# Welk San Diego is Delightful



## Guitarmom (Aug 10, 2011)

Hubby and I just got back from Welk's San Diego resort. Although it's really in Escondido (northeast corner of San Diego County), we had a simply wonderful time.

There were so many activities available that more than one person commented it sounded like we were on a cruise. We took golf lessons, played blackjack at a casino night, attended a Hawaiian luau, saw three different shows, entertained nearby family, and more. Truly, there was more on the Welk schedule than we could have possibly done. OK, so we had to cook our own meals, but a few Trader Joe's frozen dinners made that quite easy. And to further the cruise analogy, all our shore trips were in San Diego, including a tour of the Taylor Guitar manufacturing plant (please note my name)! Things don't get much better.

Thanks to TUG, one year ago we walked away from the Welk sales staff's offer of two bedrooms for $40,000. Instead, we bought a *resale* Villas on the Green 2BR lock-off last year for pennies on the dollar.

This was our first trip to Welk as owners. I feel like we've found the sweet spot at Welk. We can use two bedrooms once a year -- great for a family reunion -- or we can use one bedroom twice a year -- great for us as new empty nesters.

On the down side, Villas on the Green looks to need the most maintenance of the three "locations" at Welk San Diego. A good coat of paint would do a lot to perk them up. And parking for the Villas may forever be a problem; it was quite poorly planned. But our unit was clean and perfectly maintained inside. And although Welk was completely booked, we had no noise problems whatsoever.

Just a short report for anyone wondering about Welk. Having bought resale, we have zero regrets. Oh, and we're finding it to be a good trader, too. Cheers!


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## mjm1 (Aug 10, 2011)

Glad you enjoyed your trip.  

We were in the Mountain Villas last week for the first time and loved it too.  My father-in-law traded into the Welk Resort Villas (the oldest section) and their 2BR unit was beautifully renovated.  I imagine the VOG will be next.  The grounds and golf course were all in great shape too.  We love the area and all of the things you can do.


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## Karen G (Aug 10, 2011)

Guitarmom said:


> Hubby and I just got back from Welk's San Diego resort. . . . we had a simply wonderful time.


Be sure to write a review for the TUG Resort Reviews. It sounds like a great place.


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## BevL (Aug 10, 2011)

Only been there once but it was one of our favourite timeshares.  Just very relaxing and the layout of the units was fantastic - lots of privacy for two couples and that great room idea in the middle.  We loved it there!!


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## eal (Aug 11, 2011)

We love it there too!  We go every year for the last week of February before returning to Canada to finish off the rest of BC's winter.


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## Dori (Aug 11, 2011)

We stayed in the Welk villas a few years ago, and loved the resort. The unit was huge, and there was lots of privacy for 4 of us, as another couple came with us. We were amazed at the beautiful landscaping, and spent lots of time walking around the grounds . We thoroughly enjoyed the San Diego bus tour arranged by the resort. We also did the Tijuana bus tour that was offered. That was lots of fun. We would not hesitate to return to Welk.

Dori


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## Guitarmom (Aug 11, 2011)

Glad to hear everyone else has enjoyed Welk as much as we do.

Karen, I hadn't known about TUG Reviews. I'll post something there.

Again, a big THANK YOU to TUG for steering us toward buying resale.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 11, 2011)

We love the large 2 bedroom standard villas and would definitely stay there again.  I heard those have been updated, and we have been twice to the units before the updates.  Love the grounds, the views, the activities, and the general area. Too bad it's such a long drive to Disneyland.


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## Karen G (Aug 11, 2011)

Guitarmom said:


> Karen, I hadn't known about TUG Reviews. I'll post something there.
> 
> Again, a big THANK YOU to TUG for steering us toward buying resale.



Oops! I didn't notice that you are listed as a Guest. Only TUG members have access to the TUG reviews.  If you are a paid TUG member but haven't changed your status, I can show you where to look to accomplish that. If you haven't joined TUG yet, I encourage you to do so. The reviews and sightings forums are valuable and available only to members.


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## cissy (Aug 11, 2011)

Thanks for all of the info.  I've considered Welk many times, but wasn't sure if I would like it.  Sounds wonderful!


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## bccash63 (Aug 11, 2011)

Put in on my wish list--dawn


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## BevL (Aug 11, 2011)

Just be prepared for time in the car -  it's a beautiful resort kind of in the middle of nowhere, other than close to the Wild Animal Park.


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## ajlm33 (Aug 11, 2011)

BevL said:


> it's a beautiful resort kind of in the middle of nowhere, other than close to the Wild Animal Park.



That's the beauty of it......

Close enough to San Diego to "go and do" stuff, yet in a serene valley with plenty of room to relax and great year-round weather. My definition of a perfect timeshare......

And yes, I am an owner


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## BevL (Aug 11, 2011)

ajlm33 said:


> That's the beauty of it......
> 
> Close enough to San Diego to "go and do" stuff, yet in a serene valley with plenty of room to relax and great year-round weather. My definition of a perfect timeshare......
> 
> And yes, I am an owner



Oh, I agree wholeheartedly, it wasn't meant as a criticism.  But to me, if you're wanting to "do stuff" every day, it's not the best choice.

