Cabo Azul Daily Amenities Fee Interval vs RCI

[Hobokie]

I stayed at Cabo Azul in Aug 2021 via an Interval Exchange. I just checked my invoice and noticed I was NOT charged a resort fee.

I was looking at Cabo Azul on RCI Extra Vacations last night and noticed what others have called out: a daily MXN pesos 1200 per day charge ($60-$70ish per night). I looked on the Interval website to see if any units are available and noticed there are units but no mention of the 1200 daily, only a mention of a daily MXN 34 environmental / infrastructure fee.

Can anyone who has stayed recently at Cabo Azul via Interval let me know if fees have been added since I stayed in 2021?

Tagging folks I have seen post about this @CalGalTraveler @hurnik @rickandcindy23

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Interesting! We traded via RCI in late Feb and were assessed the fee. IMHO it was a hefty fee which added to the vacation cost. If we could avoid it via II, that would be a plus.

How much are the extra vacations on II for a 2 bdrm?

 

[Hobokie]

Interesting! We traded via RCI in late Feb and were assessed the fee. IMHO it was a hefty fee which added to the vacation cost. If we could avoid it via II, that would be a plus.

How much are the extra vacations on II for a 2 bdrm?

Currently there are only studios in both Interval and RCI that I can see with my HGVC points membership (RCI) and my Worldmark (II). The RCI Extra Vacation studios are $799 for June 2023 - March 2024 and for some reason there are a couple of studios in May 2024 that are $419. The Getaways studios for the same timeframe (Aug-October-ish) in Interval showed up as $497-$557 depending on the week for a normal Interval membership (meaning not gold and not platinum).

 

[Hobokie]

Tagging a few others I've seen post about Cabo Azul to see if we can get to the bottom of this... @geist1223 you are a WM owner and posted recently about Cabo Azul... assuming you traded into it using your WM, any chance you could go back to your invoice and see if they charged you the 1200 MXN pesos amenities fee?

@FunnyFarm @cindyc @emacnevin @douglasmhines @rpennisi

 

[geist1223]

I am a DRI Member. My Home Collection is Cabo Azul. Beware of the partial Ocean View descriptions. If you go out on your Patio` and lean out you can catch a bit of the Ocean. Also if you are on the Vidanta Side there is a bunch of construction and construction equipment.

Before we were Members of DRI we stayed at the Point at Poipu through an RCI Trade. There was a $75 per day Resort Fee. I even know of a DRI Member that was out of DRI Points that did an RCI Trade into Point at Poipu with one of their other Timeshares. In that they were not there on their DRI Membership they had to pay a $75 per day Resort Fee.

 

[rpennisi]

I stayed at Cabo Azul in Aug 2021 via an Interval Exchange. I just checked my invoice and noticed I was NOT charged a resort fee.

I was looking at Cabo Azul on RCI Extra Vacations last night and noticed what others have called out: a daily MXN pesos 1200 per day charge ($60-$70ish per night). I looked on the Interval website to see if any units are available and noticed there are units but no mention of the 1200 daily, only a mention of a daily MXN 34 environmental / infrastructure fee.

Can anyone who has stayed recently at Cabo Azul via Interval let me know if fees have been added since I stayed in 2021?

Tagging folks I have seen post about this @CalGalTraveler @hurnik @rickandcindy23

I have booked 2 2bedroom units at Cabo Azul through RCI for Jan 2024. The units were for 11 and 12 TPs, which is very reasonable but they carry the 1200 pesos/day daily fee. My thoughts were that the cost will be comparable to a similar unit without a daily fee but cost 27-30 TP. The decreasing dollar to peso rate may change that (?).

I made a similar type trade last January for a one bedroom Nuevo Vallarta Grand Bliss. Lower TP trade, but adding the weekly activity fee, it came to about what my own MP week at NV the week before cost. An added benefit at the Grand Bliss were desserts left in the kitchen the last four nights we were there by the hospitality team.

Ron

 

[Hobokie]

Welpppp.... I guess I'll keep all of us posted! To recap once more...

