Strangely enough one of the reasons I started vacationing in Williamsburg Va. is because of the abundance of available timeshares there. Let me elaborate...
My wife and I have 5 weeks a year at a resort timeshare complex about 160 km (100 miles) north of Mississauga called The Cottages of Port Stanton. We typically use the July summer week, the May spring week and part of the late September week. Our March break week was used extensively when our kids were in school but now, more often than not, ends up being banked with Interval International (IR) along with our December week.
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| Our 3-bedroom cottage overlooks the pool area |
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| The view of the pool and Sparrow Lake from our cottage deck |
We obviously like to vacation in cottage country particularly in the summer and this complex is great. The opportunities to exchange in Ontario, outside of the winter months however are somewhat limited. With a few weeks already banked and one due to expire at the end of 2008 I started to look for other vacation destinations to exchange into.
After many months going through the Interval resorts directory looking at possible vacation destinations and then the resorts in those areas. I found not surprisingly that trying to book into a resort during their vacation prime time was problematic at best. For instance, I have never seen a vacation week at our own resort available for exchange in the summer although I know a few have been banked and some one has picked it up on exchange. With only 18 units it is not surprising that demand far exceeds supply at our facility.
So as I explored the IR website I found that certain areas of the US have a large availability of time share units which increases the odds of getting a specific season and even a specific week. As one might expect Florida has a large number of resorts; within the state Orlando leads the way with 49 participating in the program. I also found, not surprisingly, that other popular US vacation spots were well represented including Nevada (Las Vegas), South Carolina (Myrtle Beach & Hilton Head) and California (Palm Springs).
At the time family needs required one of us to be home all the time so my wife graciously suggested I find a place to go golfing and invite some friends to go along. With one eye on keeping the costs reasonable, another on the type of vacation, I also had to consider one of the banked weeks was about to expire. That is when I re-discovered Williamsburg...In 1993 we had rented a beach house in Virginia Beach and stopped in Williamsburg for a couple of days on the way back. I vaguely remembered the outlet shopping and the restaurants and we did take the kids to see Colonial Williamsburg. The one thing I distinctly remember was how hot the weather was in September and spending a lot of time around the pool with the kids in swimming. With a surprising large availability of units for exchange I started a more in-depth search to see whether Williamsburg would be suitable for a golfing vacation.
As I have previously blogged Williamsburg is within a days drive and it has average daily highs between 68 and 70 F in the latter half of October which was ideal for my needs. I did a few web searches and was surprised to learn that Williamsburg is designated one of the top 25 golf destinations in the world. I am always skeptical about such claims but it was a very positive incentive to keep looking. I came across the Virginia Golf Guide which is a comprehensive listing of courses in Virginia and discovered there were 14 championship courses within a reasonable drive in and around Williamsburg. I enjoy playing on different courses and what sealed the deal for me was the variety and sheer number of courses to choose from in this part of Virginia.
I found a friend interested in going and then began the hunt for the right accommodation. We landed on the last week of October for the trip and picked the Williamsburg Plantation primarily because they offered golfing discounts at local courses.
The Plantation is situated off US-199 on Longhill Road in an ideal location.There is a Food Lion grocery store, a pharmacy as well as the Prime Outlet Mall only a few minutes from the complex on the corner of Olde Town Road and Richmond Road.
Richmond Road is also restaurant alley as I call it with numerous dining options to choose from national chains to local eateries. We have to eat and it is very convenient being close by.
Most importantly a number of area golf courses such as Ford Colony, Williamsburg National, Golden Horseshoe, Kingsmill, Colonial Heritage and Kiskiack are within a 15 minute drive from the Plantation. In fact I have done a little research and found that there are 20 golf courses (one of which is an executive 9 hole course) at 11 golf facilities within a 30 minute drive from the Williamsburg Plantation. Extend the driving time from 30 minutes to an hour and you could add another 13 golf courses (one of which is a 27 hole facility) to the total!
Another reason I chose the Plantation was the availability, albeit somewhat limited, of four bedroom units. Getting one was not easy but with a little patience and checking I was able to lock-up my first exchange for the week of Oct 24th to Oct 31st, 2008.
I have duplicated this on each of the six trips I have made to Williamsburg since the inaugural trip so it can be done when booking a spring or fall trip. The caveat of course is that you have a timeshare that has the trading power to get the larger 4-bedroom unit.
The Plantation is a two-story townhouse complex with more than 500 units - mostly 2-bedroom. Our 4-bedroom was really two individual 2 bedroom units one on top of the other. The units are identical except that the kitchen in the top unit is called a linked kitchen and has a hot plate instead of a full stove and oven.
The master bedroom had a king-size bed and the 2nd bedroom a queen. Both were well appointed and very attractively decorated.
A nice feature of each unit was the deep whirlpool tubs which were great for soaking in after a golf game. There was also regular tub and shower off the 2nd bedroom.
The advantage of the double unit is that with four golfers we each have our own bedroom, bathroom and television for privacy yet plenty of room to get together for meals or group activities - cards, watching sports, having a drink together, etc.
