Hyatt Vacation Club at The Welk — Hotel in Vista

Was here yesterday for a timeshare presentation with Robert (from Peru). I want to start off by saying Robert was a great presenter, very informative, friendly, professional, and just an all around great guy, I would hire him in a heartbeat for any other sales position.

However that being said, the product he is selling is unfortunately extremely predatory and in my own opinion after thorough research a scam (watch the John Oliver YouTube video doing a deep dive into timeshares aka "vacation clubs", they're new rebranding).

The location itself is nice, but it's in the middle of nowhere sandwiched in between a bunch of hills/mountains. There's no room service and the restaurant on location is open from 11am-8pm I believe (I couldn't get a confirmed answer on that or the type of food they sell) so if you buy into a timeshare be prepared to have to bring your own groceries and cook for yourself... While on vacation/work trip. That was a very big deal breaker for us.

This location is VERY family friendly and focused, which is great if you have kids and they don't mind playing in the mini water park while you golf, besides that and the gym and pools, there's not much else to do on site, you'll need a car to travel off premises to find things to do in the area. We're engaged but no kids and no plans to have kids any time soon so we're only interested in adults only resorts.

The biggest red flag is the price and lifelong contract you would basically be signing if you "purchase" a timeshare. You're locked in for life and if you want out it's your responsibility to find a buyer to purchase your timeshare just like they would a house, that you actually own 100% of. From the statistics I've found online it's extremely difficult to sell one and the vast majority of people lose thousands, if not all, of their money invested, some selling for $0 or just giving it back to the Hyatt for nothing.

The other major red flag was the "closer" Robert brought in to finally talk pricing with us. I don't remember his name but I would say he was late 50's, salt & pepper hair, glasses, slender/fit maybe 5'9/5'10, his attitude was atrocious. He had the stereotypical salesman playbook saying things like "this offer is only valid today, once you leave it's null & void" and "we interview hundreds of people every day" when I counted at MOST 50 people being interviewed that day, and that's being extremely generous. This shark was so demeaning and condescending towards Robert right in front of us, possible buyers, that alone lost him the sale. I would NEVER hire someone like him and the Hyatt should review his hire there as well, I would not want someone like this representing my business. In my opinion what he did to Robert was work place harassment and I would report to HR immediately. Robert deserves better than a hostile work environment than that.

I can't remember the last young man's name we spoke with either to receive our gifts for attending but he had a much better attitude than the older shark before him, closer to Robert's demeanor. He was also very helpful and informative and offered us one last offer, a 4 night stay at one of Hyatt's Vacation Club locations for $1200, which he said could be credited towards the timeshare within 2 years if we were still interested. Cabo was one of the locations offered, but after a quick search using my Booking.com account (I frequently use for traveling) I was able to find a 4 night stay at the highest rated resort in Cabo for only $500, less than half of the Hyatt offer, thus we declined.

In conclusion I DO NOT recommend timeshares. Do your own research, watch the John Oliver episode on them, and consult with your CPA before making a financial decision like that.

🌟🌟 TWO STARS, DO...

The reviews are all over the place for this resort, and I think I can see why. We booked two 2-bedroom units in the resort villas area (Volaire building) for a week and had an amazing family vacation. I saw the 4.2 rating, and I think it’s fair for the overall experience.

Brenda Matthews handled our reservation, and recommended the Harmony Hill location based on the fact that our party included 5 children, ages 7-17, and my request for nice balcony views and easy access to amenities. She nailed it on both fronts. There was ample parking throughout the resort, and we walked or drove anywhere we wanted to go.

Pros: Huge rooms, washer/dryer and dishwasher all worked great and came with plenty of supplies. Easy parking and access to our room, pools and market/lobby area. Boulder Springs and Mountain Springs pool, waterside and spa had plenty of towels, snacks, and bathrooms available, and nobody gave us a hard time about bringing our own drinks and snacks. Monday Farmer’s Market, 9th Hole snack shack, $5 rentals for beach chairs, umbrellas and boogie boards, sport courts, equipment and clean working grills were all appreciated! It was quiet (with a notable exception listed below), and even though we were traveling together, we could barely see the balcony next door. WiFi was fine. We were able to work with zoom meetings and stream movies without issues (tv’s are locked down, bring an hdmi cord if you want to stream from apps) Mid-week cleaning/refresh was a very pleasant surprise! I’m surprised at the reviews complaining about trash outside their doors for days. This isn’t a hotel. There’s a trash/recycling bin next to every unit and each unit is fully stocked with bags, broom, vacuum, soap, detergents etc. Yes, it’s vacation, but you can dump your own trash in 90 seconds.

