Can anyone advise on construction at Oceana Palms

[Luckybee]

We have(had) a couple of weeks sitting in I.I on deposit which are expiring at the end of 2019 so we had to grab something we could fit in for next year. Since we're going to be in Florida thought we'd try Oceana Palms which looked quite nice when we stayed at Ocean Pointe. Made the request a month ago and it was confirmed very quickly(within a couple of days) for October. Fast forward to today about a month later and we get an email from the resort indicating what appears to be pretty significant construction next door lasting all of next year. Perhaps I now know why the trade came through that fast?
Any idea just how disruptive this construction is ? Are we going to be bombarded with noise on the beach ? On our balcony ? In the room ?
Im going to be changing it if it is bad so any opinions are welcome !

 

[travelinmom]

We just got back last night from four days at Oceana Palms. We were on the 20th floor facing south so we were right next to the construction and it did not bother us at all. There was hammering/pounding and some noise but it wasn’t that big of deal. We enjoyed watching what they were doing. Windows were going in one of the buildings so I would think by October of 2019 it would be inside work and/or landscaping if it isn’t done by then. We had 4 great days and look forward to going back.


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[mas]

We just got back last night from four days at Oceana Palms. We were on the 20th floor facing south so we were right next to the construction and it did not bother us at all. There was hammering/pounding and some noise but it wasn’t that big of deal. We enjoyed watching what they were doing. Windows were going in one of the buildings so I would think by October of 2019 it would be inside work and/or landscaping if it isn’t done by then. We had 4 great days and look forward to going back.


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I'm curious, has the building been 'topped off' yet? I'm wondering how this new building will affect the views of the sunset building's south facing units.

 

[travelinmom]

We were wondering the same thing while we were watching the construction. We couldn’t tell if they were adding another floor or preparing the top for the roof. We had an ocean view unit and we were in the front (Sunrise) building. The new building definitely reduces the view some but we still had a nice view of the ocean and the intercostal. We opted for the south side of the building so we would have sun on our balcony and we had sun all day on it.


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[Superchief]

We were there the week of Halloween and have been going there since it opened. The two new buildings are going up quickly and I expect noisiest phase of construction will be completed by the end of the year.

Unfortunately, the owners are very well connected and the locations of their towers are not at all what had been planned originally. The obstruction is much worse than any of us expected. The beachside building is closer to the beach and to Oceana Palms, and is angled less than had been proposed. I am surprised they were able to build that close to the beach because none of the other newer buildings in the area are that close. I understand that one of their executives is on city council so they were able to get around many area restrictions, and refused to listen to requests from their neighbors. As a result, the South view is greatly obstructed, although the ocean and Intercoastal will still be visible from balconies. I think guests who had not been to Oceana Palms prior to the construction will be happy with the view, but not those of us who enjoyed the extensive Southern view in the past. We will request North views in the future.

The greatest impact is that the new tower blocks the afternoon sun at the pool. When we were there, 6 stories were still to be added. I estimate that the complete pool area will be in the shade by 2pm from Mid October through early March. Fortunately, sun lovers will still be able to use the complimentary beach lounges if they prefer to be in the sun. The GM is working with management and local authorities to try to identify solutions for this issue, but there really aren't a lot of options.

The resort itself is better than ever. Food service has improved, and I think the quality/price of the Market Place and bar/cafe are better than other MVC resorts we've stayed, including Ocean Pointe. The breakfast sandwiches are outstanding and include generous portions of potatoes or fruit salad. We enjoyed their barbecue rib special on Sunday night, and had leftovers for lunch the next day.

 

[jerseyfinn]

We own at Oceana Palms but haven't stayed at the resort since 2014. We're down at Ocean Pointe concluding a 3 week visit & walked up to Palms where we speak at length with an associate who fills us in with Palms resort goings-on & details about construction. Once again, my info comes from an associate so measure my words here in that context.

Yes, there's a new hi-rise astride Oceana Palms & yes, there are lasting aesthetic impacts on the south side of Sunrise building especially. That said, it was always a question of 'when' and not 'if' the parcel next to Oceana Palms is sold and a hi-rise goes up. How much owners/guests will notice these changes depends upon your original legacy owner week view & your own idea of aesthetics; we own ocean front legacy weeks so in this sense we ourselves are not view-impacted. The new hi-rise is however in close proximity to Oceana Palms & some folks may not like this. To my eye, it appears that the front face of this new tower is set slightly ahead of the front of Oceana Palms Sunrise building, but this was a guestimate from where I stood.

