Having just returned from a week 13 Building I, first-time rental, I thought it might be beneficial to pass along a few observations:

-Casa Ybel owners were absolutely fantastic in assisting us in finding a week 13 unit. In fact, I received calls and some very informative e-mails with observations as concerns Sundial, where we stayed last year, and Casa Ybel. All of your kindness was most appreciated and reassuring.

-Casa Ybel is a beautiful resort, unequivocally. The grounds are immaculate, the help in the Reception Center was most courteous, pool is beautiful, and the rooms are very tastefully decorated. We loved our unit, I160, and appreciated the information (dining suggestions, etc.) as provided on behalf of the owner.

-An earlier post complained about the extra cost of the beach umbrellas and chaise lounges. At Casa Ybel, this is actually a better arrangement as it guarantees availability. At most resorts, it's on a first-come, first-serve basis (i.e. Sundial) which means everyone rushes out at sunrise to reserve their chaise by throwing a towel or other belongings on them. Unfortunately, if you sleep in or go out to breakfast, you're out of luck for the day. Believe me, this is a MUCH better arrangement.

-Yes, drinks and dining around the pool are expensive but you're only a short walk from your condo. It's easy enough to blend up a drink and bring it down in a plastic cup if you're poolside. And, there's always a 4-6 PM Happy Hour with reduced drink prices. Food is expensive but remember, you're on vacation, what's a couple of bucks more for a sandwich.

No resort is perfect, in fact, one suggestion I would make to Hilton is to replace the shuffleboard cues as most are broken or bent. But again, we still played and enjoyed ourselves, it just made the game a bit more challenging.

Overall, we loved our stay and intend on returning next year, who knows, some day we may decide to become owners just like you. Thank you again for allowing us to share our vacation with you!

Hi Randy

Many thanks for your imput regarding your stay at Casa Y'bel. It is always very helpful to hear from non-owners who have stayed at our resort, and particularly reassuring to hear that you had a good and enjoyable experience. It is also interesting to hear how certain aspects compare with other resorts.

Perhaps we can all learn from your comments regarding food, sun loungers and sun shades.

A step in the right direction, thanks.
All we can hope for is that the right people (that is the persons who can get corrective action initiated)would participate in Owner's Forum and improve as suggested.
The managers we hire and the elected boards can now receiving messages from users telling them where to find areas where improvements are needed.
Carl Appelberg