Family Vacation Fun at Marriott’s Grande Vista
Thinking of a perfect family vacation? Listen to what other families have to say…
“We are a family 7 and had a wonderful time on this property. We stayed in the Madrid building which was very accessible at all. This is property is close to all Disney World Attractions. Very kid friendly. There is even an indoor play area for small kids. Food was good. Service was good. We will definately go back to The Grande Vista.”
“I stayed June 19-26 in a two bedroom in building 82. When you request a room make sure it is near one of the main pools if not it’s quite a walk. The resort had free rock climbing and daily activities. Some were a small fee. We paid 30.00 per child for a kids night out. My children loved the people and the lunch that was given to them.”
“You wont go wrong with this resort. They let us check in at 11am. “
Playa Linda Aruba with 1 year old? Sure!
I know, this comment is a long one, but it covers so many things I wanted to share it with you. Think of it 5 start luxury resort considered ideal with a 1 year old!
“I just had the opportunity to stay at Playa Linda Beach Resort and the experience was great. I went with my wife and our one year old daughter not knowing what to expect and the results were very positive. This resort is centrally located in one of the best beaches in Aruba. Unlike many of the resorts at Eagle Beach, where you need to cross the street to get to the beach, at Playa Linda you have direct acess to the beach. We spent a lot of time at the beach under a “chikee,” here we ordered drinks from the beach bar which has happy hour between 12-4 o’clock in the afternoon. If you are into water sport activities, the pier is within 2 minutes of walking distance from the hotel (very convinient!). The resort staff is o.k., although the room cleaning crew and the beach boys are great. They were very friendly and helpful. You have plenty of good to excellent restaurants within walking distance from this resort, I recommend Texas of Brasil located across the street from Playa Linda . The room was better than average with everything you may need during your stay. You can take a taxi to get to downtown from here, but we opted a cheaper mode of transportation, the public bus. The ride is about 20 minutes and very safe, many tourists opt for this option, plus is only a $2.60 round trip fare. If you are into casinos, you are within a five minutes walking distance from two of them. Would I go back to Aruba and stay at Playa Linda Beach Resort again? I’ll definately will and be glad with my desicion.”
Wallet Relief too, at Sheraton Vistana Resort Orlando
I do get asked, so here’s the scoop - When comparing the exact same dates and unit size (2 bedroom), here is what you’ll pay for a one week stay without a membership…
Expedia - $1,946.56
Travelocity - $1,940.89
Orbitz - $1,979.05
Hotels (.com) - $1,946.56
Sheraton Vistana Resort Orlando
GRN will get you in and special membership price is only $699.00.
(2 bedroom unit, 8 days & 7 nights)
That’s a minimum savings of over $1,200.00.
These types of savings are available exclusively to GRN members. I say take the GRN membership and put your money towards other finds while you’re on your vacation.
Taino Beach update
I got a question asking about what the likely cost is to stay at Taino Beach.
None of the major travel providers had access to this beautiful resort for comparison purposes. However, right now, you can book an entire week through your membership for only $298. IN JULY
This price includes tax and service, and is your total cost for the week.
These types of savings are available exclusively to GRN members. That’s EXACTLY why I put this site up - I couldn’t believe what people thought they ‘had to’ pay to enjoy emerald-green seas and powder white beaches, an array of premier accommodations, paradise pool, oceanfront dining, tennis, and water sports.
Soooo not true! And I soooo have other things to do that spare money these days!
For one: World-class shopping and entertainment only 5 minutes away in bustling Port Lucaya Marketplace.
Update on Taino Beach resort in Freeport Grand Bahama
A reader left this comment:
I stayed here for a one-day trip to the Bahamas whilst holidaying in Florida, taking the “Discovery” cruise from Fort Launderdale. This hotel is small, intimate with a private beach - perfect white sand and shallow azure waters. The swimming pool is cool, with a swim up bar situated in a ‘cave’. Food menu was very good - I would like to stay here for longer another time.
Actually, here’s another comment that came in as I was posting the other one:
Just returned from a week at Taino Beach resort in Freeport Grand Bahama.( May 22-29 2008) It was awesome! The snorkeling trip we took from there was wonderful, well worth the money, wished we had done it twice! There is still a bus service that takes you to the grocery store. We usually bring some staple items with us, coffee, crystal lights, peanut butter jellie etc.
The only thing that we didn’t like was the water taxi prices now. Last time (2003) we bought a pass for each of us,$25.00 each(125.00) and we could come and go as many times now it is so $25.00 a trip to go over to Port Lucaya for a family of five. Other than that it was a wonderful trip and recommend it to everyone. The staff was pleasant and helpful.
Family Feet Get Relief at Orlando’s Sheraton Vistana Resort
Every time I go to Orlando, I end up taking foot baths to recover from… Well, you know! Hear the word ‘Orlando’ and we all think of its theme parks. I wouldn’t want you to think that every family resort vacation has to be spent standing in lines!
I’ve got to tell you about the beautiful 135-acre Sheraton Vistana Resort. It’s is the perfect place for an unforgettable vacation.
It’s unforgettable - The lush, tropical, park-like setting of Sheraton Vistana Resort, with its sparkling fountains and world-class amenities offers you the perfect setting to bring truly unforgettable vacations to the entire family
Seven outdoor swimming pools and five kids’ pools provide ample opportunity to beat the heat. Thirteen tennis courts, three fitness centers, spa services, basketball courts, and volleyball courts are available to keep the blood pumping.
