# Worst timeshare resort you've stayed in?



## IAMTHEWALRUS

Just out of curiosity, what has been the worst resort you have stayed in? Have you stayed at a timeshare resort that smelled, or was full of bugs, nosiy...

For me, it happens to be The Suites At Fisherman's Wharf, in San Francisco. Don't get me wrong. It was nice, and certainly better than any hotel stay I've ever had. But it was very small and cramped. There seemed to be an overall dampness to the place as well. Personally, I think this resort is the ultimate poster boy for "location, location, location." It was within walking distance to all of the famous San Francisco sights. Although it is an RCI Gold Crown, as well as an II 5-Star resort, I highly doubt it would be rated as high, if it were located in North Dakota.

Anyone else?


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## JoAnn

Eastern Slope Inn, North Conway NH, last summer...hands down!  We were put in the oldest building with the LR, kitchen, dining area, full bath on the second floor with an A/C that did not cool enough.  On the third floor was the bedroom and half bath (toilet only in a little room with slanting ceilings), small sink at the head of the stairs, no closet, a huge whirlpool size tub (under the slanting ceilings), a queen size bed, and a ceiling that was so slanted on one side of the bed that I could not stand up when I got out of bed, and the A/C that didn't work properly. When we complained we were told that is what we got when we didn't have points to use!  And then they proceeded to try and sell us points.


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## rickandcindy23

*There have been so many....*

The worst was an older Orange Lake two-bedroom that was generally dirty, though I will try that resort again and ask for a new unit , based on others' experiences, the resort is probably not as bad as that unit might suggest.  I didn't like High Point in Orlando and thought it a shame that they do not update it at all, even though it's one of the closest to Disney and has incredible potential.  We have stayed 40 weeks in Orlando over the last 15 years and have been fortunate enough to stay in many GC's and Five Stars, but some of our favorites were not.  One example is Orbit One, a great resort with the amenities we desire, and always available for Last Call in the fall and other off-season times.

We also disliked San Clemente Inn, even though many TUGgers just love the place for its location  and value.  The unit was dark and smelled like smoke.  My hubby is easy to please, but he didn't like anything about the resort.

In Colorado, The Alpen Rose is a pretty dumpy place, as are Skier's Edge,  Orofino, Spinnaker, all near Breckenridge.


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## wilma

The Tahoe Sands in north Lake Tahoe. Our unit was truly a dump, most everything we touched was broken, the mattress was old, thin, and should have been replaced 10 years ago.  The unit was dirty, dark, and downright depressing.  It has a nice location and supposedly is trying to do a major renovation but I don't know the status.


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## Luanne

I can't say that any timeshare resorts I've stayed in have actually been bad, but the two that I wouldn't go back to again would be:

Worldmark Kona - I know a lot of folks love this, but we thought the unit was small (especially the bathrooms), we needed to run the air-conditioning all the time which made the balcony unusable.  Just didn't care for this place.

Keahou Surf & Racquet - great location, but the unit we were in was closest to Alii Rd so we had a lot of noise.  Biggest drawback was the fact that there was no air-conditioning and we were there during the summer.  No cross breeze, made sleeping uncomfortable and we ended up eating out a lot more than planned.


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## AwayWeGo

*No Bad Timeshare Experiences -- Yet*

Hey, the "worst" timeshare resort we stayed in was still outstanding & we had a nice time there.  

All of our timeshare experiences so far are written up in the reviews section of TUG -- in Orlando FL, Cypress Pointe Resort, Orlando Vistana, Cypress Pointe Grandevillas (twice), & in Mulberry FL (just south of Lakeland), Taranova Imperialakes, plus in Las Vegas, Summer Bay Resort. 

(One of our reviews was so excellent that we got TUG Review Of The Month recognition for it.  Not bad, eh?) 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.


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## gary01

IAMTHEWALRUS said:
			
		

> ..... I highly doubt it would be rated as high, if it were located in North Dakota. QUOTE]
> 
> Hey, I resent that.  I'm from North Dakota and there must be plenty of great timeshares there!  Well, maybe a couple..., one ...?


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## gary01

I have to agree about the San Clemente Inn.  It was small, dark, worn out, and smelled of smoke.  In fact, the whole complex smells like smoke.  It amazes me how this resort is rated as high as it is.


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## Barbara

*Casa Blanca Resort*

The worst timeshare resort we ever stayed at was Casa Blanca Resort in Panama City.  It was our second timeshare exchange, just the next week after our very best ever timeshare exchange.  We knew nothing about TUG and reviews at the time.  What a contrast in our first and second week!  
The Casa Blanca Resort beach location is great but these timeshare units were awful.  It is a converted motel, very cramped, old furniture, worn and dirty. The one bedroom had just about enough room for the bed and funiture in the small bedroom. The only bathroom was in the back of the small kitchen/living area and was very small with a tiny shower.  When we used the pay community washer we could only get cold water.  Reporting it to the staff, didn't help they made no effort to fix the hot water heater.


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## philsfan

*Divi Heritage, Barbados*

We were forced to spend a night and a day here when Divi Southwinds overbooked and had no unit left for us.  It was like we stepped back in time, the furnishings were very 50's.  The smells from the resort next door were awful.


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## patty5ia

Breezy Point Timeshares in Minnesota.  Old furniture and appliances and it was very damp and moldy.  Good location but you needed a boat to really appreciate it.  We got locked out one night and almost had to spend the night in another unit!
Most of our exchanges have been very good.  This one was an exception.  It was listed as a Gold Crown!


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## Karen G

The worst would have to be La Concha Beach Resort in LaPaz, Mexico. I submitted a lengthy review of our Aug. '01 stay  here.  Fortunately we didn't have to stay there more than two nights, and we did enjoy the rest of our visit to LaPaz.


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## shagnut

My worst was Adventure Inn in Hilton Head. We had a studio with a loft and the bedroom was so small upstairs Kelli had to crawl on her hands and knees to get in the bed.  The couch was so lumpy you couldn't even sit on it.  Another couple told me they had bugs in the bed . The good thing about it was the location, right on the beach.  shaggy


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## mikey0531

La Renaissance in Atlantic City NJ!!  It was very small, pull out sofa was broken, 2nd "bedroom" didn't have a door or a window and was right off the kitchen.  Only good thing about it was location right on the boardwalk.  Oh -- and the indoor roof top "pool" was pretty much a large spa type of pool -- kind of like a big hot tub -- without the heat.


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## geekette

shagnut said:
			
		

> My worst was Adventure Inn in Hilton Head. We had a studio with a loft and the bedroom was so small upstairs Kelli had to crawl on her hands and knees to get in the bed.  The couch was so lumpy you couldn't even sit on it.  Another couple told me they had bugs in the bed . The good thing about it was the location, right on the beach.  shaggy



Likely not the Adventure you had anticipated!!


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## debraxh

La Cabana in Aruba.  The smallest studio I've ever been in, smaller than many hotel rooms.  You could not walk through the living area when the murphy bed was pulled down.  No soundproofing in the walls.  We could hear the neighbor talking to her mom on the phone as well as the kids watching TV at 7am every day.

Advertised just across a "service" road to the beach.  It's actually across the MAIN road --  dangerous to cross with cars speeding at 50+.

I would probably return to Aruba, but wouldn't stay at La Cabana again.


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## PStreet1

The worst was Carpediem Assissi (and yes, I did a review of it).

Places I wouldn't stay again:  
1.)  Shandoah Villas at Masanutten (everything was old, tired, threadbare, and splinters were difficult to avoid on the outside walk areas since there had been no painting done for years and years).  In addition to its run down condition, and I was inside three different units, the confituration of the units is very odd, and almost all units require 20+ steps to get into the unit; then, one bedroom is upstairs, and the other bedroom is downstairs--no bedrooms on the level you enter on.


2)  Worldmark at Bass Lake--the only bed fit to sleep on was the Murphy bed in the living room.  The others (queen in master and two twins in the second bedroom) should have been retired about 5 years ago.  Everything else was old and tired.


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## Icc5

*Tehachapi*

We stayed at Tehachapi about 10 years ago.  The booking was for a week but we left after 5 long days.  The Resort offered a mini golf course, movie studio, etc.  The mini golf course was all torn up  with weeds and deserted.  The movie studio was a tv/vcr and you brought your or rented your VCR tape to watch.  The pool looked green.  My kids were 11 and 5 at the time.  We quickly ran out of things to do.
Bart


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## akbmusic

*French Lick Springs*

Without a doubt the French Lick Springs Resort Villas in southern Indiana. We picked it up at the last minute on and RCI bonus vacation and went on Spring Break. We were out of things to do and were all ready to go home after 3 days! (Which is exactly what we did!)  On the plus side, the units were incredibly big.
  Also wouldn't return to Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina in St. Thomas. (Thought the only thing good about St. Thomas was you could leave it and go to St. John!    Anyway, units need refurbishing badly, staff could use some friendliness training!


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## SharonD

*Bass Lake Refurbishment*



			
				PStreet1 said:
			
		

> 2)  Worldmark at Bass Lake--the only bed fit to sleep on was the Murphy bed in the living room.  The others (queen in master and two twins in the second bedroom) should have been retired about 5 years ago.  Everything else was old and tired.



Just curious when you stayed at Bass Lake?  We were there in June (in the older section they put RCI exchangers into).  Our unit had been refurbished somewhat recently, and the bed in the master was the usual comfortable Worldmark bed (except I wish it had been a king rather than a smallish-queen). It also new paint, new carpet, and furniture in good shape.  Just wondering if you might have stayed there before the refurbishment.


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## PStreet1

Nope--two weeks ago.  We had a unit that "almost could see the lake."  We could from the parking lot as we walked in, and we were in with some houses.


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## lawren2

*I know I'm going to get flak for this one...*

the worst stay we have had in a Timeshare in over 20 exchanges has got to have been Orange Lake.

No it wan't dirty, or noisy it just WAS so to speak.

If we had not been led on by glowing attributes here on TUG, glitzy accomodation examples on their website and RCI VCs I guess it would have been acceptable. BUT we did not expect a plain vanilla 2 bedroom with 20 odd year old TVs ( not even input jacks for son's video game system ) and the world's tiniest bathrooms ( no whirlpool tub? ) and the view of the moonscape golfcourse that was being redone.

Some folks would think our Powhattan exchange would have been our worst experience but the expectations had been realistic and the refurbed unit was clean and had a very large jacuzzi.

Unless you can confirm a 3 bedroom unit I would not exchange there. Much nicer places to stay near the House of Mouse.


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## Dani

Very easily the Sea Palace in St. Martin....oooh....what a disaster!!!


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## timeos2

JoAnn said:
			
		

> Eastern Slope Inn, North Conway NH, last summer...hands down!  We were put in the oldest building with the LR, kitchen, dining area, full bath on the second floor with an A/C that did not cool enough.  On the third floor was the bedroom and half bath (toilet only in a little room with slanting ceilings), small sink at the head of the stairs, no closet, a huge whirlpool size tub (under the slanting ceilings), a queen size bed, and a ceiling that was so slanted on one side of the bed that I could not stand up when I got out of bed, and the A/C that didn't work properly. When we complained we were told that is what we got when we didn't have points to use!  And then they proceeded to try and sell us points.



Now we stayed at this resort and while it certainly isn't a Gold Crown but it is an old Inn and as such has a degree of charm.  I would prefer it over some converted motel like many beach resorts are.  It will never rank as our favorite it was a reasonable stay in an area we otherwise wouldn't have visited. 

On the other hand we have the Carriage House in Las Vegas.  This is supposed to be a decent resort and we found it almost unbearable.  The room design was poor, the kitchen was dated and rather dirty, the bathroom was barely a closet.  It was really bad and yet somehow holds an RID rating.  

So much about any resort depends on the unit you get and the way it is maintained overall.  On any given checkin two different groups may have completely different experiences depending on where they are assigned. 

There are some truly dismal resorts to be avoided but they are few and far between and can be avoided with just a bit of research here on TUG.


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## glenn1000

*Sheraton Vistana*

We had a very nice stay at the Worldmark, Bass Lake and thought that it was nice. Also exchanged for a week there another year that we donated to our school auction and the people who won it said that it was one of their best family vacations ever. So opinions do differ...

Here's our worst: the Sheraton Vistana in Orlando. Even though we tried to request ahead of time, we ended up in a GROSS unit in an old section of the resort. It was filthy beyond cleaning and, even though we asked to be moved or at least have some of the filth removed, we were not even able to get a housekeeper to our unit. The good news is that we had a blast in Orlando and were too busy to spend much time indoors.


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## bellesgirl

*Sheraton Vistana too*

Sad to say, I have to agree with Glenn on the Sheraton Vistana.  I know they have some lovely units but we had a really old, tired one in the Courts.  We could hear every step the people above us made.  I think the only supplies included were a couple of rolls of toilet paper.  The grounds and amenities were nice though.  We had heard so many good thngs about this resort and we had built it up to our kids.  Needless to say, we were all disappointed.


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## rickandcindy23

*Older Vistana units are pretty awful*

We stayed in an older unit with an II exchange and thought it needed updating.  The furniture was pretty worn, the trash compactor's door kept falling off, and the kitchen was pretty beaten up.  We also stayed in a newer unit through RCI and had an entirely different opinion of the resort.


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## chemteach

gary01 said:
			
		

> I have to agree about the San Clemente Inn.  It was small, dark, worn out, and smelled of smoke.  In fact, the whole complex smells like smoke.  It amazes me how this resort is rated as high as it is.




You may be confusing the rating for San Clemente Inn with the rating for San Clemente Cove.  The Inn has a rating below 7.  (Maybe even below 6 - haven't checked recently.)
But we stayed there with 4 other families this summer.  It wasn't anything special, but it sufficed for having great weather and being in SoCal in the summer.  It deserves its low rating when comparing the actual unit with other timeshare units.  I have heard that the Cove is quite nice.


Edye


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## Jaybee

Our very worst ts experience was at Wolf Run in Dubois, PA. I chose it because it's within driving distance for my son, who lives in Butler, PA. 
I wrote a review on it. It was in Aug. of '03.  We checked in on Friday, and left on Weds.  We did have a lovely day of golf on Sunday, and the grounds are very nice, but it's old.  Our unit was musty, and very hot and humid on the ground floor, while the basement, where the bedrooms were located, was cold and damp, like a dungeon.  There was wood rot inside and out, and it just felt creepy.
We may have just had a rotten (so to speak) unit, because other people have been delighted with it.  We don't consider ourselves picky, but that was just really unpleasant.


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## Whitecapper

We have stayed in a lot of different timeshares, from 1 star to 5 star, but there are two that really stand out as the worst ever.

#1 is the Vidafel in Mazatlan. We were really impressed when we saw the exterior of the resort, but the suite we were assigned was dark, musty and uncomfortable. One of the bedrooms, and the bathroom had no windows (and were about the same size, too). The TV was small and placed high on the wall. The beds and sofa were your "cement-block" specials. We requseted a change, but were not even given the time of day by the extremely impolite staff. The suite next door was occupied by spring-breakers, who considered it their "party headquarters" for the week. I would never, ever go back to this resort, and would NOT recommend it to my worst enemy!

#2 is the Chateau LeGrand in Biloxi, MS. The unit that we were assigned had suffered considerable damage from a hurricane, and should have been shut down. There was mold everywhere. The furniture was on its last legs. When we left (earlier than scheduled), we were told that we had to clean the unit and wash the linens. I couldn't believe it!


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## Fern Modena

Imperial of Hawaii.  I used to own there, don't anymore.  Last time we were there was about four years ago.  At the time they were about 1/3 of the way thru the current renovation.  The unit we were in faced Lewers.  We'd never stayed in such a unit before.  It was noisy beyond belief.  It was one of the Hala units, a rare two-bedroom unit.  Had I known that I'd be climbing over the bed to get out of the room (it was that small) and that there wasn't even a dresser in it, I'd have taken a Koa, the 1 bdrm "deluxe" which actually is better situated (and doesn't face Lewers).  With the ongoing construction on Lewers, I can imagine that things are even worse now.

The unit's white-washed bamboo furniture was all peeling, and the sofa was so saggy as to be unusable.  I had to remove chair cushions and place them on the sofa to sit.  The walls were nasty-dirty from the floor level up about two or three feet, and the carpet was very soiled.  

I'd previously enjoyed several visits there in a Koa unit, and had been looking forward to it, but I was really, really disappointed.

Fern


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## Mary

My vote would be for the Ramada Vacation Club in Las Vegas.  Although, they have had 2 owners since then and are now the Summer Bay resorts.  Technically I did not stay there even though I had an exchange there.  I ended up giving it to my sister when we got an exchange for the Fairfield Grand Desert.  I was horrified when we went to their condo.  It was so bad, run down and definitly uninhabitable.  After much complaining we were able to get my sister and her husband another room, but I have never seen such a horrid condo.  I hear that they have done some remodeling and I am going down in October (staying at the Jockey Club) so I'll check it out again to see if things have changed.  Yes, I did write a review dated March of 2002 and it starts with the sentence "THIS IS THE WORST TIMESHARE I HAVE EVERY SEEN"   

Mary


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## boyblue

Last year I was being frugal with our points, I reserved a studio unit.  I was shocked when I opened the door and the bed was right there.  I guess it would have been ok if there was a foyer but nope, the great outdoors was right there.


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## Mary

boyblue said:
			
		

> Last year I was being frugal with our points, I reserved a studio unit.  I was shocked when I opened the door and the bed was right there.  I guess it would have been ok if there was a foyer but nope, the great outdoors was right there.



Which resort were you talking about?


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## boyblue

I was afraid I was going to get that question.  I was hoping no one would notice that I didn't mention the name.  That's because the Resort was not bad at all.  It was clean & comfortable.

As a matter of fact we had so much fun we lost track of our check out day and went off all day and then that evening to a junior league hockey game to see the rockets (big clue for you).  When we got back that evening they had arranged an extra night for us.  We were embarrassed but relieved that they did not leave us homeless.

Please don't make me tell


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## Steve

*Fun Topic...and helpful, too*

My worst exchange has been to the Park Plaza in Park City, Utah.  Dark, drab, dated, noisy, and we had to change rooms twice due to maintenance issues.  I know some TUGGERS like the place, but I would not go back.  There are much better places in Park City.

If you count the exchanges my parents have made and invited me along for...then the worst would have to be The Pines in Bayse, Virginia.  Ironically, this was the timeshare resort they purchased back in 1980 which introduced  our family and me to timesharing.  They don't own there anymore, but last summer thought it would be fun to exchange in and stay at the old place.  I went with them...and sometimes you just can't...or at least shouldn't...go back.  The whole Bryce Mountain area has gotten really run down, and The Pines is in need of major updating.  

Steve


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## NJDave

The Links in Myrtle Beach.  It was one of my first exchanges. The resort wasn't bad. The others (mostly Marriots) were just much better.  I know the qualtiy of resorts much better now (thanks to TUG!) and would no longer accept The Links (we exchanged into the new Marriottt this trip). When RCI told me that they did me a favor by giving me The Links for the last week in August in exchagne for my Fourth of July / Race week in Daytona, I knew it was time to sell the Daytona week.


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## susieq

By far the Cathedral Ledge Resort in Bartlett, N.H. has to be one of our worst experiences ever!!


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## LynnW

Playa El Agua Beach Hotel Margarita Island. We were new at timesharing and an RCI VG conviced us it was a nice resort and a good location because of the weather. She was right about the weather but nothing else. We couldn't keep any food in the unit as there were bugs everywhere. If we set a glass on the kitchen counter that had been used for juice or anything sweet the bugs were all over it. We were forced to take the AI package or you couldn't eat at the resort. The air conditioner which was mounted on the wall in the living room broke down so that had to remove it and we were left with a gaping hole in the wall. We were stuck in this place for 2 weeks as RCI couldn't find us any other accomodation on the island. Also the phones were out for most of the time we were there and my mother was in the process of selling her house and moving into a condo and we wanted to keep in touch with her agent. Of course that was impossible. And on top of all these things the only other people at the resort that spoke English were a couple from Detroit and his parents from Georgia and their children, one couple from Germany and some of the resort staff. Needless to say we couldn't wait to get home! RCI did refund our exchange fee and give us a free week.

Lynn


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## wise one

Hollywood Beach Tower, Hollywood, Florida, August 2002

Unit smelled, hall had trash, swimming pool closed for repair in August, furniture, especially the mattress, should have been replaced at least five years before we stayed there, parking was in city garage across the street, view from the unit was of parking garage.  Resort was ocean front, but  because of work at resort, had to walk around the resort one and and half blocks to the beach.  Resort had a restrauant, but was only serving breakfst until 10 am becaue of construction.


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## lamb

Our worst was also La Renaissance in Atlantic City NJ!! It was very small and extremely tired looking.  I didn't feel safe there and we stayed only a day before heading out.

With respect to Vistana, we love it there.  We have only stayed in the Fountains sections so I'm sure that an earlier poster must have had an older unit.  I had heard they were renovating the older section but I have no idea if that ever transpired.


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## Whirl

WORST -- Borderlinks/Atlantic Resorts in Ocean Pines (Ocean City)...3 BR off season  with a gaping hole in the ceiling that had dripped onto and stained the comforter and soaked right though to the sheets and mattress in the 3rd bedroom.   Yuck. Just generally felt icky. We just went for a long weekend with our ~5 mo daughter and I had to scrub everything down...If she had been crawling at the time...we would have left becuase there was no way I would ever ahve put her down on the carpet!
Redeeming qualities:  A fireplace, and located in a lovely wooded community...back deck opens to a golf course with nice well-maintianed grounds and nice for taking a walk in the stroller. Oh and the only reason we accepted was that Pets are allowed for a fee so we could take the dogs.  They like to walk along the beach and doggies need vacations, too! Pre babym these things were forgivable as I had low expectations going in and chose them mostly becuase we could take the dogs. Now...won't go again.

Other WORST incidences but other redeeming values make them not the worst overall exchanges....



Galleon Key west -- master bedroom rug was filthy. White socks turned black when you walked across it  just once. Rest of unit generally very clean, but fixed rugs in any humid location are generally a bad idea. I am very squeamish about public pools anyway (cleanliness issues in general) and was 7 months pregnant at the time and believe me I was looking forward to just bobbing  weightlessly in the nice cool pool...until as I boobing the first day,I looked around the edge and saw the RING O' SCUM. Never got in past my waste the rest of the week. Just sat on the edge and read a book. Location was great, though and I actually would exchange there again...I suspect the carpet has since been changed/removed and maybe it was just a poor week for pool maintenance...or I am too sensitive.

Fairfield Alexandria...Smoky, Smkoy, smoky... We ahve been there about 4 times for libg weekends...perhaps more and used our points to send friends and family many times, too  Love it and will go back but at least twice the smoke was bad enough we had to change rooms...other times they sprayed the place down...reducing the smell but leaving us with the damp carpet, so youu couldn't take off your shoes. Friends complained of same problem, so it wasn't just me, the clean freak! Another visit I didn't have the energy to complain complain, but I actually travelled with air freshner and mini travel air purifier in anticipation of the problem. Won't stop me from going, though. Love Alexandria!

I have learned to just let go sometimes...it is vacation and if you spend the whole time obsessing about waht is not perfect, then you ruin youir stay....We even Stayed at the lauded Westin St John and had a litany of issues (kitchen window broken, front lock to villa patio/pool area broken, toilet not working, hot tub heating element gave out first day and then very loud mating, croaking from 11:30-1, evry night, laid eggs which were little swimming tadpoles in our tepid hot tub by the end of the week) while there, but otherwise had a great time..we really did...just disappointing given how much we paid to stay in our 3 +BR villa and expectations.

So despite the complaints, no real regrets!

Cheryl


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## Jan

I also second Chateau La Grand in Biloxi.  This was even pre-hurricane..the pool was totally green and black with mold.  We had a 3bdrm that had the louver doors broken, no plates to cover socket plugs and the worse of all was pee on the floor around the toliets.  Living room furniture was broken and dead bugs filled the runners of the patio door.  Horrible.  They were unable to change our room.   Jan


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## Texasbelle

Hiawatha Manor at Lake Tansi Village.  In their defense, the units were clean and had new carpeting, furnishings--but they were tiny.  2 bedroom had only 1 very small bath with no counter space.  The kitchen was like a cabin.  No dishwasher.  The close pool required a fee.  We drove to the lake and swam there--could use the pool near the lake for free.  The thing that annoyed us was that we had traded a large 2 bedroom with 2 large baths.  Not an equal trade at all.  Then RCI offered this to us as a trade several times after we said on our evaluation that we would never return.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada

I guess we have been very lucky, plus used Tug reviews of course. Some of these stories make me wonder how these places could even be in business, much less part of RCI. They sound like they would be shut down due to public health concerns. Doesn't RCI maintain some quality assurance control? That they don't is scary and may be part of what can give timesharing a bad name.
Liz


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## Diane

*Jackson Pines, RCI 6381*

Primarily because of extreme street noise, but also because of its tiny bath room and lack of windows.

Diane


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## PA-

The worst timeshare I actually spent the night in is Champion's Run in Riudoso, NM.  Bathrooms and Kitchen were terribly grungy, there's a few timeshares mixed in with wholly owned condos in a low-rent complex, no hot tub or pool.  Large units though.  It wasn't as scary as some of the ones below, but almost.

I've been fortunate enough to not ever have stayed in anyplace worse, as we're picky and have been lucky, and we use the TUG reviews.  However, I make it my business to check out timeshares everyplace I go.  Here are a few of the places I've been inside, but would never stay in.

1)  Twin Rivers, Indian Peak, Silverado, Lions Gate, and Meadow in Winter Park (all managed by the same company) - They all have the feel of a cheap apartment complex, no resort features
2)  Sweetwater at Park City - Looks like it's 50 years old, and hasn't been updated (GREAT LOCATION, though).  Skier's Lodge (it's sister resort) was described by the staff as being worse, so I didn't bother looking
3) Orofino in Dillon, CO - Residential neighborhood, no resort amenities, VERY tired.  Circa Brady Bunch furnishings.
4)  Christie Lodge in Avon, CO - clean, decently outfitted, great location, but EXTREMELY small.  It's much like staying in a sleeper car on a train.  Hundreds of units in a large building.  Like staying in a prairie dog town with hundreds of families in the same tunnel.
5)    Ski Time Square in Steamboat - Grungy to the max, tired furnishings, great location, terrible hot tub.  Yuch.
6)  Wolf Creek Village I - Building 2 and above are managed by worldmark and aren't luxurious, but building 1 is standalone managed and is BAD.  Amenities (shared with Worldmark) are fine.


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## EileenSRN

*Nottingham Village at Friar Tuck*

July '04 visit. The T/S units are a good 1/4 mile from the rest of the resort. It's still in the 50's. It was so damp that the sheets felt like they were wet. Clammy. It had that basement musty smell. It's only 15-20 min from Hunter Mtn. Maybe it's OK when the heat's on. They played disco music at the pool all afternoon - loud! They did have an indoor pool, but much too cool for my taste. The only nice thing was was the hugh "hot tub" - it was the size of a small pool! The impresson they gave was that they were the closest TS to NYC (other than Manhattan Club) and were full all the time. He said he couldn't understand how I managed to trade into it with a white week.


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## ctyatty

*a lot of good info - should have square feet in listings*

Always wondered why square feet wasn't a standard part of a listing, I've seen 2 bed and 2 bath converted from two adjoining old style motel rooms with a total of maybe 400 square feet.

Can't remember the name, we were nearby and walked through this little gem in Daytona after a big banner advertising vacancy attracted our attention.


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## rickandcindy23

*PA, I don't disagree completely with you*

but I have to say that we have owned Twin Rivers for 24 years, our first timeshare and our first ever temptation to purchase (from the lousy developer, who didn't use quality materials).  We liked the resort because the units are very spacious, ours has three bedrooms and two baths.  It was a great resort back then, and we toured many resorts before we bought.  But it is not the definition of RESORT anymore, since new timeshare developments have redefined all of our expectations of a resort, and we are well aware of that fact.   

We dislike the management company and are hoping that I (Cindy) can get on the board this fall, at the HOA meeting.  We are tired of being treated like idiots by Jon DeVos, the owner of the management company, anytime we disagree with what he says.

You're right, this is not a resort with amenities like some, but we have spent about $75,000 per unit in recent years, updating our unit interiors.  It was a very impressive place in its day and will become impressive once again, at the cost of those of us who own there.  

We have two hottubs in a clubhouse facility, which is about the only amenity.  The units have new kitchens with granite counters and ash cabinets and and are in the process of getting beautiful new bathrooms.  Each unit has a gas fireplace, but the furnishings are never what I would choose for a timeshare.  I would like to be able to help with decisions, but we are stuck with Jon's horrible taste for decor and furniture.  YUCKY!   

The reasons that people stay there is to ski in the winter at Winter Park or enjoy summer activities in the mountains.  You can fish on the property--Fraser river is a fast-moving, wide river that is full of trout.  You can put on your waders and head out in the morning, just beyond the parking lot, to fish.  We used to enjoy that when the kids were little. 

We have seen the resort in the last month and were impressed with what has taken place, especially the kitchens and the decks, which were entirely rebuilt with TREX decking materials for the wear that harsh winter conditions were causing to the old redwood.  

What can an owner do but pay up when things need fixed and updating?  There is another thread "Do timeshares last forever?"  My answer to that question would be, only until the owners get sick of rebuilding every inch of the resort, over and over again.  So many of our owners are trying to bail out right now.  They have their units listed on the twinrivers.org website.  I laugh every time I read Jon's words on the Available Weeks page--"prices are expected to double."   He is trying to keep owners by insisting that these updates are going to double our property values, or that the values are climbing because real estate in Grand County is skyrocketing.  These are not real estate purchases, they are timeshare weeks.   GET REAL! 

We care about staying in a nice, clean unit.  The updates to Twin Rivers will ensure that we get at least those points on our II comment cards.  As for amenities, you can't add swimming pools to old resorts, plus there would be no room.  

The units are supposed to feel like you are in the mountains while inside as well as outside, didn't you get that, PA?

As for the other resorts managed by Allegiant, I think most of them are similar; owners are trying to maintain their various trading powers with II and RCI by doing what is required to accomplish this.  At least that is what Jon is telling them in every newsletter and HOA meeting.


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## Carolinian

I have never had what I would consider a bad experience with a timeshare resort.  A few were just so-so, but not what I would consider bad.  TUG reviews have helped steer me away from some that might well have been bad experiences, which were offered by RCI VG's.


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## PA-

rickandcindy23 said:
			
		

> ....You're right, this is not a resort with amenities like some, but we have spent about $75,000 per unit in recent years, updating our unit interiors.  It was a very impressive place in its day and will become impressive once again, at the cost of those of us who own there.
> 
> 
> *That is disgusting.  $75K per unit for a facility worth about that?  Of which, the contractor pocketed about $22K, I'm guessing?  That is terrible, you should have disbanded the timeshare.  It's worth more as a wholly owned than it is as a timeshare.  I have a similar situation with Sunburst Condominiums in Steamboat, where the current HOA board is trying to put pearl earrings on a pig, when it's worth more if we sell it.*
> .....
> What can an owner do but pay up when things need fixed and updating?
> 
> *The owners can elect to disband the timeshares, sell it and split the money.  There have been several special assessments there in the last 5 years.  If the owners had sold then, they would have saved all that assessment money and maintenance fees, and could have paid for a much nicer timeshare.*
> 
> ....
> The units are supposed to feel like you are in the mountains while inside as well as outside, didn't you get that, PA?
> 
> *I don't know.  I'm not saying you need to feel like you're in the park plaza, but Twin Rivers, to me, doesn't even feel like the holiday inn.  It reminds me of my first apartment in college, in 1975.  Granite counters don't change that much.*
> 
> As for the other resorts managed by Allegiant, I think most of them are similar; owners are trying to maintain their various trading powers with II and RCI by doing what is required to accomplish this.  At least that is what Jon is telling them in every newsletter and HOA meeting.
> 
> *ALL the other allegiant properties are in the same situation.  They were set up by bad developers in the first place, so you can't give Jon all the credit.  Just most of it.  *



Good luck getting on the board!


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## Tony2

I'd have to say the worse we stayed at was Kohl's Ranch in Payson, and it wasn't all that bad.  We enjoyed the area but the cabin was very rustic, the bedrooms were small and it needed a few repairs.  But the jacuzzi on the deck made up for some of that.  I guess I've been lucky over the years that we haven't had any horrible timeshare experiences.


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## wise one

Hollywood Beach Tower, Hollywood, Florida, where we visited in August 2002 was our worst.

The unit smelled, the hall had trash, the swimming pool closed for repair in August, the furniture, especially the mattress, should have been replaced at least five years before we stayed there, parking was in city garage across the street, the view from the unit was of parking garage. Resort was ocean front, but because of work at resort, had to walk around the resort one and and half blocks to the beach. Resort had a restrauant, but was only serving breakfst until 10 am becaue of construction.


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## rickandcindy23

*PA, you and I are in complete agreement.*

I know that the two bedroom units would only sell for about $139K, the three bedrooms $179K, if we sold them tomorrow as individual condos.  Those are the prices that several whole-owned units are listed for today.

Getting all of the owners to agree to sell?  That would be impossible.  Many of the older folk who bought them in the first place (we're 50, so we aren't older folk   )  will never give up their "home away from home."  I would be the first on the bandwagon to sell, absolutely. 

Whether you have followed some early threads I posted about Twin Rivers, I will reiterate that we have 31 whole-owned units and 29 timeshare units.  The whole owners got their TREX decks paid for, almost entirely, by the timeshare owners.  We were billed $612 per week for those decks, which included updates to the stairwells that are also TREX and updates to the clubhouse.  I am fairly certain the whole owners only paid $1,500.  (Hatrack could not believe it.  Where is he anyway?) The whole owners are going to reap benefits from our recent assessments as well, but Jon will not admit to it because he knows that many of us are going to be very angry, should that happen.


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## PA-

rickandcindy23 said:
			
		

> .....Whether you have followed some early threads I posted about Twin Rivers, I will reiterate that we have 31 whole-owned units and 29 timeshare units.  The whole owners got their TREX decks paid for, almost entirely, by the timeshare owners.  We were billed $612 per week for those decks, which included updates to the stairwells that are also TREX and updates to the clubhouse.  I am fairly certain the whole owners only paid $1,500.  (Hatrack could not believe it.  Where is he anyway?) The whole owners are going to reap benefits from our recent assessments as well, but Jon will not admit to it because he knows that many of us are going to be very angry, should that happen.



Unfortunately, this discussion (to upgrade a bad timeshare or just sell them as wholly owned) should have taken place before ANY assessments were done.  You could have saved a ton of money, and had a little payoff to the owners.

But it isn't too late; I believe it's still a wise decision to sell the timeshare as wholly owned.  If you owned all 52 weeks in one unit, and sold them off as timeshare weeks, they would be worth FAR less, in my opinion, than what you say they're selling for as wholly owned units.

You don't need to be on the board to have this discussion.  You need to contact the board members and request them to hold off on the assessment until they've had the discussion.  If they refuse, you can request the list of owners and try to contact them.  If they won't give it to you, your choices are limited, contact me and I'll give you more info (PS, it doesn't involve lawsuits)

You don't need 100% of the owners.  In CO, a majority of either 67% or 75% (I can't remember which, but I can find out if you're interested) will do the job, unless the timeshare documents state otherwise.  

I'm having the same exact debate with the Sunburst Condominiums board.

You're biggest problem isn't going to be getting agreement from the owners.  Your biggest problems are likely to be

1)  Convincing the board to even allow the discussion to take place.  Sounds like the manager is running the show.

2)  Deciding how to split up the money.  If the docs don't state otherwise, there's a probability that you'll have to give the blue week owners the same money as the owner of week 52.  Your board will need to consult an attorney, or I may be able to let you know what the attornies say about that same situation at Sunburst.

Hatrack has been commuting between AK and CO lately, plus I know he visited his college kid in MD this weekend for 4 days.  He's back now, so will probably be along.


