Sandcastle Cove

The pond and surrounding greenery were beautiful, and the turtles and fish were cute. We took our scooters to the pond next door and found it much nicer, with clean water and several docks. Ours had just one old, run-down dock. I didn’t see a gator myself, but suspect there might be one in the nicer pond. Our room was dirty, the beds were uncomfortable, and there were roaches. I spent the night worrying one would crawl on my face. We couldn’t report it while staying there, because that would have meant leaving our vacation home for 72 hours. If you run into roaches too, wash dishes before using them even if they look clean in the drawer, keep clean ones in the dishwasher, and wash dirty dishes right away so they don’t attract more. The pool’s 9-foot section was great for diving, but the pool itself was dirty. There was moss in the gaps between the ceramic tile and cement, and grass, hair, dirt, and other debris floating in the water and settled on the bottom. Enjoy your roach-infested stay!

The condo was clean and had what we needed for a week, and we’d stay here again. The bathroom sink wouldn’t drain, but maintenance fixed it when we asked. Inside, most things look much as they did in the 1980s, apart from the replaced carpet. The king bed was firm and squeaked when getting in or out. There’s a main bedroom with its own bathroom and a separate hot tub room, plus a loft with a bathroom and pullout couch. The couch was firm, while the loveseat sagged. The TV is about 32 inches with something like satellite service, and WiFi was a bit spotty. The kitchen had the necessary appliances, and there’s a stacked washer and dryer. The setting is lovely, with tall pines around the lake and turtles and some huge fish in the water. The condos are just across the river from quaint, historic New Bern, NC, a short drive away. The location is great, though the place is somewhat rundown.

We loved how cozy and clean the condo was, and the view from this quiet area was excellent. The front desk is about five miles away, but that wasn’t a problem. The town does seem to shut down around 9, including the restaurants, which was the only downside. The recreation area was spotless, and the friendly staff went out of their way to show us activities. It’s about 45 minutes from the ocean. We had a great stay and would come back. It was everything I expected, plus more, and I’d recommend it.

The resort grounds were lovely, with paths around the ponds, a good recreation facility, outdoor play areas, a big picnic pavilion, tables throughout the resort, and grills. Check-in is 4.5 miles down the main road, and the staff there were friendly and helpful. There are two small flights of about eight steps each into the unit. The screened deck and open deck were both nice to have, and the carport was a plus, especially in summer. Guests can also use two bicycles, though we didn’t. Our unit was clean and well maintained, with plenty of dishes, cooking utensils, fluffy towels, soap, shampoo, tissues, and other supplies. The furniture was new and in great shape, and the beds were firm and comfortable. Some parts are dated, but the cupboards and cabinets all worked. Replacing functional things just for a newer look seems wasteful and unnecessary. Compared with other RCI exchanges, including one we stayed in last week, supplies were especially plentiful. I think this is a great RCI resort, and VRI managed properties seem to keep a higher standard than many independently managed ones. We’d return in a heartbeat. My only suggestion is to paint over the pinkish wall with the same paint as the other walls. It would improve the look a lot. Also, I’d much rather see roach spray in a closet than find roaches. At another resort last week, there were roaches in the bedroom, and I would’ve been glad to have spray. The long post struck me as excessively whiny, so I wanted to offer a more balanced review. A bit of dated decor didn’t bother me when the place was clean and functional.