# [2010] Palace Resorts Premier Membership



## bruwery

I'd like to appeal to the Palace Resorts experts here for a bit of informaiton.

I'm considering visiting Aventura Spa Palace next February.  I've looked at many options - RCI Extra Vacations, booking directly through resort, booking through an online "discounter", and renting from an owner.

Renting from an owner appears to be the best deal, but I'm curious: The folks who advertise as "premier" members - does the "premier" include an ocean-view?

Also - anybody who's stayed at Aventura:  I heard from a coworker who stayed there two months ago that the beds are really hard.  That's a very subjective term and means something different to everybody, so I wondered if anybody would like to chime in with their opinion so I could weigh the responses.

I like a reasonably firm bed, but I don't really want to sleep on a board...

Thanks for any input!!


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## got2trvl

*premier does not equal ocean view*

Hi Bru-
So this may be too little too late but I couldn't believe no one replied yet...here goes in case you haven't found your answer elsewhere.

The word "premier" is used somewhat loosely with Palace memberships...and no, this will not guarantee you ocean view. If you decide to book with a member and want to get the absolute most perks/member benefits, stick to someone who has a Founding VIP membership- aka, the "black bracelet" membership. Booking through this membership level should secure you the ocean view room with the concierge level flooring and black bracelet only benefits....some of these vary by property. However, the member you book through must take the time and effort to stay on top of Palace to ensure you get this all. When I first booked through a member promises were made but not kept and once I was at the resort...well, the member was back home so the question became, how much of my vacation time did I want to spend at the front desk instead of the beach or the pool?
As to hard beds at Aventura, my husband and I have _not_ found this to be the case any of the times we've stayed. We travel for work and fun more than the average person and we've had our share of occasional "board" beds believe me!
Any other info you're needing let me know and I'll answer if I know and admit it if I don't!


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## anair

Hi there, I am a founding VIP member, ie the Black bracelet with a gold line, this means we own two Presidiential suites and two jacuzzi suites but I can tell you right now that if you are getting a regular jacuzzi suite, you will not get a sea view because they place the Presidential suites on this side.  The best place to be if you want a sea view is the Cancun Palace and the Beach Palace because both of these, all rooms face the ocean.


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## X-ring

anair said:


> The best place to be if you want a sea view is the Cancun Palace and the Beach Palace because both of these, all rooms face the ocean.



Beach Palace info from www.PalaceResorts.com

Number of Rooms 	287
	Superior Deluxe 	155
	Superior Deluxe OV 	54
	Concierge Level 	30
	Presidential Suites (2 bdrm) 	24
	Double Jacuzzi 	All
	Balcony 	All
	Ocean view 	45%
	Lagoon view 	55%
	Garden view 	Some
	Physically challenged rooms 	2


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## kasteer

anair said:


> Hi there, I am a founding VIP member, ie the Black bracelet with a gold line, this means we own two Presidiential suites and two jacuzzi suites but I can tell you right now that if you are getting a regular jacuzzi suite, you will not get a sea view because they place the Presidential suites on this side.  The best place to be if you want a sea view is the Cancun Palace and the Beach Palace because both of these, all rooms face the ocean.



And the Sun Palace!


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## Carol C

Cozumel Palace will give you seaviews in all units. You will literally be steps away from/above the sea there. You can't get better views. And if you really want to visit and dine at a mega-resort like Aventura Spa Palace, you can use your "bracelet" to "play" at all the area Palace Resorts. Me, I like staying at Cozumel Palace and taking ferry over to Playacar Palace...have lunch there and stroll 5th Ave...or spend day on the PDC beaches (or visit Tulum), then have dinner at Playacar Palace then back to Cozumel.


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## John Cummings

bruwery said:


> Also - anybody who's stayed at Aventura:  I heard from a coworker who stayed there two months ago that the beds are really hard.  That's a very subjective term and means something different to everybody, so I wondered if anybody would like to chime in with their opinion so I could weigh the responses.
> 
> I like a reasonably firm bed, but I don't really want to sleep on a board...
> 
> Thanks for any input!!



I can't answer for that particular resort but it wouldn't surprise me as rock hard beds are very common in Mexico.


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## jplehtola

*Beds at Palace Resorts*

Originally Posted by bruwery View Post
Also - anybody who's stayed at Aventura: I heard from a coworker who stayed there two months ago that the beds are really hard. That's a very subjective term and means something different to everybody, so I wondered if anybody would like to chime in with their opinion so I could weigh the responses.

I like a reasonably firm bed, but I don't really want to sleep on a board...

Thanks for any input!!

I have stayed several times at Palace Resorts, and their beds have been great. Palace Resorts is a top notch resort.


