Vacation Village at Bonaventure, Fort Lauderdale

#Fail #NeedsRenovation. I have no words for how disappointed we were. We've owned at VV for over 20 years and came to Vacation Village Bonaventure to get away from northern snow and celebrate my wife's birthday in sunny FL. Well ahead of time, we told VV at Weston/Bonaventure staff that it was her birthday, that we were VV owners, and that we wanted a higher floor, not a room facing the parking lot. Instead, they gave us 402B on a lower floor in the Sandpiper. It looked like an apartment from the 80s, and both the window and the view faced the parking lot. The door lock device fell out when we tried to enter. The room's Wi-Fi wouldn't connect to the internet, and the fridge ice maker had no water line, so we had to go to another building for ice. The old microwave shorted out and filled the room with smoke. Later, a man walked in with a pit bull as big as me. The building doors don't lock at night. At check-in I saw they offer one-night rentals, and we found out people live in the building and argue loudly.

This used to be our favorite winter getaway, but we're reconsidering our travel plans for 2027. I've stayed here for 26 years and logged more than 75 weeks, so I've seen how much has changed. Vacation Village was sold to Daytime Management Resorts, and the reduced services are noticeable. The furnishings seem to be the originals from when the resort opened in the 1990s. Units have been repainted and are maintained as well as their age allows. I haven't had housekeeping problems myself, though I've heard bad accounts from other guests. Staff do what they can with complaints, but the new owners limit what they can do. I suspect they plan to turn the resort into rental apartments as owners leave over rising maintenance fees. One of the six buildings was completely empty this year, something I'd never seen, and I noticed full-time residents in the other buildings. There used to be two pristine championship golf courses, the racquet club next door, and Bonaventure Spa, which wasn't part of Vacation Village but offered good amenities to everyone. One course was replaced by Botaniko, a high-end residential development. The other was allowed to deteriorate until it was nearly unplayable, though it has since improved. Bonaventure Spa was closed and demolished, leaving huge piles of crushed concrete. The racquet club is still there, but it's an expensive tennis venue. With fewer nearby things to do, guests depend more on the resort's own amenities. The pools at all the buildings get crowded, people hoard the old, deteriorating chairs, and those chairs are in short supply. This year was particularly rough. There was no cable TV for the six weeks we stayed. At best only one elevator was working, and twice I had to climb eight flights because both were out. For the first time in 26 years, I saw a couple of bugs in our unit. Otherwise it was clean and livable. Minor maintenance issues are typical for a timeshare and are usually handled promptly, but this year we had nothing but problems. The location is ideal and the area offers plenty to enjoy. The resort used to have a lot going for it, but it doesn't look like they plan to put money into updating the facilities.

I've been coming here for over 15 years and have never had a problem with my unit, but this stay was different. The bedding hadn't been cleaned: the sheets were stained and looked as if the maid had just pulled the comforter over the previous guest's bed. The shower had dirt streaks around the bottom, and the jacuzzi tub was dirty too. The night supervisor apologized and had fresh linens sent up, which I appreciated. There was no maid service, though, so I changed the sheets myself and bought cleaning products at the store. I thoroughly cleaned the bathroom and bedroom so my family could bathe and sleep on clean bedding.

For one night, the unit was fine and good value, better than other places at a similar price. I wouldn't want to spend a week in one this old, and it looked nothing like the website. I wouldn't trade a timeshare into this place. The unit was clean but very dated. The bathroom must be at least 25 years old and had no counter space. The bedroom carpet is worn and needs replacing. The bed was comfortable, the drapes did a good job blocking light, and the air conditioning was powerful but noisy. The TVs were a nice 60 inches. After leaving the elevator, there was no sign to show which room numbers were on the left or right. My reservation was with Vacation Village at Bonaventure, but they put us in Heron 1, a mile down the road from check-in. I think the buildings at the main Vacation Village property might be nicer. The deposit was $150 and the resort fee was $16.95 per day. I arrived at 11 p.m. and was leaving early, so I asked them to waive the fee since I wouldn't use the resort. They said no. Since I stayed just one night, I didn't have to listen to any timeshare talk. The location is handy for Sawgrass Mills and Florida Panthers, but not if you want to be near the beach or downtown. The property itself was kept up and clean.