New Fee Warning for Vidanta on RCI

[rpennisi]

Just noticed that on RCI, when you click on any Vidanta resort (except for Sea Gardens) a pop up warning about fees shows up on the screen. I am guessing lots of RCI exchangers were unpleasantly surprised by the fees either just before going or while they were checking in. II doesn't have the warning as a pop up, only shows the fees in the fine print just before exchanging your unit.

Important Information

This resort has a mandatory resort fee for additional benefits that should be paid 14 days prior to check-in. Please review the Fees tab below, as well as Urgent Information, for additional details and if confirmed, watch for payment instructions from RCI.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

It has been there for a while / at least a few months .

I think they also added it because resort fees on new reservations must be paid 14 days ahead;
which simplifies check in / check out for the "hotel side " staff at the front desk .

Check Mazatlan - no Vidanta resort fee there , and you can do multiple weeks a year .

Mayan Palace Regency Mazatlan- RCI A 381 / C 374
2 bedrooms are 11 TPU'S Sept - Nov / Dec - April shows 14 TPU's
availability through Nov 2020

There is a Construction noise warning until Dec 2019

 

[hellolani]

I'm finally travelling in May on a reservation I made in 2016 at GL Nuevo. My reservation is still on the $11/pp/pd. I'm so pleased I managed to entirely miss the $30pp/pd & $15pkid/pd. The $630 will work out better for me since I bring a big crew and we can all split it. It will work out to be closer to $15/pp/pd. Now if I could just get the Canadian dollar to slow it's nosedive....

 

[bnoble]

There are now two new ones (I think?) at Riviera Maya:

Mandatory State Lodging tax is 3 %. Cash or Credit is accepted.

Based on unit rack rate.

Mandatory Environment Tax is 20.00 local currency. Only Credit Cards accepted.

Mandatory Enviroment Tax per reservation, per night.
​

Anyone know what rack rate is? (If it is based on what's on their English site, rack at a Grand Mayan 2BR is $1100 US/night, so this is $33/night.)

 

[pittle]

We were at the Grand Bliss in RM last year - 2BR unit. The Environmental tax on the bill was 40 pesos per day and the room tax for Grand Bliss was 25.92 pes0s per day so 65.92 - about $4 per day in USD.

You have to watch out for the Foundation 300 pesos and the bottles of water and packets of coffee in your unit - they will charge you for them each time the housekeeper comes - 25 pesos per bottle. We have not used any of he bottles of water in this unit they will have to take them off.

 

[Eric B]

Just checked out of Grand Luxxe RM; environmental was 40 pesos per day and the room tax was 96.12 pesos per day. Worked out to about $7.65 US per day. These aren't really new ones; they've both been there for a while, but aren't really all that significant. I believe it wound up being 40 pesos per day rather than 20 because it was a 2 BR suite. While their website says the rack rate is much higher, it seems to be treated as $180 US per day for a 2 BR Villa unit. I'm not going to complain about having to pay less, though....

As @pittle mentioned, there is a voluntary donation to the founders' personal charity that will be tacked onto your bill for 300 pesos and they typically add a charge for water bottles every time. There is absolutely no push back when you ask to have these removed, though. It is a worthy charity and seems to do good things, but bear in mind that this is a donation that is added to your bill to favor a Billionaire's charitable foundation, so you'll have to decide for yourself whether it should get your charity dollars or whether you want to give them elsewhere.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Just checked out of Grand Luxxe RM; env. was 40 pesos per day and the room tax was 96.12 pesos per day.
Worked out to about $7.65 US per day......2 BR suite .

As @pittle mentioned, there is a voluntary donation ..tacked onto your bill for 300 pesos ......, so you'll have to decide for yourself whether it should get your charity dollars or whether you want to give them elsewhere.

The 300 peso donation is for an after school program in Nuevo Vallarta . The building it is run from ,is off the back side of the Vidanta property ,and was built to Vidanta standards .
It is named after his mom who was an educator . They do run weekly late afternoon tours of the facility . We did it in 2017 . It appeared to be an excellent program and worth replicating .

- But optional - a donation .

Done the donation / never used or paid for the water bottles.