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## jplehtola

bruwery said:


> I'd like to appeal to the Palace Resorts experts here for a bit of information.
> 
> I'm considering visiting Aventura Spa Palace next February.  I've looked at many options - RCI Extra Vacations, booking directly through resort, booking through an online "discounter", and renting from an owner.
> 
> Renting from an owner appears to be the best deal, but I'm curious: The folks who advertise as "premier" members - does the "premier" include an ocean-view?
> 
> 
> Thanks for any input!!



I am a premier level member with a black wristband. Premier members and their guests will get the best room available at check-in time. If a person wants to upgrade to a concierge level (couples only), for two hundred dollars extra for the week, they will get an upgraded ocean view room.

Rooms at Playacar Palace are all ocean view. We just stayed there in November 2010. I can try to answer other questions as well about Palace Resorts: john_lehtola@yahoo.com


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## travelplanner70

Sorry, double post.


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## gymjudge

I am also a founding VIP black band member.  Members are guaranteed ocean view rooms or best available and if you pay the $200 you are upgraded to concierge not just an ocean view.  The concierge at Aventura are oceanview and in the direct center of the resort making it very convenient to access both sides with less walking.  
I am renting out my 210+ weeks, please contact me for pricing and all the extras that a black band will get you at 12 Palace resorts in Mexico and Punta Cana.


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## patty5ia

Do any of you deposit your weeks in RCI?  How many TVP do you get?


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## gymjudge

We got 20 points when we deposited one of our RCI weeks.  These were free weeks in RCI that we got with our membership and Palace paid one year of maintenance for us when we upgraded to RCI plus.  Still trying to learn what all that means.  We will be trying for a vacation trade in 2012.


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## tiel

*just wondering*

Do you know where I can find what the different membership types and the associated benefits of Palace Resort memberships are?  I noticed on the PR owner website there are a number of membership types listed, but I can't find what the benefits associated with each type of membership are.

Is this something PR doesn't want generally available?  I have searched a bit, and have found nothing which defines the various memberships.   

BTW, we have a Premiere membership purchased via friends, but frankly, I don't understand what we've got...other than we have access to AI weeks at X price, depending on resort and season.  I find most of the information we were provided hard to understand and generally unclear.  Guess I shouldn't be surprised.


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## gymjudge

There are various types of memberships.  The main difference is whether or not you have access to the Presidential suites.  These are the VIP memberships who receive black bands.  With your membership you should have received a large folder with many pages of your contract.  Each thing you have is on a separate page.  It's time consuming to read, but pretty clear.  Imperial weeks are free weeks with no AI fee charged.  Gold Weeks are discounted weeks.  Members are entitled to free airport transfers, free manicure, pedicure, massage per person per room, discounted AI fees, and the best room guaranteed at the time.  You also as the owner get the concierge upgrade for free.  Let me know if you have any other questions.


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## tiel

gymjudge said:


> There are various types of memberships.  The main difference is whether or not you have access to the Presidential suites.  These are the VIP memberships who receive black bands.  With your membership you should have received a large folder with many pages of your contract.  Each thing you have is on a separate page.  It's time consuming to read, but pretty clear.  Imperial weeks are free weeks with no AI fee charged.  Gold Weeks are discounted weeks.  Members are entitled to free airport transfers, free manicure, pedicure, massage per person per room, discounted AI fees, and the best room guaranteed at the time.  You also as the owner get the concierge upgrade for free.  Let me know if you have any other questions.



Thanks so much, gymjudge!  Your comments have cleared up a few things for me, including what an Imperial week was.  Don't remember hearing about a Gold week before, but maybe I just missed that terminology...we do have 2 discounted weeks in our account.

We do NOT have access to the Presidential suites, though we have stayed in them with our friends...very nice indeed.  

Could you provide a little more info about what is meant by "best room" (does that mean best view, largest, ???), and "concierge upgrade" (what does that get you)?

We may be going to a resort this Dec, and would to know what we are entitled to before we get there.  For our other timeshares, it took using them to get educated, so I'm sure that will happen with Palace Resorts.  But it's nice to have help along the way!


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## gymjudge

As a member, you get upgraded to the concierge level at no additional charge.  It is not a difference in the room itself, but in the services you are provided.  All members get the best available room, ocean view, guaranteed.  We have had four stays with our membership now, once in a  presidential and all four were wonderful.  Each time we did learn a little more about what we are entitled to (last trip we found out that our Imperial weeks come with 2 free rounds of golf!).  We also bought off a friend and then went to a member upgrade (basically the time share pitch) just to learn what we had and what it all meant.


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## Richard B

My wife and I have been VIP "Black Band" for four years and have never had a problems getting the rooms we request.  The Presidential Suites are great and nothing is left to ask for.  We leave againg March 1-8th and already we have scheduled our spa, golf etc,  Can't wait, we also sell some of our weeks at a discount since I purchased over 200 discounted weeks and I will never use all of them, "I got caught up in the moment". 
 Where ever you go what ever you do, enjoy!


