Whew...I found a free minute!! So, here it is, installment #2 of our mini-trip report. The title of this one is...
Our Thoughts on Club Level...
Overall, we thought CL was worth our money. This is the 2nd time we've stayed YC CL, so I've got a prior experience to compare it to now. The first time we stayed YC CL, it was just me and my DH. It was our 1st CL stay and the whole thing really impressed us. With this trip we had the kids with us so we got the "kid perspective" on CL. So here goes...
1. CL was busy, but we always managed to find a table. However, a few times we snagged the
last table. This club level is small but cozy.
2. With breakfast and evening appetizers in the lounge, most days we only had to buy lunch in the parks along with the occasional snack. We had more than enough food.
3. We found the wait staff in the lounge to be professional and kind, but not overly bubbly and welcoming. Suited us just fine.
4. There were quite a few business folks staying on CL. And, not as many kids. There were definitely kids there...just not a lot. This also suited us fine as I get easily icked-out by kids who don't know how to use the tongs, etc. Ironically though, the worst behavior we saw all week was from a few grown men who treated the afternoon potato chips like their own personal backyard picnic. They reached into the bowl with their whole hands, no tongs, and touched every chip before they pulled out their portions. Don't even get me started...
5. No cold lobster salad on the menu...boo!!
6. Oreo bon bons served one night. Bacon-wrapped scallops served two nights...Yay!!
7. We noticed that not all the food was labeled this time like it was last time. On many nights the cold salads, cheeses, and some of the smaller items had no signs indicating what they were. Had to try it and guess.
8. Fresh brewed coffee was only served in the am. The rest of the day you had to use the Nescafe machine. Not my favorite...luckily we had brought Starbucks Vias along with us.
9. In the morning, the only sugar they have out for coffee is in cube form. I was not crazy about this because 1 cube wasn't enough and 2 cubes was too much. Sugar packets are out the rest of the day, so I just kept a few of those to bring to breakfast each morning.
10. For those interested in the evening appetizers....one of the CMs told us that they busiest times to eat are 5:00 and 6:45. Times in between are much slower.
11. My son lived on the PB&J shooters. He ate them every evening. I do, however, wish they'd put out more varied kid-friendly items....some mini-meatballs, some chicken or turkey roll-ups, etc. My DS10 wasn't really fond of the grown-up hot appetizers. One night I tried to convince him that the pork pot stickers were ravioli, but he wasn't buying it! My DD13 liked pretty much everything just fine though.
12. And speaking of the hot appetizers...pretty good, but too much fried phyllo dough for us. There was at least one of these types of items every night, and sometimes both items were fried, phyllo doughy.
13.Make sure you ask for water bottles before heading out to the parks or pool. They are not out...but if you ask for them, they will give them to you any time of day.
14. Here's a big one....beer is only served during evening appetizers, but they will bring you beer any time during the day if you ask for it. (My DH made VERY good use of this tip). One day there was a guy sitting in the lounge during the afternoon snacks and we heard him oversay, "I wish they had the beer out now." My husband went over to him and gave him this very useful tip, at which point the guy looked like he wanted to kiss my husband.
15. You can bring beer from the lounge down to the pool if you pour it into a plastic container or cup first. Yet another tip my DH used quite frequently.
Overall, we think the convenience of CL outweighs its short-comings. It's definitely a touch of pampering and relaxation. The food served was generally good, but I do wish they'd vary it a bit more. Cheese and crackers, veggies and dip...these things were out every night. After a week, they did get a little tired. I haven't stayed at any other club levels, so I don't know if this is par for the course at other resorts.
The best part about CL in our opinion is the convenience of breakfast. To get a nice healthy start to your day is great.
Our favorite foods all week were the Oreo Bon Bons, Bacon-Wrapped Scallops, Chocolate Chip Muffins, and the Cinnamon Rolls!
Any questions...just ask....
Next up in our trip report..
Our Thoughts on the YC Resort ...(Spolier Alert: It's All Good!)