We go to relax.  A day around a pool with a good book on my Kindle and the furthest we go is back to the unit for top ups of drinks and snacks!!  It's perfect there for that and as you say, still close enough to do a few day trips.


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## Rent_Share (Aug 12, 2011)

cissy said:


> Thanks for all of the info. I've considered Welk many times, but wasn't sure if I would like it. Sounds wonderful!


 

IMHO They need to change the name, I wouldn't consider it due to it's association with that fossil from the 60s and 70's


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## Dori (Aug 12, 2011)

If, by any chance, you like going to casinos, we quite like the Valley View. The buffet there was amazing and very reasonable.

Dori


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## eal (Aug 12, 2011)

The resort is owned by the Welk family and I am sure they would never consider changing the name!


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## heathpack (Aug 12, 2011)

Can someone give me a brief run-dpwn on the different Welk Resorts in Escondido?  We have read TUG reviews and know these places are highly regarded, we are in LA and could go down for a long weekend pretty easily, I see lots of these in II.

What is the difference between the resorts, pros and cons of the various options?

H


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Aug 15, 2011)

The older Welk Resort Villas are all beautifully maintained two bedroom villas, originally built as full time condos. Then they built Villas on the Green, my least favorite in terms of design and architecture. Last are the recently built Mountain Villas, all granite countertops etc. They, like Villas on the Green, are lock offs, no studio units, but one large and one small bedroom. We stayed at Mountain Villas on the large side for a few days in June and loved it and are going to use points for the smaller side next. They are all on the same large piece of land and you can do all the activities and go to all the pools regardless of where you are staying. There is one restaurant, (improved over the last few years and very nice) and a small shopping area, including a new spa for massage.
Liz


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## Guitarmom (Aug 15, 2011)

@heathpack -- If I may expand on Liz's comments:

While Welk lists on the exchange companies as three different resorts, that gives a somewhat misleading picture. The recreational activities are offered at the different club houses, but they are open to anyone staying in any of the "three" resorts.

Why "three" resorts? Welk San Diego was built in basically three phases.

Phase 1 -- Lawrence Welk Resort Villas
These are serene two bedroom units with a "great room" between. They are spacious and relaxing; there is really something unique about these original units. Most of the buildings are two story, but each unit is all on one floor. They are solidly constructed: I've only stayed on the bottom floor, and I've *never* heard footsteps above me. There are handicap units available which have no stairs at all. TUG members have reported that all these units are being refurbished.

Phase 2 - Villas on the Green
These are built as two bedroom lock-offs. One side is a large one bedroom with a living room, a large patio, a full kitchen and washer and drier. The other side is a small one bedroom, with an insignificant patio, and a partial kitchen (two burners, no oven, tiny dishwasher), and no washer/drier. Having said that, I think the small unit is perfectly adequate for a couple provided you plan ahead for no oven and no clothes washer. These units need some refurbishing, but having seen the latest HOA budget, I'm not at all worried. There's a nice amount set aside for capital improvements. Closest units to the Marketplace where we attended a number of events.

Phase 3 - Mountain Villas
The newest phase, also two bedroom lock-offs. Haven't stayed here, only toured, but they seemed quite nice. The pool at this clubhouse is very attractive -- it's huge and meandering like something you'd see in a magazine ad. Farthest from the Marketplace, WAY up the hill. You might want to walk down, but you'd better be healthy if you're planning to walk back up.

As I said, we couldn't be happier with owning at Welk even though we're in the most "rundown" section. "Rundown" is a relative term -- if you'd seen the first timeshare we owned, you'd call the Villas on the Green an absolute paradise.

If you're exchanging into Welk, I completely agree with Liz: Villas on the Green are the least desirable of the three sections (i.e. resorts). But if you'll be spending your time on the golf course or by the pool, any of the three resorts will give you a fabulous vacation.


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## heathpack (Aug 15, 2011)

Thanks everybody.  We'll post back if we pick one up and go visit.

H


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## Rent_Share (Aug 15, 2011)

eal said:


> The resort is owned by the Welk family and I am sure they would never consider changing the name!


 
The resort is owned by people who paid developer prices .  . . .


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## Jaybee (Aug 22, 2011)

I agree about Welk being delightful. We've owned here for some time, and have never been disappointed.
We're just starting a 5 night stay in the Villas. We're on Melody Hill, and this is the first time we've ever stayed in a downstairs unit. It's a refurbished one, and done very nicely. I love the fact that they've switched to duvet covers, and eliminated the lovely, but VERY heavy bedspreads. (Am I writing my review here?) 
Last year, we got to spend a week at Sirena del Mar in Cabo, and it is really nicely done. 
Looking back at at a couple of negative notes on this thread, I'd be thrilled if I were half as smart and successful as "that fossil". :hysterical:


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