We prioritize what we want from the vacation week.
We start with the kind of vacation (beach, urban, historic sightseeing, theme parks or getaway to quiet/nature) and our budget for transportation for that trip. This helps us narrow to one or more specific areas or destinations where we'll look for timeshares.
Then, to choose the actual resorts, we start by
looking within about 30 minutes travel distance from the main attraction(s) for the week. We prefer to stay as nearby as possible since we don't like to spend a lot of time in traffic once we've arrived on vacation. Short drives to sightseeing are fine with us.
However,
we ALWAYS want to be within walking distance of:
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public transit access for urban destinations
---
the beach on beach trips (we usually take both morning and evening walks on the beach on these trips - car is too much hassle)
---
the nearest resort pool during warm weather (shuttle waits or driving are not good in the heat - sprawling resorts can be a problem here)
Next, to narrow it down further, I start reading TUG reviews for awarded resorts and those with a
TUG rating above 6.5 or so. I'm not that picky - I've noticed that people will rarely review a resort lower than a 7 if it's clean, well-maintained and in a decent location. If I want upscale for that trip, I look first at resorts rated at 8.5 or better. What I'm looking for in the reviews will depend on who's traveling with us and what our needs are for that trip. If I still have trouble narrowing down my list, I'll read some RCI reviews as well and I'll look for red flags, like poor maintenance issues with non-responsiveness of the staff.
For just DH and me, we love a spacious 1BR but a nice studio could work if that's all we could get. A standard hotel room doesn't cut it for a full week - not relaxing enough to eat out all the time and we don't get All-Inclusive timeshares. So, as I read reviews, our minimum requirements for the unit:
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Very clean, well-maintained, updated unit;
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Free in-room internet - husband has a network support business & I'm in grad school - must stay connected, unfortunately;
---
Queen bed or larger;
--- Comfortable
chairs or sofa to relax;
--- At least a dinette
table;
--- At least a
partial kitchen for breakfasts and leftovers.
--- No sound-proofing problems - a
quiet room for sleeping
--- If we'll be relaxing on that trip (not urban sightseeing), need a balcony, patio, or huge wall of sunny windows with a
peaceful view.
When we're
traveling with others, we need a
unit(s) large enough to keep the LR free of sleepers, or we get multiple units, --and-- we like to have a
full kitchen and dining table in at least one unit to gather for a few meals. If the others don't get to vacation often, we may like to treat them to a stay in a more amenity-loaded resort, so we try for the more upscale resorts on these trips.
With
young adults (our grown kids) along, the
free internet is just as important, maybe more.
Indoor pool and hot tub are appreciated and
summertime outdoor pool/hot tub/beach are essential. A way to meet others (tournaments at pool table, volleyball, Texas Hold 'Em) is nice too, if available.
Adequate space for everyone is important, since they sometimes like to invite more friends along at the last minute. No one sleeps in the LR with everyone's varying sleep schedules - there's often someone up until very late, after late night beach walks or playing card/board games to the wee hours - and surprisingly, some of the college kids like to get up early for a sunrise walk with coffee.
With
young children along (as we had, years ago, or perhaps from another family traveling with us), an
indoor pool, game room, zero-entry outdoor pool and children's activities add a LOT of value - depending on the number and ages of the kids, these may outrank most other deciding factors altogether - even making the resort destination the key factor. Young children who are cheery with fun activities, and who sleep well after busy vacation days are a requirement for the rest of us!!!
Especially the weary parents.
TUG reviews are a big help. TripAdvisor less so, because so many of those reviews knock resorts for not making their beds or washing their dishes. :hysterical: Not quite the information I'm looking for - I just read there to learn more about the safety of the neighborhood and the cleanliness of the resort. HTH!
