[ 2018 ] Average starting membership cost at Vidanta NV

[vantovidanta]

Hi everyone. New 42 y.o. member here from Vancouver and frequent Mexico vacationer.

As many here know, Vidanta applies usage weeks to its members.

Everyone negotiates their registered weeks and other benefits or perks.

Studios start at around $675 usage fee. 1 bed with micro kitchen is around $1000

Like many people we are afraid we paid too much but we figured that we would spend $5000-6000 per year on family vacations anyways so factoring the quality of vidanta and not all inclusive (which we don't mind) we get lots of air points with our small business it is a excellent value to be a member here at Vidanta

My starter contract was a studio at MP SG for I think $8k but did not pay it all.

It was a wash for that because we cancelled that only after a few months payments when upgraded to GM 1 bed suite. We didn't even stay at MP or SG. It was my bday in January so they gave me grand luxxe for a week and grand bliss 1 week to see the presentation.

We get a lot of weeks we will use probably twice a year for 2 weeks each time . 4 weeks total. They said we can even go more

We like just having to pay usage fee for the next 100 years

So what's a good starting point for Grande luxxe membership when we choose to upgrade again?? Factoring in the equity paid so far into GM.

Looking back I should have pushed more for GM 2bed suite or even starter GL for what we paid.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Hi everyone. New 42 y.o. member here from Vancouver and frequent Mexico vacationer
Vidanta ....
Studios start at around $675 usage fee. 1 bed with micro kitchen is around $1000
Like many people we are afraid we paid too much but ..
My starter contract was a studio at MP SG for I think $8k but did not pay it all.
It was a wash for that because we cancelled that only after a few months payments when upgraded to GM 1 bed suite. We didn't even stay at MP or SG. It was my bday in January so they gave me grand luxxe for a week and grand bliss 1 week to see the presentation.

Looking back I should have pushed more for GM 2bed suite or even starter GL for what we paid.

What year did you buy and then upgrade to Grand Mayan ?
This makes a difference on the MF and other parts of the contract .
I assume the MF you list is for GM .

Vidanta - Gupo Mayan - Vidafel has made many changes over the years and there are many variations of contract unlike many USA based TS systems .

A few months ago - there was a forum post - Parents bought in 1987 and did the 25 year renewal 5 years ago, but Mom & Dad could no longer travel .
2017 MF for a 2 bedroom Mayan Palace was $ 475 / definitely worth the no cost transfer to the family member who posted .AND
should never be upgraded since Vidanta would reset the (ultra /low legacy) MF etc etc .

 

[vantovidanta]

New contracts don't have any maintenance fee.

Just pay usage fee the weeks you use.

Go 1 week $1000
Go 2 weeks $2000

etc

Membership fees varies the type of unit / building level

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

New contracts don't have any maintenance fee.

Just pay usage fee the weeks you use.

Go 1 week $1000
Go 2 weeks $2000

etc

Membership fees varies the type of unit / building level

my contract from 2006 - has MF on use only / which is the same thing .( "no go / no pay addendum "- which was introduced in late 2005) .
Mayan Palace - 1 bedroom suite / 2017 registered week booked Feb 2018 - $ 715

25 year renewal at 5 x then current MF (100 year contract / 3 renewals) - 1 REGISTERED week + 1 Vacation Fare week
**REGISTERED WEEK renews as a registered week for entire length of contract .
ARP - 6 months - Can book Feb 2019 on Aug.1 2018 with Registered week ; VF week ARP is 45 days for Jan / Feb - 6 month otherwise .
Reno fee - (2nd MF ) due every 5 years .

5% cap on MF increase pr year ( Actually USA CPI +/- 5% for Mexican inflation - actual increase has averaged $20 per year - 2006-2017)

Entire contract can transfer to family at no charge and keeps VF week and MF on use only . (These do not transfer on resale and non family transfer cost is 5 x MF )

cost was 16 K net -in 2006 (after trade in - yadda yadda -sales bs -yadda )
and this was probably "average / Grand Mayan was closer to 30 K net .

