Timesharetalk Forum - Resort Write-Up - (Resorts N to T)

The Regency Country Club - Tenerife

p_a_wilson@timesharetalk.co.uk — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:05:45 +0100

There are 44 replies, with the last one on 22/10/2009 at 21:05:45 by p_a_wilson
Quote:
I have just started a website

see http://www.regencycountryclubfroum.com

Please post as much as you like - Patrick PS past it on

quote:
Originally posted by Jeff

quote:
Originally posted by Monty

Recent replies have been most worrying. We need a forum through which we can express views and hold management to account.

Monty, why not invite everyone to post on Timesharetalk?

Thurnham Hall - England

Doggy50k@timesharetalk.co.uk — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:33:44 +0100

There are 1 replies, with the last one on 13/08/2009 at 22:33:44 by Doggy50k
Quote:
For more information on unit sizes have a look here:

http://www.timesharetalk.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11268

Pearly Grey Ocean Club, Tenerife

Vivienne@timesharetalk.co.uk — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:20:29 +0100

The Pearly Grey is a very nice, friendly complex and the staff were always very helpful. We stayed in a lovely, large two-bedroom apartment with two bathrooms as my sister came with us. We were not in the main building but adjacent to it so I don�t know whether the two-bedroom apartments there are the same size. We could see the sea from our balcony but unfortunately did have a large sun terrace between the sea and our balcony. There was a Welcome Party the day after we arrived with lots of Sangria supplied and a Farewell Party with �Champagne�. Callao Salvaje is not the place to stay if you like a lot of nightlife and are fond of going on the beach as it is quite a small place with only a small black sand beach. There are, however, a variety of different restaurants nearby � Chinese, Indian, Italian, French, English, Spanish and there is a supermarket just across the road with a larger one a few minutes walk away. If you don�t want to hire a car.there is a bus stop a few minutes walk away to Los Cristianos in one direction and Los Gigantes in the other.

There are the usual type of daytime activities organised like aquafit, bowling, darts, pool, quizzes etc. and it was enjoyable just to relax around the pool and join in some of the activities when we were able to have a chat to the other guests.

We had a meal at the Chinese Buffet, the Indian Restaurant and another restaurant which I forget the name of but we dined four evenings at the Pearly Grey � they had a barbecue evening which was 12 Euros and a Canarian evening at 13 Euros but only 22 Euros if you booked both at the same time. They served a large plateful of food which was very good, just the one course, and you had a drink included at both of them. On the other two evenings we had a four course Sunday Roast at 17.50 Euros which included soup, a large selection of salads, main course and a selection of sweets, all of which you could help yourselves to. It was 18.50 Euros for the four course International Evening with soup, again a lovely selection of salads, and seven different International dishes and you could help yourself to a bit of each, and then sweets. No drink was included with these meals but I could recommend all of them.

Getting a sun lounger was never a problem and there always seemed to be some available even later in the day.

In the evening there was a quiz and perhaps a bit of audience participation starting at 9 pm and then there were some good artists on, normally about 10 pm followed by dancing and karaoke until 12. Not being into living it up until the early hours we were quite content to have a nice meal and then go in the bar for the entertainment.

Although there were people staying there for two weeks and some for three weeks, we did feel that a week had been long enough for us and were happy to move on to the Paradise Club at Torviscas for our second week, but we had enjoyed our week there very much.

Orange Lake Country Club , Orlando, Florida, USA

Alan C@timesharetalk.co.uk — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:31:18 +0100

There are 3 replies, with the last one on 03/10/2008 at 16:31:18 by Alan C
Quote:
I have stayed at Orange Lakke twice, once in the late 80's and once in 2005.

Enjoyed both times although resort had changed beyond recognition

All the positive comments are fair. We liked the accommodation very much and it had very many facilities, all well maintained.

If there were any downsides , I would say 2. One was the restaurants - pretty average. The other was the timeshare sales - my mistake for going. We didnt have the experience outlined by the other writer, it was the good old fashioned hard sell.

