Which resort would you choose?

I%26#39;m plannig a trip to Fort Lauderdale and the Keys in April of 2008 and looking at a timeshare exchange in Fort Lauderdale. Would either the Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort (909 Breakers Ave) or Coconut Bay Resort be a good choice? We would like to be able to walk to a nice beach. Any information would be helpful.

Which resort would you choose?

They are right next to each other about one or 2 blocks from the beach just off Sunrise Blvd.

Ft Laud Beach Resort (Sunterra/Breakers) is managed by VRI and had a big renovation program going on. It is a high rise condo with lock out units.

Cocoanut Bay is right across from it, and offers a low rise with some dockage avalable....some units are on the ICW.

They are across the bridge from a very upscale shopping center, Galleria Mall...which isn%26#39;t good for wives so much....Saks 5th Ave %26amp; Neiman Marcus are some of the shops.

Th beach is right across A1A and is really very nice. You are right next to the Bonnet House....a historic home....nice art, nice home %26amp; grounds.

The Holiday Inn across from the Ft Laud Beach Breakers (I don%26#39;t know about the resort term) will be or is being renovated.

I%26#39;ve been to the FLBR and saw both a old room prior renovation (Goodwill would not have taken the furnishings) and a new room, which was very nice. I have only seen the exterior of the Cocoanut Bay. Tuggers like it as a standard resort (both places), but many years ago, the FLBR was rated very low.

Which resort would you choose?

I just completed a week at the old Sunterra Resorts, now called Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, as mentioned above, We booked it thru RCI as an exchange, and paid $300 for 7 days. It is almost a 5 star facility, as far as the renovated rooms go!!! We were on the 14th floor and we the first to occupy this room. Brand new from ceilings to floor tile to carpet to furniture!! 2 32inch TV,s one in living room and one in kingsize bedroom, dining table and chairs for 6, which it will sleep, a double murphy bed and a sleeper sofa. The rest of the facility, while upgraded, is still around 3-4 stars, 24 hour desk, okay pool, no food but right out the door is 2 blocks down the street to the BEST BEACH in Fort Lauderdale!!, part of the cities%26#39; 3 1/2 mile world class beach. A couple of nice restaurants, and a great pizza place. Other classier places are up and down A1A, a short taxi ride, or bus which stops right on the corner. The Water Taxi, $9.00 all day, from like 11:00AM to Midnight, every 30 minutes, stops about 10 minutes from the Resort, across the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW). Also that%26#39;s about 4 minutes from the Galleria shopping mall.

We loved sitting on our balcony eating breakfast an watching the world go by. It was a fantastic experience, alot to see and do, We would recommend a rental car, it%26#39;s about 10 miles from the FLL airport, and you can park free in the basement garage.

Hi

You didn%26#39;t get an idea of about how many apartment units might not have been refurbished yet, did you?

This is a place where one group of exchangers gets a great new room, writes up a glowing report, and another gets one of the units that still needs help....and their report clashes.....and the unknowing review reader doesn%26#39;t know what to think. ( Except maybe the positives are corporate plants). I did see the model of the refurbed units when they first started, BUT, they needed to try and get major building problems squared away ..... like new elevator systems, roof, %26amp; so on... (the real main basic stuff that every condo owner hates to face due to the large assessments they bring.

KenK:

Good perception! I didn%26#39;t mention that the elevators are definately the originals, very slow and creaky, plus there are only 2 of them, and you have to share them with the renovators!! Sometimes they seemed to have them blocked open, or at least one, and you can wait 10 minutes or longer for the elevator. Especially in the mornings, when people are trying to check out!

Also the noise from the floor above me (15th) and perhaps below, were very noisey with banging, hammering, etc after about 8:30am, but we left everyday for most of the day, and in the evenings it was of course quieter.

Still, it was a very good experience for us!