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WorldMark Estes Park - Resort Review |
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WorldMark Estes Park |
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submit your review of WorldMark Estes Park
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| Author: |
medina |
| Visited on: |
12/23/2004 |
| Average Rating: |
3.75 |
| Staff professionalism: |
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| Resort grounds: |
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| Room quality: |
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| Submitted on: |
02/05/2005 |
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Pros:
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Very private and nice setting. |
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Cons:
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Not close by to skiing. |
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Review:
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This WM property is in throes of renovation. There are many units being renovated, and the grounds and pool will be renovated. The units that are available are in a log cabin motif, with a rustic yet modern decor inside. I stayed in a 3BR deluxe model that was huge. The unit had a beautiful kitchen, dining and family room with a gorgeous deck off the dining area and divine fireplace. There was a full size washer/dryer that was rally nice.
The problems we had: there was no garbage disposal, the master bedroom doorknob was installed backwards, so it locked from outside (potentially locking people in the bedroom), the bathroom fixtures either weren't installed properly or were crap because they leaked at the joints. The worst problem was that the windows would not close all the way, so could not be locked.
We had a few problems with the staff, but then that seems to be the case thus far at the locations I have visited unfortunately.
The recreation room is not as inviting as others I have seen (as it is kind of in a basement) and has no comfy seating for the parents to take a breather while the kids play.
There is a nice stream and grassy area with swing set for kids to amuse themselves.
If you are looking for a relaxing and restful stay, with beautiful views and peaceful nights on the deck, then this is your place. |
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| Author: |
sue1947 |
| Visited on: |
10/01/2005 |
| Average Rating: |
4.25 |
| Staff professionalism: |
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| Submitted on: |
10/26/2005 |
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Pros:
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Nice setting along the river. Elk wandering by. |
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Cons:
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Construction in progress; once that is finished, this will be a very nice resort. |
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Review:
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I reserved 4 of the 3-BR units for a group outing to Rocky Mtn National Park for the fall colors in October. The units all received rave reviews. The 2 down along the river were smaller (downstairs units), but had the great location overlooking the river with the barbeques very convenient. The other 2 were up overlooking the new construction. They were very large, but the second bathroom in one was extremely small. The staff was very helpful. I'm looking forward to a return trip. |
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| Author: |
msmbs |
| Visited on: |
05/28/2006 |
| Average Rating: |
3.75 |
| Staff professionalism: |
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| Submitted on: |
06/07/2006 |
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Pros:
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Location, location, location and rocking chair in unit |
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Cons:
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Pool and hot tub still not up and running |
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Review:
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We (my husband and I) arrived at 6 or 7 on Sunday evening and the unit was ready. I had made the reservations in mid February for a one bedroom unit. I understood that it would have a small bar type refrigerator and only a cook top with no oven. The room would have no laundry facilities; it was also noted that there were none at the resort, and the pool and hot tub would be open as of Memorial Day. The room was stated to have a maximum occupancy of 4. Upon arrival we discovered:
• That there is absolutely no way I would put 4 people in that unit. Two adults with two very small children would be a stretch.
• Not only was the kitchen very small, there was no counter space. I gave up and used the burners as a counter and not to cook.
• The hot tub and pool were not in operation yet and the staff could only say “some time soon”. I asked about Memorial Day opening and was told that would be the opening date once it actually opened.
• Blinds that did not keep out the light, so we improvised with aluminum foil.
• No garbage disposal, we don’t have one at home so this was no big deal.
• The arrangement of the deck made it unclear which deck belonged to which tenant; one large one that went along the doors of the two side by side units wrapping around and running along the side of the unit by the river and another smaller deck reached by walking along the backside of the unit, in the dirt to a gate that didn’t fit.
• Units were parallel to the river instead of perpendicular; one unit got the view and the breeze and the other got no view and little breeze. (Guess which one we had.)
• A sturdy rocking chair in the room; my husband would make them mandatory for all units, everywhere.
