Favorite smaller resorts?

[VacationForever]

Many Worldmark resorts are on the smallish side. Gleneden on the Oregon Coast is a favorite of many WM owners (although I prefer Depoe Bay, which is larger, but has guaranteed ocean views.) WM Discovery Bay, Deer Harbor, and Leavenworth are other nice resorts that don't feel large. We just visited Manteo Beach Resort in B.C. and found it small but lovely. Many years ago we exchanged into RHC Lake Placid Club Lodges in NY, and found those homey.

In CA, we appreciated the privacy of the tiny cottages at Riverpointe Napa. I would have added Coronado Beach Resort as a favorite small resort, but the OP already knows about that one, being an owner there.

When it's just my husband and I, we prefer smaller resorts, but when we travel with the grandkids (boys 6 and 9), we exchange into the mega resorts for their swimming pools and activities.

Another vote for Worldmark points. Worldmark has more than 80 resorts to choose from. They are always clean and nice. Most of them are very spacious, with the exception of a few - like the Vancouver city's location. Fully equipped kitchen, with array of spices, usually has a private grill on the balcony, although we don't generally grill outdoors. Reasonable maintenance fees. The resort is as large or as small as you want it to be. I don't join on site activities regardless of the kind of resort (Marriott, Westin, Worldmark etc..) that I stay at.

 

[klpca]

Hi Kit, We went to a resort last New Year called Lehigh Acres in Florida. Off the beaten path, but not too far from Fort Myers. A lot of families there and very relaxed atmosphere. We don't own there just traded. I posted a review.
Silentg

Just saw this resort in the bonus weeks on DAE. $299 for a week! It looks nice.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I also am not that resort centered. I'm more interested in the location and rarely take advantage of any resort amenities. I like outdoor activities so here are some of my favorites:
Starr Pass Golf Suites in Tucson (I don't play golf) for the proximity to Saguaro National Park, the Tucson art scene and the Tucson Audubon group that leads lots of nifty bird watching trips to natural areas.
Lagoon Shores in Roche Harbor on San Juan Island in Washington. Forget summer, but you can get a May week and lodging in the San Juans is really expensive so this is a great deal.
Manteo Beach Club in Kelowna BC which are townhouses right on the lake/river.
Eagle Crest in Central OR or Stoneridge in Sunriver in Central OR (I prefer Sunriver over Eagle Crest).
Harbor Ridge in Acadia NP; comfortable and location, location, location.
San Luis Bay Inn on the Central CA coast; again location, location, location.

And see these older threads:
Steve's thread on hidden gems:
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195418

and
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96945

Sue

Thanks for referencing those threads. I had forgotten.

Note to mods: It would be cool if these related threads could be combined and made into sticky.

 

[Krystyna]

Small British Resorts

We are biased as we own at the following small timeshares :
STOUTS HILL CLUB - well run small resort with lots of facilities in a lovely part of England. It's also well managed with very helpful staff.

SUTTON HALL nr Thirsk/30 mins to York. Small , well run resort. Near the Dales National Park and the Yorkshire Moors, city of York, Rievaulx Abbey & a number of magnificent country houses including Castle Howard.

Last year we did an exchange into N.M. & Az. Can highly recommend LAS BRISAS DE SANTA FE (no resort facilities but it's all about location...which is a v short walk to downtown & even less to the N.M. State Capitol).

Also liked the v small resort called VILLAS OF CAVE CREEK, Az.

I have written reviews.

Krystyna /Richard...Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.

 

[TTom]

Just wanted to say that I have seen lots of consistent availability of Lehigh Acres on RCI. Being away from the beach, it's not as popular as Sanibel, Captiva, Marco.

Tom

 

[sfwilshire]

Our favorite small resort is Tristram's Landing on Nantucket Island MA. So difficult to trade into (RCI) that we finally bought a 4-week interval there. We use one week a year and exchange or rent the other three. Most of the units are three or four bedroom stand-alone cottages with a nice deck. I think they also have a few condos, but I've never seen them.

Intervals do come up for sale from time to time. They are all 3 or 4-week intervals. The 3-week intervals have a peak summer week. Ours is close, with the last week in June included.

Sheila

 

[VacationForever]

Just wanted to say that I have seen lots of consistent availability of Lehigh Acres on RCI. Being away from the beach, it's not as popular as Sanibel, Captiva, Marco.

