• Welcome to the FREE TUGBBS forums! The absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 32 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 32 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 32nd anniversary: Happy 32nd Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    All subscribers auto-entered to win all free TUG membership giveaways!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $24,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $24 Million dollars
  • Wish you could meet up with other TUG members? Well look no further as this annual event has been going on for years in Orlando! How to Attend the TUG January Get-Together!
  • Now through the end of the year you can join or renew your TUG membership at the lowest price ever offered! Learn More!
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    Tens of thousands of subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Sheraton Vistana Villages-UGH!!

S

sandcastles

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
457
Reaction score
0
Location
Indiana
We just returned from a 5 week vacation in Florida, staying at 4 different TS.
Four of them were wonderful, Sheraton Vistana Villages was terrible. I have been in TS for 24 years and this is only the second resort that has been really bad. I will post a review later but here are the highlights.

First, I would have called RCI and asked to be changed to a different resort but we had guests flying in for 3 days that we had to pick up and then take to the airport. I didn't want to waste their short visit by changing resorts.

When we first check in I noticed that in a unit for 8 there were 2 bars of facial soap, no bath bars. Maid was still outside so I told her. She brought me a couple more, said that was all there was in that building. Later that evening we noticed there was only 1 wash cloth. Several light bulbs were burnt out. Sliding door would not open and close. Kitchen was very dirty. Pink sticky stuff all over counters. Some type of liquid spilled down the oven door. Phones did not work. Got a maintenance man to come the next day. Said he couldn't fix phones, phone company would have to. Talked to resort the next day. They said repairman would be there that day. Didn't happen.
Long story short, the repairman never came, went all week without a phone. They asked me, don't you have a cell phone? Yes I do but it didn't get reception inside the unit.

I stepped on something sharp on the carpet. Found all kinds of things on it.

Inventory was missing in the unit. There were no skillets. I asked for one and they said they didn't have any more.

I thought of Marty when we were there, because of furnace filters. When I opened the door to the furnace closet, the whole front was off, no filters on it.

A salesperson did tell me that building was one of three that was going to be closed for refurbishing. It was a handicapped unit (which we didn't need or want) but the only thing that was for handicapped was the master wallhung lav. that you could get a wheelchair under. Never mind that there was no way a wheelchair could get through doors. There was no drawer or cabinet for towels or toiletries in that bath.

The people there were very uninterested in helping. I complained without getting mad or raising my voice but the manager would not come out and talk to me.

It will be interesting to see how RCI will respond to this after the fact.

After all the bad things, I will say that the unit smelled good, the bed was comfortable and the grounds were very pretty.
 
Last edited:
Hi June - do you know what section of the resort you were in?

Thanks!
 
We were in the original section, can't remember the name of it. We were in Bldg. 9, Unit 304.
 
Shocka !

Whoa !

That negative experience is astounding -- a shocka for sure.

When we toured Vistana Villages in 2003 (original section), it was 1 of the nicest timeshares we had ever seen.

When we actually got to stay at Vistana Villages in January 2007 (Instant Exchange, Keys Section), it was 1 of the nicest timeshares we had ever stayed in.

It's really disturbing & surprising to hear otherwise.

I hope all your other timeshare experiences are way over on the positive side.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​
 
Last edited:
Alan, we were shocked too. This resort gets good reviews and has a good reputation. Like I said the grounds were very pretty, the unit itself didn't look bad when we first walked in the door. A little worn, but decorated pretty enough.

I am not generally a picky person. Location is always number one with me. I do expect the unit to be clean and I want to be treated well by the staff. In this case I had not been to the grocery when we first got there so I just bought cleaning supplies and cleaned the kitchen myself. I would have let it drop there if so many things had not gone wrong and if they had tried to be a little more accomodating.
 
Hi June,

I'm very surprised by this, too.

I just need to ask one thing: you mentioned you were in one of 3 buildings that's getting rehabbed. I don't know of any rehabbing going on at Vistana Villages.

But at Vistana Resort, entire sections are being rehabbed.

So, I just want to ask if you were at Vistana Resort, instead of Vistana Villages. The two are easily confused by the names.

Regardless, your experience is not acceptable. As a Vistana Villages owner, I hope and expect management would do something about this.

I've stayed at both Vistana Resort and Villages, and had great vacations at both resorts. It bothers me that this sort of thing happened to you, because it's so avoidable, and nothing even remotely like this has happened to us.

bward
 
I have stayed at Vistana Resort several times but this was Vistana Villages on International Drive.

My husband signed us up for the sales breakfast. When we said no, the closer or supervisor came over. When I told her our experience with the unit she said it was scheduled to be closed for rehab. I believe it was the three highest numbered buildings of the old section, possibly 9, 10 and 11. I'm not certain about the numbers though.
 
