Ask the Owners: Why did you choose RiverWalk as your second home?

Here at RiverWalk Resort, we’re pretty proud of the luxury residence and amenities we offer our owners, so we decided to turn the conversation over to some of our second home owners! Check out their responses about their favorite things to do once they first arrive at their “home away from home,” why timeshare and seasonal condo ownership was the right decision for them, and just what it is about RiverWalk that makes it an extraordinary destination.

This blog post is part of “The RiverWalk Guide to Ownership” blog series

Alex and Julie – seasonal owners

How long have you been an owner at RiverWalk?

We signed on with RiverWalk in March of 2015, before there was even a foundation!

Why did you decide to join the RiverWalk family and become an owner?

We were intrigued with the idea of new construction offering a full-service environment with eventual ski in/out access to Loon, a pool, restaurant and gym, as well as pet-friendly units and walking distance to other restaurants and stores. 

It was perfect timing; on our first or second visit to Loon, we saw the advertising for RiverWalk and realized RiverWalk could perfectly fit our needs.  After seeing the plans and meeting with the sales team, we were either the first or second family to sign the paperwork and close on our property.  

Why did you choose seasonal ownership over renting?

We chose a winter ownership in 2015 because we wanted the convenience of ownership in a property we planned on going to for many winters to come.

However, we are now transitioning into a year-round ownership. We wanted more space and really enjoy the comforts RiverWalk has to offer. We plan to explore the Lincoln area during the summer and take advantage of Lincoln's summer activities.

What is one of your favorite activities to do once you arrive in Lincoln and settle in to your “home away from home”?

We usually come up on Friday afternoons and one of the first things we do every trip is go down to the Owners Lounge and play a family game of pool. If we arrive late on Friday, we may order from La Vista and relax by the warm fireplace in our unit.

We look forward to getting there and treating our ski weekends as a family activity. We’re the first ones on the bus in the morning to get to the mountain to ski with the boys before they have to get to class. Our two boys (ages 7 and 8) are enrolled in the development program at Loon. After class, the four of us ski together, sometimes until the last chair. Then we grab a hot chocolate and hang out before catching the bus back to RiverWalk.

The RiverWalk shuttle is extremely convenient; it runs every 15 or 30 minutes. We can also call ahead if we are running late at the mountain and they will come pick us up.

What are you most looking forward to this fall and winter at RiverWalk or in Lincoln?

We are coming up Columbus Day weekend to buy skis and get ready for the winter season. And beginning mid-November, the boys’ sports become less demanding so we’ll have more flexibility to visit. Starting Thanksgiving, we’ll be up every weekend and holiday week until Easter to ski!

We’re a relatively young and active family. We look forward to getting to our home away from home to enjoy our family time, whether a game of pool or getting up early to get the ski runs in: we are actively enjoying RiverWalk and the mountains.

We’re so happy with our RiverWalk experience that we’re buying more! As we mentioned earlier, we are committing to year-round ownership and getting a larger unit. In the past year that we’ve been owners, RiverWalk has succeeded in becoming one of our favorite destinations.

Fred and Maria - fractional owners

How long have you been an owner at RiverWalk?

One year this past August.

Why did you decide to join the RiverWalk family and become an owner?

We made two or three visits while it was being built; we saw the amenities, what it was going to be offering, that it was a state-of-the art resort, and we love New Hampshire! We’ve traveled to quite a few different places, and it’s not often that we find a place we want to take a repeat visit to. We go to New Hampshire often, and RiverWalk gave us the opportunity to stay at a beautiful place.

Our sales agent, George, was very warm and welcoming and walked us around the resort. The encounter was very friendly and did not feel like a sales pitch.

We also appreciate the great staff who are unbelievably helpful. We walk in, they know who we are, and we know who they are. We ask about things going on in each other’s lives. It’s not an owner/staff relationship, it’s a friendly acquaintance relationship.

Why did you choose fractional ownership over renting?

As we go up quite often, this gave us the opportunity to own something in New Hampshire without having to pay for the whole year. If the resort isn’t at full capacity, we can call and spend up to three nights in a different room, even if it’s not our week.

What is one of your favorite activities to do once you arrive in Lincoln and settle in to your “home away from home”?

