Poly CL or GF Sugar Loaf?

[southerngirl]

If you had the choice of Poly CL or the GF Sugar Loaf, which would you pick?

We stayed Poly CL last Christmas, and the things we liked were:
1) the evening offerings (we love sushi and other Asian-inspired foods) and the guava juice
2) the convenience of being right between two pools and close to the boat dock
3) the convenience of having the CL staff downstairs make my ADRs and help us with some bill snafus
4) the beautiful view of the castle from the lounge
5) the restaurants (including the Kona coffee and sushi bar) at the Poly

Things we didn't particularly care for:
1) the elementary school aged kids who ran wild in the lounge (they would swarm the buffet, not caring who they cut in front of, and their parents didn't do anything to mind them)
2) the lackluster mid-day offerings (we had hoped that we could have a snack there to tide us over until dinner, but there was nothing but chips and cookies)
3) the somewhat surly ladies who restocked and cleaned the lounge and seemed a little put out when I asked for whole milk for my infant son

We have never stayed at the GF, but we visit it several times during our trips, and we love the ambiance of it. We can't afford to stay in the main building CL, but we could do Sugar Loaf. What are your thoughts on that versus the Poly? In particular, do you think it would be less likely to be full of young children? Also, what are the mid-day and evening offerings like? My DH and I are not big eaters, so we typically do only one sit down meal a day and snack the rest of the time. But, our DS(2) is a big eater, and so if the GF has more substantial offerings mid-day than the Poly, that might be a big plus for us, since we don't want to feed him chips and cookies for lunch.

Thanks!

[SBETigg]

I can't answer to specifics on differences between them because I haven't done the club levels in either resort. But the club room for the Poly is larger and more impressive than the space in Sugar Loaf, from what I have heard. You're just as likely to find unruly, unsupervised children at either resort-- though the Poly is more popular with families.

I would say, though, that the GF vibe is much more our style and I would give it a try if you haven't stayed there yet. Our kids prefer the Poly and we have plans to go back and stay club level there for our next vacation. But my husband and I prefer the GF. It's relaxed, charming, and lovely. I hope you hear more about the offerings to help with your decision.

[TammiMcMan]

Chances are you'll find just as many kids and the lounge itself is smaller, so seating can be an issue. While it's very nice, Sugar Loaf does not have the "wow" factor of the GF's main building or Hawaii. It's located in the lobby of the building, with only an interior view.

In terms of food offerings, they are a bit more expanded at the GF. Some examples of afternoon offerings have included salads, hummus, chips & dips. They also have an afternoon tea, with scones and devonshire cream :cloud9:. One or two days, they have strawberry trifle too. Other days, it's cookies and brownies. They do an assortment of plated appetizers in the evenings. They change nightly. Champagne is part of the cordials offered late night.

[mouseketeer mom]

We stay Poly club level on most every trip. While we haven't stayed club at the GF, we have at AKL, BC, and CR, and nothing compares to the Polynesian for us.
In regards to the kids running around in the lounge. Well, it all depends. We just returned home 2 wks ago from a stay Poly, club level. The first 6 days of our trip came with quiet families, no trouble in the lounge. The last two nights I was ready to pull my hair out. These 6 kids from 2 families that were vacationing together were horrible. Rearranging furniture. "saving seat" hours before Wishes by leaving belongings on them..which meant no one else could sit there. Acting like the food line was their kitchen. Screaming and acting out so we couldn't hear the Wishes soundtrack. And NO disipline from their parents. In addition to those kids there was a family on those last two days that had 6 month old twins..and they were letting them crawl all over the floor of the lounge, while we were trying to juggle carrying food and hot beverages to our table. Stepping over them while the parents smiled. Very upsetting to me. BUT..we have found this the exception, not the norm.

[southerngirl]

Thanks for the thoughts! We moved from BW to the Poly club level. It was slightly less expensive than the GF Sugar Loaf, and my DH just loves the Poly. So, I think we're set. I appreciate everyone's advice. :mickey: