Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club Review (2024)
Want to know what it’s like to stay at Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club? We’ve got you covered with everything we experienced during our stay!
Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club is a timeshare community in Ramona, California.
It’s a small town about 40 miles Northeast of San Diego and about 20 miles East of Escondido.
Ramona is a budding wine region in Southern California and it’s near the historic gold mining town of Julian, making it the perfect small town weekend getaway.
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Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club Review
Riviera Oaks Resort is a Diamond Resorts timeshare, which was recently purchased by Hilton Grand Vacations.
Though like many timeshares, you don’t have to be an owner of either one of those timeshares to stay here.
You can book directly or through your preferred hotel booking platform just like you would any other hotel room.
Click Here To Book Your Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club Stay Today!
Room Types
When we stayed at Riviera Oaks Resort, we had a one bedroom.
You can watch a full walk-through video of our one bedroom on our YouTube Channel.
I pulled some snippets from our room tour video to give you a better idea of the room layout and condition.
Kitchen
As you enter, there is a full kitchen immediately to your right.
It’s pretty small, but it has a full sized refrigerator and freezer, sink, microwave, stove, oven, and some appliances.
The kitchen is also stocked with all the utensils, dishes, and cookware you would typically need.
You can also see that there is a breakfast bar that seats 2 people.
Living Room
The living room has plenty of seating for everybody and offers a tv and fireplace.
I liked having the foot rests and trays since I used this area as a workspace during the day.
Dining Room
The dining room is immediately to the left of the living room.
It’s an informal, open space.
Since this is a one bedroom that isn’t supposed to sleep more than 4 people, the dining room table also only seats 4 people.
It’s smaller than many other one bedrooms we’ve stayed in, but was still large enough for us.
Bedroom
The bedroom was nice and spacious.
Just at the foot of the bed is another dresser with a tv.
Just to the left of the bed is a closet the length of the wall.
Also, just behind the bedroom door is a sliding door that leads out to the wrap around patio.
Bathroom
The bathroom here has so many doors.
There’s a door that leads in from the bedroom and a door that leads in from near the kitchen.
Then, once you’re inside the bathroom, you’re only in the area where the vanity is.
After that, there’s a separate door for where the shower and toilet is.
It’s all in a pretty small space too, so the doors are really just in the way.
Patio
I mentioned earlier that the bedroom leads out to a wrap-around patio.
From the living room there is also access to this patio.
On that section of the patio is an outdoor table that seats four people.
The section of the patio that is outside the bedroom has a lounge chair like you’d see at a pool.
Ours happened to look like a regular backyard of a semi-woodsy area, so it was nice and quiet.
Room Pricing
When we stayed here, we did a 3 night stay around the end of May/beginning of June in a one bedroom for 1,998 points.
To put that into perspective, with what we’ve paid into our timeshare, this comes out to $1,044 for our 3 night stay, or $348 per night!
The point conversion at this resort, even when it’s discounted is WILD.
Between the location and the condition of the resort, it is NOT worth that price.
However, if you book this resort directly or through your preferred booking platform like you would any other resort, you would expect to only have to pay about $150-$200 a night for a one bedroom.
You can get studios for about $125-$150 a night and these prices include taxes and fees.
So it’s definitely much better to pay cash at this resort than to use timeshare points, unless you just need to use up your points before they expire at the end of the year.
Click Here To Book Your Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club Stay Today!
Resort Amenities
We actually didn’t take advantage of any of the resort amenities during our stay.
We spent most of our time either wine tasting in Ramona or sampling apple pies in Julian.
However, I do know that some of the amenities include an outdoor heated pool, bike rentals, bbq grills, fitness center, tennis courts, a hot tub, laundry, a sauna, hiking trails, pool tables, and more.
Overall Experience
Overall, we enjoyed our stay here.
I would probably never use our timeshare points to stay here again unless it was about half of what it cost for our previous stay.
Paying cash is definitely the better option here.
But we love the location because it’s an off the beaten path vacation destination to visit smaller towns outside of San Diego like Ramona and Julian.
We also love our timeshare rooms because of the access to full kitchens, separate bedrooms, and having space to work during the day.
Click Here To Book Your Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club Stay Today!
Resources For Planning Your Trip To Ramona
If you need help planning your trip to Ramona, check out our guide to all the best wine tasting rooms and wineries in Ramona.
It’s the newest wine region in California and is already an award winning region.
It has some of our favorite red wines we’ve ever had.
You could also consider visiting Harrah’s Resort Southern California or Welk Resorts San Diego, which aren’t too far away.
More Of Our Favorite California Resorts
Here are some other timeshares and resorts we like to stay in in California.
Palm Canyon Resort – Palm Springs
Palm Canyon Resort is the premiere timeshare resort in Palm Springs.
We love staying here for fun stay-cations every so often because it’s always discounted within 30-60 days or less of travel.
They have a great pool with a hot tub and water slides built into the rocks.
WorldMark Indio
WorldMark Indio is in a suburb on the outskirts of the Greater Palm Springs area.
We love this resort for it’s pool with a lazy river and how spacious the rooms are.
It’s also way more affordable than the simple hotel rooms in Palm Springs, while also having more amenities like a full kitchen.
You can see a full walk-through of the one bedroom on our YouTube Channel and the 4 bedroom Grand Villa walk-through.
Riviera Beach & Shores Resort – Capistrano Beach
Riviera Beach & Shores Resort is an oceanfront property near the southern tip of Orange County, California.
It’s in a quiet area of the beach with hardly anybody else around.
We like coming down here for a few days at a time to enjoy the views and the peace and quiet.
San Luis Bay Inn – Avila Beach
San Luis Bay Inn is situated just above Avila Beach on a hill top along the central coast of California.
It’s in walking distance to this quiet beach town and it’s boardwalk of shops and restaurants.
WorldMark Angels Camp (Northern California)
Angels Camp is in Northern California’s gold country near Yosemite National Park.
The WorldMark resort here is like a rustic mountain lodge, complete with cozy fireplaces in each unit.
We love staying up there to unplug and enjoy nature.
You can check out a full walk-through of their one bedroom rooms on our YouTube channel.
WorldMark Big Bear
WorldMark Big Bear is located in the mountains just outside of LA and Orange County.
It’s a great mountain getaway whether you want to enjoy the lake in the Summer or skiing in the Winter.
You can see a full walk-through of our one bedroom at this resort on our YouTube Channel.
Disney Vacation Club Villas at Disneyland Hotel
The DVC Villas at Disneyland Hotel are brand new and beautiful!
They have their own private pool and hot tub deck separate from the main resort pool (which you can also use too).
Our room was themed to Princess and the Frog.
Stallion Springs Resort (Tehachapi)
This is a hidden gem that we wish we could’ve stayed in longer.
This area has so many more things to do than you’d think and we absolutely loved it.
Welk Resorts San Diego
This resort is actually near the mountains outside of San Diego in Escondido.
It’s a quiet area, so it’s perfect for a weekend getaway where you just stay at the resort the whole time.
Beverly Wilshire
This is the iconic hotel in Beverly Hills from Pretty Woman.
It’s one of those places where you should splurge at least once to stay here.
Castillo Inn at the Beach (Santa Barbara)
This small inn blocks from the beach is just outside of downtown Santa Barbara.
It’s centrally located to everything and much more affordable than the bigger resorts in the area.
Harrah’s Resort Southern California
Harrah’s is a casino resort near Welk Resorts in Escondido.
Their pool has a lazy river and they have one of the newest Hell’s Kitchen locations!
We love to use our Caesar’s Rewards for discounted stays here.
Club Quarters San Francisco
Club Quarters is centrally located between the Transamerica Pyramid and the Embarcadero District.
When we stayed here we were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go including the wharf area.
Tent Camping at Cachuma Lake Recreation Area
Cachuma Lake is just outside of Santa Barbara and Solvang.
It’s probably the cheapest way to stay in this area.
This campground has all the amenities you need and they are right on the lake.
Our Favorite Diamond Timeshare Resorts In The US
We’ve been timeshare owners for several years now and we’re on a mission to stay at every property at least once.
Since we bought our timeshare with Diamond, they’ve been purchased by Hilton Grand Vacations.
Most resorts will stay the same and just be under new management – except for Marquis Villas Resort in Palm Springs, which has closed permanently.
These are our favorites so far.
Ka’anapali Beach Club – Maui
Ka’anapali Beach Club is located on Maui and is one of the most coveted of all of Diamond’s properties.
It’s in a great location, just down the road from Lahaina.
Plus, we enjoyed having the full kitchen, jacuzzi tub, and our beautiful ocean view.
Polo Towers – Las Vegas, Nevada
Polo Towers is right on the Las Vegas Strip, across from The Cosmopolitan.
We love the central location of this resort, as well as having a full kitchen because most Vegas hotels today have their fridge full of drinks that have insane mark ups, making them un-useable for yourself.
We’ve stayed in a variety of room types here over the years including a Two Bedroom, Studio Efficiency, and 1 Bedroom Accessible Room.
Historic Powhatan Resort – Williamsburg, Virginia
We absolutely loved staying at this resort in Williamsburg.
It was one of our more affordable timeshare visits and the unit had everything we needed.
We had just a One Bedroom, but it was 3 stories and set up like a townhome.
The first floor was the entrance, the second floor had a kitchen, dining room, full bathroom, bedroom with en-suite bathroom, and laundry.
Then the top floor was like a converted loft or attic with a tv, couch, and coffee table.
Varsity Clubs of America – Tucson, Arizona
This resort is the only place we stay in Tucson and we drive through here A LOT on our frequent road trips.
If you book within 30 days of your visit it’s pretty cheap.
We love the pool and hot tub here because it usually stays warm enough in the evenings to enjoy both.
It’s a quieter, no frills place and it’s right in the middle of town, centrally located to everything in Tucson.
The One Bedroom units are perfect with their full kitchen, jacuzzi tub, and dining table.
Grande Villas Resort – Orlando, Florida
Grande Villas is just outside of Disney Springs, so it is conveniently located to all things Disney!
There is an on-site pizza & deli restaurant, full bar, and Starbucks coffee too.
The tub is really the highlight of the room though.
Cypress Pointe – Orlando
Cypress Pointe is another Hilton resort and it is actually right across the street from the Grande Villas resort!
The studio rooms here are unique in that they are more like a honeymoon suite and they are so affordable considering they are right outside of Disney Springs.
The Suites at Fall Creek – Branson, Missouri
We love Diamond’s resort in Branson.
It’s set back along a creek, hence the name, so it’s a quite woodsy experience just outside of town.
It’s still close enough to everything too.
What we loved about this room was the counter space in the kitchen, the screened in porch, and the open layout of the room.
The One Bedroom layout here could easily be the equivalent of a real one bedroom apartment.
Mystic Dunes Resort – Orlando, Florida
Mystic Dunes is one of the Diamond timeshares that really has a resort vibe, but the setting of being in Orlando, Florida probably plays a big part in that.
It’s just south of Disney World, with easy access to the parks.
The rooms are spacious and well kept, with just about every amenity when you stay in a one bedroom.
Bell Rock Inn – Sedona, Arizona
Bell Rock Inn is a timeshare resort just South of the city center of Sedona.
It’s an older, smaller property, but it’s the most effective use of timeshare points.
Our stay was the equivalent of only about $65 a night!
Conclusion: Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club Review
Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club is a hidden gem in Southern California.
You’ll get to visit off the beaten path small towns like Ramona and Julian, while enjoying all the amenities of home.
Click Here To Book Your Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club Stay Today!