In terms of restaurants there are loads near by and the facilities were great in our unit which overlooked the golf.

All in all had a great time at Orange Lake and would recommend it.

Whitbarrow Village, Cumbria

wilsonjenny@timesharetalk.co.uk — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:20:35 +0100

Seasons Whitbarrow Village, Berrier, Penrith, Cumbria
Date: 19 � 26th April 2008
Cottage No. B2 (Bowness 2) � 2 bed/1 bath (actually had 1 double and 2 very small single rooms)
Ages of Guests: 60 & 61

This is a timeshare resort and our exchange was via Interval International. Our first impressions of the resort were very favourable; however the cottages were in need of refurbishment and were what could be described as quaint! Check in went smoothly and the staff were very professional and friendly. An information pack is given to each party and you are required to leave a credit card deposit, which is fully refundable on departure. We had the keys to our cottage 30 mins before the official check in of 16.00.

COTTAGE: On the ground floor there is a small fitted kitchen, separate dining area with both front and back door and bathroom. Stairs up to the 3 bedrooms, small landing and lounge area.

KITCHEN/DINING AREA: Well equipped with utensils, cutlery, glasses & crockery for 6 people. Dishwasher, oven, microwave, small fridge (needs replacing), oven with 4 electric rings. Tea, coffee, sugar, washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, tea cloth and wash cloth provided. There was no washing machine � launderette on site. The dining area was adequate and outside the back door there was a patio area with a green plastic patio set (4 people only). This area was shared with the next door cottage. The dining area was stone flagged in keeping with the old farmhouse d�cor of the cottage and the kitchen had a sisal carpet. Stairs off the dining room that lead to the upstairs landing. Plenty of room for muddy boots and rucksacks by the front door.

LOUNGE: First floor and very narrow. This looked as if some of the furniture had been replaced, but can�t be sure. There were two modern leather settees & a chair, nest of coffee tables, TV (with freeview channels � no SKY), music centre, DVD, plenty of table lamps and wall lighting.

BATHROOM: Needs a complete refurbish � the bath did not match the toilet or washbasin in colour. Shower over bath, toilet and wash basin with heated towel rail (not of the modern variety). Not much in the way of shelf space, vanity light over mirror. The bathroom smelt of stale water and it could have done with a good clean down with bleach, although it may have been the shower curtain that was making the smell. Plenty of towels as this cottage slept 6 people and there were only 2 of us staying. Otherwise you get one bath and one hand towel per person for the entire week. There were also two small tablets of toilet soap provided, but no shower gel, shampoo or facial tissues.

BEDROOMS: 1 Double bed against the wall, 1 dressing table and wardrobe. The two single rooms had single beds, a bedside cabinet and wardrobes. The bedrooms were very sparsely furnished in oak and could do with a makeover. There was a hair dryer provided in one of the rooms. However it was impossible to use in two of the bedrooms as the plug sockets were not easily located for the plug, so one bedroom was used as my dressing room (sounds grand), but it wasn�t. Windows were of the Velux type with a pull down blind. Beams and plasterwork in keeping with the d�cor associated with a converted farm building.

GROUNDS: There is extensive building work being done at present, and when it is finished I am sure it will be lovely. The cottage we had was part of the original development of converted farm buildings that are housed in cobbled flagged courtyards and faced the old clock tower with the back door and patio overlooking the duck pond and village green area. The original areas were well kept with lots of flowers planted in garden beds and pots throughout the various authentic stone walkways.

There is no car parking outside the cottages and you have to park in the large car park and walk through. You can, however drive down to unload your cases. If you are disabled you can park outside with a special permit available from reception.

RECPTION AREA/RESTAURANT/BAR/ENTERTAINMENT AREA: The reception area is in the same building as the leisure centre and is very modern and swish. It hasn�t been opened long and so the furnishings are all in excellent condition. You go upstairs to the on-site restaurant and bar area. We only eat on-site one night as we tended to go out to eat or stop off on the way home from walking the hills. The food was good and plentiful and not overpriced. There is a separate bar and entertainment section adjacent to the restaurant, where varied weekly entertainment is held (list available from reception). Although this area is new it is nothing out of the ordinary and is brightly lit with a small dance floor. There is a large outside patio area that looks out over the countryside that would make a nice spot to enjoy a glass of wine or beer on a warm sunny evening.

