Karisma Resort Experience Anyone?

I am still just trying to figure out TUG site, which I love to scan/read. Very, very helpful information. Thanks to all who post such!

I am just back from Azul Fives in Playa Del Carmen, had no intention of even listening to a presentation but did what I know is generally not a good idea..went to one and bought a package. I have decided to go through them to dispose of the two times shares that I currently have with annual maintenance fees of about $1,700.

Azul Fives was terrific btw. Impeccable service, clean, modern, expanding and great food and drinks. I definitely noticed the higher quality food and drinks and general experience compared to my one previous all-inclusive trip at a non-gourmet resort.

Has anyone had experience with buying a Prestige membership from Karisma? I would appreciate comments. I bought a Saphire membership for $20,000 plus closing costs, I get 175 weeks (1,225 nights) to use in my lifetime, can give them away, can pass down to beneficiaries, no maintenance fees, 2 year paid membership in II and also two other exchange programs, check in any day of the week at Karisma's many resorts, stay any number of nights there. An incentive offered was $1,000 for my wife and I each per year for 10 years for airfare reimbursement if we fly in to Cancun. Free ground transportation from the Cancun airport. It seems to be such an outstanding manner of ownership with incredible flexibility it seems "too good to be true." By selling my current two timeshares and avoiding the maintenance fees in the future, in 11-12 years I will have essentially recouped what I paid for this Karisma Prestige membership and never have maintenance fees with which I must otherwise contend yet will have more days than I can use in my lifetime with the possiblity of passing on unused days/weeks to our kids. It seems to be so much better of a program than most true time share ownership arrangements.

I would appreciate the savvy and sage advice of those of you who know about the Karisma Prestige membership program or otherwise have comments on my purchase. Thanks in advance!

"By selling my current two timeshares...".....are they promising to sell your timeshares for you? Not gonna happen. The "buyers who are waiting" will change their minds and you'll have your new purchase PLUS the MFs on the current timeshares. That's the first problem I see...I'm sure others will chime in with more.

Mexican timeshares have been taking timeshares as a "trade in" for years. They may have been 95% successful in the past. They bundle the trade ins and sell/give them to another company that makes an attempt to sell them or give them away. If they are unsuccessful they deed the unit to a viking ship corp that then goes out of business. HOA's have become aware of this practice and more and more are refusing to acknowledge the transfer. Depending on the resorts you own the 95% success rate is probably down to 50%. If you own at a timeshare that you can not give away or give away with a little incentive like one year of paid MF with free usage than a disposal/trade in company will have the same problem.

So it may take 6 months or more before you find out that you still own those other 2 timeshares.

The other potential pitfall with AI resorts is the AI fee. If you are comfortable with the price and don't think you can do better than maybe it will work for you. If you bought with the idea of having great trading power in II to exchange elsewhere or that you can make money renting your time out you probably can't because the supply of AI resorts available to rent and exchange into far exceeds the demand.

Karisma did not promise to sell my other time shares. That may or may not happen...I would prefer to sell them and thought I might as well have Karisma (through another company) try. I perceive the Karisma membership offers much more flexibility than specific-weeks-purchased timeshares. Worst case scenario, I have a whole lot more time I might need to travel to take advantage of my purchases Thanks for the comments!

If you (or your immediate family members) plan on spending at least 20 weeks at fairly high end AI's (the kind that cost $2000-$5000 or more per week for 2) in the next 20 years then it probably will save you money in the long run.

If you think it is going to give you more flexibility and savings traveling to other non AI resorts I don't think it will work out that way.


I suggest you read and re-read your contract so you know exactly what you bought. Any oral promises that aren't in the contract won't be honored.

MizzouBJ72 said:

it seems "too good to be true."

Click to expand...

Our experience here is that when the above is the case, it simply isn't true.

When I read your post, I hear the words of a salesweasel. Please, Please, Please, read, know, and understand that what the true conditions are is spelled out in the contract. The sales staff can- and do lie. They will tell you absolutely ANYTHING to get you to sign that contract.

Mexican timeshares regularly rent for far less than MFs. I'd suggest you give away your current TSs in the TUG Bargain Deals to a good home, then rent wherever in Mexico you want to take your family. Pocket the $20K for future vacays, not just 1227 nights.

Jim

Never stayed there but we are checking in Wednesday. Based on our experiences pre check in, stay away. Read this post:

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215352

MizzouBJ72 said:

Karisma did not promise to sell my other time shares. That may or may not happen...I would prefer to sell them and thought I might as well have Karisma (through another company) try. I perceive the Karisma membership offers much more flexibility than specific-weeks-purchased timeshares. Worst case scenario, I have a whole lot more time I might need to travel to take advantage of my purchases Thanks for the comments!

Click to expand...

There is no incentive for them to try, so I doubt that they will. Check eBay for completed sales, if any, to see whether you might be able to get anything out of them. Some...a few...sell for real money. Most do not.

Who reimburses the $1000 airfare into Cancun?

I read the thread on trip advisor (or at least about the most recent 10 pages). They do have a plan that reimburses the airfare. It may be included at first and then it cost $2000 to renew it every 10 years. My guess is they just add in the cost to the AI. These resorts typically charge $2000-$6000 for 2 for the week in AI fees and that is the member pricing. The non member pricing is sometimes over $10,000 for a week for their fanciest units.

So if you are the type who goes to AI's annually and spends $4000 or more for the week, memberships might work out and lead to some savings.

