Wyndham Sapphire Lake, North Carolina

Please Note: I am a Club Wyndham Presidential owner so my reviews are always based on that criteria.

We were upgraded from a one-bedroom unit to a one-bedroom lock-off, which includes the original reservation with the addition of a one-bedroom deluxe unit. It's two units with an adjoining door. We use the front door to the deluxe unit.

The door to the right was the one-bedroom unit, and when you entered that door, it opened into a small sitting area with a tv and couch. The girls used that unit as their own apartment. It went downstairs, where there was a kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom. They also had a porch. It was very cozy but very buggy. They had big black ants and various LARGE spiders. I probably should've called and had something done about that, but I didn't venture down after the capture of the first spider, and I had that well-it's-the-mountains mentality. I did report it when I left. It needed a good spray for the next group.

I think renovations of the units were being done while we were there. Ours had the new flooring and furnishings, but it still seemed more rustic than modern like I'm used to in the Wyndham units I've visited recently. I thought the rural fit the area, so it didn't bother me at all. The units were spotless, although two small spiders had taken up residence in my shower the first night. Madison relocated them back outside. She's our savior of animals. Darcy and I are more the shoe-squashing variety, so we always give Madison first dibs.

Our upstairs unit was large. We had ample room with a big living area, a lovely porch (although a spider shared it with us), a decent kitchen and dining area, a large bedroom, and a small bathroom. It was perfect for the three of us. The added bedroom unit was a bonus and only necessary for the extra bed.

The resort shares with a subdivision, which means homeowners and a homeowner association. Wyndham guests are allowed to use the same facilities as the homeowners and are issued an activity card to carry around as proof. There is a clubhouse that housed a small gift shop area, a restaurant that was closed, and an activity room they must use for the Wyndham welcome breakfast, which is only on Mondays. 

Bonus: NO Wyndham sales pitch!!

There is also, across from the clubhouse, a recreation center. It housed the exercise room with cardio equipment and weight machines. Also, there was a massage room, game rooms, video game room, an indoor pool, and an outdoor pool. It was the activity hub. Also on site are two restaurants, a gem mining area, the River Walk, a children's playground, a river, and an outdoor track.

Everything is within walking distance from the units if you don't mind walking. We were the farthest units, and we walked every time we wanted to go anywhere in the resort area. There is also a ski resort somewhere on the property, but we didn't visit it although the ski chair lift was visible from our unit balcony. During the summer, they offer activities like zip-lining, but I couldn't talk the girls into checking it out.

Pluses of Wyndham Sapphire:

• Restaurants on the property - Only one was open while we were there, and while the food wasn't spectacular, it does offer something on the menu for most everyone, and I didn't have to drive down the damn mountain to eat. The restaurant also provided live music almost nightly while we were there.

• Plenty to do in and around the area - Tons of hiking. Waterfalls. Swimming. Boating. A state park. Horseback riding. I was told there was shopping but the hours were wonky while we were there, so we missed out on local treasures. 

• Quiet 

• NO SALES PITCH - It is always a real vacation when I don't have to dodge the dreaded people insisting we attend the sales pitch meetings where we will "learn new things about Wyndham." I don't have anything against hearing new things or pitches, but not while I'm on vacation. Even if I wanted to purchase something, it would take more than half the day to sign and seal the deal. Who wants to do that while on vacation? I don't have the answer for Wyndham other than offering people an extra day free for just the sales pitch.

• Little Details - This is the first Wyndham that I've been to where there were extra towels and washcloths in the hall closet. We never used them since we had two units and only three people, but YES, I love that! I also liked the blackout curtains in the bedroom and the wood flooring.

Improvements we felt were needed:

• Spiders and ants - It required a proper spraying.

• Kitchen utensils - The kitchen lacked a few vital supplies like serving spoons, oven mitts, and frying pans.

• Light Switches - In both units, the switches on the walls didn't coincide with the lights nearby. It took us two days to learn the odd pattern. For example, the light to the dining area was in the kitchen behind the coffee pot, where we expected the garbage disposal, and the living room lights were also in the kitchen area. The downstairs unit was even worse. At the bottom of the stairs, the light switch turned on the garbage disposal! It was crazy.

• Uncomfortable chairs - I found the living room chairs to be inhabitable. Too straight-backed and narrow. I ended up using a kitchen chair or the couch.