LEISURE CENTRE: Brand new and housing a swimming pool and separate children�s pool, Jacuzzi. There is also a sauna and sunbed available. The gym looked well equipped. You are required to sign a disclaimer prior to using the leisure centre.

No daily maid service or midweek clean. A mid week linen change can be provided for a charge of �9.50 for 2, �11.00 for 4, �13.00/6 and �15.00 for 8. You are strongly advised to fill in the inventory check list on arrival and take it back to reception within 24 hours. This will be checked on departure and any breakages or damage will be charged for against your credit card deposit.

Utility charge: We were advised on check-in that there is a standard charge of �26.00 for electric but on checkout we were advised that there was no charge. Whether they had made a mistake we don�t know or that they had decided to waive this as there was no electric to the entire village for one day from 8.30am � 4.30pm.

Seasons sales force on site and we were given an invitation by one of the reps to attend a morning meeting, which we declined. They seemed to be very busy the times we walked by their offices. There was also an invitation to join a welcome meeting that we also declined.

RECOMMENDED RESTAURANTS/INNS TO TRY: Sportsman Inn, just down the road towards the A66. Good pub grub and large portions. Lovely ice cream.

TROUTBECK INN: Approx 2 miles towards Keswick on the left hand side. Recommend booking as was fully booked twice and is popular.

TRAVELLER�S REST INN: Near Grasmere � good food and ambience in a 16th century inn. If good weather you can sit outside and enjoy the extensive views.

GIANNI�S � Penrith. Good Italian food in the centre of Penrith � in a courtyard next to the Edinburgh Woollen Shop.

The resort is situated in a quiet area with no shops close by � nearest is approx 6 miles away. We were advised that an on-site shop would be forthcoming soon. The area itself is just outside of the Lake District National Park and is halfway between Keswick & Penrith off the A55 and makes a good base to explore the area, therefore a car is essential to get the best out of your stay. At the time of our visit there was extensive construction work being carried out building new lodges that are larger and more up to date than the original cottages. We were advised that all exchanges are put into the older cottages and the newer cottages were used by Seasons members and potential new members on promotional visits who were required to attend a sales presentation. There are numerous inns and restaurant in and around the area and Penrith and Keswick are in close proximity to the resort. For younger children there is a playground area and crazy golf as well as large draughts/chess board. We were advised that as soon as the new development and landscaping were finalised, that the older and original timeshare cottages would be refurbished. All guests are invited to a sales meeting, but we declined, so we did not glean any further information on plans for the future.

I would not recommend the older cottages for anyone disabled or who has difficulty in climbing stairs and would strongly recommend that you advise reception or booking agent prior to arrival, to ascertain the suitability of the accommodation.

As we are only interested in walking the fells and climbing the hills when we visit The Lakes, the accommodation was not as important as at other times and was preferable to being in a hotel room. It must also be noted that there was only two of us in a cottage that slept 6 people, so I don�t know what a 1 bedded cottage would have been like for space. Our thoughts were that we would not refuse to stay at this resort again, but it would not be at the top of our list, unless refurbished. All in all we had a good week in a spectacular part of the country and enjoyed our stay in the Lake District

Oliva Beach Club (CLC)

boiler@timesharetalk.co.uk — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:04:28 +0100

There are 3 replies, with the last one on 29/04/2008 at 16:04:28 by boiler
Quote:
Baz overall you should note that you have to travel to find anywhere to eat and can be expensive, although if your looking for views and history you will be well rewarded.

Royal Goan Beach Club Benaulim

chouldsworth@timesharetalk.co.uk — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:33:47 +0100

Resort Name: Royal Goan Beach Club
Location: Benaulim Beach, Goa
Exchange Company: RCI
Date of Visit: April 2007
Ages of party: 50s

Do not confuse this with a the nearby Royal Palms resort which is also run by Royal Goan Beach Club - the two are totally different.

