# Villa Roma Catskills advice



## natashateach (Jul 13, 2008)

We rented a 2 bedroom timeshare at Villa Roma. This will be our first time.  Can anyone give us suggestions such as what it's like, what to do, where to eat, prices of things, things I don't need to pack...We are traveling with toddlers . We will be there August 10-17.


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## #1 Cowboys Fan (Jul 13, 2008)

I'll be following this thread----we may go for the second week of September.

(I have read the TUG reviews).

Pat


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## gorevs9 (Jul 14, 2008)

natashateach said:


> We rented a 2 bedroom timeshare at Villa Roma. This will be our first time.  Can anyone give us suggestions such as what it's like, what to do, where to eat, prices of things, things I don't need to pack...We are traveling with toddlers . We will be there August 10-17.


It's been a while since I was at Villa Roma, but from what I can remember.

The immediate area is quite and quaint.  Callicoon is a small town with the typical Mom and Pop type stores.  Similar to what you would find in a small New England town.

There were no big grocery stores in the immediate area (though one may have been built in recent years), so I would bring enough food for the first couple days.  There is a market on the premises, which would provide the basics.  I would think prices in the area will be similar to New England prices.  Resort prices will be a bit more expensive, but with the price of gas these days it may not pay to drive into town just to pick up a few items.  

Villa Roma has a couple restaurants and there are a couple small less expensive venues in town.  

There was a fire a few years ago which destroyed the hotel, so you will probably see some of the reconstruction.  From what I understand, they've been doing their best NOT to inconvenient the vacationers during this period.

Their website, www.villaroma.com, has links for children's activities and area activities.

I don't know where you live in New England as well, but the weather should be similar...highs in the upper 70s, though it could be a bit cooler in the evening (mid-50s)

One more thing, if you need to drive through Massachusetts to get there, you may want to fill up your tank in MA.  Gas prices are definitely higher in NY.


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## borntotravel (Jul 19, 2008)

We were there week 25 this year and have been going for seven years now.  It is not a high end resort like the Marriott's, but it is a great family resort with plenty to do.  You do not need to leave the resort and will still be busy all day and night long.  It is definately self-contained.  My daughter is 17, so I'm not 100% sure of the amenity prices, but they are close.  I'll be posting a review in a few weeks also.  Here goes:

It is in the middle of nowhere, but built in the beautiful mountains.  The resort itself was built in the seventies, but all (or most) of the units have been renovated with comfortable, attractive furniture.  The beds are okay mattresses, but definately not top of the line.  The kitchens are small, and all of the newer buildings have a stove top and combo micro/convection oven.  These, I find, are a pain in the neck.  I hate them.  Having one of these units limits the size of the meals you can bake and the other downside is that you do not have a microwave while the oven is in use or cooling down after.  The units that have a conventional stove/oven are a little bigger.  The kitchen table comfortably seats four, six is very crowded.  I always bring a large frypan with cover, a cookie sheet, as well as an oblong pyrex baking dish.  The rest of the kitchen supplies are fine.  

You get a daily limited maid service, which includes bed making, towel exchange, trash removal, and toilet paper/kleenex resupplied as needed.  They also give you a few hotel size bars of soap in each bathroom.  You will get a roll of paper towels, small bottle of liquid dishwashing soap, and one packet of dishwasher detergent.  You will not need trash bags, but you will need dishwasher detergent and laundry detergent (unless you want to buy the small boxes for $1.50 each).  There is a coin operated washer and dryer in each building ($1.50 for each load in each machine).  Pool towels are supplied at the pool, free of charge.

The buildings are two floors with four two BR units per building.  The floors and walls are thin.  Try to get an upper floor, or you will hear chairs sliding across the floor and children running the jumping.  We were on the top floor and had the family from hell across the hall - 5 little undisciplined boys who ran and jumped up and down the hallway/stairs from 8:30 am until 10:00 pm.

There is a complimentary shuttle that runs continuously all day, if you choose not to walk.  I hardly ever use it, but if you're unit is at the top of the hills, you will want to use it by the end of the week.  All you do is stand out front, and it will pick you up and take you anywhere on the property!

By the time you arrive, the new hotel should be open.  It is scheduled for around July 28th.  It should be very nice, with restaurants, lounging areas, bar, etc.

There is a kiddie pool and two other outdoor pools along with one indoor pool.  There is a new very large outdoor jacuzzi by the pool bar.  They have recently redone the pool area and it is beautiful.  There is also a snack bar (reasonably priced) by the pool.  For fee amentities are:  Go Karts - $10 or $12, horseback riding, paintball ($35?), rock climbing wall ($5), bumper boats 
($5), bowling alley ($4.50 includ. shoes), racquet ball and the arcade for the children.  

For fee activities include:  Bingo ($1 per card, they play 8 games), Horseracing ($1 per bet - definately cute), Duck Racing ($3 - they play four games and pays anywhere from $45 on up.  I won $64 on one race this year - this is a really cute activity for the children), and they have a golf course.

Free amenities are:  2 Billards tables ($5 or $10 deposit and you get it back when you return the balls), 2 ping pong tables ($5 deposit - get it back when you return the paddles, the balls are $0.25 each), indoor bocce ball, outdoor bocce ball, indoor shuffleboard, outdoor shuffleboard, horse shoes, tenis, basketball court, ball pit for small children.  I'm probably missing something.

Free activities are:  bocce tournaments, shuffleboard tournaments, trivia games, softball games, line dancing lessons, nightly shows at the forum - some of the comedians are very good.  The shows usually start around 9:30 or 10:00 and last 30 to 45 minutes.  Babysitting is provided for $5 for young children.  Each night they have something for the young teens (until 10?) and then the older teens (until midnight) to do - there is a teen lounge there for dances and karaoke.  They also have bonfires.  

There is a kids camp (not sure of cost - may be free now), where your younger children can be entertained throughout the day with various activites by the activities staff (it's broken down to age groups).  They also have a activities sheet that comes out each night as to the schedule for the next day.  There is something do do all day long for the young, teens, and adults.  Can't say enough nice things about the activity staff.  The activity director, Lynn, is wonderful! 

They offer bus rides for a fee one day to Manhatten for the day, Monticello Racino another day, and Woodbury Commons (shopping) another.  We have not done these.

Around the area, you can go white water rafting.  Other than that, I'm not sure, we don't leave the resort.

There is a nice market in Jeffersonville (10 minutes down the mountain) which has a great selection of Boars Head meats/cheeses, bakery items, good looking meats and other grocery supplies.  There is a convenience store at the resort, but it is so overpriced - we go into town if we run out of anything.  

Overall, I can't say enough nice things about this resort.  If you have any other questions, PM me and I'll help you best I can.

Have a great time and tell Lynn and Tom from the activities staff that Tina says "Hi"!


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## vkhome (Jul 19, 2008)

I grew up near the foothills of the Catskills.  is this the old (former) Concord Hotel?


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## CATBinCO (Nov 13, 2008)

We're considering a stay here June 13-20, 2010. Would appreciate some reviews from the last couple months, to see if their rebuilding is complete, how it was, etc. I have read online that this place is about 2 hrs from NYC and that they offer day trips there. If you took this day trip, I'd love to read more about that in particular.


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## hvsteve1 (Nov 15, 2008)

vkhome said:


> I grew up near the foothills of the Catskills.  is this the old (former) Concord Hotel?




The old Concord is in Monticello.  It got tired of waiting for casino gambling (as did Grossingers) and went out of business. This past summer, they demolished the carcass and started construction on a new resort which will have gambling so far as you can have without casinos. New York never passed casino gambling but the tribes have been opening their casinos in NY and there have been several non-starters in the Catskills. Villa Roma has been around quite a while as the only Italian resort in the borsht belt in the much more remote town of Calicoon.


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## bobcat (Nov 15, 2008)

vkhome said:


> I grew up near the foothills of the Catskills.  is this the old (former) Concord Hotel?



NO This is not.


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## Jennie (Nov 23, 2008)

The following is a recent newspaper article: 

Catskills resort returns to full capacity

Just ask time share owners Carol and Rocco Perna what they think of the new Villa Roma. Having made a special trip to the Catskills for a first look at the newly opened main hotel, they peeked at the 600-seat dining room, the 30 hanging chandeliers, the swirling elegant carpet patterns and mosaic-tiled floors. "This is great," Carol said to Villa owner Marty Passante, spotting him by the elevators. "Tremendous job," said Rocco.

The $24 million, three-story building has had its share of delays and setbacks since a fire destroyed the old main portion of the hotel in April 2006. The Pernas, who live in Bloomfield, N.J., and have been coming to the resort since 1985, didn't know if the Villa would ever bounce back. "When it burned down, it tore the heart out of us," Carol Perna said.

This summer, while the Villa was working on the interior, the resort was hit by a flood that filled the newly renovated pools with dirty water and mud and chewed up parking lots and landscaping. But for a few tweaks left undone, the renovation is finished. Guests began using the new facilities two weeks ago. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for Sunday.

During renovations, the Villa reduced staffing and took fewer guests. That was an economic blow to western Sullivan County. The Villa traditionally hires county residents, and guests of the 140 hotel rooms and 230 time-share units fill the boutiques and restaurants in nearby Jeffersonville and towns along the Delaware River. With the renovation, the Villa has hired another 100 people to bring its total work force to 400.

The 50,000-square-foot building includes a check-in area, a 175-seat cafeteria, coffee shop, piano bar, off-track betting parlor, lounge with a stage and the dining room and full kitchen, but no additional rooms. "The look is just majestic," said Patricia York of Long Island, who was curled up in a plush chair in the lobby. The Villa also renovated its pool area and installed a large fountain outside the lobby, where Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby tunes float in the air.

Sitting in the lounge with lime-colored paneling, and seating that wraps around a pole in the center of the room, Passante, 72, said he never thought of walking away from a business he kept building while other Sullivan resorts faded. "I have never had one doubt in my mind," he said. "We enjoy the hotel business."

Author: Victor Whitman
Times Herald Record
vwhitman@th-record.com


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## OutAndAbout (Jun 18, 2015)

*Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center: Catskills NY*

Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center: Catskills NY 
www.villaroma.com
Address: 356 Villa Roma Rd, Callicoon, NY 12723
Phone845) 887-4880

2br/2ba units with lock off capability
*Master bedroom
*Full Kitchen
*Dishwasher detergent & hand dishwash 
*Dining area with table for six
*Full/Double Bed
*Patio with two chairs and table
*Master bathroom with two sinks (rather large)
*Three hotel size bars of soap (no shampoo)

Lockoff/2nd Bedroom
*Two Full/Double Beds
*Full bathrooms
*Three night stands
*Closet
*Three hotel size bars of soap (no shampoo)

Service (laundry basket in the room)
*Friendly staff
*Mid-week cleaning
*Daily checkin from the cleaning staff
*Free WiFi
*Laundry in each building which is $1.50/each (washer/dryer)
*Complimentary Shuttle 

Amenities
*Large playground/play area
*Outdoor Pool
*Indoor Pool
*No Grills - There is a fire pit (sponsored free s'mores one night)
*Meal plans available
*A long list of amenities on the resort website. 
*Peck's is close by for groceries

Nice stay, would definitely come back if timing works out.  I have a map of the grounds which I tried to attach. (email to request a copy if you cannot access)


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