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## timeos2

PA- said:
			
		

> You don't need to be on the board to have this discussion.  You need to contact the board members and request them to hold off on the assessment until they've had the discussion.  If they refuse, you can request the list of owners and try to contact them.  If they won't give it to you, your choices are limited, contact me and I'll give you more info (PS, it doesn't involve lawsuits)



At least in Florida an owner cannot get the owners list.  Any mailing to owners mustt be done throught the manangement company. 



			
				PA- said:
			
		

> You don't need 100% of the owners.  In CO, a majority of either 67% or 75% (I can't remember which, but I can find out if you're interested) will do the job, unless the timeshare documents state otherwise.



The documents would spell out what percentage is required. If silent state law would set the percentage.  But remember they also have whole ownership involved (makes it a real mess) so that group also has to agree. 

It is hard enough to get all 52 owners of each week to agree (or at least the 50-75% you'd need). Add in whole ownership that may actually be benefitting from the current arrangement and this isn't going to happen.  She is better off trying to gain a seat on the Board and work from within.


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## PA-

timeos2 said:
			
		

> At least in Florida an owner cannot get the owners list.  Any mailing to owners mustt be done throught the manangement company.
> 
> 
> 
> The documents would spell out what percentage is required. If silent state law would set the percentage.  But remember they also have whole ownership involved (makes it a real mess) so that group also has to agree.
> 
> It is hard enough to get all 52 owners of each week to agree (or at least the 50-75% you'd need). Add in whole ownership that may actually be benefitting from the current arrangement and this isn't going to happen.  She is better off trying to gain a seat on the Board and work from within.



Colorado doesn't have a ban against giving the owners an owner's list.  

Also, I don't believe the master association (which includes both timeshare owners and wholly owned units) have to agree.  I could be wrong on that.  However, depending on how many votes the wholly owned units get, it may still be relatively easy to get 75% or 67% or whatever.  I can't imagine that the people who live there want a timeshare.  That wouldn't be the best neighbors to have.


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## rickandcindy23

*Timeos, the whole owners benefit from our timeshare units*

They got decks worth about $15K for ten percent of that cost because Jon DeVos told the timeshare owners that it benefits US for all units to look the same and that the whole owners didn't care.  Now Jon's new campaign to get us to pay for whole-owned unit fix-ups is that the "units' interior shells are deteriorating due to water damage."  Rick and I assume that we are going to pay for their bathroom water issues, which would include retiling their tub enclosures.  How are they going to feel about all this work?  They will be thrilled because Jon DeVos looks after them.

To top it all off, *at least one of the employees at Allegiant is a whole owner * at Twin Rivers.  We found that out from the employee herself when we stopped in last month to check the progress of the updates.  How is that for Allegiant's allegiance to its timeshare owners?  Who knows how many others that work at Allegiant are reaping the benefits of these timeshare owners' extravagant assessments?  It feels illegal to me, but the law would be so hidden within other laws/ statutes that it would be impossible for me as an ordinary person to find out.  The HOA needs to hire a lawyer.  

I know for a fact that Jon's claim that "property values are expected to double" statement is illegal.  He should take that off of the website.  He has the prices for HOA-owned weeks very high, then he holds "silent auctions" to sell them off, but no one ever knows what we get from them.  He is trying to keep that illusion that Twin Rivers is more valuable than it is.  I think the weeks at our resort for RED winter are worth about $2,000 and RED summer are worth $1K, but he has them priced much higher.  It is dishonest to not tell people what resales are really going for.  Most of the older people think what Jon has to say is gold.  It is very difficult to sit at a meeting and listen to Jon talk about how real estate in the county, especially near Fraser is going for $200 sq ft.  If that were true, the 1400 sq ft. Twin Rivers whole-owned units would be selling for $280,000!!!!!!!!!!!


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## JudyS

PA- said:
			
		

> The worst timeshare I actually spent the night in is Champion's Run in Riudoso, NM.  Bathrooms and Kitchen were terribly grungy, there's a few timeshares mixed in with wholly owned condos in a low-rent complex, no hot tub or pool.  Large units though.  It wasn't as scary as some of the ones below, but almost.....



Philip, when did you stay at Champion's Run?  I own there, and my impression is that they have been fixing the place up, although I don't know first hand as I have never been there.

Also, ORE claims that Champion's Run has a hot tub & pool; there is a picture of the pool on the ORE site.  Maybe these were added since you stayed there?


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## Carolinian

The problem of wholeowners being the tail that wags the dog is all too common in mixed use resorts.  At Dune South on the OBX, the management company is inept at many things but they know how to play up to the whole owners to keep their placemen in control of the HOA.  They really strain the interpretation of the by-laws to give whole owners 52 votes each at HOA meeting even though their m/f is less than 4 times that of a timeshare owner.
All whole owner proxies come in and only about half of timesharers.  The net result is that even though they own a minority of units, whole owners are often a majority of votes at the annual meeting.

Also, a takeover artist is trying to play to the wholeowners in the ongoing battle for control of Bodie Island Beach Club.

A better solution is that at The Windjammer, where timesharers and wholeowners have seperate associations, and most joint issues are under the control of the timeshare association.

I note that one Tugger is pushing a sell out and close down line.  This is not what I would expect from someone who is supportive of timesharing.  That should be an absolute last resort when there are no other options.  Often, the best option is changing management and changing HOA control.

To get an owners list, use the corporate statutes.  Most HOA's are organized as non-profit corporations, and there is a right in corporate law to a members list during a time period prior to the annual meeting.  The law limits what you can do with that list, but it can generally be used for purposes of seeking to elect board members or push policy initiatives within the organization.

In North Carolina, resorts organized under the Unit Ownership Act take 100% approval to wind up, by statute, under normal circumstances.  If the resort is more than 2/3 destroyed, then 75% can vote to wind up rather than rebuild.
There are also set intervals where less than 100% can vote to wind up, for declarations of covenents often make that impractial, such as requiring it to be done by signed instrument rather than a simple vote, requiring substantial advance notice, etc.


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## PA-

Carolinian said:
			
		

> .....
> I note that one Tugger is pushing a sell out and close down line.  This is not what I would expect from someone who is supportive of timesharing.  That should be an absolute last resort when there are no other options.  Often, the best option is changing management and changing HOA control.
> 
> To get an owners list, use the corporate statutes.  Most HOA's are organized as non-profit corporations, and there is a right in corporate law to a members list during a time period prior to the annual meeting.  The law limits what you can do with that list, but it can generally be used for purposes of seeking to elect board members or push policy initiatives within the organization.



I assume when you say "one tugger..", you're talking about me.  In the case of Sunburst Condominiums, shutting down the timeshare is not the last resort, we can pay the 1.7million to refurbish the 17 units (we just paid approx. .9 million 3 years ago for ext. refurb).  However, don't assume, just because it isn't the "last option", that it isn't the best option.  If you own all 52 weeks of timeshare in 1 unit, you would be able to sell the weeks on the open market for around $80 - $90 thousand total.  However, last time I was in Steamboat, there was a wholly owned listed at $275K, and one had just sold for $269K.  So while there is no requirement to shut er down, doesn't that sound like the best use of the real estate?  

If the owners are given the option of either paying another $1000 in special assessment plus annual dues, and continuing to use this timeshare as a timeshare, or NOT paying the money and actually putting a little money in their pocket, I think most would probably sell.  However, the HOA refuses to give owners the option.  I've been trying to talk to the HOA for 2 years about various issues, but they defer to the management company.  I've talked to the management company, and they are receptive to the idea.  They are going to talk to the HOA and get back to me. 

I can present the idea at the owner's meeting, and get it in the newsletter that goes out afterwards, but there's only 65 people at the meeting, and who knows how many read the newsletter.

Colorado has nothing in their timeshare statutes requiring they give me the owner's list.  And it isn't mentioned in the bylaws.

Why do you insist that we owners should do whatever's necessary to patch together this mixed use resort and continue to pay fees, except as a "last resort".  Just because people bought a timeshare 30 years ago, does that mean they should re-evaluate the use of it occassionally?  Should we patch it together to benefit timesharing in general, and exchangers in particular?  Or should we do what's best for us?  

At one time, this timeshare was acceptable.  By today's standards, it isn't, and it will never be.  It has no pool, only a small indoor hot tub, and no other amenities.  The rooms are nice, and in a nice location.  It would be a nice wholly owned complex.  That's what it started out life to be, except it went bankrupt during the bust in the 80s and some units converted to timeshare.  Most of the money spent on interior refurbishment will be wasted, if we sell it as wholly owned, since it won't bring a lot more on the market with new carpet, furniture, etc.  Perhaps a bit more, but not much.


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## Tania

We've been very pleased with the ten or so exchanges we'de done with RCI.

The one excepton was The Makai Club on Kaui.  In 1995, it was listed as a Gold Crown and this resort certainly fell far short of that designation.   I certainly expected a lot better than this for a GC in the United States.  Today it is listed as a Hospitality so others have agreed with me.

While our one bedroom was large and clean, most windows faced south and the unit heated up considerably during the day.  AC only in the bedroom and it could not cool the unit down.  The beachtowels we were offered had holes in it.  (At a GC resort, I shoudn't have to ask for better towels, fans...) Dinky pool area.  Cutlery was of the dimestore variety and bent out of shape. The person selling the timeshares was exceptionally rude.  

The only redeeming aspect were the two women organizing the activities.


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## Carolinian

PA - We will have to agree to disagree.

You are looking the wrong place for access to a members list.  That is unlikely to be in the timeshare statutes, but most HOA's are non-profit corporations, and it is very likely to be in the non-profit corporation statutes.


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## PA-

Carolinian said:
			
		

> PA - We will have to agree to disagree.
> 
> You are looking the wrong place for access to a members list.  That is unlikely to be in the timeshare statutes, but most HOA's are non-profit corporations, and it is very likely to be in the non-profit corporation statutes.



Yes, the HOA is set up as non profit in CO.  I don't know if the law in CO would force the HOA to turn over the list.  I don't have time or inclination to pursue this at this time, as I am spending my time doing the same with a MUCH larger timeshare company for which I am running for the Board.

As for agreeing to disagree; are you disagreeing with me that sometimes it's wiser to shut down a timeshare which financially could stay operational?  If so, why?  If it's better for the owners to dissolve it rather than spend money trying to patch it up, why would you think that's not the best course of action?


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## pedro47

About five (5) years ago the pits was Outer Banks Beach Club I in NC. The
Furniture was outdated !!   The saving grace was the outstanding sunrise and sunsets.  They were outstanding!!!!!!!!.


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## CarolynS

Just a few weeks back we stayed at Club Ocean villas II in OC MD. When we got there our unit had ants. We complained and finally the next day they sent maintenance. Maintenance decided to call an exterminator. The exterminator came and the next day the ants were still there. By the end of the week the ants had infested the unit....our shoes, the bed, the sofa. When we complained we were told okay they would send maintenance again. 
Very glad to be home in my own bed.


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## Carolinian

PA- said:
			
		

> Yes, the HOA is set up as non profit in CO.  I don't know if the law in CO would force the HOA to turn over the list.  I don't have time or inclination to pursue this at this time, as I am spending my time doing the same with a MUCH larger timeshare company for which I am running for the Board.
> 
> As for agreeing to disagree; are you disagreeing with me that sometimes it's wiser to shut down a timeshare which financially could stay operational?  If so, why?  If it's better for the owners to dissolve it rather than spend money trying to patch it up, why would you think that's not the best course of action?



When it is easy to take over a timeshare and pick its bones, it will make too many of them targets for takeover artists.  Such an effort is happening right now at Bodie Island Beach Club.

As to availibility of member lists, here is the NC statute on Non-Profit corporations membership lists
(NCGS 55A-7-20):

''Beginning two business days after notice is given of the meeting for which the list was prepared and continuing through the meeting, the list of members shall be availible at the corporation's principal office or at a reasonable place identified in the meeting notice in the city where the meeting will be held for inspection by any members concerning the meeting.  A member, personally or by or with his representatives, is entitled on written demand to inspect and, subject to the limitations of NCGS 55A-16-02(c) and GS 55A-16-05 and at his expense, to copy the list at a reasonable time during the period it is availible for inspection.''

The stature goes on to provide for court enforcement if necessary, including award of attorneys fees and court-ordered delay of the meeting.


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## Carolinian

pedro47 said:
			
		

> About five (5) years ago the pits was Outer Banks Beach Club I in NC. The
> Furniture was outdated !!   The saving grace was the outstanding sunrise and sunsets.  They were outstanding!!!!!!!!.



Since that time, OBBC I has upgraded its units, and has risen from being a standard resort to a Gold Crown.  The problem before was Peppertree / Equivest management, but the HOA kicked them out and brought in better management.


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## PA-

Carolinian said:
			
		

> When it is easy to take over a timeshare and pick its bones, it will make too many of them targets for takeover artists.  Such an effort is happening right now at Bodie Island Beach Club.
> 
> As to availibility of member lists, here is the NC statute on Non-Profit corporations membership lists
> (NCGS 55A-7-20):
> 
> ''Beginning two business days after notice is given of the meeting for which the list was prepared and continuing through the meeting, the list of members shall be availible at the corporation's principal office or at a reasonable place identified in the meeting notice in the city where the meeting will be held for inspection by any members concerning the meeting.  A member, personally or by or with his representatives, is entitled on written demand to inspect and, subject to the limitations of NCGS 55A-16-02(c) and GS 55A-16-05 and at his expense, to copy the list at a reasonable time during the period it is availible for inspection.''
> 
> The stature goes on to provide for court enforcement if necessary, including award of attorneys fees and court-ordered delay of the meeting.



I don't understand how any of this is relevant to the topic, but thanks anyway for the information.

The timeshare is in Colorado, not NC, which may or may not have a similar law.  And I'm not looking to take over the timeshare, I just say the owners have a right to discuss whether to dump more money putting pearl earrings on this hog, when most of them probably have never realized there is an option.  This assessment was dumped on us 6 weeks before the owners meeting, and no notice was given to owners, that I ever saw.  That's not right.  They say they did an 18 months study of the issues, and didn't even bother to tell the owners?  Now they send a bill without any vote on the matter?

I have no doubt that bodie is a prime candidate for closing down, if some investor believes it's worth more if it's not a timeshare.  The only issue is, who should benefit from selling it, the owners or an investor.  That is a perfect example of my point; these poor suckers have paid all these assessments all these years, and don't have the common sense to sell when they can make big money (unless the investor is wrong).  So along comes the investor, pays an average of perhaps $500 - $1000 per week and has a unit worth much more when he sells.  Rather than stop him, the timeshare owners should sell and split the money.


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## aptiva

shagnut said:
			
		

> My worst was Adventure Inn in Hilton Head. We had a studio with a loft and the bedroom was so small upstairs Kelli had to crawl on her hands and knees to get in the bed.  The couch was so lumpy you couldn't even sit on it.  Another couple told me they had bugs in the bed . The good thing about it was the location, right on the beach.  shaggy


 Shaggy
I'm with you all the way!!  The  WORST!!    Furniture so so worn down. Cigarette  burns all across the Arborite countertops in Kitchenette  & Bathroom. Won't discuss bathtub where I stood on a towel to shower. Yuck!!  
If they haven't cleaned it up since 98 =what a shame- because it sits on a beautiful piece of property  on the ocean


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## Carolinian

PA- said:
			
		

> I don't understand how any of this is relevant to the topic, but thanks anyway for the information.
> 
> The timeshare is in Colorado, not NC, which may or may not have a similar law.  And I'm not looking to take over the timeshare, I just say the owners have a right to discuss whether to dump more money putting pearl earrings on this hog, when most of them probably have never realized there is an option.  This assessment was dumped on us 6 weeks before the owners meeting, and no notice was given to owners, that I ever saw.  That's not right.  They say they did an 18 months study of the issues, and didn't even bother to tell the owners?  Now they send a bill without any vote on the matter?
> 
> I have no doubt that bodie is a prime candidate for closing down, if some investor believes it's worth more if it's not a timeshare.  The only issue is, who should benefit from selling it, the owners or an investor.  That is a perfect example of my point; these poor suckers have paid all these assessments all these years, and don't have the common sense to sell when they can make big money (unless the investor is wrong).  So along comes the investor, pays an average of perhaps $500 - $1000 per week and has a unit worth much more when he sells.  Rather than stop him, the timeshare owners should sell and split the money.



Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of the Colorado statutes.  I thought that information on a typical statute on the subject would be helpful.  I guess not!
But for those Tuggers looking at running for their HOA board, it is worth checking out the comparable statute in their state to get the list to do their own mailings.

Once again you are advocating shutting down timeshares, in this case one that you don't even know anything about.  That is not an attitude I would expect on TUG.

At Bodie Island, it is a takeover shark who has convinced some whole owners to support him versus an active Concerned Owners Group of timeshare owners which is vigorously fighting him in court to preserve the timeshare.  The HOA BOD, and particularly the wholeowner members have, IMHO, exposed themselves to quite a bit of liability for their actions and inaction in this matter.  Fortunately the statutes were written to protect timeshare owners against such sharks by making it very difficult to takeover and crash a timeshare.


----------



## gw1400

CarolynS said:
			
		

> Just a few weeks back we stayed at Club Ocean villas II in OC MD. When we got there our unit had ants. We complained and finally the next day they sent maintenance. Maintenance decided to call an exterminator. The exterminator came and the next day the ants were still there. By the end of the week the ants had infested the unit....our shoes, the bed, the sofa. When we complained we were told okay they would send maintenance again.
> Very glad to be home in my own bed.



Carolyn,

What unit were you in?  Was it a first floor unit?  We were there last year on a second floor unit and found the exchange acceptable.

Gene


----------



## CarolynS

Gene,

The unit was on the first floor. I believe the unit number ended in 38. It was around the corner from the indoor pool. When we drove in the lot we drove straight back to the last street and made a left. It was about the fifth unit on the left. 

Carolyn


----------



## SMcdo

Sea Mist Resort, Cape Cod.  Dark, dingy and moldy with broken fixtures.  Plus, nothing really to do there or nearby.  Our worst exchange.


----------



## PA-

Carolinian said:
			
		

> Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of the Colorado statutes.  I thought that information on a typical statute on the subject would be helpful.  I guess not!
> 
> ....
> 
> Once again you are advocating shutting down timeshares, in this case one that you don't even know anything about.  That is not an attitude I would expect on TUG.
> 
> At Bodie Island, it is a takeover shark who has convinced some whole owners to support him versus an active Concerned Owners Group of timeshare owners which is vigorously fighting him in court to preserve the timeshare.  The HOA BOD, and particularly the wholeowner members have, IMHO, exposed themselves to quite a bit of liability for their actions and inaction in this matter.  Fortunately the statutes were written to protect timeshare owners against such sharks by making it very difficult to takeover and crash a timeshare.



Yes, all posts are appreciated, thanks again.

I'm not advocating shutting down timeshares that I don't know anything about.  I'm extremely familiar with both timeshares being discussed (Twin Rivers and Sunburst) and have owned multiple units in both of them.  As for 
Bodie, I'm taking what you said at face value; that it's worth more to an investor as a wholly owned than it is as a timeshare.  That is enough, in my book, to make it worth considering, vs. pouring more money into it.  How many timeshares are worth more if you sell it than it is as a timeshare?  How often does a timeshare owner have a chance to stop the bleeding and actually come out ahead?  I don't think that you should totally discount the idea of selling it to a developer or selling as wholly owned, if that is worth more than the individual timeshares.  To each his own, though.


----------



## rickandcindy23

*I agree with PA about Twin Rivers*

We have owned for twenty-four years and the assessments they are doing is just throwing good money after bad, as far as I am concerned.  The fact that the whole owners are getting improvements because the builder didn't do a great job and the "interior shells are deteriorating," (quote from Jon DeVos in last newsletter) and that it is going to benefit the timeshare owners more to pay for these improvements than the whole owners, who refuse to pay.   Per two-bedroom owned week our assessments total $1,452 and three-bedroom week: $1,532.  Multiply those numbers by 50 and that is what we are spending to fix the units.  We can sell the units for about $139K, maybe more for the two bedrooms and $179K for the three bedrooms.  

PA, I should tell you that we are paying these assessments via installments, an extra MF payment every year for five years, this was our first year, a 61% increase for this year and going to go up each year because the board finally decided to put some money aside..........


----------



## DianeH

Manly National Apts in Manly NSW Australia.

Dirty unit, unlockable sliding glass door, loose carpeted stairs, just read my review.  Its too bad because the location is wonderful.

Diane


----------



## PA-

DianeH said:
			
		

> Manly National Apts in Manly NSW Australia.
> 
> Dirty unit, unlockable sliding glass door, loose carpeted stairs, just read my review.  Its too bad because the location is wonderful.
> 
> Diane



Sounds like a manly sort of place, perfect for a group of men on a hunting or fishing trip to spend the night.


----------



## grest

Sea Side Beach Club in Pompano Beach...dirty, outdated furniture, stove and dishwasher didn't work, stains on wallpaper...there is no way I would agree to stay in a motel/hotel in this condition, much less a timeshare.  The only good thing about it was its location on the beach, but even that couldn't make up for how awful it was...we left early.  That had never happened with an exchange before, or since.
Connie


----------



## jalexander

*Smugglers Notch*

Yes, I risk the wrath of all by saying this, but no question Smugglers Notch

We got there one week before all of the activities kicked in (early June) and it isnt that the room was bad, but the experience was pretty lousy - I expected much more from a top notch resort

1) Two fairly obvious, significant problems with the unit when we arrived
2) Indifferent (at best) staff
3) No amenties/restaurants open at all in the resort

Maybe my expectations were too high (we went there considering buying a full ownership), but I expected more from a resort of the reputed quality of Smuggs

We often travel in shoulder season and have never seen a resort so empty of anything going on.. it was a place to stay, nothing more

I wouldnt return


----------



## wackymother

*Can I just say I love this thread? m*

I just joined and I'm slightly ashamed to admit I sometimes look at the reviews hunting tor low ratings, so I can read them and see just how horrible those resorts are. Thanks for starting this thread!


----------



## PStreet1

Worldmark Bass Lake--responding to "opinions do differ," no one would have said that the unit we were in had good beds.  Perhaps they just haven't gotten to them yet.  In the same measure, no one would have said that the countertop with a hole in it was attractive, and no one would have said that the thick, very black mold ALL around the tub was attractive, well maintained (well, maybe from the mold's standpoint it was well maintained) or clean.  The hair left on the carpet was un-attractive and unclean also.

I, too, am a Worldmark owner, but I wouldn't go there again.

Pat


----------



## rickandcindy23

*Roark in Branson*

The unit was just awful, underneath the sink there was a horrible garbage smell.  The bathroom and kitchen were out of date, the furniture and carpet were pretty bad, the king-sized bed was taking up the entire room.  

On a brighter note, there were some fun activities and the director was a wonderful older woman who recommended some excellent restaurants and ran a fun bingo game.  The people staying around us were much older and we had the impression that most of them owned there.  

The resort also allows guests a few hours of free rental on their pontoon boats and we had a great time on Lake Taneycomo.


----------



## gretel

*Vistana, Smugglers*

I have to agree that both Smugglers Notch and Sheraton Vistana were both major disappointments, for opposite reasons.  Smuggs offered a nice unit but absolutely nothing to do and indifferent staff (week before high season). Sheraton had great amenities but the unit was shabby, and filled with biting ants (and, again, no response from the staff).

I was also disappointed with Disney's Beach Club. I loved the resort but the studio unit was extremely small.  I would stay again in a larger unit (size does matter).

The unit that I refused to stay in was at the Riptide in Myrtle Beach.  I took one look and called RCI. 

I have a unit at the Links reserved for next year for friends (the TUG reviews are favorable).  Since it was mentioned here, I'm a bit nervous.


----------



## caribbean

Deer Run Village in NY. We were there about 2 years ago. We had a 1BR unit with the BR upstairs and it was in awful condition. The carpet was filthy, the heat unit in the LR area would not shut off and you couldn't control the temp on it either. We ended up throwing the circuit breaker off and on when we needed to. All the furniture needed to be replaced. In their defence, there were rolls of carpet laying all around in the hallways where you could trip over then as you tried to exit. So I guess they were planning some work. Good cause it really needed it.


----------



## Tony2

SMcdo said:
			
		

> Sea Mist Resort, Cape Cod.  Dark, dingy and moldy with broken fixtures.  Plus, nothing really to do there or nearby.  Our worst exchange.



And this is supposed to be one of the best resorts on Cape Cod.  I wonder what some of the others are like.


----------



## ciscogizmo1

IAMTHEWALRUS said:
			
		

> Just out of curiosity, what has been the worst resort you have stayed in? Have you stayed at a timeshare resort that smelled, or was full of bugs, nosiy...
> 
> For me, it happens to be The Suites At Fisherman's Wharf, in San Francisco. Don't get me wrong. It was nice, and certainly better than any hotel stay I've ever had. But it was very small and cramped. There seemed to be an overall dampness to the place as well. Personally, I think this resort is the ultimate poster boy for "location, location, location." It was within walking distance to all of the famous San Francisco sights. Although it is an RCI Gold Crown, as well as an II 5-Star resort, I highly doubt it would be rated as high, if it were located in North Dakota.
> 
> Anyone else?



Same here.  Suites of San Francisco... I'm puzzled in how 20 year old furniture gets a 5 star rating...

Tina


----------



## timeos2

ciscogizmo1 said:
			
		

> Same here.  Suites of San Francisco... I'm puzzled in how 20 year old furniture gets a 5 star rating...
> 
> Tina



I am a BIG proponent of quality in timeshare vs location IF there is a quality unit nearby I'd always pick that.  But in SF there isn't much choice in timeshares and the location of the Suites really can't be beat.  Now it is obviously a converted apartment complex and I wouldn't give it a 5* (I think II hands those out like candy anyway).  But given the chance I would stay there again just to enjoy the SF life for a week.  And I would imagine that the score cards that come back to II reflect the fact that people are happy just to get a unit with the cable cars stopping at the front door.  

So it doesn't deserve a 5* based on the units & features but it is still a good place to visit if you want to do the sights of San Francisco.


----------



## guitarlars

I agree about Vistana.  This was my first trade and I had high expectations. We were put in an old, run-down unit. I was told that RCI exchanges get the older section and rentals and owners get the new sections. Nothing like being told you're a second class citizen.

Even though the grounds and pools were nice we checked out after three nights and rented a hotel so that we could sleep in a comfortable bed.

Since then we've always been skeptical of Gold Crown/5 star rankings.

Lars


----------



## Hoc

Honestly, the worst timeshare resort in which I have ever stayed was the Maui Marriott.  Horrible, painful beds, a pool that was not more than about 4 and a half feet deep anywhere, and lots of charges for lots of things that should not have cost extra, plus overpriced charges for things that should have cost extra.


----------



## PA-

Hoc said:
			
		

> Honestly, the worst timeshare resort in which I have ever stayed was the Maui Marriott.  Horrible, painful beds, a pool that was not more than about 4 and a half feet deep anywhere, and lots of charges for lots of things that should not have cost extra, plus overpriced charges for things that should have cost extra.



Most of us, who travel regularly to outstanding resorts, should never fail to recognize how blessed we are, when half the planet can't even get fresh water or enough food.

Hoc, on the other hand, whose worst timeshare experience ever was the Maui Marriott, should get on his knees every day and praise God.


----------



## Hoc

PA- said:
			
		

> Hoc, on the other hand, whose worst timeshare experience ever was the Maui Marriott, should get on his knees every day and praise God. . . . .



Or, perhaps the Maui Marriott is a bit overrated, or I value different things than those who prize it.  I would have considered sleeping in a tent on the beach to be a step up in quality.  Once, as a student, I stayed in a hotel in D.C. recommended by "Lets Go-USA" which smelled bad and was clearly quite dirty.  It was so bad that I tried to think of things to do late into the night in order to avoid going back there.  I consider that a step down.

I spent time in Korea and the Phillipines in military quarters during 1981.  I consider those a step up in quality from the Maui Marriott.  So, I guess it all depends on what you value.

The one thing I value most, above all else, is a bed that gives me the ability to sleep through the night, and to wake up without being in excruciating pain.  The Maui Marriott did not have that, so I'm sure that the constant physical pain negatively colored the rest of my view of the place.


----------



## copperpenny22

The worst time share resort we stayed at was Vacation Villas at Titusville, Florida.  That was at least 10 years ago--hopefully things have improved since then.  The "resort" appears to be an old Condo complex.  The entire complex was old and dingy, including the furniture.  It smelled as if animals were in residence.  The garbage dumpster was located right outside our entrance.  The TV did not work--when we called the office--they said we would have to call the TV shop ourselves.  They charged outrageous fees for local and long distance calls.  The entire staff was not very proficient in the English language.  There was absolutely no activities.  Most definitely not a good place to spend a week's vacation!  We noticed later that this "resort" (I use this word loosely) was dropped from RCI, but still later it appeared again.

The next worst one was North Star at Freeport, Bahamas.  This resort is, mercifully, no longer listed with RCI or II.  I think the parent company went bankrupt and/or was sued by the owners.  

We have stayed at many other resorts spanning over 20 years--99% of them have been very enjoyable.


----------



## TravelSFO

guitarlars said:
			
		

> I agree about Vistana.  This was my first trade and I had high expectations. We were put in an old, run-down unit. I was told that RCI exchanges get the older section and rentals and owners get the new sections. Nothing like being told you're a second class citizen.
> Lars



Wow.  Same here.  Had heard a lot of good things about Sheraton Vistana on TUG before we traded there.  Very huge disappointment when we got there.  The sofas looked liked they had been used as a scratching post by someone cat's -- just as an example.  

Not our idea of "Gold Crown."


----------



## Don

The Four Sails in Virginia Beach Christmas week 2000.  See my review for details.  Other reviews since then have been good.  Perhaps writing to the HOA with my complaints helped.
The next one would prabably be the Sandcastle Beach Club in Ft. Meyers Beach.  The unit wasn't all that bad, but in order ot get any air condition in the bathroom you had to give up all aspects of privacy.  The Bedroom had a small window unit, but the rest of it was cooled by a unit that was built into the front wall.  When you closed the bathroom door, it quickly became like a sauna in there.


----------



## talkamotta

*timeshares I own*

Im glad that three of the timeshares I own have not been mentioned.  I have 6, 3 that are about 6's and 3 that are gold crown.  If they were not in good locations and trade so well then I would probably donate them. I would stay in any of the timeshares rather than a hotel.  Kind of got used to the kitchen. 

I stayed in the El Rancho Villas in Mazatlan.  A 2 bedroom, the second to the last day part of the ceiling fell down in one of the bedrooms.  Had plaster all over everything.  There were only two of us so I didnt care.  They were willing to come fix it but I said no.  They just cleaned up the mess.  I gave it a high rating because of how wonderful the staff was,  the location was perfect, and the rest of the unit was good.  Being a landlord and my son doing short term rentals I have a tolerance of things going bad and repairs.  I dont have a tolerance of filth and bugs.  I guess each of us have our own standards and the things we will tolerate.  At least with TUGS we have a great advantage and heads up on resorts.


----------



## caribbean

Don-

Re: 4 Sails. We stayed there last New Years and I was apprehensive about going, but we were very pleased. It might have been different in a smaller 1BR, since we had one of the 6 - 2BR units. It had obviously just been completly redone with new paint, tile, carpet, furniture, wallpaper, some appliances, and I was very pleasantly surprised. In fact we liked it so much we reserved again for this New Years. Now if we can only get the wonderful weather again that we had last year. So maybe your complaining did help.


----------



## Don

Caribbean, Don't go there expecting to eat in their restaurant.  On our trip, the manager gave the restaurant staff the whole week off.  After driving over eight hours that day, we still had to go out to find something to eat (on Dec. 23).  We ended up at the food court of Lynnhaven Mall because we knew it would be open.


----------



## gresmi

philsfan said:
			
		

> We were forced to spend a night and a day here when Divi Southwinds overbooked and had no unit left for us.  It was like we stepped back in time, the furnishings were very 50's.  The smells from the resort next door were awful.



I second this. By far, worst timeshare experience. Pool was filthy. "Remodeled" units must have been done by a 4 yr. old.


----------



## rickandcindy23

*If so many of us have had bad experiences at Vistana,*

then why are they always Five-Star and Gold Crown?  I am not disagreeing at all because our last stay was in a unit that looked exactly the same as the unit looked five years before, except the furniture no longer looked nice and the cabinets were beat up.

Some of you are not filling out your resort report cards.    

We really need to take the time to log on to our accounts and fill out the reports online.  The entire process of exchanging is at risk when we don't take the time to fill out those reports.  We need to know that the units we stay in deserve the rating that they have been given.  It's something we count on.  How many of you take the time to tell RCI and II that these resorts do not deserve their high ratings?  It benefits all of us to report bad experiences.  Vistana would pay attention and start updating more often if they slipped out of the GC and 5* status.  How would they sell weeks without the glamour of those awards?


----------



## boyblue

It amazes me to see this thread on top of the board everyday.  As much as I post this is the first time I've posted on a thread that I haven't read in it's entirety.

I see Vistana got a lot of votes.  Will a bad TS list result from this?


----------



## Lharri

*The Worst one we did not stay at!*

Ocean Villa Club North Carolina Outer Banks. This was an exchange. We drove up from Florida where we had been staying at another timeshare for a week. When we got there we had trouble finding it. I tried reaching them with my cell as it was close to check in time but I kept getting a fax response on the line listed for late arrivals or issues. 

After many tries, I finally got through and they gave me directions. When we arrived, they (the office staff) were packing up to leave even though it was barely check in time. It appears they have a system where check in does not require staff but my exchange did not mention that. I would not have known what to do if they had already left. They did not have my reservation at all. When they finally verified with the exchange company they said that my reservation was still in the owners name but it was not the Ocean Villas resort but the Ocean Villas II. 

Now the Ocean Villas resort was made up of single bungalows on the dunes while the Ocean Villas II was a condo setting in a parking lot. We could not get a ground floor as we had been promised and my husband has a heart condition. My husband was very tired and upset and wanted to leave and so they told me maybe they could get someone to change with me for a bungalow. 

Now mind you they were supposed to be gone when I arrived. 

No one would change but they said they had a bungalow with leaky windows and other repairs needed that maybe we could have. It was rainy and windy. Needless to say, even though we were a long way from home in Massachusetts, we did not want to stay. We decided to take a ride first to figure out what to do. 

By the time we got back to tell them we were going to find a hotel room, they were gone. I  had to leave the condo packet under the door. I called for 3 days until Monday when some in the office came back to the resort. I felt obligated to make sure they had gotten the packet and knew we had decided not to stay.

Wow for a place we did not stay in we had a really lousy experience.


----------



## Dani

boyblue said:
			
		

> It amazes me to see this thread on top of the board everyday.  As much as I post this is the first time I've posted on a thread that I haven't read in it's entirety.
> 
> I see Vistana got a lot of votes.  Will a bad TS list result from this?



  I had not thought about a bad timeshare list, but I can certainly archive this thread when it has run it's course.


----------



## IAMTHEWALRUS

Dani said:
			
		

> I had not thought about a bad timeshare list, but I can certainly archive this thread when it has run it's course.




That would be great. I originally started this thread in the hope of getting information on possible exchanges to avoid. But since the thread has gotten so large, that'd be a lot of work to keep track of it all.


----------



## IAMTHEWALRUS

*The Complete List (so Far)*

After going through the entire thread, I've compiled a list of each resort that got a vote for "worst" exchange. If a resort had more than one vote, it's listed as well. The poor Sheraton Vistana got six votes.


SUITES AT FISHERMAN'S WHARF - San Francisco, CA.  (2)
EASTERN SLOPE INN - North Conway, NH
CARRIAGE HOUSE - Las Vegas, NV
ORANGE LAKE - Kissimmee, FL (2)
TAHOE SANDS, Lake Tahoe, NV
WORLDMARK KONA - Kona, HI
CASA BLANCA - Panama City, FL
SAN CLEMENTE INN - San Clemente, CA
DIVI HERITAGE - Barbados (2)
BREEZY POINT - Breezy Point, MN
ADVENTURE INN - Hilton Head, SC (2)
WOLF RUN - Dubois, PA
LA RENAISSANCE - Atlantic City, NJ (2)
LA CABANA - Aruba
CAPREDIEM ASSISI - Assisi, Italy
STALLION SPRINGS RESORT - Tehachapi, CA
FRENCH LICK SPRINGS VILLAS - French Lick, IN
SEA PALACE - St. Martin
SHERATON VISTANA - Orlando, FL (6)
HIAWATHA MANOR WEST AT LAKE TANSI - Crossville, TN
SEA MIST RESORT - Mashpee, MS
MANLY NATIONAL APRTMENTS - Manly, Australia
SEA SIDE BEACH CLUB - Pompano Beach, FL
VACATION VILLAS - Titusville, FL
HOLLYWOOD BEACH TOWER - Holylwood, FL (2)
CLUB OCEAN VILLAS II - Ocean City, MD
SMUGGLER'S NOTCH RESORT - Smuggler's Notch, VT (2)
WORLDMARK BASS LAKE - Bass Lake, CA
ROARK VACATION RESORT - Branson, MO
DEER RUN VILLAGE - Stamford, NY
MARRIOTT'S MAUI OCEAN CLUB - Lahaina, HI
FOUR SALES - Virginia Beach, VA
VIDAFEL MAYAN PALACE - Mazatlan, Mexico
CHATEAU LEGRANDE - Biloxi, MS (2)
IMPERIAL HAWAII VACTION CLUB - Honolulu, HI
RAMADA VACTION CLUB - Las Vegas, NV
PARK PLAZA - Park City, UT
THE LINKS - Myrtle Beach, SC
CATHERDRAL LEDGE RESORT - Intervale, NH
PLAYA EL AGUA BEACH HOTEL - Playa El Agua, Venezuela
BORDERLINKS - Ocean Pines, MD
NOTTINGHAM VILLAGE AT FRIAR TUCK - Catskills, NY
OUTER BANK BEACH CLUB I - Kill Devill Hills, NC
JACKSON PINES - Jackson Hole, WY
CHAMPION'S RUN - Riudoso, NM
KOHL'S RANCH - Payson, AZ
MAKAI CLUB - Princeville, HI


----------



## nell

*The list we have so far!*

As I am new to timesharing I find this list helpful.  I have included all places mentioned whether there was disagreement or not!  At least people will have a heads up to delve a little further to see if they would have a problem or not (i.e. unit size, amenities, etc.)

Adventure Inn   Hilton Head
Alpen Rose
Bass Lake
Borderlink/Atlantic Resorts in Ocean Pines, OC
Breezy Points, MN
Caribbean
Carpediem Assissi
Carriage House, Las Vegas
Casa Blaca Resort, Panama City
Catherdral Ledge Resort, NH
Champion's Run, Riudoso, NM
Chateau LeGrande, Biloxi, MS
Club Ocean Villas II, OC, MD
Deer Run Village, NY
Divi Heritage, Barbados
Eastern Slope Inn, N. Conway, NH
Fairfield Alexandria
Four Sails, Virginia Beach
French Lick Springs Resort, IN
Galleon Key West
Hiawatha Manor
Highpoint, Orlando
Hollywood Beach Tower, Hollywood, FL
Imperial of Hawaii
Indian Peak, CO
Jackson Pines
Keahou Surf & Raquet
Kohl's Ranch, Payson
La Cabana, Aruba
La Concha Beach Resort, LaPaz
The Links, Myrtle Beach
Lion's Gate
Makai Club
Manley Nat'l Apts, Manly NSW Australia
Maui Marriott
Meadow in Winter Park
North Star, Freeport, Bahamas
Nottingham Village @ Friar Tuck
Ocean Villa Club, NC Outer Banks
Orange Lake
Orofino, CO
Outer Banks Beach Club I, NC
Park Plaza, Park City, Utah
The Pines, Bayse, VA
Plaza El Agua Beach Hotel, Marquarita Island
Ramada Vacation Club, Las Vegas
Roarke, Branson, MO
Sam Clemete Inn
Sapphire Beach Resorts & Marina, St. Thomas
Sea Mist Resort, Cape Cod
Sea Palace, St. Martin
Sea Side Beach Club, Pompano Beach
Shandoah Villas @ Masanutta
Sheraton Vistana
Silverado
Skier's Edge, CO
Ski Time Square, Steamboat Springs (?) couldn't read my own writing  
Smugglers Notch
Spinnaker, CO
Suites @ Fisherman's Wharf
Sweetwater, Park City
Tahoe Sands, N. Lake Tahoe
Tehachapia
Twin Rivers
Vacation Villas @Titusville, FL
Vidafel, Mazatlan
Wolf Creek Village
Wolf Run, Dubois, PA
Worldmark Kona

Now that's done--I guess I'll have to get back to business!


----------



## nell

Looks like we were both working at the same time!


----------



## gretel

*Riptide, Myrtle Beach*

Please include Riptide, Myrtle Beach, SC. Dirty, dirty, dirty.

By the way, I wrote a letter to Sheraton Vistana after our stay left my family with bug bites all over us.  I received no response.


----------



## nell

Tis added!

 
Adventure Inn Hilton Head
Alpen Rose
Bass Lake
Borderlink/Atlantic Resorts in Ocean Pines, OC
Breezy Points, MN
Caribbean
Carpediem Assissi
Carriage House, Las Vegas
Casa Blaca Resort, Panama City
Catherdral Ledge Resort, NH
Champion's Run, Riudoso, NM
Chateau LeGrande, Biloxi, MS
Club Ocean Villas II, OC, MD
Deer Run Village, NY
Divi Heritage, Barbados
Eastern Slope Inn, N. Conway, NH
Fairfield Alexandria
Four Sails, Virginia Beach
French Lick Springs Resort, IN
Galleon Key West
Hiawatha Manor
Highpoint, Orlando
Hollywood Beach Tower, Hollywood, FL
Imperial of Hawaii
Indian Peak, CO
Jackson Pines
Keahou Surf & Raquet
Kohl's Ranch, Payson
La Cabana, Aruba
La Concha Beach Resort, LaPaz
The Links, Myrtle Beach
Lion's Gate
Makai Club
Manley Nat'l Apts, Manly NSW Australia
Maui Marriott
Meadow in Winter Park
North Star, Freeport, Bahamas
Nottingham Village @ Friar Tuck
Ocean Villa Club, NC Outer Banks
Orange Lake
Orofino, CO
Outer Banks Beach Club I, NC
Park Plaza, Park City, Utah
The Pines, Bayse, VA
Plaza El Agua Beach Hotel, Marquarita Island
Ramada Vacation Club, Las Vegas
Riptide, Myrtle Beach, SC
Roarke, Branson, MO
Sam Clemete Inn
Sapphire Beach Resorts & Marina, St. Thomas
Sea Mist Resort, Cape Cod
Sea Palace, St. Martin
Sea Side Beach Club, Pompano Beach
Shandoah Villas @ Masanutta
Sheraton Vistana
Silverado
Skier's Edge, CO
Ski Time Square, Steamboat Springs (?) couldn't read my own writing  
Smugglers Notch
Spinnaker, CO
Suites @ Fisherman's Wharf
Sweetwater, Park City
Tahoe Sands, N. Lake Tahoe
Tehachapia
Twin Rivers
Vacation Villas @Titusville, FL
Vidafel, Mazatlan
Wolf Creek Village
Wolf Run, Dubois, PA
Worldmark Kona


----------



## sfwilshire

If so many of us have had bad experiences at Vistana, then why are they always Five-Star and Gold Crown? ask rickandcindy23.

I think it's because so many others have had wonderful weeks there. We are owners so only exchange in once in a while, but this is my kid's favorite Orlando resort. Our very first exchange about a decade ago was to Vistana. We stayed in the old Falls section and liked it so much we wound up buying a Fountains unit.

I like to try other Orlando resorts, but always wind up hearing the kids complain that they'd rather be at Vistana.

Vistana is huge and with so many units, there are bound to be some bad experiences. Apparently, though, the averages still work for them to keep the ratings up. I think as TUGgers, our standards also tend to be higher because we exchange into so many wonderful resorts. I know I am quite critical, even though I always manage to enjoy my stay.

I haven't posted to this thread before now because I haven't hit a really terrible unit yet. Most have something I could compain about, but usually nothing serious.

Sheila


----------



## Liz Wolf-Spada

Hoc, I'm curious, what was the problem with the bed at Marriott? I can't remember where we stayed one time, not a timeshare, but a hotel and it could have been Marriott that was supposed to have these super great beds and  it just wasn't comfortable for me at all.
Liz


----------



## aorons

*Smugglers Notch - the good and bad*



			
				jalexander said:
			
		

> Yes, I risk the wrath of all by saying this, but no question Smugglers Notch
> 
> We got there one week before all of the activities kicked in (early June) and it isnt that the room was bad, but the experience was pretty lousy - I expected much more from a top notch resort
> 
> 1) Two fairly obvious, significant problems with the unit when we arrived
> 2) Indifferent (at best) staff
> 3) No amenties/restaurants open at all in the resort
> 
> Maybe my expectations were too high (we went there considering buying a full ownership), but I expected more from a resort of the reputed quality of Smuggs
> 
> We often travel in shoulder season and have never seen a resort so empty of anything going on.. it was a place to stay, nothing more
> 
> I wouldnt return



As a Smuggs owner, I would not even think about traveling there out of season unless I was doing some kind of special event - and even then, why would I choose that place???  

We love it there in season because of the programs - the camps, the hikes, the family entertainment. This place is not known for its fabulous amenities; it's known for its critical mass of programs that keep families interested and active.

So - my advice - never accept a trade there that isn't during ski season or between the third week of June and Labor Day.  NOTE: summer is actually high season, not winter.


----------



## Hoc

Liz Wolf-Spada said:
			
		

> Hoc, I'm curious, what was the problem with the bed at Marriott?



The mattress was super thin, no support at all (when I lay down on it, it became about an inch thick), and kept sliding off the box springs onto the floor.  Also, the fitted sheets kept popping off all through the night, every time I would turn.  In the morning, when I would wake up, the mattress was still a little on the box springs, but mostly on the floor, with no sheets on it.  And my back hurt so bad that by the third day, I could barely move through most of the rest of the week.

I don't think that anyone ever said that the beds at that resort are supposed to be great.  In fact, it was pretty well agreed that Marriott at one time had the worst beds in the business.  They have since upgraded the beds in many of their resorts.


----------



## Jimster

*The list*

I think we need to be careful about the list of "bad" timeshares.  There are some very good resorts on the list.  So much of what goes into an experience at a TS is dependent upon a multitude of things- many of which are unique to a particular place or time.  For example, some of the complaints relate to their perception of the treatment by staff.  Obviously, staff changes often very quickly and what might be interpreted by some as a rude comment would be seen by others as an efficient or concise statement. 
I used to work at a hotel and while it was a very good hotel, sometimes events occur that are unintended-i.e. a maid leaves early and what should have been a clean room is actually left dirty for a new guest.  These things happen.  I've also seen guests upset because they didn't like the quality of chocolates received on their nightly turn down.
I think what is more to the point is are there TS's that consistently show a pattern of bad experiences.  Finally, when you are dealing with very large TS's I think its wrong to classify a resort as bad when it may be a particular unit or building.  Yes, Vistana has 6 complaints.  HMMMM that would be 6 complaints out of how many guests they have had over the past 5 years.  I'd be more upset if there were 6 complaints from a small timeshare.  That is not to say everything is in order at Vistana but consider the number of units and guests that have stayed there.  I've stayed at Vistana and Orange Lake and found them both to be exceptional.  I've stayed at Wolf Run too-is it a Marriott?  No, its not.  I think you have to realize there will be differences in quality.  You can't use the same yardstick to measure different resorts.  I also suspect you can buy a Wolf Run for a dollar or two less than a Marriott.  My advise is if you want Marriott or Hyatt quality at every resort you stay at, then you should only stay at Marriott's and Hyatt's.   I've also stayed at Silver Lake (which is not on the list) and they had to bring up maintenance to kill the fleas or bedbugs that had bitten me.  Does this make Silver Lake a bad resort?  No!  It means they had a problem in my unit on a given date.  That can happen anywhere is the point.  Don't get me wrong, I find all the anecdotical event very interesting and I've read them all, but I think we are performing an injustice by making a list and entitling them "worst exchanges".


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## JohnnyO

*Tahoe Beach & Ski*

The Tahoe Beach & Ski did not do much for our family..we had two units next to each other....entire unit and rooms small and cramped, kitchen was a joke, old and worn, very noisy as we had two units by the parking lot and luggage ramp in the building by the lake, too many units with a parking lot view, pool was broken down during summer  , activities were minimal and overpriced, many things were broken, no A/C so had to keep windows open with fans running, the place smelled and it was dirty.

We have been lucky so far from what I have read.  TUG has been a vacation saver.  I will take the Maui Marriott any day and I will be happy to sleep on the floor if the bed is that bad.


----------



## Carolinian

Lharri said:
			
		

> Ocean Villa Club North Carolina Outer Banks. This was an exchange. We drove up from Florida where we had been staying at another timeshare for a week. When we got there we had trouble finding it. I tried reaching them with my cell as it was close to check in time but I kept getting a fax response on the line listed for late arrivals or issues.
> 
> After many tries, I finally got through and they gave me directions. When we arrived, they (the office staff) were packing up to leave even though it was barely check in time. It appears they have a system where check in does not require staff but my exchange did not mention that. I would not have known what to do if they had already left. They did not have my reservation at all. When they finally verified with the exchange company they said that my reservation was still in the owners name but it was not the Ocean Villas resort but the Ocean Villas II.
> 
> Now the Ocean Villas resort was made up of single bungalows on the dunes while the Ocean Villas II was a condo setting in a parking lot. We could not get a ground floor as we had been promised and my husband has a heart condition. My husband was very tired and upset and wanted to leave and so they told me maybe they could get someone to change with me for a bungalow.
> 
> Now mind you they were supposed to be gone when I arrived.
> 
> No one would change but they said they had a bungalow with leaky windows and other repairs needed that maybe we could have. It was rainy and windy. Needless to say, even though we were a long way from home in Massachusetts, we did not want to stay. We decided to take a ride first to figure out what to do.
> 
> By the time we got back to tell them we were going to find a hotel room, they were gone. I  had to leave the condo packet under the door. I called for 3 days until Monday when some in the office came back to the resort. I felt obligated to make sure they had gotten the packet and knew we had decided not to stay.
> 
> Wow for a place we did not stay in we had a really lousy experience.



Most smaller resorts have limited hours of desk operation.  It is common on the OBX, and also in Europe.  I agree that it can be somewhat aggravating.
Most leave the packets out, but if there is some glitch you can have a problem.

It sounds like you were in the back building at Ocean Villas II which lacks an elevator.  The front building does have an elevator.  It also sounds like RCI did not give you the correct information on the exchange.


----------



## Lharri

Carolinian said:
			
		

> Most smaller resorts have limited hours of desk operation.  It is common on the OBX, and also in Europe.  I agree that it can be somewhat aggravating.
> Most leave the packets out, but if there is some glitch you can have a problem.
> 
> It sounds like you were in the back building at Ocean Villas II which lacks an elevator.  The front building does have an elevator.  It also sounds like RCI did not give you the correct information on the exchange.



Thank you for responding on this. I agree, some small resorts do have limited desk hours. I got a lot of misinformation, added to the disappointment in unit   made it all the worse.


----------



## wackymother

*I'm enjoying this thread, but have to agree that making a list might be a bit much*

I read reviews here and on TripAdvisor, but if I read all of them I wouldn't travel anywhere! We just took a vacation and stayed at the Sheraton Society Hill in Philly, for example. Pretty poor reviews on TripAdvisor, and when we checked in not one but TWO guests were complaining loudly at the front desk--not a great sign (turned out one was complaining about the dry cleaners there). But we had a great room and really enjoyed our stay. 

To me, the reviews are more useful, and even then I look for the overall rating before the individual reviews. The individual reviews with low ratings here at TUG tell me what to watch out for, but the numerical ratings are more indicative of the quality of the resort.

To me, the stories here are just interesting stories with cautionary elements. I'm not scared to go to the Sheraton Vistana!


----------



## IAMTHEWALRUS

James Rosenberg said:
			
		

> I think we need to be careful about the list of "bad" timeshares.  There are some very good resorts on the list.  So much of what goes into an experience at a TS is dependent upon a multitude of things- many of which are unique to a particular place or time.  For example, some of the complaints relate to their perception of the treatment by staff.  Obviously, staff changes often very quickly and what might be interpreted by some as a rude comment would be seen by others as an efficient or concise statement.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I find all the anecdotical event very interesting and I've read them all, but I think we are performing an injustice by making a list and entitling them "worst exchanges".




I couldn't agree with you more. Bad events sometimes happen to good resorts. By no means does one person's bad experience mean that everyone will have a bad experience. This is evidenced by the fact that some of the listed resorts have already been defended by people who had great stays there.

In my case, The Suites At Fisherman's Wharf was a decent resort by most standards. It just happened to be the "worst" when compared to the other timeshare resorts I've stayed in. I've been very lucky. I've never had any bad experiences anywhere.

The bottom line is that if you want a more accurate idea as to the good and bad qualities of a given resort, look through all the TUG reviews, as well as the TRIPADVISOR reviews. That should paint a better picture as to what you're going to get.


----------



## akbmusic

*Maybe add to resort reviews?*

As there is a list of the top resorts on the TUG boards, maybe it would be nice to have a list of the worst resorts. Although I agree that some care would need to be taken, when the same resort keeps coming up over and over (like Vistana) there is probably something to it. Might be nice to start something for the resort reivews section!


----------



## nell

I can understand the point of view that having it as a "list of worst timeshares" would be an injustice to some resorts.  As we all know probably every property has had at least one complaint at one time or another.  My purpose in making the list was merely to make it easier to see which properties had been mentioned.  I stated at the top of the list that some properties had already been defended and the list should simply be used as a tool to determine if the complaints made would be something that would influence someone's stay there.  Personally, just because a unit doesn't have the newest furniture would not keep me from going there.  I would also check as many other review resources as possible.  Apologies if my intent was not clear.


----------



## Diane

Nell, your list is very helpful.  I, for one, want to thank you.  I think we all understand that expectations and reactions vary from individual to individual.  The best thing about TUG is the sharing of experiences and opinions.  

If anyone really feels the list is a mistake, maybe they could expand it a little.  For example, add in 10 words or less the reason why it was, in the poster's opinion the worst.  Or, even add the number of the posters total exchanges, to give some indication of the experience base. 

For the one I posted, Jackson Pines, I would say:

Jackson Pines, Jackson Hole, WY  (30+ exchanges) extreme street noise, tiny bathroom, few windows.

I would find this invaluable personally.  There is just so much research that can be done in a reasonable period of time.

Diane


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## PStreet1

Problem with accessing this thread:  When I click on the thread, I have another thread part way through on some ownership issues; then it returns to this thread.  It's only two pages total, and I don't see most of the responses that resulted in Walruses' list.  What is the problem?


----------



## timeos2

*Idea good but list is questionable*



			
				nell said:
			
		

> I can understand the point of view that having it as a "list of worst timeshares" would be an injustice to some resorts.  As we all know probably every property has had at least one complaint at one time or another.  My purpose in making the list was merely to make it easier to see which properties had been mentioned.  I stated at the top of the list that some properties had already been defended and the list should simply be used as a tool to determine if the complaints made would be something that would influence someone's stay there.  Personally, just because a unit doesn't have the newest furniture would not keep me from going there.  I would also check as many other review resources as possible.  Apologies if my intent was not clear.



Overall a list of 'bad" resorts is a good idea. But tarring a resort "bad" on one persons experience is very dangerous ground.  And it has been mentioned already that a resort that was bad a few years ago might be good now or the reverse.  Thats why the TUG Reviews, especially for resorts that have many and recent reviews, are the ultimate source.  I see that FF Alexandria made the so called "bad" list. While I understand the poster didn't like smoke (we don't either) we've never had a problem there in three stays and have found that resort to be worthy of it's Gold Crown ranking.  I doubt one out of a thousand guests would rank it as the "worst" resort they have stayed at.  

As always trying to oversimplify and over generalize almost anything leaves the reader with a false impression.  This list, while it certainly has some very worthy candidates for worst timeshare, isn't as valuable as it may appear at first glance.  Unless guests do a little background worj they are liable to miss a good resort or be stuck n a bad one if this is all they go by.


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## Sallylee

*Kohls Ranch*

I agree the reviews are more important than a bad list, case in point would be Kohls Ranch.  We go several times a year on TS trips, usually to high rated places and Kohls (unrated) is the only place my husband says he can truly relax.  Not much to do there except hike the mountains, ride horses, sit on the deck and read and doze.  It is important which unit you get though.  We prefer the 2bd Tonto cabins (older rustic ones) with huge deck and hot tub, the newer 2bd are manufactured units with a small deck for 2 chairs, both over look Tonto Creek.  The 1bds are small cabins without a deck but some have a gazebo.  The hotel and studio units are part of the lodge and more like a motel, some have small decks off the unit and some don't.  We like the older cabins and they are just that log cabins, no dishwasher but a little kitchen that worked just fine for this year with 3 grandkids in tow.  They had a blast in that creek and spent hours in the pool.  The reviews would be the only way to know the details of the place.  I would only go with a reservation for a 2bd unit.


----------



## judyjht

*Fontana Village,  NC*

Without a doubt - we were there from Sat - Sat and changed out flight and came hime Tuesday - that was the one and only time I have done that in 25 years of TS.  They are in big $$$ trouble.  Place is falling apart!


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## judyjht

*Fontana Village,  NC*

Without a doubt - they must be out of $$$.  What a dump.


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## John Cummings

*Berkshire By the Sea in Delray Beach Florida*

Berkshire By the Sea in Delray Beach Florida was absolutely the worst.

This place was so bad that we ended up staying only 3 nights out of our week. To begin with the unit itself is tiny. The BR is smaller than a decent walk-in closet. It is so small that they can't fit in a king size bed. The bathroom is the size of what you find on an airplane. There were absolutely no amenities. There was only one telephone and one TV. No maid service at all except to change the towels once during the week. The only maid service is when you leave. The front desk is only open until 5:00 P.M. and offers nothing. There are zero activities and the only time any one is interested in talking to you is if want to buy a timeshare ( reseller ). All in all this place is a nightmare.

We exchanged through II. We complained to II and they agreed with us and gave our week back to us.


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## Diane

Obviously having too much time on my hands, I took Nell's list and tried to briefly summarize the problem(s) at each "worst" timeshare.  This is useful for my purposes and might also be to others.  If anyone feels I have mischaracterzied their comments, I apologize and will be happy to change any wording if you let me know.  Diane

                          "Worst" Timeshare per various TUGGERS as of 8/05
                               Intended to supplement TUG Reviews


[THE LIST WAS UPDATED AND MOVED TO POST #152 ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2005]


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## Liz Wolf-Spada

Thanks, I just printed out the annotated list.
Liz


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## ronandjoan

*Fr Licks Springs*

Very surprised to find Fr Lick Springs on the worst list - then see that there were no complaints about the resort itself, but that the exchangers were bored!

We disagree since we found lots to do - but then we like swimming in a big indoor  pool in November! and hiking! and we took the tours offered which were excellent. (We usually don;t do the tours.)

A casino is goingin - although we do not have interest in that, perhaps those that want a lots of activity will!

We did not see anything wrong wit hthe units themselves and even firelogs were provided for the fireplaces.  Huge two floor units with jacuzzi and saunas.  Be sure to get a 2-BD,


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## ronandjoan

*Silver Beach Club and Sunbay Resort*

Silver Beach Club in Daytona Beach - smoky smell which they could not get out, even though housekeeping came up to try. We left patio doors open 24/7 The place was dirty, rooms were newly painted - GRAY - very dull color - why pick that?, converted motel.  Grounds were VERY dirty.

Just returned from Sunbay Resort in Hot Aprings ARK - quite dirty, did not look at all like the pictures, decorating scheme was brown: walls, drapes, furniture, rug.  Would have been bearable even without the lake view (as was shown in RCI pics) but it was too dirty.  Don;t get units H,I,J, far away from lodge and therefore fewer amenities, too.


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## Diane

Joan--your comment about French Lick is one of the reasons I annotated the list, i.e., so we could decide whether someone else's experience was enough to keep us away.  I have added your comments there and as to Silver Beach Club and Sunbay Resort.  

Thanks much,

Diane


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## stellamylove

*Worst Timeshare - My poor Aunt & Uncle!*

I booked a week in late June of this past year for my Aunt & Uncle at the Cambril's Park resort in Tarragona Spain.  They didn't even stay there for one night!
I felt horrible!!!
Apparently, the 1 bedroom unit was filthy, paint was peeling off of the walls, no-airconditioning and temperatures above 95 degrees!  It wasn't good.

Anyway, that was their first stay at a timeshare.  Needless to say, they think that all timeshares are horrible now - and that I am crazy for loving the timeshare travel way of life!

-Stella


----------



## normab

*Orange tree in Scottsdale*

We were very disappointed in the Orange tree in Scottsdale AZ.  The unit STANK (moldy?)and we could not get a different unit.  The whole week we were using spray. Also, the 1 bedroom was really not a one bedroom in our opinion.

We have stayed at plenty of older resorts and we can ignore old furnishings, as long as the place is clean.  Smells that linger and dirty units are the only things we really would consider a major problem, and this one stank enough to go on our list.


----------



## copperpenny22

We also were disappointed in the "1 bdrm unit" at Orange Tree, Scottsdale.  The "bedroom" had no windows and was separated by louvered doors from the living area.  The partial kitchen consisted of a wet bar sink, a microwave, and a half refrigerator.  There was a sofa bed to accommodate a total of 4, but there was no eating table and chairs for four people.  There was a small table, big enough for a computer, so we had to use the coffee table to eat on.

However, the spraulling complex grounds were very nice, the activities were interesting, it has a nice restaurant, the pool and hot tub were nice, and they have a complimentary golf cart taxi service to take you around the complex.

We suspect that the section we were housed in was used mainly for complimentary sales guests, bonus time, and last-minute getaways.  Perhaps the resort owner's accommodations were a little better.


----------



## Tony2

Sallylee said:
			
		

> I agree the reviews are more important than a bad list, case in point would be Kohls Ranch.  We go several times a year on TS trips, usually to high rated places and Kohls (unrated) is the only place my husband says he can truly relax.  Not much to do there except hike the mountains, ride horses, sit on the deck and read and doze.  It is important which unit you get though.  We prefer the 2bd Tonto cabins (older rustic ones) with huge deck and hot tub, the newer 2bd are manufactured units with a small deck for 2 chairs, both over look Tonto Creek.  The 1bds are small cabins without a deck but some have a gazebo.  The hotel and studio units are part of the lodge and more like a motel, some have small decks off the unit and some don't.  We like the older cabins and they are just that log cabins, no dishwasher but a little kitchen that worked just fine for this year with 3 grandkids in tow.  They had a blast in that creek and spent hours in the pool.  The reviews would be the only way to know the details of the place.  I would only go with a reservation for a 2bd unit.



We were in a 2 br tonto creek unit.  The hot tub was a nice touch except we had to have the repairman out 4 times to fix it and then we finally gave up on it.  The furniture and carpet was very warn and the unit not as clean as we would have liked.  The creek was brown from the rain that fell prior to our arrival and remained so for the duration of our stay.  Like I said earlier, the experience wasn't all that bad, we just happened to have great luck with the 60 or so other timeshares we've vacationed in....so Kohl's would have to be considered our worse timeshare experience.  

I'm sure we just got stuck with a bad unit.  If the hot tub worked properly and the unit a little cleaner with new furniture I feel we would have really enjoyed our stay.


----------



## Patriot

*Orange Tree*

For a five star reosrt in II it has a lot to be desired. IMO I also believe it should not be considered a one bedroom unit. Too small, too old. Also, do not plan to go out after 8 p.m. because it is going to be one heck of a time to find a parking space. You will be walking for an eternity to get back to your room! Trust me on this one - been there done that!


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## wauhob3

I'm surprised that there Fairfiel Alexandria is on it too. I was very happy RCI just told me it came up a one when I changed my spring break New Orleans   search to there.


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## sfwilshire

wauhob3 said:
			
		

> I'm surprised that there Fairfiel Alexandria is on it too. I was very happy RCI just told me it came up a one when I changed my spring break New Orleans   search to there.



I wouldn't worry too much about that one. The unit we stayed in last March was lovely. The staff was great. 

My only complaint was not having the washer/dryer in the unit. There were sometimes waits for them, particularly in the evening.

You can't beat the location for visiting DC! I would go back again in a heartbeat. I've never been able to exchange in, so had to rent from a friendly TUGger.

Sheila


----------



## Diane

Shiela --  did you find anything smoky when you were at Fairfield Alexandria--either the unit itself or the common areas?  We are interested in going there too and that seems to be the only reason why it was on the bottom of someone's exchange experiences.  Perhaps it was a single unit problem.

Thanks,

Diane


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## sfwilshire

Diane,

I am very sensitive to odors and smoke and I didn't notice any in the rooms or in the public areas. There was an area right at the front door with ashtrays, so I scurried through that the couple of times we went out the front.  Usually we found it more convenient to go through the garage anyway.

Sheila


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## sweetpea

The worst would have been Vistana.  After looking at a dumpy room that did not have a full kitchen as promised, we went back to the front desk.  Fortunately we had a copy of our II confirmation.  After reviewing the confirmation the manager agreed that we were not getting the room we purchased as a Getaway, but said there was still nothing she could do because they were full.  My husband asked me what are you going to do and I said complain to II.  She overheard us and said, "Hold on, maybe there is one room available."  Had no idea a potential complaint to II would get such attention.  We were given a wonderful room in the Cascades.


----------



## Bourne

*Xanadu Beach Resort - Bahamas...*

In our early days of timesharing(2002), we used are HGVC points for a 3 night stay at the Xanadu(only available resort).  

That is by far the worst timeshare in the world. We were rolling our eyes at check in and got upgraded to the Presidential(Governer) suite. HGVC offered a refund of our points for the vacation and we gladly accepted it.


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## nanomug

The Aquamarine Villas in Oceanside wins hands down.  It had everything going for it except our unit that was in bad repair and nasty staff.  We had a one bedroom unit that the sheets for the bed and couch bed were mended in many places.  Our garbage disposal didn't work from day one and they showed up a week later to fix it.  Our toilet didn't flush right and by the time it stopped working altogether the maintenance guy had the day off.  They finally agreed to call a plumber after they told me to fix it.  We left at noon and came back at 8:30 and the toilet hadn't been fixed.  I was told that it was my fault because I didn't wait for the plumber to come and that if I paid overtime for the staff they would have waited for the plumber.  The plumber came at 10 p.m. and the maintenance guy came at 10:30 and my kids were exhausted and wanted to use the bathroom.  We were told we expected too much.


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## skimble

Chateau Canmore, Canmore BC.    Paint peeling on the exterior and interior. Carpet-- old with uneven padding.  Creeky flooring... no midweek cleaning or trashing.... it's about 3 miles from the main resort Banff Mountain Gate where resort amenities could be used (spa, pool, workout room, etc.)   
However, this is all offset by the phenomenal location.


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## gaile

I just want to add one more. Atalaya Towers in Myrtle Beach, SC. I was there off season and there was virtually little to no staff on some of the days. It rained heavily one day and rain was virtually coming in the unit around the (closed) windows. When I reported it the next day I was told that it happens all the time. The master bedroom had a closet that smelled of rot and the floor of the closet felt unsteady.  The mattress was hard and uncomfortable and the sheets did not fit the bed. The bathroom was filthy, the outer door did not shut well, and there was so much lint in the dryer that I'm surprised it did not start a fire. 
 I'm surprised I havent seen it on this list already.


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## caribbeansun

*Bayan*

I'd have to say the Bayan Resort in Key West - the noise was intolerable and resulted in neither my DW or I getting more than an hour or two sleep EVERY night of our 7 night stay.  We were both so exhausted that on the drive back to get a plane in Ft. Lauderdale we stopped at the Marriott on Key Largo to try to get an hour of sleep before continuing on.  Couldn't have asked for a better location but it was a horrible experience.


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## DianeH

LOL!  That was funny!


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## Laurie

Here are 5 experiences that were somewhere between disappointing to intolerable. 

1. Royal Regency, Paris - filthy grimy upholstery 
I'm not picky about much, but I do expect basic cleanliness. Nothing extreme: I never wash dishes when I get to a TS, or worry too much about other people's germs. So when I noticed the hair on the bathroom sink at RR when we arrived, I just picked it up in a kleenex and tossed it in the trash. But the filthy upholstery on the sofas and dining room chairs were over the line for me - it looked dirtier than the metro. I just didn't like sitting there without putting a towel down first, and didn't even want to set my backpack on the sofa. The carpet was badly stained, as well, didn't want to walk on it without shoes. 

There were other things about RR that were less than great, which wouldn't cause the resort to make my worst list. But I'll mention them: electrical plugs of lamps and appliances previously taped together, now coming apart and probably hazardous... broken dishwasher with old gunky soap in it... zero basic supplies: no dish-drainer, or sponge or dishrag for hand-washing dishes, no dish soap... 2 copies of the exact same print hanging on different walls in the LR and the same exact one in the BR (tacky)... ashtrays next to the No Smoking signs (humorous). 

Of course we had a great time in Paris and didn't regret the trip or the exchange, since if we hadn't exchanged, we may not have gone at all. And fortunately didn't ever intend to spend a lot of time there. But we did cook in some evenings, after very long (and dirty) days out on the town, and wished for a clean environment in which to eat and relax after a shower. Commute distance into center city would be fine for a cleaner place to stay, but too far to travel for this low of a standard. Was glad we didn't have friends with us, would have felt embarrassed. To be fair, I'll mention staff was generally helpful, and we didn't ever ask to be moved- we were checked into unit on confirmation- maybe they would have moved us, maybe another unit would have been cleaner. This was a 2-BR unit. But for 2 people, a cleaner nicer more convenient modest/budget hotel room in center city would be a much better option for similar cost, until/unless they get the place cleaned up. For more than 2 people, I'd still investigate other options, even for more cost.  "Royal" - not. 

2 - Hatteras High, Outer Banks - dirty upholstery
OK, basic upholstery cleanliness, or lack of, must be my pet peeve. Another great location, great view, but living room upholstery was too dirty to sit on without putting a towel down. Did have friends with us, they also wanted a towel to sit on, I felt embarrassed about that.

3 - Adventure Inn, Hilton Head - terrible odor
Smelled like a combo of mold/mildew and urine. Cleaned and mopped the bathroom myself several times, odor didn't ever abate. This was one of those $9 online auction weeks many years ago, I guess we got what we paid for. The other person came down with a bad upper respiratory infection a day or 2 after check-in and could no longer smell it. I spent as much time as possible out on the beach on the sunny days, picking up RX'es and going on timeshare tours by myself on the rainy days. 

4 - Pianeta Maratea, Italy - odor & unpleasant noise
Unit smelled musty/mildewy. It was cold at night, but turning on the heaters caused such a rank odor, we couldn't stand to turn them on and instead froze under all the quilts in the place. But the primary reason it makes my list was the loud "animation" - obnoxious announcements and music blasted on speakers not far from our unit, both afternoons and evenings. We checked out after 4 nites, which we hadn't planned to do. Other exchangers we met were doing the same.

5 - Residenza dei Cavalleggeri, Tuscany, Italy - intolerable noise
Again, loud "animation" at some huge volume of decibels every night til midnight. Our unit was next to speakers, windows and furniture vibrated. Asked/demanded to be moved, resort was full, checked out after 1 night (only because we couldn't find other accommodations the first night- we tried).  

