Overall sentiment from reviewers is predominantly positive with consistent praise for the people and social life at Country Club At Woodland Hills, but there are meaningful caveats around maintenance, food service consistency, staffing stability, and accessibility that prospective residents and families should investigate further.
Staff and culture: The strongest, most consistent theme is the quality of the staff and the warmth of the resident community. Numerous reviewers name staff members (for example, Jennifer Lombard, Executive Director Michael, Activities Director Jordan, and other team members like Amy) as highlights — describing them as welcoming, attentive, proactive, and often going “above and beyond.” Many accounts emphasize personalized attention (greeted by name, maintenance helping with small tasks, staff accommodating resident preferences), long-tenured employees, and low turnover in multiple reports. At the same time, there are countervailing accounts noting later increases in turnover, hiring of new staff, and some claims of poor management or employee treatment. A small number of reviews include serious allegations (theft, harassment, kitchen mismanagement and retaliation), which are outliers relative to the volume of praise but should not be ignored by prospective families.
Care, health services and safety: Reviewers frequently highlight meaningful safety features: 24-hour staff coverage, alarm systems and panic buttons in units, and visible pandemic-related precautions. On-site home health and Residential Care are available, and CNAs/therapy staff receive positive mentions in several reviews. However, reviewers raise practical concerns about how care needs would be handled if an independent resident’s health declined: some note that assisted or care-level rooms are on upper floors, stairs and long walks to elevators create mobility challenges, and bathtub step-over entries are problematic. A few reviews referenced restrictions in pet policies tied to certain care levels, and some reviewers worried about the community being better suited to active independent living rather than full assisted care.
Facilities and maintenance: The property’s amenities receive high marks: spacious cottages and apartments with full kitchens and garages, a heated outdoor pool, fitness center, library, salon services, attractive courtyards and gathering spaces, and a shuttle/trolley service for local errands and outings. Many reviewers praise large unit sizes (some noting 980 sq ft or two-bedroom layouts), screened-in patios, and covered parking. Conversely, multiple reviewers described aging infrastructure and inconsistent maintenance. Issues range from cosmetic wear (old carpets, dated interiors, slanted hallways) to more serious problems (reports of mold in bathrooms, rotting wood, and in a few instances mice infestation and feces). Construction activity and staff layoffs were reported to have caused apartment disruptions and uncomfortable conditions in isolated cases. Housekeeping quality was described as generally weekly but inconsistent depending on staffing — some reviews documented incomplete cleaning or abbreviated visits.
Dining and food service: Dining is a major focal point in these reviews. Many residents and visitors praise a restaurant-style dining program with a large menu, multiple daily entrées, salad/fruit bars, chef-prepared meals, and creative rotating menus. Several reviews explicitly call the food excellent and a strong community perk. However, a substantial minority of reviews report a perceived decline in food quality (bland or budget-minded meals), inconsistent service, long waits for delivered meals or trays arriving cold, dessert shortages, and high turnover/discipline problems in kitchen staff. A few reviews accuse management of poor handling of kitchen staff, and one or two raise serious allegations about unsafe kitchen operations or staff theft. These eating/dining issues appear to have temporal variability — many say the food was great initially but worsened for a period.
Activities and social life: Activities and social programming are consistently praised. Reviewers emphasize a broad calendar that includes exercise classes, water aerobics, crafts, art, book clubs, movie nights, card games, weekly social hours, live music, monthly excursions (museums, casinos, shopping), birthday celebrations, and clubs for hobbies. The Activities Director is singled out for creativity and warmth in a number of reviews, and the active social scene is repeatedly described as one of the community’s greatest assets for combating isolation and encouraging new friendships. That said, pandemic impacts made socializing harder for some periods; nevertheless activities are a strong recurring positive.
Management, cost and value: Many reviewers feel the community offers good value — affordable pricing relative to amenities, no monthly fee for some units mentioned by one reviewer, free parking, and perceived cost savings compared with competitors. Several reviewers happily recommend Country Club as a top pick and say it’s “worth the wait” for preferred units. Conversely, complaints include noticeable price increases (including one claim of rent doubling over two years) and instances where increases were not matched by service improvements. Some reviewers report excellent communication and transparency from management, while others accuse leadership of complicity in problematic staff behaviors. Waiting lists for preferred cottages are mentioned, which signals demand but also limited immediate availability.
Patterns and recommendations: The reviews present a two-tiered pattern. The dominant pattern is highly favorable: warm staff, plentiful activities, generous amenities, large apartment footprints, and strong social life that make it a recommended choice for many independent-living seekers. The minority but recurrent negative pattern centers on variability — in dining quality, maintenance responsiveness, housekeeping consistency, occasional pest or mold problems, and episodes of staff turnover or management lapses. These negatives appear to be intermittent and sometimes tied to specific timeframes (e.g., pandemic disruptions, periods of kitchen turnover, or construction phases).
For prospective residents and family decision-makers, the most practical next steps are to (1) tour units of the exact building type being considered (cottage vs. apartment) and inspect flooring, bathrooms, and kitchen appliances; (2) ask management about recent staffing stability, kitchen staffing and food sourcing, pest control logs, and specific remediation for any reported mold or mice; (3) clarify the process, location and timing for higher-care transitions should health decline (which floors house assisted/residential care and how stairs/elevators are managed); (4) test dining (attend a meal) and ask about meal delivery times and transportation reservation policies; and (5) review recent fee history and contract terms related to rent increases. Overall, Country Club At Woodland Hills is repeatedly praised for its community feel, staff warmth, extensive activities and value — but prospective residents should verify unit condition, accessibility, and management responses to maintenance and dining concerns before committing.