*****
**newer contracts renew at 10 years and REGISTERED week becomes a Residence Week .

IF you ever upgrade - it is worth reading TUG posts by Mikenk
He has a negotiated addendum that says at the 10 year renewal one of his residence weeks takes on all the benefits of the REGISTERED week .
I believe he did this by doing an upgrade with sales and then rescinding and negotiating the final contract addendums with Vidanta Member Services .

TUG member EricB has many good recent posts on all the various Grand Luxxe configurations and ways to maximize use and value.
TUG Member Pittle/ Phyllis has many informative posts going back to 2007 and earlier . There are lots of other good posts by TUG members /Vidanta owners & exchangers .

** the differences between registered and residence weeks does not (currently) really matter for use / and likely won't ; as long as Vidanta keeps growing at their current rate .
You mentioned you are 42 years old . If you use Vidanta until you are 82 and then pass your contract on to family this distinction could become important ; and negotiating addendums
with that in mind could be seen as good long term vacation planning .

 

[vantovidanta]

Hi Tdot thanks for taking the time to reply. I' going to assume we speak in US dollars

I have been searching through this wealth of information you referenced.

I have read some it and will continue to do so.

Many people are exchangers and refuse to own so it's nice to hear from some owners and it helps future potential owners know where we should be (Around) when looking to buy.

I hear some people paying $100k some people pay a fraction of that and others simply just renting from owners or those willing to offload the weeks they aren't using for cheap.

I guess I bought into some membership privilege benefits, safety, security, predictability. Rather than chance the bargain hunt or not quite get exactly what I want in dates or unit location.

I think for the membership cost I paid for 1 bed suite in GM I should be able to get better dates, better views, better building choice, higher floors rather than stuck facing the parking lot

 

[Eric B]

**newer contracts renew at 10 years and REGISTERED week becomes a Residence Week .

Thanks for the mention, Tom. They've been using different terms in addition to registered weeks in the contracts I've got and have seen; bottom line up front is that the registered weeks don't really become residence weeks, but go away instead. They're written as two part contracts, one good for 10 years and one good for 100 years if renewed at every 10 year point. The 10-year typical contract is for one registered week every other year plus the ability to request what is termed an "Alternate Year Grand Luxxe Week" in the off years; registered weeks have a 12-month reservation window and the others have a 10-month window, but they typically extend that to 12 months by addendum. (The reservations windows open on the first of the month for the entire month 12 months out.) The contract requires a usage fee payment for every registered week by February 28 of the year, but typically is waived by addendum, making it a payment on use as is the case for the Alternate Grand Luxxe Weeks and the "Grand Luxxe Weeks" covered in the 100-year contract. In my opinion, the importance of the registered weeks is that they are what limits the number of contracts Vida Vacations (the sales branch of Grupo Vidanta) is allowed to sell under their rules. (Take it for what it's worth - I'm not a Mexican attorney or knowledgeable in how Mexico regulates timeshares to any extent beyond a customer who reads contracts.) I believe this allows them to sell X number of contracts for X type of room every 10 years, with the corresponding ability to book other weeks there as part of their inventory management scheme to fill the resort; sales lead to profits on the Vida Vacations side and bookings lead to profits on the hotel side, which are managed as separate entities.

The 100-year contracts typically get a "certificate holder" the ability to use 2 "Grand Luxxe Weeks" every year with a reservation window of 12 months, except for the high season (January - March) when it's a 10-month window. (I've seen a couple that actually don't allow reservations in the high season, too - there are different versions of the contracts.) These ones can only be transferred to family or heirs; the 10-year contracts can be sold, but there's a high transfer fee and a sale typically doesn't include addenda. It's also not clear to me whether the sale of the 10-year contract would include the 100-year one. They've pretty much eliminated the retail market for these types of contracts; the older ones like Tom has have much better transfer terms as well as the lower MFs, though I don't think you'll find any on the market for the upper level Grand Luxxe units.

