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Worst timeshare resort you've stayed in?

Kauai Kid

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Worst by far: La Renaissance in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Wife walked into the unit, looked around, and said lets go home. I said lets spend the nite. I should have listened to her.

To park you had to back your car into a freight elevator to the parking garage.:eek:

Sterling
 

DiveDogs

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Worst timeshare ever?

The Atrium Resorts in St. Martin. They denied that we were supposed to get oceanfront, giving us a view of a dirt & weed lot and the rear of some tombling down buildings. They refused to change our unit, saying they were full (in August???) but the pool and restaurant were always empty and there were never more than 12 beach chairs taken from the stacks. Workers were rude and would not fulfill the slightest request. The full kitchen shown on their web site is a joke. It turned out to be the tiniest kitchenette unit I've ever seen. some appliances didn't work and the silverware had to be stored across the room under the TV.
 

barb1228

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Wost timeshare ever

Briarwood in Cape Cod, MA. The place was filthy. I don't think the blinds were ever dusted. The dirt was an inch thick. A lot of things in the unit did not work. I will never ever stay there again!!!
 

winger

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Capistrano Beach Surf Inn in Southern Coast California. Was there about 5-6 yrs ago. Right next to the busy 'Pacific Coast Highway' and noisy w/ the single paned windows. Place seemed a little aged. Parking is on the busy highway - my bro-in-law's Mustang got hit-and-runned into one evening and lost his fender. The beach right across road is pretty decent and Cost Co right up the block made the trip worth it (got LOTS of clothing at huge discounted prices not seen at our home Costco). Right next to Dana Point and within 1/2 hr drive to Disneyland.

Don't get me wrong, we stayed in some pretty nice resorts in our 10-11 yrs w/ II - I would not mind staying at the Capistrano again b/c of its relative proximity to good attractions, but it would not be seeking this place out as my top choices.
 
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nerodog

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updated info on sea mist resort, cape cod

Hi all, after reviewing all of the responses , I want to let others know that there has been major renovations occuring at Sea mist resort.New furniture and such has been added to all the units with alot of updating. THe grounds have been landscaped and updated as well. A new mall has opened up within walking distance for groceries and other needs. Mashpee is a good location as a hop off to Martha's Vineyard, Sandwich, the section of the cape in general...so give it another try before going by the negative review noted. I was recently there and as a owner for about 9 years I have seen vast improvement. ( bought as a resale from a friend and noted yes there needed to be some updating then). Beach is a few miles down the road as well. Quiet location. :cool:
 

davenlib

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vistana

I am shocked about the Vistana.. we went there two years ago and loved it.. it was clean, service was excelent.. I guess it always boils down to timing and placment... we were in a newer unit with a jacuzzi.. kids loved the place too..
 

Iwant2gonow

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Sheraton Vistana, Mountain View at Crown Ridge
Hi Copperpenny,
I own at Sheraton Vistana Resort resort #0450 not Sheraton Vistana Villages. If you are at my resort could you tell me what section you are in and how is your experience. I'm interested because I too have heard all of the negative things :( and have not visited in years. Would like to know what you think if you are there.
Hope you are having a gr8 time. Thanks
 

copperpenny22

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Hi Iwant2gonow:

The reason I asked the question was because I know of three "Vistana's" in Florida (and there may be more); and the person commenting did not specify at which Vistana they had a bad experience.

We are indeed at the Sheraton Vistana in Orlando and we are in the Lakes Section. At the time we checked in, they said the Lakes was a newer section, with elevators--which we require, as we don't do stairs very well. They were very accommodating and gave us a ground floor unit, right by the handicapped parking. The amenities are very good, our 2 bdrm unit is very nice and housekeeping has been very satisfactory. There were a few items missing in the kitchen, which they replaced very quickly. They have daily activities, several heated pools and spas, poolside restaurants, tennis, volleyball, etc. All in all, one of our best locations in Orlando. (however, I cannot speak for the "older" units, with the stairs).

We have been visiting here at this particular time every year for the past seven years or so. Other very nice Orlando exchanges have been HGVC at SeaWorld; the "other" Vistana, Vistana Villages; Orange Lake Country Club; and Summer Bay.

