Best Timeshares in Las Vegas?

[traceyjs]

Staying in Las Vegas in June 2009 with husband and two daughters (10 and 12). Which is the best timeshare to stay in? Suggestions please.

 

[DianneL]

We have stayed in a timeshare in Vegas only once and it was The Carriage House. As far as the property itself and the pool, I would say it was a 6 or 7 on a 10 scale. It was very clean and the staff was very nice and accommodating. The big plus about this timeshare is its location. It is within walking distance of The Strip. There is a new Marriott very close, which I am sure would be great. I assume it trades with II and we trade with RCI. Good luck in your search and hope you have a great vacation in Las Vegas.

 

[nightnurse613]

The resort reviews will give you the why and whatfor - a membership benefit! Except for the fact it's a little south of the Strip-I like the Grandview. Availability is a plus. I hear Polo Towers is nice (renovated units) and centrally located (with a lot of construction in the area) but availability might be a problem.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Las Vegas Is Home To The No. 1 Timeshare In The U. S. A.

Some people seriously claim that Planet Hollywood Towers is The No. 1 Timeshare In The Whole U.S.A.

Who'd a-thunk ?

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

 

[PigsDad]

There have been a few recent discussions here regarding where to stay in Vegas with kids. Do a quick search and you will find them.

Of course, there are those who will chime in and say you shouldn't even think about bringing a 10 and 12 yo to Vegas, but you are the only one who needs to decide that. I personally have taken my 6 yo to the Flamingo HGVC, and we had a great time there.

Kurt

 

[dougp26364]

Staying in Las Vegas in June 2009 with husband and two daughters (10 and 12). Which is the best timeshare to stay in? Suggestions please.

Wow is this a loaded question. Of course, there are a lot of different views as to which timeshare is best and all have merit depending on what you personally want out of a resort and it's location.

So, let's start with location. There are not a lot of resorts that are actually ON the strip. In fact, there are only three which can list LV Blv and be in between Mandalay Bay and the Stratosphere (generally considered "the strip) that I can think of. Those would be Jockey Club, Polo Towers and HGVC LV Strip.

RESORTS ON THE STRIP

Jockey Club is the oldest of these three and consists of two low rise towers. They were refurbished just a few years ago so units should be in good shape. The bad thing about JC right now is that there is major constrcution going on right next door with the Cosmopolitan resort. When I say right next door I mean RIGHT next door. If your room is on the south facing side of the building you could pretty much theoretically open a window and shake hands with the construction workers. Jockey Club is directly south of the Bellagio.


Polo Towers is on the south end of the strip just north of the MGM and south of the Planet Hollywood casino. While it has an LV Blv address is actually sits behind the Hawaiian Marketplace. It's on the strip but probably 0.5 mile from any casino door. There is major construction across the street with MGM's new City Center mega monstrosity going in. Work on that project is 24/7 and for people in tower 1 facing the strip construction noise could be a problem. Polo Towers is currently renovating all rooms in towers 1 & 2 (called the Suites at Polo Towers). It is on a small lot of land and has a small pool on the roof top.

HGVC LV Strip is on the far north end of the strip. There is also major construction going on around this resort with Fountainbleau going in across the street. When we were there last Oct. were not bothered by construction noise. However, they are slated to begin tower 3 of 4 in the next few months so there will be major construction right on site. Hilton's LV Strip location is the newest Hilton in Vegas and the rooms are very nice. The grounds are large enough that this is the only resort with an LV Blv address that actually feels like a timeshare resort to me. Nice pools, Spa services, nice pool bar and grill, nice convenience store with made to order pizza's, deli and Starbucks Express. But, there's a lot of redevelopement going on around this location and it's not really convenient to much at this time.
RESORTS CLOSE TO THE STRIP.

For those of you thinking I forgot the HGVC Flamingo location.....I didn't. However, while it's directly behind the Flamingo hotel/casino it's not directly on the strip. IMO, it's close enough.

The HGVC Flamingo is the oldest of the Hilton properties in Vegas but recently underwent renovations to their rooms. For all intents and purposes it's attached to the Flamingo and, unless something has changed guest at the HGVC Flamingo can use the Flamingo hotel/casino's pools. This resort probably has the best "strip" location of them all.

Westgates Planet Hollywood Towers will be the newest of the new when it's completed. BUT, I don't know if it will be an option for your travel dates. PHT will be a two 52 story towers once completed and will be directly attached to the Planet Hollywood resort/casino. When completed it should have one of the nicest pool decks of any of the on strip or near strip timeshare resorts. Construction is ongoing and runs 24 hours a day except on Sundays.