If a timeshare closer told you it was going to be refurbed, pretty good chance he/she was lying and just trying to sell you. We stayed in a large 1BR in Amelia back in May and it was the nicest TS we've ever been in and the people working there were very helpful with anything we needed. So I'm really surprised about the condition of the unit and the fact that they didn't take care of your problems. One thing I don't understand is why they didn't move you to another unit since there's no way the resort would be full this time of the year. We asked for Amelia because it's the newest section. But we thought it would be nice to stay in Bella or Key West near the pools.
 
I didn't ask to be moved to another unit. We checked in Sunday and we were going to the airport Monday morning to pick up our friends. They had never been to Disney and were just going there for two days so we went commando style. I didn't want to waste their time moving.

I don't know if the buildings were going to be rehabbed or not but I'm sure the closer was not lying to sell me. She was not high pressure at all, she knew I was thoroughly disgusted with the resort and the original sales person.
 
We are checking into Vistana Villages on Friday--this Friday.

I am getting a little worried. I just shoulda gotten a Marriott, there were lots and lots available.

We are supposed to get a 2 bedroom, so do you think I should ask for a newer unit?

Do they accommodate special requests?

We are taking my stepdad with us this trip and hoped to have a wonderful time. I will be very disappointed if we get a dirty unit. :(

He has never stayed in a timeshare before because he and Mom bought a motorhome years ago. Mom is gone now. :(
 
Cindy,

Hopefully things will be fine. How long will you be in Orlando. I'm arriving on the 14th, if you're still around, maybe we can meet and say hi. I'll be staying at DVC Boardwalk.
 
Hi We just got back and stayed in the courts. VERY OLD. I had two units, one 6/6 and one 8/6. I looked in, and went back to begged them to move me. I said I wanted a unit like on their web site. I had my son and his family coming and I wanted to have a special experience. Finally, they said they would give me one unit in the springs building (newer) and I would have to stay in the courts. The tvs were fuzzy, the shower door would fall off when you went in or out. It was the worst timeshare trade for us. I made this trade about 2 years out and we were really looking forward to our vacation. When we checked out they asked us how it was and we said they should tear that building down. The guy agreed and laughed. If you have a reservation that says 8/6 you might have a chance of getting the better units. If you have a 6/6 you will be in the courts, or at least that is what they told me. We had a unit that was on the ground floor. You might ask for the higher level, it might be better.
 
Linda,
If you were in the Courts and Springs you must have been at the Vistana Resort on 535, not the Vistana Villages on International Drive.
 
This is really surprising to me. We own at VV and stayed there for the first time last year. It was GORGEOUS! We stayed in the oldest section, the Bella phase. We were in building 9 on the top floor. In no way did our unit look like it needed to be refurbished. Everything seemed to be brand spankin new!

If you had such problems with your unit, by day 2 I would have switched units and wouldn't have accepted NO for an answer about speaking to a manager. That is unacceptable. Did you get the manager on duties name? If so, you should contact Starwood Corporate to file an official complaint about him/her.
 
we had a real bad experience at vistana Resort, with mold growing up the walls, concealed behind the curtains.
What we found out the night before checkout is that we were calling the wrong number to complain, something about calling the front desk to bget things fixed, not anyone else. it was confusing and a real unappetizing stay.
 
My parents stayed at Vistana Villages last year on a II Getaway and loved it. They said the resort and unit was wonderful. We have friends that we are sending to Vistana Villages next Saturday (the 8th) on a II Getaway and I certainly hope they have a good trip. I talked them into trying Vistana Villages over Grande Vista since they stayed at Grande Vista the last time . . .:rolleyes:
 
Holy Tamales!

I'm checking in with the clan later this month [there is nothing else available in Orlando - just looked] so it better work for us! I just called to confirm that they had my request for the Amelia building on file; that's one of the better ones? Right? My unit description says 6-8. I'm gonna hope for the best, but I am lowering my expectations.

If this does not work out I'm going to sit in a corner and repeat "I'll never trade outside the Marriott system again!" a thousand times. :wall:
I hope ya'll realize I'm writing this last bit just for dramatic effect ;)

Charles
 
Last edited:
Charles, I am definitely worried too, but we are checking into Vistana Villages in 3 days! :eek: I am going to ask for something new.

I don't know if Amelia is the newest section, but I thought all of the sections were nice. This could be a bummer of a trip.

I shoulda taken a Cypress Harbour for the week. :bawl:
 
Never Fear. Fret Not.

rickandcindy23 said:
Charles, I am definitely worried too, but we are checking into Vistana Villages in 3 days! I am going to ask for something new.

