Some pics from Vistana (Fountains I)

[blondietink]

We just checked out of the Vistana resort two days ago after a 6 days stay ......yes 6 days of rain and Fay. Anyway, we were in Cascades, but it had not been remodeled yet. It was still very nice. Would go back in a minute if the price was right. I went for the $99.00 deal for a 2 bedroom with no housekeeping rate posted on these boards a couple of months ago.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Do they offer deals at the Vistanas for doing a timeshare sales presentation?

They do Chad. But I haven't been to one in about 7 years so I don't know what the current offer is. I know my friends who already own at Vistana did an owner's update breakfast and I believe they got $100 after hard sell pressure for them to purchase more time at Vistana.

You could inquire here from them about timeshare presentation offers :
http://www.starwoodvacationownership.com/contactus/index.jsp

Also allearsnet.com often offers specials :
http://allears.net/acc/faq_svistana.htm


One thing I'd like to add that we found negative about the resort. Anytime you try to enter the resort after 8 pm you must stop at the gate and show the guard your photo ID. This got to be very bad traffic wise between 8 & 9:30 pm especially. I sat for 10 min one night and had people cutting in front of me left and right from the side street near the Fountains guard gate. At one point, after 4 cars cut in front of me, I moved forward and would not let this 5th car in. He started honking his horn and yelling obsenities at me. I am still waiting for a call from the head of security about this. I was literally shaking. This guy was threatening to ram my car because I didn't let him in. But I had already sat for 10 min and wanted to park my car and go to bed. I think the owners should be able to swipe their room keys just like WDW resort guests do. Because on several occasions we sat waiting to get through the gate while other people obviously were just lost or asking for directions or whatever. It was so unnecessary. I will probably have to call back and ask to speak to the security manager because at this time I doubt they will call me back. Did NOT like this new policy ! And they don't tell u about it at check-in, nor is there a sign at the guard gate. So the first time I had to show ID, I was not prepared and held up the line looking for my ID.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Ok...update....just got off phone with head of security. He was very nice. He said he has received many complaints from people and in 2-3 weeks they will initiate a policy as disney has, where resort guests simply have to swipe their key cards to get through. Wow...that's a relief to hear !

 

[MemoryMaker711]

Memory Maker....I have never seen a Fountains I unit bathroom without a window. Please post a photo if u have one. Do u recall which villa number you were in ? I was in # 1365 (3rd floor). [/B]


Here is my pic of the master bath w/o a window. This is Fountains 1330

 

[MiaSRN62]

Here is my pic of the master bath w/o a window. This is Fountains 1330

Thanks so much for posting this Memorymaker ! You do have a nice picture and floral arrangement. What was your villa # again ?

 

[happymickey464]

Memory Maker, do you have any other pics of your villia that are different from MiaSRN62.

 

[MemoryMaker711]

Memory Maker, do you have any other pics of your villia that are different from MiaSRN62.

My pics are completely identical to Maria's-it's like we stayed in the same villa-even down to the pillows on the couch and the silver dish on the dining room table. It was very beautiful!

 

[amytheobald]

We LOVE the VISTANA! We also LOVE staying onsite...in a perfect world we would have a week at the world onsite and a week off.

 

[MiaSRN62]

I have a few more photos to share :

 

[cguill]

Mia, looks like a very nice place. How mauch was it & how do we go about getting a place where you did ??? Thanks ...

 

[Scotfan]

Looks great, we are at Vistana in 6 weeks, we own a week in Febrary but cant use it at the moment so have exchanged 2 weeks for October, one of which is in Fountains I, hopefully we can have the same refurbed unit for the 2 weeks.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Mia, looks like a very nice place. How mauch was it & how do we go about getting a place where you did ??? Thanks ...
__________________

Hi cguill....
We are timeshare owners there. I think they rent them out for like $150 for a one bedroom--$180/night for a two bedroom. But I wouldn't rent directly from the resort. Either try and rent from an owner (check out sites like TUG

Or try this site (they offer specials). Just try and be sure you are getting a newer or remodeled unit. In a 2 bedroom, you should have one king bed a double sleeper sofa and two double beds (not singles).
http://allears.net/acc/faq_svistana.htm (check out the no housekeeping rates if u don't mind not getting housekeeping).