For perspective, to show where I am on the picky scale, I want to add that I have had acceptable to positive experiences at other resorts generally rated low or problematic by other TUGgers according to reviews, among them:
BIS-Duck, Outer Banks
Maritime Beach Club, Myrtle Beach
Traders Inn, Ormond Beach FL


----------



## Diane

*Updated List*

Thanks, Laurie.  Yours have been added and since a new page has been started here is the entire list:

"Worst" Timeshare per various TUGGERS as of August-Sept 2005
Intended to supplement TUG Reviews

Adventure Inn Hilton Head--(1) tiny studio, lumpy couch, bed bugs reported by others (2) agreed (3)terrible odor, mold/mildew/urine, inadequate parking
Alpen Rose, Breckenridge, CO--"dumpy"
Aquamarine Villas, Oceanside, CA--unit in bad repair, nasty staff
Atalaya Towers, Myrtle Beach, SC--filthy bathroom, hard mattress, sheet did not fit bed, leaky windows, rot in closet (2) filthy, blood on mattress
Bayan Resort, Key West--intolerable noise, slept 1 or 2 hours/night, totally exhausted, but good location
Berkshire by the Sea, Delray Beach, FL--tiny unit, no amenities or activities
Borderlink/Atlantic Resorts in Ocean Pines, OC--hole in ceiling, water on bed, etc, pets allowed
Breezy Points, MN--old furniture & appliances, damp & moldy
Cambril's Park, Tarragona, Spain--filthy bedroom, peeling paint, no A/C & 95+
Carpediem Assissi, Italy-- see TUG Review
Carriage House, Las Vegas--poor room design, kitchen dated & dirty
Casa Blanca Resort, Panama City--old motel, cramped, dirty, old furniture
Cathedral Ledge Resort, NH--"one of our worst experiences ever"
Chalet Resort, Bayse, VA--horrible stench, water stains, torn screen, moldy
*Champion's Run, Riudoso, NM--(1) grungy kitchen, no hot tub or pool (2) disagreed
*Chateau Canmore, Canmore, BC--peeling paint, old carpet, creeky floor, 3 mi from pool, etc. but phenomenal location (2) disagreed, nice unit Nov 04
Chateau LeGrande, Biloxi, MS--(1) moldy, very old furniture, (2) bugs, mold, poor maintenance
Club Ocean Villas II, OC, MD--serious ant problem not resolved while there
Christie Lodge, Avon, CO-- tiny units in a large bldg, but clean and good location
Deer Run Village, NY--filthy carpet, worn out furniture, no control over heat
Disney Beach Club: extremely small studio, otherwise ok
Divi Heritage, Barbados--(1) 50's furniture, unpleasant odors (2) agreed
Eastern Slope Inn, N. Conway, NH--in oldest bldg, poor A/C & head room under sloped roof
Fairfield Alexandria--(1) smoky (2) no problem with smoke/odors, staff great
Fontana Village, NC--"the place is falling apart"
Four Sails, Virginia Beach--(1) see TUG Review from 2000 (2) had a 2 BR unit recently re-done
*French Lick Springs Resort, IN--(1) not much to do but large unit (2) hiking, big indoor pool, good tours, casino going in, large units, esp. 2 BR
Galleon Key West--filthy rug, ring of scum around pool
Hatteras High, Outer Banks--dirty upholstery, had to sit on towels
Hiawatha Manor--tiny units, no counter space in bath, no dishwasher
Highpoint, Orlando--updating needed
Hollywood Beach Tower, Hollywood, FL--(1) smelly, old furniture, view of parking lot (2) agreed
Hotel do La Vive, New Orleans--2 bedrooms & bath suspended from ceiling over kitchen
Imperial of Hawaii--noisy, saggy & peeling furniture, tiny BR
Indian Peak, Winter Park, CO--has the feel of a cheap apartment complex
Inverness by the Sea, Galveston, TX--run down, rusted appliances, noisy, poor attitude of staff
Jackson Pines, WY--extreme street noise, tiny bathroom, few windows
Keahou Surf & Raquet, HI--noisy, no A/C
*Kohl's Ranch, Payson, AZ--(1) rustic cabin, small bedrooms, in need of repairs (2) disagreed, esp if 2 BR
La Cabana, Aruba--tiny studio, no soundproofing, on busy road
La Concha Beach Resort, LaPaz, Mexico-- a 2001 stay, see TUG Review
La Renaissance, Atlantic City, NJ--(1) small, no window/door for 2nd BR, broken sofa (2) felt unsafe
Las Torres Gemelas, Acapulco, MX--old, musty, torn vinyl furniture
The Links, Myrtle Beach--just so-so when compared to other exchanges
Lion's Gate, Winter Park, CO--has the feel of a cheap apartment complex
Makai Club: inadequate A/C, cheap towels and cutlery
Manley Nat'l Apts, Manly NSW Australia-- dirty, unlockable sliding glass door, loose carpeted stairs
Maui Marriott--painful bed, shallow pool, too many extra charges
Meadow in Winter Park, CO--has the feel of a cheap apartment complex
Monarch Grand Cancun, Las Vegas--dirty unit, hair on blanket, small kitchen, gang-type clientele, Labor Day weekend (2) & (3) experienced none of these problems at other times
North Star, Freeport, Bahamas--second worst 
Nottingham Village @ Friar Tuck, NY: in the 50's, damp & musty, loud disco music @ pool
Ocean Villa Club, NC Outer Banks--reservation screwed up (maybe by RCI)
Orange Lake, Orlando--(1) in older unit, dirty (2) plain vanilla unit, expected more (3) agreed re older units
Orange Tree, Scottsdale, AZ--it "stank" (literally, maybe mold), small for 1 BR (2) agreed, no windows in BR, almost no cooking/eating facilities (3) agreed + not enough parking
Orofino, Breckenridge, CO--(1) "dumpy" (2) residential neighborhood, tired, no resort features
Outer Banks Beach Club I, NC--"the pits" as of 5 years ago, dated furniture
Park Plaza, Park City, Utah--dark, drab, dated, noisy
Peacock Suites, Anaheim, CA--ants in unit, mold in pool, dirty carpet, no yard, limited parking
Pianeta Marata, Italy--odor & noise
The Pines, Bayse, VA--needs updating
Plaza El Agua Beach Hotel, Marguarita Island--bugs, broken A/C left hole in wall
Riptide, Myrtle Beach--(1) took one look & refused to stay (2) dirty
Residenza dei Cavalleggeri, Tuscany, Italy--intolerable noise
Ramada Vacation Club, Las Vegas--run down unit, "uninhabitable" got a change
Roarke, Branson, MO-- smelly, out of date
Royal Regency, Paris--filthy, grimy furniture & appliance problems
San Clemente Inn, CA--(1) in a dark unit, whole resort smelled of smoke (2) just nothing special
Sand Castle Beach Club, Ft. Myers Beach, FL--no a/c in bathroom
Sapphire Beach Resorts & Marina, St. Thomas--poor maintenance, unfriendly staff
Sea Mist Resort, Cape Cod--dark, dingy, moldy, broken fixtures; nothing nearby to do (2) has been refurbished & renovated in the past few years 
Sea Palace, St. Martin--"a disaster"
Sea Side Beach Club, Pompano Beach--dirty, outdated furniture, stove & dishwasher broke, wall stains 
Shenandoah Villas @ Masanuttan--old, tired, splinters in floor
Sheraton Vistana, Orlando--7 responses: older sections (e.g. Courts) tired,dirty, bed bugs (8) given dumpy room, threat of calling II produced better (9) moldy walls & shower, extremely beat up kitchen
Silver Beach Club, Daytona Beach: persistent smoky smell, dirty
Silverado, Winter Park, CO--has the feel of a cheap apartment complex
Skier's Edge, Breckenridge, CO--(1) "dumpy" (2) worse than Sweetwater
Ski Time Square, Steamboat Springs, CO: grungy to the max, tired furnishings, good location
*Smugglers Notch, VT--(1) nothing to do off season, indifferent staff (2) agreed (3) ski or summer good 
Spinnaker, Breckenridge, CO--"dumpy"
Star Island (location not given)--"the worst", mold in jacuzzi
Suites @ Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco--(1) small, cramped, damp (2) agreed (3) location good
Sunbay Resort, Hot Springs, ARK--dirty, brown decor, avoid H,I,J units
Sunburst Condominiums, Steamboat Springs, CO: should be disbanded
Sweetwater, Park City.CO--50+ years old, not updated, but great location
Tahoe Beach & Ski: small unit, noisy, dirty kitchen, no A/C, extra charges
Tahoe Sands, N. Lake Tahoe--dark & dirty unit, poor mattress, broken things
Tehachapia--10 years ago, poor maintenance, green pool, not much to do
Twin Rivers, Winter Park, CO--(1) feels like a cheap apt complex (2) sort of agreed (3) totally agreed
Vacation Villas @Titusville, FL--old, dingy, smelly 10 years ago
Vidafel, Mazatlan--dark, musty unit, rude staff
Wolf Creek Village, CO--Bldg 1 is "bad"; amenities shared with Bldg 1 (Worldmark) ok
Wolf Run, Dubois, PA--had basement unit, cold, musty, wood rot
*Worldmark@Bass Lake--(1) poor mattress, old furn (2) better experience
Worldmark Kona--small unit, A/C on balcony interfered with use
Xanadu Beach Resort, Bahamas--"by far the worst timeshare in the world"

* denotes report of a positive experience at the resort


----------



## riverdees05

Super work, Thanks,  Your list coupled with the TUG and other reviews will help me make good decisions on exchanges.   Hope you can keep it updated.  

One thing to keep in mind that things change over time, so some of the good may come to be bad and some of the bad, with a lot of work, could become good.


----------



## Laurie

*Want to add Royal Regency?*

Thanks for updating, Diane - this is great!

 I don't see my #1 and most heretical entry on your list though, Royal Regency. It's considered a Hot Sighting, and still could be for location, but seeing it here might help some folks consider other alternatives for Paris, if what bothered me would bother them.


----------



## Diane

Thanks for catching that, Laurie.  It's there now.

Diane


----------



## rickandcindy23

The solution for most of these resorts would be professional decorating and attention to detail.  Why don't these resorts just hire an interior decorator to match bedspreads, carpet, drapes and furniture?  What would be the cost, really?  Not much because the decorator only has to decide the decor for one unit, then the management team can take it from there. 

If these resorts would just update their bathrooms and kitchens with the newest and best cabinets and counters, appliances and porcelain.  

The cost would be worth the price because Marriott doesn't just have some manager guy go to the furniture store and pick out cheap couches and chairs.   The Westin pays attention to all of the little details.  Why not just spend the money to get something that impresses?  

If we pay an assessment, I want to see something traditional and classic, as if some time went into the decor, not a herculon beige sofa and two off-white chairs to "match."


----------



## Laurie

Also - they could give some thought to choosing the most dirt-resistant and wear-resistant furnishings, fabrics, and colors. (My 2 examples of dirty upholstery had yellow and white/beige upholstery.) How 'bout that microfiber I just read about? 

And how often, if ever, do they clean upholstery? (Royal Regency dirty sofa I mentioned had a big ol' stain on it. Could have been someone's drink, could have been a child's - or pet's, if they allow them, which many French resorts do - pee! Whatever, I sure didn't want to sit on it!)


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## LICAL3

Star Island was the worst.  It was my first experience in a timeshare and I couldn't figure out why anyone would want to do this year in and year out.  I got sick - (105 F fever!) and so did my kids from the overwhelming mold in the jacuzzi.  


 Then we went to visit HGVC seaworld and we saw a beautiful 3 br unit and knew that we had found "the reason".  we sold our star island (listed it for sale while we were still on vacation and in that crappy unit) and bought a seaworld.  now we own quite a few different things and i just love timeshares!


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## rickandcindy23

*Good for you, LICAL3*

One bad experience should not keep people from timesharing.  What was wrong with the unit, specifically?

We toured Star Island years ago and thought it was very nice, but it is obviously losing its glimmer.   

Why do resorts let their units fall apart?  Why are owners complacent?  I do not understand it.


----------



## CaliDave

Monarch Grand Cancun Las Vegas

There were a few problems
1) The units were dirty.. We pulled out the extra blanket. It was stained, had hair all over it. Called the fornt desk "sorry we are out of blankets, call back tomorrow"  
2) Kitchen was very small

3) The guests...  3 million people at the pool during the weekend. Staying for FREE on timeshare promos. No income requirement.. Looked like a scene from a public pool in south central Los Angeles.  Gang "types" hanging out around the resort at night.

During the week, it was much nicer, quieter and the pool was clean and swimmable. 

The place "could" be gorgeous all the time. 

Maybe once its sold out and they stop the tours.


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## caribbeansun

Great   I'm scheduled to go to Monarch Grand Cancun this November


----------



## Liz Wolf-Spada

Hopefully, some of the people responsible for these resorts, either companies or HOA's and RCI and II will see these lists as an incentive to improve conditions. I am going to stape it in my RCI book. Not that one bad experience makes a bad resort, but it is good to weigh the information with other reviews etc.
Liz


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## timeos2

*HOA's are not designers*



			
				rickandcindy23 said:
			
		

> The solution for most of these resorts would be professional decorating and attention to detail.  Why don't these resorts just hire an interior decorator to match bedspreads, carpet, drapes and furniture?  What would be the cost, really?  Not much because the decorator only has to decide the decor for one unit, then the management team can take it from there.
> 
> If these resorts would just update their bathrooms and kitchens with the newest and best cabinets and counters, appliances and porcelain.
> 
> The cost would be worth the price because Marriott doesn't just have some manager guy go to the furniture store and pick out cheap couches and chairs.   The Westin pays attention to all of the little details.  Why not just spend the money to get something that impresses?
> 
> If we pay an assessment, I want to see something traditional and classic, as if some time went into the decor, not a herculon beige sofa and two off-white chairs to "match."



Cindy -

Amen to that!  I cannot believe how many resorts still let the management or Board members pick out the furnishings and colors when renovation time rolls around.  Or maybe even worse base their decisions on a color board and catalog pages rather than the actual full sized products.  

Having been a part of a botched renovation project where the management brought in what seemed to be qualified people (but only one group - bells should have gone off) who wowed us with a nice looking color board and beautifully arranged photos of the furnishings we bit.  The end result was a diaster as the actual furniture was below KMart quality, the carpet didn't have any padding and you felt you were walking on concrete, the colors were mostly beige and brown - the originals were bright and bold that they replaced and we lost all the little touches like flower arrangements and throw pillows. They shorted us on things like the number of pleats in the drapes (I never knew how important THAT was until I saw it) and then promptly after our management paid them for their "expertise" went bankrupt and we were left to install the junk with our own personnel.  It was a lesson never to be forgotten and changed our resort for the better in the long run but we suffered for over three years with that junk until we could afford to do the job right. 

Now we have certified professionals with a LONG list of references compete with each other to create a full sized model of any significant changes to the resort. We show that to the owners as well as the Board & management. We tweak the results until everyone is satisfied and we pay for the quality that meets the standards our resort was built with rather than saving a few bucks and getting burned in the long run. 

I now make it a point to talk to each resort I visit about how they handle renovation plans and I am shocked at how many still make million dollar decisions based on a few samples and the word of a supplier. I always give them my best advice but I doubt many listen. Their owners will lose in the long run.  The beautiful new resorts we all like aren't designed by some HOA Board or a management company and the work to keep them up shouldn't be either.  Pay a professional to do the job right and everyone wins in the end.


----------



## CaliDave

caribbeansun said:
			
		

> Great   I'm scheduled to go to Monarch Grand Cancun this November



You should be fine in Nov.. I think the biggest turn off for us was the clientelle. It'll be too cold in Nov for swimming. We basicaly went to the resort to use the pools. If we were just going to "do Vegas" it would have been ok. 
We are spoiled by Hilton Grand Vacations

I'd pack my own pillows, and blanket.. but we are picky about those kinds of things. Having hair on things, grosses me out.. lol..


----------



## Elli

caribbeansun said:
			
		

> Great   I'm scheduled to go to Monarch Grand Cancun this November


We stayed at this resort in early May of this year, and we had no problems at all.  Our room was fine, no dirty blankets, the pool was clean, and it is just a short trip into downtown.  There is a library right across the street with free internet access.


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## caribbeansun

Thanks - we're going anyway so I'll just hope for the best and make sure there's no hair on anything  .  DW is on a conference for the Thurs-Sat so I was going to hang out at the pool those days but we'll likely spend Sun-Wed up and down the strip or most likely at the Designer Fashion Outlet


----------



## Karen G

caribbeansun said:
			
		

> we'll likely spend Sun-Wed up and down the strip or most likely at the Designer Fashion Outlet


 There are two groups of outlet stores--one is at the far south end of Las Vegas Blvd. and is closer to your resort, but the other one (which some people consider the better of the two) is north of the Strip. I think it's on Grand Central Parkway.


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## dlmom53

*Peacock Suites--Anaheim*

I'm surprised in this long list that this location did not come up. 
Our unit was occupied by very hardy ants (they sprayed twice in one week), the pool had mold/mildew in it--to save space they built it under the building--the carpets were dirty and there was no yard and limited parking. In its favor, it was nearly in walking distance of Disneyland


----------



## Fern Modena

I don't think you're going to want to hang out by the pool in November, not unless you do it in jeans and a jacket.  Contrary to popular belief, it is *not* hot in Las Vegas in November.  Usually the weather is in the 70's or so in the daytime (but the nights cool off a lot).  If there's no wind you should be fine.

Folks, feel free to file this for future use:  Like most other places, Las Vegas is a 4-season climate.  Yes, it gets hot, but only in the summer.  It gets cold, and sometimes even snows a bit  in the winter.

Fern



			
				caribbeansun said:
			
		

> Thanks - we're going anyway so I'll just hope for the best and make sure there's no hair on anything  . DW is on a conference for the Thurs-Sat so I was going to hang out at the pool those days but we'll likely spend Sun-Wed up and down the strip or most likely at the Designer Fashion Outlet


----------



## nerodog

*sea mist , cape, lots of upgrading happening*

just want to say that the place has been refurbished and renovated quite a bit in the last few years. I think you would be pleasantly surprised. It has come a long way since I have owned there and things are better with VRI owning it. Check it out again if you happen to be in the area.


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## caribbeansun

Hehe - I'm Canadian and 70's in November is hot to us   - seriously though, thanks for the note.  I'm not a swimmer but had hoped it would be warm enought to sit and read a book or 3.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.



			
				Fern Modena said:
			
		

> I don't think you're going to want to hang out by the pool in November, not unless you do it in jeans and a jacket. Contrary to popular belief, it is *not* hot in Las Vegas in November. Usually the weather is in the 70's or so in the daytime (but the nights cool off a lot). If there's no wind you should be fine.


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## rickandcindy23

*Peacock Suites should be added to the list*

We stayed  there in February of 2004.  A very noisy place as well.  People come and go at all times of the day and night, yelling, running, bumping into the walls....

The place is not great, a converted "suite" motel that is on the level of a Motel 6.  The living area is a dreary little place that was only good for suitcase storage.  Two full-sized beds, average bathroom. 

The "partial kitchen" had no sink, paper plates, a tiny refrigerator and microwave.  We requested a blender for our protein shakes and were told they could not get us one.  We had to buy one at Costco, then we took it back because we were on our way to Kauai and were sure that it would break in transit.  I felt horrible, taking something back that worked!

We have stayed in 50 or so resorts, all over the country, and have had several other so-so exchanges.  Rick really disliked this one, he could not get a good night of sleep.


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## IAMTHEWALRUS

CaliDave said:
			
		

> Monarch Grand Cancun Las Vegas
> 
> There were a few problems
> 1) The units were dirty.. We pulled out the extra blanket. It was stained, had hair all over it. Called the fornt desk "sorry we are out of blankets, call back tomorrow"
> 2) Kitchen was very small
> 
> 3) The guests...  3 million people at the pool during the weekend. Staying for FREE on timeshare promos. No income requirement.. Looked like a scene from a public pool in south central Los Angeles.  Gang "types" hanging out around the resort at night.
> 
> During the week, it was much nicer, quieter and the pool was clean and swimmable.
> 
> The place "could" be gorgeous all the time.
> 
> Maybe once its sold out and they stop the tours.





Wow. You must have just picked the wrong week to be there. That many people, under those circumstances, could make any resort stay less than desirable. Our week there was great.


----------



## Jimster

*List*

Let me help all of you who want to make a list.  Don't wait for this thread to end!  Just go to the directories of RCI and II and copy down all of the resorts.  Then your list will be complete.  I am sure every resort has had some guests that think their stay there was a disaster.  If  this thread goes on long enough, we will hear from them all and have listed all the resorts.  Having said that, the thread is an interesting set of antecdotes but a list...???


----------



## Diane

James--your objections to this list were noted in your lengthy earlier post, #115 on August 25, 2005.  I can appreciate that you might not find this information useful but why trivialize the experiences of your fellow Tuggers with sarcasm?  Of course expectations vary, conditions vary and this information is anecdotal.  Everyone here is an experienced traveller who understands that and is able to judge the value of this information for him or herself.  I would think that your experience in the hotel/timeshare business and in real estate law would help you understand that when people go on vacation they want to avoid many of the problems that have been described here.  At least I do and I appreciate a heads up from my fellow Tuggers whom I would like to thank for their contributions.

Diane


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## CaliDave

IAMTHEWALRUS said:
			
		

> Wow. You must have just picked the wrong week to be there. That many people, under those circumstances, could make any resort stay less than desirable. Our week there was great.



Yeah, it was Labor day weekend. Some day I might try again. 
I'm waiting for the New Tahiti Village to open. That should be a good family Vegas resort.

I know of another Tugger that stayed at the Monarch in Palm Springs and he said , he noticed the same clientelle at that resort for the weekend.


----------



## CaliDave

James Rosenberg said:
			
		

> Let me help all of you who want to make a list. Don't wait for this thread to end! Just go to the directories of RCI and II and copy down all of the resorts. Then your list will be complete. I am sure every resort has had some guests that think their stay there was a disaster. If this thread goes on long enough, we will hear from them all and have listed all the resorts. Having said that, the thread is an interesting set of antecdotes but a list...???



I agree with Diane. I look at this list. 
If someone's biggest complaint is a small kitchen and that didn't matter to my family. I won't cross it off my exchange list. I know some tuggers that have the same tastes in resorts as I do. So I put more weight into the reviews they give.


----------



## pittle

The worst we ever stayed in was Las Torres Gemelas  in Acapulco.  The rooms were old and musty smelling.  The furniture was really old and uncomfortable.  All vinyl furniture - some was torn.  We asked to change rooms and they did this on the 2nd day, but it was no better.  On the 3rd day, we went for a timeshare tour at the Mayan Palace.  I think we bought because they told us we could move right in!!!  We had the taxi driver wait for us we packed, checked out, and were at the MP within an hour!

Now, I will not book a vacation in a resort that has no room photos in the listing unless it is a Gold Crown or I can find reviews.


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## shagnut

Gaile, a friend of mine went there also Atalaya Towers and said it was awful . Filthy and there was blood on the mattress!!  shaggy


----------



## Hoc

rickandcindy23 said:
			
		

> The solution for most of these resorts would be professional decorating and attention to detail.



And that actually reinforces my point from a couple of months ago in this thread.  The mere fact that the resort is not decorated nicely enough does not qualify for me to call it "the worst" resort in which I've stayed.  For me, the attitude of the staff, the comfort of the room and furnishings, the quality of the facilities, the service you get and the fact that you are not nickeled and dimed is much more important.

That's why my definition of "the worst resort" is different from others'.


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## boyblue

For some reason I lost track of this thread.  The list with abbreviated reasons is great.

I want to encourage everyone to check the list and if you had a different experience at a place on the list let us know.

I saw Château Canmore on the list and I must say that I was surprised.  We stayed there last November and our unit was very nice.  Anyone else stayed there recently?

Can we get a footnote on resorts where folks report an opposing view?


----------



## Patri

What is the worst timeshare I've stayed in? I've only been to a handful, and had a great time at each, but if I had to rate them, I suppose I could find one that was worse than the other. Especially if I rated it a 9 instead of a 10.


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## rapmarks

*Gee Someone else had the same experience.*



			
				glenn1000 said:
			
		

> We had a very nice stay at the Worldmark, Bass Lake and thought that it was nice. Also exchanged for a week there another year that we donated to our school auction and the people who won it said that it was one of their best family vacations ever. So opinions do differ...
> 
> Here's our worst: the Sheraton Vistana in Orlando. Even though we tried to request ahead of time, we ended up in a GROSS unit in an old section of the resort. It was filthy beyond cleaning and, even though we asked to be moved or at least have some of the filth removed, we were not even able to get a housekeeper to our unit. The good news is that we had a blast in Orlando and were too busy to spend much time indoors.



We had mold growing up the wall, 3 feet high.  it took forever to get it cleaned, and the smell still lingered in the carpets and drapes.  Nothing could get housekeeping over.  
Also agree with the older models at Orange Lake are nothing to brag about.
But the worst was at the Chalet Resort in Bayse Virginia.  Checked in at 5:30 to a horrible stench.  The oven was being cleaned and would not go off until eight I was told.  The room was so hot because of it, and I opened the slider to find the screen totally ripped out.  Water stains down the walls.  The bedroom was downstairs and that area was damp and mildewy.  The silverware was filthy so I washed it at which time the faucet would not shut off.  It was flowing heavily and I was told it could not be fixed for three days, just put up with it.  They also forgot to put any townels in our unit.  Nasty answers every time I asked for anything, so a call to RCI got us moved out.  When i checked out, I was told 'We would have given you a different unit"


----------



## Diane

rapmarks -- were the moldy walls you mention at Worldmark Bass Lake?  Don't want to put your comment in the wrong place.  

BoyBlue--good idea about footnoting those resorts where a positive experience was reported.  

Thanks,

Diane


----------



## spatenfloot

Summer Bay LV (listed as Ramada) has been renovating all the rooms, about 300 total by the end of the year. You might want to note that on the list since it says the reason was outdated furnishings.

I think if somewhat old furniture or a gaudy decor is the worst thing to complain about in your hotel room, you aren't doing too badly. Many timeshares are not 5 star resorts but that doesn't make them bad places to stay. Some timeshares have limited activities or amenities because the location or scenery are the main attraction. Often the region or country of the resort will affect things, since some places in the North or Europe do not always have air conditioning or other features you might have expected. People should not be surprised to see bugs in Florida, but I have seen reviews where the room was the worst ever because someone saw one.

I think people's expectations are sometimes out of whack with reality and this causes them to complain about things that really aren't so bad. Then again, sometimes the room is just bad.  

Oh yeah, I have stayed at Orange Lake also in a clubhouse studio and thought it was fine. Room was clean and in good repair.


----------



## jme

*Adventure Inn, Hilton Head, and....*

We refer to it as the "Rear Inn".  Happy to say I've NEVER stayed there, but it is the Adventure Inn of Hilton Head, "hands down"....and that would be..."hands down" on the toilet, throwing up from realizing you have 7 nights at this dump of a dump. And the second night would be worse. I walked thru one time visiting another Tugger......awfully filthy, beyond belief..... but fantastic location. ANY chain would pay a fortune for that location. WHY, WHY, WHY , having read all these posts, would someone spend a WEEK (which is a huge time investment) in a place about which they know so little? It's amazing......a very little bit of homework would do wonders, and the data is out there, thankfully. Even phonecalls! Sheesh.  Glad we own only Marriotts, and a scant few of those are only mediocre, but I know about 'em. Sorry to read about all the wasted weeks! My Kleenex box is now empty.  jme


----------



## Laurie

As one of the people who listed Adventure Inn on my worst list, I agree that this place came to my mind when boyblue wondered whether any TS resort could really be that bad.  Some of us stayed there long ago, before there was much condemning evidence online. 

As far as wasting time or $ there: at first I figured, having paid only $9 for our week and no banked week or exchange fee, at least it was only costing us a buck a night. But THEN one foggy rainy miserable night, trying to back our loaded longbed double-cab pickup with no rear visibility and a completely fogged up mirror, out of a small parking space in their narrow teeniny parking lot with almost no room to maneuver, I managed to scrape the fender of someone else's big shiny brand-new SUV parked in their little parking space, and that added about $500 to the total tab. So much for our free vacation. To console myself, I just focused on remembering the incredible meteor shower I saw at its beach one night. 

(Diane- you can add  'inadequate parking' to my list of complaints for Adventure Inn.)


----------



## rapmarks

Diane said:
			
		

> rapmarks -- were the moldy walls you mention at Worldmark Bass Lake?  Don't want to put your comment in the wrong place.
> 
> BoyBlue--good idea about footnoting those resorts where a positive experience was reported.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Diane


No, they were at Sheraton Vistana Resort in orlando, realized aft4r I quoted that I should have used only the second paragraph.  Also a lot of mildew int he showers, and kitchen was extremely beat up, counters and cabinets needed replacement.


----------



## chellej

THere are only 2,  I would not go back to.

Inverness by the Sea in Galveston - run down, rusted appliances, noisy and poor attitude of the staff

Hotel de La Vive in New Orleans - it was an interesting arrangement but the two bedrooms and bath were built over the kitchen and suspended somehow from the ceiling.  We kept thinking it could not possibly met building codes. On a positive note, you could walk to Mothers and it sort of fit the New Orleans character.


----------



## boyblue

After this thread I guess I'd better let this one pass

Was it really that bad guys?


----------



## Darlene

For us it was Sands of Kahana - hands down.  I have stayed at resorts that were not 5* that are alot better.  To me it's not just the resort, but the staff that can compensate for resort short-comings.  They justed didn't care about exchangers.


----------



## Iwant2gonow

PA- said:
			
		

> Here are a few of the places I've been inside, but would never stay in.
> 
> 5)    Ski Time Square in Steamboat - Grungy to the max, tired furnishings, great location, terrible hot tub.  Yuch.


I did stay here and as dissapointed as I was about the dated shag carpeting, I can honestly say that I would exchange here again.  The unit I stayed in was 2 bedroom and very spacious. A little plain but very clean. The best thing about it is the location to the mountain. Did not need the free bus system...just our feet to hit the slopes. Many restaurants were in walking distance and others were on the bus route. Is it Gold Crown Quality? No, but have stayed in another in Steamboat Gold Crown that was a hotel turned timeshare and was dark and stunk of smoke. We rented a car for that location. Ski Time Square brings back many happy family memories and we just laugh about the shag carpet! LOL


----------



## EAM

*In response to request for different perspectives*



			
				Diane said:
			
		

> Thanks, Laurie.  Yours have been added and since a new page has been started here is the entire list:
> 
> Christie Lodge, Avon, CO-- tiny units in a large bldg, but clean and good location
> *French Lick Springs Resort, IN--(1) not much to do but large unit (2) hiking, big indoor pool, good tours, casino going in, large units, esp. 2 BR
> Orange Lake, Orlando--(1) in older unit, dirty (2) plain vanilla unit, expected more (3) agreed re older units
> * denotes report of a positive experience at the resort



I agree that the 1 BR units at the Christie Lodge are small and not particularly well equipped, but we did have a nice balcony overlooking the street with a view of the mountains behind the town.  I think it would be fine for a couple but a too small for a family.

I think I already mentioned my thoughts on French Lick Springs Villas

Orange Lake CC - large resort, lots to do, large pools, well maintained tennis courts, IMHO the only downsides were that the mini-golf was crowded, there were not sidewalks throughout the resort so one had to walk on the street or drive to get to some of the other areas (we are avid walkers/joggers so safety while doing so is important to us) and the screened porch in our ground floor unit (near the tennis courts) was always dark.


----------



## karibkeith

philsfan said:
			
		

> We were forced to spend a night and a day here when Divi Southwinds overbooked and had no unit left for us.  It was like we stepped back in time, the furnishings were very 50's.  The smells from the resort next door were awful.


Welcome to DIVI which I refer to as Dumps In Various Islands.  You must have noticed that Heritage was not much worse than Southwinds.  Got to the Divi Owners board and see complaints about other Divi properties.  They only fix up a place where they are trying to sell something.


----------



## Buzzmom

Hoc said:
			
		

> Honestly, the worst timeshare resort in which I have ever stayed was the Maui Marriott.  Horrible, painful beds, a pool that was not more than about 4 and a half feet deep anywhere, and lots of charges for lots of things that should not have cost extra, plus overpriced charges for things that should have cost extra.



Okay, since Hoc broke the ice with this, I'll add my $.02.  I mean no offense to the Maui owners, but I have to agree -- the worst timeshare we've ever stayed in is the Maui Marriott.  The rooms were awkward, furnishings looked dated, no full kitchen nor washer/dryer, the building itself looked like a prison, lots of oily smudges in the elevators which weren't cleaned for days, and no beach at all in front of the resort.  The only good thing we found about the place was the beuatiful pool.  We had heard so much about Maui and the Marriott there and were very excited about staying there.  We found the place so disappointing my husband refuses to go back to Maui.  Looks like we'll be at Ko'Olina every year, but I won't complain!


----------



## Neesie

*Villas of Sedona in Sedona, Arizona*

We went to the Villas of Sedona a couple of years ago, in January.  It was okay but I resent that management did not take care of a leak directly next to the bed!  It snowed our first night there and the next morning I got out of bed and stepped directly in a cold pool of water.  (Leaked from roof).  Management was not too concerned and they refused to move us.  They didn't even come and look at it, I just threw down lots of towels to soak up the cold water.  It didn't snow the rest of the time which is good because I think I would have been SOL.  

They also featured an indoor pool.  Minutes after I jumped in a group of women came to the pool and their "leader" told me I'd have to leave because they were going to have a water-aerobics class.  Without any attitude I asked if it was okay if I joined in.  Then she asked me if I was an owner of if I had exchanged.  I told her I had exchanged and I was ordered out of the pool!  This did not make me feel welcome; in fact it made me feel like second-class.  What would it have hurt them to be friendly and let one other human being join their water aerobics class?  Wasn't the pool part of the trade too?

I think in the hospitality business, sometimes they should just be hospitable.  I don't like to go where I'm not wanted.


----------



## ArthurN

*Pahio At Ka'eo Kai*

Unfortunately, we were assigned a room that had a cockaroach infestation. Not so bad for me (grew up in the South), very bad for my wife.


----------



## debkay_w

We own a 3 bedroom at Orange Lake, right next to the pool in East Village, and love it.  However, we stayed in a 2 bedroom unit before they were redone and HATED it.  Does anyone know if all of the older 2 bedrooms have been redone?


----------



## Dori

My brother and his wife stayed in one of the older units last February, and it was not nice at all.  After having stayed in the Tennis Villas the year before, when we visited them in their unit, I couldn't believe it was the same resort!

Dori


----------



## timetraveler

debkay_w said:
			
		

> We own a 3 bedroom at Orange Lake, right next to the pool in East Village, and love it.  However, we stayed in a 2 bedroom unit before they were redone and HATED it.  Does anyone know if all of the older 2 bedrooms have been redone?



OL refurbishes the soft goods in all OL units every 6 years.  That means the carpeting, drapes, bedding, furniture, etc.   Then every 18 years we completely gut the entire unit, plumbing, fixtures, cabinets, everything.


----------



## silentg

*Guidelines for Timeshares?*

Hi Folks, I have been reading these post on Worst timeshare resorts and have to wonder, what the guidelines are for these resorts?  If they are in RCI or II they have certain guidelines that should be followed.  One of my resorts, was kicked out of II and picked up by RCI, only to be kicked out of RCI (or should I say suspended for not being up to standard).  This was very disturbing to me, since at the time, I only owned a timeshare at that resort.  Since being suspended, the resort improved and was able to be re-instated and has obtained a "Resort of Merit" label or something like that.  I check the RCI reviews but find the TUG reviews and comments more informative and unbiased.  Since joining TUG, I have purchased 2 additional time-share weeks at other resorts.  I enjoy trying new resort exchanges and have been pleased overall with the places I have stayed.  Is kind of wierd to list my own resort as the worst timeshare, but at one time, they won the award hands down.   From my list you can see it is "Seasons at Sugarbush"  But now it is one of the nicer places to stay.  
TerryC


----------



## michaelsmalley

*Post Reviews !!!!!*

I've been reading these posts with great interest because frankly, the TUG  reviews section doesn't help that much.  We are fairly new to TSing and must depend on reviews as to where to go.  TUG reviews are helpful but many are 2 years old or older.

