We stayed here for a week in October, exchanging from our home Marriott resort. This was the first non-Marriott we have exchanged to, and...
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We stayed here for a week in October,
exchanging from our home Marriott resort. This
was the first non-Marriott we have exchanged
to, and we were quite disappointed. Interval
International gives it a five star rating, which it
definately does not deserve.
We were in a one-bedroom unit on the third
floor, and got our exercise going up and down
the stairs! We had a partial view of the
large "adult" whirlpool area which is the only
alternative to the main swimming pool. The
unit was quite nice, with the bathroom being
the highlight, including a well-stocked kitchen.
We spent a lot of time on the roomy balcony.
The few maintenance issues we had were
taken care of immediately - very impressive.
But what was lacking were amenities. Only
one pool, and a rather boring rectangular one
at that, with not enough lounge chairs to go
around. No clubhouse, and no poolside bar,
just a dippy little snack bar, which was a poor
excuse for onsite food. There seemed to be
only two barbecue grills & ramadas for
outdoor cooking - way too little for the 250
units. There were two nice tennis courts, but
they were squished into a tiny area.
Basically, the place had the feel of an
apartment complex, and had no lovely green
or desert landscaping like better resorts. The
activities offered were abysmal, and only
aimed at children. Tours, true desert walks,
and other things should have been offered.
Basically, Sunterra simply built a lot of units on
a small area of land, then fit the pool, tennis
courts, small kids' area, and two public
buildings into teeny spaces. When we visited
the Marriott time share nearby (we couldn't
trade into it), we saw what a true 5-star
timeshare should be like!!
The few pluses of the Villa Mirage were:
cleanliness of the grounds and units, good
maintenance, large & complete weight & work-
out rooms. The minuses I have already
mentioned!