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Exchanging to All Inclusive resort

heckp

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HRA SDO MKO WKV
Hello

If I exchange to all inclusive resort, where do I purchase my meal plan or how does that work.

Thanks
 

tschwa2

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A few in S and VA, a single resort in NC, MD, PA, and UT, plus Jamaica and the Bahamas
It depends on the resort. Some you pay at check in and some you have to pay a certain number of days before arriving. Some give additional discounts if you pay prior to arrival. Usually if you read the important advisements it will give the details. Often (but not always) the AI charged through an exchange company is quite high and may even be higher than booking directly with the resort or through some other system like orbitz, etc.
 

Sicnarf

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There will be an information regarding the meal plan when you book the reservation. Try doing one and you'll what I'm talking about. Note that nothing will be reserved until you put your credit card info.
 

Dori

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Many TUGgers (myself included), find that after your exchange fee, AI fee and airfare, it is cheaper to just do an AI through Expedia, Travelocity, or even a travel agent.

Dori
 

dioxide45

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Sheraton Vistana Villages
I simply can't understand why AI is so expensive through the exchange companies. Does anyone ever exchange for them? If so, why. As previously indicated, for the actual cash outlay, you can get a better deal through a travel agent for AI. Count in the MF on your week and the costs go way up. I have yet to see any good AI deal through II.
 

classiclincoln

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We just got back from a week at Azul Sensatori in Mexico. We don't have a lot of experience with AI resorts, and the first time we went we had a bad experience. Unfortunately for us, the resort was closing up a few days after we checked out. With that in mind, we tried the Azul resort over winter break. You can read my Trip Advisor review here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g240327-d1176806-r246695762-Azul_Sensatori_Hotel_by_Karisma-Puerto_Morelos_Yucatan_Peninsula.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

Now, everyone likes different things and expects/wants different things. For what it's worth, we're not big on AI resorts because:

1. We don't eat or drink enough to make up for the AI fee. When we go on vacation, we don't cook in the room at all. We eat out every lunch and dinner, with an occasional breakfast. Even with that, along with the drinks on the beach and at the pool, we don't spend nearly as much as what the AI fee is. Now, that's a personal thing; since we're not big eaters and drinkers, it doesn't make sense for us.

2. I've heard (don't have a lot of experience) that most AI resorts have buffet restaurants. I hate buffets. It's not the "cleanliness thing"; I used to be in the restaurant business and it's incredibly difficult to do a buffet right. Most of the time either the stuff is glazed over from the heat lamps, overcooked on the bottom from the heat or just plain sloppy from people spilling stuff all over the place. We prefer quality over quantity, which typically you don't get at a buffet. This feeling about buffets is reinforced when we cruise (only done it 4 times, but consistently bad buffets).

3. When you exchange, the AI fee is based on the time of year you pay. We went away winter break, so our AI fee was significantly higher than the rest of the year (with the exception of new year's week). Now I understand that when you just book the room, the rate is based on the demand, however, since I own a week someplace and an owner of their resort also owns and we simply exchanged (all be it via II), it still bothers me.

4. We like to travel around the area, and with an AI fee, in the back of your mind, you say "well, I paid for it, so I mind as well use it". That's also the mentality of some people who go to AI resorts, "I paid for it, so I'm gonna eat and drink myself silly".

Now, for the "it's cheaper to book directly" issue. I'm a closet analytic and keep track of our trades. If we were to book our winter break at the Azul Sensatori, our total cost for the week would have been $7,642. The cost for our exchange was our maintenance fee ($1,345), our exchange fee ($154) and our AI fee ($3,031). So our total cost was $4,530, and as a result, we did end up saving about $2,100. Not a bad trade.

So, in summary for us, AI resorts don't make sense. However, in some areas, it's not easy to get into town for lunch or dinner (ie: Azul Sensatori), so if you want to go, you have no other choice. Other people may and probably will disagree and that's OK; it works for them.
 

dioxide45

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Marriott's Harbour Lake
Sheraton Vistana Villages
Now, for the "it's cheaper to book directly" issue. I'm a closet analytic and keep track of our trades. If we were to book our winter break at the Azul Sensatori, our total cost for the week would have been $7,642. The cost for our exchange was our maintenance fee ($1,345), our exchange fee ($154) and our AI fee ($3,031). So our total cost was $4,530, and as a result, we did end up saving about $2,100. Not a bad trade.

I think our issue with AI is the same as yours. There is no way we would eat and drink $3000 between the two of us. So it really ups the cost of the trip. Dining out would cost us less than a third of that.

Did that $7,642 include airfare and ground transportation? A lot of AIs booked through travel sites do. Just wanting to make sure it is an apples to apples comparison.
 

classiclincoln

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Dioxide,

The $7,642 was the rate on Trip Advisor to book the resort. When we get an exchange, I go on line to see what it would cost if we just paid for the room so I have accurate apples to apples comparison.
 
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