• Tiny bathroom, huge bedroom with a King bed (reservations said Queen), two closets, undersized living room (looked smaller than the bedroom), miniscule kitchen and two closets with furnishings in good condition.
• A boom box on some sort of a dresser in the corner of the kitchen where I would have preferred more counter space.
• The resort is in the throws of construction (still) with very little landscaping, just a lot of unattractive dry dirt.
• Most of the staff were friendly and polite and were there to help. However, we asked for a recommendation for something of one of the reservation clerks (?) and was told that she didn’t live in Estes and in fact only worked there. I also didn’t find out that there are laundry facilities on site that are free to guests. I found this after we used the one in town.
While at the resort we asked someone in housekeeping if we could take a look at a two bedroom unit and she didn’t have an empty one to show us, but did show us a different 1 bedroom unit. This one was twice the size as our unit and she said you would have to ask for the larger unit specifically when making the reservations because it would cost more. There is NO designation for it to reserve online. This should be fixed. Also, the older side of the resort seems to have ramps to most of the units, while the other side doesn’t appear to have any.
Restaurants:
• Sundeck Inn or Grill: Breakfast better than dinner, reasonably priced.
• The Otherside: Breakfast was simply awful.
• Dunraven Inn: Dinner pretty good but expensive. Friendly atmosphere with a bar papered with dollar bills.
• Beverly Hills restaurant: Quick, simple and inexpensive.
• Hunters Grill (or something): Expensive, poor service, so so food. (The calamari was sweet and I had to ask for lemon.)
• Shuck’ems Oysters: Kind of funky but good and cheap.
• Mama Rose’s: Expensive but food was better than most.
• Wild Rose: Unremarkable
• Grubsteak: Beer was fine.
• Lonigans Saloon: Beer was fine.
• Fat Cat Café: (in Grand Lake) Good food, inexpensive. Kind of 60ish mood.
Things to see on the way to or from Estes Park.
Devils Backbone on Hwy 34 – just interesting and takes about 5 minutes
The Columbine Sculpture Guild sculpture garden in Loveland. Across the lake on Taft. Lots of art to look at, be sure to check all of the nooks and crannies.
Things to do at the park. We spent days driving through the park, getting out and walking and taking pictures of flora and fauna. Great.
Would I recommend this resort to friends and family? YES
Would I go again? YES, however, until the web site is more clear, I will reserve by telephone, so I get exactly what I want.
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| Author: |
jalfa |
| Visited on: |
07/13/2006 |
| Average Rating: |
4.75 |
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| Submitted on: |
07/23/2006 |
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Pros:
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Great location. New resort, great condition. |
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Cons:
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Unit size(2bdrm)smaller than other WM 2 bdrm. Small \"closets\" 1 bdrm has limited kitchen. |
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Review:
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We stayed in a 2 bdrm twin. Unit was smaller than most WM 2 bdrms but very nice. This unit had a full kitchen and a washer/dryer in the unit. The closets in the bedroom were armoires, the master bedroom had no extra space to leave suitcase on the suitcase rack. The resort is almost complete now, they were putting in furniture and finishing landscaping of the units that will open within the next month. There are a couple of 3 bdrm deluxe or penthouse units which have a spa on the balcony which will be completed soon. There are only community BBQs at various locations on the grounds. Some seem to have a more planned BBQ area incliuding tables others are just set in plant beds. Hopefully when things are finished they'll all have a permanent place with available tables. The laundry room available for units without washer/dryer has 2 full size washers/dryers, laundry sink and folding counter. The exercise and rec rooms are located beneath a couple of the units. There doesn't seem to be any air cond in those rooms but they do have floor heaters for the winter. Our room had air cond but it looked like the original units probably didn't(not sure, alot of those units had windows open). There is a pool and spa behind the check in building, and 2 other spas located on the grounds. (There is no child's pool. PLease check out the pictures which I hope to be able to attach. |
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| Author: |
timetraveler |
| Visited on: |
08/12/2007 |
| Average Rating: |
3.50 |
| Staff professionalism: |
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| Resort grounds: |
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| Room quality: |
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| Room cleanness: |
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| Submitted on: |
08/20/2007 |
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Cons:
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Units are small and lack basics. |
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Review:
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Worldmark Estes Park has a beautiful location, on the Big Thompson River in Estes Park Colorado, just a 10-minute drive from Rocky Mountain National Park. But based on the one we stayed in, the units are small and lacking in basics.
