# Grand Luxxe Nuevo I am in you



## hellolani (Aug 31, 2017)

Anyone around for the next week that I can buy a drink for?  We went to the new resto Quinto at the top of tower 5 and had dinner during the storm - amazing.  Is that pool a restricted access pool?  I'm still not totally clear - I know the sky pool in the residences is restricted.  I also saw there is a presentation centre in tower 5, anyone know who gets to go to those ones?  I'm scheduled for a presentation on Saturday, but it's low season so I expect a noob that I won't be able to extract much quality information from.

Will report back after!


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## hellolani (Aug 31, 2017)

Okay well, with no answers I went to get my own.  The 9th floor of Tower 5 has a presentation area but it is not full suites, it seems to be a survey of interior furnishings only.  I managed 2 hours with 2 toddlers in the Quinto pool before they caught us and kicked us out.  It was dead there, off season.  They identify you by your bracelet.  The owners in tower 5  and the residences are allowed in the skypool but not the other GL tower residents.  You need either an all black bracelet or a bracelet with a yellow coloured face.  I'm going to try to get the full pipeline / tiering info on GL at the presentation.  I'll report back after.

PS: I'm in the 3 BR presidential  on 2nd floor of Punta, same suite as last year, for 2 weeks.  I'm already booked for 2018 and 2019, each in 2weeks back to back in 3br.  I asked about doing the presentation if they upgraded me to the loft layout, but was told again it couldn't be done.  So now I am quite convinced that the trader you use designated which suites you can get.  I'm betting my Williamsburg Plantation taps out at Punta.  However, I would be interested to know if I do better at MR compound as I could see the 4BRs there and those are Residences only.  Anyone else have comments on what you used to get into a 2-3 BR loft?


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## pittle (Aug 31, 2017)

Most folks cannot get a 3 bedroom Punta.  Count your blessings!


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## hellolani (Sep 2, 2017)

Ok guys, presentation report.  I got Spencer - he normally only does the member upgrade presentations but it was dead and he was switched over to us in a "marketing week".   He said he's an introvert and he'll give it to us straight and not waste our time.  I agree that he has a good touch and once he realized how conversant I was in the system and in timeshares in general he really did cut to the chase.  With 4 kids and 4 adults breakfast was a series of broken conversations, but I gave him a choice.  I am the decision maker in my household and you can keep my kids here with my husband and have them destroy your presentation floor and annoy all your other guests, or you can release the spouses and kids and just hold 2 of the parents hostage for the duration.  I promised I was actually interested in chatting and I was.  It was much easier without the kids and we got out by 3pm with a 10 AM breakfast start.  I actually enjoyed having Spencer as he's been around since 2002 so clearly had some legs in the organization and was not easy to fluster like our last girl.  

We agreed to do the presentation for a waiver of my 2x $75 fees and cab back to airport for 8.  They tossed in the Vida privilege card with allows you to get reduced greens fees and 50% off swedish massage, and a few free drinks with full priced meals.  Oh and 10% off food and bev that's full price charged to the rooms.

Tower 5 has some preconstruction lofts left and I remember Seema getting a deal he was satisfied with buying straight into the GL level.  MFs per use week are $1350 USD, and you can use up to 5 weeks in your loft for the first 10 years, 4 in the next 90, but every 10 years there is an upkeep fee of 2x your MFs ($2700) which is a standalone additional fee.  It looks like if you make a request to upgrade you can sometimes get a larger suite than the one you own as long as you don't go Jan to March and you pay the proportionally higher MFs.  I know some of you have free massages and golf per stay in your contract but as of right now it seem like they are only offering that at 50% off.  

We did go through the theatre of assessing my current ownerships for trade value but when it was clear that I had a price reference from a previous negotiation, the sales manager kindly put aside the pretense and we started in at $68,900 for the studio loft and $110,000 for the 1br penthouse loft.  I sent in a $25K offer for the studio loft and a counter offer of $38K came back.  We settled in between that but I told them that I would not be signing anything until the next day and sleeping on it and making sure I had all my questions lined up to be answered.  They said they never do that but I think they saw my clarity and assertiveness and said they would hold my ID if I made an appointment for the next morning.  So I'm in at 9:30 AM tomorrow to say no thanks or bring in more negotiations. I plan to ask for it in writing that I can get the GL black wristband at the highest access level no matter how I come on resort - ie through a getaway week to GM or whatever.  Also I want to test the transfer fee of 10x MFs for resale.  Since they argue that buying into Vidanta is an investment that you can get your money out of, I will go back in on that language to insist that I be able to do so by the open market on my own terms if desired.

What else should I ensure is included in my contract?  I appreciate any input from current owners.


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## T-Dot-Traveller (Sep 2, 2017)

Hi Hellolani ,
Some of your " addendums" may have to be negotiated with Member Sevices
so make your best deal with Spencer
read the contract then rescind & negotiate .

See Mikenk many posts on this concept .
" for 5 days you have control"  - since you can rescind again - if still not to your satisfaction .


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## mikenk (Sep 2, 2017)

Hellolani,

Here are some comments from my perspective:

Here is what I understand you are being offered:
- The one bedroom penthouse loft in Building 5. (Question how does the penthouse loft differ from the other bedroom lofts in Building 5?)
- I assume you will have the addendum that you only pay if you go, correct?
- It seems like they are offering golf at 50%.
- You can use the unit 5 times per year for the first 10 years and 4 times per year after.
- I didn't see any other additions. Did I miss anything?

Here is what comes to mind for you to ask them and one to ask yourself before you decide.
- For them, what is the internal trade equivalents for that unit; it will be in the contract. e.g. Can you exchange your 1-bedroom for a 2 bedroom Luxxe or a 2 bedroom Grand Bliss. IMO, You want more flexibility than the 1 bedroom loft floorplan.
- For you to think about, assuming you will only pay if you go, then what you are really buying are prepaid vacations. Are you going to use it enough to justify the cost? What are you really gaining on each trip rather than just trading in? and what are all the things you need from them to make it work for you? Then demand those things or walk.

Assuming you move ahead, then the fun starts. Sales will turn you over to someone from Member Services who will do all the paperwork. At this point, you will get the contract. Remember you are now in control for 5 days and remember what is in the contract is what you own regardless what Spencer might have told you. You have to read every word and understand it; if you don't, go back to Member Services to understand (not Spencer). Trust me, you will have some surprises. Decide what you want changed in the contract to justify the cost and then demand it or rescind with Member Services; at that point and the next 4 days, you are in control of the negotiation; after that, they are in charge.

