon are newer and fancier but are mosty plied on top of each other. That packed hotel zone feeling is not the type of feeling we want to get when going down to the Keys.

Our Topsider Resort has a small sandy beach on the Gulf side. We also have a boat slips we could put a boat and kayacks we can use at no charge, etc. The weeks there are fixed weeks.

The Hawks nest units in Maraton are bigger that the Caloosa Cove units as are the are the ones at Port largo.

IMHO someone at Caloosa Cove has a good sense as on the brochures we have they want $1,650 per week + taxes all year round for a one bedroom unit with a den rated for only 5 people. That price is about 20% rental price higher for units that are only about 40% of the size of the Smallest Florida Bay Club units, and their units do not have any private garage. Their one bedroom with a suite is less than 800 square feet in size compared to our Florida Bay Clubs 2,000 square feet.

But I have to get my taxes done so I can go to our C1 unit at the Flordia Bay Club this Easter week. This unit is about 20 feet from the water and the free boat slips. If you look at the resorts website it will show you the hammock by our C1 unit but not the large hot tub about 20 feet from the Gulf waters. We will be able to see the Everglades from 2 of our 4 balconies.

We are looking foward meeting the person who rented our 3 bedroom sleep 8 unit for this Easter week. We hope the shrimp are running while we are down there.

Every one have a great Easter.

Bruce

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

What are your reasons for saying this? I have been to the Keys but not to Key Largo so I'm interested in knowing why I should stay away from this area.

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

Evelyn

Evelyn,
The reasons I wouldn't want to exchange into Key Largo are...
*It's far from the action of Key West (nightlife, museums, restaurants, etc.);
*My impression of Key Largo has repeatedly been one of a tiny town where the main thruway (U.S.1) is a stonesthrow from anywhere thus I can't imagine vacationing on a busy freeway;
*There is one particular timeshare resort there facing U.S. 1 that has sceamed "EYESORE" in the over twenty years I've driven by it:from this I may have partly formed opinions about the entire area;
*Overall lack of local charm/character to the specific area.
And those are my opinions for not being interested in the Key Largo area.

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

[QUOTE=brucecz;124435]some of the things the poster stated in their posting that was "There is NOTHING that this cannot confirm an exchange for"! Lets have some fun if you are willing to back up your above statement in the form of a bet?.
Try exchanging for our week 26 at our Rushes in Door County with that Studio on the RCI weeks side of your RCI account for next year. If you can I will pay the $165 exchange fee.
But if you are unable to exchange through RCI weeks using your Caloosa Cove studio then you pay me the $165 if you can not book that week 26 at our Rushes next year in 2008. That would give you over a years time to prove as you posted "There is NOTHING that this cannot confirm an exchange for"!
Bruce, What I should have said was that there is NOTHING that I have WANTED to confirm an exchange for in RCI that I haven't been able to confirm with a Caloosa Cove deposit. It has consistently confimed for me supposedly difficult-to-impossible (weeks) trades. It cannot confirm at a resort where there are no owners depositing their weeks nor would it get precedence in trading power over an owner who has an internal exchange request at Rushes Door Country (wherever that is).
As for your bet, am not interested in confirming an exchange there during week 26 or any other week so there's no motivation for me to take you on it.

[EvelynK72 Member Find all posts View Profile Close EvelynK72]

Evelyn,
The reasons I wouldn't want to exchange into Key Largo are...
*It's far from the action of Key West (nightlife, museums, restaurants, etc.);
*My impression of Key Largo has repeatedly been one of a tiny town where the main thruway (U.S.1) is a stonesthrow from anywhere thus I can't imagine vacationing on a busy freeway;
*There is one particular timeshare resort there facing U.S. 1 that has sceamed "EYESORE" in the over twenty years I've driven by it:from this I may have partly formed opinions about the entire area;
*Overall lack of local charm/character to the specific area.
And those are my opinions for not being interested in the Key Largo area.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts; the only negative aspect that bothers me is the closeness to the highway. I do have an exchange into Florida Bay Club for next summer, but since we like fishing, we'll probably be on or in the water most of the day. Hopefully the freeway won't affect our vacation too much.