The entry-level Grand Luxxe units would be something like the Grand Luxxe Lofts (studio ones in Nuevo Vallarta building 5) or studio portions of the Grand Luxxe suites. The prices I've seen and experienced are in the $30K range. The break points in upgrading are at the 2 BR spa level for improved treatment in the Registry Collection, the 3 BR spa level for improved treatment in the Vida Lifestyle program, the 1 BR Loft (true 2-story loft) for being part of the Residence at Grand Luxxe rather than the Grand Luxxe Residence Club, and the 3 BR loft for being Vidanta Platinum level. Vidanta treats you better as you go up the ladder and pay more to them; at some point before the 3 BR loft you become Vidanta Gold level, which has a different reservation number to call and some other benefits. Getting higher on the food chain has some perks that can reduce your "operating costs" for going back to Vidanta for vacations similar to getting VIP levels in other resort systems.

I guess I bought into some membership privilege benefits, safety, security, predictability. Rather than chance the bargain hunt or not quite get exactly what I want in dates or unit location.

I think for the membership cost I paid for 1 bed suite in GM I should be able to get better dates, better views, better building choice, higher floors rather than stuck facing the parking lot

That's pretty much why we chose to buy in, Van. We haven't been stuck with a parking lot view; I'm not sure there really are any at the Grand Luxxe level anyway. You can manage your room assignment to some extent by picking what room types you reserve in Grand Luxxe because of their limited locations; there are no spa or loft units on the ground floor in Nuevo Vallarta. In Riviera Maya the views don't seem to be that important to me because of the limited building heights there and the jungle surrounding the buildings anyway. Looking forward to learning how to use things in East Cape if they ever build that one. Hope this helps. I'm contemplating putting together a "User's Guide to Grand Luxxe" when I get a chance, but won't be posting it publicly; Vidanta has a great product, but doesn't seem to tell you how to use it. There's a lot of good info on aimfair.com, too, including resale listings that give you an idea of what the prices are for the upgraded levels.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

. ..... In my opinion, the importance of the registered weeks is that they are what limits the number of contracts Vida Vacations (the sales branch of Grupo Vidanta) is allowed to sell under their rules. (Take it for what it's worth - I'm not a Mexican attorney or knowledgeable in how Mexico regulates timeshares to any extent beyond a customer who reads contracts.) I believe this allows them to sell X number of contracts for X type of room every 10 years, with the corresponding ability to book other weeks there as part of their inventory management scheme to fill the resort; sales lead to profits on the Vida Vacations side and bookings lead to profits on the hotel side, which are managed as separate entities.

There's a lot of good info on aimfair.com, too, including resale listings that give you an idea of what the prices are for the upgraded levels.[/QUOTE ]
.

I think your summary of this is spot on .

That said : For most current Vidanta owners it makes little difference in actual ability to use and vacation .I would compare it to an airline . They book passengers knowing that if they reach a certain number they will need a bigger plane . The backend logistics of this process rarely impacts passengers ability to get on a flight .

 

[vantovidanta]

So basically residence weeks after 10 years (aka non-registered weeks) are second dibs subject to availability.

I think they also can't be booked too far in advance but I could be wrong.

Ambassador certificates can only be booked 5 months in advance and likely not allowed at all times giving preferred booking access to members first

 

[vantovidanta]

