Thinking of trying Caliente Tampa, wondering if eating there will break the bank?

[NotFirstTimers]

We are thinking of doing that promo deal with the 5 days for $399 and the 45 minute sales pitch at the end. We are H2 lovers - been there 5 times- and this deal at Caliente is not all-inclusive of course.

So I am just wondering - if we have to shell out $ for every meal and every drink, will it just not be worth it to go? $399 for the room for 5 days is great, unless we have to spend $300 a day on food and drinks.

FYI - I looked online at the menus and the dinner menu looks awfully pricey but we could eat at the beach grill or whatever some nights too. Are drinks reasonable? He doesn't drink much much she liked lots of drinks - lol.

I guess one thing we love about H2 is the lack of stress of watching the $20's fly out of your wallet every day for every drink and snack.

The lure of Caliente is it's so much easier to get too and it's a lot easier to arrange to get away from kids, work, animals if we are in the country and can blame it on a business trip or some little white lie like that - lol!

Thanks!

Kathleen

[NakedGunny]

We did the same promotion. We brought some of our own liquor and still spent about $500.00 in those short few days. Breakfast is good but we found the rest of the food to be overpriced and very marginal. The bar is fun but the food is not good at all. The restaurant food is not as bad but the restaurant is set up like a breakfast area at a Hampton in. It is not nice/special at all. Go off campus to eat. Very, very expensive and be prepared for a HARD SELL at the "45 minute" sales pitch. They kind of make you feel like a jerk if you don't buy.

[jimmybob69]

We are doing the same promotion thing in early May.
We plan on eating the same way we do at home for breakfast (cereal stuff like that) and bringing in our own drinks.
When we are on vacation we usually only eat twice a day so we figure we can go off campus to eat dinner.
I am self employed and one part of my job description is sales person (got to sell myself as self employed) so I have heard no more times than I can remember and have learned how to say no. I have read that they will tell you if you don't buy the package, that you can't return. My response to that will be "with people like you, (the sales department) I don't want to return.
I plan on keeping notes on a daily basis and when I get back I will file a full report.

[KatzNDawgs]

We spent a few days there last summer. It was pricey to eat, but not if you factor in the convenience. Bring some snacks and food that you can keep in your room. Take a short drive off campus to get to a restaurant. Definitely pack some alcohol to keep in your room. Have a drink or two before you go to the pool. The main thing that I recall about the food is that the restaurants closed fairly early on most nights and by 1100pm or so I was starving and all they had was vending machines. So again, keep some stuff in your room. For the deal you're getting, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

[N&B]

We have been a number of times and actually did the promotopn tour last summer. Their callcenter calls me 3 to 4 times a week, never leaves a message. Anyone know, is that place in trouble financially? We have always had fun and the lifestyle groups bring another edge. going back again this summer, but the presentation was a beating.

[cande6964carl]

I put up our trip report and for us it would have been cheaper to go to Hedo for the sam amount of time.
Flight, Rental Car, buy food and alcohol to keep in the room, occasional food in the restaraunts, drinks inside the resort.
Then I could not drink worry free if we wanted to go out for dinner or whatever.
You cannot bring drinks in the resort. They are licensed like a club and cannot allow outside alcohol in the door.
There is no transfer from the airport to the resort, there is a shuttle service that costs alot.
It was cheaper to rent a car for the week than pay the fee for the shuttle for a couple round trip.

IF we lived close by and went for a day or weekend trip then ok but won't be back if we have to fly.