Which Pompano Beach Wyndham?

[jwalk03]

Thinking of taking a trip to Florida in April, with a 4 day rental at Bonnet Creek followed by a 3-day rental at one of the Wyndham beach locations. (We just rented a week at Daytona in 2019, so don't want that one and Clearwater is not showing any availability.) So which of the Pompano Beach locations is best? Looks like they all are showing availability for the dates we are looking to rent in late April. Me, my wife, and our kids ages 7 & 2.

 

[Braindead]

Royal Vista gets my vote.

 

[Jan M.]

If you want to be on the beach I second Royal Vista. If you want a resort with more to do for the kids then Palm-Aire. It's not on the beach but if you stay there you can use the beach and restrooms at Sea Gardens or Royal Vista.

You will have a 3-3.25 hour drive depending on traffic from Bonnet Creek to Pompano Beach.

One of the pools at Royal Vista

 

[chapjim]

Royal Vista, hands down, although we've stayed at Santa Barbara a lot and enjoyed it.

 

[Jan M.]

Royal Vista, hands down, although we've stayed at Santa Barbara a lot and enjoyed it.

Santa Barbara is right across the street from Royal Vista. Can you use the pool at Royal Vista if you stay at Santa Barbara? It doesn't look like it's that many more points to book Royal Vista in late April than it would be to book Santa Barbara.

jwalk03 if you are considering Palm-Aire make sure you book the Fountain Palm or Sabol Palm Buildings. It's a shame that Wyndham doesn't have better pictures on the owner website. Palm-Aire has mini golf, a kids pool and splash pad, a water slide and a little playground.

 

[r4rab]

We stayed at the Royal Vista about a year ago. It was very nice and right on the beach. No hot tub or other amenities that I can think of though. 2 pools + kiddie pool + tiki bar + beach. However, at the time you were allowed to also go use the facilities at Santa Barbara down the street or Palm Aire if you wanted to get in the car and drive. We really liked the Royal Vista; 1 BR with wrap around balcony was one of the units my wife has enjoyed the most in all of our various stays. When our niece came down for a day to visit with her kids we spent a couple hours at Palm Aire playing mini golf and in their pool but we preferred Royal Vista.

 

[Jan M.]

We stayed at the Royal Vista about a year ago. It was very nice and right on the beach. No hot tub or other amenities that I can think of though. 2 pools + kiddie pool + tiki bar + beach. However, at the time you were allowed to also go use the facilities at Santa Barbara down the street or Palm Aire if you wanted to get in the car and drive. We really liked the Royal Vista; 1 BR with wrap around balcony was one of the units my wife has enjoyed the most in all of our various stays. When our niece came down for a day to visit with her kids we spent a couple hours at Palm Aire playing mini golf and in their pool but we preferred Royal Vista.

It never occurred to me that when you stay at Royal Vista you can go to Palm-Aire to do things there. That is good to know!

 

[chapjim]

Santa Barbara is right across the street from Royal Vista. Can you use the pool at Royal Vista if you stay at Santa Barbara? It doesn't look like it's that many more points to book Royal Vista in late April than it would be to book Santa Barbara.

jwalk03 if you are considering Palm-Aire make sure you book the Fountain Palm or Sabol Palm Buildings. It's a shame that Wyndham doesn't have better pictures on the owner website. Palm-Aire has mini golf, a kids pool and splash pad, a water slide and a little playground.

An easy walk but not quite "right across the street." Royal Vista (1110 S. Ocean) is about four buildings north of Santa Barbara (1301 S. Ocean). Yes, beach access and other facilities are Royal Vista are available to Santa Barbara guests.

I don't golf so I haven't asked but I think the beach shuttle from Palm-Aire becomes a golf shuttle on the return and that guests at Royal Vista and Santa Barbara (presumably Sea Gardens as well) have golf "privileges" at Palm Aire. Don't know what that is worth.

The Royal Vista points chart has four weeks (23-24 and 48-49) that are High Season, four weeks (36-39) that are Value Season (read, hurricane season). The rest of the year is Prime. So, yes, a couple weeks in June are relative bargains. I don't think I've ever reserved at Royal Vista with a VIP discount or had a unit upgraded. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever been able to book a 1BR unit there.

