# New Photo's posted of Grand Timber Lodge in Breckenridge, CO



## dougp26364 (Jul 12, 2009)

I've put together a Webshots album of the two bedroom unit we have at Grand Timber Lodge in Breckenridge, CO. You can view them by clicking the picture below or by clicking the link in my signature. Clicking the picture should take you directly to the Grand Timber Lodge photo album. Clicking the link in my signature will take you to our Webshots page with all our photo albums.


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## Karen G (Jul 12, 2009)

What a lovely place!  Thanks for posting that complete coverage of the unit. It's beautiful.


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## Bernie8245 (Jul 13, 2009)

Doug,
    Grand Timber Lodge looks like a nice place. My wife and I have an exchange through II in a 1 br unit in August. Are there any specific units or buildings I should request or does it matter? Thanks for the pictures. I can't wait to go there.
Bernie


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## Dave*H (Jul 13, 2009)

Grand Timber used to be on my list of places I wanted to own some day.  However, they recently changed the reservation procedure to a prioritized lottery type system.  Doesn't work for me.  I'd rather take my chances with a first come, first served phone scramble.  My bet is that for those willing to put in the effort, a phone scramble is likely to work out better on average.  The new system levels the paying field between those willing and able to put in the effort, and those who would prefer the most prime weeks but not enough so to go to any extra effort to get it.

My theory is the new system will actually result in fewer owners getting a week they can use since the system requires you include at least three weeks in your request.  For example, someone who is tied in to school breaks may only have 1, maybe 2, weeks that work for a winter float, and they will put in whatever level of effort is needed to increase their odds of getting it.  Now they have to complete with John Doe, who will invite his school age relatives if he can get the week even though he doesn't care enough about inviting them to put in even a minor amount of effort.  As a result, you are more likely to end up with your third choice.  Actually, I'm not sure the new system even put much consideration to the rank of your choice.  It's prime goal is to match as many owners as possible to at least one of their choices.  That only works if you can come up with at least 3 weeks that work.

For comparison, for floating weeks I own at other resorts, I've never recieved less than my second choice.


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## dougp26364 (Jul 13, 2009)

Bernie8245 said:


> Doug,
> Grand Timber Lodge looks like a nice place. My wife and I have an exchange through II in a 1 br unit in August. Are there any specific units or buildings I should request or does it matter? Thanks for the pictures. I can't wait to go there.
> Bernie



As an exchanger it's really hard for me to give advice on what building/units would be best. As far as our unit goes, it has to be one of the worst locations but it's still fine as far as we're concerned. While I have no view of the mountains, pools or even landscaping, I have seen a fox go by 3 nights in a row and I've been able to get some really nice action shots of ground squirles making themselves busy building their nests. Location is always what you make of it. 

If I had to ask, I'd probably want to be in building 4, 5 or 6. As an exchanger, I'm usually happy with whatever I get and am there for the area more than the unit location. Since this exchange was obtained using an AC, I figure it's good just to be here. 

Since you'll be here during August, I'd suggest a fan. The room was hot and stuffy when we arrived. Even though it got down into the 40's and we left all the windows open, it took 36 hours for this unit to really begin to cool down. The resort probably has fans they'll loan you. Since this is a drive to vacation for us I just bought a box fan for $15 from the grocery store in town. Between leaving the windows open, running the portable swamp cooler, running the ceiling fans 24/7 and running the box fan we purchased the unit stays comfortable. If we had a unit higher up or if our unit caught more of the wind, it might not be so bad.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jul 13, 2009)

Good photos.  We have a friend who skis there every year before Christmas and loves it.


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## ml855 (Jul 15, 2009)

Thanks so much for posting your photos, we check in on the 25th a little over a week from now.  The resort looks like a really nice place.  How far is the resort from Breckenridge, is it within walking distance or will we need to drive.  Any suggestions on activities we should not to miss in the area.  Thanks again, we're looking forward to a wonderful vacation in Colorado, hiking, rafting, and just enjoying the outdoors, can't wait.


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## MuranoJo (Jul 15, 2009)

Doug,

Can't say I've EVER seen such comprehensive photos of a place--even down to what's inside the drawers and cabinets!  Great shots and looks like a great place.  Thx for sharing.


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## dougp26364 (Jul 16, 2009)

ml855 said:


> Thanks so much for posting your photos, we check in on the 25th a little over a week from now.  The resort looks like a really nice place.  How far is the resort from Breckenridge, is it within walking distance or will we need to drive.  Any suggestions on activities we should not to miss in the area.  Thanks again, we're looking forward to a wonderful vacation in Colorado, hiking, rafting, and just enjoying the outdoors, can't wait.



