The Wyndham Boulders, like staying on the set of the Flintstones!
Written: May 02 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Flawless Service.
Cons: Completely OVERPRICED. Casita bathrooms need to be gutted!
The Bottom Line: Much newer resorts at much better price points are in Phoenix. The Boulders charges EXORBITANT rates because of the setting. This includes rooms, food and the spa.
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| fredelledge's Full Review: The Boulders |
The Wyndham Boulders is an older resort, quite pricey, but set in an environment like none other. For whatever reason, there are boulders centuries old and larger than many houses perched in a variety of formations in the area. The resort, all villas and casitas, is set amongst the boulders on beautifully paths. Guests are whisked in gold carts back and forth from reception to room and the on site Golden Door Spa. It's really like being on the set of the Flintstones to see these amazing rock formations.
There is a 36 hole Jay Morrish championship course, gorgeous, not crowded and a pleasure to play. $185 per person, weekends, including cart.
We did not play tennis, but the 8 courts are partially sunken, again in a jaw dropping environment and the tennis facility is ranked as one of the top 50 tennis resorts in the US.
The Golden Door Spa is 33,000 feet of pure expensive bliss. The gym which is free of charge for resort guests is one of the nicest I have ever seen. A wide variety of top quality equipment. Trainers are available for fee ($100+). This is a full gym of weight equipment, not a minified version that you see at many resorts. The large picture windows of the spa and gym open onto rock formations and desert friendly landscaping. Soft ambient music is piped throughout. The spa has a variety of services. Expect to pay $135 or more for 50 minute treatments, in one of 24 treatment rooms. It's NOT a bargain, but many people splurge and put out the cash. One of the tackier things I have ever noticed is that in all the brochures and paperwork for guests they make it a point to let you know the "expected gratuity, which is not included" should be 20%!!! Some of the treatments are what you would expect and some of them are a little on the esoteric holistic side. There are only two pools on site, and they have not been redone. Given the newer resorts and pool design, these are old, functional and nothing impressive that you'll be talking about. The resort should spend a little money and redo the pool areas.
Because of the price point, the resort is filled with an older clientele. There's almost as much gray hair as you might see in a Del Webb retirement community. There are also a lot of corporate groups. Children are few and far between.
The find dining restaurant, Latilla, is advertised as one of the best in the valley. Ha. They have quite a sense of humor. It's alright, it's more overpriced than it is alright. There are far better chef owned restaurants nearby, without the resort prices and attitude. Entrees run $30+ and are small. The flavors common. Wines are expensive as are the mark-ups. The wine we ordered an $85 bottle was not stocked, they substituted a bottle of Grgich for $70. I could have picked that bottle up at the store for $25. If you're looking for an excellent restaurant, try Michael's at the Citadel or Eddie V's. Both are hands down better than Latilla. We were disappointed to say the least in wasting one evening trying what amounted to a common hotel restaurant. Supposedly Gourmet Magazine claims Latilla is one of the best restaurants in the nation. That's crazy. Maybe the reviewer is related to the help.
The rooms. We were in a casita, which comes with two doubles or a king. The bedroom was nice enough, decorated in southwestern decor with working fireplaces and leather club chairs. The bathroom was completely unacceptable for the price point. The lighting was poor and the towels were plain white and not thick or egyptian cotton as you would expect at a fine resort. The lighting on the sinks consisted of a FLUORESCENT TUBE above plastic!!! Can you believe it? While we were at the resort the "internet rate" to stay was $449/night. What craziness.
Yes they have a walk in closet with cabinetry that has been painted over. The safe could be broken into with a screwdriver and consists of a flimsy metal door with a key lock. They are too cheap to even get Elsafes for the rooms. The shower was incredibly small. I weigh 180 and am 6'0". If you had a large person they would NOT like the small shower as they would be bumping the wall or glass door. The toilet is separated from the bathroom area with a louvered wood stall door like you might find in a public bathroom. It offers no privacy. The toiletries are "Golden Door Spa" labeled but nothing fancy enough to warrant packing home. Having stayed in resorts all over the world, I was less than impressed with the bathrooms.
The villas, one of our friends previously stayed in a villa are nice and their bathrooms are quite nice. Do not opt for a casita, they are definitely lesser quality to the villas. Given the price Wyndham extracts from guests, they should upgrade their casitas, it's nothing short of a rip-off. The 70's acrylic soaking tub was stained and marred from past use and I didn't get in it. The pillows were not down, but when I asked, they quickly brought two. Again, in a resort this expensive, most guests are going to expect good down pillows right up front.
There's also a $29/per casita "resort fee" which covers the tipping of hotel staff. Don't believe the help gets it all for a second. I asked several workers and they smiled and without fail all said it's just another revenue source for Wyndham. The villas "resort fee" I believe is even higher.
The staff is flawless, they are all polite, quick to please and efficient. I can't say enough about them. The concierge desk is also excellent. When we commented about the meal at Latilla they were quick to offer other suggestions, but like any business, I am sure the help is told to steer guests toward their own restaurants.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
fredelledge
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Reviews written: 32
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