Unique resort
I got a discount deal in Summer. I was shocked by the layout of the hotel. In the older quarters, the rooms are bungalows, each may split into two or three "rooms". I'm sure they don't build hotels like this any more. In the newer quarters they are more like compact condos, with entrance facing the access road, some with parking space right under your room.
There are over 40 pools and about the same number of Jacuzzis. I'm on the older and quieter quarter, On average about 8 "rooms" share one good sized pool. Kids love to jump into the pool right outside. And landscaping start right in front of your "room".
I can't think of any other hotels more appropriate for the phrase "home away from home". But then my home is bigger, the backyard is bigger, and my neighbor has a nice pool.
Our quarter is pretty old, but age well. There are some broken surface around the pool. But in the hot summer they dry in no time, which blend into the landscaping. The exterior of the houses are kept in good condition. The old rooms are very spacious. You have a walk in closet about the same size as the bathroom. My room have space for two queen bed, a real set of table and chairs, a crouch and still have space to spare. You have space right outside of your door for a sun bathing bed, coffee table and then some. There are nice furnitures around the pool for sharing.
The carpet is a bit old but clean. The furnitures are old but they are well made, adding an atmosphere of quality. The bathroom area are paved with indestructible bold stones and wall to wall tiles. So even though the tiles aren't new, they aren't any worse than new. What I don't understand is that they stick a nice large ceramic bowl at the wall right above the toilet as a piece of decoration.
I don't understand why the fridge is so bad. It barely works and it can't make ice. For hotels of this grade they should have thrown it away 10 years ago. The bathtub is excellent, one of the best. They have a shower booth too, but at the corner of the ceiling, they pipe in a little tube, probably for condensations from the air conditioners. It's weired when you can see water drops dripping down from it. I can't imagine anybody will want to take a shower under that little tube.
They have plenty of landscaping people, and the bush and lawns are well maintained. But there are occasionally big weeds in front of the house. I think there are not the responsibility of the trimmers nor the mowers. But the weeds are easy to get rid of if the cleaners are given the task to cut off the tall weeds when they see one.
The jacuzzi is standard like in many swimming pools in So Cal. It's hot and powerful. But in summer, it's too hot unless it's a cloudy day, and only well after dark.
The resort has shops, and hold events in busy holidays.
The staff are really helpful and active. You ask if they have something, they may delivery it to you right away. Kids got a tour in a golf cart without asking. In the industry, it's like people like to work there and they bring relatives and whole families. For a secure employment they make sure that all guests are going home with a smile.
Of course they do it for tips. But they are idle at the moment and the golf carts are idle. That's initiative. My wife thinks that everybody is nice to her because she is a nice person. Typically she doesn't know that the world run of tips. She didn't say she tipped, and she didn't complain of any hard feelings.
The kids are so keen to snatch the key cards for souvenir. I'm sure they have great memories of the hotel for a long time. I hope to return before they turn horrible teenagers and everything become too boring.