We stayed in a two bedroomed unit. This was extremely spacious and was on two floors. The downstairs floor was the lounge area with seating area and TV with lots of English speaking programmes.
There was an air conditioning unit, which cut out intermittently.
There was a kitchen area with kettle/toaster etc, but to be honest we never used this kitchen.
There was also a shower room/toilet on this floor.
On the second floor there were two bedrooms (one twin and one with king size bed), both rooms had ceiling fans.
There was also a very large shower room and toilet with drying space for clothes.
Everything was very clean and tidy, but this is India and therefore you cannot expect european or american quality.

The resort itself is very compact with a small swim up bar and small pool in a grassed area. There are sunbeds around the pool area but because of the layout of the resort it does not allow a lot of direct sunshine and becomes very hot and humid because of the enclosed space.
There is a restaurant on site which is very good (but by Goan standards rather more pricey than elsewhere - nevertheless very convenient).
Hairdresser/beauty room/massage
Small gym
There is an entertainment programme and activities like BBQs and bingo.
THE STAFF ARE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL AND FRIENDLY.

The local beach is about a 10 minute walk away - don't be put off by this, it is not unpleasant. If you take the road you will pass little gift shops and some local houses, you can even cut through the Leela Palace, but you can get a taxi right outside the resort if you don't feel up to this walk. If you turn right down a dirt path just outside the hotel you will get to a different part of the beach at the other side of the Leela.

At the end of the road, near the beach there are a couple of eating places and on the beach itself you will find two beach shacks - both of these provide excellent value for money and typical Goan food. We had breakfast/lunch here most days.

There are lots of female beach hawkers - but if you say you will buy something on the day you leave they will leave you alone until then. Take any shampoo/soap etc that you do not use during your holiday as this is really appreciated.

Within walking distance of the resort in the opposite direction you will find several other shops and eating establishments. There are also other villages nearby, within walking distance, but as the taxis are so convenient, take a longer trip to Margao for instance to see the local market - you won't have seen anything like it. Go out of the resort for maximum value and variety - we ate like kings for a week - the king prawns are unbelievable!

Residence Universo - Pre St Didier, Italy

pinkkipper@timesharetalk.co.uk — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:33:18 +0100

Resort: Residence Universo

Trades with RCI
Date of Visit Feb 2008
Ages of party 2 mid/late 40, 9 & 12 yr old

Website: http://www.residenceuniverso.com/
Local tourist authority: http://www.regione.vda.it/turismo/default_e.asp

Location
Located in the (very) small village of Pre St Didier the Residence Universo is situated at the top of the Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps 5Km from the town of Cormeyeur.

The resort is in the centre of the village backing onto the town square, as such its really easy to find but be aware that you will have problems parking in the car park there are 74 apartments but only parking for about 10 cars Weekends are particularly bad as a lot of the accommodation in the village is owned by people in Turin or Milan who come up for the weekend. When we arrived they were treble parked in the car park and the street outside was full of cars parked on the pavement. (The Village has a free multi storey car park and a free car park next to the Pool It just means that you have to walk).

The village is on a regular bus route (next to the church over the road) and has the local railway station (The resort recommends getting off at Aosta 40 km away but a one way Taxi cost me 90). A car is probably a real requirement to get the best out of the area.

Being located at the head of the Aosta Valley means that you are always under the view of Europe's tallest mountain Mt Blanc.

Day trips can include the Ski resort of La Thule (10KM away), the Petit St Bernard pass (Closed in Winter) and France via the Mt Blanc tunnel. Aosta is a historical city only 30 mins away by Taxi.

Reception

Reception is located at what feels like the back of the building and is manned 8:00 24:00

Its a bit uninspiring and felt a little like a Taxi waiting area with an ever changing variety of staff dressed in jeans & t-shirt. The fish tank provides some entertainment if you have to wait there. Amusingly the security camera is an old camcorder bolted to the wall.