Thanks for the mention, Tom. They've been using different terms in addition to registered weeks in the contracts I've got and have seen; bottom line up front is that the registered weeks don't really become residence weeks, but go away instead. They're written as two part contracts, one good for 10 years and one good for 100 years if renewed at every 10 year point. The 10-year typical contract is for one registered week every other year plus the ability to request what is termed an "Alternate Year Grand Luxxe Week" in the off years; registered weeks have a 12-month reservation window and the others have a 10-month window, but they typically extend that to 12 months by addendum. (The reservations windows open on the first of the month for the entire month 12 months out.) The contract requires a usage fee payment for every registered week by February 28 of the year, but typically is waived by addendum, making it a payment on use as is the case for the Alternate Grand Luxxe Weeks and the "Grand Luxxe Weeks" covered in the 100-year contract. In my opinion, the importance of the registered weeks is that they are what limits the number of contracts Vida Vacations (the sales branch of Grupo Vidanta) is allowed to sell under their rules. (Take it for what it's worth - I'm not a Mexican attorney or knowledgeable in how Mexico regulates timeshares to any extent beyond a customer who reads contracts.) I believe this allows them to sell X number of contracts for X type of room every 10 years, with the corresponding ability to book other weeks there as part of their inventory management scheme to fill the resort; sales lead to profits on the Vida Vacations side and bookings lead to profits on the hotel side, which are managed as separate entities.

The 100-year contracts typically get a "certificate holder" the ability to use 2 "Grand Luxxe Weeks" every year with a reservation window of 12 months, except for the high season (January - March) when it's a 10-month window. (I've seen a couple that actually don't allow reservations in the high season, too - there are different versions of the contracts.) These ones can only be transferred to family or heirs; the 10-year contracts can be sold, but there's a high transfer fee and a sale typically doesn't include addenda. It's also not clear to me whether the sale of the 10-year contract would include the 100-year one. They've pretty much eliminated the retail market for these types of contracts; the older ones like Tom has have much better transfer terms as well as the lower MFs, though I don't think you'll find any on the market for the upper level Grand Luxxe units.

The entry-level Grand Luxxe units would be something like the Grand Luxxe Lofts (studio ones in Nuevo Vallarta building 5) or studio portions of the Grand Luxxe suites. The prices I've seen and experienced are in the $30K range. The break points in upgrading are at the 2 BR spa level for improved treatment in the Registry Collection, the 3 BR spa level for improved treatment in the Vida Lifestyle program, the 1 BR Loft (true 2-story loft) for being part of the Residence at Grand Luxxe rather than the Grand Luxxe Residence Club, and the 3 BR loft for being Vidanta Platinum level. Vidanta treats you better as you go up the ladder and pay more to them; at some point before the 3 BR loft you become Vidanta Gold level, which has a different reservation number to call and some other benefits. Getting higher on the food chain has some perks that can reduce your "operating costs" for going back to Vidanta for vacations similar to getting VIP levels in other resort systems.



That's pretty much why we chose to buy in, Van. We haven't been stuck with a parking lot view; I'm not sure there really are any at the Grand Luxxe level anyway. You can manage your room assignment to some extent by picking what room types you reserve in Grand Luxxe because of their limited locations; there are no spa or loft units on the ground floor in Nuevo Vallarta. In Riviera Maya the views don't seem to be that important to me because of the limited building heights there and the jungle surrounding the buildings anyway. Looking forward to learning how to use things in East Cape if they ever build that one. Hope this helps. I'm contemplating putting together a "User's Guide to Grand Luxxe" when I get a chance, but won't be posting it publicly; Vidanta has a great product, but doesn't seem to tell you how to use it. There's a lot of good info on aimfair.com, too, including resale listings that give you an idea of what the prices are for the upgraded levels.

I didn't know about the alternate year grand luxxe weeks but it makes sense because when we started our SG MP membership in April 2017 we wanted to try the GM and they let us, however when we got there in Jan 2018, in exchange for the presentation and it was my birthday they offered us GL basic unit in building 4 not so great view of sanctuario but the room was nice. Then we went to GB for the last week.

So that is great that you reminded us about the GL alternate weeks, that would be a nice to have a change from the GM to GL every once in a while. I don't really want to upgrade and pay any more at this time because I have 2 young kids 4 & 5 y.o. so I the GM 1 bed fits our needs just fine at the moment.

I like GL for the luxury but it seems to be an older crowd but it may be due to the time i arrived in January.

The GM is great but I can see it getting crowded. It's a mixed demographic but it appears Vidanta is mostly older folks but there's nothing wrong with that!

regardless i am interested to see the actual levels comparing apples to apples. I will structure my next post on this and maybe some more experienced members can do some fill in the blanks to build a price level reference.

 

[pittle]

"I think for the membership cost I paid for 1 bed suite in GM I should be able to get better dates, better views, better building choice, higher floors rather than stuck facing the parking lot."

Don't count on that! Last year they knew we were Gold GL Members on an exchange and put us in a 1st floor unit by the A/C units and we could not go outside on the deck at the GM. They did move us after 2 days & several calls. The place was no where near full and we have been owners since February 1999.

 

[vantovidanta]

I got this from a friend here.

Usage fees vary based on contract limitations for inflation. List below is from the Vida Lifestyle website (Run by ICE, not Vidanta, for a contract written last year); your fees may vary.

2017 Usage Fees

The Cascades
Master Room $600
Suite $800
Master Suite $1,000
Sea Garden
Master Room $567
Suite $760
Master Suite $966
Mayan Palace/The Bliss
Master Room $600
Suite $800
Master Suite $1,000
Kingdom of the Sun
Grand Master Room $900
Grand Suite/Grand Loft $1,000
Grand Master Suite $1,500
The Grand Mayan
Grand Master Room $800
Grand Suite/Grand Loft $900
Grand Master Suite $1,400
The Grand Bliss
Master Room $900
Suite $1,000
Master Suite $1,500
Grand Luxxe Villa
Junior Suite $1,300
Suite $1,600
Master Suite $2,200
Presidential Units
Presidential Suite "H" $1,500
Exclusive Villa $1,600
Exclusive Master Villa $2,200
Presidential $2,700
Grand Luxxe Suite/Condo
Master Room $1,200
Suite $1,500
Master Suite $2,100
Luxxe Loft $1,300
The Residence at Grand Luxxe
1 Bdrm Loft $2,200
2 Bdrm Loft $2,700
3 Bdrm Loft $2,900
4 Bdrm Residence $3,200
Spa Tower Residence
2 Bdrm $2,000
3 Bdrm $2,200

 

[vantovidanta]

"I think for the membership cost I paid for 1 bed suite in GM I should be able to get better dates, better views, better building choice, higher floors rather than stuck facing the parking lot."

Don't count on that! Last year they knew we were Gold GL Members on an exchange and put us in a 1st floor unit by the A/C units and we could not go outside on the deck at the GM. They did move us after 2 days & several calls. The place was no where near full and we have been owners since February 1999.

oh no Phyliss, that is not good but you would think that if it wasn't that busy they would put you in the ocean view side.

I am going to the RM side in Sept 28th 2018 for 2 weeks. It is the low season and there isn't much view on the RM side anyways because i heard the buildings are low into the jungle canopy.

In 2019 i want to book again in GM NV side. I'm just not sure which month yet. Just watching the airfare but my kids do have march break but they are young so we can go whenever at this point. I was thinking either feb or march 2019

 

[vantovidanta]

Thanks for the mention, Tom. They've been using different terms in addition to registered weeks in the contracts I've got and have seen; bottom line up front is that the registered weeks don't really become residence weeks, but go away instead. They're written as two part contracts, one good for 10 years and one good for 100 years if renewed at every 10 year point.

what is the cost to renew after the 10 year registered weeks?
I thought that after 10 years i could just go whenever i could find availability as residence weeks. They didn't mentioned any renewal fees or anything.

do you mean that i only need to renew if i want registered weeks?

i'm just trying to understand my obligations after 10 years when i still want to visit.

my understanding was after 10 years i can still go anytime pretty much (red time) as long as i paid the usage week fee. I hope i understood correctly.

 

[Eric B]

The renewal cost is one usage fee at the then current rate. I believe that's fairly standard for all the different levels in the current contracts. As Tom mentioned, you probably won't have difficulty finding availability with the non-registered weeks; there are always plenty of available weeks in the off season and 1 BRs seem common in the high season through the exchange companies. It should be laid out in your contract for the renewals; it's worthwhile to take the time to read through what those say so you understand how it works. They have a good reputation for honoring what the contract and addenda say. Also, the contract says you have to figure it out and renew on your own; I haven't owned for 10 years yet, so I can't say for sure whether they prompt you anyway.

The sales side of the house has a fair amount of say in who gets put where; that's part of why they hold off on letting you head to your room until 5:00. Phyllis and a few others have noted bad room assignments in response to declining to attend sales presentations.

Also, the term "Alternate Grand Luxxe Weeks" is what is used in the Grand Luxxe contracts. They no doubt use a different term in the Grand Mayan contracts, so don't just assume you can go to GL every other year. You do have the option of exchanging into GL through SFX or the Registry Collection; they both have decent availability, especially in the non-high seasons. SFX is good for the GL suite/condo level units and sometimes gets the studio and 1 BR lofts; it can be a decent way to get access to GL by depositing a different TS week or by depositing one of your GM weeks. There will be an upgrade fee typically, plus whatever the membership cost is, which can bring the cost up to about what the usage fee is for a GL owner at that level (depending on the other TS MF). I do go that route myself sometimes, but will more likely use the Registry Collection now that they've updated that program to the point that it makes sense at our level.

As far as the old crowd goes (guilty as charged), it's not universal. I've seen quite a few younger folks as well as read a number of posts by other owners with young kids that go there. GL does have a kid's club in Nuevo Vallarta, though it might be for grand children....

 

[vantovidanta]

Hah thanks for the lengthy response.

Yea grandkids area. I figured older folks are some of the only people or largest demographic of people that could or tried to afford the GL.

I am understanding more and more this chaos and confusion now.

In Jan 2018 i did visit the grand luxxe kids area as I was in building 4 from Jan 14-21. Ate at freshco and Quinto.

The time i spent at GL rooms and beach view pool was really nice

Next time I'll spend some time at the other beachside pools.

I am looking forward to the next visit.

Really wet and cold here in van today lol.

 

[pittle]

My contract says the 10 year renewal fee is 1/2 MF, BUT - it really is 1 because it is 1/2 for the regular week an 1/2 for the what I call VF (Residence Week), so I say it is 1 MF per week to renew. For us, it is a good deal because we have the Senior Certificate so that means after we pay the basically the MF for our 2 weeks we go for free! We only intend to pay one time. If the kids want to keep our contract, they will be able to keep the no pay unless you go.

For quite a while, they only offered GL to people who owned GM that consisted of us older folks. My observation over the years is that only folks with small kids and empty-nesters vacation January-April. Often, it was the grandparents that own the units and bring the grands to a great place. We have noticed many multi-generational families over the years - especially at Thanksgiving. Vidanta resorts are super great for families!!!

We did not buy in to timeshares until our kids were in college and then because we lived in Kansas, we traveled in February! We have been Mayan World owners since 1999. We met many Canadians when on vacation & see some of them each year!

 

[Eric B]

I'm still a bit jealous of the whole Senior Certificate thing (though I'm not quite old enough to use one yet)! The latest changes they've made to their exchanging with Registry make up for it a bit, though. The sales folks swear that Vidanta will never offer the Senior Certificates again, but it seems to me to be part of the ebb and flow between the sales and the hotel side of things. I put the details of what I could figure out about it in another thread, but at my level (1 BR loft), we can pay one usage fee for a deposit to the Registry Collection and get two exchanges out of it, including back to Vidanta at a higher level subject to availability (i.e., typically in the off season). Not quite 2 for 1, but it is 2 upgraded for 1 plus the exchange/membership fees. That works for all the Grand Luxxe currently in Nuevo Vallarta and the spa units in Riviera Maya; not sure if it will cover the new ones they're putting in in Nuevo, though. It would work a bit different at the GL suite/condo level, with one exchange back into GL and one to GB or GM, but could be a good option at that level.

