Hyatt Vacation Club at The Welk in Escondido, CA

We enjoyed our week long stay at the Welk. The 1 bedroom was very comfortable. The unit was clean and the staff was friendly. The resort offered numerous activities.

We enjoyed our stay at the Villas at the Welk. There was a nice view from our room balcony. The resort had things to do on property for kids and adults. Golf course was enjoyable to play with great views. Property was well decorated with local plants and enjoyable to drive around to view.

We got a great deal through Interval exchange getaways so came to stay in the middle of January to enjoy the sun and pools. What we enjoyed: - The two bedroom unit was very clean and spacious - Nice outdoor BBQ grill - Indoor jacuzzi and steam room at Melody Hall - Quiet location and adequate WiFi (we requested at check in) - Staff was very responsive when we asked for kettle and coffee - Taco trucks up the road and TERI Common Grounds Café & Coffee Bar nearby - No solicitation about timeshare sale Other points: - Mattress was very soft - Water pressure in showers barely workable - Dishwasher looked very beat up so I did dishes by hand - The unit upstairs became occupied halfway through our stay and we could hear constant footsteps, furniture being moved etc. - We were supposed to get a mini clean mid stay which never happened, not sure why but not a problem since ample supplies in unit - The location is very remote, we would drive to San Diego to sightsee during the day and would not feel like driving anywhere again after coming back in the afternoon Overall an okay stay if you know what to expect and want to relax in peace/quiet.

We stayed at the Welk with our free night using our Hyatt credit card reward and to check out the golf course. I had recieved a call from the resort to ask me if I had any questions a few days befor our arrival. I mentioned golf and she said to let them know when you check in to the hotel that you're playing golf so that you can get a discount on your green fees. Sweet!! But when I checked in, the front desk women said, the golf course was not related to the hotel and then handed me a ringing desk phone to call the club house, which I thought was super weird and kind of rude, like 'here you call them'. The club house then said 'we will take care of you' which actually meant nothing because when we got there they were like, yeah there is no discount cause it was already twilight. What the what? No words. The general vibe of the staff felt like they were all mentally checked out and couldnt wait to get off their shift. Could tell they probably all hate working there. My fiance kept saying, is it me or is everyone here not very nice or happy. Even though it's technically a Hyatt property, Hyatt Vacation clubs are separately ran time share scam, so don't expect the same Hyatt status or customer service that you might be used to at other Hyatts. Also expect to be asked to 'go on a tour'. Also, if you are using your free night credit, expect a basement room. Sigh. We signed up for the Paint & Sip adult 21+ event, thinking it would be a fun way to spend our evening on the property. They hosted that event in the middle of a rec room in with what felt like a thousand screaming children playing football, slinging billiards and yelling at video games, all while we sat at a table covered in glitter from the earlier kid activities. The instructor was so amazing and I kept feeling awful as she tried to yell instructions at us over the noise. Why would you ever host that event there? Complete insanity and unfair to the woman hosting. Only way we survived was with our canned margaritas lol. Also no food options past 9pm and restaurants are not that close by so pro tip: bring your own food and water. The rooms are very dated but spacious with seperate living room and fridge, stove and dishwasher. Free parking was a pro. I was excited for the nice sized TV in the living room area, but they only had cable and no streaming options. Annoying. Worst part was the 10am checkout, and they don't mess around, 10:01 and they are knocking to tell you to get the h*** out. TLDR: No golf discount if you stay at the hotel, spacious but dated rooms, free parking, cable TV only, no late night food options, screaming children while you 21+ paint & sip, unhappy employees. Also by 10am you better get the h*** out.

I am very disappointed with my experience while making a reservation through a timeshare promotion. This is my first time using such a service, and unfortunately, it feels like a scam. I booked a 4-day, 3-night stay, only to find out that the resort was not in San Diego as advertised; it was actually an hour's drive away. This inconvenient location severely limited our ability to explore the area, forcing us to spend a lot of time driving back and forth to the resort. The room itself is spacious and includes full amenities, such as a small bedroom and kitchen with a stove, coffee maker, toaster, microwave, and utensils. However, everything feels outdated and in need of renovation. The Wi-Fi is acceptable but not great. Additionally, the bathroom only has a shower, and the hot water is barely warm. While the resort has eight pools, we couldn't enjoy one of them because we felt our time was wasted. I arrived late and didn’t get a chance to see much of the area since it is quite dark and lacks sufficient outdoor lighting. On the second day, my family spent all day at LEGOLAND and returned in the evening. On the third day, I had an appointment for a meeting and presentation. During this presentation, they showed us 2 and 3-bedroom options and discussed their timeshare and travel offerings. I was not interested, but they applied a lot of pressure to make a purchase. The sales pitch was aggressive, with constant interruptions and attempts to change the subject when we expressed disinterest. We ended up wasting time until 7 PM. I felt rushed to sign documents to buy just to expedite the process, as my daughter was already hungry. I definitely want to cancel this purchase, but I’m unsure if they will allow it since the contract states there is a 7-day cancellation period. My first experience with the Hyatt Vacation Club has been far from enjoyable. I would have preferred to pay for a traditional hotel where I could truly relax and enjoy my stay, rather than endure the inconveniences and pressures of a timeshare.