Resort hopping using adjacent reservations - how much time is enough for each hop?

[HitchHiker71]

Wyndham TUGGERs. We currently have a trip scheduled heading up to Bentley Brook from 12/18-24/24 per the following tracking thread:

[UPDATED] Which Wyndham resorts will HitchHiker71 be at for the remainder of 2023?

I've often observed, after the fact, that many times when we have been at a particular resort and I post something about it - someone here on TUG posts that they were actually at the same resort at the same time. It would have been nice to at least have known this fact ahead of time, as we might...

tugbbs.com

In some of my PM conversations with other TUGGERs, many of you seem to resort hop - chaining together adjacent reservations in the process. We were last up in BB for a four night, five day stint earlier this month, and found ourselves up in southern Vermont exploring Bennington and the surrounding area, and thought briefly about trying to get up to Smuggler's Notch (SN), however it's roughly a three hour drive each way and that was just too much driving for a daytrip. The challenge with SN is that it's about nine hours from door to door directly from home - so quite a hike for one day of driving. So, I thought about breaking up the trip as follows:

12/18 - 12/20 - BB - checkout at 10:00 AM on 12/20, three hour drive up to SN - check in up in SN
12/20 - 12/22 - SN - checkout at 10:00 AM on 12/22, three hour+ drive down to BB - check in down at BB
12/22 - 12/24 - SN - finish out our last two days at BB - head on home from there (roughly a five hour drive home non-stop)

From those of you who have resort hopped like this - is three days/two nights at each resort enough time to not feel as though we're losing too much time traveling between the resorts, what with unpacking and re-packing three times? Should we wait and try to find a longer duration time window to have more days up at SN perhaps? Lastly, at that time of December, how is the skiing at BB and SN? Never having been to SN before, I know BB is a "ski-on" type resort, but given the size of SN can you "ski-on" as well? If so, are there only specific sections of the resort that are best for ski-on activities?

Lastly, beyond my specific use case - what have you all found to be a sufficient block of time to spend when resort hopping across multiple resorts like this to break up longer travel duration when driving?

 

[cbyrne1174]

That drive time is too far for me personally to resort hop like that. I'll book 2 nights if the drive is an hour, but I prefer to hop with 5 night Sun-Fri using points when it's cheapest and then find a Fri-Fri with an exchange. 9 hours for 6 nights sounds painful on its own.

 

[HitchHiker71]

That drive time is too far for me personally to resort hop like that. I'll book 2 nights if the drive is an hour, but I prefer to hop with 5 night Sun-Fri using points when it's cheapest and then find a Fri-Fri with an exchange. 9 hours for 6 nights sounds painful on its own.

I guess we have a higher tolerance for road trips then.

We pretty much draw the line at two hours duration each way for a weekend getaway and up to five hours each way for a long weekend trip. This gives us OTA, NH, AC, and the poconos for weekend trips. We have BB, Williamsburg, NYC, and Newport within five hours for long weekends.

Anything outside of that we require a stretch of seven days or more. We typically drive to Myrtle Beach every year and it’s about eight hours drive each way. Next year we have a 12 day stretch booked. We used to stop over in Williamsburg overnight each way to break up the long drive, at a Wyndham resort before they stopped one night stays during the pandemic. Now we use WR points for overnights in hotels instead since Wyndham eliminated one night timeshare stays.


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[Jan M.]

We've done a lot of hopping. I'm currently planning a big Fall trip that will need several hops. Oh how I long for one night stays to come back.

If it's an area we've been to before two nights is sufficient for us. Although I sometimes do book three nights if there's something we want to do while were there. We think nothing of drive time of 3-5 hours. Checking out at 10am then driving 3-5 hours gets you there at a good time to get in your next unit. Most resorts will give you and 11am check out time if you ask. We load what we can the night before and there's no rush to get up and be on the road to the next resort.

We can still handle 10-13 hours of driving in a day if we have to but prefer to break up the drive time with hops to keep the drive time at 8.5 or less when the stops are convenient and I can arrange it.