 

[cbyrne1174]

Santa Barbara 1 bedroom units are 1200 sq feet, the same as a 2 bedroom. The views are also decent with the waterway and beach across the street. They only have 1 small pool but Royal Vista is walkable.

Royal Vista deluxe units are ocean view, but you're right on the water.

Palm air has the most amenities and are the cheapest on points.


How are you on HK credits? Reunion was on sale 35% OFF during the value season in April and those units are amazing. It's also only 10 mins from Bonnet Creek. I hesitated to go there because I dont need 3 bedrooms, but those units are better than BC.

 

[CruiseGuy]

Royal Vista deluxe units are ocean view, but you're right on the water.

Not all Royal Vista deluxe units are ocean view. There are many deluxe units facing the street or without an ocean view, its a common complaint at the resort, and a situation we've encountered several times despite owning there.

 

[cbyrne1174]

Then what are the point saver units? Seems like that makes royal vista not worth the extra points compared to santa barbara.

 

[capital city]

they are for units that overlook the parking garage ramp but still with a ocean view and rooms next to elevators I think.

 

[CruiseGuy]

I really wish they would have put all Royal Vista ocean view units in their own category with a points differentiation from those units without a view, like some other resorts do. You don't know until you check in if you will have an ocean view (unless you are an owner with VIP gold or platinum and request it). Plus, I believe this is abused and these units are sometimes given as rewards for attending presentations instead of to the owners paying the higher maintenance fees there, especially during the period where check in was combined with parking pass for a year or so. Hope that stays separate now.

 

[capital city]

I wish there was a guarentee too, I'd pay the extra points. I had 1 ocean view there and the last 4 times I havent and I'm pretty sure about 75% have a ocean view and I own there. I went there in person ( I was at Sea Gardens) to request ocean view again for 3 weeks from now. The lady at the desk was awesome as usual and put in the request noting I was a owner, had not had a ocean view in years and put about 10 please in there. If I don't get a ocean view this time I'll get rid of my deed most likely. I have CWA as well and can book Arp with that and Royal Vista mf are I believe $.75 or so/thousand higher then CWA.

 

[cbyrne1174]

Worldmark Ocean Walk had a guaranteed view category for their units. "Deluxe" means ocean front. In Club Wyndham, you have to book a 3 bedroom or 2 bedroom lock off. I didn't know that about Royal Vista. From what you guys are saying, it seems safer to stay at Santa Barbara if you want a 1 bedroom close to the Ocean. At least you are guaranteed 1200 sq feet. I've only stayed at Palm-Aire because I had a car to get to the beach and that's the Pompano location best for kids. Just avoid the Royal Palm and Queen Palm buildings if you stay there.

As far as what the OP was asking, if I was in his shoes I would still stay at Ocean Walk again. My 4 year old daughter LOVES that resort. She loves the "kids toy room", children's water feature, lazy river, and building sandcastles. She also loves the candy shop at the boardwalk and getting Coldstone, Johnny Rockets or going to see a movie. The waterpark and gokarts are also a 5 min walk from the resort for older kids. I go there twice a year myself. It's my favorite beach resort by far for a family getaway.

I live 45 mins from Clearwater and am at that beach all the time. There aren't that many "family" things to do there. There is a park right next to the resort and good places to grab food. The amenities there are more geared towards adults. They have inflatables they can play on north of the resort, but it's mainly a destination for teens and adults.

If you end up going to the Destin locations, Emerald Grande has the best amenities (Harborwalk village), but it's also hardest to book and most expensive. Majestic Sun has basic amenities and costs the same as Ocean Walk. I wasn't a fan. PCB has the best views of the ocean of all the FL resorts. I just wish they would build a lazy river and children's feature there. The non-Wyndham side of the resort has the room for another pool. This is my 2nd favorite family Wyndham beach location. Pier park, gokarts, minigolf and a waterpark are all nearby. The one bedrooms are pricy, but you can request a bunk bed so the kids don't have to sleep on a pull out.