On arrival we were booked in, handed a key and pointed upstairs - no words were exchanged. Part of the issue here is that only one of receptionists has English (I say the same as I said last time but that's part of the fun of travel). If you need anything more specific then they bring up the internet and use on-line translation tools.

There are a number of notice boards in the corridor leading to the lifts, these are in Italian but there was an Interski guide to the area available (see other comments) and this lists a number of places to visit including the location of supermarkets etc.

Accommodation
Basic and worn sums up the accommodation

We had one of the largest apartments 113 - a 2 room that could sleep 6 (1 double bed with 4 convertible sofa beds), it backs onto what I assume is the store room for the bar so you do get some noise through the wall, its also on top of the local sports shop but this caused no problems.

I didn't get the chance to see any other apartments but with ours being located on the corner it may have been larger that some of the others at the cost of balcony size (no chairs and always in the shade we never used it).

The lounge area was large and was dominated by a room divider splitting the dining table away from the rest of the accommodation, the lounge contained 4 sofa beds as well as the TV and a number of small tables.

All rooms are sparse with furnishings dating from what looks like the 70's, the sofa beds were showing signs of wear.
All floors other than the bathroom are carpeted. This had a large melt mark in front of the sink where a hot pan had obviously been put down, this was covered by a rug.

The kitchen is partial; 4 hot rings, a sink, fridge and a dishwasher (that leaked water).

Bathroom is tight with shower/toilet/Bidet and sink crammed in, this is the only room with a radiator. The rest of the Apartment is heated by one air heating unit which is noisy and not very efficient supplemented by a free standing heater in the lounge.

The TV received a number of Italian & French channels, I cant say what the radio would have played as it buttons were broken.

Facilities
The resort has a weight room and a jacuzzi in the basement - for those of you who ski there are a number of lockers (actually these form the wall to the weights room). There is an on site restaurant and a bar upstairs, the bar has occasional entertainment.

There are 2 small lifts that are rated for 5 people we managed 1 person with bags so I would expect that 5 could be a bit of a crush.

There is a very small supermarket, local specialist food shop, hairdressers and a sports shop located in the same development.

The village itself has a Bakery, Bank(with Cash machine), Pharmacy, Hardware shop and hairdressers, Library and Doctors as well as a number of estate agencies. Most of the hotels have places to eat but these may be full of Interski clients who all eat at the same time.

In addition to these facilities the village is also home to the regional swimming pool (walking distance) and the biggest local attraction the Thermal Baths (http://www.termedipre.it).

The nearest big supermarket is in Morgex about 5km away, this is built on 2 levels and the big attraction here is the chain lift used to move the trolley up and down the stairs my kids thought it was great fun. As its the largest supermarket in the area the Interski coaches do stop there so be prepared to queue. A full sized superstore is available just beyond Aosta but that will cost you 10 on toll fees.

I understand that in summer there are some interesting walks up the local gorge but we could only get part way up these as they were blocked by snow.

Other Comments
We used this resort as a base for skiing at Courmayeur the RCI blurb indicates that there is a discount of 10% on the ski pass but I asked about this and was told that there is no discount (perhaps the internet translation was not good enough).

INTERSKI - The village and the Universo are used as an accommodation base by Interski the largest ski company in the Aosta Valley This company specialises in school ski trips and a lot of alarm bells were ringing when we found this out. When we were there at least two schools were staying in the resort but the Interski programme starts at 7:15 in the morning and keeps them occupied until 10pm, we had no disturbance but the hot water did run out on a couple of nights. As already pointed out we could hear the bar next door (but it only had entertainment on 2 evenings)

A 6 day Ski pass for Courmayeur also covers 2 days at resorts in the Aosta Valley and 1 day in France. While there is a ski bus its an infrequent service that goes between La Thule and Courmayeur basically a car is essential.

Overall View
I have mixed feelings about my trips to the Italian Alps the locations are always spectacular but that accommodations always seems to be of a lower standard than I would like. That said in points terms this was the cheapest week I have ever had costing me the equivalent of 59% of one day at my home resort!

