My husband and I stayed at this resort with my elderly parents for a week beginning Memorial Day weekend. This was a timeshare exchange and I was, frankly, a bit concerned as to what we would find at check-in given the negative reviews that have been posted on this site.
My first positive impression was obtained weeks prior to our arrival when I contacted the resort directly to request that we be assigned a unit that had few or no stairs. I spoke directly with the Manager, Bennett, who was very helpful and friendly.
When we arrived, we found our single floor 2 Bdrm unit to be very clean and well maintained. I even walked around in white socks for a while just to check the review of the woman who claimed that the units were dirty :-) The furnishings were nice and quite clean as opposed to some the pictures that I had seen. The pull-out Murphy bed in the living room was a nice touch as it still allowed for the use of the couch.
Being a busy holiday weekend we were not disturbed by noise even though we were directly across from the office and the pools. The pools seemed nice and guests could borrow from the front desk all of the equipment needed for using the very well maintained basketball and tennis courts. The exercise room had PreCor ellipticals, treadmills, and a universal. Wireless internet was available in the units via a special box that would service 2 computers for 10 days for $15.99. There was also a daily rate but the 10 day rate was certainly the best deal. A couple of computers with free internet access were also available in the lobby along with a free-use color printer.
The staff at the front desk bent over backwards to be helpful, providing recommendations for restaurants and activities and delivering a light bulb and a fan within minutes of my request. My parents checked in ahead of me and that might have diverted the attention of the sales staff because I was never solicited even one time to attend a sales presentation.
This place is in the middle of nowhere and if you are looking for something other than time to spend lounging by the pool, you will have to set out on your own. We checked out a couple of the caverns (not our style), and then hit the must see places such as Calaveras Big Tree State Park (40 min), Yosemite Hetch Hetchy Valley (2 hr), Black Oak Casino where I actually won money (45 min), the Angels Camp Museum (10 min), and the town of Murphys (25 min). The Gold Country is a hot spot for California wineries and most have located tasting rooms in Murphys so that you don't have to drive all over the countryside going from winery to winery. If you drive southeast toward Groveland or Yosemite, make it a point to stop for breakfast at the Big Oak Restaurant in Big Oak Flat on Cal 120. You will not be disappointed. Take the shortcut up old Priest Grade Road as it will save you 20 minutes. A million thanks to Ginger at the resort office for making this recommendation and even going so far as to Mapquest it out for us.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC