Mexico All Inclusive fees

[Quimby4]

Would be great if we had a Sticky with Mexico All Inclusive fees at different properties. I know the offers for AI rates vary from day to day so I would like to get a feel as to if I should pre pay, wait, try to negotiate. Please feel free to share your rates and different locations. Thank you.

Casa Dorada Medano Beach - ?

Pueblo Bonito Blanco/Rose - $65pp/day, reported lowest.

Villa Del Arco Cabo - Pre paid $100 pp Adult

Garza Blanca PV - $110 pp/day

Grand Luxxe Nuevo Vallarta : approx $235USD for 6 Meal Vouchers. 6 3-course dinners and six breakfasts OR lunches (a total of 12 meals).

Vidanta PV - approx $250 for 6 Meal Vouchers, similart to above

Velas Vallarta - $115pp/day

Hyatt Ziva Cabo (II Trade) - $340pp Jan-April, $266pp April - Aug, $249pp Aug-Dec 21, $393pp Dec 22 - Jan1

 

[PamMo]

Quimby, if you're going to Cabo, I highly recommend NOT going AI. There are so many good restaurants and fun beach bars around town - spending money on all-inclusive seems wrong! Especially if you're staying in town at Casa Dorado Medano Beach or Pueblo Bonito Blanco or Rose (which have optional AI programs). Only if I was staying in the corridor and spending most of my time at the resort, would I entertain the idea of buying AI. Check out Trapper's List, the TripAdvisor Cabo Forum dining bible: http://trapperscabolist.com/index.php We go to Cabo every year for several weeks, and spend W-A-Y less on food than any AI program!

Also, if you're looking for comparable resorts, you should add Grand Solmar (Interval) and Playa Grande (RCI) to your list. They are great resorts and both offer AI programs, but again, I wouldn't recommend buying them.

 

[Passepartout]

I second the NO A.I. suggestion. No matter where in Mexico, the variety and quality of food surpasses what you get on any all inclusive deal. You save money, plus help out the local economy and support local businesses.

Boycott A-I!

 

[Karen G]

Would be great if we had a Sticky with Mexico All Inclusive fees at different properties. I know the offers for AI rates vary from day to day so I would like to get a feel as to if I should pre pay, wait, try to negotiate. Please feel free to share your rates and different locations. Thank you.

The reason I would hesitate to make this a sticky is just what you wrote: "the offers for AI rates vary from day to day." For the Pueblo Bonito resorts, the best advice is to call their reservations dept. and ask what is being offered at the time. Some people have reported being offered a good rate at check-in if they go on a timeshare presentation. But, as stated above, there are so many good dining options in town that one can often do better by skipping AI altogether. We've done it both ways in Cabo--and had a great time either way! Often you have the option of doing a few days of AI rather than a whole week so one could try that plan and see what works best for him/her.

 

[SciTchr]

I just got a long awaited exchange in a Garza Blanca one bedroom in Puerto Vallarta. I was curious about the AI (which we never do in PV due to the incredible dining choices in town), so I just called the toll free number to find the amount. Garza Blanca is a bit south of town, so at a reasonable rate, it might be something we would consider. At $115 per person/per day, I can't imagine how we could eat/drink that much, though. So, maybe look online for your resorts' toll free numbers and inquire.

Quimby4 or others - Is the AI fee negotiable?? Would be interested to know this.

 

[PamMo]

If you go to their sales presentation, resorts will usually offer a discount on AI fees. My sister did that at PB Rose, for the minimum number of days of AI. I know Grand Solar also offered a discount in the past.

 

[Ty1on]

I just got a long awaited exchange in a Garza Blanca one bedroom in Puerto Vallarta. I was curious about the AI (which we never do in PV due to the incredible dining choices in town), so I just called the toll free number to find the amount. Garza Blanca is a bit south of town, so at a reasonable rate, it might be something we would consider. At $115 per person/per day, I can't imagine how we could eat/drink that much, though. So, maybe look online for your resorts' toll free numbers and inquire.

Quimby4 or others - Is the AI fee negotiable?? Would be interested to know this.

