anyone been to villas at treetop or fairway recently

[CARTER28]

i am considering a week getaway for the winter at 384.00 i have read numerous reviews all stating this place is bad and in need of a lot of help.
has anyone been recently? have there been renovations? how would it compare to splitrock? i have younger kids so tubing and activities for them is really important.

[johnmfaeth]

The Fairways units are in better shape than the Treetops.

The townhouses at Split Rock are nicer. The Galleria at Split Rock is OK, just a huge hotel. Split Rock has a nicer activites center, their indoor water park is under construction and looked months away from opening when I drove around there 2 weeks back.

Fernwood is pretty close to Shawnee Mountain which is the best tubing in the area. Although Big Boulder next to Split Rock is almost as good. Camalback is 20 minutes from Split Rock or Fernwood and another great ski area + indoor water park.

More food choices if you head south along 209 from Fernwood than around Split Rock although some decent places are near it too.

[anne1125]

If you can get a 3 bedroom fairway grab it. It's beautiful.

Anne

[hopetotimeshare]

We stay at the resort every summer for my daughters dance competition. THey told us this past summer that they were going to be tearing down the convention center. Anyhow, we have stayed in studios, one bedrooms and 3 bedrooms in treetops and fairways - fairway is by far better but we were still VERY unimpressed. Everything from tiny ant infestations to no working water, rotten wood on the decks - my husband fell through the stairs, filthy rugs, piles of cigarette ashes under the kitchen table. You can read my reviews. Perhaps there are nicer units in the resort, I am not an owner. One plus...the onsite restaurants were great and the prices were fair.

[geneticblend]

I am going to the Villas at Tree Tops with my family for Thanksgiving week. It is not some place that I would have choosen. I won it in Interval International's Dollar Getaways. I have not heard very good reports about the place. But when I called to confirm my reservations and ask a few questions, the woman who answered the phone was very nice, and obviously worked there for a while. (I had some questions about what goes on during Thanksgiving week, and she was able to tell me what has happened there in past years.) I will certainly report back my findings. I usually post pictures and a detailed report on tripadvisor.com. I will come back here and post when I have completed that so you can take a gander.

[hajjah]

Ok, I'll add a little here. I've been to Tree Tops and Fairways several times, and would not go back to either unless I'm in the 3 bdrm units at Fairways. My last stay was at Fairways in November, 2005. Take this advice, do not take anything out of the car until you go in and check the unit. We changed units 5 times during that stay! We were changed from Tree Tops to Fairways, and it still did not matter. Some of those units were gross.

If you can get into a unit at Tree Tops in the higher numbers, you'll be fine. I'm told that they usually assign some of the owners there. I had a friend who owned at Tree Tops. She asked to be changed several times during her last stay as well.

My sister is on her way to Fairways tomorrow. I told her to checkout those units before unpacking the car. She is not as picky as myself. Maybe she'll take the first unit they give her.

By the way, Split Rock has the best amenities in the Poconos. We were in the Galleria back in April. The units are just so-so, but at least everything is under one roof. The children loved this.

And lastly, if you ever go to Westwood at Split Rock, make sure that you are not confirmed into the Mosyewood section. Rustic is not even a word for those units. I made RCI give me back my week after staying there during Xmas, 2006. I could have used some tranquilizers to call me down from staying in that dump. I could not wait to leave.

[geneticblend]

hajjah, thanks for your advice. I will certainly ask for a unit in the higher numbers. I am glad that I am not using up a trade week for this! Perhaps things have gotten better since 2005...??? I can only hope...

[LUVourMarriotts]

I stayed in a studio in the Tree Tops last October. It was the pits. We only chose the location because it was near our friends who moved to PA. The place was probably about half full. The sports bar had pretty decent food though. They had some shrimp appetizer that we really liked. I think they were shrimp poppers.

Lots of ants, cockroaches, water damage, mildew in the bathroom, etc.

[geneticblend]

Wow. This place is really starting to sound scary. I am wondering if it is even worth the "dollar" price tag! If things are really nasty, I will personally complain to Interval International. I can't fathom why they would give away a week at a place that is absolutely horrid. I know that the units that they gave away were some of those that weren't "moving". But you would think that they would choose some of the nicer places in order to promote their inventory.

hajjah, have you heard from your sister yet? What did she say about the Fairways?

[LUVourMarriotts]

Originally Posted by geneticblend

Wow. This place is really starting to sound scary. I am wondering if it is even worth the "dollar" price tag! If things are really nasty, I will personally complain to Interval International.

We went to Tree Tops on a Getaway, so only paid the $149 for the studio, so that wasn't too bad. I did submit my review of the resort to II when I returned. And I was very honest about the quality. I wonder how effective those reviews really are with II.

[hajjah]

I spoke with my sister yesterday. She said her unit wasn't too bad. Of course, my sister and I have different tastes when it comes to timesharing. There are many places she'd stay that I would not. I also timeshare much more than she does. I'll wait to see which unit she was in upon her return.

[geneticblend]

Sorry it has taken me so long to post about our November trip to The Tree Tops Villas. And let me report this, they were worse than I had imagined. The units were old, and dirty. There were stains on the carpets, curtains, walls, and furniture. There were rips and holes in the sofa cushions. Every corner of the room was filled with black dirt. There was mold in the bathrooms. We had a horrible experience. Upon check-in they gave us a map and sent us to Unit 6003, and the key did not open the door. The key was in a tiny manila envelope and handwritten on the envelope was "Unit 6033", which was one of the units across the street. So we went across the street, and went inside that unit. The first thing we did was call the front desk and ask which unit we were supposed to be in. Stay in unit 6033 they told us. We unpacked all our food, put it in the cupboards and refrigerator, unpacked our clothes and hung stuff in the closet, put our toiletry items in the bathroom, put on our pajamas and went to bed. At 12:30 am someone was yellling, pounding on the door and trying to open the door to our room! You guessed it! They gave us a room that belonged to someone else. We had to pack everything up and go to the front desk again. Where do you think they sent us? Back to Unit 6003. We had to go down several flights of steps to a dark basement room. It was very, very cold---actually freezing in the room, and it stunk of cigarette smoke. We went to adjust the thermostat and found that we couldn't. It was smashed to bits with just some wires and parts hanging from the wall. Another call to the front desk was made and we were off again. This time to Unit 6029. It was 2:30 am by the time we got a room. That is the shortened version. You can read all the details and see the photos that I submitted in the TUG reviews. (I just submitted it today, so they might not be posted yet.) Do I recommend this place? NO! STAY AWAY! The rooms are awful, the service is awful, and the personnel are rude and incompetent.

[wackymother]

Unbelievable! And this was a "prize"! I'm so sorry. Did you call II and complain?

[Nancy]

We stayed there about 7 years ago, and I'd rate the unit as the worse exchange we've ever had. I see that it hasn't improved. When we were they, they were remodeling and hoped it would improve. We did enjoy the resort, just not the unit.

Nancy

[Cayuga]

I am amazed by the reviews and comments about this resort. Honestly, I have been vacationing at this facility for years and have always stayed in the nicest units!
Maybe there is a difference between what is provided owners of a certain contract group and others who exchange in from elsewhere. It's baffling! I generally love the place!

[wackymother]

Originally Posted by Cayuga

I am amazed by the reviews and comments about this resort. Honestly, I have been vacationing at this facility for years and have always stayed in the nicest units!
Maybe there is a difference between what is provided owners of a certain contract group and others who exchange in from elsewhere. It's baffling! I generally love the place!

There IS something mysterious going on here. We have friends who own at this resort and they LOVE it. They imply it's fairly posh! I think they MUST be getting nice, refurbished units because they're owners.

[geneticblend]

Kathy, who is the rep for the North East did indeed publish my review of the Villas at Tree Tops to the Tug site, and the photos are there as well. So go take a look. (Kathy is great by the way!)

Yes, just today I wrote a letter to Interval, and included some of the same photos that I posted here. I wanted to send a letter because I definately wanted them to see my photos.

For those of you who might not be members and cannot access the Tug reviews, let me explain a bit about how I ended up going to the Villas at Tree Tops. Interval International was running a promotion back in September and October. Every day, there would be five one dollar Getaways some where on their website. You just had to sift through them to find one of them. I was lucky enough (or so I thought at the time) to find a dollar Getaway at the Villas at Tree Tops in the Poconos for Thanksgiving week. Anyway, in my letter to Interval International, I told them that I thought that the dollar Getaway promotion was a great idea. It brought lots of people to their site browsing through their inventory. It gave people ideas for trades that they probably would not have considered before. You would think that the dollar Getaways would be to nice destinations, probably not prime season, but decent places that you might tell people about, or a place that you might like to return to. But giving a prize such as the Villas at Tree Tops should be an embarrassment to Interval International! Places like that shouldn't even be member resorts as far as I am concerned. Not only was the villa a dump, but the people who worked there were unfriendly, rude and incompetent.

We were in three different villas, and all three of them were awful.

In our walks around the resort, there were some units that looked so dilapidated, I was shocked to see people inside them. There were screen doors hanging off of hinges, broken windows, grass that needed to be cut, and overgrown weeds.

The surroundings are beautiful, and the site has a lot of potential. There were certainly a lot of planned activities and things to do. But I would never return there.

[Nancy]

After looking at GeneticBlends pictures, it looks like units have been upgraded since we were there, but have same terrible housekeeping. One of the things I remember was cabinet doors hanging off. We also had formica type furniture in bedroom.

Thanks for the review and pictures.

Nancy

[hajjah]

Yep, I told you so! That place should not be with RCI or II. I've been to Tree Tops and Fairways many times. During our last visit in 2005, we changed units 5 times. I was tired of looking at units only to find major things wrong in each of them. If you get a unit in the higher numbers, they are not as bad. The first phase needs to be turned down. They are absolutely horrid. I must read the updated review now.

[hajjah]

geneticblend: I just read your review and saw the pictures. Let me say that I hope you are a winner on TUG for that review. It's one of the best I've read in a long time.

As for your stay at Tree Tops, you were actually in the so called newer units! If you had seen the units numbered 1000-4000, you would have seen something so different. Those buildings look as if they are about to fall. The insides are horrid.

[geneticblend]

Thanks hajjah! It would be nice to be a winner! Not all the good reviews should be winners!

I was shocked at the condition of the Tree Top Villas. And I am almost embarrased to say that I stayed there! But it was fun to act like an investigative reporter. I felt like one of those secret diners who go to a restaurant and test the food and service, then give their report to the masses. If my trip helps some fellow Tuggers avoid that place, then great. And perhaps if the word gets out, then Tree Tops will literally be forced to clean up their act. The place has a lot of potential. I hope they can make the needed repairs and get some competent staff.

[In The Pink]

Originally Posted by Cayuga

I am amazed by the reviews and comments about this resort. Honestly, I have been vacationing at this facility for years and have always stayed in the nicest units!
Maybe there is a difference between what is provided owners of a certain contract group and others who exchange in from elsewhere. It's baffling! I generally love the place!

Are you referring to the Villas at Tree Top in Bushkill, PA or the Tree Tops Resort in Gatlinburg? The second seems to get much better reviews.

[hajjah]

These negative reviews are about The Villas at Tree Tops in the Poconos. Most of their units are deplorable.