best place in Berkshires?

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

I see Silverleaf's oak and Spruce (sleep 6) and whydham's Bentlry Brook. which would be better with a two year old.

Would love to get Newport rhode Island or Cape cod, but nothing is oming up and don't know whether to pass on these weeks inthe Berkshires in hopes of getting one of those.

Finally got the RCI reviews to come up and this sounds like it is way out with a long drive to do anything , any better suggestions?

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Oak n Spruce is a great location to do the area....two year olds are happy with a pool and they have a nice one there.
Do not know where wyn bb is located.....

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Oak & Spruce may be the better of the 2 just by location alone. Bentley Brook is out in the boondocks north of Pittsfield while O & S is just outside of Stockbridge and close to Tanglewood, Lennox, the Mass Pike and the Norman Rockwell Museum among other things. The Ponds at Foxhollow is probably the best area resort, but it trades with II.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Oak & Spruce may be the better of the 2 just by location alone. Bentley Brook is out in the boondocks north of Pittsfield while O & S is just outside of Stockbridge and close to Tanglewood, Lennox, the Mass Pike and the Norman Rockwell Museum among other things. The Ponds at Foxhollow is probably the best area resort, but it trades with II.

Yes, Ponds at Fox Hollow is nicer....but Pat is visiting after Labor Day....call and request a newer unit at OnS....I stayed in an older, TH style and it was clean and nice with parking right outside the door - but not nearly as nice as the presidential unit Wackymother and catwgrl had...check with Wacky or Glitter about which building number to request and u will not be disappointed.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

The pool and Wyndham BB is much nicer, imo, than OnS as it is indoor/outdoor.. Vacation Village is across the road, very spacious 2 bedroom units. But OnS is at least 40 mins south, so more convenient if you're coming from that direction. Wind in the Pines is even further south, in Great Barrington, but there aren't much in the way of amenities there. Reviews are excellent, though, despite the fact that it's a motel conversion.

I find the public areas (rec room/pool) at OnS to be overly crowded but we don't use them most of the time. After Labor Day that may be better, but call to find out if pool will still be open

I am on my way there today, gotta pack! I'll try to remember to ask about the pool for you.

Units vary a LOT at OnS - despite all efforts I got stuck in a really bad one a few years ago. They told me on the phone that those are redone, but I will investigate while i"m up there. For July 4th/James Taylor weekend, I was happy to take an exchange there.

[grest Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close grest]

We enjoyed Bentley Brook with some little ones, but it really is in the middle of nowhere.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

We enjoyed Bentley Brook with some little ones, but it really is in the middle of nowhere.

OnS is closer to cute little towns, but not sure how much of that there is to do with a 2 y.o., so I was thinking more "resort destination."

Rapmarks, the sleep configurations (6/4, 6/6, etc) for the 2 bedrooms are meaningless. The resort doesn't distinguish so you can get put in a unit with a queen master and full in second room, King/full, etc. I'm not sure if there are any King/Queen configurations except maybe Presidential units were are mostly saved for Silverleaf owners. You can request something, but not guaranteed, and in my experience they really mean it when they say requests are not guaranteed.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

we stayed at the silverleaf in Branson and despite begging, we always got those tight little two bedroom units with no closets, no drawer space, and a kitchen cutlery drawer on top of the tv. My sil is very big he won't fit in one of those kitchens or living rooms.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

we stayed at the silverleaf in Branson and despite begging, we always got those tight little two bedroom units with no closets, no drawer space, and a kitchen cutlery drawer on top of the tv. My sil is very big he won't fit in one of those kitchens or living rooms.

Funny you say that - we are in a cozy two bedroom, more than enough for just the two of us, but there are almost no drawers and very few hangers!

eta: it was such a zoo at checkin, I forgot to ask about how late into the season the pool stays open - I will try to get back over there before we leave. In season, the common areas including pool and rec room are really too small to accommodate all the units/people here. Off season, once the kids are back in school, it should (hopefully) be better. It does seem that there are quite a few locals hanging out here on the weekends, though.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

I'm not expert on the Berkshires but I did stay in two of the resorts when I was there. Don't stay in Stonegate. It has a great location for seeing Great Barrington but apparently most people get the crappy units when they exchange in although I got probably the best unit they had when I went, since it was off season.

I also stayed in Vacation Villages in the Berkshires and although the units were brand new and very nice, the resort is literally in the middle of nowhere. I mean my GPS took me down dirt roads and cow pastures til I came to within about a mile from the resort. I had to figure out how to get there myself. I think the road thru that area is pretty new as they were paving it when I went in May 2009. I'd stay there again but be prepared to drive quite a ways everywhere if you do stay there.

Moving from one resort to the other was convenient for focusing on the different areas but if you're only going to stay in one place, either place is not the most centrally located.

I do think that the VV Berkshires units would be great for having kids with you because they have an indoor/outdoor pool and all the resort type amenities if you want that kinds of stuff.

[grest Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close grest]

We also stayed at Stonegate, and we had a great unit, but it was just DH and I. I wouldn't stay there with little kids...nothing at all to do on site.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

well I haven't done anything.
this would have been a great trip if I didn't have to worry about the other family. we would be seeing the East coast and having a great time. i know that my daughter would not like being in a real isolated area and I would know it the whole time, so I am just sitting here stymied. Maybe I need to take the Oak and Spruce and just live with it. I put a hold on the OnS.
I am so mad thinking of the great two bedroom at Newport Rhode Island that I passed up because my daughter woud not travel the week before the wedding instead of the week after.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

I looked at DAE and they have a one bedroom (unfortunately too small) in clinton conneticut on the water for that week. I don't have anything deposited with them, but it shows that htere are places available, if I only knew how to find them.

[gophish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close gophish]

I agree with what others have said. For location Oak and Spruce is the better place but IMO Bently Brook is a much better timeshare but a bit of a drive to go anywhere even out to eat. Newport and Cape Cod are tough gets in the summer.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Rapmarks, if Oak and Spruce is still available, just take it and get some rest! There is some dice-throwing here unit-wise, but if you are coming after labor day you shouldn't have a problem. We are in a pretty strange unit, but I'm still coming back again!

RCI's sleeping configurations don't mean anything at the front desk here - you can count on a queen in the master (possibly a king) and a full/double in the 2nd bedroom. Our 2 bedroom unit this week is pretty small (tiny kitchen and small table that seats 4), and there is no shower in the master - the shower is in the bathroom that is only accessed through the 2nd bedroom.

And there are no dressers