I don't know if Amelia is the newest section, but I thought all of the sections were nice. This could be a bummer of a trip.

I shoulda taken a Cypress Harbour for the week.
Click to expand...
I would sign up for another Vistana Villages timeshare reservation in a flash -- no hesitation.

Assuming that that "ugh " report was on the level -- maybe it was, maybe it wasn't -- the experience it was based on had to be a total fluke, a strictly 1-off experience.

Those things are not unheard of -- bad timeshare reports/reviews that turn out to be way off target.

I read 1 in the RCI reviews section -- not about Vistana Villages -- that caught my attention not just because I own at the resort that was the bad-review target, but also because 1 thing mentioned as fact is something I know to be untrue at that resort. The reviewer/complainer mentioned something about construction noise from work on a new section being built, but there isn't any new section at that timeshare nor are there any plans for any. I have to assume that if the report was accurate, what happened was that it somehow got attached to the wrong timeshare.

I don't ignore bad reviews, but I don't automatically accept'm as gospel either.

In fact, the Chief Of Staff & I just recently signed up for a January 2008 Last Call reservation at a FairField (now Wyndham) timeshare in Orlando FL even though somebody we regard as a TUG-BBS solid citizen had a less than ideal experience there, as detailed in the TUG Resort Reviews section.

It's not that we question anything the TUG reviewer reported -- just that we also took into consideration the passage of time following the week covered in that review plus the FairField/Wyhdham timeshare chain's overall good reputation.

Weighing everything in the balance, we decided to go for it. When we're home again following our January vacation, we'll write up our own experience -- good or bad -- for the TUG Resort Reviews section.

Meanwhile, if I could snag another Last Call or Instant Exchange reservation into Vistana Villages, I would go for it bigtime.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​
 
Alan, I assure you that the report of my experience was "on the level". I do think that there is a good chance that it was a "fluke" based on all the good tug reviews. But that didn't help me any.

As I stated before I have been a TS owner since 1984 (I own 9 weeks at this time) and this is only the second bad experience I have had. I have also traded into many "standard" resorts that were in locations I wanted and have been very satisfied.
 
I Appreciate That.

sandcastles said:
Alan, I assure you that the report of my experience was "on the level". I do think that there is a good chance that it was a "fluke" based on all the good tug reviews. But that didn't help me any.

As I stated before I have been a TS owner since 1984 (I own 9 weeks at this time) and this is only the second bad experience I have had. I have also traded into many "standard" resorts that were in locations I wanted and have been very satisfied.
Click to expand...
Well, maybe I shouldn't have expressed doubts about that particular "shocka" experience -- & of course I would never want to discourage people from telling it the way it is, good or bad or so-so, for the benefit of their fellow TUG-BBS members.

If "ugh " reports start piling up, that could lead 1 to be concerned that there's nothing flukey or 1-off about it -- that the timeshare needs to clean up its act.

I still find it astounding that Vistana Villages could -- would . . . evidently did -- provide a less than 1st class experience.

Who'd a-thunk ?

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



 
Sandcastles, I notice you own at Foxrun? Do you belong to the Foxrun Yahoo Group? I am moderator of that group, so if you need an invite, let me know. :)

Alan, I hope we have a great experience at Vistana Villages, but I am very surprised at this "ugh" experience and one other review from back a few months ago, when a Starwood owner felt that the Westins units were far and above better than Vistana Villages. They even complained that the units had no trash cans. I thought that was an oddity for VV at the time I read it, but this week has been confirmed with II long ago, so no turning back.

This particular week we used for exchange was expiring next month, a ski week 1 we deposited long ago.
 
sandcastles said:
We just returned from a 5 week vacation in Florida, staying at 4 different TS. Four of them were wonderful, Sheraton Vistana Villages was terrible.
Click to expand...
Thank you for reporting your experience. While it seems to be a fluke, it's always worth posting since every bad trend starts with just one bad situation. Certainly one bad experience needs to come to the attention of management. Hopefully, this one will be the only one at Vistana Villages - doesn't help you but it may help others. So thank you.

You mentioned 4 timeshares from this trip. Care to share the names of the other 3? :)
 
Cindy, yes I belong to the Yahoo group. I don't usually have much to say but love reading all the posts. I really do believe that my experience at VV was probably a fluke. Just try to stay out of Bldg. 9 and avoid handicap units. Although I don't see how it could have been used as a handicap unit. The only difference in it was the lav in the master bath. I've read your comments on Cypress Harbor. This is my favorite also not counting DVC.

Lisa, the other three TS we stayed at this trip were Disneys BWV (Boardwalk view), Plantation Beach Club on Captiva and Hurricane House on Sanibel. These are all rated high but we usually stay at some standard resorts each year and are well satisfied with them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top