Other places to check for rentals :
http://www.redweek.com/

http://www.myresortnetwork.com/

http://www.vacationtimesharerentals.com/

http://www.vrbo.com/

http://www.skyauction.com/

You could try calling Sheraton Vistana directly and asking if they are offering any sort of specials if you attend a timeshare presentation. They usually last 90-120 min and can use hard-sell tactics, but not always. I've read some people found the presentation fine and got a great rate just for attending.

Hope all this helps !

 

[cguill]

Thank You very much ...

 

[MiaSRN62]

You're very welcome !

 

[caa1277]

Hi cguill....
We are timeshare owners there. I think they rent them out for like $150 for a one bedroom--$180/night for a two bedroom. But I wouldn't rent directly from the resort. Either try and rent from an owner (check out sites like TUG

Or try this site (they offer specials). Just try and be sure you are getting a newer or remodeled unit. In a 2 bedroom, you should have one king bed a double sleeper sofa and two double beds (not singles).
http://allears.net/acc/faq_svistana.htm (check out the no housekeeping rates if u don't mind not getting housekeeping).

Other places to check for rentals :
http://www.redweek.com/

http://www.myresortnetwork.com/

http://www.vacationtimesharerentals.com/

http://www.vrbo.com/

http://www.skyauction.com/

You could try calling Sheraton Vistana directly and asking if they are offering any sort of specials if you attend a timeshare presentation. They usually last 90-120 min and can use hard-sell tactics, but not always. I've read some people found the presentation fine and got a great rate just for attending.

Hope all this helps !

What is the direct phone number for them? I would like to call them and inquire about staying there. Thanks!

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Hi Mia,

I stayed in 1512 Fountains I about the same time as you were there but we had a HUGE problem with the internet( and so therefore I could not contact you so we could meet). My husband was working from there and the server did not send important e mail. It was down frequently too. I must say that of all the times I have stayed there even with the new remodel I found that the room was not all that clean. The mirror in the bathroom had spots on it like someone had brushed their teeth and it was not washed. Even though the room was remodeled there were stains on the rug and the mattress too. I was very disappointed considering there was a small box of open cereal under the bed. YOU know me and I have always sung Vistana's praises but not this time. I know it sounds like a bunch of little things and while it did not ruin my vacation, it made me think I might go somewhere else next time. The room reeked of smoke too. I know there is a no smoking policy but I had asked for remodeled room b/c my son has asthma and I thought there would be less irritants.

 

[MiaSRN62]

OMG Bella ! Your room sounded bad. It's definitely not the norm at Vistana as you know. In 14 years of stays there, I have never had anything like what u just described. I am so sorry to hear it. Sounds like they really dropped the ball here.

We had great luck with the internet. Had u been able to contact me, I would have told u to come over to my villa. So did u request to be moved ? And if so, how was the next room ? You should definitely have gotten on the phone and demanded a manager meet you in the villa to show them. It's the only way things get addressed at any resort. I am sorry you had a bad experience.


To caa1277 :
Here's the phone and fax numbers :
Phone 407 239 3100 - Fax 407 239 3111

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

OMG Bella ! Your room sounded bad. It's definitely not the norm at Vistana as you know. In 14 years of stays there, I have never had anything like what u just described. I am so sorry to hear it. Sounds like they really dropped the ball here.

We had great luck with the internet. Had u been able to contact me, I would have told u to come over to my villa. So did u request to be moved ? And if so, how was the next room ? You should definitely have gotten on the phone and demanded a manager meet you in the villa to show them. It's the only way things get addressed at any resort. I am sorry you had a bad experience.


To caa1277 :
Here's the phone and fax numbers :
Phone 407 239 3100 - Fax 407 239 3111

Well part of the internet problem was not even realized until we got back and all my husband's clients told him they never received his correspondence even though it said sent on the computer! The sad thing is my husband sat on the porch with his lap top for two to three hours each day while we enjoyed the pool and all for naught. Our internet and cable were down for a couple of days and they did inform us with a phone message but the signal was horrible when they got it back and we could not really do all that much except for certian times. My husband use his lap top but I could not use mine. I know this is not a problem for most people but if you go down thinking that you mix business with pleasure in order to extend the stay it is a problem.

