Wyndham Bonnet Creek Question - Bad Reviews

[Musky-Hunter]

I got caught up in the moment of short notice vacation planning and as a first time visitor jumped on what looked like a good deal at WBC after reading a few positive reviews that show up in the first page of reviews on TA. After booking my wife took a look at TA again a little deeper than the first page and discovered several recent reviews that were rather unfavorable including security issues and several encounters with bed bugs. I can get over the many negative reviews due to high pressure sales tactics but bed bugs and security issues are not what I want to deal with on vacation. I've heard from friends what can happen if you bring a bag of clothes home with bed bugs and I don't want to see my family or our stuff at risk while trying to have a good time.

I didn't want to hijack the why we love WBC thread so I thought I would create a new one to see if these issues concern others?

Thanks.

 

[jctwizzer]

Have had two stays at Bonnet Creek and had no issues with bedbugs or
security....haven't read the reviews and, based on our experience, see
no need to---we'd go back in a heartbeat.

 

[AuroraSheasMom]

My advice is to read the reviews at www.tripadvisor.com

At the moment, I don't recall how many reviews ther are, but it's several hundred. They are mostly good reviews but a couple are bad, so it may be more "balanced"

But overall, the consensus is overwhelmingly positive for BC.

 

[Catira]

Have not read the reviews on tripadvisor, but we have stayed at Bonnet Creek more than 5 times and have never had any issues at all. Our family took our 4 laptops, one Ipad, Nintendo Dsi, and two Ipods with us on vacation. They were usually left in our rooms, and the only things we left in the safe was our passports. Never have had an issue with security. Anytime we have called the front desk to get extra blankets, pillows, they have been delivered to our room promptly. The only inconvenience has been on our last xmas trip 2010 that we were called twice to do the timeshare presentation. We own wyndham points as well as other timeshare resorts so we have no interest in the presentation.

 

[Upatnoon]

In the past year, I've stayed there four times. Has it always been perfect? No, but they have acted quickly to fix any issues we had and the resort is amazing and a tremendous value for the location.

If you look in the Disney resorts board, there are plenty of horror stories in there about people staying at resorts that cost more per night than I spent for a week at Bonnet Creek.

On the Internet, people are more likely to complain about stuff, so you have to look at the broader picture.

P.S. I've seen no bedbugs and had no security issues.

 

[shalom]

If you look in the Disney resorts board, there are plenty of horror stories in there about people staying at resorts that cost more per night than I spent for a week at Bonnet Creek.

This. I hear way more horror stories and general complaints about Disney resorts than I do Bonnet Creek or Wyndham resorts (the reverse when it comes to their respective timeshare systems, but that's beside the point if you're not looking to buy in). In terms of the units, furnishings, grounds, and sometimes even theming, Wyndham is considered on par with, or better than, Disney.

I wouldn't worry.

 

[Brian Noble]

Bedbugs can be anywhere. A few minutes checking the obvious "trouble spots" of your room before unpacking are well-spent.

The security at BC is similar to most resorts; if you have vaguely the right sort of parking permit, you are waved through. The doors to the towers generally require keys for entry if I recall correctly, though it is easy enough to "tailgate" or have someone let you in.

You can find negative reviews for any hotel property. Nothing is perfect all of the time. I try to focus on overall trends and impressions.

 

[kimmer]

fwiw, i've never had any issues with bc either. well, them trying to book your timeshare tour was a little annoying but i'd also been warned about it ahead of time...it was just them basically calling almost each morning to set up an appt. time. i just said no thanks and that was it.

never noticed bedbugs or issues with security

 

[cam&chris]

the other Bonnet Creek? There's another hotel with a very similar name. I just looked at reviews on trip advisor for Wyndham Bonnet Creek and couldn't find anything about bed bugs or security issues even when I read further into the review pages.

 

[Monorail Bob's dd]

the other Bonnet Creek? There's another hotel with a very similar name. I just looked at reviews on trip advisor for Wyndham Bonnet Creek and couldn't find anything about bed bugs or security issues even when I read further into the review pages.

