# Welk Resort Villas



## Canuck (Mar 19, 2011)

Calling on TUGGERS!  Please help....would appreciate your honest opinion!  
II is holding a 2 bedroom villa for us for June 30th 2012, and I need to get back to them by tomorrow.  My hubby would like a resort closer to the ocean anywhere in Southern California. I am worried that we will not get a trade during summer months and should take this.  Hubby thinks that the resort is too far off the beaten track and we will be driving 30-45 min daily (each direction), I agree we probably will.  He also thinks I'm crazy and should just "wait" until what we really want shows up.    

Your thoughts please and thank you!


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## John Cummings (Mar 19, 2011)

Canuck said:


> Calling on TUGGERS!  Please help....would appreciate your honest opinion!
> II is holding a 2 bedroom villa for us for June 30th 2012, and I need to get back to them by tomorrow.  My hubby would like a resort closer to the ocean anywhere in Southern California. I am worried that we will not get a trade during summer months and should take this.  Hubby thinks that the resort is too far off the beaten track and we will be driving 30-45 min daily (each direction), I agree we probably will.  He also thinks I'm crazy and should just "wait" until what we really want shows up.
> 
> Your thoughts please and thank you!



I live just 25 minutes from Lawrence Welk Resort. If you want to be close to the Beach then I definitely would not stay at Lawrence Welk. The commute can be a lot longer than 45 minutes depending on traffic. Other than casinos and The San Diego Zoo Safari Park ( Wild Animal Park ) there is nothing very close to Lawrence Welk. Even though it says it is in Escondido, LW is actually about 9 miles north up I-15 in the middle of nowhere.

You also have to consider the weather. There is a considerable difference between the coast and inland. It can get pretty hot at LW in the summer. I personally would do 2 things. Wait and search for something along the coast and also pick a later date. June can be very overcast, especially along the coast. We call it June gloom. If it fits your schedule, I would choose July - October for the coast. I would choose the San Diego area.

Off topic but I was born in Victoria, BC and graduated from Oak Bay High School.


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## BevL (Mar 19, 2011)

II doesn't have a lot of beach type inventory, not near as much as RCI.  But I personally wouldn't stay at the Welk Resort if I planned to do a lot of beach time basically for the reasons John mentioned.  Much much hotter weather and the traffic really could be quite a factor.


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## mjm1 (Mar 19, 2011)

We own at Welk and enjoy the resort.  It is true that you have to drive to the ocean.  The beaches in Carlsbad are nice.  As noted by others, it can be foggy on the coast in June (June gloom), which is one reason we like Welk.  The weather is nicer.  It can be hot, but not that terrible.  We usually don't go to the beach first thing in the morning, so we wait until 9:30 or 10 am to leave, so the traffic isn't bad at all.  In addition to the resort and Wild Animal Park, the wine country in Temecula is about 20-25 miles north on Highway 5. 

As noted by others, II doesn't have a large inventory of resorts in the San Diego area, and Welk is nicer than the others, except for Aviara in Carlsbad.

Good luck with your choice.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Mar 20, 2011)

I also own at Welk, but we last stayed there in summer 2007. We are going for a few days to the Mountain Villas, the newest part of the resort. You don't say what size you need, how many people and what part of the Villas you are in. My favorite part is still the older Welk Resort Villas, they are all large 2 bedroom, not lock-offs. I think you still have time to get something at the beach, especially if you only want a one bedroom, but I agree with John, go for later in the summer for the beach. I am not sure what II inventory at the beach is and are you going to the beach to swim or to be by the water. If the later you could go further up the coast towards central California as well.
Liz


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## John Cummings (Mar 20, 2011)

The water is too cold to go swimming anywhere north of Santa Barbara. The ocean is pretty cool ( cold for me ) in Southern California but it is a lot colder from the Central Coast north.


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## DeniseM (Mar 20, 2011)

At this point, I don't think your chances of getting a different trade are very good.  Do you have a real strong trader and did you put in your ongoing request more than a year out?

Do you plan to spend every day sitting on the beach?  There are lots of other things to do in Southern Ca, and the resort has nice pools and warmer weather in June.

I'd take it, but keep a close eye on the online inventory.  If something you want pops up, you can call, forfeit your exchange fee, and use the same deposit for the new trade.


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## John Cummings (Mar 20, 2011)

I think the OP has a pretty good chance of getting something else. It is at least 14-16 months from now. I see several II resorts along the Southern California Coast. Of course it does depend on their trading power and how flexible they are on the dates.


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## DeniseM (Mar 20, 2011)

Sorry - I missed "2012" and thought she meant in 3 mos.  Yes, you should be fine if you throw it back and try for something else.


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## Canuck (Mar 20, 2011)

*thanks*

Thanks to you all!  We are looking for a 2 bedroom but would consider taking a 1.  I have a search in for almost all the II resorts along the southern coast and my timeline is June 30-August 2, 2012.  I appreciate all your feedback and I think I will wait and see what comes up!


