Just to provide some context, my review of Ocean Beach Club is based on their Interval International rating of a Premier resort. So, I’m comparing my recent experience at Ocean Beach Club with previous experiences at resorts like Marriott and Westgate.
My wife and I booked a one-bedroom condo for a week at Ocean Beach Club, in Virginia Beach, VA, through Interval International. We had last stayed at the resort in May, 2010 and had also stayed at the Villas at the Boardwalk (Virginia Beach, VA), which is owned by the same company, several times. My wife doesn’t take elevators, so I called in late July to request a room on the lowest possible floor. I spoke with Shanice and she noted my request. I called again, about one week prior to our visit, to make sure that the request was still noted and I was assured by Mr. Robinson that it was. I also requested an oceanfront or oceanview room, if possible, but that wasn’t guaranteed since we traded in through Interval International.
Positives
Check-In
We arrived at about 5:15 PM on a Saturday and I walked right up to the counter, with no wait. There was a problem with the credit card machine, to cover incidentals, but I just came down the next morning and it was working.
View
We had an oceanfront suite on the 4th floor with a view of the boardwalk, pool and Atlantic Avenue. Thanks to Shanice and Mr. Robinson for taking care of our requests.
Location
Ocean Beach Club is located in 34th Street and Atlantic on the north end of Virginia Beach. It is located near some really good restaurants like Tortugas, Pocahontas Pancake House, North End Pizza, and Lager Heads. Starbucks and Duck Donuts are also not far away at 31st Street.
Pool
Ocean Beach Club has a great indoor/outdoor pool that faces the boardwalk/ocean which is a nice touch.
Negatives
WiFi
During most of the week, the WiFi was very bad and it didn’t exist at all on the balcony. I’ve been accustomed to great WiFi at Marriott resorts, so this was an issue.
Room
The room had a great view, but it showed several signs of wear and tear, including the carpet, furniture and kitchen cabinets. Also, there was dirt on the doors and dust and cobwebs throughout the room.
Services
The rooms don’t have a washer/dryer, but they are provided on the even number floors. There is also a weekly towel exchange, but it isn’t advertised. We only remembered it from when we visited in 2010. We also weren’t aware of any activities that typical at these types of resorts. Finally, due to the location, parking is available in the parking deck across the street from the resort for $10/day.
Overall, we had a good experience at Ocean Beach Club and the Virginia Beach oceanfront for the week. The staff was also very pleasant and helpful. The bottom line, though, is that a lot of work needs to be done in order to get Ocean Beach Club back up to par with other resorts in the Premier category.