There is a bedbug report on www.tripadvisor.com from someone who recently stayed in building 5 and said they encountered them and had to be moved. They were also not happy with how it was handled. I have to admit, reports like that give me pause, especially since I wanted to end up in building 5 if possible. I realize it can happen anywhere but you can bet I will be looking like crazy for bedbugs when I go.

 

[tjmj9801]

We stayed there in October 2010. We had NO issues with the accomodations themselves, everything including the pool and putt putt were great. But the staff left A LOT to be desired. (Sorry this turned into a novel, but there's no short story to tell about our experience.)

MIL owns so much timeshare it's ridiculous. She exchanged or used points to get a 4 BR penthouse for our large party. Well, come to find out when we checked in on Saturday that the 4 BR wasn't ready and wouldn't be ready until Monday. They gave us a 3 BR instead to use until then. We planned to spend Monday morning getting our belongings in order and moving them to our new room. MIL calls the desk around 9 Monday morning and the rooms not ready yet. They'll let us know when it's ready. OK, anyone who's done Disney with little kids knows that waiting to change rooms is NOT a priority to them over going to a park. So we wait a few more hours in misery for that phone call to move rooms. Nothing. We give up shortly after lunch and everyone but MIL heads to a park. We load our belongings onto the rolling carts so that when it's time, the staff can help MIL move our carts. (We were told that someone could assist us.)

MIL calls us around 2:30 to tell us that we had to be back at BC within 30 minutes (the timeframe they've given her to vacate the room) because no one is available to help her move our stuff. We all rush back to the resort only to find out that all of our room keys (that also act as a security gate key) have been deactivated. We can't get into the resort without security calling the desk to verify that we were allowed to be there then when we get to the 3 BR to retrieve our items, the room key won't work either. MIL has left the room, also, to move some of her own items to her car (buildings weren't close so we were going to have to repack our cars with our stuff and drive it to the new building) and she goes to the desk and tells them if they want us to vacate the room they have to allow us into the room. They also give her the new 4 BR keys and we move our stuff. By the time we move and get settle in, no one's in the mood to go back to a park, so we wasted a day, minus a few hours at one park, on their mistake.

MIL's reservations were for a 4 BR for Saturday-Saturday. Friday morning, we're all slow to get out the door and the phone rings at 10:45 wanting to know if we'll need a late check out. They have us down for a Friday check out even though all of our parking passes say Saturday's date. Conveniently, MIL can't find her confirmation papers. She's not one to speak up for herself or question people. She finally asks if there's another room that she can have just for the night. The tell her there's a 2 BR so we have no choice at this point but to pack our items and wait. Guess again! We have to vacate THAT room ASAP because someone's waiting on it. So, we pack our car and leave for MK so the girls can have a fun last day. We had planned all along to leave Friday night, as they travel much better at night, but we wanted somewhere to go back to relax for a little while before driving all night. We all plan to meet at DTD for dinner at RFC. We get to DTD around 6 to find out that there's no 2 BR, either. So, here we are at DTD with no where to go but home. We cancel our reservations at RFC, do some last minute shopping and head home. (8 hour drive.)

MIL starts documenting all of the weeks inaccuracies and inconveniences to relay to someone at BC and II. A week or so later, before she has a chance to contact anyone, a rep from II calls her to ask how her trip went. Oh, to be a fly on the wall. She relays all of this to him and tells him it's ruined our trip. He apologizes profusely and REFUNDS ALL OF HER POINTS that it took to book the 4 BR, plus gives her a 4 day/3 night a a Wyndham resort of her choice.

 

[shalom]

He apologizes profusely and REFUNDS ALL OF HER
POINTS that it took to book the 4 BR, plus gives her a 4 day/3 night a a Wyndham resort of her choice.

Wow! II is a class act.

I have heard that RCI guests often get the short end of the stick (resorts tend to give them the units up for refurbishment rather than those that have just been refurbished, for instance); wonder if they don't do the same with II guests. But I also thought that II was primarily a weeks system -- strange that Bonnet Creek would put you in a unit on Monday and then want you out of there on a Friday.

