My husband and I, with my mom and dad, stayed at the Casa Del Mar a month ago, and it was our first time there, having just purchased the week in February 2003. We stayed in a two-bedroom unit (#219), which was one of the…Read More

My husband and I, with my mom and dad, stayed at the Casa Del Mar a month ago, and it was our first time there, having just purchased the week in February 2003. We stayed in a two-bedroom unit (#219), which was one of the best locations in the resort, overlooking the pool area and beachfront. It was also one of the best two-bedroom units there, very large with a lot privacy for both bedrooms.

The second bedroom had a very large and completely adequate bathroom just across from the bedroom door (there is a closet with a safe in that bathroom--the safe is free to owners; a minimal cost for others--$10 for the week, I believe). The master bedroom was amazing! There was a wonderful deck with chairs overlooking the beach that was private enough for us to leave the drapes to the sliding doors to the deck open at all times pretty much. It had a king-sized bed (I think! It might have been a queen; we have a full-sized bed at home, and this one was BIG!!) and a wonderful jacuzzi for two right near the bed.

In the master bedroom was a GREAT bathroom that included two sink/mirror areas--one was a walk-in area from the bed/jacuzzi area near a large closet and the other was in the actual bathroom itself, where the toilet and tub/shower were. This was a HUGE bedroom, which worked well for us; at night while my parents watched the television (which was a large screen) in the living room, my husband and I could watch the TV in the master bedroom in a large, very nice room with an ocean view! There was also a deck overlooking the ocean in the living room--we pretty much left the drapes open at all times to take advantage of it!

The living room was a nice, large size, with a large couch and smaller love seat (which was, unfortunately a little worn in the cushions). The kitchen was really our only disappointment: the cooking area was pretty small with no counter space to speak of (though the dining table was large, so we used that for our counter needs), and no cabinet space available for us to store our groceries. The cabinets that were there had all the necessities for cooking and eating, though, and the oven, stove, microwave, coffee maker, toaster, refrigerator, etc. were all full-sized and in good shape, and clean. But since my mom and I were NOT on vacation to spend our time cooking, it didn't totally WRECK our vacation!

Check-in was easy and quick (they let us in a couple of hours early), and the resort itself seemed clean and neat to us. Parking was underground but convenient, and we never had problems getting a space close to the elevator. There weren't any washers/dryers in the rooms, but the laundry room was on the first floor and easy to use (free to owners; I believe that everyone else does need to pay with quarters). The location was great for us! We absolutely LOVED Ormond Beach! We purposely picked a non-bike or non-race week, so traffic wasn't bad at all, and Daytona Beach with all its activity was just minutes away.

From the Casa Del Mar, we could walk to all sorts of restaurants for any meals we would need (did breakfasts and snacks at all times at the timeshare); a favorite was Stacey's Family Buffet right across the street! But anything anyone would want--in all price ranges--were all over the place in easy to get to places. Grocery shopping was all over the place, too, and the prices weren't bad (Publix, Winn-Dixie, Super Wal-Mart, and even a Sam's Club, were not far away).

If there were any planned activities, we actually didn't participate in any; we spent our time going to St. Augustine, the Daytona and Sanford/Mt. Dora Flea Markets, Orlando, and just sightseeing all over the area. The B.J.'s Wholesale Club on the way to Sanford/Mt. Dora has a gas station, so that was a help. For our purposes, the Casa del Mar was GREAT (we are VERY happy to own there!), but for people that want to just go to the timeshare and stay there all week, if the beach isn't enough for you, then you might be disappointed. The Resort is small with few amenities other than a good workout room, good pools and hot tub, a GREAT beach, and a WONDERFUL location.

The "Owners Meeting" we went to was low-pressure and conducted by BlueGreen Vacation Club; we went for the $50 in restaurant gift cards and to hear the "benefits of upgrading to the BlueGreen system" from our Amber Vacation Club membership. Once we saw the differences, we felt that we were very happy with the Amber Club and the salesman let us go without a fight. It was a totally informational, interesting meeting that lasted about two hours, only because we were sincerely interested in hearing what the BlueGreen program was all about (until we heard the $4,800 price tag to convert--adding the obligatory minimum extra points and maintenance fees, of course).

The housekeeping was good for us; new towels and tidying up--emptying trash, etc.--each day. Not intrusive, and a nice feature. Since we are owners through the Amber Vacation Club, we will only have access to the first three floors, I believe, when using our Amber Club points. BlueGreen owns the upper floors, but the room layouts are comparable. BlueGreen did insinuate to us at the meeting that soon all the Amber Club owners will be upgrading to BlueGreen, lessening our chances of being able to use our points with flexibility (we actually own a one-bedroom unit during a summer bike week). I took the chance that this was not really the case and declined the offer to "up-grade". Once at home, I called the Amber Club and they assured me that most Amber owners are NOT fleeing to BlueGreen, and my chances of booking the actual units and weeks I need will not be difficult as long as I book six months in advance as always.

We LOVED our stay, are VERY happy to have become owners at the Casa Del Mar, and thing that Ormond Beach is a great place to vacation! We are owners at Orange Lake Country Club, Cypress Pointe Grande Villas, Polynesian Isles and the Coral Sands (now Westgate South Beach), and we feel that the Casa Del Mar fits our needs well. I would rate it an 8.5, only because I know that other vacationers might want more amenities at the resort. But to us, it's a 10!!!

There are many opportunities for shopping in the area, including Volusia Mall, Daytona Mall, Daytona flea market, downtown Daytona antique malls and shops, as well as several specialty shops. Activities include those offered by the resorts as previously mentioned, day trips to Ste. Augustine, Daytona…Read More

There are many opportunities for shopping in the area, including Volusia Mall, Daytona Mall, Daytona flea market, downtown Daytona antique malls and shops, as well as several specialty shops. Activities include those offered by the resorts as previously mentioned, day trips to Ste. Augustine, Daytona World, Daytona racetrack, etc.

We visited Blue Spring Park, where you can see manatees and take a boat cruise on the lake. The park is lovely, with a children's play area and swimming and picnicking as well. The tolley boat tour of the river and the Daytona Beach area is fun and interesting.

You can also travel to Mt. Dora, which is a Victorian town about 2 hours away. It has many antique shops and quaint restaurants.

Within 1 1/2 hours you can drive to Silver Springs, which is a beautiful park area with several water rides, weekly concerts, restaurants, gift shops, picnic areas and a water park which is open on a seasonal basis. You can even drive to Disney in about 2 hours if you are so inclined. Enjoy!!!!

While there were almost no amenities other than a small heated outdoor pool at our resort (Oceanside 99), and no planned activities, the accommodations were superb. The only improvement would have been a CD player and a better pizza cutter!…Read More

While there were almost no amenities other than a small heated outdoor pool at our resort (Oceanside 99), and no planned activities, the accommodations were superb. The only improvement would have been a CD player and a better pizza cutter!

Once we were settled in, the first thing we did was to drive onto the famed white sands (maximum 10mph), the racing strip, which has since evolved into the famed Daytona Speedway. Then we scouted the area by foot, discovering Ormond's public library (internet access available), a public art gallery and gardens, a church, tennis courts, etc. In short, there was everything we might need for an enjoyable stay right around our resort.

But Ormond Beach is strategically located within easy driving distance of historic St. Augustine, Daytona, the Kennedy Space Centre and numerous state parks, all of which we visited during our week. Then, of course, Orlando is not far away, but we gave it a pass this time.

As "the birthplace of speed", Ormond Beach is pretty laid back, proudly conscious of its history, but letting its neighbours provide most of the entertainment. It gave us a good time!

We didn't get a chance to do much; we spent most of our time on the beach. After we checked out we drove south on Atlantic Avenue to the tip of Ponce Inlet. It was a nice drive. If you want to…Read More

We didn't get a chance to do much; we spent most of our time on the beach.

After we checked out we drove south on Atlantic Avenue to the tip of Ponce Inlet. It was a nice drive. If you want to get away from the crowds, some of the beaches south or Daytona looked very nice. It also looked like there was plenty of public parking near beach access.

If we come back we will check out several activities.

-- We would like to have dinner or lunch at the Ocean Deck in Daytona Beach.
-- Our next day or overnight trip to the area would be to check out Lighthouse Point Park about 13 miles south of Ormond Beach.
-- We would also like to check out New Symyra Beach.
-- If we make it on the weekend, we would like to check out the giant flea market.
-- We would also like to visit the Daytona 500 Experience.


Getting there, from The Villages:

Not many choices and no easy way. From the The Villages, you take Rt 42 to Deland then CR-92 to Daytona. Taking I-4 may seem faster, but it is a longer route. It is about 78 miles and takes about 1 hr 45 min to Atlantic Avenue; there are no tolls on this route.