Summer Bay Resorts is just off the strip but, Harrah's has purchased the propety and they will be moving maybe a block east of the strip. This resort will go from no rating to 5 star when the move is completed. I do not have a timetable for the move. As it stands now it is an older resort that has been through a few management changes recently. Things now seem to be on firm footing.

Marriott's Grand Chateau is a newer resort 1/2 block off the strip and behind Polo Towers. It is directly across from PHT's and the rooms to the north end of tower 1 get the full force of the construction noise from that project. There will also be an additional two towers built with constrcution slated to begin the end of this year or the beginning of next. There is still much to be developed at this resort and, as it stands now, doesn't offer a lot in the way of resort amenities. The roof top pool is tiny as it the hot tub, it has a nice fitness center, a small convenience store and a roof top bar that does not serve food. In the near future they are suppose to be expanding the convenience store, adding a Starbucks Express and adding a lobby bar that will serve some snacks. Eventually this resort will have just about everything all the other Marriott's have but they're still years away from getting this done.

Carriage House sits directly behind Marriott's Grand Chateau and is one of the older resorts. I don't know a lot about this resort other than it has a pretty small pool and most views are now blocked by the construction of PHT's and Marriott's Grand Chateau.

Further down Harmon, a little over a full block off the strip is Wyndham's Grand Desert. Again this is a resort I don't know a lot about but, it is more the full timeshare resort than most. I believe most construction (if not all) has been completed but the resort is still in active sales. The pictures I've seen of this resort look very nice and it's one I would not hesitate to recommend for an exchange if one did not have to be directly on the strip.

South on LV Blv are several more resorts starting with Tahiti Village. Going further south you'll find a Monarch Grand Cancun, Worldmark and Grandview that I can think of. Tahiti Village and Grandview are the newest of these and at opposite ends of this list. Tahiti Village is suppose to have a lazy river and they have a Denny's restaurant right on site. Tahiti Village is 2 miles south of Mandalay Bay and Grandview is 5 miles south. IMO, Tahtiti Village is probably the nicest of this grouping. Grandview is next door to South Point resort/casino which offers a very nice variety of restaurants in all price ranges. I believe all of these resorts offer free shuttle service to the strip. Many like these resorts because they can get away from the intensity of the strip and relax.

To the west there are a few resorts. Club Del Soleil and Tahiti are sister resorts to Tahiti Village with Club Del Soliel being the oldest. All seem to be well maintained and are close to the Orleans hotel/casino which offers a variety of restaurants at varying price points. Somewhere in this same area is DRI's Desert Paradise. Desert Paradise has undergone a couple of bankruptcy fall outs between Epic, it's original developer, and Sunterra. DRI recently bought out Sunterra. The words I've been reading where that the resort had fallen way down in quality but had recently undergone a rejuvination if you will that has brought it's standards back up. Personally, there is not one resort in this grouping that I would take unless all others above had been exhausted. None of them have really great pool's and offer little past a timeshare unit to stay in while in Vegas. They're not bad, just not as good either in location or resort amenities. The units, at least the models we've seen throughout the years are very nice but, you could do better IMO for locaion and resort amenities.

I'm sure I've left several out but these are the resorts I have at least a little knowledge about. Wth daughters who are 10 and 12 I'm thinking that Tahiti Village might be one of the best choices as it is new and has what should be a very nice pool area for the kids to enjoy. Tahiti Village is also just south of a new outdoor shopping entertainment district called Town Park (or something like that). Many nice restaurants, a childrens park and a large theater are in this shopping district. It is made to look like small town America complete with parking meters. There is free parking in the parking garages located on it's perimeters.

 

[traceyjs]

Wow! Thanks everybody. A special thanks to Doug for such a long and informative message. I will look at all the suggestions and hopefully get into a good place. Thanks again.

 

[DeniseM]

Don't forget to check the TUG review pages for LV!

 

[urple2]

Staying in Las Vegas in June 2009 with husband and two daughters (10 and 12). Which is the best timeshare to stay in? Suggestions please.

I've stayed in the HGVC on the strip and the Wyndham Grand Desert.

Both were very nice. I thought the HGVC was very upscale and enjoyed the on site "market place" for coffee, etc and the lounge area with a huge tv and pool table was nice for hanging out now and then. This location was a little far north of most of the action but still very, very nice. You can bus or monorail around the area.

I've been at the Grand Desert 3 times. They have a shuttle that will drop you off at the Harrah's or you can walk 15 minutes up to the strip. I think the pools at the Wyndham are just great and may be what you're looking for- for the kids.

Plenty of things to do with the kids there, including rides, etc.

