Guest Post: The ERC (also known as the Luxury Suites)

by Rick Conti

I was hanging around the lobby at Vineyard Square Hotel and Suites recently.  Suddenly, someone approached Joanne Sardini, the estimable manager of the establishment, and screamed, “This place is freakin’ awesome!”  I remember the words exactly because…well, I was the one who screamed them.

It’s true.  Sometimes I’m so overcome with the awesomeness of my place on Martha’s Vineyard that it overflows into marginally anti-social behavior.  Even the words have a surreal sound to them: “My place on Martha’s Vineyard.”  How did that happen to this humble scribe?

Simple.  The Edgartown Residence Club (ERC) — also know as the Luxury Suites to hotel guests — is the vacation home for people who don’t think they could ever own a vacation home.  This is not the first time I’ve gushed on the ERC. I’ve written about this in the past. Let me be clear — I am neither an employee of the hotel nor a commissioned salesman.  I am blessed to be a fractional owner of the ERC.

What’s so cool about staying at the ERC?  Permit me to rip a page out of David Letterman’s book by giving you the…

 Top Ten Reasons Why the ERC Is So Freakin’ Awesome

10) The world’s largest collection of decorative pillows east of the Whaling Church.

9) Matching front and back deck furniture.

8) Bathrobes are more plush than the contents of an entire Gund warehouse.

7) If the wind is blowing in the right direction, I can smell the onion rings cooking at the Newes.

6) Free loaner bikes with seats the size of a La-Z-Boy.

5) The only vacation I don’t need a vacation to recover from.

4) Different bath items every time I visit.

3) I can read Chesca’s menu right from my deck.

2) “Farm Boy” on call at the front desk.

…and the number one reason the ERC is so freakin’ awesome:

1) Two words: Free cookies!

That’s a facetious list, of course.  The actual advantages to owning at the ERC are real indeed and would number far more than ten.  I stand by my previous claim that a stay at the ERC is the perfect stress-free vacation.

It starts with the staff.  For this entire crew, “above and beyond the call of duty” is standard operating procedure.  In fact, they’ve spoiled me silly.  The other obvious drawing card is the fact that it’s on Martha’s Vineyard.  ‘Nuff said.

My life is now divided into two parts: staying at the ERC and waiting to return to the ERC.  I’m in the process of figuring out how to maximize the former and eliminate the latter.

I’ll let you know how that goes.