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Grand Velas Maya Riviera - Prepaid AI packages & upgrade questions
We are at MP Maya Riviera today. Last time in PDC/Cancun area was 2007 before Grand Velas Playa del Carmen opened.
We asked to see a room when we were driving home last week. Very, very nice hotel style room. We saw the "Ambassador Class" room.
I like seeing the Caribbean Sea from the room more than the Pacific Ocean from PV/NV rooms.
My questions:
1) Pre-paid AI fee programs at Grand Velas/Playa del Carmen - has anyone on TUG purchased them? What do you think? I have a price list here. Very detailed.
An Examples:
$69,335 US = 25 Years (which I think means weeks? or trips? because you can accelerate usage) brings the PP cost of AI to $198 PER DAY
$33,677 US prepayment = 240 PP Per Day
2) Upgrade from our Velas Vallarta contract where AI is NON REQUIRED costs $26,404 for 25 "Super Prime" + 25 "Elite Weeks" (Elite - May->October when we would only MAYBE be here LATE October
other options for Ambassador Class (less expensive) and JUNGLE Class (not Ocean Front)
THANKS in advance for ANY information or comments. We ate breakfast (Azul) and lunch (Bistro) there on Sunday. The food is excellent BUT then at the price it should be!
The occupancy appeared low. We were told 300 groups of couples/families or about 20% occupancy. Mayan told us they were at 45% or so last week compared to about 70% last year BUT October is low season.
I am not sure how often we will be in the PDC/Cancun area. Generally we winter for six months (too rainy & cold at home). We alternate years with Mexico to use up timeshares. 2009/2010 winter was Antarctica/Tahiti/Hawaii. Mexico Oct 2010- April 2011. Sept 2011-March 2012 probably China/Phuket/India/Australia. After April 2011 the soonest we MIGHT return to Mexico is November 2012.
If we keep to our current itinerary to use MP Senior Certificates for 2010 up in Oct/Nov/Dec & then Velas Vallarta 2011 usage up in Jan 2011 which DOES NOT REQUIRE AI which we have NEVER PAID for yet, then the MP 2011 Senior Certificates in Mazatlan so we don't need to return to Mexico until November 2012 to use the 2012 MP Senior Certificates.
I do not feel pressured to 'upgrade' to Grand Velas/Maya Riviera BUT my husband believes SOME of the offers might not be available WHEN the economy improves. In October 2008 when we saw the economic mess on TV, my husband said he expects it to take TEN YEARS to 2018 to fully bounce back. I lean toward possibly upgrading in November 2012 which is the SOONEST we MIGHT return to Mexico BUT my husband thinks whatever will be offered in November 2012 will cost a lot more.
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My husband purchased a 4 week fractional ownership at Velas Vallarta for 60K in 2000. (4 weeks x 25 years). Even though his late wife never tossed any paperwork out and I organized many lateral file cabinets with timeshare contracts and other timeshare paperwork I do not understand how he has:
1 contract x 2 weeks for VV Vila AND
1 contract x 2 weeks for VV Vila Plus
He recalls being told there was an "inventory issue" and in March 2002 when the used Velas Vallarta for the FIRST time they had to sign paperwork and somehow ended up with the two NEW contract numbers. We realize there is virtually NO RESALE VALUE to timeshares. We have allowed a couple we met in the swimming pool at VV to use our 2010 & 2011 Villa weeks for the MF ONLY (meaning no money toward our original purchase price) BECAUSE my husband does NOT like to move from one unit to another at the SAME RESORT. It would have been great to receive more rent BUT even though I have a website AND used to list ads on some sites I consider myself fortunate IF I am able to rent 3 or 4 weeks a year.
I have NO EXPECTATIONS of resale value of an upgraded Grand Velas EVEN with prepaid AI.
Velas Vallarta DOES NOT trade well with RCI! When I could not use a week I asked them to put it in RCI weeks. I immediately saw the number of potential trades was MUCH lower than our other deposits. I seem to recall the VV with $825 MF had fewer available trading options than with junior suites in Mazatlan! I immediately told Velas to REMOVE the week from RCI weeks. Since the week deposited by Velas was from their BULK BANK account there should have been NO ISSUE regarding late deposit. It simply does NOT trade well BECAUSE an exchanger must pay AI.
I can deposit VV to RCI weeks and pay $26 to convert the week to 45,000 RCI Points. But I can get 45,000 RCI Points by depositing Week 39 Sheraton Bugavilias where the MF is about $300 less.