Google maps ia great for getting an idea of the vegas layout and resorts.

 

[cluemeister]

If I had my choice of any timeshare to stay at in Vegas, with price not being a concern, it would be one of the 3BR units at Marriott's Grand Chateau.

Second place would be PH Towers if they are open by then.

I'm very happy with our Polo Towers unit. Its location is terrific. It's just not as luxurious as Marriott.

 

[dougp26364]

If I had my choice of any timeshare to stay at in Vegas, with price not being a concern, it would be one of the 3BR units at Marriott's Grand Chateau.

Second place would be PH Towers if they are open by then.

I'm very happy with our Polo Towers unit. Its location is terrific. It's just not as luxurious as Marriott.

But with kids ages 10 and 12, the pools just don't compare with some of the others like Wyndham or Tahiti Village.

The Marriott is a great resort but, it's not the most family friendly resort in Vegas. Maybe when it reaches complete build out it will be better but for the next 4 to 6 years I wouldn't be putting it high on my family friendly resorts for Vegas.

 

[Fern Modena]

Doug,
That was a wonderful description of the various Las Vegas timeshares and their attributes. I hope you suggest that the powers that be make it into a Sticky, cause it could help a lot of people.

Fern

 

[Larry]

Doug,
That was a wonderful description of the various Las Vegas timeshares and their attributes. I hope you suggest that the powers that be make it into a Sticky, cause it could help a lot of people.

Fern

Have to agree outstanding information Doug and have to agree. Just one item to add. I think that once the Cosmopolitan is completed that Jockey Club will be an outstanding exchange. I own there and the rooms have been nicely renovated but the location will in my opinion be the best. Right on the strip with direct access to the Cosmopolitan with it's casino's restaurants and shops and next dooer to Bellagio and MGM city center which should also be completed about the same time.

I will be retired by the end of 2010 when this should be completed and plan on visiting Vegas at least once a year once everything is done.

 

[mshatty]

Wow is this a loaded question. Of course, there are a lot of different views as to which timeshare is best and all have merit depending on what you personally want out of a resort and it's location.

So, let's start with location. There are not a lot of resorts that are actually ON the strip. In fact, there are only three which can list LV Blv and be in between Mandalay Bay and the Stratosphere (generally considered "the strip) that I can think of. Those would be Jockey Club, Polo Towers and HGVC LV Strip.

RESORTS ON THE STRIP

Jockey Club is the oldest of these three and consists of two low rise towers. They were refurbished just a few years ago so units should be in good shape. The bad thing about JC right now is that there is major constrcution going on right next door with the Cosmopolitan resort. When I say right next door I mean RIGHT next door. If your room is on the south facing side of the building you could pretty much theoretically open a window and shake hands with the construction workers. Jockey Club is directly south of the Bellagio.


Polo Towers is on the south end of the strip just north of the MGM and south of the Planet Hollywood casino. While it has an LV Blv address is actually sits behind the Hawaiian Marketplace. It's on the strip but probably 0.5 mile from any casino door. There is major construction across the street with MGM's new City Center mega monstrosity going in. Work on that project is 24/7 and for people in tower 1 facing the strip construction noise could be a problem. Polo Towers is currently renovating all rooms in towers 1 & 2 (called the Suites at Polo Towers). It is on a small lot of land and has a small pool on the roof top.

HGVC LV Strip is on the far north end of the strip. There is also major construction going on around this resort with Fountainbleau going in across the street. When we were there last Oct. were not bothered by construction noise. However, they are slated to begin tower 3 of 4 in the next few months so there will be major construction right on site. Hilton's LV Strip location is the newest Hilton in Vegas and the rooms are very nice. The grounds are large enough that this is the only resort with an LV Blv address that actually feels like a timeshare resort to me. Nice pools, Spa services, nice pool bar and grill, nice convenience store with made to order pizza's, deli and Starbucks Express. But, there's a lot of redevelopement going on around this location and it's not really convenient to much at this time.
RESORTS CLOSE TO THE STRIP.

For those of you thinking I forgot the HGVC Flamingo location.....I didn't. However, while it's directly behind the Flamingo hotel/casino it's not directly on the strip. IMO, it's close enough.

The HGVC Flamingo is the oldest of the Hilton properties in Vegas but recently underwent renovations to their rooms. For all intents and purposes it's attached to the Flamingo and, unless something has changed guest at the HGVC Flamingo can use the Flamingo hotel/casino's pools. This resort probably has the best "strip" location of them all.

