Nice Water Amenities, but Get There Early
Room:
We stayed in an Ambassador Suite. It was very large, and having the 2nd bathroom was nice, both for our son, and for when we had some friends over for dinner. It was very clean, and everything was operational. It was on the end of the building, which was also nice, as it was far removed from the courtyard near the pool (read: noise source). Someone in the neighboring suite was on their balcony one night, and we were able to hear them while in our bedroom. Thankfully, they didn't stay out there too late, so the their talking didn't interfere with our sleep.
Grounds:
The grounds of the resort are very pretty. There are large and small trees -- many of which are interesting palms -- everywhere, and lots of other flowers and foliage in the smaller spaces. The courtyards of each of the North and South "Pointe" hotel buildings are very nice, especially by the swimming pool area of each one. There is also a walkway -- primarily for use by hotel staff -- between the two Pointe buildings, and even this is very pleasant. The lobby of the North building is very grand, and the main lobby, located in the South building, is also very nice, with a bit of a modern flare (i.e. frameless doors and windows facing the courtyard pool and gift shop). I also walked through the conference center, located between the two Pointe buildings, and from what I could see of it, it was very nice too.
Spa:
While my wife and son were napping, I took the opportunity to visit the spa. I wanted to do some laps in the spa pool, since swimming for exercise cannot be accomplished in any other pool. The spa receptionist was on the phone when I arrived, and after I signed in, she angled the phone away from her ear while she told me how to get to the pool. The way to the pool is through the gym, and once I went through the gym and stepped outside, there were many options to consider. Fortunately, there were some signs to help lead the way, but I still took the wrong path. I ended up trying two wrong gates, before I doubled back and found the correct path to the only open gate. I didn't pick up any towels on my way to the pool, and I was disappointed to find none there. As the day was warm enough, though, I decided I would just dry off in the sun. The pool was a salt-water one, and I had never swam in one before. Other than the salty taste (think ocean), it was very nice. After some laps, I took a quick dip in the hot tub, then laid out on a chaise to dry off. On my way back inside, I decided a steam was in order. I tried several lockers before I found one with a working set-it-yourself combination lock. I was surprised that the towels for the spa were the same as those used at the main pool, which was unfortunate because they were smallish. The steam room was fine, and I showered afterward. Both the shampoo and the soap required large quantities before they would lather up. They both seemed a bit watered down. There was only soap, lotion, and a broken mouthwash dispenser near the sinks. Many other spas I've been have had things like razors, shaving cream, deoderant, combs, and hair spray. This spa had none of those "extras."
Main Pool:
The main pool, a half-moon shaped monster, is set against a backdrop of hordes of palm trees and a nearby craggy mountain peak. There is a waterfall and hot tub on one end, a volleyball net across the middle, and a small child wade-in area at the other end. There are lots of chairs spread out across the length of one side of the pool only (the other side has just enough room to walk around it). All seats face the pool, and behind you is either the entry area, bar, stage, and bathrooms, or the Hole-in-the-Wall restaurant and a hot dog stand, depending on which side of the entry area you are seated. At the south end of the pool, adjacent to the child wade-in area, are two other small pools. One is the splash-in area for the water slide, and the other is the kiddie pool. There are loudspeakers galore, and we were *lucky* enough that the music theme of the weekend was modern country (or was that Western?). There's no escaping them, so bring your i-device with your own tunes if you prefer something different. 
Sports Pool:
Facing the main pool, if you walk up the stairs to the far left, you will get to the Sports Pool. I only walked around this pool to get to the Lazy River, so I cannot comment on the full experience. I did notice that there was a permanent basketball hoop at one end of it, and that it appeared crowded at all times.
Lazy River:
The path to the starting area is not well-marked or particularly obvious, so it took me a while to find it. To get to it, I walked around the Sports Pool (only later to discover that the bridges are the better path -- less people to dodge). There are cubbies near the entrance, so if you wear your flip-flops over -- and you will need them most of the time when the concrete gets hot enough -- then there is some place to put them. We lucked out and didn't have to share a cubby with any other party, but I can imagine if it gets crowded enough, your shoes will be commingled with someone else's. There was no one staffing the River's entry point on my first excursion there, so it took me a moment to realize that the tubes were stored across from the stairs I was standing on by the water. It did not take long to realize that this would not be a particularly "lazy" experience. The tubes are just a bit on the small side, so for many adults it's somewhat of a challenge to get comfortably situated. I'm 5'9", 190 lb, so I don't consider myself out of the norm, but it did take me an attempt or three to get settled. Once I started floating, I noticed that I was either crashing into people, or they were crashing into me. It took me a while to figure out the reason -- for its entire 1-mile-plus length, the course is only 3 feet deep. This means that people who choose to walk, rather than float, are going at a pace either faster or slower than the current. What's more, most of the people on the river were around six to sixteen years old. So, to make their own experience more interesting, they were playing various types of games. One group of about 8 boys had stuffed themselves inside of about twice as may tubes, standing on their ends. Their train was about 20 feet long, and you could see and hear it coming from a distance. Other kids were throwing a ball back-and-forth, jumping in and out of the river as they did so. One kid was trying to time his jump into the center of his tube with catching a football. His jump was not perfect and it looked like he was going to really hurt himself, but he got off lucky. After my first trip around it, I recalled an old Saturday Night Live sketch called Coffee Talk and, when I got back to my poolside chair, I said to my wife: "The Lazy River is neither lazy nor a river. Discuss." All that being said, I did go back to the river several times, and I even took my 4-year-old for a few laps. The scenery on the river is very pretty, and if you're lucky enough to get -- or, more correctly, create -- some space for yourself, it is quite pleasant. Unfortunately, those moments were the exception and not the rule.
The Water Slide:
As the entrance to the slide is the tallest thing that can be walked up to, getting to it is rather self-explanatory. I went mid-day on Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, and the wait for it was no more than 10 minutes either time. My first trip down was very different than my second. On my first trip, I inadvertently laid back about halfway down it and, by the time I got to the bottom, I was completely out of control to the point I was wondering if I was going to skim across the catch pool at the bottom and kick a child who had not yet got out. The second time I went, I was much more cognizant to keep a seated position the whole way down, and I believe this slowed me down considerably, and helped me keep control. All in all, it was fun, but they have a height requirement of 42", so keep that in mind if you are choosing this hotel because you're planning to concentrate your time on sending your 2-year-old down it.
Service:
It can take a while before a waiter or waitress determines that you look hungry or thristy (enough) and would like some food or drinks by the pool. Around lunchtime (I'm sure the staff knows the drill better than the patrons) they start to get a bit more friendly and will take your order. Trying to flag them down prior to them finding you first can be a bit futile. Also, it can help if you go to the bar, get a menu, and bring it back to your chair. You'll be a little harder to miss waving a menu around. These things being said, the wait staff was friendly and got our order correct on both days we ordered food and drinks poolside. Don't expect speedy delivery on a crowded day, though, as you have to realize your order is competing with many others.
Location:
The resort property is not in the best section of town, but overall it's fine. We drove around a bit near the hotel when we went out for dinner the three nights of our stay. To the northwest (7th and Northern), the area is a bit run-down, but we got carryout from Los Reyes de la Torta without any problems.
Extras:
1. One of the workers at the hot dog cart generously offered, then helped carry some of the food we bought back to our chairs.
2. We were looking for some dessert at 8:30 p.m.. The creamery had already closed so we went to the gift shop in the main lobby. When I inquired if there were more pastries other than those that were wrapped up in the case, the clerk offered some free chocolate chip cookies that had broken and therefore could not be sold. We gladly accepted.
3. After checking out, I realized I had forgotten to get directions to our next destination (Anthem Outlet Mall). I picked up the house phone in the lobby of the North building. The operator connected me to the concierge who gave me directions very quickly.
4. We were allowed to bring in some small snacks into the pool area for our small child. The security guard on the first day had no problem with this. On our second day, a different rent-a-cop took issue with it, but deferred the decision to, and was subsequently overruled by the 15-year-old (ok, maybe 17 y.o.) kid who worked (for the hotel) at the towel cabana.