Completely with you. I LOVE AI as a concept, because I like the idea of carefree eat when you want, drink what you want without those fussy budgets. If I'm renting an AI through a discount OTA, it works out pretty well. Our resort in PV is $115 PPPD for owners, which itself is more than I can consume in a day. If one were to exchange into there, it's $170 PPPD yikes! You can literally rent a week there with AI for about the same as their retail AI fee. We're going to do the meal plan at Vidanta, which seems very reasonable (but is sans drinks), and plan to pay out of pocket at the Velas Vallarta restaurants plus explore the Marina restaurants while we are there.

 

[PamMo]

We really liked the meal plan at Grand Luxxe! We bought two sets of vouchers for 3 people for a week, and it worked out great. DH and I stayed an extra week, and a stranger gave us his unused vouchers which was super nice! The food was very good at the resort.

 

[SciTchr]

For one week we stay in a rental condo in Zone Romantica (PV) where all of the wonderful restaurants are, so we love to visit all of our favorite spots to eat. Then we head to Lindo Mar for a week. We don't eat much for breakfast or lunch and do so in our room usually plus Lindo Mar has La Playita restaurant right there or it is a quick cab/bus ride to town. So, AI is never on our radar. I will check into a discount when we arrive at Garza Blanca. For $115 pp/pd, we will go to town. We never get to all of our favorites anyway.

 

[Quimby4]

Completely with you. I LOVE AI as a concept, because I like the idea of carefree eat when you want, drink what you want without those fussy budgets. If I'm renting an AI through a discount OTA, it works out pretty well. Our resort in PV is $115 PPPD for owners, which itself is more than I can consume in a day. If one were to exchange into there, it's $170 PPPD yikes! You can literally rent a week there with AI for about the same as their retail AI fee. We're going to do the meal plan at Vidanta, which seems very reasonable (but is sans drinks), and plan to pay out of pocket at the Velas Vallarta restaurants plus explore the Marina restaurants while we are there.

Which resort do you own in PV? How much are you paying at Vidanta? Thank you

 

[Quimby4]

We really liked the meal plan at Grand Luxxe! We bought two sets of vouchers for 3 people for a week, and it worked out great. DH and I stayed an extra week, and a stranger gave us his unused vouchers which was super nice! The food was very good at the resort.

Do you remember approximate costs?

 

[Quimby4]

I just got a long awaited exchange in a Garza Blanca one bedroom in Puerto Vallarta. I was curious about the AI (which we never do in PV due to the incredible dining choices in town), so I just called the toll free number to find the amount. Garza Blanca is a bit south of town, so at a reasonable rate, it might be something we would consider. At $115 per person/per day, I can't imagine how we could eat/drink that much, though. So, maybe look online for your resorts' toll free numbers and inquire.

Quimby4 or others - Is the AI fee negotiable?? Would be interested to know this.

Yes, I hear some people get great AI rates at check in. Congrats on Garza Blanca, looks beautiful. Wish I had RCI to try this one, they arent in II.

 

[PamMo]

Do you remember approximate costs?

For Grand Luxxe Nuevo Vallarta, their meal vouchers were approx $235USD for six 3-course dinners and six breakfasts OR lunches (a total of 12 meals). Vouchers can be used by anyone in your party, and not everyone has to use a voucher when eating together. Some of the meals were HUGE, and could easily be shared. Alcohol is not included.

 

[Ty1on]

Which resort do you own in PV? How much are you paying at Vidanta? Thank you

Velas Vallarta in PV. I exchanged into Vidanta, and the meal plan is between $250 and $300 for a package of 6 breakfasts (which can be treated as brunch at 11 AM) and 6 dinners, depending on exchange rate. I believe it is closer to $250 at the moment, maybe a little below that as PamMo just indicated.

 

[SciTchr]

Quimby4...I very patiently waited for the exchange. Took a long time! I had an OGS for both Lindo Mar and a Garza Blanca 1 bedroom (the studios are plentiful but do not have a kitchen - even a microwave/tiny fridge). I was prepared to take whichever came up first, but I am so glad GB was the winner! We own at Lindo Mar and were looking for an extra week somewhere, so it will be fun to try out GB after our Lindo Mar week. Good luck with your search for PV Spring Break! And I will hope for an AI deal at check-in. My husband will not be happy if I make him attend a TS presentation, but I bet that is the bait. LOL

 

[Ty1on]

I will guarantee you that will be the bait.