Westgates Planet Hollywood Towers will be the newest of the new when it's completed. BUT, I don't know if it will be an option for your travel dates. PHT will be a two 52 story towers once completed and will be directly attached to the Planet Hollywood resort/casino. When completed it should have one of the nicest pool decks of any of the on strip or near strip timeshare resorts. Construction is ongoing and runs 24 hours a day except on Sundays.

Summer Bay Resorts is just off the strip but, Harrah's has purchased the propety and they will be moving maybe a block east of the strip. This resort will go from no rating to 5 star when the move is completed. I do not have a timetable for the move. As it stands now it is an older resort that has been through a few management changes recently. Things now seem to be on firm footing.

Marriott's Grand Chateau is a newer resort 1/2 block off the strip and behind Polo Towers. It is directly across from PHT's and the rooms to the north end of tower 1 get the full force of the construction noise from that project. There will also be an additional two towers built with constrcution slated to begin the end of this year or the beginning of next. There is still much to be developed at this resort and, as it stands now, doesn't offer a lot in the way of resort amenities. The roof top pool is tiny as it the hot tub, it has a nice fitness center, a small convenience store and a roof top bar that does not serve food. In the near future they are suppose to be expanding the convenience store, adding a Starbucks Express and adding a lobby bar that will serve some snacks. Eventually this resort will have just about everything all the other Marriott's have but they're still years away from getting this done.

Carriage House sits directly behind Marriott's Grand Chateau and is one of the older resorts. I don't know a lot about this resort other than it has a pretty small pool and most views are now blocked by the construction of PHT's and Marriott's Grand Chateau.

Further down Harmon, a little over a full block off the strip is Wyndham's Grand Desert. Again this is a resort I don't know a lot about but, it is more the full timeshare resort than most. I believe most construction (if not all) has been completed but the resort is still in active sales. The pictures I've seen of this resort look very nice and it's one I would not hesitate to recommend for an exchange if one did not have to be directly on the strip.

South on LV Blv are several more resorts starting with Tahiti Village. Going further south you'll find a Monarch Grand Cancun, Worldmark and Grandview that I can think of. Tahiti Village and Grandview are the newest of these and at opposite ends of this list. Tahiti Village is suppose to have a lazy river and they have a Denny's restaurant right on site. Tahiti Village is 2 miles south of Mandalay Bay and Grandview is 5 miles south. IMO, Tahtiti Village is probably the nicest of this grouping. Grandview is next door to South Point resort/casino which offers a very nice variety of restaurants in all price ranges. I believe all of these resorts offer free shuttle service to the strip. Many like these resorts because they can get away from the intensity of the strip and relax.

To the west there are a few resorts. Club Del Soleil and Tahiti are sister resorts to Tahiti Village with Club Del Soliel being the oldest. All seem to be well maintained and are close to the Orleans hotel/casino which offers a variety of restaurants at varying price points. Somewhere in this same area is DRI's Desert Paradise. Desert Paradise has undergone a couple of bankruptcy fall outs between Epic, it's original developer, and Sunterra. DRI recently bought out Sunterra. The words I've been reading where that the resort had fallen way down in quality but had recently undergone a rejuvination if you will that has brought it's standards back up. Personally, there is not one resort in this grouping that I would take unless all others above had been exhausted. None of them have really great pool's and offer little past a timeshare unit to stay in while in Vegas. They're not bad, just not as good either in location or resort amenities. The units, at least the models we've seen throughout the years are very nice but, you could do better IMO for locaion and resort amenities.

I'm sure I've left several out but these are the resorts I have at least a little knowledge about. Wth daughters who are 10 and 12 I'm thinking that Tahiti Village might be one of the best choices as it is new and has what should be a very nice pool area for the kids to enjoy. Tahiti Village is also just south of a new outdoor shopping entertainment district called Town Park (or something like that). Many nice restaurants, a childrens park and a large theater are in this shopping district. It is made to look like small town America complete with parking meters. There is free parking in the parking garages located on it's perimeters.

Doug,
That was a wonderful description of the various Las Vegas timeshares and their attributes. I hope you suggest that the powers that be make it into a Sticky, cause it could help a lot of people.

Fern

I agree with Fern. Doug, what a great summary!

 

[traceyjs]

Wjhat's a 'sticky'? Also, how do you put a quote at the beginning of the message? Wyndham definitely seems a popular choice for the kids. We don't mind being off the strip if we can shuttle in there.

Thanks all,
Tracey

 

[dougp26364]

Wjhat's a 'sticky'? Also, how do you put a quote at the beginning of the message? Wyndham definitely seems a popular choice for the kids. We don't mind being off the strip if we can shuttle in there.

