Things to know...

I can't recall the exact time we seen the SC people around the pool. It was before lunch most days. The bed was comfortable but not new. The once a week maid service worked for us we didn't need daily maid service but wished the towels had been changed daily with having to call. Noticed other guest were putting their trash just outside their door in the hallway. One day the trash bags filled the hall for hours. The smell became very unpleasant. That surprised us to see at a Marriott.

I can't recall the exact time we seen the SC people around the pool. It was before lunch most days. The bed was comfortable but not new. The once a week maid service worked for us we didn't need daily maid service but wished the towels had been changed daily without having to call. Noticed other guest were putting their trash just outside their door in the hallway. One day the trash bags filled the hall for hours. The smell become very unpleasant. That surprised us to see at a Marriott.

The OC is always my choice. Yes, I also observed the trash in the halls. Apparently, some people don't know about the trash chute that's next to the laundry room! I take my trash there everyday. If I wanted clean towels, there was almost always a maid in the hall with a full cart. I handed her the wet ones, and she gave me clean, dry ones. Same for paper products, etc. Heading back in August!

paulawishon, Back in August! Lucky you! The trash: Some of the people putting their trash in the hall knew of the chute. One guy said he was renting and for $2300 a week he thought a Marriott and 4 star hotel could afford daily maid service. It seemed once one person put out the trash then eveybody else did the same. I wondered if people read the room directory. All information is found there. Maybe the front desk could givea copy to guest at check-in. For us it wasn't a problem and only had to carry out the trach one day. The mid week maid service took care of all our needs. The towels: I exchange towels once when the maid carts came through but most days we were out and missed the cart. I just called and within the hour fresh towels arrived. We love Marriot OC and have no complains other than the mulitude of lizards around the pool.

Ah, yes - the lizards! That's why I stay on the beach! I head to the pool for happy hour, and then right back to my palapa. I know they're harmless...right??

harmless...depends. I seen one try to bit a guy that thought he could pick it up. Some people just don't use the rules of nature. The thing that bothered me was there were so many and they used the pool. A huge one got in and and just like he was swimming!! I wondered what the little round things were all around the pool. Was it off the trees? Then I seen a lizard doing his business. Yuck! Those droppings were everywhere! So, even if they don't attack there's all that lizard poop and pee we walked through. I hope Marriott cleans up and gets rid of them soon. I'm hoping to go back next spring.

How things change. I was at OC at the end of February beginning of March for 3 weeks. I never saw garbage in the halls or lizards in the pool. We own at the OC and have been going there for 10 years. Has anyone spoken to them about the problems. We have people there who are being paid to take of these things. If they don't know, they can't do anything. Obviously the person who put his garbage in the hall because he was paying $2,300 for a week has never stayed in New York City hotels. Parking almost costs that.

We were just at the OC in July 2007 for three weeks. I think we saw that someone had left trash in the hall one time. The OC looks about as good as I have ever seen it. It is due for a major remodel in 2009. Lots of things are being discussed that will improve the property.

Lizards are just a part of Aruba. I find Aruba has less bugs, but more lizards that I am accustomed to seeing in the tropics. I will take the iguanas over mosquitos anyday!

Can guests at the ocean club use the lazy river at the surf club? Did they recently change any rules?

john5687 wrote:

Can guests at the ocean club use the lazy river at the surf club? Did they recently change any rules?

I was there in February-March and I was told that we could no longer use the facilities at the SC nor could they use ours. However, SC people, especially those who owned at the OC and then bought at SC, have a problem with this and think they have the right to use our facilities. Report them if you see them. Otherwise we will be crowed out of our own pool areas. They take the best spots and thumb their noses at us.

Insofar as the trash is concerned, call downstairs and tell them. They will take care of someone telling them to put their trash where it belongs.

patriciam186 wrote:

john5687 wrote:

Can guests at the ocean club use the lazy river at the surf club? Did they recently change any rules?

I was there in February-March and I was told that we could no longer use the facilities at the SC nor could they use ours. However, SC people, especially those who owned at the OC and then bought at SC, have a problem with this and think they have the right to use our facilities. Report them if you see them. Otherwise we will be crowed out of our own pool areas. They take the best spots and thumb their noses at us.

Insofar as the trash is concerned, call downstairs and tell them. They will take care of someone telling them to put their trash where it belongs.

We had a party of 8 adults that stayed at the SC in June '08. Upon check-in, they gave us 8 wrist bands, 2 adult 6 children. They claimed they did not have any more adult wrist bands which I found unacceptable. The reason I mention this is, as guests of the SC we had full access rights to the SC pool area, however, we did not wear any wrist bands the entire week and were never questioned by anyone. I just made reservations to stay at the OC next May, has the policy changed since we were there in June or are they now "enforcing" a policy that was in place? We have three elderly people in our group that loved the lazy river. If we are unable to use the SC facilities, we may need to rethink our reservations. Any comments are appreciated.