No need to bring everything in and have to repack the car when you leave. I pack a tote bag with the few toiletries we need for two nights, our sleep clothes and one or two changes of clothes. You can always do a quick load of laundry if you need to so no need to bring everything in. We bring in what needs refrigerated and leave what we can in the car. If it's really hot and there's no parking garage or shade I'm a lot more careful about what we leave in the car. We try to do our bigger shopping when we get to where we'll have our long stays and have gotten good at not overbuying so we don't have a lot when we have those hops.

 

[chapjim]

We did a drive from Northern Virginia to San Antonio via Sevierville, TN and Fairfield Bay, AR. I did the minimum stay at the intermediate stops and I think they were all two-night stays.

I have a spring trip planned to Sedona and Flagstaff with all reservations made -- Northern VA-Nashville-New Orleans-San Antonio-El Paso-Sedona (six nights)-Flagstaff (four nights)-Santa Fe-Afton, OK-Nashville-Northern VA. The intermediate stops in New Orleans and San Antonio are three nights, the minimums. The others are two nights, also the minimums. The longest drive is Santa Fe to Afton, OK -- about 10½ hours.

 

[Jan M.]

Sorry. in my previous post I didn't answer the question you were asking. In your case considering you only have 6 nights, it's wintertime and a 5 hour drive to get to Bentley Brook and back home I would just stay at Bentley Brook. That 3+ hour drive to Smuggler's Notch could easily turn into a 5 hour drive if you hit some weather. Same thing could happen with your drive to Bentley Brook and back home. You want to relax and enjoy your vacation and the 2-2-2 isn't going to be conducive to that. If you could add nights to have it be 3 nights or better yet 4 nights on each end at Bentley Brook then I'd say go for it.

When we do the 2-3 night stays it's to get us to a resort where we have a least a week long stay, to connect stays at resorts that are longer distances apart where we have at least week long stays or are making our way home.

Something we've done and will be doing again on our Fall trip is book say 7-14 nights at a resort then also 2-3 nights for a side trip during that long stay. That way we aren't packing up, checking out, driving, checking in, unpacking, packing back up, checking out, driving, checking in and unpacking again. All that checking in and out and packing and unpacking everything wastes a lot of your time and energy too. If it isn't a large number of points to keep the unit when you won't be there we consider it to be well worth it.

 

[geist1223]

We like to stay at least a week or two at a Resort. That being said we will stay one or two nights at intermediate stops to get to our destination. Such as last May it was Salem to Reno (RON). Then on to St George for a week. Then to Santa Fe for a week. Then back to St George (RON). Then to Reno for 2 nights. Then home to Salem.

 

[Jan M.]

Another thing we do when we have those connecting stays or side trips is eat at Olive Garden. We have two bowls of the minestrone soup which pretty much fills us up before the meal comes. We like the minestrone because it has some vegetables in it. Our main course is the chicken and shrimp carbonara. We eat about half of our meals, saving most of the chicken. We order the five cheese ziti to go meal for $6. Ask for extra sauce or it's too dry. We pick up some of the following, whatever sounds good to us, at the grocery store to go with our leftovers and the ziti. A bag of salad, a cucumber, a red pepper, fresh spinach (we like to sautee it), broccoli or asparagus. Our lunch the next day is the rest of the carbonara but still saving a large piece of the chicken from it. For our dinner we put the ziti, the extra sauce and the big pieces of chicken we've cut up in the glass pan that's in the unit and heat it in the oven. The cost at Olive Garden is about $68-$70 with the tip and no drinks. However it takes care of two dinners and a lunch for both of us with little work and no thought when we have those short stays. Since lunch and dinner are taken care of for our one full day we can make the most of that day to do things in the area.

For us that's a lot of pasta meals, even with salad and vegetables too. So we don't do this every time but it really is a help when we're tired from a full day's drive.