Good Luck,
Mike


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## hellolani (Sep 2, 2017)

Thanks mikenk for chiming in. The penthouse lofts are a true lofted 1 br on the top level with the full kitchen, and as they require a double height floor they are much fewer in inventory than the studio lofts on the rest of the floors and you are guaranteed to have the top floor.

My negotiation was for the smaller studio style loft which is not a true loft.

I do have the no use no pay option but am required to use at least one week every other year or 5, I forgot which. Also the 2700 fee applies every 10 years as a standalone fee.

Each year I get 10 ambassador weeks to give away and 300 bucks per taker, plus a small commission for any buyer who comes in on one of those weeks.

My mfs get matched by Vida dollars but I said I would never buy anything that way so I don't even consider it part of the deal.

The internal trade goes to a jr villa luxxe, 2br gm, or gb 1br.  Thanks for pushing me to check on that as it's not got as much internal value as I wanted.

So based on that review, I will not be signing tomorrow. I can still get too much more value trading in on off peak months to pay more for effectively less right now, and I will periodically reassess as they keep changing up the rules in the game. 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## T-Dot-Traveller (Sep 3, 2017)

Hellolani,
I am glad Mike posted directly to your question(s) regarding the negotiation process .

*****

1)Mike has mentioned in prior posts that he negotiated a addendum with Member Services
that states something to the affect that  - " after the 10 year registered week is renewed ( by paying the 2 x MF / upkeep fee)
one of the residence weeks takes on all the rights & privileges of the initial 10 year registered week .
This is likely important if Vidanta were to stop building , as your week would have priority over other residence weeks owners.

2)ARP - at least one week should be 12 months or better . ( As a Canadian - you want this so you can get prime time Feb. if needed   / I realize you are in Vancouver - but what if in 5 years  you or your husband get an amazing job in Winnipeg or your children move to Edmonton when they are  adults)

3)< The value in owning ( rather than just exchanging into ) Vidanta is likely over the long term - >
so make sure you get the xx% cap on MF increases . The most common version is 5% yearly cap - which is actually detailed as - USA  CPI inflation rate with an additional +/- 5% for Mexican inflation . Over the last  10 years the actual increase in my Mayan Palace per year has been less than this, since USA CPI inflation has been low . My MF is now less than what a newly sold contract is likely to have as a MF .
Unlike most TS systems,  Vidanta has many different MF's for the same unit - generally based on the year bought and the xx% MF cap(s) . That is one reason why they like to upgrade existing owners - it allows for a new "reset" on the MF based on the brand upgrade .

4)Since your children are young , I would make sure you have a specific addendum for use (and MF)  of the brand buildings that will be inside the theme park being built in Nuevo
Currently the models listed are Cascades (RCI  DA86) and Kingdom of the Sun ( and KS loft ) The NV wall map also shows Kingdom of the Stars and Grand Cascades .( no buildings planned - yet for GS or KStars )
I believe that a product called - Entertainment Collection(and Grand E) is being sold that gives a 10 year registered week in Cascades that renews as Bliss-Mayan Palace (GE renews to GM -GB )
I assume you could negotiate a 10 year (from park opening) addendum and I would push for longer based on your children's current age .
This falls under Mike's suggestion of max flexibility of use of all Vidanta brand levels / and MF cost range for each .

5) Of all the "extras" ( Vida dollars , Ambassador certs. ,SFX Vida weeks etc ) I believe privilege weeks may be of long term value . They seem to work like the weeks they are already including that have no Jan- March ARP .

6) Golf - if you decide to negotiate with Member Services - I would push for at least one round of free golf per week used ( for 2 golfers) .
-50 % off can be off any rate set in the future / free is always free . < older contract like Mike's have multiple free rounds per week - which may no longer be available  >

7) 10 x MF transfer price .
Remember it can transfer to your children with no transfer cost .
There has been at least one Grand Luxxe contract listed for sale on TUG - that stated there was a Vidanta "sanctioned"  way to avoid the 10 x MF . I believe it could have been by adding a
new owner name to an existing contract . If you negotiate an addendum to have the right to add  "owner names "  without  activating a transfer  I think you may have a solution .
<Vidanta wanted their product off ebay resales and the transfer price cost has achieved this >

I hope this helps


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## mikenk (Sep 3, 2017)

Hellolani, it looks to me you are doing due diligence; I wish more folks that attend the presentation would do that.

This brings up some interesting questions: Does Vidanta ownership ever make sense? Does traditional timeshare ownership ever make sense? I believe the right answer is it all depends on what you want, but if you don't really think through your goals, you will probably be disappointed.

Certainly, on Tug, the answer is generally: Vidanta ownership makes no sense and traditional timeshares and related exchange ownership makes good sense. For me, traditional timeshares make no sense if it includes a yearly obligation that goes on forever. Times change, interests change, timeshares deteriorate; people often just want out.

So how about Vidanta ownership; does it ever make sense? You certainly can see millions of posts on Tug that Vidanta ownership is worthless; just trade in. Well, it's really not that simple to many.

Consider:
- Some (like me) don't have a timeshare to trade in  and have no desire to get one (even free)
- Ownership versus non ownership becomes a simple process as it is nothing more than prepaid vacations. Are you willing to pay this amount to get these benefits? What are those benefits? Well it depends on what you negotiate. Tom, in the above post, mentioned a bunch of possibilities and there are others. My guess is that all of the Vidanta regulars on Tug have all got something different customized to their individual goals. I like that and feel like I have a great contract not only for my wife and me - but also our kids and grandkids for the future. Every time I go, I look for opportunities to enhance my contract for the family.
- To be honest, most of us got our contracts preconstruction - but that is still going on to a lesser degree as Vidanta expands; we have already added access privileges for the Cirque d'Soleil theme park for grandkids.
- The question now is whether ownership still makes sense today since it is relatively easy for people to trade in - but will that continue and at what costs. Vidanta purposely makes it easy today as they release excess inventory to get people in the door - but they are and will continually raise the rates. While I have no crystal ball, it will be interesting to see what it costs and the availability after the Cirque theme park is in place.
- The bottom line is that ownership has worked well for us and for many others. Vacationing is expensive (just got back from a river cruise, ouch!); spend your money wisely not on a whim.

Mike


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## DeniseM (Sep 3, 2017)

> we got out by 3pm with a 10 AM breakfast start



Wait - you spent FIVE HOURS in a sales presentation???  That's a nightmare - no way!


