hertamaniac
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2017
Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa Treehouse Villas:
At the check-in gate, I asked the attendant if I could go directly to the villa using my phone. He advised me it’s hit or miss and that I should go to the check-in desk for a card to be sure I could get access to the community. At the community gate for the villas (separate from SSR), my card didn’t open the gate. Over the speaker, a CM asked for my identification. I held it up to the camera and he opened the gate. I asked if I needed to do this each time and he advised me yes. An extra layer of security? Perhaps.
We arrived at our villa after going through a dense and thick forest like setting. We were surprised to get an accessible villa (nice ramp with lighting and a different configuration bathroom in the master). I didn’t realize how lucky we were to get this villa as I think there are only 2 on property. It also has a separate set of stairs for those that want to go down to use the villa’s grill (which I did).
The villa is octagonal shaped housing 3 BR (1 is a set of bunk beds), 2BA, full kitchen, a dining area and a living area. There is tile flooring in the entrance and throughout the kitchen. First impression walking in was that given the number and size of windows, the villa felt dark. The furniture had different tones of wood along with the lighting beams. The faux beams on the ceiling were oversized and dark. The flat casings for the door jambs were smaller than the header; it looked out of place. The carpet was dull green and slightly worn out to some areas that just lost its luster I guess.
The bedrooms each had a ceiling fan and were very tall. The televisions were massive and crystal clear and the headboards were gorgeous. With the lights on and the curtains open, the bedrooms shined brightly. The television in the guest bedroom wasn’t working, but it was an HDMI cable that was disconnected at the back so that was an easy fix (but should have been checked prior to our arrival). I will say my bed and pillows were impressively comfortable.
The master bath had a jetted tub with easy-to-use safety handles. The faucets were off the waterfall style and were an interesting touch. The tub/tile in the guest bath was a real nice blend of earthy tones and a small, tiled seating area for soaps, gels, etc. I can’t get enough of the H20 products!
The kitchen didn’t have a strainer (we weren’t in need of one but noticed it missing) as well a cutting board. The counter space is very limited and that became a little problematic during our visit.
The dining room table, the other furniture, the doors, the beams, the pictures all seemed to be discombobulated. To us, it seemed like they updated the villas with various furniture as viewed from a design vacuum. It didn’t blend well at all. However, the layout and functionality of the villa is excellent (sans the countertop being too small). These villas demand a complete refresh in the main area. Once I noticed about 4-6 different tones of brown/wood just sitting in the living area, I couldn’t get it out of my head. That being said, I understood being in a treehouse is designed to encapsulate a certain feel and theme. It’s my opinion that the theme is rather old, outdated and could use a less-is-more approach.
The deck is fairly large with a table and 4 chairs, an outdoor outlet and a bench seat. The grill is below the deck and I definitely got my thigh workout in while using the grill. Speaking of which, there is no table or area to place your food/utensils/etc. at the grill; I had to place everything on the steps which was a small inconvenience.
A few yards away was the property’s pool. It’s small, fully functional, surrounded by trees and has a hot tub. The restrooms are insanely clean and this is a forest oasis for those that want to get away. There is a set of frogs making a water fountain in one corner and WILL put you sleep if you lay on the deck chairs close by.
The boat dock at the treehouses was in operation and was the amenity I looked forward to the most. It simply runs from the treehouses->SSR->DS and the opposite. It made our resort hopping and DS trips easy. Of course, once I got my Ghirardelli mint chocolate chip ice cream after waiting for 20 minutes on Saturday night, taking the 10 minute cruise to the solitude of the treehouses was unbeatable. The treehouses are a crowd beater for sure.
I was asked by family/friends, would I do it again. My simple answer is yes, but at the right price. They are not inexpensive and even after meeting with a direct sales DVC agent told me she has tried many times to book there, but are not generally available (perhaps she was looking at a certain date/time.
Overall score for me is 7.5/10 with huge upside potential.
At the check-in gate, I asked the attendant if I could go directly to the villa using my phone. He advised me it’s hit or miss and that I should go to the check-in desk for a card to be sure I could get access to the community. At the community gate for the villas (separate from SSR), my card didn’t open the gate. Over the speaker, a CM asked for my identification. I held it up to the camera and he opened the gate. I asked if I needed to do this each time and he advised me yes. An extra layer of security? Perhaps.
We arrived at our villa after going through a dense and thick forest like setting. We were surprised to get an accessible villa (nice ramp with lighting and a different configuration bathroom in the master). I didn’t realize how lucky we were to get this villa as I think there are only 2 on property. It also has a separate set of stairs for those that want to go down to use the villa’s grill (which I did).
The villa is octagonal shaped housing 3 BR (1 is a set of bunk beds), 2BA, full kitchen, a dining area and a living area. There is tile flooring in the entrance and throughout the kitchen. First impression walking in was that given the number and size of windows, the villa felt dark. The furniture had different tones of wood along with the lighting beams. The faux beams on the ceiling were oversized and dark. The flat casings for the door jambs were smaller than the header; it looked out of place. The carpet was dull green and slightly worn out to some areas that just lost its luster I guess.
The bedrooms each had a ceiling fan and were very tall. The televisions were massive and crystal clear and the headboards were gorgeous. With the lights on and the curtains open, the bedrooms shined brightly. The television in the guest bedroom wasn’t working, but it was an HDMI cable that was disconnected at the back so that was an easy fix (but should have been checked prior to our arrival). I will say my bed and pillows were impressively comfortable.
The master bath had a jetted tub with easy-to-use safety handles. The faucets were off the waterfall style and were an interesting touch. The tub/tile in the guest bath was a real nice blend of earthy tones and a small, tiled seating area for soaps, gels, etc. I can’t get enough of the H20 products!
The kitchen didn’t have a strainer (we weren’t in need of one but noticed it missing) as well a cutting board. The counter space is very limited and that became a little problematic during our visit.
The dining room table, the other furniture, the doors, the beams, the pictures all seemed to be discombobulated. To us, it seemed like they updated the villas with various furniture as viewed from a design vacuum. It didn’t blend well at all. However, the layout and functionality of the villa is excellent (sans the countertop being too small). These villas demand a complete refresh in the main area. Once I noticed about 4-6 different tones of brown/wood just sitting in the living area, I couldn’t get it out of my head. That being said, I understood being in a treehouse is designed to encapsulate a certain feel and theme. It’s my opinion that the theme is rather old, outdated and could use a less-is-more approach.
The deck is fairly large with a table and 4 chairs, an outdoor outlet and a bench seat. The grill is below the deck and I definitely got my thigh workout in while using the grill. Speaking of which, there is no table or area to place your food/utensils/etc. at the grill; I had to place everything on the steps which was a small inconvenience.
A few yards away was the property’s pool. It’s small, fully functional, surrounded by trees and has a hot tub. The restrooms are insanely clean and this is a forest oasis for those that want to get away. There is a set of frogs making a water fountain in one corner and WILL put you sleep if you lay on the deck chairs close by.
The boat dock at the treehouses was in operation and was the amenity I looked forward to the most. It simply runs from the treehouses->SSR->DS and the opposite. It made our resort hopping and DS trips easy. Of course, once I got my Ghirardelli mint chocolate chip ice cream after waiting for 20 minutes on Saturday night, taking the 10 minute cruise to the solitude of the treehouses was unbeatable. The treehouses are a crowd beater for sure.
I was asked by family/friends, would I do it again. My simple answer is yes, but at the right price. They are not inexpensive and even after meeting with a direct sales DVC agent told me she has tried many times to book there, but are not generally available (perhaps she was looking at a certain date/time.
Overall score for me is 7.5/10 with huge upside potential.
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