It's interesting to see how the internal dynamics at Grupo Vidanta affect our options as customers. I've only been going there for a short time, but can see how the different parts of the organization are striving to maximize their own contributions over the years. The Senior Certificates must have been an idea that sprang from the hotel side to get the customers, which were somewhat limited to older people by the sales side offering only to GM, to pay more usage fees. The current change, which they haven't done an official roll out for yet, seems like it must be similarly motivated because it is designed to make paying the usage fees and exchanging back in more attractive than exchanging back in with another TS.

They're definitely not limiting it to GM owners now, we bought into GL without having a prior Vidanta ownership. It strikes me that they are targeting their marketing by allowing exchanges into GL through RCI Platinum, which would get them people willing to pay a bit more for timeshare exchanges and hopefully (for them) ownership down there. That's how I read it, anyway.

 

[pittle]

I do not know if it is true or not, but the story is that someone who had owned a long time was talking to Sr, Chavez and said he could not afford to come every year anymore because of the costs and the Sr. Cert idea was formed and implemented. I do know that you had to have owned at any level by November 2006 and had 18 months to sign up for it at one of the resorts when you were there. They said you had to be the original owner of the contract but someone that had resales told me to put all of our contract numbers down. We did, and got Sr. Certs for all of our MP & GM contracts. When we upgraded to GL, ours carried over and and we have 2-1/2 years for them to kick in. If these had not carried over to our GL, we would have kept all our contracts because they also gave us the no pay unless you go in a letter that came with our Sr. Certs back in the spring of 2007.

The guy that told the Sr Cert story said that it was a good thing that it was offered for only 18 months! Most of the MP upgraded right after this to the nicer GM units and many were able to start going for free immediately!

 

[vantovidanta]

Interesting details

I heard from my vidanta sales consultant that some seniors stay for months.

How frequent and duration are you guys going ? And how often do you negotiate a bump up paying a higher sircharge usage fee If at all?

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Interesting details

I heard from my vidanta sales consultant that some seniors stay for months.
?

True -

Over the past few years , we have talked to folks while we were at - (the Mayan Palace PV - Marina and Sea Garden NV )and who seem to be there for at least 4 weeks : ( within Jan - Feb - March / snowbird season ++)

This Feb : At the Sea Garden NV we spoke to a couple from British Columbia who were in Puerto Vallarta area for 13 weeks . This was at multiple locations and not just Vidanta . They did own Grand Mayan and had already been there . Their Sea Garden week was an exchange and they were checking out to go to a non TS / non AI small resort in Buscarias for a month.

In 2012 - our “member presentation” sales rep told us that Vidanta’s single biggest owner
was a rich lady from New York who had spent ($ 1,000,000 ) with them . Likely True .

Not everything TS sales people tell you is a lie .

********

++ Vidanta has built for peak snowbird season and is “full” these months .
This is why my Vacation Fare ( bonus ) week has a 45 day ARP for Feb & March .
It is basically for use during non snowbird season ; when Vidanta is not full.
All their bonus weeks / whatever the name are similarly structured .

 

[Eric B]

Interesting details

I heard from my vidanta sales consultant that some seniors stay for months.

How frequent and duration are you guys going ? And how often do you negotiate a bump up paying a higher sircharge usage fee If at all?

We’ll be down there 5 or 6 times this year & next. I’m still working, so can only go for 1 or 2 weeks at a time, but that may change once I retire. It might not all be in the Grand Luxxe, which is awful nice; we do like the Mayan Pallace in Marina Vallarta and will be trying out Buganvilias this year for better access to the rest of PV.