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## hellolani (Sep 3, 2017)

Under the premise of owning where you want to go, I continue to reassess ownership options at Vidanta and evaluate that tipping point as it moves. Right now I'm still doing better as a trader and get huge value in my willingness to plan ahead, travel in the off season and spending time to research the current lay of the land.

It's actually a pleasure for me to attend the presentation as my objective is not to get out quickly but to understand the system as deeply as possible. I did decline to purchase today and was sorry to piss off Robert the sales manager to do it, but thanks to tug I have pretty robust due diligence processes and am not going to sign on for something of lesser value than what I currently have.

I do love gl though and part of my motivation is to join the system and support it rather than simply continuing to exploit it. It has to make sense though financially and right now it still doesn't. 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## pittle (Sep 3, 2017)

Well, my thoughts are to buy where you want to go, BUT, if you can get there for less $$$, that is even better.  You seem to have it working with confirmations for the next 2 years!   I love the resorts, but also take every opportunity that I can to use exchanges to get into them.  These are less than the cost of MF's.  We have not used our Grand Luxxe units but once in the past 4 years because of the exchange & extra vacation availability for Grand Mayan and Grand Bliss.  Yes, GL is significantly better, but we can stay several weeks for less than the MF for one of our 2-bedroom weeks. We have 3 more years until our Senior Certificates kick in and then plan go to GL for as long as we can.


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## hellolani (Sep 3, 2017)

pittle said:


> Well, my thoughts are to buy where you want to go, BUT, if you can get there for less $$$, that is even better.  You seem to have it working with confirmations for the next 2 years!   I love the resorts, but also take every opportunity that I can to use exchanges to get into them.  These are less than the cost of MF's.  We have not used our Grand Luxxe units but once in the past 4 years because of the exchange & extra vacation availability for Grand Mayan and Grand Bliss.  Yes, GL is significantly better, but we can stay several weeks for less than the MF for one of our 2-bedroom weeks. We have 3 more years until our Senior Certificates kick in and then plan go to GL for as long as we can.


Pittle please tell me more about senior certificates and how they work? 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## Hankmoon (Sep 3, 2017)

hellolani said:


> Anyone around for the next week that I can buy a drink for?  We went to the new resto Quinto at the top of tower 5 and had dinner during the storm - amazing.  Is that pool a restricted access pool?  I'm still not totally clear - I know the sky pool in the residences is restricted.  I also saw there is a presentation centre in tower 5, anyone know who gets to go to those ones?  I'm scheduled for a presentation on Saturday, but it's low season so I expect a noob that I won't be able to extract much quality information from.
> 
> Will report back after!


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## Hankmoon (Sep 3, 2017)

Interesting thread. Is Vidanta still selling the 1 bedroom 2-level Penthouse Lofts in B5? How much are they selling for? They are much nicer than the Studio Lofts since they are two levels with double windows, penthouse level with a guaranteed view and right below the rooftop pool. There are only about 18 one-bedroom PH-level lofts in B5 so I assume there are limited sales. I am wondering what folks know about these gorgeous units?


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## hellolani (Sep 3, 2017)

Hankmoon said:


> Interesting thread. Is Vidanta still selling the 1 bedroom 2-level Penthouse Lofts in B5? How much are they selling for? They are much nicer than the Studio Lofts since they are two levels with double windows, penthouse level with a guaranteed view and right below the rooftop pool. There are only about 18 one-bedroom PH-level lofts in B5 so I assume there are limited sales. I am wondering what folks know about these gorgeous units?


Yes, and they have a more limited supply. They are lovely and the first number they gave me was 110k.  They told me they sell 1 month blocks and only have 1 floor worth of units versus multiple floors of the studio loft, they also told me for some reason they can only sell 70% of available usage. Not sure why that is, whether due to reserving weeks for marketing or due to statistically knowing that there are months where no one will want to come. 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## Hankmoon (Sep 3, 2017)

hellolani said:


> Yes, and they have a more limited supply. They are lovely and the first number they gave me was 110k.  They told me they sell 1 month blocks and only have 1 floor worth of units versus multiple floors of the studio loft, they also told me for some reason they can only sell 70% of available usage. Not sure why that is, whether due to reserving weeks for marketing or due to statistically knowing that there are months where no one will want to come.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk



Are you an owner at Vidanta already? If so, what do you own and where? From you previous posts, I got the impression that you declined the offer to purchase the one story studio loft.


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## hellolani (Sep 3, 2017)

Not an owner. Keep flirting with the idea but can't financially justify it. When it gets more expensive to trade in than to own or if I just can't get inventory any other way, I will probably buy in.

Got all the information above in yesterday's sales presentation I attended. 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## pittle (Sep 3, 2017)

hellolani said:


> Pittle please tell me more about senior certificates and how they work?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk




These were only available to people who owned before the end of November 2006 and they had to go to Customer Service at one of the resorts to sign up within an 18 month time frame that ended in mid-2008.  *IF* they did this, they would be given the Senior certificate and when they turned 75, they paid 1/2 a MF to use their week(s) and when they are 77, there are NO MF when they go.  Only the original owners can use this and it is NOT transferable to their heirs or by resale.  One of the original owners must be there with their passport to use the Senior Certificate week.

It was unique and my guess is that they have come to regret it because lots of us snagged this opportunity and are now getting closer to using it.  When we upgraded our 4 MP weeks and 2 GM weeks, they allowed us to keep it.  If they had not, we would not have upgraded.  We do not need 6 2-bedroom weeks each year now, but will love our 2 2-bedroom weeks that we can split into 4 weeks for just the 2 of us in luxury.  We can have our grown children join us.

I know of quite a few owners that missed out on this and were sorry they did not read the mailing with the information.  We made a point to check in with Customer Service in RM when we were there in February 2007.


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## hellolani (Sep 3, 2017)

pittle said:


> These were only available to people who owned before the end of November 2006 and they had to go to Customer Service at one of the resorts to sign up within an 18 month time frame that ended in mid-2008.  *IF* they did this, they would be given the Senior certificate and when they turned 75, they paid 1/2 a MF to use their week(s) and when they are 77, there are NO MF when they go.  Only the original owners can use this and it is NOT transferable to their heirs or by resale.  One of the original owners must be there with their passport to use the Senior Certificate week.
> 
> It was unique and my guess is that they have come to regret it because lots of us snagged this opportunity and are now getting closer to using it.  When we upgraded our 4 MP weeks and 2 GM weeks, they allowed us to keep it.  If they had not, we would not have upgraded.  We do not need 6 2-bedroom weeks each year now, but will love our 2 2-bedroom weeks that we can split into 4 weeks for just the 2 of us in luxury.  We can have our grown children join us.


Now that is a perk I would pay for. Nice score and I'm delighted you will soon be able to access it! 

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## mikenk (Sep 3, 2017)

hellolani said:


> Now that is a perk I would pay for. Nice score and I'm delighted you will soon be able to access it!
> 
> Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk



Nice Perk indeed. I go in January on the Senior Discount. For us golfers, the free golf has also been a nice addendum. I imagine Vidanta would like to rethink those - but they are not hurting. I do appreciate that they honor all these commitments with no issues.

Mike


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## Zib (Sep 15, 2017)

We have owned for so many years that I forget when we purchased but it was way back when the only "Vidanta" resort was called "Vidafel".  Anyone remember that?  The Vidafel resort was on the Marina but it was damaged in the Acapulco earthquake so they tore it down and built the new Mayan Palace that is there now.  We upgraded when they started to built the first Mayan Palace in Nuevo years ago and again when they built the first Grand Mayan Palace in Nuevo, but never again.  So we kept those old contracts with those LOW mt. fees and have used them every year since.  We have a Senior Certificate and have used it for 15 years, as my husband is 90 and I am 87.  So "Vidafel" or "Vidanta" has been very good to us and we love it, but it has outgrown us these past few years.  We can no longer get around in that gigantic but beautiful resort there.  Last yeas we booked for the first time at Sea Gardens and we were delighted to find our "little Mexican" resort again!  We are going again this Oct/Nov to the Sea Gardens and hoping to go again in 2018 too


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## pittle (Sep 15, 2017)

Zib said:


> We have owned for so many years that I forget when we purchased but it was way back when the only "Vidanta" resort was called "Vidafel".  Anyone remember that?  The Vidafel resort was on the Marina but it was damaged in the Acapulco earthquake so they tore it down and built the new Mayan Palace that is there now.  We upgraded when they started to built the first Mayan Palace in Nuevo years ago and again when they built the first Grand Mayan Palace in Nuevo, but never again.  So we kept those old contracts with those LOW mt. fees and have used them every year since.  We have a Senior Certificate and have used to for 15 years, as my husband is 90 and I am 87.  So "Vidafel" or "Vidanta" has been very good to us and we love it, but it has outgrown us these past few years.  We can no longer get around in that gigantic but beautiful resort there.  Last yeas we booked for the first time at Sea Gardens and we were delighted to find our "little Mexican" resort again!  We are going again this Oct/Nov to the Sea Gardens and hoping to go again in 2018 too



It was still Vidafel when we first bought in February 1999.  We bought in Acapulco, but bought a 2-bedroom Sea Garden that was turned in for a MP upgrade.  We bought because we had exchanged into an awful resort in Acapulco and took the tour to have something to do and get out of the awful place. They said we could move over to the MP in Acapulco and stay in a 1-bedroom unit.  We bought and were staying there within an hour of signing the papers.  Late in November 1999, we upgraded to MP because we knew it was nicer and they were building Nuevo.  

We haven't regretted it and actually bought quite a few on resale between 2002-2007.  Most of these had low MF and we loved sharing them with family & friends.  We did upgrade some of the resales for 2-GM weeks at a great price and then in 2013, took the leap to Grand Luxxe.  It made sense to us because we had a reno fee or 2 every year with all those contracts.  But, somehow, they gave us the no pay unless you go on all of our contracts in 2007, so that helped.  We only had one that we had to pay MF every year on, and it was a resale that we had not closed on at the time we got the letters about no pay unless you go. They have been good to us too.

I like the Marina location and we liked the Grand Mayan in Cabo San Jose because they were smaller.


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## joestein (Sep 15, 2017)

hellolani said:


> Thanks mikenk for chiming in. The penthouse lofts are a true lofted 1 br on the top level with the full kitchen, and as they require a double height floor they are much fewer in inventory than the studio lofts on the rest of the floors and you are guaranteed to have the top floor.
> 
> My negotiation was for the smaller studio style loft which is not a true loft.
> 
> ...




What is an ambassador week?


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## mikenk (Sep 15, 2017)

joestein said:


> What is an ambassador week?



They might have changed since they gave me mine a couple of years back. Basically they are paying you a finders fee for getting people in the door. You can give a certificate to someone that they can use to get into the resort for the MF without any exchange. In return, you get a kickback regardless if they even attend the sales presentation. If they end up buying, you get a bigger kickback. I have no problem with it as it cost me nothing to get and it seems a real value to those I give it to; I did give a few out.

Mike


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## Hankmoon (Sep 15, 2017)

mikenk said:


> Hellolani, it looks to me you are doing due diligence; I wish more folks that attend the presentation would do that.
> 
> This brings up some interesting questions: Does Vidanta ownership ever make sense? Does traditional timeshare ownership ever make sense? I believe the right answer is it all depends on what you want, but if you don't really think through your goals, you will probably be disappointed.
> 
> ...



Just out of curiosity, what/when did you purchase pre-construction? What are pre-construction prices like vs non-pre-construction prices? s far as I know, Vidanta is continuing to construct and still promoting pre-construction pricing so why do you say it will become less common? For example, they are still promoting pre-construction pricing for GL Tower 5 and they are planning more GL towers after that. What do you think would be reasonable pre-construction pricing for various unit sizes?


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## Hankmoon (Sep 15, 2017)

T-Dot-Traveller said:


> Hellolani,
> I am glad Mike posted directly to your question(s) regarding the negotiation process .
> 
> *****
> ...




5) Of all the "extras" ( Vida dollars , Ambassador certs. ,SFX Vida weeks etc ) I believe privilege weeks may be of long term value . They seem to work like the weeks they are already including that have no Jan- March ARP .

What are privilege weeks and what makes them have long term value?


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## T-Dot-Traveller (Sep 15, 2017)

As best I understand -

1) - privilege weeks can be  "bonus" weeks in a contract that allow(addtional) use of Vidanta properties . Privilege weeks are unlikely to have ARP  so the are most likely most
usable in shoulder seasons .  I believe that (in some cases) privilege weeks are "managed" by concierge- gatekeepers such as ICE or Destinos Unlimited .These may have been sold as an "exit package" with a low price but not all components of a "full" contract . (ARP for instance)
Since privilege weeks are based on ownership - the $ 11 pp /pd resort fees charged to exchangers does not apply .
My concept of "long term value " is - access to Vidanta resorts without an exchange company  fee or resort exchanger fees .

2) SFX - Vida weeks - are for exchanging outside Vidanta ( using SFX as the exchange company and paying a MF )

3) Vida dollars are managed by ICE and work like a points program . Some say you can buy the products for less elsewhere.

4 ) Ambassador certificates - as Mike explained .
 I believe Vidanta does limit how many times a person can visit using them  , since I have seen them listed on ebay and the person listing mentioned - only buy one .

****
My contract is Mayan Palace from 10 years ago - so I have a "Vacation Fare" bonus week in addition to my registered week .
Privilege Weeks seem similar to me , but since I do not have them  , I may not be completely accurate in this post .

As I understand it - Vida dollars and Ambassador certificates programs can end if
Vidanta wishes - since they are a added perk , but you do not own the right . 
Privilege Weeks and SFX - Vida Weeks are contractual ( read your contract for details )


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## Hankmoon (Sep 16, 2017)

Thank you for explaining privilege weeks. I don't think I have those. I do not find Vida dollars and Ambassador certificates to be that useful to me personally. However, my friends and family may end up liking them. Time will tell. I may end up liking SFX Vida weeks. The advantage to those are you do not need to trade a week and the cost is less than a maintenance fee for a Marriott or Westin. But let's see what the availability is when I finally request one.


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## Eric B (Sep 16, 2017)

I have privilege weeks with my GL contract, which excludes the holiday weeks but runs the rest of the year.  The privilege weeks are managed by SFX and allow returning to Vidanta during holiday weeks, subject to availability.  In speaking with Vidanta member services about them, they have told me that if SFX doesn't have availability when I want to go there I should just call them and they'll assist, but that's not written in my contract.

Vida weeks are essentially the same as SFX bonus weeks.  I've deposited a non-Vidanta TS week in the SFX account associated w/ my GL contract and gotten Vida weeks in addition to the credit for the deposited week.  In discussing this with SFX, I learned that I can use those for allowing friends to go to Vidanta but can't go there myself on a Vida week.  (I was exploring the costs for getting another unit when I'm down in Riviera Maya for some friends to join us.  It turned out to be cheaper than using a privilege week by about $400.)

The fine print on the Ambassador certificates says they can only be used once - that is one visit on an Ambassador certificate by a person.  Makes sense since they're a marketing tool for sales, not for filling the hotel.  I've got 9 left if anyone wants one.


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## mikenk (Sep 16, 2017)

Hankmoon said:


> Just out of curiosity, what/when did you purchase pre-construction? What are pre-construction prices like vs non-pre-construction prices? s far as I know, Vidanta is continuing to construct and still promoting pre-construction pricing so why do you say it will become less common? For example, they are still promoting pre-construction pricing for GL Tower 5 and they are planning more GL towers after that. What do you think would be reasonable pre-construction pricing for various unit sizes?



By preconstruction, I mean two or more years before they break ground on a new project such as a Grand Bliss or Grand Luxxe. When we upgraded to Grand Bliss, there was only the Grand Mayan and a number of Mayan Palace buildings in Nuevo. We didn't even know where they would put anything new; we bought into the idea and helped get it started by doing so; in return, many of us got a lot of addenda that they have honored.

I'm a relative newcomer buying in about 2007 compared to folks like Pittle and Zib.

Mike


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## mikenk (Sep 16, 2017)

T-Dot Traveler explained the various extras well. A few more comments.

- I like the Vida and privilege weeks, but particularly the vida weeks as I can go anywhere and not exchange my GL week which I will never do as I can't get my golf and other amenities. You do have to be a platinum member at SFX for this privilege to continue long term.

- For me, the vida dollars and Vida lifestyles are not worth spending extra money on. It does give SFX platinum membership - but already had that. Before anyone signs up for extra money on that (not Vidanta but a separate travel club), be honest with yourself if you will ever use the vida dollars or certificates. Often you will get a 2 year or so paid up membership, then they will call to upgrade you. Evaluate wisely.

- There are also other extras associated with the theme park. On my last changes, I did get a certificate with some benefits as to access and fees into the park. I did this as I do believe the them park will be successful and my kids and grandkids will get some use out of it. Time will tell. 

Mike


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## LZango (Sep 17, 2017)

My husband and I have been Vidanta owners for 15 years and heard just about every sales tactic they can throw your way.

Availability on Vida Lifestyle Privilege Weeks is very limited, and you still have to pay hundred to thousands. You will be disappointed. I have yet to be able to use any privilege weeks despite trying and checking nearly everyday for options. For example, I just looked at availability in Hawaii for May and 6 properties had availability with the cheapest still costing $800 for the week on up to $1800.

What I wish I would have known about Vida Dollars before upgrading:
1. They expire
2. The products are overpriced, and once you apply vida dollars, the final price is comparable to prices on Amazon.
3. Shipping can be expensive
4. First Friday only has 10-12 items each month, most of them are pretty lame and sell out in 1/2 second (no joke)

Warning to people who upgrade. The senior certificates got re-written, so if you had one and upgrade, they changed it so you only get a partial credit toward your maintenance fee instead of the entire fee. Of course, they don't tell you that and just assume you'll never read/compare the original certificate to the new one. 

My recommendation is to NOT buy and keep renting off e-bay or another timeshare rental site.


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## pittle (Sep 17, 2017)

LZango said:


> Warning to people who upgrade. The senior certificates got re-written, so if you had one and upgrade, they changed it so you only get a partial credit toward your maintenance fee instead of the entire fee. Of course, they don't tell you that and just assume you'll never read/compare the original certificate to the new one.
> 
> My recommendation is to NOT buy and keep renting off e-bay or another timeshare rental site.



Yes- I have been told that they offer to "freeze" your MF at the beginning price of the new contract.  Ours is better as we have the original one.  The last time they tried to get us to upgrade, they promised it was the same as before.  But, if we were to have done that, I would have read the contract in detail and if the Sr. Cert changed, we would have cancelled.

Bottom line, we are happy with what we have and they cannot entice us with more units. There is no need to spend the better part of a day being harassed by the sales staff.  I would rather be under a palapa on the beach!


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## Paul E Morgan (Sep 27, 2017)

It sounds like you are attempting to upgrade.  If you have a Senior Certificate, make sure they transfer the benefit to the new contract.  You pay 50% on one week at age 75, and one week is maintenance fee free after age 77.  You can negotiate reduced golf benefits.