Depends on your definition of "within walking distance." For us it's not within walking distance but, there is a resort shuttle which will take you down to main street and it runs every 10 to 15 minutes (or so I'm told). If you drive down to town, parking is free until sometime in October and there are several lots available. We've found it to be really very convenient loctation.

I don't know what to tell you about not to miss attractions. I guess it really just depends on what you're looking for. There is a great information center in Breck and that would be your best bet to go and ask questions about attractions in the area. We enjoy just walking around town, there's a ton of hiking trails in the area, we drove over to Georgetown, which is a quaint little town and also has The Georgetown Loop railroad, which is an interesting ride. There is also a mountain pass that can be driven (quinella or something like that) which can be driven and provides some nice scenery but, there is some construction work going on that interfers a bit. In that past we've seen a fair amount of wildlife driving that pass but not so much this year. A friend of ours who was at the summit of this pass the day before we were there saw a moose. All we saw this year were a couple of deer. We've seen a lot of big horn sheep on this pass in the past. 

We drove through Glenwood Canyon over to the town of Glennwood Springs were there is a 1/2 mile trail to the Linwood cemetary where Doc Holiday is burried. They have hot sulpher springs there if you're so inclined. On the way to Glenwood many people stop to hike the Hanging Lake trail. We did not do this as it was hot and my wife doesn't do steep trails.

There is the Peak 8 Amuesment Park with an alpine slide that we haven't bothered to look into as of yet. I'm not sure we'll get up there this trip. 

There's so many things to see and do in this area and just a huge variety that it would be impossible to list any not-to-miss attractions.


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## dougp26364 (Jul 16, 2009)

muranojo said:


> Doug,
> 
> Can't say I've EVER seen such comprehensive photos of a place--even down to what's inside the drawers and cabinets!  Great shots and looks like a great place.  Thx for sharing.



Over the years I've found people ask what was in the kitchen so they knew if they needed to bring something or not. Eventually I figured it would be easier just to take photo's for them to see for themselves what was there. 

The developers put so few photo's up and often don't update them with I.I. or RCI. I like to be able to see photo's of where we might want to exchange into so I take as many photo's as I can of a resort for other to see as well. I feel it might help others to see something before they decide to exchange or, even to buy.


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## ml855 (Jul 16, 2009)

dougp26364 said:


> Depends on your definition of "within walking distance." For us it's not within walking distance but, there is a resort shuttle which will take you down to main street and it runs every 10 to 15 minutes (or so I'm told). If you drive down to town, parking is free until sometime in October and there are several lots available. We've found it to be really very convenient loctation.
> 
> I don't know what to tell you about not to miss attractions. I guess it really just depends on what you're looking for. There is a great information center in Breck and that would be your best bet to go and ask questions about attractions in the area. We enjoy just walking around town, there's a ton of hiking trails in the area, we drove over to Georgetown, which is a quaint little town and also has The Georgetown Loop railroad, which is an interesting ride. There is also a mountain pass that can be driven (quinella or something like that) which can be driven and provides some nice scenery but, there is some construction work going on that interfers a bit. In that past we've seen a fair amount of wildlife driving that pass but not so much this year. A friend of ours who was at the summit of this pass the day before we were there saw a moose. All we saw this year were a couple of deer. We've seen a lot of big horn sheep on this pass in the past.
> 
> ...



Thanks Doug!!


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## MuranoJo (Jul 17, 2009)

dougp26364 said:


> Over the years I've found people ask what was in the kitchen so they knew if they needed to bring something or not. Eventually I figured it would be easier just to take photo's for them to see for themselves what was there.
> 
> The developers put so few photo's up and often don't update them with I.I. or RCI. I like to be able to see photo's of where we might want to exchange into so I take as many photo's as I can of a resort for other to see as well. I feel it might help others to see something before they decide to exchange or, even to buy.



I'm sure you may be aware of this, but you might just want to post the link to the photos up in the Resort Database (where you do reviews), and you may even qualify for a few months' free membership (if they still offer that).  I know when I was trying to select resorts I'd often pop over there and made a few entries myself.  I trust those reports more than I do Trip Advisor.