What I was told & what I see about this new property is that it consists of a hi-rise tower that parallels the Sunrise building. This front tower will supposedly consist of condos with starting prices of @ $2mil. Behind this tower is another building that I'm told will be hotel or timeshare units. At this moment it appears that the front tower is almost at it's planned height which approximates Oceana Palms. I was also told that the original property design was intended to be diagonal buildings and not the L shape we now see going up. Not sure of the veracity of this, but surmise tells me that plans do change for many reasons.

Ultimately, this new hi-rise does have an impact upon Oceana Palms which already had it's own hi-rise issues. You're not aware of these issues until you own/stay at a hi-rise like Oceana Palms. Two big issues here. Wind tunnel effect built into the building design and shadows from other hi-rises as the sun moves across the sky. This new parallel tower will definitely add to the shadow issue on the pool deck and the beach at Oceana Palms.

The Achilles heel of Oceana Palms resort from day one is the small parcel onto which 2 hi-rises and a pool deck had to be squeezed into. The pool deck has always been a tight-fit in terms of chair seating & either in or away from the sun depending upon season & temps. This new tower next door accentuates the shadow effect upon the pool deck. Like any hi-rise resort, these towers also cast shadows upon the beach which are not an issue unless it's a cooler day.

Oceana Palms always had it's own inherent wind and wind tunnel issues. Much of this has to do with how a hi-rise must be designed to withstand those Florida hurricane winds and other ordinary wind forces. Different windy days create different windy paradigms on the Oceana Palms pool deck and bar area. It will be interesting to see if more wind issues come with the new building next door. Oceana Palm's strength is the nice apartments and the balcony views. Also the beach and the water remains a good experience. Ultimately it comes down to your own aesthetics and likes/dislikes.

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I post after Superchief's post. Yes, one has to assert that transparency was ignored with this project. That's the nature of big money & power. Marriott got out-played on this one. Those who own here also know that the politics of Riveria Beach have always been slim shady dealings that change faster than the ocean winds. Human nature is not always pretty or exemplary.

 

[Luckybee]

Thanks all for the responses. Since we're not pool people and spend all our time on the beach Im not concerned regarding the shading issues at the pool nor are we worried about the view. As traders I wasnt really expecting much in the way of a view in any event, but we are concerned about construction noise. I once made the mistake of keeping a reservation when we became aware of noise and vowed to never do that again. It sounds like the neighboring building will almost be done though in October when we go so at the end of the day I think we'll keep our reservation at least for now.

 

[dougp26364]

Thanks all for the responses. Since we're not pool people and spend all our time on the beach Im not concerned regarding the shading issues at the pool nor are we worried about the view. As traders I wasnt really expecting much in the way of a view in any event, but we are concerned about construction noise. I once made the mistake of keeping a reservation when we became aware of noise and vowed to never do that again. It sounds like the neighboring building will almost be done though in October when we go so at the end of the day I think we'll keep our reservation at least for now.

We drove by yesterday. Both of the neighboring towers appear to have all the heavy construction finished and are beginning on the interior electrical/plumbing work. There may be noise but I don’t think it will be bad.

 

[travelinmom]

If you are spending most of your time at the beach, I doubt you’ll hear anything. We did not hear much last week.


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[Safti]

If you are spending most of your time at the beach, I doubt you’ll hear anything. We did not hear much last week.


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We are down at Oceana Palms in mid November. We will be in a two bedroom unit. I know I read somewhere on this thread which unit to request in which building but I can no longer find it. Can someone advise on which unit to request?

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

We are down at Oceana Palms in mid November. We will be in a two bedroom unit. I know I read somewhere on this thread which unit to request in which building but I can no longer find it. Can someone advise on which unit to request?

It doesn't really matter which Building you request. The KEY to your request will be your exposure. If you request a side view facing "NORTH" you will not have any construction issues at all.

If you have an Oceanfront view you will be in the Sunrise Building. If your view isn't Oceanfront then you will be located in the Sunset Building. Again, the key is to request a northern or western view if you want to avoid the construction issues.

Remember there are no direct western views in the Sunrise Building; you will have to be in the Sunset Building to obtain the direct western views.

Enjoy your time there; the units themselves are beautiful.



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[Safti]

Thanks so much for this recommendation. I have called them and put in my request. I'm not an owner there but own several weeks elsewhere. Additionally, I have Bonvoy status but I don't know if that matters to them at that location.