It would be a big help to us newbies if you old pro's would make postings about your trips.  From reading the posts on the BBS there are a lot of TUG travelers but not many reviewers.  

PLEASE POST REVIEWS WHEN YOU GET HOME.

Thanks

Mike S.


----------



## johncoskey

*Worst Resort-Grand Seas Daytona*

By far my worst exchange experience was last fall at the Grand Seas Resort in Daytona Beach. Interval rated it a 5 star which is a joke, it's a 3 star at best. The locals call it the "Grand Sleaze". It's very worn, small quarters and worst of all, our ground floor suite was broken into and we were robbed of $700 of personal items. I'll give the resort owners credit though, they did re-imburse me and Interval put another week in my account.

John Coskey


----------



## IAMTHEWALRUS

Wow! I had no idea this thread still existed. I've been away from the board for several months. And now I see that it's stuck to the top. I'm honored!


----------



## jkweber

Hands down, the Sheraton Buganvillas in Puerto Viarta.  The shower leaked all over the floor, the burners on the stove didn't work very well, there was no couch, just a concrete slap with a old tired cushion on it, and the bedspread cover was so nasty looking I didn't want to touch it.  The first room we checked into was even worse than what I've described...we complained and were moved to this room.  The pool however was just glorious, the best pool in any timeshare we have ever been at.  So, we hung out at the pool a lot.


----------



## babu

grand seas resort in daytona beach,fl.

NOT 5 star............NOT!    it was wonderful tobe at the beach and right on it.

lamps didn't match.....missing a lamp in the bedroom.  only one side of the bed had a nightstand.   no light worked in the dining area

kitchen has cabinets with paint coming off....old stove....

anyway, they ranked it 5 star under construction but i thought it was under construction with a 5 star rating  already.    
not what it was going to look like after construction.

if anyone books there, make sure the construction is completed.


----------



## Segiah

Orange tree in Scotsdale AZ. The bedroom had no wall, just a sliding curtain. The sink in the micro kitchen was too small to put a plate in it and there was no dishwasher. Cube refrigerator was on the floor so we had to get on knees to access it.The so called eating table had only one chair.

However it had one of the nicest bathrooms. Huge walk in shower, jacuzzi tub and a color TV.

Will never go there again even though it had a nice golf course.

P E H


----------



## bogey21

Jan said:
			
		

> I also second Chateau La Grand in Biloxi.  This was even pre-hurricane..



Hopfully the massive post hurricane repairs will rectify the situation.  

GEORGE


----------



## Judy

*Bonaparte's Quarters New Orleans*

I nominate Bonaparte's Quarters for the best location, worst timeshare award.  It's on Ursuline Street between Bourbon Street and Royal  

But, it was an attic unit reached by two flights of narrow stairs totaling 29. It had four dormer windows and much of the unit was quite dark.  One of the bedrooms had no window at all.  One of the twin beds had only a bottom sheet. There were no sheets for the sofa.  We were short by several pillow cases.  The office is only open several days a week and never at night.  The light in the hallway didn't work.  The track lighting in our unit didn't work.  There were no living room chairs.  The oven was dirty. The frig leaked water all over our food and the floor.
I don't think the poor maintenance and housekeeping was a result of hurricane Katrina, just years of neglect.

A new manager had just started and did everything she could to correct the problems in the short time we were there.  I hope that she'll make impovements before the next time we stay there.

Yes, we'll stay there again.  The location is Outstanding.


----------



## Kona Lovers

I'd have to say the worst was in Palm Springs at a Marriott.  We had 5 in the party and they only gave us a studio lockout.  They were very rude and we left early.  Fortunately it was their dime, a freebie due to a lengthy stay we had earlier that year at a Marriott hotel in the Nashville area.


----------



## emmaddy

*Worst timeshare experience*

We just had it at the Grande Seas in Daytona Beach.  This is billed as a 5 star which has been recently renovated.(so it now looks like a 60's resort instead of 50's). We changed units and still were there only 90 minutes, the time it took to rebook earlier flights and get the heck out of there. It was musty, dirty, LOUD, tacky, moldy, and had the odor of pot smoke emanating from the beach bar. UGH. Live and learn!


----------



## emmaddy

*Worst timeshare experience*

We just had it at the Grande Seas in Daytona Beach.  This is billed as a 5 star which has been recently renovated.(so it now looks like a 60's resort instead of 50's). We changed units and still were there only 90 minutes, the time it took to rebook earlier flights and get the heck out of there. It was musty, dirty, LOUD, tacky, moldy, and had the odor of pot smoke emanating from the beach bar. UGH. Live and learn! We were just there Sat. Aug 12,06.


----------



## davhu1

*Divi Southwind update*



			
				karibkeith said:
			
		

> We were forced to spend a night and a day here when Divi Southwinds overbooked and had no unit left for us. It was like we stepped back in time, the furnishings were very 50's. The smells from the resort next door were awful.
> 
> Welcome to DIVI which I refer to as Dumps In Various Islands.  You must have noticed that Heritage was not much worse than Southwinds.  Got to the Divi Owners board and see complaints about other Divi properties.  They only fix up a place where they are trying to sell something.



We stayed at Divi Southwind in 8/06 (1st floor).  Our units was refurbished with new kitchen and bathroom.  The furnishing was either new or repainted.

Looked like they were working their way up.. The units on the 5th were being refurbished at the time.


----------



## ZCar

martygeorge79,
Quote:
"I'd have to say the worst was in Palm Springs at a Marriott. We had 5 in the party and they only gave us a studio lockout. They were very rude and we left early. Fortunately it was their dime, a freebie due to a lengthy stay we had earlier that year at a Marriott hotel in the Nashville area".

Was this Desert Springs I or Desesrt Springs II in Palm Desert?
What did your reservation say? Probably a Guest Suite or Studio. 
By both Marriott's & Interval's standards, those are suitable for 2 only. 
You had 5. Even a one bedroom is for 4.
Too bad you were expecting more and had a bad experience. It's a great resort.


----------



## travelplanner70

Cathedral Ledge Condominium in NH.  Run down, moldy, all the Febreeze in the world did not help this place.  Appliances broken.  Just terrible.


----------



## Kona Lovers

ZCar:
I don't recall which of the resorts it was, but when they called us, we told them there were going to be 5, and we even had to pay a fee for the extra 3, but we did as it was to be a Christmas time vacation.  We were entirely new to this and didn't know about the room sizes there.  The resorts were quite nice, and it would have been enjoyable with adequate accomodations.  You live and learn....


----------



## susieq

jo-jo said:
			
		

> Cathedral Ledge Condominium in NH.  Run down, moldy, all the Febreeze in the world did not help this place.  Appliances broken.  Just terrible.



Was hoping maybe this place might've changed over the past few years, (check out reply #38), ~~ apparently is has ~~ for the worse!!  Didn't think it was possible! :ignore: 

Sue


----------



## sage

*Riviera Shores Resort at Capistrano Beach*

This is alo part of Monarch grand Vacations at Riveria Shores.
We stayed there nearly 3 years ago. It was off season - late Jan- and the resort was nearly empty.
We booked a 2BR and on our II certificate it stated the some rooms did not have a view.
We found out later that all 2 BR's looked onto a huge retaining wall whilst the !BR's all had beach views.
The unit was pitch black during the day and, even with all the lights on you would have a lot of trouble reading a book!
We were told a coffee shop was walking distance down the road - about 3-5 kilometres. Extremely unimpressed!


----------



## dchilds

*Worst Timeshare*

This one is easy.  Tortolla - Prospect Reef Resort.  We had a week get-a-way and ended staying one night.  It was dirty, the bed felt like a cardboard box, there was no beach.  It has since been closed by the government for failure to pay taxes or similar.


----------



## silentg

I sure hope they have improved since 2002.  I am going there next month. Did you post a review of Hollywood Beach Towers?


----------



## Ray

*Titusville timeshare*

Hey Copper Penny 22 . . .
Following my retirement, we stayed in Titusville a few times and never found it to be as you have described it.  Indeed, we lived in timeshares FULL TIME for two years, mostly in Florida units.  Your experiences may be more limited than ours.
We no longer travel in Florida timeshares as our advanced ages have slowed us down.  We wish you many happy timeshare exchange weeks; we certainly enjoyed ours.
Ray


----------



## copperpenny22

Hey Ray:

We stayed at Vacation Villas in Titusville in the early 90's--probably '93 or '94.  Trust me, this timeshare was as I described at that time.  Shortly after that time, RCI dropped them from their directory for not staying within RCI standards. Several years later, Vacation Villas reappeared in the RCI directory.  They have no category recognition, making them the lowest on RCI's totem pole.

We vowed at that time, not to ever exchange into a timeshare that did not have a rating.  Well, this past summer we broke that vow and arranged for an exchange at Orofino at Straight River in Dillon, CO.  Again, we were disappointed.  Orofino was not quite as bad as Vacation Villas, but it was pretty close.  Apparently Orofino was an apartment complex that was converted into timeshares--AKA Vacation Villas; it was in bad need of refurbishing throughout the unit; not located in the best part of town; dingy-looking exterior, with absolutely no landscaping.  It reminded me of a sleezy motel.

Needless to say, we have renewed our vow not to ever exchange into a non-rated timeshare.

On the brightside, also this past summer we stayed at four other timeshares, which were just great!

copperpenny22


----------



## Laurie

copperpenny22 said:
			
		

> Needless to say, we have renewed our vow not to ever exchange into a non-rated timeshare.


copperpenny,
To each their own of course, but some of my best exchanges have been into unrated resorts. (2 examples: this past summer into an unrated resort in Venice... a few years ago into the Perigord/Dordogne region of France.) 

I find TUG reviews (not rankings) much more helpful than RCI ratings. Sometimes there is no TUG review, so I've learned to try to do my research as carefully as possible and make sure the exact location is to my liking, in case the resort itself is a disappointment. 

No rating doen't necessarily mean sub-standard, and many of them don't need refurbishment and are in great locations. Also note that unit size and quality isn't part of RCI's formula, so a 2000-square-foot condo with a spectacular ocean view and average furniture would get an average (no) rating.

I'm only pointing this out because you might miss out on some great exchanges. But if luxury accommodations is paramount to you, you're right to stick with rated resorts.


----------



## Cathyb

Boca Bm - your comments?


----------



## Janie

*I'd take this thread with a grain of salt...*

I own a week at a resort on this list.  Several months ago, I received an inquiry from one of the people who identified my resort as "the worst" requesting to buy my week.  My resort may not be luxurious, but it meets my basic needs, trades extremely well for higher-rated places, and makes me a rental profit every year.   Hmmmmm.......


----------



## Kauai Kid

Worst by far:  La Renaissance in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Wife walked into the unit, looked around, and said lets go home.  I said lets spend the nite.  I should have listened to her.

To park you had to back your car into a freight elevator to the parking garage. 

Sterling


----------



## DiveDogs

*Worst timeshare ever?*

The Atrium Resorts in St. Martin. They denied that we were supposed to get oceanfront, giving us a view of a dirt & weed lot and the rear of some tombling down buildings. They refused to change our unit, saying they were full (in August???) but the pool and restaurant were always empty and there were never more than 12 beach chairs taken from the stacks. Workers were rude and would not fulfill the slightest request. The full kitchen shown on their web site is a joke. It turned out to be the tiniest kitchenette unit I've ever seen. some appliances didn't work and the silverware had to be stored across the room under the TV.


----------



## barb1228

*Wost timeshare ever*

Briarwood in Cape Cod, MA.  The place was filthy.  I don't think the blinds were ever dusted.  The dirt was an inch thick.  A lot of things in the unit did not work.  I will never ever stay there again!!!


----------



## winger

Capistrano Beach Surf Inn in Southern Coast California. Was there about 5-6 yrs ago. Right next to the busy 'Pacific Coast Highway' and noisy w/ the single paned windows. Place seemed a little aged.  Parking is on the busy highway - my bro-in-law's Mustang got hit-and-runned into one evening and lost his fender.  The beach right across road is pretty decent and Cost Co right up the block made the trip worth it (got LOTS of clothing at huge discounted prices not seen at our home Costco).  Right next to Dana Point and within 1/2 hr drive to Disneyland.

Don't get me wrong, we stayed in some pretty nice resorts in our 10-11 yrs w/ II - I would not mind staying at the Capistrano again b/c of its relative proximity to good attractions, but it would not be seeking this place out as my top choices.


----------



## nerodog

*updated info on sea mist resort, cape cod*

Hi all, after reviewing all of the responses , I  want to let others know that there has been major renovations occuring  at Sea mist resort.New furniture and such has been added to all the units with alot of updating. THe grounds have been landscaped and updated as well. A new mall has opened up within walking distance for groceries and other needs. Mashpee is a good location as a hop off to Martha's Vineyard, Sandwich, the section of the cape in general...so give it another try before  going by the negative review noted. I was recently there and as  a owner for about 9 years I have seen vast improvement. ( bought as a resale from a friend and noted yes there needed to be some updating then). Beach is a few miles down the road as well. Quiet location.


----------



## davenlib

*vistana*

I am shocked about the Vistana.. we went there two years ago and loved it.. it was clean, service was excelent.. I guess it always boils down to timing and placment... we were in a newer unit with a jacuzzi.. kids loved the place too..


----------



## copperpenny22

Which Vistana are you referring to?  We are at one right now!


copperpenny22


----------



## Iwant2gonow

Hi Copperpenny,
       I own at Sheraton Vistana Resort resort #0450 not Sheraton Vistana Villages. If you are at my resort could you tell me what section you are in and how is your experience. I'm interested because I too have heard all of the negative things  and have not visited in years. Would like to know what you think if you are there.
       Hope you are having a gr8 time. Thanks


----------



## copperpenny22

Hi Iwant2gonow:

The reason I asked the question was because I know of three "Vistana's" in Florida (and there may be more); and the person commenting did not specify at which Vistana they had a bad experience.

We are indeed at the Sheraton Vistana in Orlando and we are in the Lakes Section.  At the time we checked in, they said the Lakes was a newer section, with elevators--which we require, as we don't do stairs very well.  They were very accommodating and gave us a ground floor unit, right by the handicapped parking.  The amenities are very good, our 2 bdrm unit is very nice and housekeeping has been very satisfactory.  There were a few items missing in the kitchen, which they replaced very quickly.  They have daily activities, several heated pools and spas, poolside restaurants, tennis, volleyball, etc.  All in all, one of our best locations in Orlando.   (however, I cannot speak for the "older" units, with the stairs).

We have been visiting here at this particular time every year for the past seven years or so.  Other very nice Orlando exchanges have been HGVC at SeaWorld; the "other" Vistana, Vistana Villages; Orange Lake Country Club; and Summer Bay.  

Other resorts which were OK, but not great were WestGate and Vacation Villages at Parkway.


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## hopetotimeshare

*Leaving tomorrow for Vistana*

We just bought there and this is our first visit.  In all honesty, I have heard more pro comments than con.  They say it is true that the older sections have issues and you may be disappointed if that is where you are located, however, I have heard the resort and its amenities and activities are great.  I will certainly report back when I return!


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## elaine

*we have stayed at Spas (older) vistana 2X and loved it*

The courts look like the pits, but the Spas are fine--and they look to be in a pretty old section--we always request lower unit near super pool gate and got it 2-2 times (b/c I'm sure NO ONE ever requests the Spas).  BUt the location can't be beat, esp. for small children-elderly grandparents.


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## rickandcindy23

The Fountains area is not great, that is for sure.  The units were dated, with old furniture, kitchen cabinets that were hanging on the hinges, out-of-date bathrooms, stained furniture, really old televisions with small screens, etc.

When there are so many other great choices in Orlando, we will not take potluck at Vistana or OLCC.  If I could be guaranteed a newer section, that would be okay, but exchangers do not get such guarantees.  Vistana needs to update the older units in order to gain back their GC rating with RCI.  This rating is something they need to earn and not automatically get, just because they are a mega resort.  

Look for Vistana to eventually be broken down into different RCI codes, just as OLCC has done, because staying at the Lakes or Cascades, I am sure, is a completely different experience from the older sections.  We have not had the luxury of staying in the nicer areas, but our visit in 1999 was really great in Fountains, then we stayed in 2004 and had the same type of unit, but it was looking sad.


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## Kenrabs

*Cabo San Lucas Beach and Tennis Club!*

I've only stayed in about 6 places in the 2 yrs I've timeshared, and the Cabo San Lucas Beach and Tennis Club which is the timeshare club of the Melia San Lucas has been our worst place we've stayed. It has a lot going for it Location, nice looking newly renovated rooms and a nice pool. It could be a 5 star timeshare. Instead it can be a vacation hell. Loud lousy music which can make it hard to think never mind relax by the pool,and impossible to sleep on weekends.  A staff that can be as bad as they can be good. They are more concerned about you sneaking food and drinks in, which is allowed for timeshare guest, than stopping rowdy non guest from using the pool. Price gouging at every point. Roaches, the insect kind and the ones that visit from the cruise ships. It's a place to stay for a long weekend drunken bash not a relaxing family timeshare week. We enjoyed our stay in Cabo despite the resorts faults because I read all the reviews and knew what to expect, but for one who does not do their home work they will be in for a shock. You have to experience it to realize how bad it is and that the bad reviews are not exaggerations.


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## sfwilshire

rickandcindy23 said:


> We have not had the luxury of staying in the nicer areas, but our visit in 1999 was really great in Fountains, then we stayed in 2004 and had the same type of unit, but it was looking sad.




Our last visit to the Fountains was in March 2004 and our unit had recently been remodeled. It was very nice.

Sheila


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## rickandcindy23

Sheila, we were in Fountains I, I believe.


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## Pammy

Club Solaris, San Jose Los Cabos, Mexico. A smelly, overdue-for-a-facelift, and noisy resort. THE WORST PART--they charge an "all inclusive" fee of $105 per person, per day, for crappy food, noisy surroundings, and a pervasive smell of mold-being-masqueraded as bleach. It was AWFUL. Stay away.


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## bobby

*Eastern Slope*

The Eastern Slope Inn in North Conway, NH uses several different buildings for exchanges. We were also across the street from the main Inn, and on the second floor over stores. The main drag was just outside our window with a stop lights, so you'd hear the trucks stopping and starting at all hours. Some of their buildings are even further away from the Inn.


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## TomF

The very first exchange we did was to the Pono Kai on our first trip to Kauai in 1994.  I don't remember too many details, but we absolutely hated the place.  It just seemed cheap and run down.  We were in a building well away from the ocean, but there were people who had rented and had ocean view rooms in another building right off the beach.  It was a huge step down from our white season Marriott Desert Springs Villa two bedroom, but we had exchanged the lock-off and got the one bedroom at Pono Kai.  It was a shocking introduction to time sharing, but we have been able to get very good exchanges since then, particularly to other Marriott properties.

The good news is that we absolutely loved Kauai and ended up buying an EOY one-bedroom at Lawai Beach Resort, which we really like and have spent every even year in since then.

Another bad exchange was to the Maui Schooner Resort.  It was right off the main road in Kihue and was very noisy.  The pool was tiny and we never used it.  Again, it was a huge step down from DSV, but we had to be there for a wedding in Wailea and it was the most convenient.


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## Alphadog

*Worst Ever*

Our worst exchange had to be Fairfield's Sea Gardens Beach and Tennis Resort in Pompano Beach Florida.  We had a one bedroom eff.  The bathtub must have been painted and had been flaking off for quite awhile.  There were cigarette burns on the edge of the tub and bathroom vanity.  The kitchenette wasn't in such great shape either.  Check in late in the afternoon took until after 6pm. Staff wasn't exactly friendly either.  Fairfield should be ashamed of this place!


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## wilmark

*West Winds II Bahamas*

Great Area, but the place was a bit run down with a run down townhouse feel to it.

But i have to agree with many of the posters - most time share experiences are great because of the community, and the fact is that there are no really bad places, its just relative.

I see alot of votes for Sheraton Vistana - I think starwood give alot of slots to RCI to bring buyers to join Starwood club. This is a bad strategy because Vistana is really run down and a bad example of a starwood place. Our experience there was better than average - our 1 br room was decent.


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## Nona

I am embarassed to say this because I  just bought mine and hate to complain. My own Silverleaf in Flint.  I had visited  two different occasions.  You know when you get those  free trips for going to presentations , well I used mine  for a weeks stay  on about 3 different occasions before I bought.  My rooms were immaculate.  But now that I own I have stayed acouple of times and I saw a roach, toilet problems and more.  Why is this happening? I think I have realistic expectations. I saw a hair in the shower and felt like they had not cleaned the room properly.  From here on out I will take my cleaners and something to cover the couch and the chair.


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## shar45

*The Windrifter N.H.*

This was a bonus week that we got for my son and daughter-in-law. They said it was filthy and worn. When we were staying in the area the next year, we went to check it out for ourselves. We agreed, although we never got into one of the rooms. They did say that the staff were very friendly. We felt so bad for the kids that I immediately contacted RCI. They gave us a discount for another week, but were unable to use it. RCI needs to be a little more diligent in getting resorts to maintain a better standard or else be blackballed till they come up to par. I don't mean that every resort needs to be a five star, but they should at least be clean. We have exchanged at many resorts that were not gold or silver crown or even a resort of distinction and have been pleasantly surprised. The only place I have exchanged to when I have been mildly disappointed was SUNTERRA POHATAN
PLANTATION. The unit was in one of the older buildings and had no windows in the kitchen or living room. Only the bedrooms had windows and there was no deck or anywhere to sit outside. The kitchen should have been a closet. However we did enjoy the resort and pools and there was lots to do, we just used the unit basically to sleep in.


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## johnmfaeth

*"Mi gusta no ti gusta" - "My taste is not your taste"*

"Worst" is largely a function of the expectation levels of the guest when on vacation. If I am expecting Marriott quality and trade into a Wyndham, it will be the "worst" I've stayed at. If I normally stick with converted Daytona Beach hotels, that same Wyndham will be the best I've stayed at.

And does one judge the entire resort on the particular room that was the exception to the rest of the resort, but was the room bad luck gave you. Or is judgement established by something uncontrollable taste, one recent bad stay story included a raccoon that was on a exterior staircase as one reason it was bad. (sorry to single this out). 

That all said, I've been pretty lucky. I never trade and bought my collection at timeshares after thorough research and have always enjoyed them without regrets.

Could tell a couple of war stories of horrible hotels and pensions, especially in Europe where quality varies far more than the US.

John


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## Brutie

Monarch Grand Vacations Club CanCun Resort in Las Vegas...Dont even ask!!!!


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## DeniseM

Brutie said:


> Monarch Grand Vacations Club CanCun Resort in Las Vegas...Dont even ask!!!!



All the "dirt"  (pun intended!


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## Howard33

*Howard33*

*Worst timeshare*
The Grand Mayan in Puerto Vallarta, was there this year and the reception/check in staff was extremely rude and not helpful when my key car misfunctioned and locked me out of my room 3 times, not my fault, their system.  No apology for the hours spent in the lobby waiting for them to fix it.


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## PeelBoy

Howard, too bad you didn't have a good time.  Is your experience, however, sufficient to award Grand Mayan the worst timeshare? We always don't have a perfect holiday.  I would not allow any incident or anyone ruin my hard earned vacation. I just let go and continue to enjoy my time.


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## Howard33

*Worst Yes Grand Mayan*

It's my vote and yes, 3 times was way too many times to be locked out for 2-3 hours each time while they couldn't fix it.


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## 4nzic1

*worst resort i've ever stayed..........*

Guanahanni Village in Nassau, Bahamas  ....I own at WorldMark and Pueblo Bonito Rose and did a trade one year for Guanahani Village.  We laugh at it now but it wasn't funny at the time when we were going up the driveway and we all thought 'man we have to go past/thru this dump to get to our resort'.  Imagine our surprise when we realized that this was our resort.  I was soooooooo miserable.  The unit was outdated, furniture smelled and outdated, sand on the floor upon check in, we had these little fast moving ants/bugs the entire time we were there.  Basically, the unit, appliances, etc looked like a rundown apartment complex.  That was the first and last time I ever stayed at a resort that didn't have an RCI Gold Crown rating.:annoyed:


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## pragmaticCTcpl

*Worst Ever - Rat-Hole Rating*

_Without a doubt, the worst RCI-connected time share we ever stayed at was Ski Side Village in Tannersville, PA. in 1996.

Fortunately, we only had to endure one night at this rat-hole, as RCI was able to place us at a nearby resort the next day.

Everything in the unit was dirty.  If they had housekeeping employees working there, their expertise must have stopped at making beds (with stained blankets, sheets, and pillow cases), and hanging up new towels in the bathrooms.

The kitchen appliances, living room furniture, bedroom's furniture all had knicks, dents, dirt, stains, cigarette-burn marks...there were chunks of food under the living room sofa cushions...the stove had only one knob intact for the four burner controls...the carpeting had more stains than a BioHazard container outside of a hospital operating room...the refrigerator smelled like something had died in there the previous winter ...even the spiders and houseflies avoided the kitchen area, opting to populate the living room area.

In short, it appeared as if that unit hadn't been cleaned since 50 drunken skiers had a no-holds-barred party the previous January (or maybe even the year before).

We wouldn't go there again even if they offered to pay all of our maintenance fees for the next ten years..!:annoyed: _


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## muzjik

*Celebrity Resort Hilltop - Steamboat Springs*

Easily the worst we had ever stayed in...we were vacationing with friends who had never stayed in a timeshare and kept explaining they weren't all like this.  Converted motel that smelled moldy/musty.  We let our friends have the outside unit with the view.  Ours looked out at what had maybe been a put-put course but was instead (in July) a bunch of weeds.  We had a 2 bedroom unit that had been 3 motel rooms.  Tiny, tiny kitchen with no dishwasher, no counter space.  The only place to put the dish rack was on top of the stove.  The unit slept 6 but the seating to eat was 4 stools at the counter and a small table in one of the bed rooms.  Our bed (the master) was a pull out with a lumpy, saggy mattress...my husband was miserable the whole time.  The pool was scary looking and was actually closed for three days while we were there.  
But the best thing was that the first night we were there was washing of sheets and towel night and we were located over the laundry room.  All night, I was kept awake by an un-steady thumping and throbbing noise.

The staff, bless them, were wonderful and were certainly making the best of a bad thing.

Second worst - Orange Lake.  Put in an older unit with mold on the ceiling and couldn't get anyone to come out.  Topped off by an tour agent who, after we said we weren't going to buy, got all snarly at us and said "don't you love your kids?  Why are you denying them the chance to vacation here"....which we were already doing.


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## Bwolf

Regency Villas at Broome Park, Barham, Kent, England.  Filthy dirty place.  We understand there is a Club Sunterra now right next door.


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## carlrocky

Our worst experience was at the Sonesta resort which is now the Rennissance in Aruba. They show a lagoon behind the resort in their ads which looks like a lovely beach and in actuality has a mucky mud bottom which is gross when you wade in. The dreary looking 1 bedroom we had faced the parking lot and had a moldy smell. Some of the  tiles in the pool were falling off. I love to walk from my room to the beach. Not here, You have to wait to take a small boat to their private Island. It was a pain for us.


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## bhrungo

San Clemente Inn.  This was several years ago and our unit was old and run-down...smelly,etc.  Hopefully they've done a refurb since then...


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## sally

*breezy point minnesota,I will second that one.*

I think gold crown status is a scam....owners ,with the choice unit owners must send countless 5 star report cards,as to have full occupancy year round.This resort(not to be confused with the other breezy point lodge)should be converted back into the second rate transient apartments it once could have been.The lake units were similar but were on the lake...a saving grace ...We were samwitched between an ugly parking lot ,an all night disco and a frieght train running through the unit.No view. we left after 1 night.We drove 9 hours for THAT! If the unit is dirty,beat,or unsafe...not to mention (UNVACATION LIKE) The resort needs to be taken out of the directry period. 1 YEAR AT THE VERY LEAST. This would be a sharp message to the owners.Mabee then peoples hard earned vacation $$$ and time would be respected!   sheesh! gold crown my#%^#!


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## UWSurfer

bhrungo said:


> San Clemente Inn.  This was several years ago and our unit was old and run-down...smelly,etc.  Hopefully they've done a refurb since then...



They have.   There are four buildings there.  The two which are right of the lobby and check-in are all nicely redone.  The two left of the lobby are slated to be done over this year and next.  They are doing them slowly to maintain a balance of providing occupancy and keeping the costs down.

I've stayed in both and much prefer the updated units.   The units however are still on the small side and the buildings are still original.  They've also added a popular coffee shop there which has helped quite a bit.   I happen to like this resort very much & own a week here.  I also appreciate that the HOA are doing the updating without raising our MF's which are fairly low for a coastal resort.  However I can see why some would not be pleased with the resort, particularly before the improvements.


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## drguy

Howard33 said:


> *Worst timeshare*
> The Grand Mayan in Puerto Vallarta, was there this year and the reception/check in staff was extremely rude and not helpful when my key car misfunctioned and locked me out of my room 3 times, not my fault, their system.  No apology for the hours spent in the lobby waiting for them to fix it.


No Grand Mayan in Puerto Vallarta.  Do you mean Nuevo Vallarta?
What was the staff supposed to do about your car key malfunctioning, and how did that keep you out of your room?
The staff at Nuevo Vallarta GM has always been excellent, helpful and has gone out of their way to accommodate us in our needs.


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## kapish

Guy, the poster meant "key card" when it was written as "key car".


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## Wonka

Vistana in Florida 3/8/08


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## TUGBrian

I just read that review you submitted too!

Lets not forget the worst of all....in fact the very one that caused TUG to exist in the first place.

Sand & Surf in Daytona beach

It is the resort referenced in the tuginfo post about how TUG started



> Hi, I'm Bill Rogers. I initiated TUG because my wife and I traded our very nice (Gold Crown & 5 Star rating) resort for what can only be described as a run-down converted motel. To say that we were upset, is to put it mildly.
> 
> The picture in the Exchange Resort Directory looked great! The description had everything we were looking for, even tennis. But when we got there...... The condo was probably WW II vintage and still had the original furniture (I have seen better thrown away on the street). But the straw that broke the camel's back was the tennis court (we love tennis and all our trades usually have tennis available). The only court was over grown with weeds and did not even have a net!) When we asked about it, we were told it had not had a net for years! So much for Resort Directory pictures and write-ups! We vowed we would never be ripped off again! From that time on, when we are in an area (and have time) we tour the timeshare resorts to find out what they are really like. We will no longer rely only on the Exchange companies for this information!
> 
> By the way, the exchange company did credit us with their exchange fee ($69) to be used toward another exchange. What a joke! We lost a week's vacation, not to mention, the hundreds of dollars in maintenance fees we had to pay at our home resort.


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## sfoxxx

*Two worst resorts I stayed in*

The older resorts at the Vistana in Orlando. We stayed in the ghetto section of the Vistana.  The Summer Bay in Las Vegas was also bad but my experience at the Vistana was worst.


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## RIMike

*New but so far not bad*

Since I am relatively new to TS I have been fortunate in that all my exchanges have been acceptable.  Here is my experiences from worst to best so far:

Pelican Resort Club  rated about a 7 (exchanged for April,2007)
Alanda Club, Marbella        rated   8 (exchanged for Holy Week, 2007)
Sedona Summitt              rated     8.5 (exchanged for Feb. 2008)
Oyster Bay Beach Resort   rated    8.5 (exchanged for week before Christmas 07)

Up next:
Fairmont Hot Springs, Mountainside Villas in August, 2008
Plaza San Martin, Buenos Aires, Argentina   Thanksgiving, 2008
Marriott Grand Vista, Orlando, Christmas, 2008

From Reading reviews, I think all of these should be fine as well.  But I really appreciate this particular posting because it has caused me to think both about where I am willing to exchange to and also where I do not wish to buy...in particular it killed a proposed sale into Sheraton Vistana


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## wcfr1

pragmaticCTcpl said:


> _Without a doubt, the worst RCI-connected time share we ever stayed at was Ski Side Village in Tannersville, PA. in 1996.
> _



I am sure it was bad then because even the pictures of the place looked bad. Good news is that the previous management has been taken to court by the owners and a settlement was made last year. Half the resort was sold for development of homes and the half that stayed has been completely upgraded. I think it is a lot better now than when you stayed 12 years ago.


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## JAKing

My husband and I have been timeshare owners since 2004, and have never stayed at the three we own, but always trade using points.  The units have been all over the lot in terms of niceness, but never bad enough for us to regret going.  If I had to choose, I'd say the worst were Sea Mist Resort, Wells Maine; The Harwich Port, Cape Cod; and Silverwoods at Treasure Lake, Dubois PA.  However, all had redeeming qualities.  Sea Mist is a motel conversion, and shabby.  The Harwich Port is also very outdated, as is Silverwoods, and very needy of renovation.  But all three were in lovely locations that we enjoyed exploring.  In fact, we are going back to Sea Mist again this year, because it is very affordable and we try to get the biggest bang we can for our buck or points.  We probably will never visit Silverwoods again, because it is way off the beaten track, and too long a drive.  We would go to the Harwich Port again, but there are many other choices in Cape Cod that we would try first.

I've seen several posts saying negative things about Eastern Slopes, but we enjoyed it, and the area was much fun, with great restaurants, great shopping, great natural beauty, and moose!


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## labguides

Riverside at Fairmont Hot Springs was by the worst timeshare we have experienced. I posted a review in the review section.


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## lprstn

*Just back from my Worst Exchange Experience Ever!*

We just got back from a shortened trip at ocean beach club in Virginia Beach...

Well where to begin.    We made reservations with Interval International (our first experience with them) for a room at this resort that sleeps 2 private and 4 maximum.  We called while on the way and no one picked up the phone.  We showed  up to check in on Friday at 12am after a 4 hour drive and working all day.  We were checked in by a front desk attendant named Gabriel, and when we saw a room we were stunned as it was a hotel room (actually smaller) with a nice balcony and ONLY a king sized bed, and by the way … THE COMFORTER ON THE BED HAD A BLOOD STAIN ON IT!   (oh, I got the pictures to prove it too!)  Ok, we looked at our reservations and said, “No Way does this accommodate 4 people).  We were at least expecting 2 double beds.  So we go to the front desk, show our paperwork and tell Gabriel that there must be a mistake.  He stated “I don’t believe that your room only has a king sized bed, all of the C rooms have doubles”.  I asked him “Are you calling me a Liar?!” :annoyed:  He said, “Well no, its just that I know all the C rooms have doubles, I am going to have to go see this for myself.” 

I was in shocked disbelief, as I have traveled extensively, in Timeshares and hotels and in all of my 39 years have never been called an outright liar, and never had someone have to physically verify I was telling them the truth.  So he follows me and my husband up the elevator to room 1806C, and I told him “You better give me one heck of an apology when you VERIFY that I am not a liar!”.  When he gets in and checks he say’s “Oh I am so sorry.  I just knew that this had double beds”.  Oh but now it gets even worse.  He tells me he has to call the night manager to see what to do about our room.  He then tells us that the night manager said he can put us in another room, but WE MAY HAVE TO PAY $149 for the night.  I told him that “Her answer is not satisfactory as it is now 1:30am in the morning, my kids are awake, we can’t go to sleep and I have been called a Liar, then told that I may have to pay for my room.  You need to get on the phone with her and come up with a solution to get me a FREE room tonight and we will figure the rest out on Sat. when I wake up!”  He then called her and assured me that I would not be charged for my room.  (I just posted this review and I do have some positives after this initial shock so look out for the review for more details)

Now Interval International we called only to have to hear them defend the rude behavior of the clerk, pass the buck back to the resort, and they didn't even offer to speak to the resort to verify that we were taken care of, and this was after speaking to 5 people and being on hold for over 30 minutes.  This was my first experience with Interval and probably my last.  At least with RCI on the 1 and only time there was a minor confusion, they far exceeded my expectations by refunding me my $169 trading fee, and giving me my week back (maybe I was just lucky to get a nice Customer Service Rep).  