• I booked a Cabo Azul (MCZ) 1 bedroom and traveled August 2021 using my WM as an EXCHANGE via INTERVAL. I was NOT charged the 1200 MEX daily resort fee which is about $60-$70 per day.
• As of today, May 2023, RCI cites the 1200 MEX daily resort fee and TUG members like @rpennisi have confirmed they were charged the daily resort fee using RCI and others like @rickandcindy23 & @CalGalTraveler have posted about this (but I cannot tell if you in fact were charged the resort fee via using RCI?)
• I am taking one for the team and just booked an August 2023 GETAWAY via Interval for MCZ (studio unit) and will report back whether I was or was not charged the resort fee of 1200 MEX per day! I will include copies of both my Aug 2021 & Aug 2023 invoices.

Stay tuned for the final result! @CalGalTraveler I noticed you posted about going this year, when is your trip?

If I end up NOT getting charged the resort fees then that means the Getaway at $527 (normal non Gold Interval membership) studio is way better to be booked with Interval vs the $799 RCI Extra Vacation for the same studio unit PLUS the $68 daily resort fee (1200 MEX at today's rate) = $1,275 total...

See ya in 3 months with the final results!

 

[PamMo]

Thanks for this thread, @Hobokie. I’m really curious now about resort fees for Interval exchanges. I exchanged into a 2BR through Interval for later this year, and there was no mention of daily 1200MXN resort fees on the resort page or reservation confirmation. (Below)

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. Guests are responsible for payment of Environmental / Infrastructure fee per night, per unit: MXN 33.68. * Covid 19 testing may be available for a fee. Please contact resort for more information.
You are responsible for imposed utility/energy surcharges, occupancy or similar taxes, service charges, telephone connection fees, long distance phone charges, personal charges, and applicable amenities usage, housekeeping or resort fees.

 

[Hobokie]

There was no mention of the 1200 MEX pesos for me either, I got the same "REQUIRED SURCHAGES" message you posted above, butttt it does say "you are resposible for... applicable amenities usage, housekeeping or resort fees" which feels like a catch-all. Like I said, I was NOT charged this in 2021, but let's see if 2023 has changed (for Interval specifically, we have confirmed folks who booked through RCI who WERE charged indeed). When is your trip? Mine is end of Aug into Sep so let's see which one of us confirms first!

 

[PamMo]

I’ll be there after you, @Hobokie. I added the Cabo Azul week to a vacation with my sisters in a 4BR at Vista Encantada. I want to stay in San Jose for a change, as we always stay in Grand Solmar @ Land’s End.

 

[ocvacations]

Has anyone had any luck with them charging the 2022 fees if you booked in 2022? We stayed Oct last year and paid about $300 in fees, booked 4 two bedroom units for Oct 2023 in Nov 2022. hoping we can get them to charge us the 2022 rate.

 

[Hobokie]

Has anyone had any luck with them charging the 2022 fees if you booked in 2022? We stayed Oct last year and paid about $300 in fees, booked 4 two bedroom units for Oct 2023 in Nov 2022. hoping we can get them to charge us the 2022 rate.

Did you book via RCI or II in Oct 2022 when you stayed? What about your upcoming 2023 booking?

 

[HudsHut]

Had to be RCI, since MCZ had been absent from II from Aug 2021 - May 2023, then reappeared about a month ago.

 

[ocvacations]

Had to be RCI, since MCZ had been absent from II from Aug 2021 - May 2023, then reappeared about a month ago.

Yes it was through RCI, sorry left that part out.

 

[enma]

Very curios about this , too. I have a 2 bedroom booked in September thru II. Our friends booked the same week thru RCI. So we will see. Will report back.

 

[Hobokie]

@enma, I will be there the last week of August via II getaways. Will let you know!

 

[enma]

@enma, I will be there the last week of August via II getaways. Will let you know!

When did you buy this Getaway? I kept looking for one but never saw anything. Ended up exchanging .