Many thanks for the helpful advice that many of you provided in this string and in others. I've experienced many high pressure timeshare sales pitches before. Actually, this one with Prestige Travel by Azul Fives owned by Karisma in Playa Del Carmen Dec. 19 was by far the most laid back and professional I had ever experienced. Anyway, for what I want, I think I got a good deal. 175 weeks (1,225 days), check in any day, stay any number of days, $17,295. Also have 10 years of Yacht rental services, see Yachtsee.com. My wife and I each get $1,000 if we fly in to Cancun airport for the next 10 years (once a year max), but do have to pay $1998 each for this. Since we fully expect to take one or more Mexico trips in each of the next 10 years, we will come out quite abit ahead with that. Offered by FlyBack, www.flyback.mx. NO maintenance fees, ever. We can use the weeks/days by giving to friends/family without limit. They never expire based on a date, just when they are gone, they are gone. I don't see us ever actually using 1,225 days--not even over 15-20 years which is as long as we will be traveling. They also pay our membership in II for two years and we have additional free memberships in SFX and DAE for exchanges (for their standard fees). So our kids should have a good deal in store too. All in all, this seems to be a great deal for us and we dealt with really nice people. And we loved our just-concluded 7-day stay at their property Azul Fives that ended last week. So I think I have a case of getting more than I expected and from really nice people. This is NOT what I am accustomed to thinking/writing about timeshare sales people and timeshare "deals." Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Headed out with family to Christmas even dinner!

While we were addressing a problem at the front desk yesterday, we were next to a man from Germany who had a problem. Last spring, he paid for a suite at Azul Fives with a Christmas Eve check in. He arrives at the Fives with his family (and confirmation) after a 12 hour flight only to find out that the resort is over booked and he doesn't have a room. The manager tells him that there is room at the Azul Sensatori, and the room is fantastic; he'll love it. When he arrives, he is put in their standard 1 BR unit (like we exchanged into). He was much more calm that I would have been and while I don't know how the problem was resolved, I do know the resort was full.

Geez, it made our experience with Karisma pale in comparison......

How has your trip been thus far?

MizzouBJ72 said:

Many thanks for the helpful advice that many of you provided in this string and in others. I've experienced many high pressure timeshare sales pitches before. Actually, this one with Prestige Travel by Azul Fives owned by Karisma in Playa Del Carmen Dec. 19 was by far the most laid back and professional I had ever experienced. Anyway, for what I want, I think I got a good deal. 175 weeks (1,225 days), check in any day, stay any number of days, $17,295. Also have 10 years of Yacht rental services, see Yachtsee.com. My wife and I each get $1,000 if we fly in to Cancun airport for the next 10 years (once a year max), but do have to pay $1998 each for this. Since we fully expect to take one or more Mexico trips in each of the next 10 years, we will come out quite abit ahead with that. Offered by FlyBack, www.flyback.mx. NO maintenance fees, ever. We can use the weeks/days by giving to friends/family without limit. They never expire based on a date, just when they are gone, they are gone. I don't see us ever actually using 1,225 days--not even over 15-20 years which is as long as we will be traveling. They also pay our membership in II for two years and we have additional free memberships in SFX and DAE for exchanges (for their standard fees). So our kids should have a good deal in store too. All in all, this seems to be a great deal for us and we dealt with really nice people. And we loved our just-concluded 7-day stay at their property Azul Fives that ended last week. So I think I have a case of getting more than I expected and from really nice people. This is NOT what I am accustomed to thinking/writing about timeshare sales people and timeshare "deals." Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Headed out with family to Christmas even dinner!

Click to expand...

Hope you have a wonderful stay. The link refers to $500 per person once a year not $1000 so hopefully your contract is clear on the amount. It also looks like if you fly in or out for any days before or after your stay the reimbursement may not occur. The program has only been around since 2012 so if for some reason they go out. of business I think it will just stop. I am not sure how much confidence I would have on the program lasting even the 10 years for your initial contract. You also have to wait until at least one year from the date the vouchers are listed as paid for and than once a year max from that point on. Be careful when you get your paperwork so you know your dates. From other reports on trip advisor, once you sign up they aren't particularly helpful with answering questions and giving explanations about the program.

Just for future reference stop by after staying at the resort next year and report on that first trip making reservations as a member and the AI fee you paid as a member vs the fee that would have been paid as a non member and how the fly back flight reimbursement program worked for you.

OK. Had to fight with them to get the room we were supposed to get based on the II confirmation. I'll post the details in my review when we get back, but my overall impression of the company is not good. Basically, we exchanged into a 1 BR unit with a king size bed that sleeps 2 privately. That room apparently (or so we were told) doesn't exist on the property. They blamed all the problems we had on II. While II isn't the best company in the world, the information they have comes from the resort. Also, I believe there are separate companies for everything; one that owns the building, one that manages the property and either one that handles the exchanges in and one that handles the sales (the last two may be one). While different owner/operator companies are common, the issue is that the management is blaming everything on someone else. I think that if you just pay to stay here, you may have less problems (if they have your reservation).

Bottom line, we had to do too much work once we arrived to leave us with a positive feeling about the resort or the company/ies. Absolutely will not be back to this resort, nor any other Karisma/Azul/Prestige resort. The resort is nice, but not worth all the aggravation.

Review posted in the Marketplace. If you plan on exchanging in, don't. If you pay to stay, it's not a bad place.