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## travelplanner70

I did not know premier members (not Presidential) get a free upgrade to Concierge level.  I thought I had to use some of the $1500 resort credit for that.  Can someone confirm?

Thanks.

Also, of all the Palace resorts (we just returned from a wonderful stay in Beach Palace) which would you recommend for the most luxurious?  

Thanks again.


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## WeLovetoTravel

We are Premier members. We have to pay for the upgrade to Concierge. It was all in the fine print of the paperwork. We can pay when we reserve, or use part of our $1500. I think the most luxurious resort is LeBlanc. Haven't stayed their yet. The nicest that we've stayed in so far is the Moon Grand section at Moon Palace, but my personal favorite place (so far) is Adventura because of the Spa, and the fact that it's adults only.
-Deb


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## tiel

We are going to the Moon Grand in April, using an "Incentive Gold Week Certificate".  We do not get the mani/pedi treatments with this week, and our resort credit is only $750...so there are definite limitations associated with these certificates.  Of course, we are also paying less than the normal preferential rates.

But, can we upgrade to the Concierge level with this certificate?  If so, how/when should we do that, and how much will it cost?  We'd love to have the better view...  Also, are there other "upgrades" we would be eligible to purchase based on our membership?

This will be our first time staying at a Palace Resort since becoming members through some friends a couple of years ago, and we feel we have SOOOO much to learn about what we are entitled to, and how we can maximize our membership.

ANY advice/guidance will be appreciated!!!


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## WeLovetoTravel

Tiel-
I assume you can use part of your $750 credit to upgrade. Check your paperwork and there should be a page in that big stack of papers that explains it. Our paperwork clearly states $200 to upgrade. We have called Palace Member Services. (800-346-8225) I have found that the guest services reps are very helpful, and they answered all of my "newbie" questions very patiently.
-also,the last time we were at Moon ( in August), we went on the pay for 4nights get 3 free promo. That week only included $750 Premeir dollars. We went to the presentation, kept our eye on the clock,refused to buy any more weeks, and walked out with the "gift" of an additional 600 Palace dollars which we used on golf & spa. I don't know how you feel about going to their presentation, but I thought it was worth 90 minutes of our time. They did try to pressure a sale, but we were firm with our "no".
-Deb


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## tiel

WeLovetoTravel said:


> Tiel-
> I assume you can use part of your $750 credit to upgrade. Check your paperwork and there should be a page in that big stack of papers that explains it. Our paperwork clearly states $200 to upgrade. We have called Palace Member Services. (800-346-8225) I have found that the guest services reps are very helpful, and they answered all of my "newbie" questions very patiently.
> -also,the last time we were at Moon ( in August), we went on the pay for 4nights get 3 free promo. That week only included $750 Premeir dollars. We went to the presentation, kept our eye on the clock,refused to buy any more weeks, and walked out with the "gift" of an additional 600 Palace dollars which we used on golf & spa. I don't know how you feel about going to their presentation, but I thought it was worth 90 minutes of our time. They did try to pressure a sale, but we were firm with our "no".
> -Deb



Thank you for this info!   We will give Member Services a call tomorrow to see if we can upgrade.  We may very well go to a presentation...we would have no difficulty saying no because we have more weeks than we can EVER use, but we could make good use of the extra money!  But, we shall see.  Anyway, we are looking forward to the trip and some consistently warm weather - there's been no early Spring here in central PA.


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## gymjudge

Good luck, hope you got through the presentation.  We have been to two 'updates' and we have spent more each time.   
We obviously have trouble saying no.....but we are trying to use our membership as well as we can.  We now can earn 2 free weeks each year through referrals.
Sorry if my post was confusing before.  I did know that VIP members get the free upgrade to concierge, but especially at Aventura I loved that perk.


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## tusowner

*Moon Palace*

We did a regular trade through RCI for Moon Palace.  We are not Premium members.  We did ask to upgrade to the Concierge level and offered to pay whatever it cost.  We were told there was no availability.  The resort did not apper to be busy at all.  We were given a ground floor room in the newer Grand section with no view.  We asked to be moved to an ocean view room.  They did agree to move us to the Nizuc I think it is called.  It is older but did have a decent view of the ocean.  I think it was less than $100 to switch rooms, but they let us take that out of the $1500 resort credit.  We attended a sales presentation in order to get two more rounds of golf.  It was not too bad or too high pressure.  We did not buy.  This was just last month.  Good luck.  BTW, we got sick from the food.  It was awful.  I understand the room service menu is better for Premium black band members, but I'm not sure.  I completed a review.


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