Another place we go to on those quick stays on the road is Longhorn Steakhouse. We both upgrade the salad to the strawberry pecan salad for an additional $2.49. Well worth it because it's a very nice and large salad. We could easily split one salad but both of us order it and eat the whole thing. One of us orders the two chicken breast portion of the parmesan crusted chicken but only eat half of one of the pieces of chicken. The other person shares a little bit of whatever meat they've ordered. I usually get a baked sweet potato and DH orders the loaded baked potato. We order the chocolate stampede for dessert. Each of us gets a scoop of the ice cream and we split one the of pieces of cake taking the other piece of cake back with us for the next day's dinner. For the 1.5 pieces of chicken we saved it's enough for both of us along with whatever we've picked up to make a meal for the following night. And we have dessert too, that's important. Lol.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Wyndham TUGGERs. We currently have a trip scheduled heading up to Bentley Brook from 12/18-24/24 per the following tracking thread:

In some of my PM conversations with other TUGGERs, many of you seem to resort hop - chaining together adjacent reservations in the process. ...... The challenge with SN is that it's about nine hours from door to door directly from home - so quite a hike for one day of driving. So, I thought about breaking up the trip as follows:

12/18 - 12/20 - BB - checkout at 10:00 AM on 12/20, three hour drive up to SN - check in up in SN
12/20 - 12/22 - SN - checkout at 10:00 AM on 12/22, three hour+ drive down to BB - check in down at BB
12/22 - 12/24 - SN - finish out our last two days at BB - head on home from there (roughly a five hour drive home non-stop)

From those of you who have resort hopped like this - is three days/two nights at each resort enough time to not feel as though we're losing too much time traveling between the resorts, what with unpacking and re-packing three times? Should we wait and try to find a longer duration time window to have more days up at SN perhaps? Lastly, at that time of December, how is the skiing at BB and SN? Never having been to SN before, I know BB is a "ski-on" type resort, but given the size of SN can you "ski-on" as well? If so, are there only specific sections of the resort that are best for ski-on activities?

Have really good snow tires - especially if it snows on Dec 20th and Dec 22nd

Hancock Mass, to Jeffersonville Vt.
is 175 miles and is listed as 3 hours 45 min. using US 7N
and / or 195 miles and 4 hours 7 min. using I 87

If it were me I would follow your thoughts on - " should we wait and try to find a longer duration time frame to have more days up at SN"

also -there is also a lot to do in the area of Bently Brook / Western Mass.

 

[chapjim]

Have really good snow tires - especially if it snows on Dec 20th and Dec 22nd

Hancock Mass, to Jeffersonville Vt.
is 175 miles and is listed as 3 hours 45 min. using US 7N
and / or 195 miles and 4 hours 7 min. using I 87

If it were me I would follow your thoughts on - " should we wait and try to find a longer duration time frame to have more days up at SN"

also -there is also a lot to do in the area of Bently Brook / Western Mass.

And, going north to Smuggs through Stowe won't be an option in December. The road through "the notch" will be closed.

Agree that postponing a Smuggs visit is the way to go.

 

[Sandi Bo]

I would second wanting more days at Smuggs, alot of driving and the roads may be bad, hard to plan for that time of year. Last time we were at Bentley Brook, we kept our room the whole time while we went to Newport for 2 nights. We could have checked in and out, but weekdays at BB with an upgraded room is trivial compared to packing up and moving (we had also driven from Nebraska and had stuff we preferred not to haul for a few days).

There is a pass to get to Smuggs that may be closed that time of year. I guess it's a pass, lol, it's the most direct road into Smuggs and closes when the weather is bad. You want to know for sure if it's open before you get to the closed road. Second hand experience, we knew and routed accordingly, my sister did not and going back and around was a long way. Her family missed dinner.

We went to Smuggs several years ago, for Christmas, it was icey. Fast slopes. I was never a great skiier. I don't any more. My goal was to not fall down. That was a challenge at Smuggs. I think the mountain/sleeps are steeper (than Bentley Brook). At Smuggs we bussed to the slopes. Maybe you can drive to the lodge. But we shuttled. They picked us up in front of our condo (seems like you could call). Shuttle took us to bus. Bus took us to the slopes. It's been a few years, but that is my recollection. It's not super convenient, in my opinion. But, again, I'm no pro.

Bentley Brook, ski in/ski out, just can't be beat, especially for a novice skiier. The bunny slope with lift is the slope you see outside your room (if you have a slope side room). There are lockers in the basement, put your skis on and you are pretty much on the bunny slope. All that said, when we were there this past February, seems all the (old) adult skiers got hurt. No one too bad, only one ER visit (broken shoulder). But my brother was trying to keep up with the nephews (who I would say are expert skiiers). So is my brother, by the way, he was on the ski patrol (in Iowa (Nebraska border)) so take that for what it's worth.

We also have a high tolerance for road trips. Used to never stop til we got wherever (and that meant sleeping in the car and swapping drivers).

 

[HitchHiker71]

Have really good snow tires - especially if it snows on Dec 20th and Dec 22nd

Hancock Mass, to Jeffersonville Vt.
is 175 miles and is listed as 3 hours 45 min. using US 7N
and / or 195 miles and 4 hours 7 min. using I 87

If it were me I would follow your thoughts on - " should we wait and try to find a longer duration time frame to have more days up at SN"

also -there is also a lot to do in the area of Bently Brook / Western Mass.

I hadn't thought too much about it - how much snow would already be in play at that time of year. I drive a 2018 RAM 1500 4x4 and currently have relatively new (just installed last fall) Michelin Defender LTX M/S all season tires - but they aren't A/T or snow tires. I'm not afraid of driving in snow - and don't see the utility in buying snow tires for a single trip, but your point is well taken - that the drive times could be much longer if there is inclement weather to deal with - which would just exacerbate the limited amount of time we have at our disposal. This is what I was getting at when I asked about having a longer duration for the hops. Thanks for your advice here - I think we'll just stick with our current reservation at BB for all six nights.

 

[HitchHiker71]

Sorry. in my previous post I didn't answer the question you were asking. In your case considering you only have 6 nights, it's wintertime and a 5 hour drive to get to Bentley Brook and back home I would just stay at Bentley Brook. That 3+ hour drive to Smuggler's Notch could easily turn into a 5 hour drive if you hit some weather. Same thing could happen with your drive to Bentley Brook and back home. You want to relax and enjoy your vacation and the 2-2-2 isn't going to be conducive to that. If you could add nights to have it be 3 nights or better yet 4 nights on each end at Bentley Brook then I'd say go for it.

When we do the 2-3 night stays it's to get us to a resort where we have a least a week long stay, to connect stays at resorts that are longer distances apart where we have at least week long stays or are making our way home.

Something we've done and will be doing again on our Fall trip is book say 7-14 nights at a resort then also 2-3 nights for a side trip during that long stay. That way we aren't packing up, checking out, driving, checking in, unpacking, packing back up, checking out, driving, checking in and unpacking again. All that checking in and out and packing and unpacking everything wastes a lot of your time and energy too. If it isn't a large number of points to keep the unit when you won't be there we consider it to be well worth it.

Thanks Jan - that was my sense as well - I'd like to have more days up in SN to explore and enjoy some local activities. Something like 2/4/2 at the very least for example. We'll have to aim to do this perhaps next year. I share your concern about feeling as though we're spending too much time and energy on transport and related logistics (packing/unpacking) using a 2/2/2 approach.

 

[HitchHiker71]

We've done a lot of hopping. I'm currently planning a big Fall trip that will need several hops. Oh how I long for one night stays to come back.

You and me both Jan.

If it's an area we've been to before two nights is sufficient for us. Although I sometimes do book three nights if there's something we want to do while were there. We think nothing of drive time of 3-5 hours. Checking out at 10am then driving 3-5 hours gets you there at a good time to get in your next unit. Most resorts will give you and 11am check out time if you ask. We load what we can the night before and there's no rush to get up and be on the road to the next resort.

