We are thinking of visiting Marbella and spending a week at one of the Marriott timeshares in mid-March. We have 3 kids ages 17, 15 and 8. Will it be too cold for the beach? Anyone have experience with the Marriott resorts? Thanks!

We stayed at this timeshare last June with our 2 children ages 10 and 13 at the time. We loved it! We own a Marriott timeshare and trade every year to some place different. This is one of the best trips we have had at a Marriott. There is so much to do and see in addition to the the beautiful beach. I suspect mid-March may be a little cool for the beach but they have a great pool and hot tubs. We spent most everyday going on a day trip in the area - Marbella, Rhonda, Gibralter, Granada, etc. and let the kids swim/play in the pool or on the beach in the late afternoon/evening. Unless you are just looking for a beach type resort (in which case maybe Hawaii or the Caribbean would be better choices) I wouldn't hesitate recommending that you go. We extended our stay and after driving to Sevilla took the train to Madrid. If you have other questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Thanks for the helpful info. Did you fly in and out of Madrid, take the train to Sevilla and then rent a car? Is that what you would recommend?

The best way to get to Marbella is on your yacht. Otherwise, you could fly into Malaga and drive down from there.

We too stayed at the Marriott in Marbella and absolutely loved it--so much so, we're going back in November. We were there in April and it was a little cool for the beach, but we're not "beach people", so that wasn't a problem at all for us. FYI there's another Marriott that was supposed to open in July a bit further south that might be very nice as well. Anyone stayed there yet?

We flew into Malaga and out of Madrid - mainly because we were using FF miles for tickets and could not get a flight home out of Malaga. It turned out to be a nice addition to our trip as we added three nights - one in Sevilla and two in Madrid. In the future I would definately consider flying in and out of Madrid if Malaga is not a possibility. We rented our car through AutoEurope picking it up in Malaga and droping it in Sevilla with no extra charge.

In May, we flew to Sevilla for two nights, then drove to Marbella where we stayed a week at the Marriott Marbella Beach Resort. Some friends of ours flew to Malaga and joined us at the resort. We had an absolutely delightful time.

The resort is relatively new and is well maintained. It has indoor and outdoor pools, spas, a children's wading pool, and is right on the beach.

Our villa had a full kitchen, a laundry room, and a terrace with a view of the Mediterranean Sea. We enjoyed many relaxing meals with our friends on the terrace. There is a convenience store in the main building, and a full grocery store nearby.

The resort offered daily on-site activities for kids and adults. Day trips and bus tours (bull fights, the Alhambra in Granada) were also available through the concierge.

We were particularly impressed with the security at the resort. All cars have to check in at the guard station. Access from the beach onto the resort is limited to resort guests. One evening we walked to a local restaurant, and when we returned a guard station attendant asked for our name and villa number before we could enter. (There are other resorts nearby, and I suppose they are trying to keep out the riff raff and outsiders.)

While there, we also visited Marriott's newest property on Costa del Sol -- the Marriott Playa Andaluza in Estepona. It was under construction, and we toured a model unit, which had a nicer decor with a Mediterranean theme and some upgrades (DVD player instead of VCR). But we felt that the Marbella Beach Resort had a better location for the day trips we took. (We had a rental car and took several day trips to places such as Malaga, Granada, Nerja).

Overall, we were quite pleased with the Marbella Beach Resort, and look forward to returning.

Woody,
About how far was the Playa Andaluza from Marbella? Was it also on the beach? We're going back in Nov. and am considering staying there. Is anyone else familiar with it?

Artlover,

By car, Playa Andaluza is not far from Marbella's town center, though lack of highway offramps in both directions make it less accessable than the Marbella Beach Resort.

In May, the first phase was still under construction and the model unit we saw was not in Phase One -- it was a working model next to the sales center. We also viewed the maps and scale model at the sales center, and the resort is on the beach. They were promoting premium units directly facing the sea.

As for nearby restaurants, markets or resorts, there did not seem to be much nearby. So if you need anything you will have to drive. (If you stayed at the Marbella Beach Resort, you might recall that you can walk past the Don Carlos to some shops, restaurants, and a grocery store on either side of the highway offramp.) We enjoy being able to walk to a local restaurant in the evening without having to drive, so the Marbella Beach Resort has greater appeal to us, at least in the near future.

My impression of the Playa Andaluza was the addage, "If you build it, they will come." It reminded me of the first phase of a housing tract in a remote area. It might be awhile before the surrounding area is built up to support the needs of resort guests.

I hope this information helps. We are a frequent guests at Marriott Vacation Club properties (this year, one week at each Ford's Colony, Marbella Beach Resort, and Village d'Ile de France).

Let us know what you decide for November.

Thank you , Woody, for the information. I'm not sure if we'll decide, or if II will decide for us depending on availability, but after what you said, I too would lean towards Marbella.

What was village d'Ile-de-France like? Would you say it's mostly a place to go ifyou plan to spend time at Disneyland, or could it work as a place to stay for Paris?