Tom

My experience with Lehigh Acres was from 12 plus years ago. Worst timeshare ever stayed at. Unit was large. Other than that, it was extremely run down, old, worn, kitchen had what looked like black mold on the window seals, no cleaning supplies in kitchen and no toiletries in bathrooms. I would not even classify it as even inhabitable as hotel lodging... more like grandma's old home where nothing had been done to it for 50 years.

 

[planada]

Manteo Beach Club in Kelowna BC was mentioned a few times and I want to 2nd that. The resort is right on the Okanagan Lake with little townhouses and great little patios. This is one of my favorite destinations. It's about 4 hrs from Vancouver and has many wineries and golf courses. We loved the town, the area, and the people. Some great restaurants in addition. Fall is spectacular. Look further into this area, well worth it!

 

[IdahoSuz]

We really like the Palm Springs Tennis Club.

It is located at the base of San Jacinto mountains and has easy access to nearby hiking trails They also have numerous tennis courts and they will arrange matches for guests/owners which is a huge plus for us.

But our favorite aspect of the resort is that it is located just a few blocks from downtown Palm Springs. We usually just walk to town for dinner. They also have bikes on site that can be used by guests/owners at no cost.

Most of the condos are bungalows. The others are located in a two story building that backs to the mountains. It is an older resort but is very well maintained.

 

[winter_gary]

Sedona Springs, Sedona
Large units, very well kept up. No sales pressure, adult spas away from pool. Great BBQ area. Resort is middle of Sedona great base camp to take off from.

 

[TimMikel]

I really like Lake Forest Resort in Eagle River, WI. Bought there after a couple trade ins. Beautiful in fall.

 

[Bill and Barb]

Small Resorts

Our favorite small RCI resort is Las Brisas in Santa Fe, NM. There are less than 10 time share units mixed in with full time owner units. It is just far enough from the Plaza, six blocks, to be able to walk and not have all the noise of an in town unit. The units are are all tastefully decorated in Southwestern style. Not only are there many historic sites to see in Santa Fe, the restaurant scene is amazing.

 

[Bill and Barb]

Our favorite small RCI resort is Las Brisas in Santa Fe, NM. There are less than 10 time share units mixed in with around 30 fully owned units. Las Brisas is close enough to walk to the historic Plaza, but far enough away to avoid the noise and traffic. The units are tastefully decorated in Southwestern decor. Ideally located, it is an easy walk to world class restaurants and art galleries as well as historic sites in town.

 

[humor_monger]

Northern CA, Oregon, WA, ID, BC, AZ, Cape Cod

Mountain Retreat in Arnold, CA Lots to see in the area from Calaveras Big Trees SP to Colombia to Jamestown to caves to wineries.

The Heidelberg Inn in June Lake, CA

Club Tahoe in Incline Village on the NE shore of Lake Tahoe

Rockaway Beach Resort in Oregon. All units look directly out on the ocean from a small elevation above. When the tide is in you won't be able walk the beach. Winter storms are awesome there

Kala Point, Port Townsend WA

any of the timeshares around Lake Chelan WA

Pacific Shores Resort in Nanoose Bay, BC

any of the timeshares in Whistler

Stoneridge Resort, especially since they added elevators.

Pend Oreille Shores Resort in Hope, ID

Arroyo Roble Resort in Sedona

Varsity Clubs of America, Tucson

Brewster Green on Cape Cod

 

[Sugarcubesea]

I am discovering that we really aren't "big" resort people. It's not the resorts - they are all highly rated and I do love the updated and clean interiors - but the large resort campuses just aren't our thing. We primarily use the resort as a home base for exploring and spend very little time around the pools or doing on site activities.

So I am looking for new places to visit, located in interesting areas to explore. What are your favorite smaller resorts? We are open to different locations. We trade in both RCI and II, but have also used SFX and DAE. Thanks!

Pinestead Reef in Traverse City, MI
Quarter House in NOLA

 

[dlmom53]

Ramshorn Village Resort

We own at Ramshorn Village resort in Estes Park, CO.
It sits right on the outer edge of Rocky Mountain National Park which is great for hiking, animal watching and generally getting in touch with the mountains. Tough to get in there because the owners come back year after year but worth it if you can get in.

