report from regal palms.....long

[luvtoall]

Just back today from regal palms. We really liked this resort, I too had read the bad reviews and was worried. Overall for the price a great place to stay.
THE GOOD:
1. GREAT POOL!!!! lazy river and slide lots of fun!!
2. The food was very good and priced right. (Ashey was the cook, I ask her name 'cause it was done so well!) Bar was nice also.
3. I read reports on bad staffing... The staff was great to us. I spoke with a variety of staff and never had a problem.
4. VERY clean rooms. It is still being built.
5. The night staff printed off my boarding passes on line for me the night I checked out.
6. The publix next door was great. The manager even blew up my rafts for me!!! I never would have ask for that, he just offered to do it.. Awesome customer service. We went there a lot.
7. The asian food resturant next to publix was wonderful!! Happy Wok? Family Wok?
THE NOT SO GOOD:
1. They advertise that they are gated.... NOT. Full access from every entry.
including construction entrance. There was a gate on one drive but it never was used for the 10 days we were there.
2. Just know that the constuction is around.. we did ok with this but... The workers are trying to work around the pool guest entrance. They were lifting huge loads of material OVER MY CAR!!! WITH A FORK LIFT. I offfered to move it to make it easier for them to work. They were greatful. There are 2 huge dumpster (outside in front of our 2nd townhouse) we just ignored it.
3. No cell phone service in most spots. My first townhome had some but that street and the club house is the only place you can use a cell phone. Kinda a pain, but we lived with it.
The WORST:
1. THE POOL AND SPA ARE CLOSED at DUSK!!!
We had no young kids with us, so sitting at home or the club house after 8:00pm was not gong to work. They pool has great music out of the speakers and great places to sit and walk around all night. But the manager told us to leave the the spa at 9:30pm. He was nice about it. I did speak to the staff, one manager told me it was county rules? The next day the manger told me it was going to change, after another inspection? I told him what a great resort they had, and all was good, but we would not stay again if we can not use the spa. (no one got in it during the day!!!! too hot!!) There are some people who can not stay in the Florida sun for long, and would love to use the pool.
2. NEVER STAY IN THE LOCK OFF. We had a 4 brm unit each week. You can hear plainly every thing in the main townhouse. We did not rent the lock off but everyone who was there agreed that it was very thin barrier wall (the door that seperates the living room and lock off had an WIDE open vent)
When we stood in the bedroom and shut the door you could easily speak thru the door to each other ECK!
Any question, just ask.

 

[Figment22]

Thank you very much for your detailed post. We will be staying at Regal Palms starting next week and I've been quite concerned about some of the negatives posted here and on Trip Advisor.

Did you have enough towels? This is something that came up in a couple of the negative posts and I wanted to know if I should bring extras. This would be no big deal for us anyway as we're driving down.

My main concern: Was your unit very warm and were you able to control the thermostat? I've read that the thermostats are in locked boxes and that they're set for 80 degrees I'll be picking a lock if that's true! I can't sleep if I'm not cool at night. Hope you can calm my fears on that one.

I read that there was no lighting at the pool and that's why it wasn't open after dark. Would you anticipate any changes to that?

Thanks for all your info on RP.

 

[luvtoall]

Yes, we had enough towels. We stayed in two different units. The one owned by regal palms only had one wash cloth, and that was upstairs. The other private unit had more. Both my 20 yo said that you should bring your own beach towel, so maybe it is a good idea. We washed towels alot in washer, my kids do not re-use any towels!!
Both units had a locked box over thermostat but I check and it was always reading 73 or 74 degrees. and that was upstairs near the mbr. We like it cold, and it was nice for us. There is a ceiling fan in living room and mbr.
The manager said the pool hours were going to change. Who knows? One would hope so. I would not stay again if it was not longer hours, we had a great time, to tell you the truth we went down a used the spa must nights we were there and only once did the manager say any thing. The pool area its lovely a night to walk around, or sit and visit. The living/dinning area gets kinda small to stay in all evening. It is not like you would be waking anyone in the townhomes since the music is playing all night in pool and the homes are not near the pool. I did not mention in the other post, but you can hear traffic noise inside the house really well, I kept thinking someone left the sliding door open and I checked my mbr window twice, it sounded like the window was open, but nope the windows were closed the noise just comes right in!

 

[Figment22]

We washed towels alot in washer, my kids do not re-use any towels!!

Both units had a locked box over thermostat but I check and it was always reading 73 or 74 degrees. and that was upstairs near the mbr. We like it cold, and it was nice for us. There is a ceiling fan in living room and mbr.

Thank you! This makes me feel MUCH better.

The pool area its lovely a night to walk around, or sit and visit.

Is the pool area lit at night? If so, I wonder why they won't allow swimming. Strange

 

[luvtoall]

It is lit, more like "mood" lighting. The water to the side is shut off, and the lazy river current is off. The lazy river did not have under water lights or anything. The pool at the front, nearest the club house seemed to have plenty of light. Like I said, we went in and used the spa and even the round up-front pool, in plain sight of the staff on several nights. I am a HUGE rule follower so I was tense. But no way was I able to stop 4 young adults from jumping in the spa at night. It is vacation!!!