Grand Mayan/Palace/Bliss/Luxxe 1 in 5 rule

[hurnik Member Find all posts View Profile Close hurnik]

Just an FYI in case anyone's not aware. The Grand Mayan, Mayan Palace, Bliss/Grand Bliss, Grand Luxxe (probably Sea Gardens as well) has a 1 in 5 rule in force now with SFX (I believe it was in force with RCI for a while, although briefly suspended a few years).

Unfortunately it's retroactive, so they go back 5 years as well (ie, if you stayed in 2000, you can't stay again until 2015, if you stayed in 2013, you can't stay again until 2018)

Obviously this is NOT SFX fault or doing, just passing along some info. I believe RCI has a similar rule in force, but don't know about II.

--Kevin

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Grande Luxxe and Grand Bliss trade thru II and there is no "one in anything" restriction, you can go every year if you like.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Grande Luxxe and Grand Bliss trade thru II and there is no "one in anything" restriction, you can go every year if you like.

Hi Pat /Hurnik - Thank you for your posts. Please allow me to clarify the position and rules of Vida Vacations (Sea Garden, Mayan Palace, Grand Mayan, Grand Bliss, Grand Luxxe).

For a period of time, a 1 in 5 rule was in place. Recently this was modified by Vida Vacations to a 1 in 3 rule.

These rules are created by the "Resort" and not the exchange companies. The current 1 in 3 rule applies to all exchange companies, without any exceptions. If you have been advised by your exchange company, there is no 1 in 3 rule with Vida Resorts, then they have given you wrong information. The information I have just shared with you was confirmed this morning by us directly with Vida Vacations corporate headquarters.

Hope this helps...

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

[SallyHoover Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SallyHoover]

This was the response I had from Mark Delcampo of Interval in March 2014 when I asked if there were any restrictions to the number of times you could exchange in and if there would be any additional fees for the Luxxe or grand mayan properties though II. I asked these questions directly due to the change I saw with SFX.

Dear SH:

Thank you for your emails.

As a general rule, there can be no more than four getaways into a property within a rolling twelve months, and no more than two consecutive or concurrent stays under the same membership permitted.

With regards to your inquiry about the fees, currently there are no daily resort fees assessed to Interval International members at check in for either property.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Sincerely,

Mark Delcampo
Sr. Social Media Correspondent
Interval International

Original Message Follows: ------------------------
Hi,
I heard that the the Grand Luxxe both in the Riveria Maya and Riviera Nayarit were instituting daily resort fees paid upon check in. Is this the case for exchanges through Interval? I did not see it on the information page for either resort.

Also is there any restrictions on how often any of the Grand Mayan or Grand Luxxe properties can be booked using an exchange or a getaway week through Interval International.

Thanks again.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Hi Sally - Thank you for your post. According to the executive offices at Vida Resorts, the information given to you is incorrect, and this is directly from the source. I am sure Vida Vacations will be in touch with them to make sure there are no misunderstandings about the resort's rules. The 1 in 3 rule at Vida Resorts now applies to all exchange companies.

Thanks again...

Mark @SFX
Member Communications

[hurnik Member Find all posts View Profile Close hurnik]

Thanks Mark for the clarification and updated news.

You may not know the answer to this, but I'll try anyway:

Is the rule per exchange company? Or Global?

Meaning:
Let's say I book with II.
Then a year later I book with SFX

Is it 1-in-3 "globally" or 1-in-3 for II, and 1-in-3 for SFX, etc?

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Thanks Sally and Mark for the " sort of " clarification.
That company is constantly changing their rules and restrictions making them very difficult for the consumer to deal with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Hi Hurnik

unfortunately its global. It's based on an actual stay at the resort regardless of which exchange company you used.

Thanks
Mark @SFX
Member communications

[bellesgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bellesgirl]

With RCI, at one time, it was 1 in 5 for the entire Grupo Maya system. Now it appears to be 1 in 3 per resort. Is this the case with SFX as well?

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

With RCI, at one time, it was 1 in 5 for the entire Grupo Maya system. Now it appears to be 1 in 3 per resort. Is this the case with SFX as well?

Bellesgirl - thank you for your post. Yes, as explained above in earlier posts the current 1 in 3 rule applies to all exchange companies.

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

[SallyHoover Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SallyHoover]

Bellesgirl - thank you for your post. Yes, as explained above in earlier posts the current 1 in 3 rule applies to all exchange companies.

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

Yes but the question is can I stay in the Mayan Palace Nuevo Vallarta one year and then the Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta the next. Or at least could I stay in the Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta one year, and the Grand Mayan Cabo the next and the Grand Mayan Acapulco the following year. In the past 1 in 5 any Vida stay blacked you out of any other Vida stay. So now being global across companies is it by specific resort, specific city, or global on all vida exchanges regardless of resort and area?

Also how do they plan on keeping track across companies? What would prevent me from putting a reservation in SFX in my name this year and putting an RCI reservation in my husbands name next year if we are both travelling. What happens if someone with my name books a unit. They must be keeping address info as well.

[bellesgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bellesgirl]

Bellesgirl - thank you for your post. Yes, as explained above in earlier posts the current 1 in 3 rule applies to all exchange companies.

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

My question was, is it 1 in 3 PER RESORT or 1 in 3 for the entire group. In the past if you went to Grand Mayan in NV you were locked out of all other destinations for 5 years. Now, in RCI, per the disclaimer it appears you would only be locked out of the GM in NV not any other destination. Is the same true for SFX?

[mav Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

I am curious. I am sure a rep had told me a few years back that II does not want to have a contract with a resort that has a 1 in anything rule. That may no longer be true but that is what I was told a few years back and that they would not take a resort that had a rule like that. Please let me know . I don't care about Vida resorts but I might with another one somewhere.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

My question was, is it 1 in 3 PER RESORT or 1 in 3 for the entire group. In the past if you went to Grand Mayan in NV you were locked out of all other destinations for 5 years. Now, in RCI, per the disclaimer it appears you would only be locked out of the GM in NV not any other destination. Is the same true for SFX?

Bellesgirl - Thank you for your post. That is our understanding too. It is per destination.

Hope this helps...

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Hi Sally - It is our understanding the 1 in 3 rule is per destination. So the answer to your first question would be, no.

With regards to tracking... They do not keep track across exchange companies. If you have been booked within the 3 year period at any of their resorts, regardless of exchange company, your name will be flagged in their reservation system, and they can block your reservation. They may also cross reference other data in this process, eg. address etc. Is it worth the "risk" in trying to get around their rules? I will let you be the best judge of that. I personally would not want to spend hundreds of dollars on airfare and not have a place to stay!

Please note, these resort rules are subject to change, at any time in the future.

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications