# Raintree Vacation Club Screws Owners on Westin Access



## Poopdeck90210 (Apr 15, 2021)

Received Today (4/15/2021):  Dear Member,


The Club Reginas in Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Los Cabos have enjoyed a reciprocal arrangement with the Westin Hotels for years whereby our guests and their guests have access to the various facilities at each property. This reciprocal arrangement, however, required Raintree to pay an Access Fee to the Westin properties while allowing Westin guests access to our various facilities at no cost. The amount of the Access Fee prior to attempting to renegotiate the fee was projected to be $472,404 in 2021. There was not a clear history of how the charges for such access came about, but we believe that this Westin Access Fee was based on the number of keys (individual lodging accommodations) at our resorts and not on the number of Members using the Westin facilities. Raintree has attempted, without success, to negotiate a more reasonable Access Fee for the use of the Westin facilities based on the number of Members that we believe use those facilities. The final proposal presented by the management company for the three Westin resorts would have had Raintree paying approximately thirty percent (30%) of the actual costs of their gym, pool, and spa areas or more than $300,000 per year. Our view is that this fee proposal is not reasonable when considering the actual Raintree Member usage of the Westin facilities. As a result, Raintree will terminate this agreement effective June 1, 2021.


We believe that the $300,000 per year Access Fee can be spent better by providing additional amenities at the three Club Reginas. We are excited to announce that plans are already underway to construct new onsite fitness centers at each of the three Club Reginas. Our goal at the three Club Reginas is to provide the same or similar fitness equipment options you have had at the Westin. We are also studying possibilities to expand our onsite spa services and establishing collaborative relationships with local tennis facilities. We will keep you updated regarding the progress as we move forward. We trust that you will find having a fitness center onsite and using the funding previously paid to Westin will be a better long-term benefit to RVC Members.


Upon termination of the amenities agreement on June 1st, the Westin Resorts properties and the Club Reginas will operate separately except for matters of mutual concern. To that end, the Westin Resorts will take steps, as of that date, to limit access by RVC Members. This could involve constructing barriers as well as the Westin staff monitoring entry ways which will eliminate access to the amenities that were previously provided for under the Access Fee arrangement. We experienced this some years ago at Club Regina Puerto Vallarta with the pool areas. We hope to maintain a hospitable and a good relationship with our Westin neighbors and continue to cooperate in matters of mutual concern. In the meantime, we will continue to work to enhance your experience at the three Club Reginas. Thank you for being Members of Raintree Vacation Club.


Sincerely,


Raintree Vacation Club


My Response to Member Services:  Dear Raintree Vacation Club,


This is terrible news.  I think it's awful that your company is so inept at negotiating with the Westin.  Even worse is the level of transparency you are providing to us members about your "plans" to build your own healthclub facilities.  At this juncture, I think RVC could go a long way to rebuilding trust among members by taking the original figure of $472,404 (NOT the $300,000 you negotiated that down to with Westin) and divided that amount up among all active RVC members in some fair and equitable manner and show it as a LINE ITEM CREDIT on our Maintenance Fee bills every* year going forward.  If you still want to proceed with your plans to build your own healtclub/spa facilities - you need A LOT MORE input from the RVC members and A LOT MORE visibility about what you are going to be doing (Who, What, Where, When, How, Why, etc).


Thanks!


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## kagnew64 (Apr 17, 2021)

Not so fast. We have been Club Regina ( CR) members for 25 years and have never used the Westin facilities other than the restaurants. Very few CR owners use the Westin facilities because of the usage fees. Club Regina Puerto Vallarta was jumping this past month when we visited and the Westin was DEAD quiet. We CR owners are not going to subsidize the Westin any longer. Their poor management and business decisions are their problem.


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## T-Dot-Traveller (Apr 17, 2021)

Poopdeck90210 said:


> Received Today (4/15/2021):  Dear Member,
> 
> 
> The Club Reginas in Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Los Cabos have enjoyed a reciprocal arrangement with the Westin Hotels for years whereby our guests and their guests have access to the various facilities at each property. This reciprocal arrangement, however, required Raintree to pay an Access Fee to the Westin properties while allowing Westin guests access to our various facilities at no cost. The amount of the Access Fee prior to attempting to renegotiate the fee was projected to be $472,404 in 2021. There was not a clear history of how the charges for such access came about, but we believe that this Westin Access Fee was based on the number of keys (individual lodging accommodations) at our resorts and not on the number of Members using the Westin facilities. Raintree has attempted, without success, to negotiate a more reasonable Access Fee for the use of the Westin facilities based on the number of Members that we believe use those facilities. The final proposal presented by the management company for the three Westin resorts would have had Raintree paying approximately thirty percent (30%) of the actual costs of their gym, pool, and spa areas or more than $300,000 per year. Our view is that this fee proposal is not reasonable when considering the actual Raintree Member usage of the Westin facilities. As a result, Raintree will terminate this agreement effective June 1, 2021.
> ...



We have stayed  on exchange at Club Regina Cancun and visited Club Regina Puerto Vallarta ( walked over from next door - Mayan Palace) Both are very nice facilities.

IMO - $ 472,000 or even $300,000 is a lot of money for what you received as Raintree members.
$472 K is approx the entire MF of 262 members. Did 262 members pay the daily use fee that Westin charges
in the last 12 months?

I believe Raintree is making the right decision to upgrade the onsite facilities to allow members and exchangers
to have access to gym and spa options without the added use fee to the Westin Hotel.


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## daverunfast (May 2, 2021)

I agree with the case for transparency. IMO raintree had been and continues to be deceptive.The club regina resorts are nice, and I'm happy to see them building their own spa services but I see raintree as a business trying to get out of timeshares.

They're offering a give back program and I think they'd like to see all the contracts come back.. I'm writing this from the club regina cancun where I'm in a 1br facing the parking lot, it's half the size of the oceanfront rooms I've stayed in in the past.  Where's the oceanfront room I booked? Corporate rented for the weekend, they're helping me out by letting me switch monday. Who's corporate? No answer.

I get the feeling they're hoping to get all their contracts back or at least the good ones.


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## DonnaD (Jul 10, 2021)

I am at Club Regina in Cancun this week. Today the manager showed me the rooms that face the lagoon side on the first floor where the fitness center will be and it is under construction.  It is good use of a spot not desirable for the view, but fine for an exercise room.  You can buy and maintain a lot of equipment for the fees that were being charged for Westin fitness center.  I also talked to him about some small changes that I would recommend.  He was very reseptive. 
I do not like to be critical or agressive.  I prefer to show appreciation for the things that are going well and then offering a helpful recommendation.


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## Blondie (Aug 12, 2021)

In PV MANY cruise ship passengers take a day ashore at the Westin. Hopefully, this will keep them there and away from the timeshare area.


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## Gman68 (Sep 3, 2021)

Poopdeck90210 said:


> Received Today (4/15/2021):  Dear Member,
> 
> 
> The Club Reginas in Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Los Cabos have enjoyed a reciprocal arrangement with the Westin Hotels for years whereby our guests and their guests have access to the various facilities at each property. This reciprocal arrangement, however, required Raintree to pay an Access Fee to the Westin properties while allowing Westin guests access to our various facilities at no cost. The amount of the Access Fee prior to attempting to renegotiate the fee was projected to be $472,404 in 2021. There was not a clear history of how the charges for such access came about, but we believe that this Westin Access Fee was based on the number of keys (individual lodging accommodations) at our resorts and not on the number of Members using the Westin facilities. Raintree has attempted, without success, to negotiate a more reasonable Access Fee for the use of the Westin facilities based on the number of Members that we believe use those facilities. The final proposal presented by the management company for the three Westin resorts would have had Raintree paying approximately thirty percent (30%) of the actual costs of their gym, pool, and spa areas or more than $300,000 per year. Our view is that this fee proposal is not reasonable when considering the actual Raintree Member usage of the Westin facilities. As a result, Raintree will terminate this agreement effective June 1, 2021.
> ...


I totally agree. Whether it’s $300,000 or $472,526.17, you would never be able to create facility access and quality with staff needed to run facilities that you can just rent from the Westin. Whatever management thinks that they can do with $300,000 as it relates to creating a gym, spa, additional restaurants, more pools and all the staff along with it need to take a freshman accounting course.


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## jpgoerner (Oct 25, 2021)

This is our first trip to Club Regina and we are just learning about the divorce/separation with the Westin.  I will say that the Fitness Center in Club Regina is first class!  Larger than almost any I have seen in most resorts and staffed from 7A to 3P.  Those also are the operating hours as of today.


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