 

[falcon]

favourite "smaller" resort for exchanging

Three sprang immediately to mind....Carriage Hills/Ridge in Ontario; Tree Tops Resort in Tennessee; Resort on Cocoa Beach in Florida. I am completely with you on that! The big, sprawl-y ones are so impersonal.

 

[Bxian]

Powell Place

We enjoyed a week long stay at Powell Place in San Francisco through SFX. Right near 2 cable car lines, and it felt like we had our own San Francisco apartment. AA few people have complained about cable car clanging, but we found that it lulled us to sleep!.

 

[shellmo1]

We own at the Lodge at Kingbury Crossing, a very pretty, well maintained boutique resort in Lake Tahoe.

We just returned from All Seasons on Madeira Beach and it is well kept and we loved the quiet small resort right on the beach

We also like Oceanique in Cocoa Beach. We went a couple years ago, it needed some updating in the units but I heard they have worked on it..

 

[bankr63]

We really enjoy getaways to Lake Placid Club when we can find it on exchange. Feels fairly small, and is a great base for exploring all that the NY Adirondack region has to offer, along with all the history of two winter Olympic games. Units were probably once Gold Crown, but are a little worn now, but the location is +++ for the explorer.

 

[JohnPaul]

Swan Mountain and WM Park City

Swan Mountain Resort is an independent resort abut 2 miles from Keystone Ski Area in Colorado. They aren't super fancy but they are the best equipped kitchens I have ever seen in a timeshare. We exchange in every year during ski season.

WorldMark Park City is 10 of the 32 units at the Miner's Club in Park City, Utah. The whole property was originally all Raintree and WM bought 10 units. The Waldorf Astoria is across the street to give a feel. Love this place.

 

[Here There]

Church Street Inn, Charleston & The Mountain Club at Kirkwood

Both resorts are off the usual beaten TS path, are uniquely appointed and exhibit an unparalleled level of personal service that draw me whenever I yearn for a private retreat.

Church Street Inn in Charleston is a small (~30 units) resort, but I was still surprised to be greeted by my name by various staff – from night FD to housekeeping -- within a couple of days after checking in.

Upon entering The Mountain Club I thought was erroneously assigned to a privately owned unit because the “look” – from woven throws and twig-limbed chairs to themed serving-ware and Pendleton wool blankets -- appeared to have come from a high-end mountain décor store. I subsequently learned that it was a staff member who supervised the refurbishment. [As was also the case at Church Street Inn.]

to the OP: I got a similar homey sense when I stayed at Intrawest/Embarc in Palm Desert. The attention to details –- from the natural-looking landscaping to colorful fiestaware dishes and higher-end wine & cheese served at the reception – was such a contrast from the institutional feel of my own home resort across the street, where each renovation seemed to be scheduled to update the photo display and where the standard-issued designer sofas however photogenic are never that comfortable to sit on.

 

[klpca]

to the OP: I got a similar homey sense when I stayed at Intrawest/Embarc in Palm Desert. The attention to details –- from the natural-looking landscaping to colorful fiestaware dishes and higher-end wine & cheese served at the reception – was such a contrast from the institutional feel of my own home resort across the street, where each renovation seemed to be scheduled to update the photo display and where the standard-issued designer sofas however photogenic are never that comfortable to sit on.

That is it *exactly*! There's just something wonderful about the feel of that place.

Thanks also for the other suggestions. I forgot about Church Street - I've been meaning to put an ongoing search in for that place. And now I need to check out the Mountain Club as well. It sounds great.

I just love all of the suggestions in this thread. Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed. And keep them coming!

 

[vacationtime1]

Red Wolf Lodge at Squaw Valley

Ski in / ski out for Squaw Valley. Closer to the hill than Squaw's new village and closer to the hill than the $20/day preferred parking.

Three outdoor hot tubs with views of the mountain, a clubhouse, grills, covered parking, helpful staff.

If you want to stay/ski at Squaw in the winter, this location cannot be beat.

 

[DAman]

Ski in / ski out for Squaw Valley. Closer to the hill than Squaw's new village and closer to the hill than the $20/day preferred parking.

Three outdoor hot tubs with views of the mountain, a clubhouse, grills, covered parking, helpful staff.

If you want to stay/ski at Squaw in the winter, this location cannot be beat.

I agree. You can't beat the location for skiing Squaw.

This is a nice place in the summer too. There are bikes available that are included in the resort fee.

The staff is very nice.