I asked the cleaning woman to clean the mirror and she said she needed a special chemical but she would be back. She did not return. I figured they would have at least used the room purifier if someone smoked.

OH I forgot when we arrived they had our reservation wrong! We went to check in and they said we had reserved a single room. Luckily my husband had a folder with all the correspondence in it. After 3 hours of waiting they finally found us a two bedroom. The reason I did not complain was because I was afraid I would be put in the Courts since it took 3hours to find the room and just for us to check in. In addition, last year we had a problem when they finally gave us our room it was dark and locked from the inside(I have no idea how THAT happened it took an outrageous amount of time on that vacation too....again not our fault) then too it was difficult for them to find us a room. Part of my stress was the fact too that my husband is a diabetic and had not eaten. He did not want to leave in case the room that they FINALLY found was not acceptable and then there would be nothing left. At least I was close to the pool
WE had left Williamsburg at 3 am to drive to Fla JUST so we would be there in time before the rush. We had had a problem before with check in but this was the worst. I was doing a slow burn because it was deja vu from last year. It was ironic those not in the diamond lane moved faster than we did ! They said they were trying to upgrade us ...NO, not upgrade us just give us what we reserved. Even the girl at the desk who tries to corral you to go on the tour was pushy. She would not take no for an answer...but she had to.

Thanks for the numbers. Do you by chance have the address for corporate? If you do could you PM me. Last year I tried to write about the check in but the letter was not acknowledged and I just let it go because he had a good time b/c we do not really mind staying in the Falls. This year I am going to write them as well as call.

As you know I have stayed at the Falls four out of the 5 times and this was before it was renovated and did not complain so I do not think I am all that picky. Of course this did not ruin my vacation but still it was disheartening to find this situation. I HOPE that just because they are renovating that they do not lose site of what they used to be.

 

[MiaSRN62]

The reason I did not complain was because I was afraid I would be put in the Courts since it took 3hours to find the room and just for us to check in. In addition, last year we had a problem when they finally gave us our room it was dark and locked from the inside(I have no idea how THAT happened it took an outrageous amount of time on that vacation too....again not our fault) then too it was difficult for them to find us a room. Part of my stress was the fact too that my husband is a diabetic and had not eaten. He did not want to leave in case the room that they FINALLY found was not acceptable and then there would be nothing left. At least I was close to the pool
WE had left Williamsburg at 3 am to drive to Fla JUST so we would be there in time before the rush. We had had a problem before with check in but this was the worst. I was doing a slow burn because it was deja vu from last year. It was ironic those not in the diamond lane moved faster than we did ! They said they were trying to upgrade us ...NO, not upgrade us just give us what we reserved. Even the girl at the desk who tries to corral you to go on the tour was pushy. She would not take no for an answer...but she had to.

Thanks for the numbers. Do you by chance have the address for corporate?

I totally understand your concern for your husband Bella. Next time, ask them to find you a new room and state that you plan on staying in the current one until the new one is found and meets with your approval. At the very least, you should ask for a deodorizer to be brought in. They have a purifying machine for the air and deodorizers. Even if the deodorizers would not be best due to asthma, the air purifier was within your right to request. And ALWAYS ask for a manager at the front desk. Not just a cleaning woman. When she never returned, an immediate call to the front desk would have been your best bet. I've gotten MUCH further talking to managers and have had to do so on a few occasions over 14 years. Just got off the phone yesterday with the head of security. In 2003, our Fountains room was not ready at 5 pm (we had checked in at 1 pm). I asked for a manager and demanded to know what the holdup was. I found out that they were steam cleaning the carpets because of the previous renters and the floor was wet. Well, I had my 68 yo mil with me who was, at the time, undergoing chemo for cancer. I demanded a new room and for it to be an upgraded section from the Fountains. Within 15 min we had a room in the Lakes. Never settle. I'm just offering some friendly advice here. I know for a fact that the resort had availability. If it ever happens again, please call the front desk and speak with management. Even if the front desk person says they'll try and help you, just state that you want to speak to only management.
Again...very sorry about your experience. I hope you write and will definitely look up the address/phone numbers for you. I have to go check it out on the owners website.
I'll get back to you Bella.....

 

[caa1277]

To caa1277 :
Here's the phone and fax numbers :
Phone 407 239 3100 - Fax 407 239 3111

Thanks so much!!!!