Thanks all,
Tracey

Wyndham is definately closer than Tahiti Village to the strip. I personally haven't seen their pools but go by what I've read. Unless it's summer time with temps in the 100's it's within walking distance to the strip where T.V. will never be within walking distance to the strip for most people. Some people will make the walk even in the summer but personally, I wouldn't. It's far to easy to overheat in the hot desert sun of Las Vegas when temps get so high.

Keep in mind the Wyndham's Grand Desert trades through RCI. Many of the others trade through I.I. or may be dual affiliated. I you're exchanging through RCI then you have to also consider the HGVC at the Flamingo as they have access to the Flamingo resort/casino pools. The difference would be the crowds and pool party noise at the Flamingo. Between the two with children I'd probably go with Wyndham.

 

[traceyjs]

Wyndham is definately closer than Tahiti Village to the strip. I personally haven't seen their pools but go by what I've read. Unless it's summer time with temps in the 100's it's within walking distance to the strip where T.V. will never be within walking distance to the strip for most people. Some people will make the walk even in the summer but personally, I wouldn't. It's far to easy to overheat in the hot desert sun of Las Vegas when temps get so high.

Keep in mind the Wyndham's Grand Desert trades through RCI. Many of the others trade through I.I. or may be dual affiliated. I you're exchanging through RCI then you have to also consider the HGVC at the Flamingo as they have access to the Flamingo resort/casino pools. The difference would be the crowds and pool party noise at the Flamingo. Between the two with children I'd probably go with Wyndham.

Yah! I've figured out how to do a quote - still don't know what a 'sticky' is though. Thanks again Doug - your help is invaluable. We do exchange through RCI so I'll give them a call today.

Cheers

 

[roadsister]

Which Tahiti is the one that has the pool open 24/7 and the best pool?

 

[dougp26364]

Which Tahiti is the one that has the pool open 24/7 and the best pool?

I'm not certain which one has a 24/7 pool. I don't own at either buy have toured Tahiti and have seen the room layouts for Tahiti Village (that's what they were selling when we toured at Tahiti).

Tahiti Village is a purpose built timeshare. I think that Tahiti is an apartment conversion. At the very least it's laid out more like an apartment complex than a timeshare resort. The pools at Tahiti are nice but only adaquate IMO. The pools that they were suppose to be putting into Tahiti Village are more along the lines of resort style pools including a lazy river.

When we flew out of Vegas last friday, I got a good look at how far along Tahiti Village has come in the last year. It looks as if most of the buildings have the structures completed. I'm not certain if they plan on expanding the project further than it's current state. The word that I've been hearing is they're selling it like hot cakes. If that's true then keeping the sales going by expanding the resort even further (assuming they have the land, the rights to buy the land or are able to somehow aquire the land) would only make sense.

 

[DaveNV]

still don't know what a 'sticky' is though.

Tracey, a sticky is a post that stays "stuck" at the top of that forum's main page. When you open the forum, the sticky threads are always listed first. It's a great way to keep information in front of readers.

In the case of Doug's post, the information is something every visitor to Las Vegas would want to know. So I also vote we make Doug sticky. Er, his POST, that is. LOL!

Dave

 

[traceyjs]

Tracey, a sticky is a post that stays "stuck" at the top of that forum's main page. When you open the forum, the sticky threads are always listed first. It's a great way to keep information in front of readers.

In the case of Doug's post, the information is something every visitor to Las Vegas would want to know. So I also vote we make Doug sticky. Er, his POST, that is. LOL!

Dave

Thanks Dave! Was waiting for someone to enlighten me on the jargon! Doug is a huge fountain of info (also in other threads of mine) and I also vote Doug for a sticky! (I'm feeling really 'in' now LOL!)

 

[swift]

Doug,
That was a wonderful description of the various Las Vegas timeshares and their attributes. I hope you suggest that the powers that be make it into a Sticky, cause it could help a lot of people.

Fern

Hi all, I am just pass through at the momment. As soon as I get back later this AM I will make the Sticky post. Great post Doug!!!

 

[dougp26364]

The only reason I know to much about Vegas is we own 4 timeshare weeks there. We've been traveling to Vegas at least once a year since 1998 (sometimes 4 times/year) and, in doing so, we've checked out many of these timeshares either by touring, driving by or talking with owners. A lot of my information has come from just reading what others have said on TUG. It's not necessarily my information as a compilation of what I've learned here over the years. Personally, I'm just glad I can help out and hope the information I give is reasonbly accurate. There's still a lot more that I could know but, I just don't have the energy of a PerryM, who according to his count has been on over 80 timeshare tours. My wife has sort of hinted that any more tours could have me permanently sleeping on the couch.......unless she thinks it's something she might want to own.