 

[enma]

My confirmation definitely mentions the 1200 MXN fee


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. Guests are responsible for payment of Environmental / Infrastructure fee per
night, per unit: MXN 33.68. * Covid 19 testing may be available for a fee. Please contact resort for more information.
You are responsible for imposed utility/energy surcharges, occupancy or similar taxes, service charges, telephone connection fees, long distance phone charges, personal
charges, and applicable amenities usage, housekeeping or resort fees. There is a Resort Fee of $1200 MXN per night per room, plus applicable taxes.

 

[Hobokie]

My confirmation definitely mentions the 1200 MXN fee


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. Guests are responsible for payment of Environmental / Infrastructure fee per
night, per unit: MXN 33.68. * Covid 19 testing may be available for a fee. Please contact resort for more information.
You are responsible for imposed utility/energy surcharges, occupancy or similar taxes, service charges, telephone connection fees, long distance phone charges, personal
charges, and applicable amenities usage, housekeeping or resort fees. There is a Resort Fee of $1200 MXN per night per room, plus applicable taxes.

@enma This language is not what I saw on mine (getaway via II)... I had the language that @PamMo quoted above which was:
"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. Guests are responsible for payment of Environmental / Infrastructure fee per night, per unit: MXN 33.68. * Covid 19 testing may be available for a fee. Please contact resort for more information.
You are responsible for imposed utility/energy surcharges, occupancy or similar taxes, service charges, telephone connection fees, long distance phone charges, personal charges, and applicable amenities usage, housekeeping or resort fees."

The "or resort fees..." language makes me think they COULD charge me for this, but since I wasn't charged in 2021, I wonder.... Just a few short weeks until we find out for sure!

Below is a snip of my confirmation that I received from II...

 

[Hobokie]

When did you buy this Getaway? I kept looking for one but never saw anything. Ended up exchanging .

These pop up sometimes. For example, there's currently a studio available in August 2023 (2 weeks away) that can be booked with an AC!

 

[PamMo]

@Hobokie, I hope you aren’t charged the 1,200MXN nightly fee!

 

[Hobokie]

Boooo confirmed we DID get charged the 1200 MEX daily fee just like RCI said and like Interval now says (we were NOT charged in 2021). Bummer but I still think this place is worth it if one can get it at a good Getaways price like I did ($229 for the week but this is definitely the lowest season) or using a low MF trader and getting it during better season.

@PamMo & @enma

 

[Hobokie]

I am a DRI Member. My Home Collection is Cabo Azul. Beware of the partial Ocean View descriptions. If you go out on your Patio` and lean out you can catch a bit of the Ocean. Also if you are on the Vidanta Side there is a bunch of construction and construction equipment.

Before we were Members of DRI we stayed at the Point at Poipu through an RCI Trade. There was a $75 per day Resort Fee. I even know of a DRI Member that was out of DRI Points that did an RCI Trade into Point at Poipu with one of their other Timeshares. In that they were not there on their DRI Membership they had to pay a $75 per day Resort Fee.

Since you are DRI and your home resort is Cabo Azul, do you pay the resort fees if you book here or is it only for folks that book through an exchange (RCI, II)? What about if you book a unit for a guest?

 

[geist1223]

We do not pay a Resort Fee for any DRI Resort if we are Booking with DRI Points.

 

[PamMo]

Boooo confirmed we DID get charged the 1200 MEX daily fee just like RCI said and like Interval now says (we were NOT charged in 2021). Bummer but I still think this place is worth it if one can get it at a good Getaways price like I did ($229 for the week but this is definitely the lowest season) or using a low MF trader and getting it during better season.

@PamMo & @enma

Ugh, that isn't good news, but thanks for the heads up, @Hobokie. I exchanged in with a Marriott studio, so I have MF's + exchange fees + unit upgrade fees, plus now the extra $500 resort fee that wasn't disclosed when booking. I sure hope Cabo Azul is worth it, because I don't see another resort I can retrade into for that week, but I'll keep looking. I can't imagine getting ANY additional value for $70/day that I'm not going to get at Vista Encantada.