Post reply

Re: Marriott Surf Club versus the Ocean Club (by Marilyn M.):

I read some of the above posts with interest and felt I had to reply to give perhaps a different perspective than some of what was posted above. OMHO, the Surf Club is an ideal vacation spot; the Ocean Club is beautiful too, but I prefer the SC a little more. This is the only place I have ever been to that I am content just to relax for the week; my family was amazed, because they usually quip that they need a vacation from one of my vacations.

I found the beach to be so comfortable- island warmth but with a cooling breeze, making it comfortable to lay out, read a book, and enjoy the view all day. They have recently expanded the beach and are in the process of adding more palapas. The sea wall was just moved (completed a month or two ago) and that is why some may have recently found the ocean floor slimy. Now that the sea wall (remnants from the pier which had been moved last year) has been moved, the swimmable area has been enlarged and the ocean floor will clear up since currents are freely circulating.

The Lazy River at the SC is a great pool facility. Owners/guests at the OC may use it after 10AM at the present time. That relationship may or may not persist in the future, so if you are considering purchasing that is something to consider. The OC pool is much smaller, albeit quieter. Likewise, SC guests can use the OC pool if they so desire.

All guests can use the hotel casino, restaurants and it is a short walk from the SC to the hotel. The OC is between the hotel and the SC.

As for amenities, the SC is newer, the units a bit larger and nicer and they have the washer/dryer in the 1 BR unit (or 2BR of the 3 BR units). The OC master BR has a jacuzzi tub and the SC a large soaking tub. As posted above, the OC has been recently refurbished, so it has been somewhat updated.

The SC is a high rise and the OC a low rise. Some prefer the low rise but the views from the upper floors of the SC are spectacular. There is greater availability of palapas at the OC but that has been at the trade-off of view; the Aruban government allowed the palapas at the OC to block the line of sight from the OC rooms, but the SC was restricted from building palapas that would block the ocean view from any room at the SC.

As far as purchasing a unit- the only difference between purchasing from Marriott directly or buying resale is the ability to trade for points. You can trade to other destinations if you buy resale (the post above was incorrect, btw); all units trade through Interval International (II), and they can be traded on other sites as well (such as here and elsewhere). Marriott's Aruba properties are the second most requested Marriott trades (second to Hawaii) and both Platinum and Gold weeks have secured fabulous trades by many. Visit Tug2.net if you want more information on buying or trading a unit; there are wonderful discussions there about the pros and cons of buying from the developer versus resale and also other discussions on the two Marriott Aruba timeshares.

At either destination you will have a fabulous vacation. There is a reason why so many people come back annually. Many of the purchasers at the SC had been staying at the Marriott Hotel for many years before purchasing.