After Staying in 25 Worldmark Resorts a Traveler Picks His Top 10
With an almost endless amount of hotels, resorts, Airbnbs, and vacation rentals, it can be overwhelming to pick one for your next vacation.
So if you’re looking for a new vacation spot or a resort that won’t disappoint, take a trip planning shortcut and pick one of these Worldmark Resorts. After decades of staying in Worldmark Resorts across America, and North America, here’s a list of my ten favorites. If you’re looking for a getaway or a family vacation, Worldmark by Wyndham has a resort for you.
What Is Worldmark Resorts?
Worldmark Resorts are part of the Wyndham hotel family and were once known as Tradewest Resorts. There are over 60 Worldmark resorts in some of the most beautiful places on earth, from the beaches of Hawaii to the slopes of Aspen and America’s stunning National Parks. If you’re looking to explore the western United States, there are many options to choose from.
What are Worldmark Resorts Like?
They are known for their large, upscale condo rooms that provide all conveniences of home or a vacation rental plus all the amenities of a hotel. From Canada, the West Coast of the United States, Hawaii, and Florida to Mexico and Fiji, you can have the best of both worlds while exploring these top vacation destinations.
Worldmark Resorts Are Timeshares
But don’t worry, you don’t have to be a timeshare owner at one of these WorldMark Resorts to stay there. For more than 20 years, travelers have been renting units from timeshare owners on trusted, business-bureau-rated websites.
How Much Do They Cost?
Prices vary depending on the location and time of year. However, WorldMark resorts are generally more affordable than other upscale hotels. And when you stay at one of these Worldmark resorts, it’s not just a one-room hotel room.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised that most of these resorts’ rental rates are under $200 a night, even though they are in vacation destinations with sky-high hotel prices, such as Aspen, Hawaii, and San Francisco.
Why Choose a Worldmark Resort?
It’s a condo with a kitchen, living room, and private bedroom. You can even get units with multiple bedrooms, perfect for family travel. A considerable benefit of Worldmark is that most resorts have cooking facilities in your room. You can save a lot of money by making meals compared to eating out three times a day. Most Worldmark Resorts also have a barbeque area to enjoy the warm weather.
Really, its the best of both worlds – the expanded, home-like space of an Airbnb with all the amenities and cleanliness standards of a global hotel chain!
My Top 10 Favorite Worldmark Resorts
Worldmark Kona (Hawaii)
The Kona resort is located on the Big Island of Hawaii and offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean in one of the best parts of The Big Island. One bedroom resort condos start at $215 a night, cheaper than the average hotel room rate in Hawaii.
A short drive on the other side of the Island, you will find Hilo. On the beaches of Hilo, I was body surfing while it was raining. But this was a warm rain, something I had never experienced before. Warm rain plus swimming in the ocean? Sign me up.
On the last day of my trip there, I was taken to a rainforest with large trees, mud, and many banana trees and avocados. I can officially say that I have cut down a banana tree and picked an avocado the size of my head.
There are many reasons why Hawaii is a travel bucket-list item for many people, and Kona is one of them. What I especially enjoyed about Kona were all the local coffee shops serving world-famous Kona coffee.
Worldmark Las Vegas-Boulevard (Nevada)
This Las Vegas resort is located just minutes from the Strip and offers all the excitement of Sin City without being right in it 24/7.
There is a lot more to do in Vegas than gambling. The casinos have top-notch restaurants, theatrical performances, concerts, and comedy shows. I personally liked visiting all the local pawn shops searching for Swiss-made watches. Although unsuccessful, I had a lot of fun walking down the strip in Las Vegas during my stay at Worldmark Las Vegas.
Worldmark San Diego-Balboa Park (California)
The San Diego resort is in the heart of Balboa Park, one of the country’s largest and most beautiful city parks. This resort is perfect for those who want to explore all San Diego offers, such as the San Diego Zoo, the USS Midway Museum, and the San Diego Maritime Museum.
If you’d like to see baby season at the zoo, call and ask which summer month the babies will be out. Seeing a 6-foot-tall baby giraffe in real life is quite the spectacle. The wobbly-legged, awkwardly tall creature is one of many 4000 animals the zoo has.
Worldmark Aspen (Colorado)
The Aspen resort is located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and offers a variety of activities for winter enthusiasts, with one of the best locations in iconic Aspen. The resort offers ski-in/ski-out access to Aspen Mountain Ski Resort.
Although I am not much of a snow person, I still enjoyed sipping on hot chocolate and throwing snowballs at my family.
Worldmark San Francisco-Fisherman’s Wharf (California)
The San Francisco resort is located in the city’s heart and offers stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. The resort is close to San Francisco attractions such as Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and the Embarcadero. If you’re not making your way up to Wine Country, take advantage of San Francisco wine tastings while in town.
Make sure to take the self-guided tour of Alcatraz. Being in a prison cell was eerie, and learning about the inmates was a different experience. If you have only seen the golden gate bridge in a photo, you must walk it and enjoy one of the most iconic bridges ever built. The walk on the bridge took me about 45 minutes, so wear your running shoes.
Worldmark South Shore-Lake Tahoe (California)
The South Shore-Lake Tahoe resort is on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the country. This resort is perfect for those who are looking for a summer getaway.
Lake Tahoe water is a different shade of blue you probably have never seen before. I wouldn’t go swimming unless you want an ice bath (even in the summer). I dipped my finger in and ran the other way.
Worldmark Bass Lake (California)
The Bass Lake resort is located in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and offers a variety of activities in winter and summer. Additionally, Yosemite is a quick drive away. Hiking up Half-dome was quite the feat for a 10-year-old me, yet I remember the hike like it happened yesterday. Over 18 miles on small legs made me very thankful to eat s’more later that night.
Worldmark Clear Lake (California)
The Clear Lake resort is located in the heart of California’s wine country, allowing travelers to enjoy both water sports and wine country in one location. If you’ve got a group split on interests or wish lists, check out this lake-front resort in the town of Nice, California.
Club Wyndham Flagstaff (Arizona)
The Flagstaff resort is located in the heart of Arizona’s largest city. It offers a variety of activities for those who love to explore not just Flagstaff but the nearby Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon is more than just a gigantic hole in the earth. The view looking over the edge, made me sweat, and my stomach had 100,000 butterflies, yet totally with the view. It’s something you must see for yourself.
Worldmark Palm-Aire (Florida)
The Palm-Aire resort is located in the heart of Florida between Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale. With nearly year-round gorgeous weather, you can play on numerous golf courses year-round. The Wynmoor Golf course is very close to the resort and was a lot of fun to play.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised that rooms start under $150 a night here!
Don’t Forget About Owners’ Bonus Time
It’s Thursday night, and you want to go on a spontaneous weekend trip out of town. With Bonus Time, you can make your timeshare ownership work even harder for you.
As a Worldmark timeshare owner, you can search for Bonus Time availability 14 days out and catch someone’s last-minute cancellation even at the most popular, in-demand resorts. I have personally used this on multiple occasions for resorts on this list.
National Park Visitors & Worldmark Resorts
WorldMark, which provided travelers with a year’s worth of free entry to national parks last year, is teaming up with America’s Park Ranger, Ash Nudd, a national parks expert and creator of the Dirt In My Shoes hiking blog, to introduce a dedicated hiking concierge across select WorldMark by Wyndham timeshare resorts located near national parks. From Arches to Zion, Yellowstone to Yosemite.
Guests who stay at select WorldMark resorts will receive customized recommendations from Ash, comprehensive park itineraries and packing tips ahead of their trip to popular national parks. The Hiking Concierge program is available at the following resorts:
- The Moab Resort, a WorldMark by Wyndham Associate Resort – located near Arches National Park in Utah
- WorldMark Bass Lake– located near Yosemite National Park in California
- WorldMark West Yellowstone – located near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming
- WorldMark St. George – located near Zion National Park in Utah
- WorldMark Estes Park – located near Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado
“Over the past two years, we’ve seen families who have visited the nearly 40 WorldMark resorts located near national parks reconnect in the great outdoors,” said Melody Bostic Brown, travel expert and spokesperson in a company press release.
“Millions of people flock to national parks each year to witness the natural beauty and awe-inspiring sights this country has to offer, and that travel trend has only grown in recent years as families shifted their vacation priorities to escape crowded city centers,” said Ash Nudd, Dirt In My Shoes founder and former national park ranger.
“As more and more travelers discover the perks of vacationing in the great outdoors, it’s crucial that folks heading to the national parks this year have the right information about how to navigate increasingly busy trails, complex reservation systems and more.”