We were so disgusted that we cut our trip short and came home on Sunday instead of Tuesday.  However, I must at least give the day manager some gratitude as he did give us a dinner certificate and upgraded our room to a 1 bedroom suite.  Unfortunately, being called a liar, and made to prove myself just disgusted me beyond belief.  Thanks for letting me vent and if you have a worst exchange experience, PLEASE SHARE IT, as I think it will make me feel better that someone else suffered worst.


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## eal

You might feel better posting a review on tripadvisor.com as well; you will reach a very wide audience.


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## dougp26364

Unless the desk clerk actually used the word "liar", I think you would be better served when you complain if you said the desk clerk did not believe me. Obviously he didn't believe you but I do not believe that, based upon your brief description, he intended to call you a liar. He knew a mistake had been made. I can certainly understand his need to visually see for himself that the mistake was the resorts mistake if he had to wake his boss up to correct the mistake. 

Imagine how much more difficult getting things straightened out would have been if he'd have called his boss without verifying the room only slept two and having his boss tell him he was off his rocker, all C rooms slept 4. You'd have been even hotter than what you were to have the desk clerk tell you all C rooms slept 4 and then have the awakened "night manager" (sounds more like an on-call manager to me) tell you the same thing. By seeing the room with his own eyes, the desk clerk avoided that potential problem. 

Don't get me wrong, there are obviously problems with this resort. I only know that a misunderstanding and saying that someone actaully called you a liar when it was only implied (having to verify information visually) muddies up the water and makes it harder to get your point across. FWIW, I'd have been mad as a wet hornet as well.


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## bilfbr245

You asked the night clerk if he was calling you a liar and he said no.  So I agree with the previous post that it is not helpful to continue with the inflammatory rhetotic.  Personally, I can understand that when there is some confusion about what the facts are, it is often best to see for yourself.  If I had been in your position, I would not have objected that the clerk wished to view the room and verify the facts before taking action.  It does sound as if the resort made a mistake, but these things do happen, and it also sounds as if the resort went to quite an effort to rectify the situation.  I do understand that you were tired, but I am not sure that this was the resort's fault.  

The bloodstain is another matter. That is quite disgusting.  And the clerk should not have said that you might be charged for the room either.  But there more important thing in my mind is that they did not end up charging you and that they gave an upgrade and meal.


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## gmarine

You obviously had a bad check in experience and an inexperienced, clueless clerk, but the manager gave you a 1 bedroom suite and a free dinner. 

What does II have to do with the clerk at the resort?

Having a stain on a comforter is disgusting but that can happen anywhere. As for it being blood, without testing it you cant be sure what it is. I have seen much worse at much higher end properties.

IMO, it wasnt that bad. You got a larger room than you were confirmed to and a free dinner. All because of a check in error and clueless clerk. I think you may have let your initial problems on check in cloud the rest of your stay.

If thats your worst experience consider yourself lucky.


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## timeos2

*A standard II "Quality" experience*



lprstn said:


> Now Interval International we called only to have to hear them defend the rude behavior of the clerk, pass the buck back to the resort, and they didn't even offer to speak to the resort to verify that we were taken care of, and this was after speaking to 5 people and being on hold for over 30 minutes.  This was my first experience with Interval and probably my last.  At least with RCI on the 1 and only time there was a minor confusion, they far exceeded my expectations by refunding me my $169 trading fee, and giving me my week back (maybe I was just lucky to get a nice Customer Service Rep).



You will be better off without II as this is typical of the type of unit the majority of trades really are (after all, "Quality is a slogan" at II) and typical "customer disservice".  You got a little bigger first taste than most but if you stick around using II you'd get smaller doses nearly every time. Drop them.


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## T_R_Oglodyte

I think you're going a bit overboard with your feeling of being called a "liar".  By your standard, anytime anyone told the desk clerk anything, the desk clerk should automatically believe what is told, else the desk clerk will be calling the person a liar.  If someone claims they had reserved the room for $10/night, would you say the desk clerk was calling the person a liar by verifying that was the quoted rate?

If you''re a parent, I'm pretty sure that you don't follow that standard with your children.  If you did, you would automatically believe everything they told you, else you would be calling them liars.

Taking the time to verify information is simply not the same as calling someone a "liar".


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## gmarine

timeos2 said:


> You will be better off without II as this is typical of the type of unit the majority of trades really are (after all, "Quality is a slogan" at II) and typical "customer disservice".  You got a little bigger first taste than most but if you stick around using II you'd get smaller doses nearly every time. Drop them.



John, you just posted in another thread that you belong to II and you trade into Marriott's whenever and wherever you want. Why then do you always say that you cant get good exchanges with II ?

In this case it was obviously a resort issue that was resolved by the resort in a way that gave the exchanger a larger unit and a free dinner.


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## brother coony

You traded once tru RCI, had Problem and RCI refund exchange fee, now you try 11 and it was a nightmare, at this time I would Just stick to my home resort and ask the question Why Me


----------



## lprstn

First off, let me clarify that my mother is currently a manager at an upscale hotel that she has worked at for over 10 years, my husband also was a regional manager at Choice Hotel.  NEVER in my mother or husband's years in this industry did they have to verify what a customer told them, usually they would just comp the room and settle up in the morning.  They would never have put a customer through this at 12:00 am in the morning, then want them to attend a TS presentation to sell a product that is way overpriced.  Hmm,   I wonder if you sympathetic sorts would feel the same way if you had been up since 5 am in the morning, driving 4.5 hours with kids in the backseat, and had to endure all of this for an additional 2 hours (we didn't get to bed until 2:30am, after moving our stuff 2 times).  

I didn't ask for sympathy for me, or for the unfortunate rude, non-trusting, resort clerk.  

I asked if anyone else had a similar or worst situation that they could share so that I wouldn't feel so bad.  Also, I did give the resort credit for graciously trying to make up for the confusion.  Which I am sure is more than most would do.

So, I will ask again.  Does anyone have a similar, or worst story to share?  I would appreciate reading some of them.

Thanks.


----------



## timeos2

*Does II have good weeks/ Sure - some*



gmarine said:


> John, you just posted in another thread that you belong to II and you trade into Marriott's whenever and wherever you want. Why then do you always say that you cant get good exchanges with II ?
> 
> In this case it was obviously a resort issue that was resolved by the resort in a way that gave the exchanger a larger unit and a free dinner.



There are good exchanges to be had with II no doubt. It's the impression that II gives - bolstered by their great slogan "The Quality Exchange Company" that somehow they are, on average, offering better resorts/units than say RCI does. Nothing could be further from the truth as the majority of II deposits tend to be older, smaller resorts just like RCI or DAE or Red Week has because the majority of resorts that exist are of that type.  Yes there are a few brand names that are almost always quality as well as some independents that reach that level but the vast majority are middle of the road or worse.  

If II *really* wanted only quality they would reject off season or non-ranked resorts as SFX does. That is the only way to really have only quality out - take only quality in.  But they, like most others, are willing to take anything as thats how their model makes money.  

The occasional decent to great trade that falls through the rigged system of priorities and hold backs that II has established for the ever so favored developers / managements they lured in with deals hardly comes close to making up for the fact that 80% or more of all trades are standard resorts, at off times and in so-so locations as that is what they are given to distribute.  Just like RCI and others that are willing to take them all.  

Great slogan. Zero meaning.  Poor operation.


----------



## vacationeer786

*my 2-cents*

I strongly beleive in you get what you trade!  I have traded a substandard resort and gotten a roach hotel!! I have also tradfed a good resort and received a good to better resort, and I have traded a high rated resort and received high quality and goo quality.   

Bottom line..... do research before you confirm and if you are getting bad exchanges stay home!:ignore:


----------



## Polly Metallic

timeos2 said:


> If II *really* wanted only quality they would reject off season or non-ranked resorts as SFX does. That is the only way to really have only quality out - take only quality in.  But they, like most others, are willing to take anything as thats how their model makes money.



For the record, SFX has lots of off-season inventory. They also take a few borderline resorts if the resort is in an area that has high demand. 

As for II, I have found that most of their inventory is nice resorts. Thanks to TUG and other similar timeshare sites I sift through the list of potential trades and only accept the nicer resorts, so if they do have some marginal properties, I sure won't be the one to exchange into them. 

Now back to the OP's experiences. I must agree with others that despite being off to a bad start, the situation had a happy ending since a bigger unit and other compensation was offered. I personally would be appeased by that. I happen to have a week booked for this same resort next fall and am looking forward to staying in a two bedroom unit there. It sounds like the upper management takes customer satisfaction seriously. I look forward to hearing the full review to hear the positive aspects. 

So much of what happens in traveling is impacted by one's frame of mind. We made an exchange once to a resort in Puerto Vallarta. We were not given the unit indicated on the exchange confirmation, despite being told that we would be getting that particular unit. They put us in an older style building that had two walls of folding doors in the living room that could be opened up to make the unit very open to the outdoors. This was a rather novel arrangement and quite pleasant except the unit didn't seem as secure and it wasn't very weather-tight, either. We had a chameleon visitor on the living room wall one evening and it really startled me. The style unit we should have been assigned to would have been nicer, and it was somewhat annoying to pass our assigned unit everyday and wish we were there instead. We could have stewed about this and let it completely ruin our vacation, but we didn't. We made the best of our rather odd but charming condo. The grounds, pools, and restaurants were extremely nice and it wasn't hard to be happy there and have a good time. 

When we returned from vacation I wrote to RCI and told them about our unit assignment and the presence during the week of the "uninvited resident." I wasn't expecting compensation, especially since we hadn't contacted RCI to complain while we were in Mexico. I really just wanted to let RCI know that exchangers were sometimes assigned to the odd, older units. RCI gave us a replacement week for the cost of an exchange fee, which I thought was very good of them. As I said before, attitude is everything. We could have allowed our vacation to be ruined, but we didn't, and I look back on that vacation with many fond memories. The unit wasn't all that bad and it got us an extra week of vacation to boot.


----------



## bilfbr245

I am not sure I understand why it took two hours for the night clerk to view the room and ascertain that it would not accommodate 4 people.  I would have thought that this would require ten minutes or less.


----------



## barndweller

John said 





> Nothing could be further from the truth as the majority of II deposits tend to be older, smaller resorts just like RCI or DAE or Red Week has because the majority of resorts that exist are of that type.


Here is the problem. 

This is what the majority of people own & what they use to exchange. I agree with vacationeer786 ie: you get what you give. The OP does not say what they traded for this "hotel room" that they received. We here at TUG agree that most timeshare owners believe they can exchange their unit for anything they want but we know that is not what really happens. I agree with you, John, that certain developers are given special treatment but most timeshares are not in that category. If I have a simple, medium level one bedroom timeshare to exchange that is what I get from all the exchange companies in return. I don't expect to get better so when I do I am thrilled. Nor do I want a roach motel so if that's what I get then I am to blame for not doing my homework not the exchange company.

I am sorry that the OP was disappointed but the exchange company, no matter which one was used, is not to blame. Is II to blame for a dirty room with missing items and broken lamps at Marriott Desert Springs? Is SFX to blame for the worst possible view at Mayan Palace? Is RCI to blame for dumpster view and AC that doesn't work at Hilton in Oahu? Of course not. Stop with the crap about the rotten timeshare exchange companies, John. It doesn't help anyone to continually blame the go-between. Blame the timeshare owners who expect to pay for the average timeshare but exchange it for the top of the line. Sheesh. Your line is getting old & boring!


----------



## theo

*Truth or consequences?*



bilfbr245 said:


> You asked the night clerk if he was calling you a liar and he said no.  So I agree with the previous post that it is not helpful to continue with the inflammatory rhetotic.



I heartily agree with this (and several other) posts expressing this particular viewpoint. 

By OP's own accounting, OP seems to have been the only person to actually utter the word "liar". The clueless desk clerk may have been surprised, confused, and yes --- perhaps even disbelieving, but never actually "called" anyone anything, least of all a liar. In his clueless confusion and/or disbelief, he sought to verify an observation -- so what?

Long hours on the road can shorten one's patience, but the facts remain the facts. It sounds to me like management ultimately went out of their way to try to make things right. But that's just me.... 

It's probably just as well that _*I'm*_ not in the hospitality business...


----------



## dougp26364

lprstn said:


> First off, let me clarify that my mother is currently a manager at an upscale hotel that she has worked at for over 10 years, my husband also was a regional manager at Choice Hotel.  NEVER in my mother or husband's years in this industry did they have to verify what a customer told them, usually they would just comp the room and settle up in the morning.  They would never have put a customer through this at 12:00 am in the morning, then want them to attend a TS presentation to sell a product that is way overpriced.  Hmm,   I wonder if you sympathetic sorts would feel the same way if you had been up since 5 am in the morning, driving 4.5 hours with kids in the backseat, and had to endure all of this for an additional 2 hours (we didn't get to bed until 2:30am, after moving our stuff 2 times).
> 
> I didn't ask for sympathy for me, or for the unfortunate rude, non-trusting, resort clerk.
> 
> I asked if anyone else had a similar or worst situation that they could share so that I wouldn't feel so bad.  Also, I did give the resort credit for graciously trying to make up for the confusion.  Which I am sure is more than most would do.
> 
> So, I will ask again.  Does anyone have a similar, or worst story to share?  I would appreciate reading some of them.
> 
> Thanks.



Never is an awfully powerful word. 

Still, we are talking timeshare here and not major hotel chain. There are differences. Major hotel chains rely on ongoing rental business. Timeshare's rely on sales. For a major hotel chain, comping, discounting or even changing a room assignment may not be a big deal. 

Timeshare's on the other hand do not rely on repeat rental business. The developer selling the units may not even have anything to do with the management of the resort. Management is generally the HOA's business and not the sales department. Timeshare's have owners that return to them or exchange for other resorts. This may greatly limit the rooms available and there may not be anything else availabel, even when a mistake has been made in assigning rooms. They also don't have agreements with other local hotels to accept their clients/guest when an overflow situation exisits. 

So while I can appreciated your prospective from other members of your family's point of view, I still do not see where they desk clerk called or implied that you were a liar. Only that the information you presented him ran contrary to what you were saying and that he needed to verify what you were saying before contacting someone with authority to make a change.

IOW, I feel that a mistake was made but you took this FAR to personally. It would be great if every time a mistake was made in any business that the customer would always get exactly what they wanted but, you should know as well as the rest of us that this won't happen. It appears to me they put you through a little stress just when you needed it least but, in the end you walked away with more than what your were initially promised. 

Just because someone verifies what you say does not mean they're calling you a liar. It might mean that one or two people in this world have lied to them before but not that you're lying at that very moment. Again, it's not the poor bad experience I find fault with. It's the calling of a name only because a person needed to verify what was said in one particular situation.


----------



## DeniseM

lprstn said:


> So, I will ask again.  Does anyone have a similar, or worst story to share?  I would appreciate reading some of them.
> 
> Thanks.



We have a long thread of exchanging horror stories posted at the top of the exchanging board and I moved your post to that thread.  If you have time, check out the other posts.


----------



## swp1216

*Worst Resort*

Our worst resort stay with RCI was Silverado II in Winter Park , Colorado.  We only stayed 3 days because my Dad lives in Co and we only wanted to go to the mountains for a few days.  It was a 2 BR and spacious enough, but the carpet was horribly stained and the unit was dark and depressing.  The outside looked okay, but a totally different story on the inside!!  We never saw any resort staff in the 3 days we were there.  There was a The bathrooms were very small, and had cracked tile, and they were just dingy looking.  There was a restaurant and ski/gift shop that were never open when we were there.  We were there the 1st week of Dec, which I thought was ski season!  Oh well that's it, we will not go back there unless they have been remodeled.


----------



## icydog

lprstn said:


> First off, let me clarify that my mother is currently a manager at an upscale hotel that she has worked at for over 10 years, my husband also was a regional manager at Choice Hotel.  NEVER in my mother or husband's years in this industry did they have to verify what a customer told them, usually they would just comp the room and settle up in the morning.  They would never have put a customer through this at 12:00 am in the morning, then want them to attend a TS presentation to sell a product that is way overpriced.  Hmm,   I wonder if you sympathetic sorts would feel the same way if you had been up since 5 am in the morning, driving 4.5 hours with kids in the backseat, and had to endure all of this for an additional 2 hours (we didn't get to bed until 2:30am, after moving our stuff 2 times).
> 
> I didn't ask for sympathy for me, or for the unfortunate rude, non-trusting, resort clerk.
> 
> I asked if anyone else had a similar or worst situation that they could share so that I wouldn't feel so bad.  Also, I did give the resort credit for graciously trying to make up for the confusion.  Which I am sure is more than most would do.
> 
> So, I will ask again.  Does anyone have a similar, or worst story to share?  I would appreciate reading some of them.
> 
> Thanks.




I agree with you. I would be very insulted if someone said to me "I don't believe you". I have had similar responses and it makes me see red. I think that the clerk should learn some manners or not be in a job that places him in front of the paying public. I had a similar incident with a clerk in the Marriott customer service dept. When I told him the issues I was having at a resort he said" I don't believe you--All the units at xxx resort are ocean view" I asked him had he ever been to the resort and he replied no but he had read the literature. He also told me he wouldn't give me his manager's name or let me talk to a manager. When I insisted I got a manager who apoligized for his behavior and told me he would be given training on how to talk to a customer. I don't know if this was done but I felt better I was heard. 

My worst timeshare experience was the Celebrity Resort in Honolulu. It was a converted motel and the whole room smelled from bleach obviously to kill the mold we found everywhere. Our tiny "studio," aka small motel room, had a queen bed, a small yucky sofa, and a tiny refrigerator. The pool was the size of a small motel pool which is what it was. The only saving grace was the staff were very nice. They arranged for tours and helped us find a place to eat. We only stayed two nights since we hated it so much. Don't bother going there to try it out. It was the pits.


----------



## RandyK

The Pelican Resort in St Maarten.
Run down and what a waste of my vacation investment.


----------



## pammex

Playa Del Sol Costa Sur Puerto Vallarta Mexico was a bonus week thru SFX

Worst service, poor maintenance, mold everywhere, many people got ill.  I belive I posted a review...what a nightmare.  Resort from hell.


----------



## oysterfiend

Royal crown Hotel Phuket Thailand,
Crungy hotel but perfectly ok for a week.
We had a huge bed - two kingles put together- completely different levels,
and duvet only large enough for standard double or kingsingle between us,
Maid poor english so my husband had to point size of duvet,
Husband changed his mind at breakfast and got two breakfasts,
light bulbs missing- but replaced on request
dingy bathroom,
small pool 
way up in hilly area wellaway from town centre,
Complimentary hourly shuttle hit and miss,
still it did the trick and was a very cheap exchange points wise,
so in essence no good complaining - if low in points and few good reviews on tripadvisor I took the exchange - so you go sometimes expecting to be surprised,
sometimes I am overly anxious to get an exchange and take the first exchange too soon-
I always say I'll never do it again but I always do


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## Zac495

It would make me hot if the clerk said he didn't believe me. I would be cranky at that hour with the kids up. I would tell my friends and family about our lousy first night. I would expect them to sympathize.

But when I go to tripadvisor and see someone give a low rating and then tell a story like yours, I ignore the rating. To me - it's two different things. I realize your post was moved - you weren't originally posting about your worst timeshare ever - but still - it's only a useful post if you want to vent. It says nothing about the resort. I wouldn't avoid the resort based on your experience.

But I do understand why you were cranky.


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## Cathyb

Lucky you are so flexible   We stayed at Marriott Phuket and it was the most elegant timeshare we have EVER stayed in -- 23 yrs of timesharing!!!

BTW, we stayed in Taupo, NZ about 10 years ago -- love your country!!!


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## oysterfiend

Cathyb said:


> Lucky you are so flexible   We stayed at Marriott Phuket and it was the most elegant timeshare we have EVER stayed in -- 23 yrs of timesharing!!!
> 
> BTW, we stayed in Taupo, NZ about 10 years ago -- love your country!!!



I would have rather had an elegant place like you but hey I made the trade and we just made the most of it.
We had a bed and hot water and no harm came to us


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## carlrocky

*The Sonesta beach resort, Aruba, now the Renaissance*

Like other worst stays ever its all about perception verses reality. We arrived two days early and spent them at The Marriott. We loved the Marriott and the beachfront location, it spoiled us. Upon trying to check in at the Sonesta there was a crowd there, with little help at the front desk. Finally getting a 2 bedroom at the back of the resort facing the parking lot that had a strong mildew odor was very depressing. The pool tiles were falling off the sides of the pool. You needed a boat ride to reach the beach. The lovely lagoon in the II brochure is actually a mud bottomed pond that was, Yuk !!! We hated the place. Checked out and paid for another week at the Marriott rather than suffer at the Sonesta. This is a good thread...Its nice to Vent !!!!!!!! Aruba is a great destination... We just hated the Sonesta.


----------



## rsnash

*Don't just vent, Review!*

I hope all those posting about their bad (and good) experiences post reviews in the TUG database. That way the good (and bad) experiences are categorized by location and will edify the next TUGger's decision.


----------



## madra dubh

rsnash said:


> I hope all those posting about their bad (and good) experiences post reviews in the TUG database. That way the good (and bad) experiences are categorized by location and will edify the next TUGger's decision.



Hello Rnash - You are 100% on target - reviews are key. 

This past August we had the timeshare-from-hell experience at Wyndham/Fairfield Pagosa Springs Resort, Pagosa Springs CO. I did not pull any punches in my TUG Review. I also detailed the problems we encountered when I did the II Resort Evaluation. 

A few weeks later, I received a letter from an II representative that contained the expected phases, such as "Thank you for submitting your evaluation", "Please be assured II makes every effort to ensure that all affiliated resorts provide an acceptable experience to our members", and "II will provide a copy of your comments to the resort for their review and assist them in making any necessary changes to meet future vacationer's expectations".  Although this letter could not change what happened in the past, I was pleased to receive it. 

Then, when the 2009 II Directory came out, I noticed that Wyndham/Fairfield Pagosa Springs was not in the directory, nor was it in the on-line directory. Was this a coincidence or did my review cause this to happen? I doubt my review was that instrumental. But maybe it contributed to the resort leaving II.

I will continue to do reviews because I feel they are useful to other timeshare users.


----------



## cgeidl

*A Tie*

Kuhio Baqnyan-Waikiki
American Resort-Lake tahoe
What they both had in common was their only picture in RCI was of the lobby. Never stay at a resort with a lobby only picture..


----------



## bonniedwan

Would have to say I have only encountered 1 resort that I would not return to in almost 15 years of owning timeshare......Shawnee Resort in the Poconos, PA. We traded for a 2 bedroom at The Shawnee Resort in the Poconos over New Years week 2008. While it was not horrific, it was definitely not what we are used to. It was pretty spacious with an upstairs & a downstairs, but "everything" in the unit was old & dated. We could have lived with that, but then on top of that it was "DIRTY!" Cobwebs hanging from the curtains, microwave dirty, crumbs & dirt in kitchen, looked like blood or some other bodily fluid on the curtains....etc. I could go on & on, but I won't...I'm sure you get the idea. 

We did do research on this resort & through all the reveiws were told to ask for the Ridge Top Villas, which we did & that is what we got...well if they are the best, I would hate to see the worst!

The one positive was the recreation center was pretty nice, indoor basketball, swimming pool....etc. 

They are building newer units that are top of the mountain & they look absolutely beautiful so I would go back if we were to stay in the brand new units....but never again in the older ones!!

Bonnie


----------



## Egret1986

*We've been timesharing since 1984 and had our only bad timeshare experience....*



bonniedwan said:


> Would have to say I have only encountered 1 resort that I would not return to in almost 15 years of owning timeshare......Shawnee Resort in the Poconos, PA. We traded for a 2 bedroom at The Shawnee Resort in the Poconos over New Years week 2008. While it was not horrific, it was definitely not what we are used to. It was pretty spacious with an upstairs & a downstairs, but "everything" in the unit was old & dated. We could have lived with that, but then on top of that it was "DIRTY!" Cobwebs hanging from the curtains, microwave dirty, crumbs & dirt in kitchen, looked like blood or some other bodily fluid on the curtains....etc. I could go on & on, but I won't...I'm sure you get the idea.
> 
> We did do research on this resort & through all the reveiws were told to ask for the Ridge Top Villas, which we did & that is what we got...well if they are the best, I would hate to see the worst!
> 
> The one positive was the recreation center was pretty nice, indoor basketball, swimming pool....etc.
> 
> They are building newer units that are top of the mountain & they look absolutely beautiful so I would go back if we were to stay in the brand new units....but never again in the older ones!!
> 
> Bonnie



...in the Poconos.  It was in 1993.  I can't remember which resort, though your description sounds like that could be it.  The recreation center was nice, but the unit and building was terrible and filthy.  It is the only timeshare we have been so unhappy with that we left after the second night.  Yuk!  It was gross!


----------



## Guzzidave

I'm quite fond of Cromer Country Club, one of the DRI resorts in the UK but, back in '96 we ended up in a one-bedroom unit with a train of ants that entered through a gap in the front door throughout our stay.  We complained to reception and they told us that someone would come and deal with it straight away, but nobody ever came.


----------



## PeelBoy

bonniedwan said:


> Would have to say I have only encountered 1 resort that I would not return to in almost 15 years of owning timeshare......Shawnee Resort in the Poconos, PA. We traded for a 2 bedroom at The Shawnee Resort in the Poconos over New Years week 2008. While it was not horrific, it was definitely not what we are used to. It was pretty spacious with an upstairs & a downstairs, but "everything" in the unit was old & dated. We could have lived with that, but then on top of that it was "DIRTY!" Cobwebs hanging from the curtains, microwave dirty, crumbs & dirt in kitchen, looked like blood or some other bodily fluid on the curtains....etc. I could go on & on, but I won't...I'm sure you get the idea.
> 
> We did do research on this resort & through all the reveiws were told to ask for the Ridge Top Villas, which we did & that is what we got...well if they are the best, I would hate to see the worst!
> 
> The one positive was the recreation center was pretty nice, indoor basketball, swimming pool....etc.
> 
> They are building newer units that are top of the mountain & they look absolutely beautiful so I would go back if we were to stay in the brand new units....but never again in the older ones!!
> 
> Bonnie



I stayed at the Ridge Top 3 years ago.  It was one of the best I have ever stayed: 2 bedrooms plus a separate bathroom with jet tub upstairs and huge living, dining and kitchen on the first floor.  Everything was brand new; the gas fire place was excellent.  The building was new at the top of the hill.

After said that, I had seens buildings nearby of the same structure, but they were dated and everything looked terrible.  Some old builders after the renovation looked nice.

It really depends on the unit, before or after the renovation.


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## MuranoJo

Maybe we also need a thread about the BEST exchanges we ever had.  LOL, but that would probably heat up the competition for the limited few we see as it is.


----------



## DeniseM

muranojo said:


> Maybe we also need a thread about the BEST exchanges we ever had.  LOL, but that would probably heat up the competition for the limited few we see as it is.



There is a thread around here like that.  If you use the search function, you can probably find it.  Griping is just more popular!


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## Rent_Share

nell said:


> Looks like we were both working at the same time!



But be knows how to sort in excel


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## RIMike

*Mike is Right!!!*



michaelsmalley said:


> I've been reading these posts with great interest ...It would be a big help to us newbies if you old pro's would make postings about your trips.  From reading the posts on the BBS there are a lot of TUG travelers but not many reviewers.
> 
> PLEASE POST REVIEWS WHEN YOU GET HOME.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Mike S.



 Mike is Right....it really helps in making decisions about where to go if people would post reviews of recent trips. I know it takes a little bit of time, but it would help cut down on dissatisfaction if people write thorough reviews of their recent experiences.  For one a place might be unacceptable because it is not lush...Marriott like...for another it might be perfect (like my upcoming trip to Snowater, Glacier Wasington which has neither TV's or Phone in the TS.  It all depends on expectations...but if you know ahead what to expect it helps.  For me I have had only one really bad exchange, not that the facilities were bad, but service was terrible...at Calypso Cay...so for me service is important.  I would choose NOT to exchange into a place where there is questional service.  On the other hand a little rustic does not bother me.
RIMike


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## barndweller

My choice for worst has great reviews so obviously this topic very subjective. Some of the highest rated resorts don't get 2 stars on my personal rating system. I love the TUG reviews when people give good descriptions because I can judge for myself if I would like the place based on my personal preferences. The TUG rating system of 1-10 is useless for me. My 10 is often someone else's 7. For instance, I want a good kitchen. Lots of people don't care if it's functional. If there are granite counters to make it look pretty, they think it is great. Not me. I want decent pots & pans and knives and room on the counter to make a salad. I want barbeques on property. We love to throw some steaks on and cook a nice dinner and save our spending money for other things. We don't like high rise buildings, too much like a hotel for our taste. That leaves out a lot of the name brand timeshares. Some folks get all freaked out if they see an ant or a stain on the carpet. Not me. I expect bugs in the tropics and stains on carpets are inevitable.

The worst for me was Mayan Palace in Riviera Maya. The service was excellent. The room was fine. Nothing special. The beds were pretty firm but it didn't keep me awake. The kitchen was a joke. Almost an insult to call it a kitchen. We had a nice view out over the golf course but it was a long hike to the beach. There wasn't any balcony to sit outside and enjoy the view, just a sort of narrow ledge to stand on. But the worst part was the hordes of people at the pool. The pool lounge hogs were in full force, sneaking down at 6am to stake out their favorite spots with a flip flop or a magazine. I had never experienced that before. It never happens at my favorite little timeshares. The restaurants were mediocre and pricey. Without a car, we were stuck miles from anything unless we took a taxi. We met some truly lovely folks while we were there and enjoyed our week but I won't ever go back. 

Another disappointment was the Hyatt Pinon Point in Sedona. Great location but the rooms are little more than a fancy hotel offers. The kitchen was almost an after-thought. Our view was of a cactus studded bank. It was extremely dark with the only source of daylight through the sliding doors to a covered patio. The walls were so thin we could hear the guy upstairs talking on his cell phone. There are so many resorts in Sedona that have better units that we won't choose Hyatt again.

But I am sure others are wild about those two resorts. Neither are bad, they just didn't suit me.


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## icydog

barndweller said:


> My choice for worst has great reviews so obviously this topic very subjective. Some of the highest rated resorts don't get 2 stars on my personal rating system. I love the TUG reviews when people give good descriptions because I can judge for myself if I would like the place based on my personal preferences. The TUG rating system of 1-10 is useless for me. My 10 is often someone else's 7. For instance, I want a good kitchen. Lots of people don't care if it's functional. If there are granite counters to make it look pretty, they think it is great. Not me. I want decent pots & pans and knives and room on the counter to make a salad. I want barbeques on property. We love to throw some steaks on and cook a nice dinner and save our spending money for other things. We don't like high rise buildings, too much like a hotel for our taste. That leaves out a lot of the name brand timeshares. Some folks get all freaked out if they see an ant or a stain on the carpet. Not me. I expect bugs in the tropics and stains on carpets are inevitable.
> 
> *The worst for me was Mayan Palace in Riviera Maya. The service was excellent. The room was fine. Nothing special. The beds were pretty firm but it didn't keep me awake. The kitchen was a joke. Almost an insult to call it a kitchen. We had a nice view out over the golf course but it was a long hike to the beach. There wasn't any balcony to sit outside and enjoy the view, just a sort of narrow ledge to stand on. But the worst part was the hordes of people at the pool. The pool lounge hogs were in full force, sneaking down at 6am to stake out their favorite spots with a flip flop or a magazine. I had never experienced that before. It never happens at my favorite little timeshares. The restaurants were mediocre and pricey. Without a car, we were stuck miles from anything unless we took a taxi. We met some truly lovely folks while we were there and enjoyed our week but I won't ever go back. *
> 
> Another disappointment was the Hyatt Pinon Point in Sedona. Great location but the rooms are little more than a fancy hotel offers. The kitchen was almost an after-thought. Our view was of a cactus studded bank. It was extremely dark with the only source of daylight through the sliding doors to a covered patio. The walls were so thin we could hear the guy upstairs talking on his cell phone. There are so many resorts in Sedona that have better units that we won't choose Hyatt again.
> 
> But I am sure others are wild about those two resorts. Neither are bad, they just didn't suit me.




I have to agree with you about the Riveria Maya location. We exchanged into the Grand Mayan and it was a mile to the pools. No kidding a mile!!!!:annoyed: So we would get to the pool at 7:30 in the morning to get a place in the shade and they were already filled up. And people were guarding their places with dogs. Well not dogs per se, but angry husbands who didn't want to be there at dawn to save beach chairs:rofl:

The restaurants were so expensive and so hard to get to we gave up and ate all our meals in the room. That was the best kept secret. We could order anything we wanted from all the restaurants, pay the same as if we were eating there, no extra mind you, and we had terrific meals in our room.. 

We couldn't stand the people who ran the place. They obviously hated their jobs and us. I will never return to the Grand Mayan in Riveria Maya. And forget the horrible buses that were too full to carry us the one mile to the restaurants. I hated the busses. As I said, the room service was great but we never got to the pools. We just couldn't do it.


----------



## judyjht

*Fontana Village*

The only place we ever left early from.  We arrived on Saturday and left (happily) on Tuesday.  Never again!

:ignore:


----------



## california-bighorn

*Summer Bay Las Vegas*

Only one place comes to mind as the worst, Summer Bay Las Vegas.  The main building where you check in was not as bad, but the rest of the other buildings were total ghetto.  There was some heavy drinking and constant fights at the pool and people dumpster diving in the large garbage containers.  We were out of there in 2 days.  The good news is I understand they have moved operation and the old place has been torn down.


----------



## pranas

RIMike said:


> Mike is Right....it really helps in making decisions about where to go if people would post reviews of recent trips. I know it takes a little bit of time, but it would help cut down on dissatisfaction if people write thorough reviews of their recent experiences.  For one a place might be unacceptable because it is not lush...Marriott like...for another it might be perfect (like my upcoming trip to Snowater, Glacier Wasington which has neither TV's or Phone in the TS.  It all depends on expectations...but if you know ahead what to expect it helps.  For me I have had only one really bad exchange, not that the facilities were bad, but service was terrible...at Calypso Cay...so for me service is important.  I would choose NOT to exchange into a place where there is questional service.  On the other hand a little rustic does not bother me.
> RIMike



My family loves Snowater because of its proximity to the slopes. closest place to stay near Mt.Baker.  Snowboarding is great and the resort is nice.  The resort information on its website and on RCi's specifically states  that it is in a remote location with no phones, cell or TV service.  [Inappropriate comment deleted. - DeniseM Moderator]


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## UWSurfer

california-bighorn said:


> Only one place comes to mind as the worst, Summer Bay Las Vegas.  The main building where you check in was not as bad, but the rest of the other buildings were total ghetto.  There was some heavy drinking and constant fights at the pool and people dumpster diving in the large garbage containers.  We were out of there in 2 days.  The good news is I understand they have moved operation and the old place has been torn down.



Yup...that is all gone.  They are in a new gated property with the old place just vacant lots now.   It's quite a place now.


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## John Cummings

As Barndweller said, it is a matter of personal preferences. Our preferences are just the opposite. We don't care about a kitchen as we never cook any meals while on vacation. All we need is a refrigerator for drinks. We want luxury and service as you would get in a 5* resort. We want restaurants on site and room service.

I know this is supposed to be about the worst resort but others have mentioned the best as well so I will give our opinion of both the best and worst.

In our 22 years of timesharing, our favorite resorts by far are the Grand Mayans, especially the Grand Mayan - Riviera Maya. We have stayed 4 times at the Grand Mayan - Riviera Maya and 1 time at the Grand Mayan - Nuevo Vallarta in the past 5 years. Each stay was for 2 consecutive weeks each time. We like the GM at Riviera Maya because it is spread out so it doesn't feel crowded, and there are lots of great cultural attractions in the area. The distances have never been a problem as we just use the free shuttles. We always get a Palapa with the bed at the pool. We reserve it for the full 2 weeks the first morning we are there. Never had a problem getting what we wanted as we always get the same one. Restaurants on site are very reasonable, especially for a luxury resort. We also like the GM - Nuevo Vallarta but not as much. We are not owners and have exchanged through SFX every time. We go in April which is still in prime time.

