Wyndham Sedona

Wyndham Sedona

1500 Kestrel Circle,

Sedona, AZ 86336

Phone: (928) 203-1026

Amenities
Kitchen	X
Laundry	X
Wi-Fi	X
Jacuzzi Tub	X
Fireplace	X

This location has a relaxed atmosphere, with lots of hiking opportunities.  This is a place to go to enjoy the outdoors.  We went in June of 2014, a few days after a fire had gone through the canyon.  The fire closed many of the pretty river locations north of town.  Our room 1125 had an awesome view of the red rock mountains surrounding the town.  One downside was that our room overlooked a lumberyard, but it really didn’t bother me.  When arriving at our room I noticed that the sliding glass door was broken.  It was unable to lock.  I notified the front desk, which seemed put out that I would request it be fixed.  The maintenance man showed up promptly but he seemed to think the town was safe enough.  This is plain bad customer service.  You should never make a customer feel you are willing to risk their safety.  

Grounds

From what I could tell the maintenance staff was made up of just one person.  This of course means the property shows its age.  I don’t think the place has been remodeled since they opened the place; probably in the early 1980’s.  The rooms were clean but because maintenance was not sufficient it looked less than top notch. 

Town

Sedona is a small unique town south of Flagstaff.  This town is run by hippies who never grew up.  It has a cool vibe with lots to do.  Hiking, horseback riding, jeep tours, helicopter rides, spas, and good food.  The Grand Canyon and a cool railroad are just a few hours’ drive away.  One of the coolest things we did on our trip was seeing a place called “Bearizona”; it is a drive through animal rescue that specializes in bears.  There is also a walk through part with learning opportunities.  The town has a “Sedona Upcharge”, but when you come from a state like California it’s actually cheaper. 

Cleanliness	7
Amenities	8
Friendliness	6
Location	7
Extras	8
Atmosphere	8
Average	7.3

Tips:
The “Members Update” is really a sales pitch.  They claim it takes only 45 minutes this is a plain out lie.  The team here is very aggressive and don’t take “No” for an answer.  When we come back here I won’t go through there “Member’s Update” again.  If they ask why I will tell them that we were treated rudely the time before, wanting to say how I really feel.   Frankly I was disappointed with the maintenance and customer service at this place.  I gave them higher marks than probably should have, but I really liked the town and the scenery.

View from our room

Wyndham South Shore

Wyndham South Shore

180 Elks Point road
Zephyr, NV 89448
Phone: 775-588-2388

Amenities
Kitchen	X
Laundry	X
Wi-Fi	X
Jacuzzi Tub	X
Fireplace	X

 

 Rooms

This is one of my favorite properties to come to, not just because it is the closest my home.  I have stayed in several rooms, the latest one 9203 (three bedroom facing the woods) is decorated in a woodsy cabin type feel.  The rooms are all decorated the same, down to all the rooms having the same pictures on the walls.  That aside, this place is well maintained and clean.  The rooms have in room laundry, private bbq on each deck, and flat screen TV’s in each bedroom.  The counter tops are granite and in good condition.  If I were to have one complaint about this place, it would be that they charge $3.00 for movie rentals, and that the Wi-Fi which they recently upgraded comes included for only two devices for two days.  If you have a family with more than two devices or you stay more than two days you have to pay for access. 

Grounds

The grounds are always well maintained.  I have never been here while it is snowing so I don’t know how fast they are at cleaning the parking lot, but they have the needed equipment to do so quickly.  Of the approximately five times I have been here three of them, the pool has been closed for repairs.  The pool area has a children’s pool, hot tub, and the main pool, there is also a bbq in this area.  There is a separate hot tub away from the pool that is fenced off and apparently for adults.  Lastly there is a play area for young children.  All are well maintained and clean.

 

Town

Zephyr Cove has several dining options some within walking distance to the resort.  There are many more dining options in the town of South Lake Tahoe a couple minutes’ drive away.  Although you don’t have lake views from the rooms, the beach is a short walk away.  There are many hiking trails in the area.  Heavenly Ski resort is only about five minutes away.  The resort is across the street from Safeway which is very convenient.

Cleanliness	9
Amenities	9
Friendliness	9
Location	8
Extras	7
Atmosphere	9
Average	8.5

 

Tips:

The members update is really a sales pitch despite the claim that they have no sales office.  The office looks exactly like the sales office in every other timeshare resort.  Building #12 is near the second hot tub.

 

Chaparral Tahoe

Tahoe Chaparral

400 Fairview Boulevard • Incline Village, Nevada
Phone: 775-831-7070

Amenities
Kitchen	X
Laundry	X
Wi-Fi
Jacuzzi Tub
Fireplace	X

Check in is a little odd, you don’t get to deal directly with a person.  You stand in front of a TV screen and talk to the camera.  The host seemed nice but I didn’t care for it.  Our room (37) was beautiful lodge sitting on the side of a cliff.  The room was recently remodeled and the finishes were top of the line.  My only complaint was that although clean.  I found stray hairs in all the sinks and on the bathroom floor.  My guess is the cleaning person does not wear a hair net or hat.  Lastly the bathroom sink had what I am hoping was residue from a cleaning product, but more likely toothpaste from the last guest who stayed the room.  Which means the cleaning was not done properly.  We were on the lake lower side of the road that splits the resort in half, which meant we had great views of the lake.  If only a couple trees could be removed it would be the best views possible.  There may have been Wi-Fi, but the welcome brochure did not give the password and I did not seek it.  When I discovered the dryer had a broken piece the person on the other end of the phone did not seem to care, but she did note it on paperwork, and it was fixed the next morning.  Room comes with parking passes to the closest beaches which is a nice touch.

Grounds

Being that the resort sits on the side of the mountain there were few amenities.  No pool, no hot tub, no bbq area.  What was notable, parking for two cars.  The spaces were narrow, but adequate. 

Town

The resort sits overlooking Incline Village.  Dinning, shopping and gambling within a short drive.  Diamond Peak ski resort is almost within walking distance, assuming you are not walking in ski boots, holding your skis and poles, and not walking along a busy road. 

Cleanliness	7
Amenities	6
Friendliness	8
Average	7

Dophin's Cove Resort Anaheim

Dolphin's Cove Resort
465 W. Orangewood Avenue

Anaheim, California USA 92802

(866) 324-5568

Amenities
Kitchen	X
Laundry	No
Wi-Fi
Jacuzzi Tub	No
Fireplace

Room

The room (114) is right above the office facing West Orangewood Avenue, this made the room very noisy.  I used ear plugs and still struggled to sleep through the night.  I have read reviews since suggesting that rooms near the pool are noisy too, but ones at the far end of the complex were quieter.  The rooms are renovated apartments from the seventies, and they look as though they have not been updated at all.  The rooms were old musty and dirty.  I found a bug in the bed, which creeped me out.  The rooms had no laundry and the appliances in the kitchen were un-clean.  A Google search will reveal that other guests have had issues with the hotel’s cleanliness and maintenance, look under “images” in Google to see what I am talking about. 

Grounds

We were there to visit Disneyland so we did not spend time on the property.  The grounds were fairly clean from a quick glance.

Tips:

Worldmark which owns the property has built a new property and let this one fall into disrepair.  The owner update which was supposed to be 30 minutes stretched into more than an hour and a half.  Further it was supposed to be an owner update but was a pure sales presentation for Worldmark.  I would not recommend staying here, and won’t come back.

Cleanliness	6
Amenities	6
Friendliness	8
Average	6.67

Wyndham Great Smokies Lodge

Wyndham Great Smokies Lodge

1425 Old Knoxville Highway
Sevierville, TN 37876
Phone: 865-286-6480

Amenities
Kitchen	X
Laundry	X
Wifi	X
Jacuzzi Tub	X
Fireplace	X

Queen set in guest room

Room
Our room was a presidential suite facing the golf course.  On the fifth floor we had excellent views of the surrounding valley and golf course.  Being a Presidential suite all the upgrades are there.  We had a two bedroom with a king bed in one and two queens in the other.  Both bedrooms had their own adjoining bath with granite counter tops.  Full shower and separate Jacuzzi tub in the master and a shower/tub combo in the guest bath.  Both bathrooms had double sinks and plenty of room.  The kitchen was full sized with stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops.  The room came with a living room furnished with a full couch and comfy chair.  Flat screen TV’s in both bedrooms and one in the living room.  The fireplace in the living room is a great touch.

View from the room

Grounds

On the ground floor facing the course sits a gas fire pit with comfortable chairs to sit in.  One of the big draws is the onsite waterparks, three of them to be exact.  One indoor park and two outdoor parks for guests to use.  Our room came with access to the waterparks, but they also sell tickets to the parks suggesting that not all rooms come with free waterpark access.  These waterparks are not the full sized ones you might see at standalone sites, but they’re not steps from your room which is very convenient.  If the waterparks are not enough there is also a large arcade for kids.  All this adds up to lots of families, which can be noisy, having a room away from the water park on the golf course is a quieter option. 

Town

Sevierville runs into Pigeon Forge, both are on the touristy side, which makes this hotel’s location off the main road great.  If you like the tourist traps, mini golf courses, and cheap souvenir shops you won’t have to travel far.  But the best attraction for us is the Smokey Mountains.  The mountains offer endless hikes with waterfalls and creaks around every bend.  Check out the historical sites in the National park 20 minutes from the hotel (Cades Cove). 

Cleanliness	9
Amenities	10
Friendliness	10
Average	9.7

Tips:

Get a room near the golf course if you want a quiet stay.

While the presentation does only take 10 – 15 minutes, leaving right after that is not easy.