We've stayed at some resorts that while there was nothing wrong with them we saw nothing special that justified them being gold crown. You can't expect the smaller resorts to offer everything the bigger resorts do. Some smaller resorts are like the old Avis commercial "We try harder" and it shows.
First impressions say a lot about a resort. Are the grounds attractive and well maintained? A resort that has a few scrubby looking shrubs, a few trees and maybe a few flowers has little to no eye appeal and not what people expect of a vacation property. The first thing most people scope out after they get settled in their unit and sometimes even before they get to their unit is the pool area. If the resort is in a warmer area where people go in the winter time, does it have a decent size pool? Is the pool area attractive and well furnished with lounges, chairs and tables with umbrellas? If it is a beach resort is the beach nice? Most people staying at a beach resort want to walk on the beach. We've stayed at resorts that the beach was so sloped or the sand so rough to walk in that we ended up walking on the sidewalks in front of the resorts. When there has been a big storm or there has been recent sand replacement it is understandable that the beach may not be optimal for walking so I have to cut a resort some slack when that is the case. Any beach resort that doesn't have a box for sand toys and a place for beach chairs or boogie boards other guests leave behind is an epic fail in our book.
The next thing I grade on is the units. Is the furniture and carpet or tile in good shape? Are the furniture and beds comfortable? Is the unit adequately furnished with end tables, night stands and lamps? Is the kitchen reasonably well equipped? No kitchen scissors loses a resort a point right off the bat with both of us. If the unit has a musty smell, the ac units are typically in need of cleaning, not just a new filter, then that loses a resort big points in our book. Units that are not as well cleaned as they should be or when our socks are dirty from the tile or carpeted floors are another thing that loses a resort points. However I ask other people staying at the resort if they had the same thing with their unit before I jump to any conclusion about the resort.
Smaller resorts don't typically have activities and sometimes don't even have any kind of a rec room but any larger resort that doesn't have those isn't a gold crown resort. Smaller resorts often have a nice selection of books and DVD's you can borrow and bikes that guests are free to use which compensates for not having the activities the larger resorts have. A growing trend is that many people absolutely want a decent fitness center at the resorts. The smaller resorts that don't have anything and even the bigger resorts that just don't have the space for anything more than a dinky fitness center that most people will turn up their noses at could compensate by making a deal with a nearby fitness center for their guests to be able to buy a reasonably priced guest pass for the week. Is the resort in tune with what people want and responsive to those wants?
Are the front desk staff welcoming and helpful? When a resort has front desk staff that clearly have no idea what working in the hospitality industry means that also means the resort manager isn't a good one. When that is our experience at check in before we even look around or get to our unit my expectations have already just dropped. I know we are not going to have a gold crown resort experience with this stay. We really appreciate it when we stop by the front desk when they aren't busy and they tell us about the restaurants they and their families like that have great food, have great happy hour or early bird specials. Does their local movie theater have cheap tickets on a certain day? Is there something in the area that may not be a big tourist attraction but a lot of people enjoy? I remember one stay when I called the front desk at a fairly large resort to find out if there was a Christmas Eve service in the area. I mentioned that I thought it was strange that there was nothing about Christmas Eve services in the area handed out when we checked in and that no one gave us the typical welcome packet of information most resorts give guests. The person I spoke with had no idea nor any interest in getting that information for us. I stewed for a few minutes then decided to call back and ask to speak to the resort manager. He said of course we have that information and his tone didn't bode well for the person who took my call nor the person who checked us in. Within 15 minutes someone came to our door with a welcome packet and the hand out about Church services.