As for upgrading, we bought into Vidanta at the Luxxe Loff level last year and upgraded to the 1 BR loft level this year because we liked it so much. I’m not sure what more they could offer on any further upgrades for our situation; we don’t have kids and already have access to the 2 BR spas as internal exchanges under a contract addendum if we bring friends down, so don’t really need any bigger units. Vidanta platinum would be nice, but I don’t think it would meet the cost-benefit threshold for me. The nice thing about the loft and spa units is they can’t really give you a bad room assignment if you forgo the sales pitch.

 

[vantovidanta]

Thanks again for the comments. So much valuable knowledge here for the newbs.

Pittle, Such a shame that companies nowadays care more about acquiring new accounts and showering them with gifts than pleasing older accounts (banks, phone/ cable/ internet companies do this)

I guess I'll just have to pretend to care about sales presentation

You almost have to threaten cut off credit card payment to get their attention to your demands

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

In 2019 i want to book again in GM NV side. I'm just not sure which month yet. Just watching the airfare but my kids do have march break but they are young so we can go whenever at this point. I was thinking either feb or march 2019

Hi Van,
If your contract gives you 1 year ARP - you should be booking NOW . Vidanta will allow you to change. / if you need to due it before July 31
If 6 month ARP you will have to call AUGUST 1- for all Feb 2019 weeks .
(then - watch airfare , after you book a Vidanta week )

FYI- Friday Feb 15 - Friday Feb 22 2019 - will "sell out" first as it includes the Monday Holiday of Presidents Week / & some provinces Family Day.

Lucky for you Easter 2019 is April 21 -
so no weeks in March 2019 are excluded by Vidanta as Mexican Holiday Weeks.

< Most Vidanta contracts & other Mexican TS RTU / float week resorts - exclude Christmas & New Years Week(s) & the weeks before and after Easter Sunday > .
Marking Easter weeks on your vacation calendar is important as a Vidanta owner / Mexican TS owner .

By the way - occasionally in the past Vidanta has allowed red week contract owners to book Easter weeks
or you might get through SFX etc by booking enough in advance .
We have stayed at MP-PV- Marina twice this way and really enjoyed it .
Full resorts & 90 % Mexican Nationals with lots of family members .
That is why every sofa from Sea Garden to Grand Luxxe converts to a single bed AND has a trundel bed under it ,that pulls out into another sleeping location.
Think Canadian cottage on May 24 / Victoria Day weekend .

 

[pittle]

Interesting details

I heard from my vidanta sales consultant that some seniors stay for months.

How frequent and duration are you guys going ? And how often do you negotiate a bump up paying a higher sircharge usage fee If at all?

We have only stayed one week at GL since upgrading. We have 2 weeks a year that we can use if we pay the MF. But, for the cost of MF at GL for 2 weeks, we can stay 4 weeks at the Buganvilias. We are going to Grand Bliss Riviera Maya for 2 weeks in April, but are using SFX exchanges using our PBEB week that we have deposited 2 years in a row. These 2 weeks including MF & Exchange fee is less than the cost for one GL week.

We upgraded because we had 6 weeks in the old plan and the 5-year renovation fees that we would pay until the contracts came up for renewal was close to the price we paid for upgrading to 2 GL weeks. We could have had 6 free weeks when it came time for our Sr Certs, but now that we live in AZ, we tend to travel in November and do not need as many weeks.

We told them last year that we were not going to do the update meeting and had been exchanging in because they had out-priced our budget. When we upgraded, we knew that we would not likely use our weeks until the Sr. Cert kicked in since we have other places to go. We just prepaid the fees that we were obligated for and will have a wonderful place to go in a few years. We can split our 2 weeks into a 1-bedroom and Master room and stay 4 weeks if we want. In PV, our extended family loves Buganvilias for the location.

 

[Eric B]

One other thought on when to book or space bank a week; October is when we were told the usage fees go up. Also, RCI has some Xmas availability for 2019 in the Marina MP now.