The cascades pool was a short walk from our unit and was refreshing. Two pools were within easy walking distance, while because of the heat, you may spot people driving to the other pools, and on site shop and restaurants. Now that’s how your feet will recover, because of course…
Sheraton Vistana Resort Orlando
Sure, all the local attractions include SeaWorld (one and a half miles away), Walt Disney World® Resort (seven miles), Universal Orlando® Resort (five miles), Orange County Convention Center (two miles), Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach 60 miles. Complimentary daily transportation to all four Walt Disney World® Theme Parks is available so you don’t need to bother renting a car if that’s where you’ll be spending your time.
Rather than spend every day in those crowds, here’s an alternative for you and your family: hang out at the resort and relax in the pools, fountains and world-class recreation.
Sheraton Vistana Resort Orlando
If you want to dine out, you can. I stay away from the on site Pizza Hut. I’d rather use the restaurant (Zimmies) and pick up what I want in their well-stocked store right on the resort property that had fresh fruit, vegetables, a deli, beer, wine and all other necessities for feeding your family.
If you’re like me and you like to eat only what you want and when you want to, you’ll love the Vistana. You’re set up with a fully-equipped kitchen with microwave, blender, toaster, dishes and flatware for eight, coffeemaker, dishwasher, disposal, breakfast bar and refrigerator with ice-maker. The master bedroom features king-size bed, master bath with separate shower and hot tub, cable TV, and hairdryer.
The two-bedroom villas also feature a safe, three telephones, screened furnished private patio or balcony, and washer/dryer with iron/ironing board. The living area features a queen-size sleeper sofa, cable TV, DVD player, and dining area for six.
By the way, doublecheck your villa location when you check in. Make a point of booking yourself into the “Lakes” area of this family resort. If they give you a unit in the “Cascades” area, ask if it is near any units being renovated. Unless nobody in your party sleeps past 7:00 am make sure you are relocated because it’s noisy!
Additional amenities include a miniature golf course, complimentary wireless internet access throughout the resort, free parking, room service, video arcades, four restaurants, and two bars.
If you want to find extra activities for the ‘kid’ in you you get to know the available for all ages in any of the 5 game rooms that provide endless hours of entertainment, including the state-of-the-art Xtreme Game room. Play the latest PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, Gamecube and wii video games.
Sheraton Vistana Resort Orlando
NOW get out of the room and go stroll -
To my mind, this family resort is exactly where I want to hang out and let my feet recover in the days between playing in the theme parks!
Family Vacation Relief at Taino Beach
My friend’s recent comment was “I haven’t had a family vacation this relaxing in a long time. I would definitely recommend it to my friends and the rest of our family.”
She really meant it.
When they needed medical help and advice the staff couldn’t do enough and showed that when its important the Bahamians can moved mountains and quickly too.
Where were they? Well let me tell you if you’re lucky enough to be going to Taino Beach in Freeport Grand Bahama, you can have the same great vacation.
My friend and her husband took their 15 years old daughter and her friend and had a wonderful holiday there in August 2007. They enjoyed it so much that they decided to go back again this summer.
This time they took their 23 years old daughter with them this time around, and another family as well. 2 parents. their 19, 18 and 14 year olds.
I know you’ll appreciate hearing about their experience as you plan your upcoming family vacation.
The Taino resort’s small, intimate, with a private beach - perfect white sand and shallow azure waters.
The Ocean at Taino
On their first trip my friends stayed in the older section of the resort and had a good time. This time around they all stayed the newer section, “The Marlin.” Their friends had a 2 bedroom unit that slept 8 but there was only 5 of them. 2 queen beds and 2 queen sleeper sofas. More than enough space for each family.
As a family it could get very pricey feeding all those mouths. But not a worry – between them they had one full kitchen and one studio kitchen. And there was bus service to take them to the grocery store when you want to pick up food and snacks.
My friends are a lot like me when they travel – not much suited to laying in a lounger for hours at a time. For them, the beach and pool was like a dream come true and they all spent time on the water slide – daily!
The Ocean at Taino
They caught the ferry to Port Lacaya just across that street. $5.00 round trip per person. World-class shopping and entertainment only 5 minutes away in bustling Port Lucaya Marketplace.
Most of the other activities had shuttles that picked them up from the resort. Everything was very convenient.
For an adult kick, the swimming pool’s swim up bar is situated in a ‘cave’. Watch out for the Pirate Juice at the pool bar… it’ll sneak up on you!
The Ocean at Taino
When they wanted to eat out, the restaurant at the resort suited them down to the ground. It has great food and a great view. They also enjoyed some very nice meals over at Port Lucaya.
There’s no daily maid service but they didn’t need it. They exchanged bath towels on a daily basis if they needed to. Beach towels were also available from the maid service and were exchanged too.
With kids there’s laundry and if you want to take yours home clean you can. There’s a laundry for your own use and the best deal on the island –$1.00 a wash and $1.00 to dry. Included is a small box of laundry soap in your room.
By the way, the a/c was much appreciated. It is not something that my friends have much need of in England, but they sure needed it in the Bahamas!
AND even when they didn’t need the medical assistance, my friends found the staff at Taino to be very friendly, helpful and considerate of the fact that they had traveled a very long way to holiday on their island.
So consider yourself covered for a perfect family vacation.
And Leisure In The Lazy River
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