Marco Island for March Break

[OMC]

Seven weeks until we can start booking in club season. Our March break is the first full week of March and this coming year we are thinking of splitting between Orlando and Marco. Orlando is fairly easy, we will stay at Seaworld as our boys love the Seaworld parks. For Marco it is a little bit more confusing given lack of online reservation information.

We have three boys, aged 11, 11 and 4 by then, so a 2 bedroom for sure. One of our oldest has some mobility impairment. He can get up and down a flight of stairs with minor assistance but it does tire him out if there are multiple flights. He uses a pull behind walker to get around most of the time so single steps here and there are ok but multiple flights can be a problem. Some of the Eagles Nest units say no elevator. It looks like the preferred location based on what I can see and read (beach access, nice grounds and fun looking pool) but not sure if no elevator will be an issue. Can we request a ground floor or second floor unit with any success? Or are the tower units a better choice? How difficult will it be to get anything in that time frame? If necessary we can arrive late in February. We would normally be looking for 4 or 5 days in each location.

 

[Wgk101]

Charter club may be better. It has elevators and they have free usage of stand up paddle boards kayak as and sailboats to hgvc guests. Same number of points

 

[PigsDad]

Eagles Nest consists of a tower and a few "bungalow" units that are in two 3 story buildings, so if you request either the tower or ground floor of the bungalow buildings, you will be fine. Charter Club and Surf Club (I own both) are also great choices (full elevator access) -- they are all on the beach and have fine pools (albeit smaller than the typical newer resorts). They all have pool hoists, if you are in need of that.

Kurt

 

[Talent312]

To get into a bungalow (what they call villa), you need a 1-2BR-"Plus."
Book a standard 2BR and you'll get the tower, which has an elevator.
.

 

[chriskre]

When you call ask them the unit number and call the Resort for clarification of the stairs issue.
Don’t book club regency as there are lots of stairs inside and outside the unit.

The beach is great pretty much everywhere in Marco so you won’t miss out going with a sure thing.

I have mobility issues too so I don’t like to risk it and if you really prefer eagles nest I would take the tower. The sunsets are amazing.

Charter club is my go to on Marco.
I don’t have to worry about any of their units or the parking. They have a huge lot. Eagles nest is more crowded and charges for extra cars.


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[MarcoCharlie]

Eagles Nest is a beautiful resort (we own there) but it does present some problems for people with mobility issues. Even if you stay in the tower and want to take the most direct entrance to the pool and beach, you have to walk down some outside stairs by the gazebo. To avoid these stairs, there is a longer alternative way to get there, which requires that you exit on the tower's ground floor entrance facing the tennis courts and Collier Blvd, and then walking around the sides of the tower and behind the villa buildings thru the parking lot, to the flat walkway that takes you to the flat boardwalk to the beach and pool area. Getting to the pool and beach is certainly simpler at Charter Club.

 

[OMC]

Thanks for the various comments above. I think we have settled on Eagles Nest although still need to figure out if we will go for a ground or second floor villa or the tower.

What is the process for booking Eagles Nest. I realize I need to call in and will need to wait for the 9 month window, but will I be able to book a mid week arrival and departure? Not clear from the online information. I presume that we can but are subject to a more limited availability than the full HGVC resorts. Is it possible to walk a reservation when you have to call in? Does it just amuse the phone staff or will someone actually take umbrage and cut us off? We are looking at a late February arrival through to the 5th or 6th of March.

Does it make sense to consider an Eagles Nest purchase if we expect to come back regularly in late February/early March for the next 10 years? Not sure if the home week booking rules work the same there as other HGVC locations. Some of the online information suggests there is a lottery system for week allocations to owners. We are not yet borrowers from future years although I expect by the end of 2019 we likely will be so some additional points might be a reasonable thing to think about.

 

[sb2313]

To be blunt, and I’m not sure why no one else has said this, you’ll be very lucky to get anything at any resort via the hgvc booking in March, which is prime snowbird season. Please take anything they have, if it’s avaialble, and don’t limit yourself into missing out.

 

[Talent312]

Yes, you can check in mid-week, as a club booking it's 3N min.

But I concur w-Steve. You need to be flexible, not specific.
Say: "Do you have anything available in Marco in early March?"
Have your 1st, 2nd & 3rd choices lined up. Orlando comes next.

.

 

[jhac007]

If you expect to go to the Eagle's Nest in Feb./Mar. for the next ten years it's probably best to own there........ and it won't be cheap!

 

[Jason245]

If you expect to go to the Eagle's Nest in Feb./Mar. for the next ten years it's probably best to own there........ and it won't be cheap!

When I was there last they were selling weeks for not to expensive. . Had almost every week available on the elevator wall..

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[silentg]

We always call the resorts and ask for a ground floor if they don’t have elevators. Marco Island is Beautiful no matter where you stay. If you go to Eagle’s Nest call them and request an ADA unit or ground floor. Have a great time and let us know how your trip went when you get back!
Silentg

 

[jhac007]

When I was there last they were selling weeks for not to expensive. . Had almost every week available on the elevator wall..

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Yes, they have many units for sale. However, notice the winter weeks are at a premium....IIRC the floating winter flex weeks (which I own) were the least expensive at around $12K and that is in the tower only. The fixed winter weeks are even more expensive and the villa pricing is out the roof especially fixed winter weeks! When I was there in Feb. I talked extensively with the selling agent there and put in a request for a winter villa week and she was sure she could find me something reasonable (by her standards) but have not heard from her since. Marco Island is my favorite location in Florida but I did not want to pay what I consider extreme pricing for the Eagle's Nest (great resort) again. Therefore I negotiated for a Hyatt winter week in Key West for thousands less. I must say, however, The Eagle's Nest winter flex weeks have pretty much held their value over the last ten years....paid $10K (2007, best price I found then from an owner) and as mentioned they are around $12K presently.

 

[PigsDad]

Just last year I paid $8500 for a fixed winter week (51) at Charter Club. That was much lower than anything the resales office at Charter Club had available. Looking at the resale prices for Marco Island locations over the past several years, I would agree that they are holding their value quite well.

Kurt

 

[CJinPHX]

But best prices are usually flex weeks. And at Eagles Nest, week 51 is part of non-winter flex, not as valuable as winter flex (or obviously fixed weeks) which covers the Feb to April time frame. Those weeks are definitely more pricey. I have a fixed week 51 there, love the option to take 7000 HGVC points if I want.

Poster might also want to know inventory at Marco is pretty much weeks based, with Eagles Nest having Friday check-in, others are Saturday. You can't usually "walk" Marco reservations because the unit will most likely change over the standard check-in day. Best to try and plan and use available weeks.

For club reservations if I can't score two weeks in the same unit I like to back a Saturday week at Club Regency with a Friday check-in week at Eagles Nest. So I get to check-in at 4 pm Friday at Eagles Nest, but don't have to checkout till 10 am the next day Saturday at Club Regency (or Charter Club). Yes, I pay two places for Friday night but get to leisurely move over an evening and early morning, instead of packing it all back up, having to store groceries in a a community fridge, etc. Marco resorts are pretty good at working with you for a change in unit, but you're still stuck for hours waiting for a phone call to let you know the next unit is ready. I'd rather walk the beach.