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## Hankmoon (Sep 27, 2017)

We bought a Grand Luxxe Studio Loft in Tower 5. I really do not like the studio lofts because they are like a hotel room so I doubt we will use it. However, we bought it because it is an "entry level" Grand Luxxe with a reasonable investment and a low usage fee to get into the Grand Luxxe with the option to exchange into a one bedroom Grand Luxxe suite from April 15 - Nov 15 as well as get Grand Bliss and 2 bedroom Grand Mayans anytime. We have kids so we would usually travel in summers. We have another great 2 bedroom timeshare that we can use in many locations including Aruba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, all over Mexico, Spain and elsewhere, the rest of the year and we can also trade our GL if we want for its "lower than Marriott and Westin" usage fee. We also have other vacation clubs where we get ravel privileges but not as fancy as Grand Luxxe. We have been offered an option to upgrade for a 1 bedroom 2 level loft on the penthouse for a little more than double what we paid for the initial investment fee and the usage fee goes from $1350 to $2300 for the 2 level 1-bedroom PH loft. The 2-level loft is really nice and then we get great sister exchange privileges to almost all the 2 bedroom categories. I can't decide if it is worth investing more money inyo Grand Luxxe or if we would be happy with the one bedroom suite from April 15 - Nov 15. We are a family of 4 with children age 7 and 10. Any thoughts from folks who have owned at Grand Luxxe for awhile? Does the wow factor wear off after you have been an owner for awhile? If you own a basic unit, do you get placed on high floors with views?


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## Eric B (Sep 27, 2017)

We haven’t owned all that long, but love the resort.  We got in at the same level as you did, preconstruction, and are planning on upgrading to the penthouse lofts next year in order to go there in the high season.  It’s a very personal decision for you to make whether that’s worth it, though.  We’ve seen a fair number of availabilities to trade into a 2BR or larger GL in Nuevo Vallarta on RCI in this last year for the fall (none right now) in the Platinum priority access area and understand they show up a lot on II; our last visit there was an RCI exchange.  We’re heading over to GL RM in April on an exchange through SFX, which seems to have very good access to Vidanta weeks.  Bottom line for me is that in the off season, exchanging in is a lot less expensive than paying the usage fees; at the extreme, our last 2 week stay cost us 400 RCI points plus $239 (I believe) for the week - no idea why the points were so low that they seemed more like a rounding error than a cost.  If you think you can be happy going in the off season and have 2 kids that will be growing up, that might be a better way to go than upgrading.

If you do upgrade, you’ll be able to go in the high season and will be in a higher class of membership with Vidanta, which has some perks, but is of course not free.  Those lofts will exchange for 2BR spa, villa or suite weeks, which isn’t a bad option while you’ve still got the kids living with you, then you can use the loft on your own once they’ve got jobs to support you in your retirement;-).  In my opinion, though, it only makes a difference for the high season - they had a 24.4% occupancy rate when we were there in mid-September based on some staff notes that were left out at one of the Joy Squad posts and confirmed by the staff.  Given that, I don’t think there will be much problem exchanging at least until the Cirque Park is fully operational; no idea how that would effect the calculus.

I have no idea how the GL usage fee compares with Marriott or Westin, so maybe someone else can chip in on that.  My other timeshares have significantly lower fees and I’m way more interested in trading into GL rather than out to go elsewhere in the shoulder seasons because I haven’t seen many that come near matching the quality & have seen a number of others on here saying the same thing.  I use my other weeks for trading and traveling and only plan on using my membership here to come here when I don’t want to freeze my butt off at home.


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## T-Dot-Traveller (Sep 27, 2017)

Hankmoon said:


> We bought a Grand Luxxe Studio Loft in Tower 5. I really do not like the studio lofts because they are like a hotel room so I doubt we will use it. However, we bought it because it is an "entry level" Grand Luxxe with a reasonable investment and a low usage fee to get into the Grand Luxxe with the option to exchange into a one bedroom Grand Luxxe suite from April 15 - Nov 15 as well as get Grand Bliss and 2 bedroom Grand Mayans anytime. We have kids so we would usually travel in summers. We have another great 2 bedroom timeshare that we can use in many locations including Aruba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, all over Mexico, Spain and elsewhere, the rest of the year and we can also trade our GL if we want for its "lower than Marriott and Westin" usage fee. We also have other vacation clubs where we get ravel privileges but not as fancy as Grand Luxxe. We have been offered an option to upgrade for a 1 bedroom 2 level loft on the penthouse for a little more than double what we paid for the initial investment fee and the usage fee goes from $1350 to $2300 for the 2 level 1-bedroom PH loft. The 2-level loft is really nice and then we get great sister exchange privileges to almost all the 2 bedroom categories. I can't decide if it is worth investing more money inyo Grand Luxxe or if we would be happy with the one bedroom suite from April 15 - Nov 15. We are a family of 4 with children age 7 and 10. Any thoughts from folks who have owned at Grand Luxxe for awhile? Does the wow factor wear off after you have been an owner for awhile? If you own a basic unit, do you get placed on high floors with views?



Dear Hankmoon ,
This is my take on your info -
 Your current status gives you the most flexibility  .
$1350 for a 2 bedroom Grand Mayan - plenty of room for 2 adults & 2 kids . and in NV you are close to kids club /pool
$1350  for exchange to Marriott or Westin works through ll ( Grand Luxxe is ll while GB & GM are RCI affiliated / so buying  the Grand Luxxe as you did gets these exchanges cost effectively.

Your current contract has ARP ( I assume minimum 6 months ) so you could do Presidents Week or similar with your kids ( harder to get on an exchange unless you grab 2 years out  AND Vidanta keeps depositing GL )

In 10 years - your children will be 17- 20 . ( ie  you may not need a 2 bedroom as you may not have 4 travelling )
PS - In 15 years - when they are 22-25  - you may have need for more space or not and what season  ( Our 28 year old joined us for Weds - Weds last year  )

Above - I am ignoring the cost of the buy in - I am really just looking at usage fee  and flexibility of how you use it - now and in the future .

******
1) As you know - the "investment " is all in your future vacations .
2) As you know - Vidanta uses the money from sales to keep building ( IMO - instead of borrowing from a bank )

If you or anyone else is looking to upgrade -  timing the process to coincide with their cash flow needs related to building the Cirque Theme park could be advantageous to getting the most out of the upgrade .
ie - reducing the price below  $ xx reduces their incoming cash BUT getting more addendums and benefits for that same dollar figure does not cost them (right now )and " closes'  more sales .

I am not sure when that perfect "sweet spot" will be . I expect it is in the next 18 months .
1) mid Dec - April 2018 - the properties are full -  so lots of sales
2)April - May 2018 -  ??
3)Summer 2018 maybe - but they do sell Mexican Nationals that vacation during school break .
4) Fall 2018 - ??
5) April - May 2019 - ??

****
I will let other Grand Luxxe owners add .

We are happy staying at the Sea Garden NV & Mayan Palace PV  for approx $700 week in February when it is cold in Canada
The sunshine is the same  & all Vidanta brands get daily cleaning and towels
(PS - please tip their hardworking staff / It is a significant for them & their families )


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## Paul E Morgan (Sep 27, 2017)

I was in Nuevo Vallarta and upgraded from a 1BR at the Grand Bliss to a Grand Luxxe Loft 0BR, 1.5BA, 2+2 CAP, Kitchenette.  I own RED time, upgraded on February 8, 2016.  I am confused, as you make reference to Building 5.  I don't think I am assigned to any building or even any resort destination (such as Riviera Maya or Nuevo Vallarta).  If I am assigned to a specific building or a specific location, where do I find this information in my contract?


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## Hankmoon (Sep 27, 2017)

Paul E Morgan said:


> I was in Nuevo Vallarta and upgraded from a 1BR at the Grand Bliss to a Grand Luxxe Loft 0BR, 1.5BA, 2+2 CAP, Kitchenette.  I own RED time, upgraded on February 8, 2016.  I am confused, as you make reference to Building 5.  I don't think I am assigned to any building or even any resort destination (such as Riviera Maya or Nuevo Vallarta).  If I am assigned to a specific building or a specific location, where do I find this information in my contract?



The Grand Luxxe Lofts are only located in Building 5 in Nuevo Vallarta right now. They do not exist in any other building or location. There are sister exchanges for other locations listed in your booklet.


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## Eric B (Sep 27, 2017)

I believe all of the contracts are linked to a resort, in your case Nuevo Vallarta.  This only makes a difference in the reservation window.


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## MuranoJo (Sep 28, 2017)

Eric B said:


> I believe all of the contracts are linked to a resort, in your case Nuevo Vallarta.  This only makes a difference in the reservation window.



I'm not sure I understand this--I do believe each contract is linked to a resort, though you should have access to all other locations in the system.  However, what do you mean about the location making a difference in the reservation window?  I think that's the first I've heard of that.  Thx.


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## Eric B (Sep 28, 2017)

On my contract it provides a 12 month reservation window for registered weeks at Nuevo Vallarta, 10 months for residence weeks.  The portion on sister resorts says it is bound by the policy of the sister resorts.  I do have an addendum making them all 12 months, but that’s an addendum, not the contract itself.


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## mikenk (Sep 28, 2017)

All your addenda are part of the contract. If it says you have 12 months at all sister resorts, that's what you have. Whenever we book, we always have all our addenda handy as we do need them often - but they are always honored.


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## mikenk (Sep 28, 2017)

Hankmoon said:


> I can't decide if it is worth investing more money inyo Grand Luxxe or if we would be happy with the one bedroom suite from April 15 - Nov 15. We are a family of 4 with children age 7 and 10. Any thoughts from folks who have owned at Grand Luxxe for awhile? Does the wow factor wear off after you have been an owner for awhile? If you own a basic unit, do you get placed on high floors with views?



IMO, you are thinking the right way and asking the right questions. The first question to ask yourself is what are your travel goals and does what you have meet them. It would seem that you plan on vacationing there as a family of 4 until the kids are on their own. Great plan - the resort will never grow old. It also seems that you can exchange what you have into a 2 bedroom GM suite or a 1 bedroom GB suite. I think you are good to go with what you have; your kids will far prefer the GM or GB location to any GL location.

We have been following that approach for the last 10 years but we are in a different stage of life than your family. We take one or two couples with us; we also have three kids and 9 grandkids that all love the resorts; we take some combination every summer or at spring break. For that reason, we upgraded to the  Grand Luxxe Villa and stopped. The primary reason is the GLV had all the equivalency into the GB and GM that we would ever need. At times we need and use the villa; other times opt for the GB / GM and get more time. We and our family enjoy the GB and GM as much as the GL - the grandkids more because of location. For kids, the GM pools are the place to be.

BTW, it never gets old. We go 2 or 3 times a year always with family and friends and always have a great time.

The bottom line is decide on your vacation goals and then work to find the best financial plan to meet them - but overspending because some sales person wants you to is not a reason to upgrade.

Mike


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## Luckytimer (Oct 2, 2017)

Well we are here at present (2nd week of 2)  i would never buy here in a million years.  Not because we don't like it or it's not beautiful.   My reason is $$$$ based only.

We got in here through RCI.  PRIORITY ACCESS.  We are platinum members but have never paid attention to these deals before.

We got the 4 bedroom, 6000 sq foot residence for $360 cnd per week plus 600 rci points!  Why on earth would I ever pay the developer mucho dinero??

Just to let you know.  The private elevator that opens directly into the villa HAS NEVER WORKED since arrival, forcing everyone to use stairs or service elevator - then the service elevator konked out.


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## Hankmoon (Oct 2, 2017)

Luckytimer said:


> Well we are here at present (2nd week of 2)  i would never buy here in a million years.  Not because we don't like it or it's not beautiful.   My reason is $$$$ based only.
> 
> We got in here through RCI.  PRIORITY ACCESS.  We are platinum members but have never paid attention to these deals before.
> 
> ...



What is RCI Priority Access? Is is a membership based program? Did you just pay for the room without doing an exchange?


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## Seagila (Oct 2, 2017)

Luckytimer said:


> Well we are here at present (2nd week of 2) ...
> 
> Just to let you know.  The private elevator that opens directly into the villa HAS NEVER WORKED since arrival, forcing everyone to use stairs or service elevator - then the service elevator konked out.



On day 3 of our stay in a 4br at GL Residences in NV. Very nice.

Elevator to our unit was broken on our arrival, so had to take the service elevator too.  Not a good first impression, but it was fixed on our 2nd day.

Currently writing this from the Sky Pool and see technicians working on elevators for 8140-8940 and 8141-8941. Hope your unit's one of them. Would be unfortunate to have to take the service elevator the whole of your stay. 

On the bright side, you're on vacation at a beautiful resort in an impressive unit. Hope you're otherwise having a wonderful stay.


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## Luckytimer (Oct 2, 2017)

Seagila said:


> On day 3 of our stay in a 4br at GL Residences in NV. Very nice.
> 
> Elevator to our unit was broken on our arrival, so had to take the service elevator too.  Not a good first impression, but it was fixed on our 2nd day.
> 
> ...


We arrived Sept 22 for 2 weeks.  My husband has ALS and is in an electric wheelchair so stairs are out of question and when service elevator konked out and then randomly stopped and started....it became an unbearable situation.  One day he could not leave villa at all due to no elevator.  By day 4 of hearing mañana, we were moved into Grand Luxxe.


