I’d never stayed at a timeshare property. I’d never even visited one. Doesn’t that sound odd since I travel so frequently? I honestly thought that timeshares were for older people and they restricted you to one location indefinitely. How naive is that? But I bet I’m not alone, right? Then, I had the opportunity to visit Marriott’s Harbour Lake and my opinion completely changed. The property offers a maritime theme throughout with a pirate-inspired pool, Florida Falls (an interactive water playground), and a miniature golf course. The activities schedule includes experiences for the entire family with everything from tot music sessions to evening wine tasting socials. The rooms and villas are fresh with bold colors and separate living and dining areas with plenty of room for the extended family. It’s a whole new world of possibilities.
The pirate theme had children of all ages beaming with excitement. Fun times were had all around at Shipwreck Landing, an exciting themed pool area featuring the incredible pirate ship, complete with waterslides and water cannons. Key Lime Greens, the on-site putt-putt golf course, was a relaxing oasis complete with waterfalls and palm tree shade. The interactive water playground, Florida Falls, was designed with both younger and older children in mind. Two massive buckets made big waves when they dumped water over the playground and several mini water spouts would appeal to the more timid water explorer. Families beware, once you set foot on the Harbour Lake property, it’s difficult to leave. It’s better than the theme parks with none of the stress.
Wine tasting socials, family volleyball, water balloon toss, yoga, painting, arts and crafts, and movies are only a select few of the countless activities offered at Marriott’s Harbour Lake. In just two and a half days, I participated in family volleyball, balloon toss, mini golf, wine tasting, basketball, movie night, ceramic painting, and an Iron Chef competition. I actually heard a young boy, around 6 years of age, say that he’d rather stay at the resort than go to a theme park. It was a true testament to what Harbour Lake had to offer.
There are certain things about accommodations that make all the difference when traveling with a family. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for a fan in the bathroom, good shower pressure, comfortable beds, enough towels, and black-out curtains. While it’s not a necessity, a separate living and sleeping area is a welcomed addition as well. As I explored the two-bedroom villa at Harbour Lake, I was pleasantly surprised to find all of my desired amenities and more. Each bathroom had a fan, plenty of lighting, soaps, and towels, and excellent shower pressure. The full kitchen included a dishwasher, fridge, stove, and microwave. The living area’s creative seating arrangement was more than sufficient for the entire family and the patio’s view was gorgeous. The tastefully decorated bedrooms weren’t just a treat for the eyes. The beds were plush and the black-out curtains gave me the opportunity to sleep in – something that hadn’t happened in months. I had all the conveniences of home and all of the luxuries of vacation.
I found both luxury and convenience at a property that caters to the entire family. I’d never experienced such a detailed activities schedule, even at an all-inclusive resort; it created a friends and family environment with staff and guests. The villa was fresh and creative in design, providing comfort and a feeling of home. I regretted not bringing Athena and Darren along with me because it was the ideal playground for all of us. I look forward to bringing Athena to Orlando for the first time; it’s a magical place for children, but if she wants to spend all of her time at Harbour Lake, I won’t be the least bit surprised or disappointed.
*This journey was made possible with help from Marriott Vacation Club; however, as you probably know by now, all opinions & thoughts are my own.*
Bucket List Publications 
OMP (Oh my pig). That looks beautiful and so much fun!! XOXO -Bacon
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Nice blog, but did you know that you have a political video ad at the end of it? I wonder what’s being advertised on my own blog? I don’t like what WordPress is doing to us.
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I see that there is a different one now. They must be rotating them with each click.
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You can pay, I think it is like $20 a year, to avoid ads. Otherwise, it’s one way WP foots the bills… and makes a profit.
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Yes, thanks, Curt. I checked it out. It’s $30. I don’t mind the ads so much until they get political. Then I worry that my followers will think I’m endorsing that party.
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Have to agree on that… and shame on WP for including political ads. If we want to go political on our blogs, it should be our decision. –Curt
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Exactly!
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I actually think the ads are based on what you view on your computer, but I’m not certain there. You are right that I don’t have control over what ads appear though.
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That place is just beautiful!!!
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Reblogged this on vequinox.
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I am so glad you enjoyed the time share experience–especially at one ran by the Marriott (I’ve extended family that let us stay a few summers at one). Travelers are lucky duckies indeed.
My mother’s side goes to the same vacation spot every summer which made buying a used timeshare from redweek.com a very easy decision. When I first entered the world, my parents tell me, this timeshare group schnookered them into buying a prime-time week at a well-known beach! After many years of payments, the investment has paid itself off and we use it to trade into other locations.
Love reading of your travels!
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We have been staying at time shares for years. I have definitely come to prefer them over regular hotels. The only downfall I have found so far is that they do not let us choose the location of our room, no matter how far in advance we make the reservation.
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It looks like a fabulous spot…for all ages!
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I’ve stayed at the same resort through a timeshare before and had an awesome experience. It was much cheaper than renting any other way for a family of 12 to stay for a week. We didn’t even need to go to a water park or look for activities all the time since everything was all right there!
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Looks great! Almost anyplace with palm trees is good. 🙂
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Putt putt for the fun of it!
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Simply looking at the pictures is like a vacation. So, I’m easy but I’m not cheap. 😀
Looks amazing. I need to be spoiled and soon.
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I love the timeshare concept better than resorts. You can cook! 😀
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Not that I want to do that 😉
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At least you have option if you’d like to! 🙂
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Looks like a fun place to stay!
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It was a blast as an adult and offers even more for kids. It was a really greay experience.
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Would love to add hotel to my new site:
http://mfnaughton.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/naughton-ets-eventstravel-and-shopping/
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We have owned with Diamond Resorts for about 6 years now and have used it for trips all over the world. We love having a kitchen available and think it is a great money saver.
I think for anyone that travels a lot, time shares are worth looking into, with the point based systems being the best (in my opinion).
Love the post Lesley.
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Sounds like you lucked out. I would be very very careful before purchasing a week. Work the money again and again. We had three at one point, then the booking rules were changed, fees increased and we were paying a ridiculous amount for one week. We don’t have any now.
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This looks great. These schemes do provide excellent holiday options if one does one’s homework and selects carefully, avoiding those with options for sudden undue escalation in costs.
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We bought into Diamond Resorts in Hawaii a year ago, and love it. I was able to use my points to take my brother to a wonderful place in South Bend, IN near where we grew up. We were able to just hang out most of the time and just be together in a comfortable place. It was awesome. We are older, but many of the folks we see are younger, and the resorts have lots of amenities for kids.
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Time sharehares are cost effective I heard. I’ve never stayed in one either.
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