Encore Miami Everglades — Hotel in Princeton

To begin, allow me this moment to describe myself. I am a Fifty-five year old Puerto Rican/ African American combat veteran that has served our country in the Fleet Marine Forces, at Headquarters Marine Corps and other bases around the globe. I have worked at numerous fortune 100 companies and have owned my own small business in Washington state. I recently placed my 128 year old home on the real estate market and am on a rebuilding journey that brought me to Florida and is currently the most focused rebuilding effort that I am doing in my life.

Encore Miami Everglades recreational vehicle park has no discernible features other than to say it is hidden in the community and does not share beachfront vistas like the “Jolly Roger RV Resort (in Marathon, FL)”, which is close to many restaurants and other recreational businesses/features that my partner and I had the pleasure of staying at for the past week.

As a matter of fact, due to the horrible and harassing treatment I received at the front desk by “Samuel”, who either chose not to read, couldn’t read or comprehend my vehicle’s details which are type written on the vehicle title, physical proof of registration on license plate, or the manufacturers chrome placards, it appeared that no detail or responses to his interrogation was sufficient to simply check in, eat and decompress after a very long day. To be sure, my vehicle is a motorhome, was purchased as a motorhome and will still be a motorhome tomorrow. As “Samuel” responded to my inquiry on why the hassle, he provided irrelevant descriptions that appears hateful to van-lifers, skoolies, etc. I was asked if my motorhome was full service and I replied in the affirmative. He then went into greater detail with his questions on lavatory, air conditioning, etc., which I confirmed and in frustration, invited him to see firsthand; which he declined. If you are on the receiving end of this behavior, it doesn’t take a doctoral degree to comprehend what was transpiring.

I will add for those who care enough, the vibe/apparent culture at this Miami rv park is best described as “Ignorance Superiority” aka., the Dunning-Kruger effect.

In the midst of the harassing nature and the obvious predetermined path of and threat of rejecting our reservation, “Samuel” having refused my invitation to view my motorhome to confirm that all his questions that I’d already answered were in fact, true, then asked for my vehicle registration, which I then returned again to my vehicle to retrieve. While working to retrieve my registration and feeling very disrespected exchanging few words with my partner, I placed a call back to the Jolly Roger RV Resort. It was after hours when I placed the call. Kelly, whom I’d met the first day, remembered both of us by name and other details. We returned driving another nearly 70 miles to the Jolly Roger RV Resort for the night appreciatively with no prior notice. I cannot thank her and them enough for their hospitality.

During our scuba trip/vacation, we experienced welcome and genuine community at the Jolly Roger RV Resort and blatant racism and prejudice at this...

AUSSIES WITH AN AUSSIE – Full-time RVers & Encore/Thousand Trails Members Our 62nd RV Park Stay.

Encore Everglades RV Park is beautifully laid out with spacious sites and well-maintained facilities. One of the highlights of the park is the large, open grassy area, which was fantastic for playing with our dog. However, the designated dog park itself was quite small. Given the number of dogs in the park, a larger off-leash area would make sense for better socialization opportunities. Nearly all sites are pull-through and reasonably level, full hookups available in either 30A or 50A. Most sites feature a gravel or grass base with a concrete pad and a picnic table. Site privacy and spacing was average. The park boasts a friendly, safe, and quiet atmosphere, with beautiful landscaping that includes palm trees and spacious grass areas. The neighboring nurseries add to the Everglades' tropical feel. The pool area, clubhouse, and patio were all in excellent condition, and some activities were held for guests. The toilets and showers were clean and well-sized, though there were some maintenance issues, with a few toilets out of order. One of our favorite features was the walking and biking track around the perimeter of the park—a great way to get exercise while enjoying the scenery and giving our dog a good run.

Location & Accessibility: Encore Everglades RV Park is situated in Miami’s agricultural zone. While it is the closest RV park to the Everglades, it is not in close proximity to restaurants, bars, or shops. The nearest Publix is about a 15-minute drive, while dining and entertainment options are 30 to 40 minutes away. This is something to consider for those who prefer easy access to city amenities.

Value for Money: Unfortunately, the only real downside of our stay was the cost. As Encore & Thousand Trails members, we are accustomed to premium location surcharges at some resorts, but many high-quality parks do not charge extra. We found it hard to justify the $20 per night premium charge at this park. Additionally, while we were informed upon arrival that construction was taking place, the work initially seemed to be confined to an unoccupied area. However, it soon moved to our street, with excavators and bobcats running from 8 AM to 4 PM right outside our RV. Frequent water shut-offs also occurred, sometimes as early as 9 AM for a couple of hours. Given these disruptions, we felt the premium surcharge should have been waived.

Final Thoughts: Encore Everglades RV Park offers a well-maintained, scenic, and friendly environment, ideal for those looking to stay close to the Everglades. The large green spaces and perimeter trail were definite highlights. However, the location’s distance from conveniences and the additional charges—especially during ongoing construction—diminished the overall value. With its location issues I think there is an excellent opportunity for a small bar and restaurant and improvements in a larger off-leash dog area, this park could be an even better experience...

We've stayed at Miami Everglades a few times. Beautiful, well kept grounds with lots to do for kids (playground, pool, mini-golf, etc). They tend to be a bit over zealous in keeping the rules, to the point of feeling like you're always being watched. For example, I was once told I was walking the wrong direction on the perimeter path; and I've had the grounds patrol golf carting up to me while sitting outside to tell me my cats were to be leashed (while several feral cats are being feed by the same employees). I really felt a bit anxious each time they rolled up to me in their cart - but just put it aside as the park is pretty, and we are only there for a short time. Apparently, we must be persona non grata at this point. I guess I just don't follow rules to their expectation.

We called on 3/29 to ask about availability, and was told they don't know April 2017 availability until April 1st. Really? A resort desk that does not know how to set a reservation more than a week in advance? I understand they were going through a computer system change, and the front desk staff tends to be a bit technology challenged. In fact, we had often had to address problems with our bill with the desk - as they've had multiple issues with keeping their records straight. My husband had to have a long, unfriendly conversation with the Manger about this - as it's difficult to keep your budget consistent when unexpected hundreds are suddenly due because of their poor record keeping. Maybe that's why we are not wanted to return...

Anyways, we made other arrangements and planned to call at a later date when they knew their availability. Called on 4/12, was told our stay over 2 months would require Manager Nancy. She was already gone for the day - call again. On 4/14, called three times to catch Manager Nancy - she was always unavailable and did not return calls. Called after Easter on 4/17, she was unavailable, and did not return the voice mail message. Called on 4/19 and 4/26 - each time having to explain to the very overwhelmed desk personnel our time plans, being told again to talk to Manager Nancy, and again that I could leave a message. Finally, on 5/2, the desk personnel (with many on hold times - I'm figuring to talk with Manager Nancy), informs me that because they have too many guests currently present with dogs, our request (with a 40 lb dog) is not serviceable. Lovely, I'm glad we have that settled.

A really nice place, but not worth the frustration. Southern Comfort in Florida City, Larry & Penny Thompson campground, and Boardwalk RV Resort are also good options for our...