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## Hankmoon (Oct 3, 2017)

Hankmoon said:


> What is RCI Priority Access? Is is a membership based program? Did you just pay for the room without doing an exchange?



I would say enjoy your vacation and don't worry about the elevators. You are not paying the maintenance fees. You barely paid for your stay!


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## Luckytimer (Oct 3, 2017)

Hankmoon:  I think your comment is pretty rude and uneducated.  Did you miss the part that my dh is dying of an always fatal disease (ALS, MND or Lou Gehrigs) whatever you may know (or not know) it by?  When you have travelled over 8 hours by plane (2 legs of trip) in hopes of making family memories; having an elevator to get you in/out of your villa is pretty important.  As it was, the day they moved us out; no elevators were working - forcing a man and a woman employee to  carry my husband 
down the stairs in 40 plus heat.


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## Hankmoon (Oct 3, 2017)

Luckytimer said:


> Hankmoon:  I think your comment is pretty rude and uneducated.  Did you miss the part that my dh is dying of an always fatal disease (ALS, MND or Lou Gehrigs) whatever you may know (or not know) it by?  When you have travelled over 8 hours by plane (2 legs of trip) in hopes of making family memories; having an elevator to get you in/out of your villa is pretty important.  As it was, the day they moved us out; no elevators were working - forcing a man and a woman employee to  carry my husband
> down the stairs in 40 plus heat.



I am very sorry. I did miss it. I did not realize your husband was fatally ill. If you picked that unit because you needed an elevator for your husband and it was not functional during your stay, then it is completely understandable you would be upset. Forgive me for my rudeness and lack of education. I will make less assumptions in the future and try to read previous posts before commenting. I learned a big lesson here. God bless you and your husband.


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## Luckytimer (Oct 4, 2017)

Thank you very much for your apology


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## dkagnew (Nov 4, 2017)

We just spent two weeks at the Grand Luxxe in NV which was done through II exchange.  Beautiful resort, no doubt about that point and the staff were excellent.  Loved the Joy Squad at the pools.

Background Info:  we agreed to go to the sales presentation to get some perks during our stay.  Reduced resort fees, 50% off of some services, etc.  After losing a complete day we ended up buying into a Grand Luxxe loft in building 5.  This required that we trade in three of our contracts at other resorts.  So three resort weeks traded in and $37000 US to get two weeks.

So after getting away from the pressure we rethought our purchase and ended up canceling our contract.  The initial part of the cancellation process was simple and pain free (shocked the hell out of me!!)  However then we were moved to another part of the sales group, supposedly to deal with the last of the cancellation process and to get our money back (our refund was processed and money back in our account before we got home.)  This second individual we met then began another sales attempt.  This was identified at considerably less investment.  $3700 gave us three weeks in the Grand Mayan with no exchange fees, blah, blah, etc.  So we thought what the hell $3700 ($4700 CDN) was a risk we were willing to take a chance on for what sounded like a decent deal.  One caveat is that we have only a 5 month window to try and make reservations at their properties.  One other item is that these weeks are not called Vidanta Vacation weeks but are classified as Destinos Unlimited weeks.

So my questions:  Does anyone have experience with these Destinos weeks?  If so what has your experience been like, i.e. ease of reservations, etc?  Is there something we may have missed in the presentation?  It still smacks of "if it sounds to good to be true it probably isn't true"

Thanks and look forward to your feedback!!


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## Karen G (Nov 4, 2017)

dkagnew said:


> So my questions:  Does anyone have experience with these Destinos weeks?  If so what has your experience been like, i.e. ease of reservations, etc?  Is there something we may have missed in the presentation?  It still smacks of "if it sounds to good to be true it probably isn't true"
> 
> Thanks and look forward to your feedback!!


I have no personal experience with Destinos weeks, but just a quick google search turned up  this article from Ripoff Reports. 

I think your gut reaction of "it sounds too good to be true" is reliable and if you can cancel this deal, you'd save your $3700. I would imagine you could rent some pretty nice vacation accommodations for that amount of money without the hassle of trying to get the dates and places you want through Destinos.


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## T-Dot-Traveller (Nov 4, 2017)

dkagnew said:


> We just spent two weeks at the Grand Luxxe in NV which was done through II exchange.  Beautiful resort, no doubt about that point and the staff were excellent.  Loved the Joy Squad at the pools.
> 
> Background Info:  ......... So we thought what the hell $3700 ($4700 CDN) was a risk we were willing to take a chance on for what sounded like a decent deal.  One caveat is that we have only a 5 month window to try and make reservations at their properties.  One other item is that these weeks are not called Vidanta Vacation weeks but are classified as Destinos Unlimited weeks.
> 
> ...



What you bought is real , and it definitely will get you back into the Grand Mayan . (Whether it is worthwhile for other resort / vacation  uses ? - I do not really know )

What you bought is a form of an exit package , that will get you weeks at Vidanta resorts without full (RTU) ownership (or the full amenities such as 50 % off golf massages ,etc. that are often negotiated) .

The primary item - a shorter ARP , the 5 months . ( My Mayan Palace contract has 6 months and Grand Luxxe often has one year .) As a result you probably won't(easily) get prime snowbird season ( mid-Jan - April )  . You should be able to use the rest of the year and not pay the $ 11 per person / per day exchange fee at NV & RM that Vidanta charges exchangers from RCI and II .You also won't pay an exchange fee . I believe Destinos likely has an annual fee ( $ xx / 99 ? ) to keep the membership active ( I am guessing)

There are  threads from within the last year that includes posts from folks who bought this package and were able to use it for the Grand Mayan .
Put "Destinos " in the search function  for the Mexican Forum and you should be able to find the postings.

The term "concierge" is I believe used by Vidanta regarding Destinos ownership access to their resorts . ( ie  a partner who assists )
The term " privilege weeks " may also be used .

I hope this helps .


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## T-Dot-Traveller (Nov 4, 2017)

My post above is based on information from reading TUG .

dkagnew - if you own this past the rescission window / figure out how to use .

If you can still rescind - I would .

Reason : You currently have access to Vidanta resorts via II .
 IMO - it will take about 8 weeks use of these Destino weeks with no exchange fee and no Vidanta $ 11 pp/pd resort fee to recoup the $ 3700 .


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## dkagnew (Nov 4, 2017)

Thanks for all of the input greatly appreciated.  I am beyond the recission window so will work at using what we have.  Thanks again!


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