My standard hotel/timeshare reviews include a breakdown by the following topics. Feel free to skip to whichever section you find most interesting.
- Experience (+Timeshare!)
- Lobby & Check-in
- Room
- Hotel Space / Ambiance
- Food & Drink
- Fitness
- Miscellaneous
EXPERIENCE BLUEGREEN VACATIONS CLUB 36, LAS VEGAS
This presentation cost $199 at an outlet mall in Orlando, which includes two $75, three nights at the Bluegreen Vacations Club 36, off the Las Vegas Strip, and a 3-5 night cruise with Carnival. However, when I signed up they told me no resort fees/taxes would be applied, and when I called to book they told me I would stay at the Tropicana Las Vegas and be subject to over $100 in fees. Ridiculous, I thought, and so after escalating the situation they agreed to honor the arrangement and “upgrade” me to the Club 36 where I would not pay extra.
TIMESHARE – Bluegreen Vacations
First of all, for those who are not familiar, a timeshare is a deeded ownership to a property, usually consisting of one week at the property or a bundle of points to be spent on a combination of nights. Also, they typically are sold in a presentation format, where they show you the benefits of ownership, including a tour of the resort, finally culminating in the sales pitch and options by associates and managers.
OUR TIMESHARE EXPERIENCE
Our presentation was less typical than my previous experiences. Their timeshare office is opposite the checkin desk, and where the concierge is. While we started in a small group setting, we were stuck there for well over an hour, with the bulk of the selling done there. Very strange, as it’s usually a small setting quickly, larger room with a rep, tour, and back to the conference. This time the small setting took ~75% of the time, and the remaining sections crammed into ~45 minutes. It went to about 2.5 hours total but they were overall very polite, with little to no pressure.
TIMESHARE DETAILS
Smallest package we were quoted was $13K, however another couple got quoted more points for only $9K! They did have some interesting aspects of their program, including access to a yacht club with retail value of $50K, where you can rent your own private yacht in Ft. Lauderdale, with captain and chef, for $150/person. Who doesn’t love a nice escape on the water sailing anywhere you want?
They also had a discount on maintenance program through referrals, but we weren’t interested in the overall package and went well over time so I was in a hurry to go. These components, part of the first visit signing, earn them a return visit maybe later in life when I’m more timeshare-inclined.
LOBBY & CHECK-IN
Dropped off on the shops side of the Bluegreen property, checkin is on the right side, and the very nice ladies who crew the desk thanked me for my pleasant manner – something very rare (the thanking, not my pleasantness). A small hiccup did occur where they had difficulty finding my reservation, probably because they had it as “Aniel” instead of “Daniel”. What a weird misspelling I have not seen before.
ROOM
My room was in a tower far from the main entrance, so there is a lot of walking on old, dirty, short carpets. I thought the room overall was quite nice, much better than my Tahiti Village bedroom, with a nice kitchen, dual bathrooms (three sinks total!), and ceiling fans. However, it was quite stuffy, and I could not open windows.
Additionally, the stand shower was deficient in that the doors don’t seal in all the way, leading to a gigantic spill one evening. Internet was satisfactory, but cut in and out and was slow at some points.
HOTEL SPACE / AMBIANCE
Bluegreen Club 36 is off the west side of the Las Vegas Strip on Tropicana Ave, directly north of McCarran Airport. It definitely caters to families, with its large property, pools, suites, etc. It has several fast food places next door, as well as a liquor and smoke shop, and a general store selling tourist, travel, food, and other items.
FOOD & DRINK
There is a water tank next to the checkin desk, good for refilling bottles. In the property is also a Subway ($5 footlongs!) and a pizza place. This resort does not have breakfast or anything like that, but you can buy anything you need food wise at the general store.
FITNESS
The gym is nice and large, and going super late means no one is around. I did not check out the pool, however.
MISCELLANEOUS
Internet is complimentary and (mostly) had no issues at Bluegreen Club 36. They have a responsible tech team to upgrade you if necessary and handle any issues. They comped my upgraded internet, which is appreciated. One thing to note is their very nice shuttle which leaves every hour except for noon and 7pm to three locations on the Strip (Linq, Planet Hollywood, Tropicana). They also have a shuttle to Downtown & Fremont several times a day.
Also, the concierge was distinctly unhelpful, as I had to wait maybe half an hour as she dealt with less than intelligent couples indecisive on their show choice, and could not immediately answer my quick question on Hamilton and whether she had access (spoiler alert, she did not). That was a frustrating experience, but overall I enjoyed my stay and time here. Lastly, $50 for 3N in a one bedroom isn’t bad, especially if we can extract some value out of the cruise.
Featured Image is the presidential suite bedroom from the hotel website. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links which, should you click through and/or make a purchase, grant me a commission. Also, I only post in the best interest of my readers. Lastly, thank you for supporting my blog and my travels.
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