The Historic Powhatan Resort ( Williamsburg) by Diamond Resorts

Unit was filthy, I spent an enormous amount of time cleaning. Toilet was broke upon arrival, tub handle broke water would not shut off. Small black bugs in both beds no rest vacation ruined. Constant calls to fill out surveys and attend tours. Much more time needed on the upkeep of the units. Just disgusting, and believe me I have pics!! Also the bed-skirts have not been changed who knows how long ago disgusting filthy stains all over. Garbage, bottles, and cans filth all under bed skirt. To much money invested in timeshare for this kind of stupidity Do your jobs!!!!

Upon arrival, the park-like grounds were inviting and the grounds were immaculate. The check-in process was horrendous with a line of at least 30 families in front of me. The line kept going behind me. Our room was updated, clean, and comfortable. The wifi stopped working the second day we were there.

We stayed for 4 nights. 2 out of the four nights we attempted to take the kids to the indoor pool. In fact, we left Busch Gardens early one day JUST so the kids could swim. Well was that a mistake. The pool was a hazard.

We travelled with friends so were a group of 9. Two of my friends took my kids and theirs down to the pool while my husband & I parked the car. When we went in, the girls at the desk by the pool said we weren’t allowed in , the pool was over capacity. My friends were already inside with my kids! Anyway, I proceeded to go in anyway, I wasn’t leaving my kids in there. When I went in , I couldn’t even see water.

The pool was literally PACKED tight with people. 6 foot tall teenagers were bashing little kids, including mine, with pool noodles, and the hot tub was full of babies—yes babies in swim diapers. HOW DISGUSTING! The sign on the wall said ADULTS ONLY in the hot tubs. No lifeguard on duty, no manager. There was also a sign that said kids must be accompanied by an adult. here were 3 other adults in the whole room beside myself and my two friends. None of these kids were under any supervision. Did I mentioned it is dark as a dungeon in the pool room, and the chlorine smell was overwhelming? Obviously we left immediately. My friend saw the pool manager on the way out. She told him our concerns and he said “There’s nothing I can do.” I went to the two girls at the desk and complained to them and they told me to talk to the pool manager! What a joke!

There were tons of families crowding the pool entry area, desperate to get their kids in the pool. Honestly, after seeing the inside of the area, it was seedy and I told them not to bother waiting.

When we got back to the room with a bunch of disappointed kids, I called the front desk and complained. 10 minutes later, a security manager called me and gave me the name of the manager to call in the morning. He stated that he went down to the pool, and it was out of control. He stated that the manager there, should have called security earlier, and that he “couldn’t handle the situation.” The next day, no manager called me. The next day, no call. I received a mid stay survey in my email and I filled it out the night before we left. I received a response from “Kevin” the manager (not the person I was told to contact) and he literally argued back and forth against everything I said. He said I should have played mini golf instead, that he would check “if indeed” the manager stated that there was “nothing he could do”. Really? I decided to take time out of my vacation to complain? No, I came here to enjoy what I paid for.

I didn’t come here for my kids to be beaten in a pool full of wild animals with no intervention from the management of Powhatan. I also didn’t expect or deserve to have my complaint answered with an attitude and have one manager insinuate the other manager never said what he said. To top it off people this is a TIMESHARE resort. Unbeknownst to us, it was when booking.

Unbeknownst to us that in the middle of all these complaints, they have the nerve to have sales people call your room over and over, trying to scam you into buying timeshare by attending their bogus 2 hour events with free perks. Been there don that in Vegas.

They capture you for HOURS and they hammer you, just like they tried to do in the phone calls to our rooms. NEVER AGAIN!!!!! Like I told Kevin, the “manager” They need to take some hospitality classes over there. Oh I did fight tooth and nail and finally got the resort fees refunded. As we should have, we couldn’t use the amenities we wanted to use. That was a fight in itself. 66$ was not worth the aggravation and the way we were all treated. If it wasn’t for the staff, I think we may have given this place 4 or 5 stars.

During my frequent visits to Williamsburg, the one thing I always do is give this old stomping ground a second chance. Do they deserve it? Absolutely not! The first timeshare meeting with their representative Madea — Damon, I mean — totally ruined the Diamond Resorts ownership experience forever. Perhaps in a spiteful move, I became a fully vested RCI owner just to overcome the hateful experience I had with Madea a few years ago. However, I will be honest here: today is probably my tenth time visiting this property and it feels like such an exoneration whenever I breeze past those timeshare carnival workers after check-in. Sorry, guys and gals, I am already an owner and no, I don’t want a $25 Starbucks card for just touring your nearby mousetrap.

Diamond Resorts motto: Staycation’d. My motto: Vindication’d.

However, I am bumping up my rating this time because I was assisted by an associate (Jason J.) that was a 100% exception to the Diamond Resort rules: he was genuinely friendly, enthusiastic, and gracious. He helped arrange my family’s reservations and he was eager to do his job well. You can encounter the highest ranks of employment at this property (with questionable managers like Amanda Foley or Kevin Johnson) but you will never witness any measure of kindness or altruism. On the other hand, each time we happened to see our check-in guy again, he addressed us by name, spoke warmly, and always asked about our visit. Trust me when I say this type of earnestness, hospitality, and sincerity are rare qualities.

Year after year, I am tasked with promoting a resort property in Williamsburg, VA to groups of Washington, DC elitists: politicians, ambassadors, delegates, etc. So in all fairness, I always try to reach out to the management before my arrival in an effort to say, “hey, this is why I’m here.” After 8 consecutive years, the Powhatan is the only place that seems unconcerned about their professional standing in the surrounding area. Needless to say, this is the only spot I have never been able to recommend — yet, admittedly, this is the place I stay most often. So perhaps there is something to be said for its old concrete beds, wobbly knobs, absent cordiality, and disorienting organization. I guess it reminds me of the barren coal-town cabin where I was raised in West Virginia.

If that is what you are looking for, then you might like this place too.