Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club – timeshare resort

We booked the Ramona Oaks Resort and Racquet Club because we were looking for a resort that our timeshare points used and was within a day’s drive from Las Vegas where we were at a business conference. Ramona Oaks had availability and was just 5 hours away, so once we concluded the buying show we attended, we were on our way to the foothills of San Diego County.

When we arrived, we were greeted very warmly by the Ramona Oaks staff, and we were quickly checked in. We visited Rita at the concierge desk, and she offered a Diamond Resorts International owner’s update, which essentially becomes another presentation, but she was not pushy at all when we declined. In fact, she was very helpful with area attractions and restaurant suggestions, and was very thorough with directions to grocery stores, drug stores, and more importantly, wineries and breweries!!

The 1st floor rooms were nice… neither spectacular nor sparse. There were some obvious Diamond Resort touches showing up after their recent acquisition, including the super comfy beds, top notch flat screen TV’s, Cuisinart small kitchen appliances, iPod/iPhone docking alarm clocks, and more. The kitchen wasn’t large, but it was functional. The only real complaint I would have there were the knives – they were quite dull. Other than that, there were enough utensils, plates, etc., to fill most needs. Additionally, there was an infrared BBQ on the patio and 3 well-maintained gas BBQs near the pool area. We used the BBQs near the pool 3 nights, and they were very efficient.

The living room had the aforementioned Samsung smart TV, DVD player, a hide a bed/couch that is due for a change, a couple of nice chairs and a table. The Cable package is decent, so for those rainy days or quiet nights in, there is ample selection for those wanting to catch their favourite show.

The dining room table sat 4, and the set was in good shape and the room well lit. On the table when we arrived was a bouquet of flowers personalized to my wife and I. I’m not sure if it is reserved for timeshare owners or not, but it was a nice touch for sure.

The bedroom was very spacious and it too had a nice flat screen TV which came in handy to get the traffic reports in the morning in case anyone was city bound. The king size beds were the usual found in most Diamond Resorts, and I swear, I am going to get one of the same when my current mattress finishes its useful life. There was a large dresser and another small dresser, which combined with the insanely large closet – 12’ long – provided ample storage.

The bathroom had an odd layout, but it was large enough for 2 to get ready at the same time without bumping into each other. It might have been our bathroom only, but the bathtub had an odd slope at the opposite end of the spouts. It is hard to see though, and my wife almost went done from the angle. Be cautious of getting in and out of the shower/tub combo.

The pool area was kept very clean and the water temperature was quite comfortable. We never had a difficulty in getting a chaise lounge, and the umbrellas seemed plentiful as were the table/chair sets. The hot tub was very clean as well. They also have pool ‘noodles’ for use there, so the kiddos didn’t have to bring, buy, or rent those.

We did finally opt to take the owner’s update on the last full day there, and they gave us $100 and a future 2 night stay at one of their resorts (about a dozen to choose from) to listen to the presentation… which was kept at 60 minutes! There was discussion about vacations plans and whether or not our future needs included more points, but there was not a lot of pressure and we appreciated that.

We didn’t utilize any of their on-site activities as we had family there and we opted to tour the area’s sites instead. I will cover wineries, restaurants, and the local brewery in separate reviews.

All in all, it was a little different resort than we usually stay at – we like to be close to the beach – but it was still a quiet, relaxing stay. There were many friendly staff members, but Dawn and Rita were great to work with while we were there.

I would recommend this resort and would have no issues returning to Ramona Oaks.