And I think I know which "eyesore" you are talking about - the one near the bridge - correct?

[brucecz Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close brucecz]

Just finished a all nighter doing my taxes.

But here I go quoting you again " Bruce, What I should have said was that there is NOTHING that I have WANTED to confirm an exchange for in RCI that I haven't been able to confirm with a Caloosa Cove deposit."

But I have to give you credit you tryed some fancy footwork in your reply to cover up after you got called on your Coves lack of top trading power. But IMHO money talks. Well I guess you might have realized that your COVE might not snag a week 26 at the Rushes.

I think you are smart enough to know that your Cove ownership can not get the real hard trades in high prime times despite what you said in your earlier post, and you are smart to not take the bet. I think you know that there was a very high chance you would lose that bet, and thats why you do not want to bet.

I'll tell you what, just for giggles I am willing to bet you that same exchange fee that I can trade into your Cove in 2008 on a prime high demand time of my choosing. Fair enough? Your Cove has less units than our Rushes so it should have less availabilty. I think you mentioned that was one reason why you did not take my bet. The bet is that I can trade into your Cove but I do not have to stay there, I can give it to someone else, OK ?

In regards to noise if you like the noise coming from that bar that is just several hundred feet from your Cove you and are welcome to it. Key West is OK for a day trip but seeing I quit drinking 25 years ago so being around drinkers, pukers, etc is not how we want to spend our vacation time.

But most of your Cove units will be closer to the highway noise than the C1 unit we will be staying in. We will be about 20 from the Gulf waters enjoying our screened in Hot Tub. The noise from the traven on the Coves south lot line is not something I think is very undesireable.

But to each his own and have a nice Easter.

Bruce

[QUOTE=timesharemogul;124523]

some of the things the poster stated in their posting that was "There is NOTHING that this cannot confirm an exchange for"! Lets have some fun if you are willing to back up your above statement in the form of a bet?.
Try exchanging for our week 26 at our Rushes in Door County with that Studio on the RCI weeks side of your RCI account for next year. If you can I will pay the $165 exchange fee.
But if you are unable to exchange through RCI weeks using your Caloosa Cove studio then you pay me the $165 if you can not book that week 26 at our Rushes next year in 2008. That would give you over a years time to prove as you posted "There is NOTHING that this cannot confirm an exchange for"!
Bruce, What I should have said was that there is NOTHING that I have WANTED to confirm an exchange for in RCI that I haven't been able to confirm with a Caloosa Cove deposit. It has consistently confimed for me supposedly difficult-to-impossible (weeks) trades. It cannot confirm at a resort where there are no owners depositing their weeks nor would it get precedence in trading power over an owner who has an internal exchange request at Rushes Door Country (wherever that is).
As for your bet, am not interested in confirming an exchange there during week 26 or any other week so there's no motivation for me to take you on it.

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

Bruce I don't gamble and you don't drink at all. Since I don't gamble, I've bought many timeshares which IMHO are all a "sure thing"- I use them during the specific weeks they're deeded for or I trade them back into the resort where I enjoy its use during other weeks. On those occasions where do trade my weeks for other oceanfront properties in the world, I've had almost total success in confirming where I want to go.
But in answer to the comment about the "on site tavern"....LMAO... it is a sleepy little bar and it amazes me that the owner can afford to keep it open...it's quiet and I've never heard either music or any noise coming from it. Can't say if that's from good insulation or the lack of patronage but regardless, the noise is only in your mind.
If I were a gambling man, your terms would be unacceptable: stating that you can confirm an exchange into the prime week of your choosing is ludicrous. All weeks are red in the Keys and it wouldn't take too much effort to confirm a September or October (red) week there with a high powered trader. If you said you could confirm a week 7 or 26, that would be a fair bet.
I've never made any negative comments on your units because I haven't stayed there. My initial reply to this thread was for the benefit of another poster looking for an experienced opinion of the area. Everything I've stated is my opinion. Is it really necessary for you to instigate argument?