WorldMark San Diego - Balboa Park — Hotel in San Diego

Okay... If you are a World Mark owner you have likely stayed in some nice places as many of their resorts are (Oceanside is amazing by the way and the best one is in Cabo San Lucas!) But this one is definitely one to avoid . I read reviews before I booked it so I knew a little of what to expect ..there were a lot of complaints about noise (there are even complimentary earplugs in the rooms if that's any indication) but we didn't experience any real noise issues. The freeway ramp is right there but it's not a big noise producer. The valet parking is a huge issue at like $30 a day it's also a rip off.. and,of course they say they can "help" with that expense which is code for "sit thru a presentation and we waive it". My husband got up early the next morning , was put in an Uber to go to this presentation only to be turned away because I was not there ..the staff did not tell us that both of us had to attend and in fact Nayelis words to me were " anyone CAN attend "(as she saw we were traveling with two teenagers ) . So he came back and told me & said they won't waive the valet fee.. and I attempted to correct this by talking to Nayelli who was conveniently off the rest of our stay until the day we checked out . The manager , Lillie was also not there and I was told she would call me... We have been home for a couple of weeks now and I still haven't received a call... shocking 🙄🙄. As we were checking out, luggage rack full and at the desk the sweet girl helping us started to charge for the valet and I have her a quick review of what had happened- she wasn't authorized to reverse the charges which I understand and didn't fault her for .. magically Nayelli finally appeared and do you knoe what her suggestion was ? " There's another seminar in half an hour I can sign you up for".. I literally looked her in the eye and told her she had to be kidding as we are literally leaving for a 10 hour drive back home so no way that is happening .. The facility itself is okay but far from the standard Wyndham that we have experienced and we have stayed in many. The rooms do not have an oven so plan accordingly if you grocery shop and cook for yourself ..the rooftop terrace is nice and has a good bbq and good views .. if you or someone you are with really likes to see airplanes fly fairly close overhead definitely go up to the terrace - we watched a few little kids get really excited watching the planes go by. There isn't a pool which seems like a major negative in this day and age. There is a small game room and a small gym. Balboa Park is close which is a plus. Lots to do there . Overall I would never recommend this Wyndham to anyone . Apparently there is another one not far that is...

TIME SHARE SCAM - AVOID. DO NOT STAY HERE.

Basically, this place prays on vulnerable tourists with an immoral scam and they will try to exploit you. Wall of text but read on if you wish to avoid this happening to you.

The hotel is pretty nice. You get a large room and the receptionist was very welcoming. It's a very cool place too. Nice rooftop level and a very cool decor. However, as soon as you check in, that's when the scam kicks in. The concierge will approach you and ask you to sit down. You then get a little info about the area and they offer you free gifts!

Too good to be true? Yes.

Tucker greeted us. A great manipulator. The parking here is outrageous so he offered us three gifts. One was valet parking. A saving of 30 dollars a day. Brilliant. Then he offered a free evening meal. Amazing! Finally we also get a free breakfast, which is fine but has been standard so far. At no point has he mentioned the words 'Time share'. All we had to do was get a free uber to their sister hotel the following morning at which we could learn further about the hotels history. This is where they also give you your gifts.

The next morning, it happened. We wake up hungry, wait for the uber and get to the hotel. This is where they have you. You now can't leave. Suave, well dressed charlatans are about to brain wash you into wasting your money. The provided breakfast was disgusting. They ask you to eat from your lap while they begin the whole manipulative scam. It was like being in primary school. This is when they reveal that you cannot leave until you have sat through at least NINETY MINUTES of sales speak.

I left early but not without complaining. If you get this far, you should too. These people are the lowest of the low, praying on the vulnerable. They look for weakness and they attack. This is not how a hotel should operate. This is disgusting. The 'marketing manager' Anna was a rude and deluded person who believed that was she was doing was right. It's anything but. She tried to get us to stay longer but I had no trust in her or her company at all.

Eventually she honoured the free parking and let me leave, but acted like my attitude had meant I couldn't have the evening meal. I don't want your food. I do not trust anything related to your business. You are the lowest of the low and you know that what you are doing is wrong, purely for personal gain and profit. This applies to the entire company.

Do not stay at this hotel. It's all a facade for a lowly scam.

Do not stay here ever.

TL;DR THEY WILL TRY TO...

My husband and I recently booked a quick weekend trip through RCI using external exchange and stayed at Wyndham Balboa. The hotel itself is beautiful and well maintained, although the surrounding area does have a noticeable homeless population.

Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by Emily, the concierge, who offered us the opportunity to attend a timeshare upgrade meeting. Since our timeshare is fully paid off and we’ve been actively using external exchange for extra vacations, we agreed to attend the meeting and even rearranged our work schedules to make it happen.

Unfortunately, a miscommunication led us to the Wyndham Bayfront location instead of Harbor Lights. There was no valet on site, so my husband turned off our (new) truck—only to find it wouldn’t restart. Concerned it might be more than a battery issue, we contacted roadside service. Despite the team offering to send us an Uber and take care of the car issue, my husband understandably wanted to confirm the problem first. He asked that they send just me, but we were then told that both of us had to be present.

Here’s where the real issue lies:

I was assured multiple times that we would not be charged the $40 no-show fee due to our circumstances. I also confirmed that the valet fees would be waived, per their promise. Despite calling twice to follow up and being told both times that the charges would be reversed, they still posted to my account. I called again after the charges went through and was told yet again not to worry—it would be taken care of.

But nothing was ever reversed.

At this point, I feel blatantly lied to. It’s clear the concern wasn’t about helping us, it was about getting us into the meeting and selling an upgrade. The hospitality and promises felt disingenuous, used only as bait to get deeper into our wallets.

This experience has left a very bad impression. Not only will I be declining any future timeshare presentations, but I’ll also be warning others to do the same. The lack of follow-through and false reassurances reflect poorly on the brand.

Lesson learned—and a story I’ll gladly share with anyone considering a Wyndham timeshare...