The Good
We visited Sheraton Vistana Resort in Orlando, FL, as a precursor to our vacation to DisneyWorld. Sheraton Vistana is a Vacation Club Resort. Similar to a time-share and, maybe, with just some slight differences. Check-in was fairly easy. However, this being a Vacation Club property, and, specifically, this being our first time visiting, we had to go through the “Welcome” process. They go over everything about the resort (i.e., amenities, features, location, etc.) while also offering us an opportunity to sign up (of course!). The sales pitch includes a 90 minute presentation with a personal representative. They will offer you a monetary gift, via a gift card, just for signing up and going through the 90 minute presentation (more on this later). After the check-in, “Welcome,” and sales presentation sign up, we finally made our way to our unit. You can tour the resort, visit every living area (they have a few), and go spend some time at each pool (7 swimming pools altogether) via a shuttle. The shuttle would be our means of transportation in and around the resort since we opted not to rent a car for our stay. Be forewarned, they include a charge for parking if requiring such for your stay. Another five or so minutes we’re finally in our unit. We were assigned a room in the Spa Village area which is about a 5 – 7 minute shuttle ride from the main entrance and reception. Opening the door reveals a nicely appointed two bedroom condominium-style residence. The dining area includes a full size dining table with pendant lighting and is properly spaced from the kitchen and living room. The living room offers a view of a small, likely man-made, lake that includes a fountain. The view can be fully enjoyed will sitting in your own balcony accessible from the living room and also from the master’s bedroom via sliding doors from each. The kitchen includes a full-size refrigerator, a stove, an overhead microwave oven, a toaster and coffee maker. They also provide you with all of the utensils, including knives, glassware and tableware you would need to make full use of the kitchen. The living room includes an L-shaped couch facing a decent-sized, wall-mounted cable T.V. that has it’s own soundbar. It also has two small, stool-style tables that doubles as a footrest when needed. The second bedroom offers two full-size beds, it’s own T.V., a large closet, which would be categorized as a walk-in in NY, and a good sized window that provides enough sunlight from the front of the property. The main bathroom offers decent space and includes a stand-up shower with one sink in a large vanity. The unit also includes its own washer and dryer. The bedroom is separated from the Master Suite by a hallway with the main bathroom on one side and the washer and dryer on the other. The Master Suite is quite spacious with it’s own sliding doors to the balcony and an en-suite bathroom with a separate stand up (enclosed) shower and jacuzzi tub. The bedroom has the same size T.V. that is in the living room and actually has a separate space where you will find the closet, an additional sink and vanity and is just outside the bathroom. The living space is great as it makes you feel being at home since it is appointed as such. We were able to prepare breakfast and re-heat lunch and/or dinners as necessary. It was also a nice option to wash our clothes, which we did, before checking out and moving to the next leg of our trip.
Overall, the unit was very nice and our stay was more than pleasant. If back in the area, we would certainly go with the same accommodation option or, maybe, see what else they have similar or better, in their property.
The resort includes 7 swimming pools, with one having a mini slide as an added attraction for the little ones. The resort also has tennis courts, basketball courts, mini golf, an on-site market place (for small bites, snacks, souvenirs and necessities like toothbrushes and slippers, etc.) and three main restaurants (Zimmie’s, Castaways and Tiki). The pools and other amenities are within walking distance but really depends as to which side you’re on. It is better to just call and request for a shuttle pick-up to go from one pool to the other. All of the swimming pools and courts, close, I believe at 10:00 pm, with one pool, the one by the Zimmie’s Bar and Grill, closing at 11:00 pm. The swimming pools were the hit with our family and it is where we spent most of our time while in the facility. A couple of pools are attached to a Bar so there is easy access to food and drinks. The water in the pool is not cold but is perfectly tempered for the hot Florida weather. The towel bin is always full and there was never a time where we needed to look for someone or ask for a towel. During our stay, there were enough visitors in the pool areas and around the facility but not enough to be deemed crowded. Actually, the resort appeared half-empty (of half-full) during the two weekdays before the weekend with more visitors noticeably checking in as Saturday approached.
All three on-site restaurants double as the bar for the pool in the area. Zimmie’s Bar and Grill, which is the closest to where we were located, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is situated towards the back end of the property. A word of advice, while the pool closes at 11:00 pm, the bar closes promptly at 10:00 pm. In addition to the pool, and located right by this pool and Zimmie’s restaurant, is the mini golf course. There are a number of tennis courts, a basketball court, and a shuffle board all situated close to each other and in close proximity to Zimmie’s Bar and Grill. The Castaway’s Bar and Grill is located in the middle of the resort and also has a pool adjacent to it. The Tiki Grill is located in the Fountains which is in close proximity to the Lakes VIP Check-In Center where the sales presentation takes place. We shopped for essentials and groceries at the Walmart which is just about a 10 minute ride from the resort and we were able to prepare and cook some meals, mostly breakfast, inside our unit. The food served in the restaurants are good enough for the times we chose to purchase our lunch and dinners. Their drinks are better than most bars and restaurants and is a pleasant surprise for a hotel chain property.
The ”Sales Pitch”
Our sales presentation was scheduled the day after our check-in at 10:00 am in the morning and would be located at the other side of the property, at the Lakes area of the resort. Again, this was divulged as a 90-minute sales and presentation. Upon arrival, we were welcomed and checked in. They offer a small kids area, a dedicated room, with a sign in and sign out (a plus), for children so that they can be occupied during the presentation. They offer coffee and tea when you enter the busy sales room. Our sales representative was very courteous and pleasant. She began with inquiring how we are enjoying our stay and proceeded to ask us about vacations and our thoughts on it. After the brief exchange, she surmised that we, our family, was not a good candidate for their program and advised us that she would not proceed with the presentation. To our surprise, and only saying “NO” a few times, we agreed and proceeded to conclude the discussion.
The Ugly
While our experience with the actual sales process, the presentation and discussion, was better than all of the time share pitches we’ve had to go through, this one may have taken the cake for the “catch.” See, when we were offered to attend the sales presentation during our “Welcome” process, we were told of the gift card, and really, likely, was our fault for not asking more questions, was for us to keep just by signing up. When our sales presentation ended without us participating in the entire process (skipping on the 90 minute sales presentation), and when we walked out of the sales room, our sales representative advised a group or receptionists, the same individuals who welcomed us upon our arrival at the sales presentation area, of our “non-participation” to which their reply was an astounding “you know you will get charged the amount of the gift card that was given to you.” I responded by telling them that I can give the card back as I have it and have not used it as of yet. They told us that us returning the gift card was not an option and that our credit card would just be charged the amount of the gift card. Now if it was a measly $10, $25, or even a $50 gift card, this would have been a non-issue but it wasn’t (the gift card was over $149 and less than $151). This was enough to ruin a vacation but, and since we did have the gift card, we let it slide and proceeded to the nearest swimming pool.
Overall, our stay was very pleasant and enjoyable. The amenities, while maybe limited as opposed to other resorts, made our visit worthwhile. And while the entire sales process and presentation sort of put a hamper on our vacation, it was early enough during our stay that we were able to take in the sights, scenery and features of the property to fully enjoy ourselves. Our unit was nicely appointed and clean without having any discernable odor. Other than the sales presentation issue (gift card), we encountered no other issues during our stay. Would we come back for a repeat visit at the Sheraton La Vistana Resort? Us being familiar with it would likely drive us to a return trip. However, there are other resorts and establishments within the area that have similar or maybe even better offerings.
