Pointe on the Bay

The rooms are beautiful and the layout is really nice, with a kitchen, dining room, and bedrooms, plus someone could sleep in the living room. We only spent a couple of days there and didn't stay overnight. My family has had a timeshare here for years, though, and it used to be better. This time there were workers around, and my uncle had to call several times for help. Eventually someone figured things out, then called back to explain it to the customer service representative so they could help us. The padcode is used instead of a key now. There used to be a worker on site, and it feels like these companies are getting cheap.

Getting hold of the office by phone or in person was the one frustrating part. Otherwise, the condo was well kept, with a nice kitchen, washer, and dryer, and maintenance was excellent. A dishwasher was replaced very quickly. I was given a three-bedroom unit even though I hadn't asked for one. The location was convenient, close to everything. I especially liked the pancakes at Happy Jack, visited Berlin twice, and went to a wine tasting with music.

The view from our unit is lovely, and the gentleman who checks guests in at the office is kind and helpful. But after buying our unit before the building was built and staying here since the beginning, the decline this year is hard to ignore. I’ve seen each property management change, but I’m sticking to this year’s problems. The place still isn’t clean, even after switching from carpet to imitation hardwood. The floors seem not to be washed between owners’ weeks. We have to keep our shoes on because bare feet end up black. On arrival, the kitchen sink was full of sand, the disposal didn’t work even after I reset it, and there was human hair stubble in the bathroom soap dishes. A quick rinse would have caught both the sand and hair. A number of balcony chairs are so dirty nobody wants to sit on them, even though they’re easy to wash. The ice maker is broken, and they left plastic zip-lock bags of water in the freezer instead. The metal takeout containers lining the stove burners are another odd addition. The living room TV was replaced with a much smaller, older one. A regular smart TV costs about $200, so that change really annoys me. The 10-inch TV in the double-twin guest room has needed an upgrade for as long as I can remember, too. Our annual fee multiplied by 52 should be enough to replace both, and there’d still be room to hire cleaners who leave the place halfway acceptable. The mattresses are old and springy. The middle sinks almost to the floor, and the creaking is loud enough to sound like the haunted mansion at Disney world, without the fun. Some bedroom doors and the bathroom door no longer shut. I can only assume humidity isn't being managed properly, and the issue hasn't been addressed. Several year-round owners have confirmed to us that at least two units have bed bugs. Thankfully ours isn't one of them. I won't share the unit numbers. We pay a lot each year, and it’s frustrating that the new cleaning staff seem worse than the previous ones. Who leaves a sink and floor like that? I’d be available to discuss any or all of these concerns post haste.

The location is lovely, set back from the street by a dock area, some vacation houses, and a smaller stretch of water. The units are roomy, with a full kitchen and two full bathrooms, and I liked the mirrors on the living room wall. It was my first stay at Pointe on the Bay, and I really enjoyed it. The carpets smell like corn chips, or feet, and the couches are musty, so both need a proper cleaning. Aside from that, it was worth the money.