 

[tjmj9801]

Wow! II is a class act.

I have heard that RCI guests often get the short end of the stick (resorts tend to give them the units up for refurbishment rather than those that have just been refurbished, for instance); wonder if they don't do the same with II guests. But I also thought that II was primarily a weeks system -- strange that Bonnet Creek would put you in a unit on Monday and then want you out of there on a Friday.

The whole thing was rather odd. I'm sure RCI and II do that at most resorts, giving exchangers the shaft. But since MIL booked a 4 BR and none of those are bad, I guess the best they could think to do was not let her enjoy it all week!

Honestly, she owns with both RCI and II and we've had WAY more problems getting crappy accomodations exchanging through RCI than II. (Now that I've said that, I hope I didn't just jinx myself, as that's who we booked SSR through.)

 

[Brian Noble]

This could not have been through II. Wyndham Bonnet Creek is an RCI-affliated resort, and is not affiliated with II. I suspect it wasn't through RCI either, as Wyndham never deposits the 4BR units to RCI. I'd wager this was a direct booking through Wyndham.

For what it's worth, Bonnet does not distinguish between internal bookings and exchanges when handling room requests. Some other Wyndham resorts do; it just depends on the resort.

 

[tjmj9801]

This could not have been through II. Wyndham Bonnet Creek is an RCI-affliated resort, and is not affiliated with II. I suspect it wasn't through RCI either, as Wyndham never deposits the 4BR units to RCI. I'd wager this was a direct booking through Wyndham.

For what it's worth, Bonnet does not distinguish between internal bookings and exchanges when handling room requests. Some other Wyndham resorts do; it just depends on the resort.

Sorry, like I said, it's MIL's timeshare and I thought she said II. Whatever their affiliation, I can assure you that MIL didn't book directly through BC, as she owns enough timeshare that she'd be crazy to ever pay full price for booking anywhere.

Never? You can go to RCI's website (without even loggin in) and clearly see that a 4 BR is listed as an availablility.

I was saying in general that RCI is worse than II about their exchanges, not necessarily BC, as we've have to raise Holy Heck at many places we've exchanged to about the conditions they exected us to stay in when we knew that there were better areas in the resort that were available. Sure enough, we've always been transfered to a nicer part of the resort.

 

[Brian Noble]

Sorry, by "booking directly" at Bonnet, I mean through a Wyndham points timeshare ownership, not renting the room for cash.

And yes, never. I search the Orlando area daily in RCI. I've never seen a Bonnet 3BR deposited there, let alone a 4BR. I have also never seen a report of anyone exchanging in to a unit larger than a 2BR, at either TUG or Timeshare Forums. In contrast, I *have* seen a half-dozen 3BRs at DVC resorts over the past two years, and know a few people who have gotten them.

I suppose it is possible, but given the evidence it is very very unlikely.

 

[act1980]

Have not read the reviews on tripadvisor, but we have stayed at Bonnet Creek more than 5 times and have never had any issues at all. Our family took our 4 laptops, one Ipad, Nintendo Dsi, and two Ipods with us on vacation. They were usually left in our rooms, and the only things we left in the safe was our passports. Never have had an issue with security. Anytime we have called the front desk to get extra blankets, pillows, they have been delivered to our room promptly. The only inconvenience has been on our last xmas trip 2010 that we were called twice to do the timeshare presentation. We own wyndham points as well as other timeshare resorts so we have no interest in the presentation.

May I ask who you normally book through? I looked on the website but their prices are a little high and I like to see pictures of the actual unit I would be renting.

 

[DCTooTall]

May I ask who you normally book through? I looked on the website but their prices are a little high and I like to see pictures of the actual unit I would be renting.

Unlike some "traditional" timeshares which operate on a fixed week/unit type ownership, Wyndham BC owners own a percentage of the buildings which equate to points which can be used to book a unit. This means that other than Presidential type units (or super-VIP members) you don't really reserve a specific unit within the resort.

They do accept room requests however at the resort, but there isn't any guarantee of your being able to get a specific unit.