Cons: Harmony Hill pool/spa are in need of a renovation. They look dirty. We didn’t use them at all. The fire pits were covered/cemented over, so our plans to roast s’mores one evening were shot. The rooms could also use a refresh. Most of the power outlets were so loose they were unusable. Our kitchens were unequally stocked-we had to continually go back and forth to borrow basic items. Those weren’t big deals, and sometimes expected in a timeshare vs. resort.

The two issues that should be addressed are both related to maintenance. In one of the rooms, we had an ongoing ant issue around one of the stoves and after 2 days of calling for help with no response, we had to pull the stove out and scrub off years of grease build up down the sides and put ant baits underneath to control them. There were also (new) mouse droppings on the balcony each day. The other issue is the gas powered carts staff use to navigate the resort. They are ridiculously loud and pretty much constant from before 7 am until 9-10pm. It’s hard to enjoy the patio and sleeping with the cool breeze blowing through your window when it sounds like you have a go-cart track outside your back door.

Overall though, it was an amazing family trip and we made many happy memories. We will come back-BUT it’s important not to expect this to be a 5 star resort. It could be, with a bit of effort, but personally I think affordability/availability is a...

I don’t usually leave reviews, but I feel compelled to share my experience in hopes that it helps others decide whether to stay at this property.

I recently stayed at the Hyatt Vacation Club at the Welk from January 23rd to January 26th, and what should have been a routine stay turned into a disturbing and unacceptable security breach. Their staff member entered our room without permission, seemingly under the assumption that it was unoccupied.

On January 25th at 1 PM, I was transported by a hotel golf cart driver to meet an Uber, as required due to the property’s layout. Before I left, the driver confirmed my room number, meaning he knew exactly where I was staying. He also saw me physically get into the Uber.

At 1:22 PM (roughly 20 minutes later), my girlfriend—who was alone in our room—called me in distress, saying that someone had entered without permission. He lightly knocked on the door and immediately let himself in without announcing himself. She was in the restroom at the time and was completely caught off guard, leaving her feeling unsafe and vulnerable in that moment. When she screamed for him to get out. he offered no explanations such as "oh I am sorry, I am housekeeping." Instead the man just fled.

When I reported the incident to hotel management, I was met with contradictory explanations and dismissive responses. First, they claimed it was a housekeeping mistake, despite my prior confirmation that housekeeping is only provided for stays of four nights or more. Then, they changed the story to say it was maintenance—even though we never requested any service. Finally, they claimed it was a "housekeeping aid" removing trash. When I asked to see their official policies, they refused, stating it was an internal document. Rather than addressing the real issue; a hotel employee knowingly entered an occupied guest room without permission, they attempted to lie their way out of it.

I ended up emailing their corporate office, only to receive a call a week later. Rather than taking responsibility, they denied any wrongdoing and claimed that their internal investigation found no foul play—dismissing the entire incident as a misunderstanding. I will let YOU, the people reading this, decide whether this was truly a coincidence, or not—considering I had left just 20 minutes earlier, and yet housekeeping 'accidentally' showed up to the wrong room. At no point did they offer a direct apology for their failure to protect guest security. Instead, I was told, "I'm sorry you felt that way." This response not only lacked accountability but also ignored the very real safety concerns this incident raised.

This experience has shattered my trust in this property and raised serious concerns about guest safety and the integrity of Hyatt Vacation Club (which ironically is owned by Marriott Vacations Worldwide). The hotel’s failure to take responsibility, along with its shifting narratives and refusal to provide transparency, is deeply alarming.

I am strongly cautioning future guests to think twice before booking here. A hotel should be a place where guests feel safe and secure, not at risk of unauthorized entry and dismissive management.

I would not recommend this...