Varsity Clubs of America South Bend Review (2025)

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On a recent weekend getaway, JP and I booked a studio room at Varsity Clubs of America South Bend.

We had stayed at their other property in Tucson numerous times and loved it, so we sort of knew what to expect.

To our surprise, when we arrived, we were actually upgraded to a one bedroom unit instead!

It turned out that we were in South Bend during graduation weekend for Notre Dame, so it was very busy and it was the only way they could accommodate us.

Check out the full walk-through of our room in this video on our YouTube Channel.

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Varsity Clubs of America South Bend Review

There are only two Varsity Clubs of America timeshares/hotels and I honestly wish there were more.

I don’t even love sports, but I love these properties.

They’re low-key, but still offer all the amenities, like free breakfast!

When using timeshare points or paying cash, they’re just as affordable as a regular hotel room, but you’re getting a kitchen and a separate bedroom.

The courtyard is a great place to enjoy a warm fire, practice your putting, or go swimming.

The lobby is a great place to just hang out, watch a game, or play a game.

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One Bedroom

Even though we booked a studio, we ended up being upgraded to a one bedroom since it was the only room available when we checked in.

When we got to our room we had a nice welcome gift waiting for us on the kitchen counter that is exclusively for timeshare owners.

Bedroom

The bedroom has a king bed with side tables and lamps on both sides.

It’s not a huge room, but it’s spacious enough for luggage for 2 people.

There’s a tv, dresser, full sized closet, and extra bedding in the room too.

Bathroom

The bathroom is small and has just enough room for a tub and a toilet.

It’s a decent sized tub for a bath, but it’s nothing fancy like a jacuzzi tub.

The bathroom vanity is outside of the bathroom, making it easier for multiple people to get ready at the same time.

Just behind this picture is built in shelving that holds extra bath towels, washcloths, and pool towels.

Living Room

The living room is nicely sized, with plenty of seating.

The couch can comfortably sit 3 people and there’s another lounge chair.

There are 2 ottomans that can be easily moved around.

Just outside of the frame of this picture is another tv.

What’s great about this room is that the kitchen is open and has a direct view into the living room.

So you can watch tv from the kitchen or the living room.

Kitchen

The kitchen here is spacious, but is just a mini kitchen.

Most timeshares that have one bedroom units have full kitchens, so it’s interesting that this one is just a mini fridge and microwave.

There’s a small sink too and some smaller appliances in the cabinets.

The countertop is quite large and also has seating for 4 people.

Pricing

Cash pricing varies widely with this resort, but it is usually VERY affordable – like less than $100 per night.

Many weekends throughout the year are completely sold out months in advance though.

Think football season, graduation season, freshmen moving on campus, etc.

Any time something major is going on at Notre Dame, expect this place to be sold out or significantly pricier than average.

Look at the pricing below for November 2024.

The weekend of November 8th and 9th is a home football game and so is the 15th and 16th.

But the rest of the month is very affordable!

Here are some other numbers I’ve pulled just as a comparison:

For the same weekend we stayed this past year, the next year is already sold out, 7 months in advance!

You can see that the surrounding dates start at $210 and $244.

Many of these prices will be for the studio rooms, but they actually tend to have more availability for 1 bedrooms more than anything else, and they’re usually not that much more expensive.

But you can also see in the image below that much of the time, you can get a room here for just $82 (plus tax).

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Using Timeshare Points For Your Stay

Varsity Clubs of America South Bend used to be part of Diamond Resorts, but then Diamond was bought out by Hilton Grand Vacations several years ago.

So now they are part of Hilton!

We used 1,050 timeshare points for 2 nights in a studio for a Friday and Saturday night in May, during graduation season.

The price conversion for that is about $550 for a 2 night stay based off of what we bought the timeshare for, plus about 20 years worth of maintenance fees averaged per year.

Basically, it’s nearly $4,000 per year to have our timeshare if we use it for 20 years, but if we factor in the freebies we get in return, it’s really less than $3,000 per year.

Now the $550 for 2 nights might seem high, but if they’re already sold out that weekend 7 months in advance, how much do you think those people were paying per night?

We’ve seen just for football season that rooms can be $500+ just for one night!

Now, if we factor in all the freebies our timeshare has given us like free points, free stays, gift cards, etc., then the cost for the total stay is $415, which is a much better deal.

I like to look at both since the freebies really do make a difference with having and using a timeshare.

Even hotel rewards programs don’t give out this level of “free” stuff.

Remember though, we booked a studio and we had a complimentary upgrade to a one bedroom, so $207 or $275 per night for a one bedroom on a Friday and Saturday night when every hotel is booked for graduations, is not bad, considering we had a kitchen and separate bedroom.

Timeshare are notoriously ridiculously expensive for Friday and Saturday stays, but since we booked this less than 60 days out, it was discounted.

This property in particular is just cheaper than the typical timeshare resort, so that helped as well.

We would not have used our timeshare points here if we weren’t getting a decent deal.

Resort Amenities

Here are some of the highlights of things you can enjoy outside your room.

Lobby

The lobby has a lot of seating and is very collegiate looking.

It’s a great place to just hang out if you’re traveling with a group or just to sit and do some work.

There’s a large tv in the lobby, so it’s also a good spot to watch sporting events.

There’s also another room off of the lobby that’s like a sitting room or library that’s smaller, but cozy.

There is also a pool table just off to the side and a business center.

Free Breakfast

When you check-in you’ll be given vouchers for free breakfast for the number of people that should be in your room.

So if you’ve smuggled in extra people, those people won’t get free breakfast.

For breakfast they offer a little bit of everything like juice, coffee, tea, water, fruit, yogurt, hot foods, cereal, and more.

Pool

The pool is indoors, so it is open year-round!

We did not use it since we weren’t really at the resort very much, but it looks nice!

Fitness Center

We also didn’t make use of the fitness center, but it is also just off of the lobby.

It’s not huge, but it has all the basics.

Courtyard

The courtyard has a little bit of everything.

A putting green, fire pits, grills, and tables and chairs.

So if you want to grill out while you’re here and enjoy the outdoors, you can do all of that right here in the courtyard.

Overall Experience

Overall, we just love Varsity Clubs of America South Bend.

I think since we had such a positive experience at the Tucson location all the times we’ve stayed there that we knew what to expect.

Then those expectations were met and even succeeded in some ways.

The biggest pros for us were the affordability, availability of rooms other than studios, location, and free breakfast.

Also, even though they were completely booked out, it was quiet!

It was mostly older families with their adult children graduating college.

I don’t think I saw any small children or anyone being rowdy the whole time we were there.

So it’s a pretty property, it’s quiet, it’s centrally located, and has a ton of amenities.

Really the only thing I’d change is having a full kitchen in the one bedroom suites.

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More Of Our Favorite Hilton Timeshare Resorts In The US

1. Grande Villas Resort – Orlando, Florida

Grande Villas is just across the street from Cypress Pointe, 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Palm Canyon Resort – Palm Springs, California

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.

7. The Suites at Fall Creek – Branson, Missouri

Last but not least, 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.

8. San Luis Bay Inn – Avila Beach, CA

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.

9. Riviera Beach & Shores Resort – Capistrano Beach, CA

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.

10. Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club – near San Diego

Riviera Oaks is a quiet resort in the town of Ramona, just outside of San Diego.

It’s a perfect getaway for wine tasting in Ramona or visiting the historic gold rush town of Julian.

11. 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!

12. Grand Beach – Orlando

Grand Beach looks like the Grand Floridian, but it’s not.

It’s located about 10 minutes from Disney Springs and it’s a quiet resort.

They are super affordable and have 2 pools you can enjoy.

The Wrap-Up: Varsity Clubs of America South Bend Review

Varsity Clubs of America South Bend is a great place to stay if you’re visiting the Notre Dame campus for any reason or if you find yourself in South Bend for another reason.

We actually used this resort as a home base for day trips out to Indiana Dunes National Park and Chicago!

Click Here To Book Your Varsity Clubs Of America South Bend Stay Today!