Best Things Nearby:
Everything is about 30 minutes or more from the resort, and gas here is expensive. However, this place is absolutely beautiful, as it is set back into the mountains and well maintained. There is Legoland, Wild Animal Park, San Diego Zoo/Balboa Park (Note: Every Tuesday they have a free day at one of the museums: check Frommer’s Guide online for the dates and museums), Six Flags (2 hours), Disney, Oceanside Beach (the beaches this time of year have cold water, so you want to have long sleeves on), Del Mar Beach (has a playground and places to view the beach for lovers), Carlsbad Beach, and much more. They also have bus tours to Hollywood, Tijuana, Balboa Park, and casinos.
Best Things About the Resort:
Well, this place has it ALL. This is definitely one of the best timeshares we have stayed at in awhile. They have three heated swimming pools and a pool especially for kids with a splash playground and heated pool with a waterslide resembling a big boulder. They are expanding, and the newer units are gorgeous and are two-bedroom lock-offs (which they are asking $38,000 to buy). They have a movie theatre, diner theatre, golf courses (three of them), a shopping center, and four recreation areas. My favorite is in the newer section, where they have an outdoor fireplace and a cozy and plush area to watch movies, use the Internet, play games, or swim in the kid's pool. They have grills at the rec centers, and the staff will light them for you if you ask. That area also has a kid's playroom with books, games, toys, and two TV’s, and you can borrow a Playstation game player and games. Exercise rooms are not that equipped but have the basics (no free weights, though).
Resort Experience:
I called a month ahead to get a map of the resort and decide where I would like to have my stay (if they let me choose). It was a breeze and an easy experience, as I called 2 weeks ahead of time (and was told to call about 3 days ahead) and requested a unit near the lake and children’s pool. I got room no. 374, and it was a wonderful location. The ground floor is great if you have kids, because it gives your kids an area to play in the grass and a patio on level with the Lakeview to have meals. There is easy access to fishing and feeding the ducks.
The unit: Well, we were in the older section, Phase 2, and we had a two-bedroom with two full baths. The unit was huge. The furniture was a bit outdated and worn (i.e. two of the chairs had holes in the vinyl), but the rest of the room was in excellent order. The decor was cheery, and you had plenty of room to move around. You had a separate eating area and a breakfast bar, washer/dryer, and stocked kitchen. The master bed was large, with a king-size bed, full closet, shutters, and private sliding glass door opening onto the patio. There is also an entrance to the patio from the living room area and the second bedroom. The windows are all covered with tasteful shutters. The bathrooms were huge, with separate rooms for the toilet, and each had two sinks in them, with tasteful ceramic counters in the kitchen and bathrooms. The master bath has an enclosed soaking tub with a showerhead and two sinks on opposite walls. The second bathroom doesn’t have a tub, only a shower, but it is a huge shower with a built-in ceramic bench.
- Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
- Activities: Excellent
- Amenities: Excellent
- Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
- Family Friendliness: Excellent
- Service: Excellent