 

[TravelTime]

I am seeing a flat per unit fee of $420 for 2BR+ on RCI and II (less for studios and 1 BR). I saw 20 pesos for environmental fee on RCI. I am hoping at some point to use RCI/Registry Collection to trade into a 3BR Spa unit or a 3/4BR Loft even though it is just me and my husband. Those units are so amazing and the resort fee is the same as the 2BR so it seems worth it to me. I am interested in trying out the Riviera Maya location at some point.

This is posted on II:

REQUIRED RESORT CHARGES
REQUIRED SURCHARGES (energy, accommodations/occupancy tax, bed tax, fees or other miscellaneous) ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OCCUPANT AND ARE PAYABLE DIRECTLY TO THE RESORT. Surcharges are subject to change without notice. Confirmations made on or after October 5, 2018: 0BED: USD 168. 1BED: USD 252. 2BED: USD 420. Resort Fee per unit/per week. Confirmations made April 2 through October 4th, 2018: Resort Fee: USD 30 adult/daily. Children 5-12 years of age: USD 15 per child/daily. Resort Fee Includes: One way transfer to resort, Wi-Fi, maid service, newspaper, access to gym & internal transportation. To schedule airport transfer to resort: https://shuttleservices.vidanta.com The following information must be provided within five days before check-in: confirmation number, name of the resort and flight information. Valet parking: MXN 100 daily /per car. A government imposed Environmental/Infrastructure. Impact Fee of MXN 20 per unit, per night will be collected.

This is on RCI:

Resort Fees

• Resort amenities fee is 252.00 U.S. dollars. Only Credit Cards accepted.
  • Mandatory resort fee per 1B unit, per week.
• Resort amenities fee is 420.00 U.S. dollars. Only Credit Cards accepted.
  • Mandatory resort fee per 2B unit, per week.
• Resort amenities fee is 420.00 U.S. dollars. Only Credit Cards accepted.
  • Mandatory resort fee per 3B unit, per week.
• Resort amenities fee is 420.00 U.S. dollars. Only Credit Cards accepted.
  • Mandatory resort fee per 4B unit, per week.
• Resort amenities fee is 168.00 U.S. dollars. Only Credit Cards accepted.
  • Mandatory resort fee per Hotel unit, per week.
• Resort amenities fee is 168.00 U.S. dollars. Only Credit Cards accepted.
  • Mandatory resort fee per Studio unit, per week.

 

[Eric B]

Those are the fees for RM; NV is higher.

I’m not sure about inventory they are putting in II, but the bulk deposits by Vidanta in Registry, which trickle down to RCI Platinum, have been limited to 2 BR spa and below. Vidanta seems to be shifting the loft and residence units and 3 BR spas to Third Home. Fees there are $42 per day per unit plus the taxes and environmental fees.

 

[KathyAH475]

The 300 peso donation is for an after school program in Nuevo Vallarta . The building it is run from ,is off the back side of the Vidanta property ,and was built to Vidanta standards .
It is named after his mom who was an educator . They do run weekly late afternoon tours of the facility . We did it in 2017 . It appeared to be an excellent program and worth replicating .

- But optional - a donation .

Done the donation / never used or paid for the water bottles.

Hi Eric- I hope that you had a wonderful week. Would you mind letting me know what time the BC pool is opening up these days? Thanks!

 

[Eric B]

Beach Club opens at 10:00 am; 9:30 am for platinum. Not sure if they're letting non-owners use it yet. Line was starting ~9:00.

We had a great time; first time I managed to get my folks to go down with us and they loved it. Wound up taking a cab into PdC a couple of times; the taxi cost was 430 pesos each way while the collectivo that picks up at the central lobby would have been 100 pesos per person each way. We figured it was pretty much a wash with four of us and saved worrying about catching the ride back, etc. Haven't tried the walk out to the road and catch one there yet; my parents are a bit old for that.

P.S., @T-Dot-Traveller and I are actually different people....

 

[pittle]

So, was the Beach Club for GB & GL owners while you were there? Last year it was that way until Memorial Day. We had exchanged in so did not get to use the BC since we were considered exchangers.

So nice that you took your parents I am sure that they loved spending time with you! Vacations together are a great way to spend time together as everyone is more relaxed and you get to spend some quality time with those who are most important to you.

 

[Eric B]

It was just owners (and the exchangers that did an update, of course). We all had a great time; hope to run into you sometime down there!

 

[TravelTime]

Those are the fees for RM; NV is higher.

I’m not sure about inventory they are putting in II, but the bulk deposits by Vidanta in Registry, which trickle down to RCI Platinum, have been limited to 2 BR spa and below. Vidanta seems to be shifting the loft and residence units and 3 BR spas to Third Home. Fees there are $42 per day per unit plus the taxes and environmental fees.

Deleted - info out of date

 

[Eric B]

Interesting; must be limited to folks looking through DVC or something like that. When I check Registry it shows only 2 BR spas and no 2 or 3 BR lofts (there are no 4 BR lofts until the Estates are finished) or 4 BR Residence weeks. I see the same in the Registry bleed-through inventory in RCI Platinum.

I couldn't begin to guess at what an appropriate MVC point value would be for a Grand Luxxe Loft or Residence week. I didn't even know that Third Home denominated weeks in MVC points. Right now they are running a special for August-October at Grand Luxxe for half the cost in Third Home keys if you book by April 30th. No idea if that works for the MVC access, though. There's also the keyless stays within 30 days. It's sounding like they are doing a lot of promos to get heads in beds for the low season....

 

[easyrider]

I was about to exchange into the Grand Lux but the new park isn't finished. I thought the park was going to open in Jan 2020. Anyway, the luxury tax for a one bed unit is $299 for the week. The last time it was $11 pp per day at Rivera Maya a few years ago.

Bill

 

[Eric B]

Through Third Home it's $42 per day per unit without regard to the unit size. That makes it $294 for the week. I used to be $11 per person per day in RCI and II, then it went up to $30 per person per day, then it changed to a flat rate based on the unit size for the whole week. I believe it's still at $25 for a week going through SFX, but you can swing a 2 BR Loft in Third Home for one key (which costs me about $250 in MFs) plus the $294 resort fee for a week in August-October right now. It's tempting, but I've already got my vacations scheduled for the fall.

 

[TravelTime]

Through Third Home it's $42 per day per unit without regard to the unit size. That makes it $294 for the week. I used to be $11 per person per day in RCI and II, then it went up to $30 per person per day, then it changed to a flat rate based on the unit size for the whole week. I believe it's still at $25 for a week going through SFX, but you can swing a 2 BR Loft in Third Home for one key (which costs me about $250 in MFs) plus the $294 resort fee for a week in August-October right now. It's tempting, but I've already got my vacations scheduled for the fall.

I just re-checked and you were right. They must have just switched the inventory. Now I only see up to 2 BR Spa units at Grand Luxxe. I do not see any inventory right now through Marriott Vacation Club for GL, although I used to see it. I guess Vidanta is in the midst of changing their strategy again. Based on Disney points, a one bedroom MF is approx $1400 and a 2 BR MF is approx $2100. It costs the same right now for a 2 BR villa as a 2 BR Spa unit.

I do see Montecristo and Pueblo Bonito now, which I do not recall seeing before in ThirdHome, although it might have been there, but with MVC DPs it is very expensive.

I will delete my post above since it is already out of date.

 

[Eric B]

I just re-checked and you were right. They must have just switched the inventory. Now I only see up to 2 BR Spa units at Grand Luxxe. I do not see any inventory right now through Marriott Vacation Club for GL, although I used to see it. I guess Vidanta is in the midst of changing their strategy again. Based on Disney points, a one bedroom MF is approx $1400 and a 2 BR MF is approx $2100. It costs the same right now for a 2 BR villa as a 2 BR Spa unit.

I do see Montecristo and Pueblo Bonito now, which I do not recall seeing before in ThirdHome, although it might have been there, but with MVC DPs it is very expensive.

I will delete my post above since it is already out of date.

I had noticed that they were adjusting their inventory available in Registry a month or two ago, just before they affiliated with Third Home. Now that they've signed the contract with them it seems like all of the higher end ones have shifted out of Registry. Not sure if they're still available in II. There also isn't much in the way of the 4 BR ones in Third Home, either; I'm not sure why that is, though, or where those are going.