Summary: For little kids, Ocean Walk and PCB are the best beach resorts in FL.

 

[vacationhopeful]

I prefer Santa Barbara over Royal Vista. The pool at Santa Barbara is on the south side of the building (lots of SUN). There is a hot tub.

BUT ... Santa Barbara still has some FIXED WEEK owners … hence, room assignments for multiple week stays MIGHT require a room change. And if you can find a desirable (for you) Fixed Week Santa Barbara week. GRAB IT.

 

[joestein]

I just wanted to add my 2 cents:

The area around Royal Vista and Santa Barbara is very nice.

The area around Sea Gardens is OK.

The area around Palm Aire is HORRIBLE. The resort is like a walled oasis in the desert.

However, I haven't been down for 5 years as my parents have passed. So maybe its changed.

When my parents were alive, we stayed at Palm Aire almost every year. I would have stayed at Roya Vista, but we were doing the 28K week exchange trick with RCI and Royal Vista was in II.

I will say that Palm Aire itself is a very nice resort. It has the nicest pool area and a lot of activities. There is a bar and restaurant in the breezeway. As an earlier poster said, make sure you are in the main 3 buildings that are attached to the pool area. You don't want to be in the outlier buildings.

 

[jberndt10]

Would always choose Santa Barbara over Royal Vista. To us the smaller size gives it a homier feel and the pool is never crowded. Always enjoy walking through the residential area in the evening.

 

[OutSkiing]

Would always choose Santa Barbara over Royal Vista. To us the smaller size gives it a homier feel and the pool is never crowded. Always enjoy walking through the residential area in the evening.

We like aspects of Santa Barbara better than Royal Vista as well. Not only is SB homier, they also allow you to use the pool and grill later into the night. Over at Royal Vista the guard comes out at I believe 9:00pm and tells everyone they have to get out of the pool .. and that they have to stop using the grill. Claims its a liability. Why is that not a liability at Santa Barbara then where you can swim and hot tub until I think 11:00?

RV also has the huge risk of getting a parking lot view while SB has nice views of the intercoastal as well as ocean.

Bob

 

[HeidingOut]

This is just my two cents as I just returned. The kid's activities is fabulous at Palm Aire. The pools, slides, kids club, mini golf are all really great. But, I just want to second joestein's opinion that the area around Palm Aire is very undesirable. Royal Vista is definitely better. Also, the Palm Aire shuttle only runs twice a day. Don't remember the exact times but maybe one at 9 that returned at 3 or you could take the 10 that returned at 4 (but it was an either/or choice). The management at PalmAire leaves something to be desired for sure. They had a ton of folks coming in that had reserved rooms and they had cancelled their reservations at Palm Aire. On the Saturday before New Years the bartender didn't show up. When asked if they were planning on opening the bar, they stated..."oh that employee didn't come into work today". I found the Guest Services manager absolutely horrid -- Rae something. I saw several guests he was screaming at in the lobby. One lady was crying who had a 3-year-old in her lap. He kept practically screaming at her, "your reservation was cancelled in our system". She was telling him that it was still showing up in her Wyndham app. She had no idea it was cancelled and they had just flown in. Seriously, I felt so badly I was about to offer her to sleep in our room.

I would say to stay away from Palm Aire. We will not be returning. Royal Vista looked very nice by the way.

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

One thing not mentioned about Palm Aire is that there is a casino right across the street. It is nothing like Las Vegas or Oklahoma or Mississippi or Atlantic City casinos. They have a lot of machines, and they have a NY-style deli/restaurant. They have a sit-down buffet-style restaurant, closed on Mondays. They have a horse-racing stadium, but they don't use it any longer.

TS

 

[joestein]

the Palm Aire shuttle only runs twice a day. Don't remember the exact times but maybe one at 9 that returned at 3 or you could take the 10 that returned at 4 (but it was an either/or choice).

It might have changed, but we were able to park at Royal Vista using our Palm Aire Parking Permit. We always drove and never used the shuttle.

Wherever you stay, you must eat at THE WHALE'S RIB in Deerfield Beach. My favorite restaurant in that part of Florida.