I’d learned from previous reviews that some of the one and two-bedroom units at Worldmark Estes Park were small, so I booked a two-bedroom twin, sleeps 6 unit for two of us. It was comfortable for two, would have been cozy for four and “when are we going home?” for six. The rooms were small and there was very little storage space for clothing. There was one small closet in the entire unit, by the front door. An iron and ironing board were stored there. Instead of closets, the bedrooms had mini-wardrobes. The master bedroom also had a mini-chest of drawers, but the second bedroom did not.
There were no curtains on the windows. Instead, there were translucent blinds that did nothing to keep the very bright parking lot security lights and early morning sun from shining into the bedrooms. After a sleepless night and three requests to the office, we were given a heavy piece of black plastic and masking tape to cover our bedroom windows. By that time, we’d gone to the Safeway and bought aluminum foil and tape. We used that to cover the windows – a tip I learned on wmowners.com. Although we initially asked for something with which to cover our windows, we made the mistake of accepting assurances that the offending lights would be turned off. As it turned out, maintenance turned off the light by the front door instead of those that were shining in the windows. The next day we were told that the lights in the parking lot could not be turned off. A few 3-bedroom deluxe units face the river, but most of the other units are located next to the parking lot, as ours was. .
Although Worldmark seems to have forgotten some basics when they refurbished the Estes Park resort, other things were nice. Our unit had central air-conditioning and heat, and wall-to-wall carpeting except in the kitchen and bathrooms. The living room was furnished with a phone, gas fireplace, TV, VCR, DVD and CD players, and four drawers, but only seating for four people – a sleep sofa and two easy chairs.
Our unit had a full kitchen including full-sized refrigerator/freezer, stove, oven, dishwasher, large sink, coffee maker, toaster and mixer. There was a set of stovetop cookware, baking sheets, microwavable bowls and casseroles, cooking utensils, a complete set of kitchen knives, dishes, eating utensils, and glassware for six. The kitchen was supplied with the usual Worldmark “starter pack” of spices, a roll of paper towels and one day’s supply of coffee, filters, dishwasher detergent, dishwashing liquid plus dishcloths and towels. Our unit also had a clothes washer/dryer, supplied with two small boxes of laundry detergent. The master bedroom had a king sized bed and the second bedroom had twins. The master bathroom had a shower and sink, but only a small shelf for storage of toiletries. The second bathroom was better, having both a tub and shower, and a large vanity with several drawers.
Not all units at Worldmark Estes Park have the same amenities, not even those of the same size. Some of the two-bedrooms have twin beds in the second bedroom while others have queens. Studios, 1-bedrooms, and some of the 2-bedrooms have “limited kitchens” consisting of 2-burner cook tops, a mini-refrigerator, a microwave, a coffee maker, cookware and table settings. The studios and 1-bedrooms have queen beds, not kings like the larger units. Gas fireplaces and clothes washer/dryers are only in the 1-bedroom deluxe, 2-bedrooms, and 3-bedrooms. Only the deluxe units have patios or decks. The two-bedroom twin that we stayed in had a gas fireplace and washer/dryer, but no patio or deck.
RESORT AMMENITIES
There is sufficient free parking at the resort.
Complimentary wi-fi and computer for guest use are located in Reception.
Laundry facilities are available for those guests staying in units without clothes washer/dryers, although my confirmation stated that there were none.