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Mar 20, 2011)

I think the tricky part might be getting 2 bedrooms. If you want space, Welk is great. We stayed at Tamarack in Carlsbad in a large one bedroom and it was very nice. So, the size of a 1 bedroom would make a difference also.
Liz


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## funtime (Mar 20, 2011)

Your best bet would be Grand Pacific Resorts - Carlsbad Inn, Carlsbad Grand Pacific and Carlbad Seapointe - all in RCI and all hard to get.  The only significant II destination worth it for you would be Marriott Newport Beach which is perched on top of a hill and very difficult to get.  If you want to spend the money you can rent what you really want off of Redweek.  The value would probably at least be 2,000 to 3,000 and probably more.  If you want the space and are willing to make compromises with the driving, then take Lawrence Welk.  Southern California is a driving community.  Or you could expand and look at places such as Marriott Ocean Pointe in Palm Beach Florida or the Royals in Cancun or Cabo resorts.  You have a much better shot of getting beach front in Florida or Mexico than with II in So Cal.   I would rethink this trip and either go somewhere else for a beach trip or enjoy all else that So Cal has to offer and take the Welk exchange.  Good luck.  Funtime


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## eal (Mar 20, 2011)

Hi Canuck,
I find sometimes that posters here are so doom and gloom about exchange and rental possibilities!  I just had a quick look at the Blue Whale in Oceanside on Redweek and you can rent a 1-bedroom unit there for around $1000 for 2011.  I wouldn't expect 2012 to be much different.

You are starting your search in plenty of time and if you do an ongoing search with II that will help (maybe that's where the Lawrence Welk came from?) 

When we go to Southern California for the month of February we usually stay in Carlsbad by the ocean for three weeks then end the trip at Lawrence Welk, when we are ready to do other things, like wine-tasting in Temecula.

And Florida and Mexico are certainly a further trip from Victoria than SoCal!


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## John Cummings (Mar 20, 2011)

Here is a list of II resorts in Southern California coastal area.

1. Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara / Park Hyatt Aviara - Carlsbad
2. Vacation Internationale - Oceanside Marina Inn - Oceanside
3. Marriott's Newport Coast Villas (NCV) - Newport Beach
4. Villa L'Auberge (3007 VLA) - Del Mar
5. Capri by the Sea at San Diego (0503 CSE - San Diego - beach front
6. Tamarack Beach Resort (1240 TAK) - Carlsbad
7. WorldMark Oceanside Harbor (7599 WOH) - Oceanside
8. San Clemente Cove (3008 SCL) - San Clemente
9. Wave Crest - Del Mar
10. Riviera Shores Resort and Monarch Grand Vacations at Riviera Shores Resort - Dana Point
11. Harbortown Point Marina Resort & Club (4042 HTP) - Ventura
12. Gaslamp Plaza Suites (3032 GSL) - San Diego - downtown
13. Laguna Shores (0248 LGS) - Laguna Beach
14. Southern California Beach Club (1379 SOC) - Oceanside
15. Riviera Beach and Spa Resort I & II and Monarch Grand Vacations - Dana Point
16. Channel Island Shores (0767 CHL) - Oxnard
17. Laguna Surf (0985 LAS) - Laguna Beach
18. Capistrano Surfside Inn (3020 CSI) - Dana Point
19. Winners Circle Beach and Tennis Resort (0422 WCI) - Solana Beach

These are listed in the order of their TUG ratings. I didn't include any that are not close to the coast.

As you can see there are a lot of II resorts to choose from.


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## Canuck (Mar 20, 2011)

*Thanks!*

John you're amazing and thank you!! I really appreciate your time on this.  As much as I think the LW sounds lovely and I don't think I would mind the drive I know my hubby would.  Plus, I am an ocean person.....Southern Cali is pretty amazing and the beach towns are what we are looking for!

Thanks John and fellow Tuggers!


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## John Cummings (Mar 20, 2011)

Canuck said:


> John you're amazing and thank you!! I really appreciate your time on this.  As much as I think the LW sounds lovely and I don't think I would mind the drive I know my hubby would.  Plus, I am an ocean person.....Southern Cali is pretty amazing and the beach towns are what we are looking for!
> 
> Thanks John and fellow Tuggers!



LW is definitely not near any beach towns. I would probably lean toward Del Mar for location but I don't know anything about the resorts there. Personally, we like staying right in San Diego. I am not a big fan of Carlsbad nor Oceanside but others like them.


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## Lisa8192 (Mar 28, 2011)

We just got back from Welk yesterday. I have to say the driving was no big deal. I was worried about it..but it was fine. It took about 35 min. to get to La Jolla. Carlsbad is closer, but we didn't go as we've been there before. The Welk is definitely out there..but, we loved our stay. We got a newly renovated villa and it was beautiful...and huge!! The kitchen was a dream  In a way, it was nice to come back to the resort and feel removed from the city. My only complaint...the only resort we've stayed at that has no pool bar to get drinks and lunch. Definitely made for a cheaper check out bill though!


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