We like to go up and simply relax. We’re not thinking about laundry, or the lawn, or everything that needs to get done. Once we cross the Concord line, all that goes away. It’s very relaxing and peaceful. (Maria really appreciates the soaker tub!) Of course, we enjoy the hiking too. I also recently took up snowboarding, so that will be another activity to look forward to this winter.

What are you most looking forward to this fall and winter at RiverWalk or in Lincoln?

We always enjoy the changing of the leaves. We look forward to bringing our daughters up since they’re older, so we can ski together. We’ve had our in-laws and other family members come up, too, because it’s a great opportunity for them to use the amenities. It’s a place where we can get away and spend time together.

Evy and Eric – seasonal owners

How long have you been an owner at RiverWalk?

We actually purchased our unit “pre-construction.”

Why did you decide to join the RiverWalk family and become an owner?

We invested in the RiverWalk project because we believed in the vision of what management and ownership strive to do, to build a place where friends and families come together to make fun and fond memories.

Why did you choose seasonal ownership over renting?

For the ease of use and convenience. We like keeping our personal stuff in the lockers and appreciate the peace of mind of knowing we are all set for the next season.

What is one of your favorite activities to do once you arrive in Lincoln and settle in to your “home away from home”?

We like to relax on our deck overlooking the mountains with a glass of wine then hit the Jacuzzi or the day spa. We also appreciate having a top notch restaurant like La Vista onsite. It’s fantastic and convenient especially after a long day of skiing!

What are you most looking forward to this fall and winter at RiverWalk or in Lincoln?

We are looking forward to investing in more memories with family and friends, and of course, a heavy snowfall season!

Tim and Deb – fractional owners

How long have you been an owner at RiverWalk?

We have owned since pre-construction!

Why did you decide to join the RiverWalk family and become an owner?

We were up skiing with some friends at Loon and rented a condo at South Peak. We had such a great time! Previously, we had seen an ad for RiverWalk in the Providence Rhode Island Journal and decided to check it out.

We stopped on our way out of town and met Carol, who would become our sales agent. It was a very low-key non-salesy approach. We walked through the construction zone and looked at the model unit. We fell in love with the layout and the view of the mountains. Financially, single ownership wasn’t in the cards at that time, and we didn’t have eight or nine weeks a year to spare, so we decided to go in with our friends.

We were attracted by all the possibilities and everything that was planned- the pool, the skating rink, that the resort will be connected to Loon Mountain (eventually we’ll be able to take the gondola over), the spa, the restaurant, and the winery especially was a big selling feature for us.

We could see through the construction and the wires hanging down to view all the possibilities! We really looked at the end result, at what the resort will look like after the second phase of construction, after Loon gets more ski trails cut out, after the gondola is installed: RiverWalk will be the go-to place in New Hampshire.

Why did you choose fractional ownership over renting?

It was a matter of budget for us. We still have some young kids, college tuitions, and life things to plan for. Seasonal or total ownership is probably out of our reach at this time. Fractional ownership (split into sixes) seemed like a practical thing for us to do in our situation.

Every six weeks, we get to look forward to going up. On those weeks we can’t make it, we might go just for the weekend, or put the week up for rental through the resort. Rental revenues are split between the resort and the owners. We’ve put the unit up twice for rental and were able to offset some of our condo association fees.

What is one of your favorite activities to do once you arrive in Lincoln and settle in to your “home away from home”?

We call Mark at Seven Birches Winery and have bottles from the wine club delivered to our room. We open our bottle, have a toast, and sit on the deck to enjoy. We also love the pool both in the summer and the winter, so that’s a first go-to as well.

What are you most looking forward to this fall and winter at RiverWalk or in Lincoln?

We’re getting close to ski season! Unfortunately we won’t be going up again until Thanksgiving weekend, when hopefully we’ll start to see some snow and get ready for another season of skiing!

Our sincere thank you to these owners for participating in the conversation! Interested in learning more? Request an information packet or download floor plans here. Or, consider renting for a few days to see for yourself what all the fuss is about! Either way, we look forward to welcoming you soon to RiverWalk Resort and the White Mountains (aka the Best Place on Earth).

This blog post is part of “The RiverWalk Guide to Ownership” blog series