We asked to see a room when we were driving home last week. Very, very nice hotel style room. We saw the "Ambassador Class" room.
I like seeing the Caribbean Sea from the room more than the Pacific Ocean from PV/NV rooms.
My questions:
1) Pre-paid AI fee programs at Grand Velas/Playa del Carmen - has anyone on TUG purchased them? What do you think? I have a price list here. Very detailed.
An Examples:
$69,335 US = 25 Years (which I think means weeks? or trips? because you can accelerate usage) brings the PP cost of AI to $198 PER DAY
$33,677 US prepayment = 240 PP Per Day
2) Upgrade from our Velas Vallarta contract where AI is NON REQUIRED costs $26,404 for 25 "Super Prime" + 25 "Elite Weeks" (Elite - May->October when we would only MAYBE be here LATE October
other options for Ambassador Class (less expensive) and JUNGLE Class (not Ocean Front)
THANKS in advance for ANY information or comments. We ate breakfast (Azul) and lunch (Bistro) there on Sunday. The food is excellent BUT then at the price it should be!
The occupancy appeared low. We were told 300 groups of couples/families or about 20% occupancy. Mayan told us they were at 45% or so last week compared to about 70% last year BUT October is low season.
I am not sure how often we will be in the PDC/Cancun area. Generally we winter for six months (too rainy & cold at home). We alternate years with Mexico to use up timeshares. 2009/2010 winter was Antarctica/Tahiti/Hawaii. Mexico Oct 2010- April 2011. Sept 2011-March 2012 probably China/Phuket/India/Australia. After April 2011 the soonest we MIGHT return to Mexico is November 2012.
If we keep to our current itinerary to use MP Senior Certificates for 2010 up in Oct/Nov/Dec & then Velas Vallarta 2011 usage up in Jan 2011 which DOES NOT REQUIRE AI which we have NEVER PAID for yet, then the MP 2011 Senior Certificates in Mazatlan so we don't need to return to Mexico until November 2012 to use the 2012 MP Senior Certificates.
I do not feel pressured to 'upgrade' to Grand Velas/Maya Riviera BUT my husband believes SOME of the offers might not be available WHEN the economy improves. In October 2008 when we saw the economic mess on TV, my husband said he expects it to take TEN YEARS to 2018 to fully bounce back. I lean toward possibly upgrading in November 2012 which is the SOONEST we MIGHT return to Mexico BUT my husband thinks whatever will be offered in November 2012 will cost a lot more.
===========
My husband purchased a 4 week fractional ownership at Velas Vallarta for 60K in 2000. (4 weeks x 25 years). Even though his late wife never tossed any paperwork out and I organized many lateral file cabinets with timeshare contracts and other timeshare paperwork I do not understand how he has:
1 contract x 2 weeks for VV Vila AND
1 contract x 2 weeks for VV Vila Plus
He recalls being told there was an "inventory issue" and in March 2002 when the used Velas Vallarta for the FIRST time they had to sign paperwork and somehow ended up with the two NEW contract numbers. We realize there is virtually NO RESALE VALUE to timeshares. We have allowed a couple we met in the swimming pool at VV to use our 2010 & 2011 Villa weeks for the MF ONLY (meaning no money toward our original purchase price) BECAUSE my husband does NOT like to move from one unit to another at the SAME RESORT. It would have been great to receive more rent BUT even though I have a website AND used to list ads on some sites I consider myself fortunate IF I am able to rent 3 or 4 weeks a year.
I have NO EXPECTATIONS of resale value of an upgraded Grand Velas EVEN with prepaid AI.
Velas Vallarta DOES NOT trade well with RCI! When I could not use a week I asked them to put it in RCI weeks. I immediately saw the number of potential trades was MUCH lower than our other deposits. I seem to recall the VV with $825 MF had fewer available trading options than with junior suites in Mazatlan! I immediately told Velas to REMOVE the week from RCI weeks. Since the week deposited by Velas was from their BULK BANK account there should have been NO ISSUE regarding late deposit. It simply does NOT trade well BECAUSE an exchanger must pay AI.
I can deposit VV to RCI weeks and pay $26 to convert the week to 45,000 RCI Points. But I can get 45,000 RCI Points by depositing Week 39 Sheraton Bugavilias where the MF is about $300 less.
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