Agreed - this is my core concern with the six night trip currently planned - I don't think that two nights is enough for SN since we have never been there before. I think we either need to bite the bullet and simply schedule 12/18-12/24 up at SN - and cancel our BB reservation - or just keep our existing BB reservation. It's a longer drive up to SN - but we may just have to bite the bullet on this one. The other concern, as others have pointed out, is inclement weather and related road conditions. Is there really that much snow up in BB in late December timeframe, on the roads in particular? If so then we likely should just keep our existing BB reservation and call it a day - as our five hour road trip up to BB could turn into a 6-7 hour road trip if road conditions cause traffic delays. Could be even worse the farther north we go - up to SN in other words...

We can still handle 10-13 hours of driving in a day if we have to but prefer to break up the drive time with hops to keep the drive time at 8.5 or less when the stops are convenient and I can arrange it.

I can drive that long - but it's not our preference obviously. We have made the Myrtle Beach trip all in one driving session repeatedly over the past few years - but lately we've been dividing it up - driving about five hours down to Chesapeake, VA., across the bay bridge-tunnel, and then staying at a local Wingate hotel in that area - and then heading on down to Myrtle Beach the following morning. This also only leaves a 3-4 hour second leg of the trip so we still feel like doing something when we get down into Myrtle Beach later that day - not having been exhausted from a daylong drive.

No need to bring everything in and have to repack the car when you leave. I pack a tote bag with the few toiletries we need for two nights, our sleep clothes and one or two changes of clothes. You can always do a quick load of laundry if you need to so no need to bring everything in. We bring in what needs refrigerated and leave what we can in the car. If it's really hot and there's no parking garage or shade I'm a lot more careful about what we leave in the car. We try to do our bigger shopping when we get to where we'll have our long stays and have gotten good at not overbuying so we don't have a lot when we have those hops.

Hadn't thought about leaving stuff in the vehicle really. I'm not sure my wife would be comfortable doing so - I'll have to ask her. We do this for overnights during a longer trip - like down to Myrtle Beach though - so perhaps she will be amenable. Agreed all perishables would need to be brought in at the very least for obvious reasons.

 

[scootr5]

Oh how I long for one night stays to come back.

You and me both Jan.

IIRC, didn't Wyndham recently say no one has asked for them, so that's why it has not been reinstated? I know I submitted a message requesting their return....

 

[rickandcindy23]

I am planning to do a driving, two-week across the US trip for late May for the two of us to use our Wyndham points. We will likely go to Branson as a first stop, we haven't been to the Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs for a while. Then Nashville, and maybe over to Williamsburg. We would also likely enjoy the new Atlanta Wyndham. I have stepsisters in Byron, GA, to visit.

 

[HitchHiker71]

I am planning to do a driving, two-week across the US trip for late May for the two of us to use our Wyndham points. We will likely go to Branson as a first stop, we haven't been to the Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs for a while. Then Nashville, and maybe over to Williamsburg. We would also likely enjoy the new Atlanta Wyndham. I have stepsisters in Byron, GA, to visit.

My two sons were just at MVC Atlanta this past weekend visiting friends Friday through Monday. We put them up in a three bedroom presidential unit (high floors for these units of course). They loved it - their friends who live down there ended up staying at the resort since it's much nicer than their apartment LOL. They loved MVC Atlanta without a doubt.

 

[keno999]

IIRC, didn't Wyndham recently say no one has asked for them, so that's why it has not been reinstated? I know I submitted a message requesting their return....

I add a comment to bring back 1 night stays whenever I'm asked to do a survey. I've used it a few times this year with my Worldmark account.

 

[HitchHiker71]

I add a comment to bring back 1 night stays whenever I'm asked to do a survey. I've used it a few times this year with my Worldmark account.

Same here - I always provide this as feedback whenever I remember to do so on the website and/or whenever I'm asking to do a survey.