Now for the worst. The worst timeshare we ever stayed in was the Berkshire By The Sea in Delray Beach, Florida. We went there for a week on an exchange through II. We were in a 1 BR unit in the older section facing the beach. The only good thing was location. The service was horrendous. The unit was tiny with a bathroom the size of what you find on an airplane. When we got back home, I complained to II and they refunded our week back to us.


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## fraser921

*worst-vistana*

we had a rci swap and was put in old danky section

wife wont go back there again


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## DeniseM

fraser921 said:


> we had a rci swap and was put in old danky section
> 
> wife wont go back there again



Good news - it's being completely renovated, so that shouldn't happen again.


RENOVATIONS

Sheraton Vistanta Resort Renovation Brochures:
Cascades Phase
Courts Phase
Falls Phase
Fountains I Phase
Fountains II Phase
Spa Phase
Springs Phase​


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## granny smith

Sorry you had a ??? time at San Clemente Inn.  We own 3 weeks and have not had the problems you indicated.  We don't stay every year as we exchange alot of times.  But when we do stay for the week, have found it enjoyable.  GrannySmith


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## DeniseM

Please note that the San Clemente Inn post is 2 years old (Jan. 2008) and the poster said it was several years before that when they visited, so it may have been renovated or redecorated since then.


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## Rmelnyk

This is going back away(1999) when 1st time sharing.  
The Players Club , Hilton Head.  Enough said.
RM


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## wheniwasyoung

*Great Thread! Love the Comments!*

The absolute worst timeshare to visit isdrum roll please)
 Nottingham Village at Friar Tuck   Catskill, NY 

This was a couple years ago but according to the reecent member reviews on RCI, it seems that things have not changed much. We had to leave after the first night. We still joke that we must have stepped into an Alfred Hitchcock movie. This place was just weird, dirty, and ran by a strange group of people. 

Ever been in a situation that is so bad that its beyond getting mad and all you can do is laugh about it? This place is it!:rofl:


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## skimble

DeniseM said:


> Please note that the San Clemente Inn post is 2 years old (Jan. 2008) and the poster said it was several years before that when they visited, so it may have been renovated or redecorated since then.



I own 6 weeks at the San Clemente Inn.  Only two of the 4 buildings have been redecorated... and they're nice.  
If you're looking for 4-5 stars... this is not it, and only half the units have a view of any sort.  (some units even have ocean views.)  
But, the units are very comfortable with all the comforts of home.  They have a wonderful staff, tennis, pool, spas, miniature golf, complimentary movie rentals, a restaurant with bar service at the pool.... 
How many resorts have these kinds of amenities?  
And... the proximity to the beach is awesome.  It's not steps from the sand, but considering the availability of coastal weeks in So Cal, this place is a gem. 
I've been to resorts with 2 star quality, and there are no amenities.   To cluster SCI in with the worst is ridiculous- it's a person who has experience a limited number of timeshares.


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## Steve

*San Clemente Inn*



skimble said:


> To cluster SCI in with the worst is ridiculous- it's a person who has experience a limited number of timeshares.



My parents purchased a timeshare in 1980.  They have been timesharing ever since.  Out of all the many timeshare resorts they where they have stayed, my mother considers San Clemente Inn to be the absolute worst.  She still comments on it as we drive by on I-5 (just before the nuclear power plant) when we travel together in Southern California.  

Since I haven't stayed there, I can't comment on the interior.  However, I don't find the exterior very appealing. (It looks like an old motel).  I'm also not fond of the location. (It's too close to the interstate and too close to the San Onofre Nuclear Plant for my taste.)

There are some who like SCI and that is great, but I don't think it's ridiculous that others classify it among the worst.

Steve


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## UWSurfer

Steve said:


> My parents purchased a timeshare in 1980.  They have been timesharing ever since.  Out of all the many timeshare resorts they where they have stayed, my mother considers San Clemente Inn to be the absolute worst.  She still comments on it as we drive by on I-5 (just before the nuclear power plant) when we travel together in Southern California.
> 
> Since I haven't stayed there, I can't comment on the interior.  However, I don't find the exterior very appealing. (It looks like an old motel).  I'm also not fond of the location. (It's too close to the interstate and too close to the San Onofre Nuclear Plant for my taste.)
> 
> There are some who like SCI and that is great, but I don't think it's ridiculous that others classify it among the worst.
> 
> Steve



It looks like an old motel because IT IS an old motel...in fact it served as the home of the press corps for the western white house in the nixon administration.   While I'm a bit biased, I take a little exception to SCI being lumped into this thread and considered among the worst.   Yes tastes vary and the resort has it quirks, but even an a more objective person than myself would find it a far better place than this thread.   Next time you are in the neighborhood, pull off and have a bite at Adelle's, the coffee shop restaurant on site, walk the grounds and if curious ask the staff to let you see a unit.   

I have a feeling the place has been spruced up over the past few years and  think you'll be surprised now.


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## Piper

We booked an exchange on Cape Cod at Breakers Oceanfront. We were supposed to have a 2-bedroom, 2 bath unit. When we arrived, we found that the resort had not even been completed! We noticed a sign at the Breakers resort across the street (not oceanfront) that we could check in at the older resort next door. (That name is escaping me now.) The put us in a unit at the Breakers that they said was 3 bedroom and 1 bath. Turns out that the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms were in a loft space above the living room and above the master bedroom. (Not much privacy in a master bedroom with another bedroom overhead!) AND there were 4 of us sharing the 1 bathroom. The kitchen was incredibly small and the living space was not very comfortable. We made it work and had an OK vacation -- but it was definitely not what we had signed up for!


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## JesTheFacts

*Maritime Beach Club in N Myrtle Beach is the worst*

 Talk about a facility operated by several generations of intermarried cousins, brothers, sisters.  Defender Resorts epitomizes the worst in timeshare.  Charged for using more than one roll of toilet paper.   Towels about as thick and absorbent.  Furniture the Salvation Army Thrift Store wouldn't resell.  What do these people do with the maintenance fees they collect?  Not to mention the double billing they impose on owners for tracking points.  RCI already provides this service in your membership, but these unethical, dishonest shysters impose it again!!!!!!!!!!

This place is the worst, as are all other properties managed by Defender Resorts.  Check the management firm before you stay.  They operate in Lenox and Falmouth, MA; Ocean City, MD; Jensen Beach, FL; and Dewey Beach, DE.


----------



## Liz Wolf-Spada

There is only one place we have been I would hesitate to go back to and that is the Mauna Loa Wyndham side on the Big Island.  The biggest problem is the AC is outside the patio door on the ground floor and very, very, very loud. They assigned us a ground floor unit and I couldn't even open the door it was so bad. They were able to change us to a top floor unit which was much better. The bottom floor unit was also looking out into a tiny patio that was very claustrophobic. Upstairs the outside of the refrigerator was so dirty that I tried to wash it myself. Oh, and did I mention that the AC is for the top and bottom units so that even if you wanted to turn off your AC to avoid the noise it wouldn't help. I would go back there only if I could be assured of not being on the bottom floor.


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## Tommart

*Skiers Edge in Breckenridge*

Since I used a bonus week that cost me $169, I was pleased with my stay.  I probably would go back.  It has a nice indoor pool, large modern community hot tub, and above average beds.  It is within 30 minutes of many ski resorts and less than 90 minutes from Denver.

The staff was helpful and furniture was comfortable.  

However, it's an old unit that's shabby here and there, the bathroom is very small, and it's located about 4 miles south of town in the middle of nowhere.  It's also a small resort -- maybe 40-50 units in a single building.  Had to go near the office to reach the WI-Fi signal, but there was many comfortable chairs and tables near the office. There were three coin operated washing machines and dryers for the entire facility--and one washing machine was broke.  The hallways were cold, dark, and narrow, and had plywood floors that flexed as you walked.

The unit was also a little small.  I would not want to stay with more than two people.






I went in early December.  The ski resorts were open, but each had only 5-8 trails.  Only about 4-5 of Skier Edge's units were occupied.

I suspect with their high maintenance fee (around $1K), they're having difficulty collecting from those who own units during non-ski season.

If you don't need a brand new modern resort with a lot of space, this unit is OK.  My wife does not ski and she thought Skier's Edge was OK.  But it is the worst timeshare that I've stayed.


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## MichaelColey

I'm sure there are *much* worse timeshares, but out of our first five timeshares, the worst has been Silverleaf's Holiday Hills. I booked it during an Extra Vacation sale, so there was very minimal cost. Still, it was disappointing.

It was a 2BR lodge unit, which is around 800-850 sqft. The kitchen was frustrating. It was very well stocked, but there was NO storage space or counter space. The dishwasher didn't clean. The icemaker (or something) in the fridge was leaky, causing the drawers to fill up with water. The master bathroom had almost no counter space and no shower (just a jacuzzi tub with a leaky sprayer). The charcoal grill had no utensils and no place to lay stuff down. There was no washer & dryer or DVD player.


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## Passepartout

Not REALLY a timeshare, but a penthouse apartment in a residential highrise owned by MROP/VRI in Puerto Vallarta (Playas Gamelas). 2 story unit- bedroom up a spiral staircase that you can crack your head on getting by it. Small window A/C at floor level downstairs. 95 degrees daily and 100% humidity. This poor A/C didn't have a prayer of making it comfortable for us temperate desert dwellers. On the plus side, a 5 gallon drinking water dispenser was provided, they did have on-site wired internet- not in unit, and a staff that went out of their way to make us welcome. 

I think it would be acceptable in Nov-March, but not in Aug/Sept.

Jim Ricks


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## laura1957

Just last week - Silverleaf "The Villages" in Flint, Tx.  

2 BR/2 Bath sleep 6.  SMALL, no washer or dryer - ok, we knew that when we booked it so our fault.  No dvd/vcr - we wouldnt have used it anyway, so that was ok.

  Small kitchen, only enough DR chairs for 4.  Jacuzzi tub, toilet and sink in master bath - no shower.  Would have been ok except it was IN the master BR.  Not a separate room at all.  We constantly were waking the other every time we turned the light on or flushed.  Could have just used the 2nd bathroom - except that was IN the 2nd BR    Since my daughter (his stepdaughter) was sleeping in that room my husband did not feel comfortable walking thru her BR to get to the bathroom.  At least her bathroom did have a door    I cant understand how SIX people could possibly use this unit at all since with 4 of us it was extremely uncomfortable.  

I know there are other types of unit available at this resort, and we were probably just unlucky in what we were assigned.  Still - this is the only timeshare that I would NEVER return to - unless possibly it was just my husband and myself.


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## MichaelColey

I'm wondering if *all* of the Silverleaf units are like that.  It sounds exactly like Holiday Hills (Branson), where we had a similar experience.  We're booked in Silverleaf's Seaside Resort in Galveston (cheap Extra Vacation sale again), and from the reviews it sounds very similar as well.

I think the most annoying part to me was the kitchen.  Almost no storage space or counter space.  We had two 6" wide drawers that weren't stuffed full.  We stored stuff on top of the fridge, on the window sill, on top of the plates, on the floor, etc.  I ended up putting the broiler pan across the sink and using that for "counter space" in the kitchen.


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## abbekit

MichaelColey said:


> I'm wondering if *all* of the Silverleaf units are like that.  It sounds exactly like Holiday Hills (Branson), where we had a similar experience.  We're booked in Silverleaf's Seaside Resort in Galveston (cheap Extra Vacation sale again), and from the reviews it sounds very similar as well.
> 
> I think the most annoying part to me was the kitchen.  Almost no storage space or counter space.  We had two 6" wide drawers that weren't stuffed full.  We stored stuff on top of the fridge, on the window sill, on top of the plates, on the floor, etc.  I ended up putting the broiler pan across the sink and using that for "counter space" in the kitchen.



Silverleaf has several levels of types of units.  If you look at my photos (in the link below) you can see some of the different types.  We've been pleased with all of our Silverleaf trades but by far the nicest are the Presidential units (you have to be sure and get a 6/6 unit to get one of those).  The Presidentials are some of the nicest timeshares I've ever stayed in.


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## MichaelColey

Sorry, I didn't say quite what I meant.  I meant to ask if the standard "lodge" and "cabin" units at all Silverleaf resorts are all like that.  I've read fabulous reviews of the presidental units, but awful reviews of the standard ones.


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## tombo

Worst timeshare I ever stayed in:  Someone else's.

Best timeshare I ever stayed in: One I own

Tongue in cheek response based on some truth because most owners love the places where they own weeks and give them top reviews and 5 star ratings. Often the same owners are overly critical of the places they exchange for. 

It kills me on trip adviser, TUG, or RCI/II when I read reviews where people give a place poor reviews because the front desk wasn't overly friendly, a handle on a drawer came off (even though it was fixed quickly), the next door neighbors were up all night, they didn't get the view they wanted,and other things that really don't apply to the resort in most other instances. They will often say things like the resort was really nice, in a great location, roomy, etc.and give it a 2 overall out of 5 because of some minor thing that they personally didn't like. Worst of all are the reviews that say the place was horrible and gives it a 1 with no explanation. Some of those places I have stayed at were very nice and I can't imagine what happened to make them rate it so low.

Most reviews on this thread are details of things that really would give me doubts about whether I want to stay at some of these resorts or not, but many negative reviews on TUG, Tripadviser,II, and RCI are of rare occurrences which would not happen to the average traveler and really would not be taken into account when I was choosing a resort. If you are reviewing a place please give details so others can decide if the resort you just ranked a 2 because of something that happened to you would be important to others at all. If you give a resort a 2 because it doesn't have granite countertops even though you loved everything else about the resort, I could care less about granite counters. If you are upset because they don't have an onsite restaurant explain that because many could care less. If you got a studio lock-off and it is cramped making your stay bad, but the one bed rooms and 2 bed rooms of the lock-offs are roomy, let people know. Rather than giving the whole resort a 1 out of 5 explain that it would get a 4 out of 5 if you had sayed in a 2 bed unit. If the sales force was pshy and rude but the resort itself was great, don't downgrade the resort, warn people to not go to the sales presentation. I think it is unfair to give a nice resort a low rating like a 1 or 2 for something minor or for being mad you were in a studio when you knew it was a studio before you went.

Everyone please give details of the good and bad so we can make more informed decisions and don't penalize a resort for months or years to come by posting bad ratings for some trivial inconvenience. Your resort too could always be picked apart for some reason by some impossible to please guests no matter how nice the resort is and no matter how professional your management staff is.


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## abbekit

*We were happy with the standard (lodge and cabin) too.*



MichaelColey said:


> Sorry, I didn't say quite what I meant.  I meant to ask if the standard "lodge" and "cabin" units at all Silverleaf resorts are all like that.  I've read fabulous reviews of the presidental units, but awful reviews of the standard ones.



Some of our Silverleaf stays were in the non-Presidentials. Not the fanciest timeshares we've stayed in but perfectly nice (at least the units we were in). 

http://picasaweb.google.com/vinolover78/TexasFlintEastTexasSilverleafVillagesFeb2003#

http://picasaweb.google.com/vinolover78/TexasCanyonLakeSilverleafHillCountryUnit325May2003#

I'm not a Silverleaf owner but they are convenient to where I live in North Texas and I wouldn't hesitate to stay in any of them again.

Luckily we've been happy with all of our timeshare trades all over the world so I don't have one to add to this tread.  Some not as fancy as others but all have been clean and comfortable.  

Thanks to info and reviews on TUG I'm pretty good now at picking out the gems and not trading into something awful.


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## MichaelColey

Your kitchens in Flint and Canyon Lake look FAR better than the one at Holiday Hills. Here's a picture:






That bar area (about 18" x 36") is the ONLY counter space "in" the kitchen. There's about an inch on each side of the sink and maybe 8" by the wall, where the coffee maker is.

Also, the dishwasher is UNDER the sink. The sink is really shallow and the top rack of the dishwasher is only about 1/3rd of a rack. And of course there's no space for a garbage disposal.


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## rapmarks

we were very unhappy in the lodge at Holiday Hills, mostly because of the bedroom situation.
But the Waterbury Inn in Door county was the smallest two bedroom ever.  The kitchen was smaller than the Holiday Hlls one and the bedroom was exactly 15 inches bigger than the bed on all sides.  There was a loft bedroom upstairs, but no place to change without being in view of the living room, kitchen and only the one bathroom.  Then I found out I could have rented with daily maid service for half my fees.


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## abbekit

This is what makes TUG such a great help in trip planning.  Makes a big difference which unit you get for the enjoyment of your vacation.  At least for us, we spend a fair amount of time in our condo (even in Hawaii!) and also cook a number of our meals so we want a nice unit, a nice kitchen and a nice view!


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## DaveNV

> Tongue in cheek response based on some truth because most owners love the places where they own weeks and give them top reviews and 5 star ratings. Often the same owners are overly critical of the places they exchange for.



I agree, when a review is written, a mention should be made whether the reviewer is staying at the resort as an owner or as an exchanger.  In my (admittedly limited) experience, owners tend to receive assignments to better units than exchangers generally get.  I think the unit you receive can make a huge difference in the quality of your stay.  So an owner might give the place five stars because they get great units, where an exchanger may get a lousy unit only worth two stars.  Fair is fair.

Case in point:  Michael Coley complained in his review about the exchange unit he got at Kauai Beach Villas. He was probably justified to think he deserved better.  I own there, and always get a GREAT unit.  KBV makes no bones about trying to assign the best units to owners.  Yes, all guests should be treated equally, but it's a fact that some units will be in better repair than others.

Similar case in point:  Villas at Southgate in St. George, Utah.  We stayed there a year ago on an exchange.  The unit was a wreck, furniture worn and inappropriate to the space. (The sofa was too long for the wall it was on, so it blocked a large part of the hallway to the bedrooms and bathroom.  We had to climb around it to get to the hallway.  The only table lamp in the living room was across the room from the only chair.  TV was placed on a stand where it couldn't be viewed when sitting in the room.  We ended up bringing in patio furniture and rearranging everything to provide us with a suitable place to sit.  It was all very "cheap motel" like.  Quite disappointing.)

If I owned at this resort I'd be seriously angry.  As an exchanger, I don't think I'd want to go back if the unit we got was typical of what we'd receive.

Dave


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## Happytravels

MichaelColey said:


> Your kitchens in Flint and Canyon Lake look FAR better than the one at Holiday Hills. Here's a picture:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That bar area (about 18" x 36") is the ONLY counter space "in" the kitchen. There's about an inch on each side of the sink and maybe 8" by the wall, where the coffee maker is.
> 
> Also, the dishwasher is UNDER the sink. The sink is really shallow and the top rack of the dishwasher is only about 1/3rd of a rack. And of course there's no space for a garbage disposal.



Michael,  they are starting to remodel the older units and giving more counter space and cabinet space.  But still none of them have garbage disposals even if there was enough room.  I have noticed on several trips other resorts.......that there is no garbage disposal..........maybe less things to break..When you go to Seaside ask for one of the newer units.  I will try and find out what building that is


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## Happytravels

*remodel or newer units*







This is one of the newer kitchens.  Still the units don't have w/d but most of the resorts have a laundry room.....Piney shores doesn't and neither does Seaside.


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## lotus5

timeos2 said:


> On the other hand we have the Carriage House in Las Vegas.  This is supposed to be a decent resort and we found it almost unbearable.  The room design was poor, the kitchen was dated and rather dirty, the bathroom was barely a closet.  It was really bad and yet somehow holds an RID rating.
> 
> So much about any resort depends on the unit you get and the way it is maintained overall.  On any given checkin two different groups may have completely different experiences depending on where they are assigned.



Your stay was in 2005.   Units at The Carriage House in LV have totally been renovated.   Big improvement.    Everything is fresh.   The place is well manged.   Friendly, helpful staff.    GREAT location.   Easy in-out parking.   Free internet.  nice pool, hottub, tennis courts.  Short block to the strip (City Center, Planet Hollywood, etc.) No argument - the units are small but when in LV, how much time do you spend in your room.  I'm happy with it being squeeky cleen and the important nuts and bolts.   Works well for many but not very well for the 5-star crowd.


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## rickandcindy23

Silverleaf used to allow pets.  Is that still the case?  If so, I would put up with a lot to take mine.


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## MichaelColey

rickandcindy23 said:


> Silverleaf used to allow pets. Is that still the case? If so, I would put up with a lot to take mine.


I think officially they only allow pets now for owners (not exchangers), for a fee. The reason I say "officially" is that we're staying at Seaside right now and when I checked in they asked how many adults, children and pets would be staying in the room. I'm not sure why they would ask if it isn't allowed.

FWIW, I'm staying in a Presidential unit this time, and it's quite a bit better.  Not on par with a regular Marriott timeshare, but much more spacious than the Lodge units.


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## Happytravels

MichaelColey said:


> I think officially they only allow pets now for owners (not exchangers), for a fee. The reason I say "officially" is that we're staying at Seaside right now and when I checked in they asked how many adults, children and pets would be staying in the room. I'm not sure why they would ask if it isn't allowed.
> 
> FWIW, I'm staying in a Presidential unit this time, and it's quite a bit better.  Not on par with a regular Marriott timeshare, but much more spacious than the Lodge units.



Michael, 

When you bought this vacation what was the configuration of the unit you confirmed  was it 6/4 or 6/6 and you checked in on Friday or Saturday???  Just asking cause I might want to do that someday............


----------



## Happytravels

Happytravels said:


> Michael,  they are starting to remodel the older units and giving more counter space and cabinet space.  But still none of them have garbage disposals even if there was enough room.  I have noticed on several trips other resorts.......that there is no garbage disposal..........maybe less things to break..When you go to Seaside ask for one of the newer units.  I will try and find out what building that is



In this picture it says the counter is 6 INCHES LONG...........WHAT I MEANT WAS 6 FEET LONG!!!!!


----------



## lolibeachgirl

The worst TS I've ever stayed in was Peppertree Atlantic Beach (old octagonal building).  We arrived about a week after Hurricane Isabel had gone through- I had called a couple days before just to make sure the resort was still in condition to accept guests, they told me everything was fine).

When we checked in at the desk, their "calendar" of arrivals had us listed in pencil, with a unit # also in pencil, written over an erased entry. I had hoped they didn't change us to a lower floor since I'd requested an upper floor (I'm a light sleeper).   I asked why they had changed our unit#, they didn't know.  Hiked our luggage from the car, up the steps, opened the door-and the ceiling fan in the unit was running on high.  Strange....since I thought this place had A/C.

(Ex)hubby drove to pick up the pizza we'd ordered, and I started checking out the unit.  The bathroom was extremely small, claustrophobic even.  The bedroom size was okay, but there was a roach that scurried by when I entered.  Everything in the unit seemed dingy and worn.  I went back into the kitchen, and noticed that one of the ceiling tiles was BRIGHT white compared to the others.  I climbed up on one of the chairs (hoping it wouldn't break) and found the ceiling tile was wet from white paint.  I had thought I smelled a slight odor when we came in, and I'd found the source.  Now I was really concerned, as I get migraines easily, and the fumes from the paint were certainly going to give me one if I spent much more time in this unit.

When my ex got back with the pizza, I showed him the ceiling tile, told him much the fumes were bothering me, how small the bathroom was, and the roach that I'd killed.  We agreed not to unpack, but to go to the office and get a different unit.  After explaining all the issues we had with the unit, they finally gave us a 2br unit in another part of the resort.  This was in a rectagular building, must be a phase 2, everything was new, tile floor, lots of space.  We were very happy that we had not unpacked in the other unit.  I guess people who arrived before us had gotten the other unit, complained, were given a different unit, and that's when they assigned us the crappy unit.

All in all, our stay on the Bogue Banks was a great trip, after getting a better unit.  It was a beautiful area, and I loved travelling to the lighthouse we got to see by taking a ferry.  We wanted to also go to Ocrakoke, but the road to that barrier island had been cut off by the hurricane, and only residents and emergency workers were being allowed onto the ferry to get there.

I hate to think of how awful the vacation would have been if they'd made us stay in that unit though...I really believe that resorts with several phases of units that are so different should have different resort #'s with RCI (like my home resort Plantation in MB).  Especially with RCI's new system of deposit and exchange credits, it really wouldn't be fair to have the same value applied to units that have so much disparity.  Plus the pictures usually the interiors of the nice units, even if they show the outside of the older building-which is sooo misleading.


----------



## timeos2

*May not be your fathers resort*



lotus5 said:


> Your stay was in 2005.   Units at The Carriage House in LV have totally been renovated.   Big improvement.    Everything is fresh.   The place is well manged.   Friendly, helpful staff.    GREAT location.   Easy in-out parking.   Free internet.  nice pool, hottub, tennis courts.  Short block to the strip (City Center, Planet Hollywood, etc.) No argument - the units are small but when in LV, how much time do you spend in your room.  I'm happy with it being squeeky cleen and the important nuts and bolts.   Works well for many but not very well for the 5-star crowd.



We saw the renovated units and, while MUCH better, they can't address the basic flaws in the structure such as the low ceilings, poor floor plan (it wasn't designed as a timeshare from the start) and more. But at least it is fresh, has updated appliances & furnishings so it is a great improvement. 

What it really shows is what was "horrible" last trip may not be so now and the reverse can unfortunately also (and actually more likely) be true.  It is up to the Association/Management to make the needed repairs & upgrades and that costs big money.  Not all of them are willing to do (pay) what is needed.  Those that are get better ratings - those that don't deservedly get dinged on scores. 

Don't depend on ratings/reviews that are more than a year or two at most old as things can change dramatically in relatively short time. Look for trends and recent reports to get the best picture of an unfamiliar resort.


----------



## theo

*My $0.02 worth...*

My own submission for this dubious distinction would be *Marco Resort & Club in Marco Island, FL*. 

A (barely) converted motel, with very small units. Ours was found to be considerably less than clean upon check-in. The interior was quite popular with the insects-in-residence, however, who apparently had a different, very favorable view about staying there. We left a few days early and headed for the Keys. 

In all fairness, that was about 8 years ago now. Pehaps they have "cleaned up their act" (..and I mean that quite literally) in the intervening years since then. I never bothered to write a review on the place, but I saw that our experience there was also similarly reflected in some TUG reviews.


----------



## rpennisi

*Silverado II, Colorado*

*The following is my review on another site...by far the worst we have experienced:*

Sep 16, 2007, 9:06 PM
Silverado II, the good the bad and the ugly. We just returned from Silverado II, located in Winter Park, Colorado. The unit we swapped through RCI was a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo with a fully equipped kitchen and living room with a table for 6, and an island counter with 2 stools.

The good is that the complex has wifi internet service, which helped us keep up with email to family and friends. Nothing like coming home to an email account loaded with a couple of hundred messages. Since there were only the 2 of us, we each had a bathroom, clean with plenty of towels and toiletries. The location of the complex is about a quarter mile from the main street, where there were a number of decent restaurants for dinner. Nothing is close in Colorado, especially in the mountains. But in 40 minutes, we could travel to Grand Lake and Rocky Mountain National Park. In the other direction, over the pass, we could travel to the ski resort towns of Keystone, Breckenridge and Vail.

The bad was the condition of the unit’s rugs. They were dirty and heavily stained, in need of a deep cleaning, better yet replacement, as they and the bedding were very old and nasty. Speaking of nasty, when we went to bed the first night, we found hairs, not ours, on the sheets, a gross out to be sure. The whole decor is very 70’s, dark stained pine moldings, doors and cabinets. Sleeping late would be a problem, as the vertical blinds were not room darkening, and no blackout curtains like you find in most hotels and condos.

The ugly was the condition of the common areas. The roofs were leaking badly from a heavy rain(s) when we got there, and there were buckets and pails all over, catching dripping water. The whole week, workers were just outside our windows and patio doors redoing the roofing. We had the blinds shut the whole week.But at least that should be corrected soon. In the middle of the night, we felt like we were in the movie, My Cousin Vinny, when train whistles would blare, and right outside the complex, these long coal freight trains would come barreling through on their way up the grade through the tunnel that crosses the continental divide. The trains had locomotives in the front, middle and back, and also came through during the day, pretty cool, but not at 2 AM.

All in all, Silverado II, good location, but some serious shortcomings, as compared to our 20 years of timesharing experience.


----------



## Dave*H

rpennisi said:


> In the middle of the night, we felt like we were in the movie, My Cousin Vinny, when train whistles would blare, and right outside the complex, these long coal freight trains would come barreling through on their way up the grade through the tunnel that crosses the continental divide. The trains had locomotives in the front, middle and back, and also came through during the day, pretty cool, but not at 2 AM.


This is a problem Winter Park has wanted to do something about for a while.  In 1996, Union Pacific bought Southern Pacific and closed the alternate route through the Royal Gorge.  At that time, they moved all the traffic over to the Moffit Tunnel route through Winter Park, making an existing problem even worse.  Best bet is to consider that the railroad is a part of history, making Winter Park much more accessible, and partial responsible for the existence in the first place.  Every time that whistle blows, you are reliving history.


----------



## Bee

*MOC Unexpected Charges*

Hoc,

I agree that the beds at MOC are inferior to most of the Marriotts I have stayed at. However, I was not charged for anything I didn't expect to be charged for. What were the unexpected charges you encountered?

Bee


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## medwinbird

Last summer we went to the station, it's just good, but I think it's even worse than the experience of the resort. I am a type of network hard working man, always requires an Internet connection to surf, but the Internet is about $ 9.95 a day per computer, and that is expensive to me. And even a small problem. We decided to stay here ever again. The staff is friendly and helpful! We exchanged through II-Gold Resort and got this! We weer very disappointed.


----------



## lenina

*Hyatt Pinon*

Thanks for your review. I have been dreaming for long time with that resort. Which one would you recommend in Sedona?


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## Margariet

lenina said:


> Thanks for your review. I have been dreaming for long time with that resort. Which one would you recommend in Sedona?



Wrong posting here. Post this in the region Arizona.


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## Skicop

*worst*

the worst by far was an extra vaction i purchased at La Costa beach resort in pompano beach florida. i got to the place checked in and Just wanted to cry.
UGH


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## DavidnJudy

Luckily TUG has saved me from going to any Nasty places - Thank you TUG 

I would have to say the worst we stayed at was ... hmmmm ... maybe Bryan's Spanish cove, but we got that with a bonus week a long long time ago, and we were actually really impressed with the room being big (we were new to TS), it was the grounds that were very so-so. Looking back now at all the other stays we had in Orlando (Vistana, Cypress P., etc..) it was probably not the best TS in Orlando. But we liked it as a home base.  Man wish I had a real dump to add to the list - but I don't.

I can't think of one we did not like.

Thank you TUG for saving us from dumps!

I need to edit this ... Bryan's Spanish code is not the worst - it was WESTGATE in Orlando.  They put us in a unit that had no AC. Told us 3 days in a row they would fix it. Never did, finally moved us and had the nerve to keep asking us to go on a tour incessantly. The room would have been nice had it had A/C. Stay away from Westgate.


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## Margariet

We visit so many timeshare resorts that we do have experienced some bad ones. The Kona Billfisher was definitely one of the worst (old, dated, small, noisy, expensive - lots of fees for nothing, no cleaning, and the worst service and reception one can imagine) and another bad one was Salamander in Umhlanga Rocks, South Africa (bad airco, full of ants, in a back street with a view of parked cars, no beach view).


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## Floridaski

*Beach Club 1 in Fort Myers Beach, Florida*

Beach Club 1 - believe or not it ties with WESTGATE !!! for different reasons, but both rank up as our worst timeshare experiences....Here is the review
I wish somebody had posted this before we went - it is to late to help us - but at least it might help somebody in the future.

The good 

The resort is beach front; the management is very concerned and was excellent.  The pool is nice with great beach access.  The living room/dining room was comfortable with a sofa, 2 chairs, TV with DVD.  The sleeper sofa was resort quality that was comfortable.  The kitchen was well stocked with all items needed, but think your Mom’s kitchen from 1980 – it really looks like it!  The unit was well stocked and was clean upon our arrival.  The balcony was nice for breakfast or a cocktail, if you could withstand the noise from the pool.  More on this subject later…

The not so good to BAD and UGLY 

The bedrooms were similar or worse than a Motel 6.  They had old blue indoor/outdoor carpeting, stained curtains, broken safe, marked doors, peeling grey wood panels – yes you read that correctly wood panels – think 1970.  The tiles in hallway are cracked, the fridge was rusty, all walls and doors were marked or scuffed.  This could be corrected by cleaning or with a little paint.  Many items in the unit need replaced or updated, items mismatched – from door handles, sheets, towels and even the towel racks.  It just felt like a very cheap hotel room with a nice view.  It really did feel like it was built in 1979, if you like retro – this may be the place for you.

They do not provide shampoo, beach towels or even a hair dryer.  We did know about this ahead of time, so we did bring towels and hair dryer.  They also supply very limited amount of soap, only one bottle of nasty shampoo and very little toilet paper.  I do expect toilet paper, even in lower tier timeshares.  Most units are occupied by owners, the maintaince fees are very low – so one might assume this is the reason there are not many updates.  The living room was updated after a Hurricane – but that was 6 years ago.  Many other items are very old, even the kitchen faucet was just left without a top – why replace it – it still works?

There are no planned activities, unless you count drinking huge amounts of beer while sitting in the pool.  The only “planned” activity was sitting in the pool, by around 10 AM and lining up beer cans as you drank them.  Granted by 4 PM, some folks were gone due to this “planned” activity.  If you are renting or trading into the property, be prepared for the possibility of a less then warm welcome from other guests.  One family was wonderful and very friendly.  Many others made us feel like the unwanted new boyfriend at a family reunion – not very pleasant for your vacation.  

One of the long term owners was actually nasty to me because her friend could not trade into this wonderful property using her $30,000 dollar Utah week – not sure why she could not get the trade, was not too hard for us.  It appeared they had units for rent, guess her friend with the $30,000 dollar week did not want to fork out the $120.00 per night for a rental.  I finally just walked away from the woman because she was so rude.  

We would not return and I wish someone had written an unbiased review from an outsiders view.  We would not recommend this property even with the beautiful views and wonderful manager.


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## KarenP

*Clowance Country Club in England*

This was supposed to be a gold crown place, but it was filthy!  The bathroom floor was sticky, it smelled like smoke, and the kitchen was icky!


----------



## VacationForever

*Lehigh Resort Club, Lehigh Acres Florida*

I stayed there in 2003.  Old and dirty.  Not one bar of soap or shampoo or any cleaning detergent in the kitchen.  No paper towel in kitchen.  Cheap toilet roll, cheap towels in the bathroom.  We stayed away all day and came back to sleep.  Did not bother to check out the facility and activities.  

We made the mistake of exchanging to this resort when there was Fisherman Wharf's timeshare at Punta Gorda, which we were really there to visit.


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## mkahanek

*Interesting Thread*

Reading through this thread has been an eye opener.  I have only been "timesharing" since 2004.  I have only exchange to Marriott resorts.  No real complaints to this point.  BUT if I was forced to choose it would be Marriott Ocean Pointe.  With that said I would return in a heart beat.  My only complaint was some of the pool furniture and cabana's were worn or broken.  Other than that.  No complaints. 

Some stories of other resorts are quite scary.


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## chapjim

*The Atrium In Virginia Beach*

Not even close!  This is the worst timeshare "resort" we've seen.  The unit has a tiny living room in front and a narrow passageway leading back to the bedroom.  The narrow passageway was also the kitchen.  There was a toaster on top of the refrigerator but literally not enough counter space to put the toaster so we put it on top of a Coleman cooler.

The whole place was like a cave.  The windows were sealed shut and had bars across them.

Absolutely the worst.


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## vacationhopeful

Skicop said:


> the worst by far was an extra vaction i purchased at La Costa beach resort in pompano beach florida. i got to the place checked in and Just wanted to cry.
> UGH



I did an II exchange there in Jan 2011. Went down a couple of days early to checkout the resort - left and called II immediately for it being unacceptable. II position was "tough" until I told them I would be happy to call the electrical inspector to have the place shut down for the curcuit panel being rusted out on an inside wall in the middle of the building ... then IT would be II's problem to house me. Got my week back, refunded my exchange fee, and I went home to sleep soundly.


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## isilwath

*Endless Mountain Resort in PA.*

This was years ago (1996), but my husband and I wanted to do a quick, local ski vacation getaway. 

At the time, we owned a week in Hawaii and had been given an extra "bonus" week with RCI as a thank you for turning in our week to be rented out. 

We used it to book Endless Mountain Resort in PA. 

The two weeks before we were to go, the temperatures were unseasonably warm so there was no skiing at the Elk Mountain ski resort. But since it was winter, they'd taken the shoes off the horses so there was no horseback riding. There was no restaurant. There was an indoor pool and hiking in the surrounding woods, but that was about it. 

The condos were split-level townhomes with the bedrooms on the lower floor. They were very nice except that the lower floor of our unit felt really strange. It's hard to explain, but I got a terrible creepy feeling when I was down there. It freaked me out so much that we ended up sleeping on the pull-out sofabed on the upper level. 

When we mentioned the lack of stuff to do, the manager snidely told us that it was a "very quiet resort." There's "quiet" and then there's dead. This one was dead.

We lasted 4 days then went home. The following year, we traded into Smuggler's Notch and had a wonderful time.


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## nursie

*Hotel de la Monnaie*

Stayed there about 18 yrs ago, in New Orleans, in a unit that was supposed to be for 4 people.
It was an II exchange.
My parents came and stayed with us. The square footage in that unit barely allowed us room to breathe.
It had 1 bedroom with no space around the bed, no place to hang clothes, no dresser. You had to walk through the bathroom to get into the bedroom! The sleeper sofa was worse than sleeping on the floor.:annoyed:
The crazy thing was when we first got there, they gave us keys to a different unit and that was a bigger/better unit but they came up after we walked into the room and said they made a mistake and had given us the wrong keys and then stuck us in the little 'closet' room. I complained and said we would like to be in a better unit and that the unit we were given was unacceptable. Of course they didn't have any other units available and the place was under construction so we were stuck. 
I told II that they better take that unit out of the available units or let people know if they are exchanging into that unit that it was the size of a glove box so at least you can go in knowing what you will get.


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## orlando5

In rely to Manley villas sydney as a worst TS
I think you were unlucky with your unit I agree its no where near the standard of the timeshare in USA but sydney is SO SO expensive we have stayed several times, in Manly apartments  as my daughter lives in manley in a small flat so no room for us. We had to pay 2500 dollars for a hotel room.
We enjoyed our time there as you say area is lovely.
Its rented out to students so you could have had one of those units you were unlucky.

We live in the Uk and have stayed in resorts (its seems like every where our kids are globe trotters and use our ts to exchange.

I read with interest the lists Vista Vistana was list on the top ten list then voted 6 times as the worst.

One mans meat is another mans poison comes to mind.

In the uk a rental week could cost $1500 for a week and the standard is no where near USA also you stand the chance of being confined to the room as the rain keeps you in all week.

Our last stay was orange lake we loved it yes we could nitpick no view but a row of trees lol

Our favorite by far is star Island we have some lovely photos to keep our memories alive our nitpick over the years the standard has slipped and reps well say no more. 

I think you will all agree as TS owners we are so lucky to enjoy on the whole a much much nicer holiday than hotel rooms yes we pay more but then our standards are higher you only get what you pay for.

I have only just found the site Im eager to explore it. I thought I knew all I needed to know about TS but I need advice Ill keep looking through all the valuable advice but I may need help.

JUne


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## Dori

Welcome to TUG! The people here are awesome!

Dori


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## Txvacation

*Palace resort timeshare*

Can some one who had timeshare with palace resort tell me that when ever I call Palace resort deposit week  to RCI I have to pay $450/week for them plus exchange fee from RCI that mean almost $800/week to go for one week vacation. I think I got ripped off from Palace resort because without timeshare probably i can get better deal travel for two people from the website. What should I do.
Can you tell me Is the other timeshare hay to pay that way too?
Thanks for your share


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## orlando5

*welcome*

Thankyou Dori


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## skimble

I do not understand why this thread is a 'sticky'.  These are reviews... And many are obsolete.  Resort experiences that occurred 18 years ago hold little credibility.  And, many of the resorts cited in this negative thread have gone through a refurb.  
At least tug reviews are balanced by current user experience that can mitigate some of the flippant and out dated negativity... This thread offers free reviews with little balance--because of the nature of the post.
I would urge the forum manager to remove this thread from the sticky section and make it a regular thread-- give outdated, free, negative reviews a chance to die, mellow or fade.


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## DeniseM

It is a sticky to encourage posters to add to this thread, instead of starting multiple threads on the same topic.  If you see a post that you disagree with, you are welcome to respond to it with your own opinion.


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## Luvstotravel

Ok, I'll play along.  

Worst one was our recent stay at Silver Lake Resort, in Kissimmee, Fl. Biggest problems were the wet ceilings, wet enough to have water dripping down into our first-floor unit.  The water caused big chunks of wet plaster to fall onto a bed.  Oh, I can't forget the broken glass bits all over the rug.  

The location was wonderful, the resort itself was pleasant and peaceful.  Nice pools, helpful people at the check-in desk.  They really, really need to come down hard on their housekeeping and maintenance staff, though.  We couldn't have been the first ones to notice the watermarks on the ceilings.  And it didn't appear that housekeeping did much more than replace linens and towels, and make sure the dishes were clean, for each new check-in.


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## skimble

DeniseM said:


> It is a sticky to encourage posters to add to this thread, instead of starting multiple threads on the same topic.  If you see a post that you disagree with, you are welcome to respond to it with your own opinion.



People already post this stuff in the regional forums.


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## DeniseM

Here on TUG we share the good and the bad.  You may disagree with some of the posts, and if it is about a resort you own, maybe you find it irritating, but we aren't going to hide the info. just because it's negative.


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## Passepartout

Actually, skimbal, the oldest report in this thread is less than eight years old, not 18 as you charge. And it was about a Gold Crown resort in San Francisco. I suspect since then many folks have stayed in far worse accommodations. Me included.

Like all review sites, like tripadvisor or TUG, or cruisecritic, take the outliers- either positive or negative- with several grains of salt and look at the aggregate. 

I hardly ever even look at this thread and if it hadn't been brought up again I'd have continued to ignore it. I do my research BEFORE I book a resort rather than whine about it after the fact.

Best wishes for your hoped-for outcome or one that you can live with.

Jim


----------



## Egret1986

*I think Skimble was referring to these posts; yes, from 18 years ago*



sptung said:


> I stayed there in 2003.  Old and dirty.  Not one bar of soap or shampoo or any cleaning detergent in the kitchen.  No paper towel in kitchen.  Cheap toilet roll, cheap towels in the bathroom.  We stayed away all day and came back to sleep.  Did not bother to check out the facility and activities.
> 
> We made the mistake of exchanging to this resort when there was Fisherman Wharf's timeshare at Punta Gorda, which we were really there to visit.





isilwath said:


> This was years ago (1996), but my husband and I wanted to do a quick, local ski vacation getaway.
> 
> At the time, we owned a week in Hawaii and had been given an extra "bonus" week with RCI as a thank you for turning in our week to be rented out.
> 
> We used it to book Endless Mountain Resort in PA.
> 
> The two weeks before we were to go, the temperatures were unseasonably warm so there was no skiing at the Elk Mountain ski resort. But since it was winter, they'd taken the shoes off the horses so there was no horseback riding. There was no restaurant. There was an indoor pool and hiking in the surrounding woods, but that was about it.
> 
> The condos were split-level townhomes with the bedrooms on the lower floor. They were very nice except that the lower floor of our unit felt really strange. It's hard to explain, but I got a terrible creepy feeling when I was down there. It freaked me out so much that we ended up sleeping on the pull-out sofabed on the upper level.
> 
> When we mentioned the lack of stuff to do, the manager snidely told us that it was a "very quiet resort." There's "quiet" and then there's dead. This one was dead.
> 
> We lasted 4 days then went home. The following year, we traded into Smuggler's Notch and had a wonderful time.





nursie said:


> Stayed there about 18 yrs ago, in New Orleans, in a unit that was supposed to be for 4 people.
> It was an II exchange.
> My parents came and stayed with us. The square footage in that unit barely allowed us room to breathe.
> It had 1 bedroom with no space around the bed, no place to hang clothes, no dresser. You had to walk through the bathroom to get into the bedroom! The sleeper sofa was worse than sleeping on the floor.:annoyed:
> The crazy thing was when we first got there, they gave us keys to a different unit and that was a bigger/better unit but they came up after we walked into the room and said they made a mistake and had given us the wrong keys and then stuck us in the little 'closet' room. I complained and said we would like to be in a better unit and that the unit we were given was unacceptable. Of course they didn't have any other units available and the place was under construction so we were stuck.
> I told II that they better take that unit out of the available units or let people know if they are exchanging into that unit that it was the size of a glove box so at least you can go in knowing what you will get.



Lots can change in 18 years, 17 years and 10 years; or not.




Passepartout said:


> Actually, skimbal, the oldest report in this thread is less than eight years old, not 18 as you charge. And it was about a Gold Crown resort in San Francisco. I suspect since then many folks have stayed in far worse accommodations. Me included.
> 
> Like all review sites, like tripadvisor or TUG, or cruisecritic, take the outliers- either positive or negative- with several grains of salt and look at the aggregate.
> 
> I hardly ever even look at this thread and if it hadn't been brought up again I'd have continued to ignore it. I do my research BEFORE I book a resort rather than whine about it after the fact.
> 
> Best wishes for your hoped-for outcome or one that you can live with.
> 
> Jim



But like you, I only looked at this thread today because there was some recent activity.  This would not be my go-to place in researching a resort.


----------



## Saintsfanfl

It never entered my mind that this thread had any real "review" substance. But more of a place to vent about your worst timeshare experience. To me it has always been about sharing and entertainment. I love this thread and wish people added to it more often. My problem is that in my very short timeshare life, I have not had a bad experience. I have TUG to thank for that!


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## MichaelColey

Saintsfanfl (emphasis mine) said:


> It never entered my mind that this thread had any real "review" substance. But *more of a place to vent about your worst timeshare experience. *To me it has always been *about sharing and entertainment*. I love this thread and wish people added to it more often. My problem is that in my very short timeshare life, I have not had a bad experience. I have TUG to thank for that!


Exactly!

I can't say that my stays have been problem-free, but most of them have been fabulous and I have the members of TUG to thank for most of that.  Sharing both the good and the bad is how we learn.

And we can (or SHOULD anyway!) learn from more than just the recent past.


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## tombo

MichaelColey said:


> Exactly!
> 
> I can't say that my stays have been problem-free, but most of them have been fabulous and I have the members of TUG to thank for most of that.  Sharing both the good and the bad is how we learn.
> 
> And we can (or SHOULD anyway!) learn from more than just the recent past.



Most of my exchanges have been great too. Perhaps I am not as picky, or  perhaps I am just reasonable and don't expect EVERYTHING to be perfect.

I posted about reviews people leave but decided it was better in the "about the rest of TUG forum" under the "Fairness on reviews of TS locations? " thread. 

 I appreciate it when people take the time to review resorts and relate their experiences (both positive and negative). However when people carry out a personal vendetta giving a resort a rating of 1 out of 5, or a 1 out of 10 (here, RCI, trip adviser, etc) because they had a minor problem or 2 , or because they didn't like the front desk employee(s), or because they didn't get one of the best views, or because they didn't get a renovated room, or because they weren't upgraded, or because everything wasn't perfect, that is a disservice to all who own there, manage it, or are considering visiting the resort IMHO.


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## Jimster

*bad timeshares*

Some 250 posts ago I thought this was thread was a bad idea.  My opinion remains unchanged.  It has nothing to do about the worst timeshare.  It  has everything to do with the writers worst timeshare experience.  These are two different things.  Maybe you didnt have a good experience.  Maybe you want to vent.  Maybe you want to apply your own silly criteria to the resort.  However, that doesnt mean the TIMESHARE is bad.

Obviously, anyone can have a bad experience in ANY timeshare.  If you are the one person in 10,000 that has ants in your room, maybe that leads you to the conclusioin that it was a terrible experience.  That doesnt mean that the other 9,999 people also had a bad experience-perhaps quite the contrary.

What people can do is write a full review in an objective manner and let others determine if this is the type of resort they want to spend their time but to throw the entire timeshare under the bus because of their special problems is at the very least myoptic and at most a terrible disservice to the timeshare community.

As it stands now, there are some superb timeshare resorts now on the list.  Its too bad that people have chosen to distort reality based upon their unique experience.


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## gnorth16

If I want reviews, I look at the resort reviews on the red bar above or Trip Advisor.  If I want an interesting read, I read this thread.  

As with any comments, I look at the nature of the complaint, the impact on the vacation as well as the date and take all reviews with a grain of salt.


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## FLDVCFamily

Disney's Boardwalk Villas owns this distinction for us. Sad, because we're actually owners there. It wasn't even a trade. That unit was GROSS. The resort compensated us $150 because of the state of the room. If we could have just gotten our points back, we would have gone home after the first night. It was that bad. Even "DVC Member Satisfaction" was surprised by the pics of the grossness that I sent...and she confessed that they get a LOT of complaints about the state of the resort. Made me really wonder where my dues go...


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## SheilaE

Grand Seas, Daytona - enough said.


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## CO skier

This thread has inspired me to enter a review for the worst timeshare stay I ever had.  I hope it helps someone avoid what I endured.


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## rapmarks

I stayed in Lehigh  Resort for six weeks in 2003 and one week at Fisherman's Village.  So I had to laugh a that report.    every week, Lehigh gave a big bag full of supplies, all the things that poster said were not there.  It was not old and dirty, and they had great activities and amenities.  We stayed at Fisherman's Village before it was forced to remodel due to hurricane.  It had a lot of problems, and you were above a shopping mall with little security and little reprieve from the noise.  It was old,, but not dirty.  I had trouble with ants, the bed was missing the center pedestal so was caved in.You shared the pool with all the people staying on their boats int he marina, as well as all the people in timeshare.  Poster would not have liked it at all.  despite all the things I mentioned, we enjoyed the stay there, but probably would not go back.


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## vacationhopeful

FLDVCFamily said:


> Disney's Boardwalk Villas owns this distinction for us. Sad, because we're actually owners there. It wasn't even a trade. That unit was GROSS. The resort compensated us $150 because of the state of the room. If we could have just gotten our points back, we would have gone home after the first night. It was that bad. Even "DVC Member Satisfaction" was surprised by the pics of the grossness that I sent...and she confessed that they get a LOT of complaints about the state of the resort. Made me really wonder where my dues go...



That reminded me of MY RCI stay at BWV (first time at DVC)... the first unit was a STUDIO unit with the prior guests' food still in the refrigerator along with a dirty bathroom and towels. I WHINED about being GROSSED out, was upgraded and wisked away immediately to a 1bdr which could have won the award For UNIT "as far as possible from the elevators" ... except there were 2 units still down the hall from mine. Even a bellhop who walked one time with me .. told me that was the LONGEST hallway in all of Disney. After 2 days, you just TRUMPED down the hall ... like in a military march with the wooden hallways echoing every foot step. I really don't recall seeing or hearing ANY other guests near me and my lonely hallway ... it was quiet.


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## Kauai Kid

Worst timeshare ever is Banff Gate Mountain Resort in Alberta.  They claim to be in Canmore Alberta but are actually at Dead Man's Flat Alberta.

Check out my review.  -10*

A runner up was a resort years ago in Atlantic City NJ but the resort and Atlantic City have both closed down.

Sterling


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## clifffaith

The LA Times occasionally has a "vacation horror stories" write-in in the Sunday travel section.  Some years ago there was a story about a bad rainstorm at a resort with thatched roofs.  Front desk handed out umbrellas to be used INSIDE because scorpions were dropping out of the thatch and onto the guests.  The woman writing the story stayed huddled on the sofa in the lobby as scorpions bounced off her umbrella.  I think they'd have to commit me after that.  So I figure nothing could be worse than that!  Faith


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## jaromando

*Worst Exchange - Westgate Town Center in Kissimmee FL*

I just joined this group a few minutes ago.  My first and only exchange so far and it was an awful experience this past April.  I was told by Intervale that this was a premier property.  The property didn't compare at all to my property in Cancun but this was my first time so I wasn't sure what I was doing, I was just excited to find an open resort near Disney to take the kids on shorter notice.   I didn't get a washer or dryer, I had to be moved, the room above us leaked and water was coming down our ceiling and walls and almost ruined our laptop, ipads, etc. The tiles on the floor in the bathroom were all loose and the bedding was stained.  It was a zoo there with other people partying all night till all hours in there room (had to be moved again bc of the neighbors blasting music till all hours) ..The staff was very nice but the place just didn't do it for me.  It was close to Disney though so it was conveniently located.


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## hajjah

Ok, I thought I'd share my worst experience in our twenty years of timesharing.

*Sunset Ridge Villas, St. John, US VI* *NEVER AGAIN! We left this place after one night:*

Date of stay: July 16, 2011.

We exchanged into Sunset Ridge for a week. We left after the first night! I could not wait for RCI to open the next morning to get us out of there. We were in Unit C, which supposedly had just been updated. The only thing we could see were some new cheaply made cabinets. Everything else was dilapidated. Even the kitchen utensils were corroded and could not be used. We could not even boil water since the tea pot was corroded with rust. 

There were bugs everywhere!!! It was impossible to use anything in the kitchen because of the bugs, which we sprayed numerous times. The top of the garbage can was full of bugs. I left my luggage on top of the dining room table to prevent the bugs from crawling inside. One of my friends awakened during the night while sleeping upstairs only to find her chest full of bugs!!! Her luggage and pocketbook were also full of bugs. I had a sleepless night from not wanting to close my eyes in this place. At 8:00 AM the next morning, I was on the phone with RCI requesting for them to get us out of that place. I had numerous mosquito bites just from one night of being in this villa.  I slept for about 2 hours on the old worn sofa by putting a sheet on top. I was not about to pull out that sofa bed.  There are no curtains to prevent the neighbors across the street from looking directly into the kitchen and living room.  Upon our arrival when the agent was showing us the pool, there was animal feces in several places near the pool, which she seemed to think was fine. So, were we supposed to look at the feces an entire week??? She made no mention of having someone come to remove the feces. I guess it would have to stay in the same spot until it was washed away by the rain? This place was horrible.

I notice that there are some updated reviews about this place.  Oh well, the bottom line is that we all have different standards.  What is good to some people might be a dump to others.  TUG is the best ever!  We don't accept a trade without checking on TUG.


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## bhrungo

I'm not surprised one bit! We used to live right behind Sunset Ridge over 20 years ago, it was pretty crummy back then.  The only thing that was nice back in the 90's was the pool.  Sorry you had a miserable time.  







hajjah said:


> Ok, I thought I'd share my worst experience in our twenty years of timesharing.
> 
> *Sunset Ridge Villas, St. John, US VI* *NEVER AGAIN! We left this place after one night:*
> 
> Date of stay: July 16, 2011.
> 
> We exchanged into Sunset Ridge for a week. We left after the first night! I could not wait for RCI to open the next morning to get us out of there. We were in Unit C, which supposedly had just been updated. The only thing we could see were some new cheaply made cabinets. Everything else was dilapidated. Even the kitchen utensils were corroded and could not be used. We could not even boil water since the tea pot was corroded with rust.
> 
> There were bugs everywhere!!! It was impossible to use anything in the kitchen because of the bugs, which we sprayed numerous times. The top of the garbage can was full of bugs. I left my luggage on top of the dining room table to prevent the bugs from crawling inside. One of my friends awakened during the night while sleeping upstairs only to find her chest full of bugs!!! Her luggage and pocketbook were also full of bugs. I had a sleepless night from not wanting to close my eyes in this place. At 8:00 AM the next morning, I was on the phone with RCI requesting for them to get us out of that place. I had numerous mosquito bites just from one night of being in this villa.  I slept for about 2 hours on the old worn sofa by putting a sheet on top. I was not about to pull out that sofa bed. There are no curtains to prevent the neighbors from across the street from looking directly into the kitchen and living room.  Upon our arrival when the agent was showing us the pool, there was animal feces in several places near the pool, which she seemed to think was fine. So, were we supposed to look at the feces an entire week??? She made no mention of having someone come to remove the feces. I guess it would have to stay in the same spot until it was washed away by the rain? This place was horrible.
> 
> I notice that there are some updated reviews about this place.  Oh well, the bottom line is that we all have different standards.  What is good to some people might be a dump to others.  TUG is the best ever!  We don't accept a trade without checking on TUG.


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## ThreeLittleBirds

*several "worsts"*

This may surprise some, but we found Sands of Kahana to be the our worst timeshare experience. 

The rooms are huge but dated, and we had no problem at all with that. Our son loved all the space (we live in a very small house).

The beach and the pool, however, were a total deal breaker for us. The pool was freezing cold. Granted, I am water temp sensitive, but it was miserable. And the beach is small and has a concrete wall that spans the backside. Also, there were lots of cigarette smokers on the beach. Gross. We were supposed to be there for 2 weeks, but fortunately something showed up at Ko'Olina as a last minute trade and we booked flights, went to Oahu, and surprisingly really loved it there.

Up there in the "worst" category was Hale 7 at Marriott Waiohai. The view is terrible. I don't need an ocean view, and in fact, request an island view (specific) room when at the Westin Kaanapali, but this view was miserable. It really wouldn't take much to up the foliage and improve the experience.


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## rickandcindy23

Funny to me to see Waiohai and Sands of Kahana as someone's worst experiences.  Sands is pretty nice, and Waiohai is top Marriott quality.  Ocean views are not guaranteed for exchangers.   Our favorite Maui resort has no beach, but we own and have a view, 50 feet from the water.   You must stay in some amazing places.


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## ThreeLittleBirds

rickandcindy23 said:


> Funny to me to see Waiohai and Sands of Kahana as someone's worst experiences.  Sands is pretty nice, and Waiohai is top Marriott quality.  Ocean views are not guaranteed for exchangers.   Our favorite Maui resort has no beach, but we own and have a view, 50 feet from the water.   You must stay in some amazing places.



Worst is relative, although I will say I found the beach to be depressing at SOK. I'm not sure if the water is always so muddy, but it was super muddy when we were there.

And I know there are no guarantee views. My hopes for a view are for foliage at the very least, and in fact, I quite enjoy a foliage view. Electrical wires, parking lots and a road are not my cup of tea. The rest of the resort is fine. My main problem is that I think it could be a very easy fix with planting trees and such.

Again, this is all relative and very subjective. Funny thing, on the first page of this thread you say you don't like Spinnaker and that is one of our all-time favorite timeshares!


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## alexadeparis

jaromando said:


> I just joined this group a few minutes ago.  My first and only exchange so far and it was an awful experience this past April.  I was told by Intervale that this was a premier property.  The property didn't compare at all to my property in Cancun but this was my first time so I wasn't sure what I was doing, I was just excited to find an open resort near Disney to take the kids on shorter notice.   I didn't get a washer or dryer, I had to be moved, the room above us leaked and water was coming down our ceiling and walls and almost ruined our laptop, ipads, etc. The tiles on the floor in the bathroom were all loose and the bedding was stained.  It was a zoo there with other people partying all night till all hours in there room (had to be moved again bc of the neighbors blasting music till all hours) ..The staff was very nice but the place just didn't do it for me.  It was close to Disney though so it was conveniently located.



Now you know why around here we call it "Wastegate" LOL

Worst place I ever stayed was Shell's Desert Rose in Vegas. Hoes on the stroll right outside, seedy neighborhood, people coming up to my husband selling "watches", a fellow guest barbequing in the bushes, and on and on. NOT a relaxing vacation.


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## rickandcindy23

ThreeLittleBirds said:


> Worst is relative, although I will say I found the beach to be depressing at SOK. I'm not sure if the water is always so muddy, but it was super muddy when we were there.
> 
> And I know there are no guarantee views. My hopes for a view are for foliage at the very least, and in fact, I quite enjoy a foliage view. Electrical wires, parking lots and a road are not my cup of tea. The rest of the resort is fine. My main problem is that I think it could be a very easy fix with planting trees and such.
> 
> Again, this is all relative and very subjective. Funny thing, on the first page of this thread you say you don't like Spinnaker and that is one of our all-time favorite timeshares!


Spinnaker in Dillon is actually pretty nice.  I shouldn't have said that, when I didn't really know about it personally.  I really was thinking of Orofino.  

SOK has some bad views, and one of my friends just stayed there and was disappointed in a view of the parking lot.  But otherwise, she thought it was fine.  The water gets muddy along the shore on Lower Honoapiilani Road because the waves really get stirred up, most especially in winter.


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## Heisenberg

*Worst Was Coral Baja San Jose Del Cabo*

I wrote a Tripadvisor review.  Old units, work right above us jackhammering tile.  Construction noise during the day made the room unbearable.  Good thing, because we came up from the pool one day, and the shower ceiling was collapsed, with exposed Mexican quality wiring and all.  We could have been killed if we were showering. Front desk moved us.  Next, I come up to our new room, and the electronic door mechanism won't work, even from the inside the door would not open (my wife was trapped in the room, and had to crawl out a window).  The grounds were shabby and dangerous as well.  In a strip of plants along the pool, more quality Mexican wiring exposed for kids to touch. Grounds were watered with grey water (sinks and shower discharge), and the place had a septic tank smell.  Oh and NO compensation whatsoever from the manager for these issues.  In fact, she was VERY rude.  

Two years later the Coral Baja was wiped out by a hurricane.  Best thing for it really.


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## HappyGoLucky

*Sea Village Kailua Kona*

This may not seem like "the worst resort" to many, but it was for us, considering the other places we've stayed at. It may also be considered as the a worst resort experience or a series of unfortunate events. But... It's our experience.

As a last minute attempt to utilize my points in RCI and to spend time with visiting family, I decided to make accomodations at The Sea Village in Kailua Kona. Before going, we were well aware that resort did not have any AC. However, it was an ocean front resort with a small but quaint garden and a decent pool, with celing fans in the room. It didn't seem like an issue with any of us. 

Upon booking, RCI charged me $60 for the reservation. I smirked while I entered my payment and figured it was cheaper than full price. When we got to the resort, about 7:30pm, we found that the front desk remains closed after dark. To receive the key to the room, you must use the phone located on the outside of the front desk's office, right along the main road. Talk about having a screaming match, just to hear the person on the other end and to confirm my identify. The noise from the busy traffic on Ali'i drive is very loud! I constantly looked over my shoulders in the dark because I was there alone. Had I known the front desk was closed, I would've sent my husband to stand in the dark and "check in". Unfortunately, available parking was not near the front desk at that time. That was a total FAIL on the resorts attempt to offer convienece and safety! 

When we got to the room, the fans did not work. Fortunately, the men in our party are contractors. They checked everything with an attempt to trouble shoot and possibly fix it, if it didn't require tools. The fan remote controls did not require batteries and there was no obvious reason that it was not working. It was assumed that it was an internal, electrical issue. Had they had the tools available, I think they would've really got to the bottom of it. 

I picked up the room phone to contact "someone on site" but the phones were not working as well. No dial tone, no connection! I walked around the property looking for an employee and couldn't find a single person or custodian available that night! Really?! We all took a shower before heading to bed. Fortunately 1 ceiling fan in one of the rooms were working that night. The windows in the other room had the sliding door to the patio had to remain open all night. We woke up sweating and showered again before running out of the room. It really felt like we were in an oven! 

In the morning, it was required that we go to the front desk and officially check in. That took about 40 minutes. I was the only person checking in and there were 2 employees behind the desk. 

After notifying the front desk, we waited 2 hours for someone to come to the room. When I returned, their friendly custodian replaced the phone and could not find a problem with the fan. My husband explained the situation and suggested that the fan may not be connected to the electricals in the ceiling or may not be connected behind the wall plate because everything else was working properly. He then contacted someone who actually installed those fans. A few hours later, he returned and said that he was notified by the installer,that those fans had a battery located in the wall controls. When he removed the wall plate, low and behold, there was a place for a battery. To my luck, he also learned, a few hours after researching, that they do not carry that battery anywhere on the island. It had to be a special order. 

As an act of desperation, I suggested that he remove the battery from an unoccupied room until the new one came in. To my surprise, due to recent renovations, the room we were in was one of a few rooms that had the same newly installed fans. Unfortunately, a few of the other units were occupied and the unoccupied rooms were also without batteries. The batteries were ordered and tracked to arrive the afternoon we were checking out! 

Upon checking out, I was charged another $60+ for taxes. I believe I knew that at the time of booking but didn't feel like paying another penny after the gruelling nights in the sauna. It was the worst use of my points and $120 EVER SPENT ON ACCOMODATIONS and to boot, a mediocre office staff. 

I believe the heat would not have been a big issue if we went at any other time of the year. What made it worse was the fact that Hawaii was experiencing a heat index of over 100 degrees that week, thanks to El Niño. We were sweating profusely all night.


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## Luanne

HappyGoLucky said:


> I believe the heat would not have been a big issue if we went at any other time of the year. What made it worse was the fact that Hawaii was experiencing a heat index of over 100 degrees that week, thanks to El Niño. We were sweating profusely all night.



We learned after a couple of experiences to NEVER accept a timeshare unit in Kona during the summer.


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## icydog

The absolute worst place I have stayed was at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas in the dirtiest 3 bedroom deluxe Villa in the world. I brought all the girls in my family to a Disney blowout and we have two of these 3 bdrm villas for 7 nights.  That was a TON of Disney Vacation Club points   

The worst part was the cockroaches, which they failed to remove even after three calls on three consecutive days. The last day the roaches inundated the dishwasher.  I almost passed out I was so upset.  

Disney did return my points but only because none of their managers came up to the room.  Also, a substitute manager from the Hotel, told me I couldn't talk to the GM since she was a VERY BUSY WOMAN! 

It was disgusting but at least Disney did the right thing.


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## Mr. Vker

Island Seas Freeport Bahamas. 

The Bahamas were wonderful. The unit was in terrible condition. The resort VERY poorly run. One terrible thing after the next.


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## Arnie

*Dump By The Trump!!*

Just happened to see this and figured I would add my 2 cents worth. In all my years of TS'ing, The Golden Strand is by far the worst RCI exchange I ever had. Lousy accommodations if your not in the cabanas. We had a late arrival a few years back and notified the resort. Guess that was not the right thing to do. They gave away our reservation d we had to move twice and were still not in anything that I could call classy.


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## Ambrosia920

Hubby and I just discussed this over breakfast!  His vote for "worst" was Fox Run at Rumbling Bald Resort in Lake Lure NC and it was actually a perfectly fine (to me at least) rustic two level cabin with a lake view.  Yes it was a little dated ("country 70's" with  tweedy and early American furniture), but we were staying there for $99 ... for a WEEK in the offseason  ... and it was clean with a FP!  I don't think we have really had any horrible exchanges in over 10 years myself.  I try to check online reviews before booking and we are do-it-yourself vacationers and perhaps not terribly persnickity?  We do get outdated units sometimes, esp. when using bonus weeks and getaways (perhaps due to the fact that we are adamant with all concierge/sales/desk people that we WON'T be attending any presentations and to leave us alone). That's fine, it's worth the peace and quiet!  Some of our favorite exchanges: Club Cascadas de Baja in Cabo (multiple trips), Marriott Grande Ocean in Hilton Head (a five hour drive from us and will be a regular exchange, we are treated so well that it almost makes you wish you were in the Marriott Vacation Club), and the Cliffs at Princeville (Kauai).  Oh and very much enjoyed the Wyndham Reef in East End Grand Cayman this May ... booked with an II accommodation certificate for $349!


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## BJRSanDiego

Wyndham/Worldmark in Big Bear, Ca.

The sand filter for the spa ruptured so there was some gravel in the Spa.  We thought that it was erosion from the landscaping.  The next day we got a body rash.  We reported it to the management.  They put a sign of the spa that it was out of order.  The best they could do for us was to give us some tiny little anti-biotic ointment packages.  

The unit was not very clean.  When my wife went around the unit with a sanitary alcohol wipe she had to use 2 or 3 because they came out dark with what they picked up.

But we still had fun there.


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## Sugarcubesea

Our Worst was the Garland Resort. It was basically a hotel room that they sliced into two bedrooms.  However I will say when we had an issue they did move us to a different large unit... The area where this is located is very remote so basically nothing to do beside stay at the resort... its not so much a dig at the resort but more so the area as there was nothing but a small town with a population of about 300 people and I think we meet all of them as they worked at the resort...


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## R1964

Turtle Reef Club Jensen Beach, Florida. Dirty and run down. If you walked around in bare feet in the unit your feet turned black. Absolutely awful and needs to be completely renovated. Hope things have changed since 2013 when we were there.


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## NJDave

NJDave said:


> The Links in Myrtle Beach.  It was one of my first exchanges. The resort wasn't bad. The others (mostly Marriots) were just much better.  I know the qualtiy of resorts much better now (thanks to TUG!) and would no longer accept The Links (we exchanged into the new Marriottt this trip). When RCI told me that they did me a favor by giving me The Links for the last week in August in exchagne for my Fourth of July / Race week in Daytona, I knew it was time to sell the Daytona week.



I noticed this thread is still going.  Almost 15 years later (I can't believe it has been 15 years) and I would still say that the Links is my worst (it was my first) exchange.  Thanks to TUG, we have been staying at some very nice places over the years.


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## jabberwocky

Maybe I’m just lucky - but I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad timeshare stay yet!


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## #1 Cowboys Fan

Minerals Resort in New Jersey is the first one I can think of that I would not go back to.


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## silentg

Tony2 said:


> And this is supposed to be one of the best resorts on Cape Cod.  I wonder what some of the others are like.


We have owned and stayed at many resorts onCape Cod. Sea Mist was ok. Cape Winds was a good location but the unit was very odd, bedroom right inside the front door, kitchen and living room up a spiral staircase, kind of a challenge for us in our 60s. We owned a studio at Holly Tree in Yarmouth, very small but resort was nice. Brewster Green and Cape Holiday in Mashpee were the best ones we stayed at on the Cape. 
I also agree the Smuggler’s Notch unit we stay at in Vermont had odd bedding in second bedroom and living room was set up so just one person could see the television. 

Silentg


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## travelhacker

We needed 2 rooms at the same place and lucked into Eagle Point in Vail for Spring Break. It wasn't a bad trade, but definitely a step down from where we typically stay. 

We noticed an unpleasant smell when we walked into our room, a few minutes later on of our 18 month old twins brought me a partially smoked joint that the previous people had enjoyed.


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## Baggi

Polo towers Las Vegas.


The bed came out of the wall and was warped so my wife and I would fall into the center of the bed and end up on top of each other during the night.

The way you come and go from the place isn't appealing either. It's not on a street.

The one thing it has going for it was the location. Right off the strip and near a lot of great casinos.


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## Sugarcubesea

deleted, wrong forum


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## CalGalTraveler

Baggi said:


> Polo towers Las Vegas.
> 
> 
> The bed came out of the wall and was warped so my wife and I would fall into the center of the bed and end up on top of each other during the night.
> 
> The way you come and go from the place isn't appealing either. It's not on a street.
> 
> The one thing it has going for it was the location. Right off the strip and near a lot of great casinos.



I wondered what it was like inside, the outside looks like a cement prison.


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## CPNY

I’ve been lucky I guess!


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## Synergy

I'm amused, the 'Worst Ever' from the first post here is one of our favorite properties ever.  We'll be there again this May, and we actually plan SF visits around availability here.  Location is excellent, of course, but we're also plenty content with the size and quality of the 1br units.  We *love* taking our morning coffee up on the rooftop lounge!  I guess everyone has their likes and dislikes!  

We have been fortunate, we haven't yet stayed in a timeshare that we wouldn't visit again, though there have been properties we wouldn't pay as much for to stay again.  We still stay in inexpensive hotels and motels semi frequently, which does a lot to keep us properly grateful when we're able to find a timeshare for a trip ;-)


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