Worst timeshare resort you've stayed in?

[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....

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]

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.

 

[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]

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!

 

[Rent_Share]

Looks like we were both working at the same time!

But be knows how to sort in excel

 

[RIMike]

Mike is Right!!!

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

 

[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.

 

[icydog]

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]

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]

 

[UWSurfer]

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.

 

[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.

 

[fraser921]

worst-vistana

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

wife wont go back there again

 

[DeniseM]

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
​

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[Rmelnyk]

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

 

[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:

 

[skimble]

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.

 

[Steve]

San Clemente Inn

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

 

[UWSurfer]

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.

 

[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!