RCI:Vida Property Nuevo Vallarta (Grand Mayan, Grand Bliss, Mayan Palace) $500 fee

gnorth16 · Mar 4, 2014

Vida Vacations is again treating RCI exchangers as second rate, with a new $500 resort fee per room. I was going to book a week for next year, but read the fine print. We like the property, but extra fees for safe, internet, gym, "cover charge" for a restaurant (for that reason I won't go!!!) and restrictions on what pools you can use is simply stupid!!!

From RCI

Resort applies a US$500 Resort Fee per unit, per week. The Resort Fee will be waived for bookings made more than 30 days prior to travel date due to a waiver that is subject to inventory availability, which is determined, in part, as equivalent to the number of weeks deposited to RCI by Mayan Resorts by Vida Vacations members residing in Mexico or other countries respectively.

Please contact your local RCI office to check whether resort fee applies. Resort Fee waiver is valid for Reservations made from Feb/17/14 to Dec/31/14. The Resort Fee Includes: Transportation throughout the Resort, local phone calls, basic Internet, access to Gym, summary of national and international press, a welcome drink, cover charge for Santuario and printing of boarding passes/faxes.

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tschwa2 · Mar 4, 2014

gnorth16 said:
Vida Vacations is again treating RCI exchangers as second rate, with a new $500 resort fee per room. I was going to book a week for next year, but read the fine print. We like the property, but extra fees for safe, internet, gym, "cover charge for a restaurant (for that reason I won't go!!!) and restrictions on what pools you can use is simply stupid!!!

From RCI

Resort applies a US$500 Resort Fee per unit, per week. The Resort Fee will be waived for bookings made more than 30 days prior to travel date due to a waiver that is subject to inventory availability, which is determined, in part, as equivalent to the number of weeks deposited to RCI by Mayan Resorts by Vida Vacations members residing in Mexico or other countries respectively.

Please contact your local RCI office to check whether resort fee applies. Resort Fee waiver is valid for Reservations made from Feb/17/14 to Dec/31/14. The Resort Fee Includes: Transportation throughout the Resort, local phone calls, basic Internet, access to Gym, summary of national and international press, a welcome drink, cover charge for Santuario and printing of boarding passes/faxes.

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I saw this but if you look there are two codes for each resort. One code for each doesn't have the fee. I believe those are the owner deposits (without the fee). The code with the fee is the developer deposits but even they say that in most cases it would be waived, you just need to check with RCI. I think they have a deal that so many developer deposits have no fee per year but once they reach their quota (which is probably fairly high esp. with the 1 in x rule) or last minute inventory gets the surcharge.

gnorth16 · Mar 6, 2014

tschwa2 said:
I saw this but if you look there are two codes for each resort. One code for each doesn't have the fee. I believe those are the owner deposits (without the fee). The code with the fee is the developer deposits but even they say that in most cases it would be waived, you just need to check with RCI. I think they have a deal that so many developer deposits have no fee per year but once they reach their quota (which is probably fairly high esp. with the 1 in x rule) or last minute inventory gets the surcharge.

The second code only has dates in 2014, which has the waiver in place. I would book a week in 2015, but the $500 fee isn't waived yet.

tschwa2 · Mar 6, 2014

I get the impression that they are trying to stick it to exchangers in general not just RCI. RCI has always been willing to go along with the restrictions in order to get the inventory (which Vida controls). SFX now says that they are forced to comply with the 1 in x rules that Vida wants. The pool restriction is enforced for both owners and exchangers. II doesn't have any 2015 inventory so my guess is Vida just hasn't released weeks. On the other hand they have so much inventory and want the warm bodies as potential "owners" visiting the resorts. The 1 in x rules ensures that there will be even more inventory for those who are still eligible to visit.

Your options now would be to pick another resort to visit, see what SFX has, wait to see if the waiver extends to 2015 or if inventory is deposited into the resort code without the fee. You could also call RCI and see if you confirm into the resort now and then 6 months or so out let you retrade without a fee if the waiver is not extended to 2015.

tedpap · Mar 13, 2014

Vidal switching to SFX?

If I'm not mistaken, at our update last week the sales person said that Vidal is switching to SFX next year. I could have misinterpreted that, as they talk pretty fast and without a lot of back up data. Therefore that is maybe why there are no RCI deposits from them. Only a guess.

drguy · Mar 13, 2014

Vida has been affiliated with SFX for years. Grand Luxxe is associated with II and the Heritage Collection. Last year, II had quite a few Grand Mayan units for rent, but not exchange.

ilene13 · Mar 13, 2014

drguy said:
Vida has been affiliated with SFX for years. Grand Luxxe is associated with II and the Heritage Collection. Last year, II had quite a few Grand Mayan units for rent, but not exchange.

They are now included in II.

tedpap · Mar 13, 2014

I guess what I meant to say is I think she said they were pulling out of RCI ,
and are going to affiliate mostly with SFX and II. Not positive, but I'm pretty sure that is what I heard. I hope I am wrong though

rpennisi · Mar 13, 2014

RCI has so many Vida rules (1/4, level trade restrictions, etc) that II does not have. Anyone know why this is the case?

tschwa2 · Mar 13, 2014

RCI views their true clients as the resorts especially the big ones. RCI has offered to enforce 1 in x rule for its clients for quite a while now. According to SFX, Vida is demanding that they along with all exchange companies that receive developer and owner deposits from Vida are now required to enforce the 1 in x rules. I contacted the II rep from TUG and they said they do not have a 1 in x rule. They do have a limit on getaways but I believe it was 2 per rolling 12 months at the same resort. I am sure this could change and I am sure Vida would like it to change. I guess we will have to wait and see if they can put enough pressure on II to make them change. If they do for Vida it would probably be only a matter of time that other developers who are still in active sales will request the same from II.

T_R_Oglodyte · Mar 13, 2014

In the last week there has been a huge amount of Grand Mayan and Mayan Palace inventory placed with TPI, starting in April 2015 and running through then end of 2015. No mention of a mandatory $500 resort fee or any 1-in-5 exchange limitations.

ilene13 · Mar 14, 2014

T_R_Oglodyte said:
In the last week there has been a huge amount of Grand Mayan and Mayan Palace inventory placed with TPI, starting in April 2015 and running through then end of 2015. No mention of a mandatory $500 resort fee or any 1-in-5 exchange limitations.

What is TPI?

T_R_Oglodyte · Mar 14, 2014

ilene13 said:
What is TPI?

Trading Places International, one of the independent exchange companies.

Jwerking · Mar 14, 2014

gnorth16 said:
The second code only has dates in 2014, which has the waiver in place. I would book a week in 2015, but the $500 fee isn't waived yet.

I just placed a week on hold in 2015 at The Grand Mayan Cabos (#7905) - there is no mention of the $500 fee in the mandatory details or additional information on the availability page. As such, am I okay?

gnorth16 · Mar 14, 2014

Jwerking said:
I just placed a week on hold in 2015 at The Grand Mayan Cabos (#7905) - there is no mention of the $500 fee in the mandatory details or additional information on the availability page. As such, am I okay?

So far I have only seen the fee at Nuevo Vallerta and Mayan Riviera properties. Read the fine print very carefully when booking and you should be fine.

curtbrown · Mar 15, 2014

I posted this on another thread earlier this month -

"We are Grand Luxxe owners as well, but because we have some weeks accrued on SFX and we have a 'no-use no-pay' option in our contract, we decided to exchange into the resort for 2 weeks next December rather than pay our MF and use our own weeks.

A week or two ago we got an email that Grand Luxxe has just implemented a $40.00USD/night 'Resort Fee' for our stay. We've only used our own weeks in the past, so we've never run into this. From the tone of the email it sounds like this is something that has just recently been implemented (they even offered us the option to cancel the reservation with no penalties if the charges were unacceptable to us). I just wanted to let others know about the new 'Resort Fee' policy if they are considering trading in to the Grand Luxxe."

I said that we were exchanging, but we are actually using up some SFX vacation certificates we had received when we deposited some weeks from one of our other properties - not sure if that makes a difference. I haven't heard anything about a $500.00/wk fee (our fee works out to $280.00/wk). I was a little pissed when I heard we would have to pay the $40.00/night, but now I'm just glad we didn't get stuck with a $500.00 bill.

Curt

rpennisi · Mar 15, 2014

I have gotten no special charge notice from II for an exchange to a GL unit for this August in Riviera Maya.

BTW, last January at our update at NV, our rep and his supervisor wife were upset that we were able to get GL units from II for NV (2012) and RM (2014).

For trading into GL, II seems to be the way to go, at least for the time being.

ilene13 · Mar 15, 2014

rpennisi said:
I have gotten no special charge notice from II for an exchange to a GL unit for this August in Riviera Maya.

BTW, last January at our update at NV, our rep and his supervisor wife were upset that we were able to get GL units from II for NV (2012) and RM (2014).

For trading into GL, II seems to be the way to go, at least for the time being.

We have had 3 exchanges into the Grand Luxxe through II I the past 18 months. Two to MR and the third to NV.

gnorth16 · Apr 7, 2014

I called RCI today to ask about the $500 fee. The rep put me on hold to clarify with a supervisor and said as long as it was booked 30 days or more ahead, the fee would be waived.

Cheryl17 · Apr 7, 2014

T_R_Oglodyte said:
In the last week there has been a huge amount of Grand Mayan and Mayan Palace inventory placed with TPI, starting in April 2015 and running through then end of 2015. No mention of a mandatory $500 resort fee or any 1-in-5 exchange limitations.

Thanks.

Cheryl

Sandy VDH · Apr 8, 2014

I booked with SFX. There was a special club charge for the Luxxe residences, but there better not be any additional charges.

I certainly was not notified about any additional fees.

RCI:Vida Property Nuevo Vallarta (Grand Mayan, Grand Bliss, Mayan Palace) $500 fee

gnorth16

tschwa2

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

gnorth16

tschwa2

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

tedpap

drguy

Tug Review Crew: Rookie

ilene13

tedpap

rpennisi

tschwa2

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

T_R_Oglodyte

ilene13

T_R_Oglodyte

Jwerking

gnorth16

curtbrown

rpennisi

ilene13

gnorth16

Cheryl17

TUG Review Crew: Rookie

Sandy VDH

TUG Review Crew: Elite