News New Polynesian Resort DVC villas building to open 2024

Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
True...Lots of detail but still doesn't feel like a fit for the resort as a whole... It still feels like a Marriott and not the Polynesian Village Resort. It is pretty...but looks a lot more like The Contemporary with some added details to say look! here is a manta ray! See it's Polynesian! ...lol The original Imagineering team understood how to use eveything to evoke a place and time... the new guard seems to just add a detail on top of their Marriott decor...
 
A

akileese

Member
Bocabear said:
True...Lots of detail but still doesn't feel like a fit for the resort as a whole... It still feels like a Marriott and not the Polynesian Village Resort. It is pretty...but looks a lot more like The Contemporary with some added details to say look! here is a manta ray! See it's Polynesian! ...lol The original Imagineering team understood how to use eveything to evoke a place and time... the new guard seems to just add a detail on top of their Marriott decor...
Click to expand...

I spent a lot of time traveling and usually at Hilton because I can book at F&F rates, so I can't speak to Marriott personally but from the full room tour, it doesn't feel like a Hilton at all. I think what people are really looking for here is that the theming and aesthetic is more subtle and muted, which is a fair complaint. Hilton has their own vacation club Polynesian style resort in Kissimmee already if you want to see what a hotel conglomerate's take on the Polynesian aesthetic is and it genuinely looks like every hotel room you've ever seen. The Riviera tower absolutely looks like an upscale new Hilton room, but to me, these don't. They're just very muted and not as vibrant as we'd like them to be.
 
Doberge

Doberge

True Bayou Magic
Premium Member
Chip Chipperson said:
Based on the video and pictures, I like the 1-BR Villas having a 2nd full bathroom and the addition of the dishwasher to the Deluxe Studios, but the 2nd shower in the longhouse studios is a nice feature that didn't carry over to the new tower (not that anyone could have realistically expected it).

I don't like that even the "water themed" rooms have so much beige and very little blue/aqua anywhere. Would it have killed them to add a little color to the curtains??? Islands are more than just sand.

Another possible negative is the apparent omission of a 3rd bathroom in the 2-BR Villas that is present in the other DVC resorts that have a 2nd bathroom in the 1-BR Villas. That 3rd bathroom is clutch when you have a full room because whoever is sleeping in the living room still has their own bathroom so they don't have to go into someone else's bedroom at night if they need to use the bathroom.
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The pictures and videos didn't show everything. There are second bathrooms in one bedrooms and third bathrooms in two bedrooms. They're behind the principal bedroom and accessible from near the main entrance door. Similar to Kidani but a little more off to the side.

See purple here:
Screenshot_20240605_102941_Photos.jpg


But why they didn't share when trying to tell people to book, it's beyond me.
 
Doberge

Doberge

True Bayou Magic
Premium Member
The kitchenette location in the tower studio maximizes wall space. In most DVC studios the bed is near the bedroom and the wall shared with the bathroom is entirely unused. The rearrangement opened the space where the kitchenette used to be to allow for alternative uses. In this case, a dedicated spot for luggage and banquet seating + table. I think the tower studio is functionally well designed. 🤷 And if it doesn't work for someone then the longhouse studios are there and very different.
 
C

Chip Chipperson

Well-Known Member
Doberge said:
The pictures and videos didn't show everything. There are second bathrooms in one bedrooms and third bathrooms in two bedrooms. They're behind the principal bedroom and accessible from near the main entrance door. Similar to Kidani but a little more off to the side.

See purple here:
View attachment 789647

But why they didn't share when trying to tell people to book, it's beyond me.
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting that. That's good to know.
 
Doberge

Doberge

True Bayou Magic
Premium Member
Missed before the differences in principal bathrooms. Red is the standard principal bathroom in a one or two bedroom, and it's what was shared in the video. Green shows the layout of what looks like a handicap accessible principal bathroom (again one or bedroom unit). The space is more open to navigate and there appears to be a slightly larger shower.

Screenshot_20240605_115618_Photos~3.jpg


Less confident here but this may be layout of a handicap accessible studio. The kitchenette appears to be on the TV wall (in place of luggage stand and table/banquet) instead of bathroom wall. Without the bathroom wall kitchenette these rooms should also be a little wider as well, all the better to handicap persons to navigate.

Screenshot_20240605_121245_Photos.jpg
 
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Dayma

Dayma

Well-Known Member
I have no issues with the rooms honestly. Feels like DVC rooms tend to be a little more nuanced in their themes, which does not bother me. I don't miss the over-the-top theming of the 90s, but to each their own.

The view is going to be amazing from the tower!!!
 
_caleb

_caleb

Well-Known Member
Bocabear said:
True...Lots of detail but still doesn't feel like a fit for the resort as a whole... It still feels like a Marriott and not the Polynesian Village Resort. It is pretty...but looks a lot more like The Contemporary with some added details to say look! here is a manta ray! See it's Polynesian! ...lol The original Imagineering team understood how to use eveything to evoke a place and time... the new guard seems to just add a detail on top of their Marriott decor...
Click to expand...
What would make it "feel Polynesian" for you?
 
_caleb

_caleb

Well-Known Member
JoeCamel said:
Hula dancers and lei's for me......

Oh, and fire, has to be fire
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I can see that. I think they're trying to avoid some of the cultural stereotypes that often go with the Hawaiian/Polynesian theme.

I like how the rooms are styled in a way to feature textures and patterns more than color. It seems like this could have a calming effect, which is important for a resort room!
 
JoeCamel

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
_caleb said:
I can see that. I think they're trying to avoid some of the cultural stereotypes that often go with the Hawaiian/Polynesian theme.

I like how the rooms are styled in a way to feature textures and patterns more than color. It seems like this could have a calming effect, which is important for a resort room!
Click to expand...
If they fixed the wave machine they could have outrigger boats ride in on the waves.....
 
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
That would be cool!
Perhaps less mid century modern styling... Some natural wood tones, I like things light, but feels a little too much like the Fairfield Inn I stayed in last night...and not someplace Polynesian... I understand that people don't care for the thematic interiors of the 90s... I honestly didn't mind them, but thought they were too dark...Like the Animal Kindom and Poly rooms from that time period (animal Kingdom more recently obviously)... The forms were fine but the colors and palette too dark. This new interior feels more like The Contemporary but they added a manta ray on the wall and some wallpaper graphics... The Bungalow interiors felt more Polynesian to me... without being over the top... Something about having some natural wood tones...made it feel more organic and islandy...less Miami Beach
 
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
If they had even made an attempt by copying the iconic Polynesian Resort rooflines onto the top of the tower, it would have at least felt like it was trying to be part of the property...not Bay Lake Tower Annex. It looks terrible when you look across from the Contemporary to the opposite shore... The Victorian rooflies and buildings of the Grand Floridian abruptly ending with a midrise Fort Lauderdale Condo building, surrounded by the Polynesian Resort
 

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