Guests can fish in the Big Thompson River that runs past the resort, but only if they have a license. Licenses can be purchased in town. The resort rents tackle boxes and fishing poles for $4 a day. They also rent DVD’s for $3 a night.
One mid-sized pool is open seasonally. There are three spas that are open year-round. The exercise room is equipped with a cross-trainer, stationary bike, two treadmills, a weight machine, water, towels, and restrooms, but no showers. The game room has a wide-screen TV, a ping-pong table, air hockey (75 cents), pool ($1), video games (50 cents), a coke machine ($1.50) and a change machine. Both the fitness center and game room are open from 8 AM until 10 PM.
ACTIVITIES
We were given an “Activity Calendar” upon check-in. All of the activities were in the area of Estes Park. There were no organized activities at the resort.
ESTES PARK
There is a small grocery store ¼ mile from the resort. A Safeway is at the other end of town. The downtown area has shops, restaurants, a winery, a brewery, a small amusement park, and a pleasant river walk. A tramway runs up the mountain. The historic Stanley Hotel, where The Shining was filmed, sits on a hillside just outside of town. Tours of the hotel are available with reservations. They get booked up several days in advance.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
The resort is only two miles from the Rocky Mountain National Park. Entrance costs $20 per car for 7 days. Pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and mopeds pay $10 per person. If you want to stay more than 7 days, an annual Rocky Mountain Park pass is $35 or $80 for an annual National Parks and Federal Lands pass. Seniors 62+ can buy lifetime passes for $10 and handicapped persons can obtain them free. Passes admit the passholder and up to 3 other people in the same car.
The reason we went to Worldmark Estes Park was to experience Rocky Mountain National Park. We weren’t disappointed. Driving, hiking, and riding horses through the park, we saw beautiful scenery, alpine tundra, elk, deer, a coyote, moose, and a big horn sheep.
It takes about 3 hours to drive the Trail Ridge Road one way. We encountered construction delays several times. There are many places to stop – visitor centers, wildlife viewing, and points of interest. Worldmark rents an audio CD of Trail Ridge Road for $1 a day. We didn’t try it. Instead, we bought a “Self-Guiding Tour of Trail Ridge Road” brochure for 50 cents at the first visitor center after we entered the park. It proved very helpful. Parts of the Trail Ridge Road are closed from mid-October to June.
There are hundreds of hiking trails in the park. The resort gave us a printout of some waterfall hikes. The Park visitor centers sell trail maps and guidebooks. Parking can be a challenge at the trailheads and sometimes at the “Park & Ride” in summer. From June 30 – September 3 a “Hiker Shuttle” runs hourly from the Estes Park Visitors Center to the “Park & Ride” inside the Park. From there, hikers can take a shuttle to the Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge Trailheads or to the Cub Lake Trailhead and the Moraine Park Museum.
One way to see some of the Park off-road without hiking is by horseback. We rode with Hi Country Stables, the only stables located in Rocky Mountain National Park. They have two locations, Glacier Creek and Moraine Park. They offer two, three, four, five, six and eight hour rides. The two-hour rides cost $45 per person; four-hour rides are $65. We took the four-hour ride from the Moraine Park Stables. The horses were well behaved and the guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. It’s necessary to make reservations at least two days in advance.
RECOMMENDATIONS
I’d recommend Worldmark Estes Park to families and individuals who are looking for an active outdoor vacation. If you don’t enjoy crowded living quarters, I suggest that you book a unit one size larger than usually suits your group. If you don’t like to sleep with bright lights shining in your face, I suggest that you take along dark plastic or aluminum foil and tape to cover the bedroom windows in case you’re assigned to one of the units where the bedrooms face the parking lot. A car is needed to best enjoy the area.
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1 June 2005:
Hot forum topics are presented on website.
23 May 2005:
Featured owner Boaterkathy.
29 Aug 2004:
New version of the website is released!.
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