Other resorts which were OK, but not great were WestGate and Vacation Villages at Parkway.
 

hopetotimeshare

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Leaving tomorrow for Vistana

We just bought there and this is our first visit. In all honesty, I have heard more pro comments than con. They say it is true that the older sections have issues and you may be disappointed if that is where you are located, however, I have heard the resort and its amenities and activities are great. I will certainly report back when I return!
 

elaine

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HGVC Eagles Nest, DVC-AKV, HHI
we have stayed at Spas (older) vistana 2X and loved it

The courts look like the pits, but the Spas are fine--and they look to be in a pretty old section--we always request lower unit near super pool gate and got it 2-2 times (b/c I'm sure NO ONE ever requests the Spas). BUt the location can't be beat, esp. for small children-elderly grandparents.
 

rickandcindy23

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Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
The Fountains area is not great, that is for sure. The units were dated, with old furniture, kitchen cabinets that were hanging on the hinges, out-of-date bathrooms, stained furniture, really old televisions with small screens, etc.

When there are so many other great choices in Orlando, we will not take potluck at Vistana or OLCC. If I could be guaranteed a newer section, that would be okay, but exchangers do not get such guarantees. Vistana needs to update the older units in order to gain back their GC rating with RCI. This rating is something they need to earn and not automatically get, just because they are a mega resort.

Look for Vistana to eventually be broken down into different RCI codes, just as OLCC has done, because staying at the Lakes or Cascades, I am sure, is a completely different experience from the older sections. We have not had the luxury of staying in the nicer areas, but our visit in 1999 was really great in Fountains, then we stayed in 2004 and had the same type of unit, but it was looking sad.
 

Kenrabs

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Cabo San Lucas Beach and Tennis Club!

I've only stayed in about 6 places in the 2 yrs I've timeshared, and the Cabo San Lucas Beach and Tennis Club which is the timeshare club of the Melia San Lucas has been our worst place we've stayed. It has a lot going for it Location, nice looking newly renovated rooms and a nice pool. It could be a 5 star timeshare. Instead it can be a vacation hell. Loud lousy music which can make it hard to think never mind relax by the pool,and impossible to sleep on weekends. A staff that can be as bad as they can be good. They are more concerned about you sneaking food and drinks in, which is allowed for timeshare guest, than stopping rowdy non guest from using the pool. Price gouging at every point. Roaches, the insect kind and the ones that visit from the cruise ships. It's a place to stay for a long weekend drunken bash not a relaxing family timeshare week. We enjoyed our stay in Cabo despite the resorts faults because I read all the reviews and knew what to expect, but for one who does not do their home work they will be in for a shock. You have to experience it to realize how bad it is and that the bad reviews are not exaggerations.
 

sfwilshire

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Tristram's Landing, Tree Tops Gatlinburg, Mystic Dunes, Sheraton Vistana Spas & Fountains
We have not had the luxury of staying in the nicer areas, but our visit in 1999 was really great in Fountains, then we stayed in 2004 and had the same type of unit, but it was looking sad.


Our last visit to the Fountains was in March 2004 and our unit had recently been remodeled. It was very nice.

Sheila
 

rickandcindy23

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Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
Sheila, we were in Fountains I, I believe.
 

Pammy

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Club Solaris, San Jose Los Cabos, Mexico. A smelly, overdue-for-a-facelift, and noisy resort. THE WORST PART--they charge an "all inclusive" fee of $105 per person, per day, for crappy food, noisy surroundings, and a pervasive smell of mold-being-masqueraded as bleach. It was AWFUL. Stay away.
 

bobby

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Eastern Slope

The Eastern Slope Inn in North Conway, NH uses several different buildings for exchanges. We were also across the street from the main Inn, and on the second floor over stores. The main drag was just outside our window with a stop lights, so you'd hear the trucks stopping and starting at all hours. Some of their buildings are even further away from the Inn.
 

TomF

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Marriotts: MountainSide | Newport Coast Villas | Desert Spring Villas (sold);
Lawai Beach Resort | EVR-Lake Tahoe (sold)
The very first exchange we did was to the Pono Kai on our first trip to Kauai in 1994. I don't remember too many details, but we absolutely hated the place. It just seemed cheap and run down. We were in a building well away from the ocean, but there were people who had rented and had ocean view rooms in another building right off the beach. It was a huge step down from our white season Marriott Desert Springs Villa two bedroom, but we had exchanged the lock-off and got the one bedroom at Pono Kai. It was a shocking introduction to time sharing, but we have been able to get very good exchanges since then, particularly to other Marriott properties.