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## dougp26364 (Jul 17, 2009)

muranojo said:


> I'm sure you may be aware of this, but you might just want to post the link to the photos up in the Resort Database (where you do reviews), and you may even qualify for a few months' free membership (if they still offer that).  I know when I was trying to select resorts I'd often pop over there and made a few entries myself.  I trust those reports more than I do Trip Advisor.




Trip Advisor is not a good place to go for timeshare reviews. Many of reviews are from people who where expecting hotel like accomadations where as in a timeshare, you make your own beds and towels aren't changed out every day. Some timeshares you even take out your own trash. If you're expecting 5 star hotel accomadations and wind up making your own bed and taking out your own trash, you won't be a happy camper.


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## Bernie8245 (Jul 21, 2009)

dougp26364 said:


> As an exchanger it's really hard for me to give advice on what building/units would be best. As far as our unit goes, it has to be one of the worst locations but it's still fine as far as we're concerned. While I have no view of the mountains, pools or even landscaping, I have seen a fox go by 3 nights in a row and I've been able to get some really nice action shots of ground squirles making themselves busy building their nests. Location is always what you make of it.
> 
> If I had to ask, I'd probably want to be in building 4, 5 or 6. As an exchanger, I'm usually happy with whatever I get and am there for the area more than the unit location. Since this exchange was obtained using an AC, I figure it's good just to be here.
> 
> Since you'll be here during August, I'd suggest a fan. The room was hot and stuffy when we arrived. Even though it got down into the 40's and we left all the windows open, it took 36 hours for this unit to really begin to cool down. The resort probably has fans they'll loan you. Since this is a drive to vacation for us I just bought a box fan for $15 from the grocery store in town. Between leaving the windows open, running the portable swamp cooler, running the ceiling fans 24/7 and running the box fan we purchased the unit stays comfortable. If we had a unit higher up or if our unit caught more of the wind, it might not be so bad.



Doug,
   Thanks for the information. I was wondering if the units would get hot in August without AC. I think I will plan on bringing a fan.
Bernie


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## dougp26364 (Jul 21, 2009)

Bernie8245 said:


> Doug,
> Thanks for the information. I was wondering if the units would get hot in August without AC. I think I will plan on bringing a fan.
> Bernie



Because the unit was closed up when we arrived and, we arrived later in the day, our unit was rather uncomfortable that first day and night. After that we didn't have a problem but, we never closed the windows, day or night, for the entire time we were there. Even though temps were down in the 40's at night we still left the windows open, the ceiling fans running and the mini swamp cooler running. 

Just a hint for the swamp cooler. It works better when you add ice to the water in the tank and, I found that if I kept a pitcher of water in the fridge, I could add cold water to the swamp cooler and that helped keep the air coming from it cooler than if I just added tap water.


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## Floridaski (Jul 21, 2009)

*check the tug reviews*

We just got back from Grand Timber it was our second stay.  The first was about 2 years ago before we got a place in Keystone.  We stayed in bld 5, facing the mountains, 3rd floor and it was week 11, confirmed in one day via II using Hyatt Points.

Our most recent stay was July 4th in bld 7 in room 735, nice view of pine trees, no mountains.  I did a detaled Tug review that is up with lots of fun things to do - if you are fit enough, you should do the Mohawk Lake hike - it is beautiful and a all day trip.  Also you might want to go white water rafting, have GT book it, the trip was good and was a great price. 

Try to eat at Herathstone - great food and they have a price fix menu for $25.00 per person.  

GT will bring you up a portable AC unit, we had one in each room from the prior renter, not sure why they needed it - we never used them.  Open the windows and it should be perfect.

Call ahead and find out what bulding your check in day allows - then post on Tug and they will help you with what you should request.  I have requested specific types of rooms, upper floor, quiet, view etc...They have always filled the request - but of course you need to act like you might be interested in buying....who knows we all buy somethig at certain times  :hysterical:


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## schatterjee (Mar 1, 2010)

Doug,

Just wanted to add another "Thank You" for all the photos.  We just got a trade for this July and I really appreciated your photos!

Excellent work!


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## dougp26364 (Mar 1, 2010)

schatterjee said:


> Doug,
> 
> Just wanted to add another "Thank You" for all the photos.  We just got a trade for this July and I really appreciated your photos!
> 
> Excellent work!



That's why I post all the photo's. A few years back I was frustrated by the lack of photo's available to see what resorts were really like. The publicity photo's put up by developers just didn't cut it. 

I'm glad TUG members find the albums useful. I only wish I could visit more resorts and visit them more often so as to have a larer collection.


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