I get to the member reviews a couple of times a year ... when I get curious.
Noticed a couple of new reviews for my home resort of Aviara ... and especially the one with a score or 4 ... four out of 10 ... really ... ? It was written by ..nbraney but I can't search this name for other posts they may have written .... hmm ....
I realize scores are akin to figure skating judges - throw out the Hi & the Low -- and you get a fair idea ... but .... I still think of what a score of 'four' would be like at other resorts .... one harsh judge here ... eh?
Here is their quote ( with my comments in red )
"We were expecting a very nice resort according to reviews on this site. We stayed for a week in the Osprey Building in a studio unit. There are no elevators, so since we are located upstairs, we have to walk up 18 stairs every day. In addition, there is limited parking, so in order to get to the nearest pool, we have to walk up and down 46 steps down a hill. The stairway is not very well kept up, with pine straw and sand covering it in some places, which if wet could cause a fall.
Reply - Osprey is at the 'highest point in the complex - we stayed they last year and loved the location. Yes -the stairs mentioned can get covered by pine needles (since the trees are abundant) - but they usually are sweep on a regular basis ( as is everything else at Aviara ) and a quick call to the front desk gets that done within an hour ... the writer doesn't mention you can walk down the sidewalk to the Summit pool .. but then they seem to want to 'drive' everywhere were... GH
The unit itself is average for a studio. The bed is comfortable with nice linens. We rearranged the furniture upon arrival because the sofa is on the same wall as the tv, so the only place to watch tv is from the bed. We moved the sofa to the same side as the bed. I would expect the Four Seasons to have a separate shower and tub even in a studio, but not the case. We did expect limited cooking facilities, although we have stayed in a studio that had two burners. There is a microwave, toaster, coffee maker, blender and electric tea maker, which seems a waste. You can easily make tea in the microwave. The resort provides free "slow" internet. If you want some speed, you have to pay $6.00 per day. Most timeshares like Marriott, Hilton, and Sheraton provide high speed wifi at no charge, so I felt the Four Seasons is being a cheapskate in this regard. They do provide robes and "refresh" service every day. That is the nicest thing that they do for the guests. If someone is considering Southern California for a vacation, a better choice is the Marriott Newport Villas as we just came from there and wish we had stayed there another week rather than making this exchange. I am not a novice in the timeshare area. This is the 17th week of timeshares that we have used this year. I doubt that I will trade into a Four Seasons again, although the resort at Pinnacle Peak was far superior to this."
Not sure where to begin - 'average' studio .. hmmm ... no 'burners' well true ... or no separate shower ... true .. you would be happier in a 1 bbd unit with whatever you traded with ? The 'refresh' every day on maid service is slightly more than a 'refresh' if you ever see what the staff do ... impressive. One last point -- I am an owner ....so the free hi-speed internet is a cost we as owners would bear in our maintenance fee .. and yes - we do pay some of the highest fees for the services ... so when a 'trader' comes in and gives the resort a FOUR out of 10 ... hmmmmm .... would like to know how they rate their home location ... where you get to drive to the pool ... driving is a waste of the beauty of this location - honk when you drive by me - I am the one walking the dog ( she likes to walk too )
A four .... holly cow ....
Greg H
Noticed a couple of new reviews for my home resort of Aviara ... and especially the one with a score or 4 ... four out of 10 ... really ... ? It was written by ..nbraney but I can't search this name for other posts they may have written .... hmm ....
I realize scores are akin to figure skating judges - throw out the Hi & the Low -- and you get a fair idea ... but .... I still think of what a score of 'four' would be like at other resorts .... one harsh judge here ... eh?
Here is their quote ( with my comments in red )
"We were expecting a very nice resort according to reviews on this site. We stayed for a week in the Osprey Building in a studio unit. There are no elevators, so since we are located upstairs, we have to walk up 18 stairs every day. In addition, there is limited parking, so in order to get to the nearest pool, we have to walk up and down 46 steps down a hill. The stairway is not very well kept up, with pine straw and sand covering it in some places, which if wet could cause a fall.
Reply - Osprey is at the 'highest point in the complex - we stayed they last year and loved the location. Yes -the stairs mentioned can get covered by pine needles (since the trees are abundant) - but they usually are sweep on a regular basis ( as is everything else at Aviara ) and a quick call to the front desk gets that done within an hour ... the writer doesn't mention you can walk down the sidewalk to the Summit pool .. but then they seem to want to 'drive' everywhere were... GH
The unit itself is average for a studio. The bed is comfortable with nice linens. We rearranged the furniture upon arrival because the sofa is on the same wall as the tv, so the only place to watch tv is from the bed. We moved the sofa to the same side as the bed. I would expect the Four Seasons to have a separate shower and tub even in a studio, but not the case. We did expect limited cooking facilities, although we have stayed in a studio that had two burners. There is a microwave, toaster, coffee maker, blender and electric tea maker, which seems a waste. You can easily make tea in the microwave. The resort provides free "slow" internet. If you want some speed, you have to pay $6.00 per day. Most timeshares like Marriott, Hilton, and Sheraton provide high speed wifi at no charge, so I felt the Four Seasons is being a cheapskate in this regard. They do provide robes and "refresh" service every day. That is the nicest thing that they do for the guests. If someone is considering Southern California for a vacation, a better choice is the Marriott Newport Villas as we just came from there and wish we had stayed there another week rather than making this exchange. I am not a novice in the timeshare area. This is the 17th week of timeshares that we have used this year. I doubt that I will trade into a Four Seasons again, although the resort at Pinnacle Peak was far superior to this."
Not sure where to begin - 'average' studio .. hmmm ... no 'burners' well true ... or no separate shower ... true .. you would be happier in a 1 bbd unit with whatever you traded with ? The 'refresh' every day on maid service is slightly more than a 'refresh' if you ever see what the staff do ... impressive. One last point -- I am an owner ....so the free hi-speed internet is a cost we as owners would bear in our maintenance fee .. and yes - we do pay some of the highest fees for the services ... so when a 'trader' comes in and gives the resort a FOUR out of 10 ... hmmmmm .... would like to know how they rate their home location ... where you get to drive to the pool ... driving is a waste of the beauty of this location - honk when you drive by me - I am the one walking the dog ( she likes to walk too )
A four .... holly cow ....
Greg H
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