The good news is that we absolutely loved Kauai and ended up buying an EOY one-bedroom at Lawai Beach Resort, which we really like and have spent every even year in since then.

Another bad exchange was to the Maui Schooner Resort. It was right off the main road in Kihue and was very noisy. The pool was tiny and we never used it. Again, it was a huge step down from DSV, but we had to be there for a wedding in Wailea and it was the most convenient.
 

Alphadog

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Worst Ever

Our worst exchange had to be Fairfield's Sea Gardens Beach and Tennis Resort in Pompano Beach Florida. We had a one bedroom eff. The bathtub must have been painted and had been flaking off for quite awhile. There were cigarette burns on the edge of the tub and bathroom vanity. The kitchenette wasn't in such great shape either. Check in late in the afternoon took until after 6pm. Staff wasn't exactly friendly either. Fairfield should be ashamed of this place!
 

wilmark

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West Winds II Bahamas

Great Area, but the place was a bit run down with a run down townhouse feel to it.

But i have to agree with many of the posters - most time share experiences are great because of the community, and the fact is that there are no really bad places, its just relative.

I see alot of votes for Sheraton Vistana - I think starwood give alot of slots to RCI to bring buyers to join Starwood club. This is a bad strategy because Vistana is really run down and a bad example of a starwood place. Our experience there was better than average - our 1 br room was decent.
 

Nona

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I am embarassed to say this because I just bought mine and hate to complain. My own Silverleaf in Flint. I had visited two different occasions. You know when you get those free trips for going to presentations , well I used mine for a weeks stay on about 3 different occasions before I bought. My rooms were immaculate. But now that I own I have stayed acouple of times and I saw a roach, toilet problems and more. Why is this happening? I think I have realistic expectations. I saw a hair in the shower and felt like they had not cleaned the room properly. From here on out I will take my cleaners and something to cover the couch and the chair.
 

shar45

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The Windrifter N.H.

This was a bonus week that we got for my son and daughter-in-law. They said it was filthy and worn. When we were staying in the area the next year, we went to check it out for ourselves. We agreed, although we never got into one of the rooms. They did say that the staff were very friendly. We felt so bad for the kids that I immediately contacted RCI. They gave us a discount for another week, but were unable to use it. RCI needs to be a little more diligent in getting resorts to maintain a better standard or else be blackballed till they come up to par. I don't mean that every resort needs to be a five star, but they should at least be clean. We have exchanged at many resorts that were not gold or silver crown or even a resort of distinction and have been pleasantly surprised. The only place I have exchanged to when I have been mildly disappointed was SUNTERRA POHATAN
PLANTATION. The unit was in one of the older buildings and had no windows in the kitchen or living room. Only the bedrooms had windows and there was no deck or anywhere to sit outside. The kitchen should have been a closet. However we did enjoy the resort and pools and there was lots to do, we just used the unit basically to sleep in.
 

johnmfaeth

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"Mi gusta no ti gusta" - "My taste is not your taste"

"Worst" is largely a function of the expectation levels of the guest when on vacation. If I am expecting Marriott quality and trade into a Wyndham, it will be the "worst" I've stayed at. If I normally stick with converted Daytona Beach hotels, that same Wyndham will be the best I've stayed at.

And does one judge the entire resort on the particular room that was the exception to the rest of the resort, but was the room bad luck gave you. Or is judgement established by something uncontrollable taste, one recent bad stay story included a raccoon that was on a exterior staircase as one reason it was bad. (sorry to single this out).

That all said, I've been pretty lucky. I never trade and bought my collection at timeshares after thorough research and have always enjoyed them without regrets.

Could tell a couple of war stories of horrible hotels and pensions, especially in Europe where quality varies far more than the US.

John
 
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Brutie

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Monarch Grand Vacations Club CanCun Resort in Las Vegas...Dont even ask!!!!
 

DeniseM

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WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
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