Outdoor Traveler by Bluegreen Vacations/Bass Pro Shops

Update: April 2017

In July 2016, we found out what hotel we were staying in in Myrtle Beach. It was actually their resort, the Shore Crest II. In February 2017, we decided to see if we could switch our stay to one of the resorts in Florida as we decided to take our Spring Break vacation there. The representative I talked to, which was my original contact from day one, was able to transfer us to Orlando for our stay. Our reservation was at The Fountains Resort.

We arrived at the Welcome Center, given our parking pass, told what time the presentation was the next day, and given directions to The Fountains.

Once we arrived at the resort, we were greeted promptly and given our room information. I will be doing a separate post on our stay.

The next day we went to our presentation. Each family was called up separately to meet with a representative and we were escorted to the presentation room. Over the next 1.5 hours, the representative talked about the company, what their mission is, the fact that these vacation packages are inheritable, about various resorts, that they are part of Choice Hotels, different honors that they have received, that they have over 195,000 owners, and how the program works. the Grand Yacht Club they are part of.

After the presentation was over, we went to a meeting with the sales representative who talked to us about our vacation goals, the variety of ownership opportunities that are available and answered all of the questions that we had. The only other person we talked to was the "closer" and talked to us about her experience with the program and when we still said we weren't interested, finished up our presentation and gave us the paperwork to redeem for our gift cards. Then our original sales rep walked us to the redemption area and we got our cards.

Did we feel like we were pressured? Not even close. We didn't even disclose I was a blogger until the end and after we said no.

Do I think it's a scam? Or that they harassed us? Not at all. Granted we don't know all of the ends and outs of having a vacation ownership program, however, we at no time felt pressured into buying something. The whole process from start to finish took 3 hours.

Recently when my husband and I were on our way through Rossford Ohio, we decided to stop by the Bass Pro Shops to do a little shopping.

While we were there, we were approached by a representative from Outdoor Traveler by Bluegreen Vacations. They are offering a deal where you can experience a great family vacation for as low as $149. We thought about it (the rep wasn't pushy at all) and decided why not. It will be a great reason to go to Myrtle Beach for our Spring vacation and it's a great deal for $149 (four days/three nights).

The representative proceeded to tell us that we will have a year to book our trip, would stay at a 5 star resort and get to experience all that Myrtle Beach (or any of the other locations they offer). We know we will have to sit through a two hour presentation and that is fine. We are always open to learning about new vacation ideas and possibilities. Because let's face it, we never know what new adventures await!

Today when I went to book our stay, I had no problem reserving the dates we wanted. However, I am a bit concerned because I can't see what hotel we are staying at. I had thought we would be able to see and choose from the resorts, since that was what we were told. I don't like going blindly into a hotel/resort, especially with kids.

And yes, I have been researching Bluegreen Vacations online quite thoroughly and I truly don't believe it's a scam because I'm positive Bass Pro Shops wouldn't be affiliated with a company like that.

I have reached out to the Bluegreen Vacations/Outdoor Traveler with my concern about the hotel room. I plan on continuing to update this post as the planning proceeds and the trip begins. Because like I said before, there are a lot of bad reviews, but if this is a great experience, I want my readers as well as others who come across this post to know of our experience. **We've already received a reply back (within an hour or so of asking the question on 7/4/2016) about why we couldn't chose a hotel and this is their reply "We send the information to hotels and wait for them to provide us with the confirmation number. When we receive a confirmation number we will advise what accommodation you will be staying in."

As I'm going through the book they gave us after we signed up, I did find it says, "The Hotel Getaway is a great value for you and your family. You can select from 17 popular family vacation destinations and enjoy a stay for up to 2 adults and 2 children at an independently-owned and operated select area hotel. The hotels are generally located near major attractions and have a minimum TripAdvisor Traveler Rating of 3-bubbles". This is one thing I wish I would have seen before. We were told five star and that they never put anyone into a 3 star. So now after reading reviews of several 3 bubbles ratings in Myrtle Beach, I'm really hoping for a fun getaway/stay and that isn't where they are putting their guests.

Have you booked a four day/three night trip with them? If so, how was your experience?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”