I'm already looking for next years ski holiday (actually I have been looking for 3 months) and wont rule the Universo out - not because of the Universo itself but because of the quality of the skiing just up the road.

Sahara Sunset , Belamadena, Costa del Sol, Spain

daveandmaureen@timesharetalk.co.uk — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:04:36 +0100

Herewith a Resort Report for our recent week away

Sahara Sunset (SS), Benalmadena, Costa del Sol
12th to 18th January, 2008
Party of two late fifties, husband & wife

Web site: https://www.diamondresorts.com/europe/resorts.aspx?property=SAH

Last year at the above time we went to Santa Barbara in Tenerife and had a very pleasant week. We took the 81 year old mother in law (couldn't bring myself to kiss her goodbye if we had left her at home.) We wondered if the weather would be good enough to enjoy a January week on mainland Spain.

The Weather:
Was fine, one late evening of heavy rain which continued for about 12 hours, and one very windy evening which took part of the roof of the pool building at SS! Other than this a very pleasant week certainly shirt sleeves weather by day with a thin jacket or similar required in the evenings.

The Apartment:
Not a refurbished unit but very nicely positioned overlooking the pool on the first floor which is just what we asked for when we replied to the Resort Managements e-mail. Our booking was at half points so we booked a 2 bedroom apartment to give us a bit of extra room but we could have managed easily with the one bedroom unit as the apartment was quite spacious. We stayed in Royal Palm block unit RPF1. We even had a view of the sea by looking to the left from the edge of the balcony.

Eating Out:
Expert planner I read all the available resort reports and by the time we arrived I could almost see and taste the superb food at the Blue Lamp (turn right at the sails roundabout). So off we went to sample this culinary delight on Sunday night.. can you believe it Closed for Annual Holidays on the front door!!! How could they!!!
I will supply our opinion of the best eating place we found just in case the Blue Lamp is closed when you visit. It's called La Taberna Santa Ana and you will find it on the road (not the pedestrian walkway) in the direction of the Marina. Just past the windmills roundabout and 50 yards past the Miniature Golf. A good choice of meals, at affordable prices with very attentive and I think English staff. It was so good we ate there 3 times (no not all on the same evening).

Entertainment:
In January lots of places are closed (or on holiday) but there is live music or similar each evening at the Bonanza Bar (near would you believe Bonanza square) and as a smaller establishment called Busby's Bar which is again on the road to the Marina past the above restaurant near the main turning up towards Bonanza Square. You should be able to pick up a copy of The Town Crier (local free paper) the centre pages of which tell you who is on where and when. A Welsh singer Ricky Lavazza was very good and Rob Stevens can sing most things (including a very passable Nessum Dorma) although not really suitable for children as language and humour unsuitable. If Bernard Manning was still alive he could deliver all his old act at Benalmadena and nobody would turn a hair it seems.

Places to go:
This time we spent a day in Malaga and we were impressed by its Cathedral and the Moorish Alcazaba Palace. We succumbed to wait for it a blanket trip (no intention of buying any as we were customers in Tenerife previously. The trip was a full day and took in Benalmadena Pueblo and the very pretty Andalusian Lake District, and I am being serious.

Well that's our long overdue Resort Report, we would be happy to return to Sahara Sunset, it made a very pleasant weeks break during a miserable UK Winter.

Dave and Maureen King

Regency Country Club - Tenerife, Spain

jasonclements@timesharetalk.co.uk — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:09:24 +0100

There are 21 replies, with the last one on 21/01/2008 at 15:09:24 by jasonclements
Quote:
It's a shame that another year's gone by, and still no progress on this resort.

I have not had my maintenance request so far, however I did receive a letter asking me to confirm whether or not i would be using my week this year, failure to reply consitutes you saying no, so I replied to that, Im not going anyway this year, it was far too boring last May.

Still I am in tenerife in a couple of weeks having booked a late break with thomsons, so maybe I'll drive up to the resort to say hello.

Jas