Near Sunset Pier and the Ocean Walk area is a large public parking garage. The cost is $1/hr, $8 for the day. No overnight parking; event parking is $5.Close

There are several popular restaurants such as Olive Garden and Bennigan's. Barnacle’s, a restaurant located in the Oceans East parking lot, has excellent food, reasonably priced and a nice seafaring atmosphere. The Atlantic Diner located across the street from the Georgian serves breakfast, lunch and…Read More

There are several popular restaurants such as Olive Garden and Bennigan's. Barnacle’s, a restaurant located in the Oceans East parking lot, has excellent food, reasonably priced and a nice seafaring atmosphere. The Atlantic Diner located across the street from the Georgian serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The service was good and friendly, food delicious and reasonably priced. The Plaza Hotel in Daytona Beach serves a very nice breakfast buffet. The hotel has been there for many years and is very grand. A popular diner in Daytona Beach is Steve's, where the food and service are also excellent and reasonably priced. Barnacle's, Olive Garden, Bennigan's, Atlantic Diner and several others were within easy walking distance of both resorts.Close

We spent two weeks at Ormond Beach. The first week was at Oceans East Resort and we had unit on the first floor overlooking the beach. It had a Murphy bed in the dining area with a full kitchen and a sleep sofa in the…Read More

We spent two weeks at Ormond Beach. The first week was at Oceans East Resort and we had unit on the first floor overlooking the beach. It had a Murphy bed in the dining area with a full kitchen and a sleep sofa in the living room. There was a laundry room located outside the unit. It was quite comfortable and spacious for our needs.

The second week was at The Georgian Beach Club and again we had a unit that overlooked the beach, but on the third floor. This unit was not as spacious and although there was a bed and a sleep sofa, both were in the same space, which afforded no privacy. The unit was comfortable and had a partial kitchen.

Both resorts were converted motels. The first offered many in-house activities such as free movies, exercises at the pool and on the beach, bingo, etc. The second resort was in the process of remodeling its first floor so no in-house activities were offered. Both offered transportation to the casino boat. The bus was $5 and the casino cruise was free and included a buffet meal.

Anyone who loves to visit lighthouses will want to see the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse. This lighthouse was first built on this site, south of Daytona, in 1835. The tower, grounds, and museum are open daily. The museum gives lot of the history of…Read More

Anyone who loves to visit lighthouses will want to see the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse. This lighthouse was first built on this site, south of Daytona, in 1835. The tower, grounds, and museum are open daily. The museum gives lot of the history of the lighthouse and the a new display building was opened on the Ponce grounds, featuring the 19 ft tall first-order lens originally installed in the Cape Canaveral lighthouse. The grounds are very beautiful and one could spend a lot of time just enjoying the scenery.Close

We spent a rainy day at Saint Augustine and enjoyed it, except for the rain. There is much to see and do, both historically and educationally. We spent quite a bit of time at the fort and learned a lot about the history…Read More

We spent a rainy day at Saint Augustine and enjoyed it, except for the rain. There is much to see and do, both historically and educationally. We spent quite a bit of time at the fort and learned a lot about the history of Saint Augustine. We also visited a few of the other historical sites like the oldest school house, the oldest home, and the Fountain of Youth.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at a local restaurant right on the water. They had tables at the windows that had feed doors that you could throw out food to feed the fish. We also enjoyed walking the streets and stopping at all the unique shops along the way. This a very interesting area for anyone who is interested in the history of our nation and Florida.

For those who love flea markets the one at Daytona is very large, well maintained, and clean. Daytona Flea Market is located at the Junction Of I-95 And US Highway 92 (Exit 87). The hours are Friday - Sunday, 8:00am - 5:00pm, rain or shine.…Read More

For those who love flea markets the one at Daytona is very large, well maintained, and clean. Daytona Flea Market is located at the Junction Of I-95 And US Highway 92 (Exit 87). The hours are Friday - Sunday, 8:00am - 5:00pm, rain or shine. This place definitely has something for everyone! Close

Although this is a nice resort the overall care of the resort is not up to par. Two of the outlets in our room didn't work. Both sets of drawers in the living area and bedroom were both off the track and wouldn't close right.…Read More

Although this is a nice resort the overall care of the resort is not up to par. Two of the outlets in our room didn't work. Both sets of drawers in the living area and bedroom were both off the track and wouldn't close right. One morning before 8am i went to the pool and walked past the lobby and noticed garbage, debris on the floor and the pool area looked the same. The place would look a lot nicer if they spent a little more time cleaning. One evening we got kicked out of the pool at 11pm and the evening before we were in till 1am. They should stick to the same rules every evening. The overall look of the hotel could use some improvements.Close