The living area of the units included a sofa and two sofa chairs, a fireplace, TV and DVD player.
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| Living Area of our Unit on our October 2009 |
The dining room table was plenty big enough with seating for six.
Keep in mind that there are different vintages of units in the complex and interestingly enough this translates into slightly different floor plans and amenities.
For instance the unit we had the following year in October 2009 had a projection TV rather than a built in one and a different fireplace. On our April 2011 trip the unit we stayed in had a sauna as well as a whirlpool tub. When exchanging into this complex be aware that the unit specified could be changed at the discretion of the Plantation management so you could end up with any one of the different styles.
The focal point of the complex is the club house and check-in area. As you drive in you see the right hand view of the club house.Inside the club house there is a large screen TV with seating, free coffee, vending machines, computer area, and a workout area. The upstairs has a large meeting area and is used for meet and greet or special events such as wine tasting that is hosted or arranged by management.
This picture is from behind the club house and shows the large outdoor pool. Unfortunately the pool is closed for the season when we visit in October, but there is an indoor pool and whirlpool; the building in the background on the right side of the photo.
In the front lobby area there are dedicated staff available to purchase tickets to local attractions such as Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens as well as book a tee time at a nearby course. The handouts include a listing of some of the local golf courses and any deals and discounts available. After our first trip I have called ahead to get a copy of the current deals - the staff have been kind enough to fax or e-mail me a copy. On a couple of occasions they have even booked our golf games before we have arrived - now that is service!
The deals offered through the Plantation were heavily relied on in our first couple of trips and less so as we became more familiar with the area courses and the better bargains available. On my fourth trip, April 11 to 18, 2010, I booked a different timeshare, The Colonies of Williamsburg.
The Colonies is a new complex being developed off Olde Towne Road and only a mile or so away form the Williamsburg Plantation. Like the Plantation it is a townhouse complex with two levels.
When we stayed there the first time less than 20 units had been built whereas by our third visit in October 2012 more than 100 units had been completed with even more in various stages of construction.
We were able to exchange for a 4-bedroom unit but in this case turned that turned out to be two 2-bedroom units on the upper floor. Having stayed in both styles of units, we quite liked having everything on the same floor rather than separate floors. It was a small inconvenience to cart everything upstairs particularly as there are two locked doors to get through to get to the upstairs hall. On either end of the hall are the unit doors and these remained unlocked and open for the rest of our stay allowing for easy movement between the units.
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| Colonies of Williamsburg 4-Bedroom Unit Floor Plan |
Generally speaking I have found that both the Colonies and the Plantation are well managed facilities and we have never had any issues to speak of in the seven trips that we have stayed there. I found out on our last trip that the same management company runs both so I guess it's no great surprise. There are differences between the facilities beyond the lay-out of the double units. The Colonies offers free Wi-fi that was reasonably fast whereas the Plantation provides a for-fee-service that costs $50/week and was painfully slow.
The bedrooms were well appointed. The 2nd bedroom has a queen size bed (pictured to the left) and the master (pictured below) has a king-sized bed.
If there is one thing I don't like about the Colonies is that the units do not have large whirlpool tubs. I am a big guy and the whirlpool tub off the 2nd bedroom is really just a normal-sized bathtub and hopelessly
too small for me.
The master bathroom is very large and spacious otherwise and I like the bright colour scheme used.
The shower off the master has a place to sit and a separate body spray but isn't quite the same as a full tub whirlpool in my opinion.
In as the Colonies is a much newer facility the amenities reflect current trends in decorating. The kitchen sports stainless steel appliances for instance and a arbitrator.
All the televisions in the units are flat screen and another nice feature is the hassock instead of a table which I thin is more functional. There is a fireplace in the units which I hope I never have to use on any golfing trip.
The outward appearance of the Colonies clubhouse is not quite as striking nor is the outdoor pool area in the back compared to the Plantation.
I also like the layout of the club house at the Plantation - it feels a little more hospitable whereas the computer area in the Colonies is perhaps more functional.
But I digress - I have stayed at both facilities and I have enjoyed my stay each time. They fit my needs for a golfing vacation with the guys.
In as the Colonies now offers the same golfing deals at local courses it really comes down to the choice of free internet and units on the same floor versus a whirlpool tub and two-story units. The last couple of trips down I have booked the Colonies.
There are ten timeshare complexes in Williamsburg and I have only stayed at two so far. The Kingsmill complex is quite nice and they do have multiple bedroom units but I have infrequently seen the 4-bedroom units for exchange. If I can get my wife to come down for a week I think I would book the Marriott at Ford Colony; the units there are more upscale but the largest is only 2-bedroom. The reality is that the 4-bedroom units are the biggest draw - we've been spoiled by the space.
If I did not already have a timeshare and planned a trip to Williamsburg in the spring or fall I would certainty look at renting a timeshare before the more traditional hotel and motel accommodations.
There are deals and specials for stay and golf packages. Since you would be traveling off-season the supply of accommodations is greater than the demand and prices are lower than the high demand periods.