Using HGVC for travel to Mexico

[prajora]

Dear Members,
Can experienced HGVC member advise, best way to use HGVC or RCI deposit points from HGVC conversion to travel to Mexico- Say Cabos San Lucas, Cancum or other destination in that area. Costa Rica?
Question:
1. How safe is it to go there - crime, covid etc?
Can wait for 6months for more for covid to subside more.
2. Suggestion for good resorts there.
3. I thinking cooking yourself may not be the best option there. So eating resort provided food? how good that is. Are you charged daily for it? How much about?

All good suggestions welcome from experienced HGVC owners who have recent experience in travel there.

Thanks in advance.
Pari

 

[hurnik]

Dear Members,
Can experienced HGVC member advise, best way to use HGVC or RCI deposit points from HGVC conversion to travel to Mexico- Say Cabos San Lucas, Cancum or other destination in that area. Costa Rica?
Question:
1. How safe is it to go there - crime, covid etc?
Can wait for 6months for more for covid to subside more.
2. Suggestion for good resorts there.
3. I thinking cooking yourself may not be the best option there. So eating resort provided food? how good that is. Are you charged daily for it? How much about?

All good suggestions welcome from experienced HGVC owners who have recent experience in travel there.

Thanks in advance.
Pari

I can't speak for Costa Rica.

Cabo, Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta (I've been to all three) are very safe provided you don't do "stupid" things (like bar hopping in seedier parts of town at like 3:00 a.m. by yourself or something). For Cancun, technically we've been to Riviera Maya area, Puerto Morelos, and Playa Del Carmen. Riviera Maya was at the Vidanta resorts (they're all in one massive compound). Puerto we were at el Cid, and playa, we rented a condo in playacar.

Cabo we were in the "corridor" so it was like a 10-15 minute shuttle ride to the Marina area (stayed at hacienda del mar).

Puerto Vallarta we stayed at Buganvilias (sheraton) and Nuevo Vallarta at Vidanta.

I personally avoid All-inclusives as I find it too much money. Vidanta is NOT all inclusive (nor is there an option although they used to have a meal plan but I think it's temporarily suspended at RM locaion due to Covid).

El Cid was all-inclusive though, I used it via my SFX membership as I had a great deal ($500 for 2 people including AI for a week) with my SFX "dollars". We did not opt for the Hacienda del mar AI plan (it is optional) but it seems now, due to COVID, they are including all the restaurants now, in which case it may not be a bad deal. We did opt for AI at the Cozumel HGV (fieasta americana) as I think it was mandatory.

If you're booking via RCI, personally I think it's a waste. Add up the cost of the exchange fees, and the "cost" of your points and then tack on the $125-200/pp/day AI fee (you have to read the fine print on RCI) and you're usually better off either renting from an owner or going directly to the hotel website. Again, my opinion.

With HGV most are optional AI, but again, look at the fees. If you're a heavy drinker, then possibly, but I don't eat much for breakfast so it's hard for me to justify $150/pp/day for AI fees. Or more. At Vidanta and Hacienda del Mar (both via RCI although better off booking Vidanta via SFX as the $75 resort fee is better than what Vidanta is imposing via RCI, IMO), we had groceries (including alcohol) delivered and made our own breakfast and drinks and just bought lunch/dinner and usually had leftovers for lunch the next day.

From what I've read/seen the COVID precautions are taken more seriously in Mexico (at the resorts) than they are here in the states. But you'll have to currently do the testing before you return to the US and depending on what state you live in, there may be a quarantine period as well.

Check the Mexico forum here on TUG as well.

 

[Sandy VDH]

There is an Explorean option via HGVC. One in the Jungle way south of Cancun and one in Cozumel. It is AI, but one difference from most AI situations is that it also includes 1 excursion per day.

 

[buzglyd]

HGV is affiliated with Fiesta Americana. Some of the resorts are All-inclusive and some aren’t. You just book them with your HGV points like any other resort except the reservations aren’t changeable.

The Los Cabo’s resort is really nice but the AI is mandatory now. The Cancun resort is decent and there is no AI. You also have access to the Vidanta properties and the Grand Mayan is a pretty good bargain. Grand Luxxe is a lot more points and really nice. It’s all on the same property in Vallarta or between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen.

I think you first need to decide if you want to pay for All Inclusive or not. I prefer not to because there are so many great places to eat in Mexico.

 

[geist1223]

I can not address HGVC as we are not members. But I can address COVID19 and San Jose del Cabo. We are just finishing a 3 week visit. We felt very safe concerning COVID19. The BCS Government was very blunt with the populous. 95% of their livelihood is from Touists. If the Locals did not follow the Protocols the Tourists would not come. All the Locals wore Masks. The worse offenders were Gringos/tourists. Your temperature was checked as you went in many stores and they also squirted hand sanitizer on your hands. Some of the larger stores - Wal-Mart - only allowed 1 person per group or family unit. Most of the Cabo area was shut down for about 6 months. So they are happy to be open and earning money again. Most of the Resorts are providing COVID Testing for your return to the USA. At the Resorts once you settled into your pool chair or the Hot Tub most folks took off the masks. Also while eating and drinking.

 

[Janann]

We had a great trip to Fiesta Americana in Cabo a few years ago. The all-inclusive fee is lower than many other all-inclusive resorts, and we thoroughly enjoyed breakfast and lunch. Dinner had mixed reviews from us, but the resort was still in the process of rebuilding after a major hurricane. You can get into the resort either through HGVC or an RCI exchange. The fees and availability are different for each system.

Several years ago we stayed at Breeze Private Residences in Costa Rica on an RCI exchange. Someone on this website posted a "sighting" of a huge number of units, and we had our choice of dates. I haven't seen it much since, but you might be lucky with an ongoing search.

 

[Magus]

I can't speak for Costa Rica.

I personally avoid All-inclusives as I find it too much money. Vidanta is NOT all inclusive (nor is there an option although they used to have a meal plan but I think it's temporarily suspended at RM locaion due to Covid).

El Cid was all-inclusive though, I used it via my SFX membership as I had a great deal ($500 for 2 people including AI for a week) with my SFX "dollars". We did not opt for the Hacienda del mar AI plan (it is optional) but it seems now, due to COVID, they are including all the restaurants now, in which case it may not be a bad deal. We did opt for AI at the Cozumel HGV (fieasta americana) as I think it was mandatory.

If you're booking via RCI, personally I think it's a waste. Add up the cost of the exchange fees, and the "cost" of your points and then tack on the $125-200/pp/day AI fee (you have to read the fine print on RCI) and you're usually better off either renting from an owner or going directly to the hotel website. Again, my opinion.

With HGV most are optional AI, but again, look at the fees. If you're a heavy drinker, then possibly, but I don't eat much for breakfast so it's hard for me to justify $150/pp/day for AI fees. Or more. At Vidanta and Hacienda del Mar (both via RCI although better off booking Vidanta via SFX as the $75 resort fee is better than what Vidanta is imposing via RCI, IMO), we had groceries (including alcohol) delivered and made our own breakfast and drinks and just bought lunch/dinner and usually had leftovers for lunch the next day.


Check the Mexico forum here on TUG as well.

AI fees are closer to $100-$110/person/day with HGV and Fiesta and most are no longer optional with fiesta Americana. You can easily get your money’s worth at that price, even if you aren’t a big drinker and you are far likelier to try new foods items since no incremental costs, which is one of my favorite things of AI. Rci AI has a very wide range of fees, some as low as $70/day and others $200+.

We really enjoyed fiesta Americana cabo about 18 months ago. Great resort, good food, and $10 Uber ride into town