Free WiFi at Mexican resorts

[bezerk Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bezerk]

Ken has been wintering in Mexico since 1980. Usually at least four months. He doesn't like cold weather. As soon as Northern California gets nippy he has headed south. We went to Mayan Maya Riviera near Cancun last Nov/Dec then took a world cruise.

We will be in Mazatlan October, PV for Nov-Feb 28, then Mazatlan for March. I post my schedule on this page so I can keep track.
Schedule

Winter 2009/2010 I hope to plan Australia/NZ/Bora Bora/Phuket/ Official Website of the Palace On Wheels Inc - Book Tickets for luxury train in Rajasthan, India Online for Taj Mahal in India then Hawaii perhaps Jan-March then if it is warm enough a 30 day land tour of China. Then HOME.

Hope to meet you when we are in PV. I have heard great things about Lake Chapella where you live.

So funny I do not like cold weather either , I am cold at 70 F. I must be only person in Mexico who lugs a sweater along at night....

We'll be in Mazatlan in Sept/Oct as well.....

It would be great to meet in PV. Lake Chapala is changing by the second, sometimes I go on vacation and wonder if I came back to right place, mostly progressive changes...but sometimes I long for the Old Lake Chapala and less tourists, less cars and more roaming cows and such....The Lake is beautiful now....you should visit some time, but not in winter it can be more chilly, April & May are hot and dry. We have a pretty consistent weather pattern here, temperate. Rainy season and dry season. Never as humid as beach Coast but I do not mind the heat, so I go there even when humid LOL. We are at 5000 feet, surrounded by mountains and the either largest or second largest lake in Mexico ( I forget now, maybe even the world), I think it is 65 miles long. Nice retirement area, though I am not retirement age. I live in a well used to be small pueblo.

Hasta pronto, enjoy your time in Mexico!!!

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

We'll be in Mazatlan in Sept/Oct as well.....

Where will you be in Mazatlan?

Luis Medina Zavala owned Marina Del Rey & Playa Maria Beach Club. Then a few years ago Luis needed money for construction of a new timeshare building. I think the one south of Playa Maria. Luis was going to raise the MF for MDR to include the IVA tax. He offered owners the old MF rate for weeks paid into the future. So Ken paid 19 years x 2 weeks = 38 weeks to pay off all MF at MDR. Luckily I can deposit some to RCI weeks -> points for deposit.

Luis sold PMBC to Ralpha Construction in 2007.

MDR & PMBC still share the same fax number. When I called Marina Del Rey in June, the person answering the phone said they were with Playa Maria. I mentioned we also have a contract with PMBC with 12 accumulated weeks. They told me the new owner will not allow weeks to be accumulated anymore. That we must use the 12 weeks by 12/31/08. I deposited 3 with II, so we have 5 more to rent/deposit etc. At least they gave me good dates like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's week.

We plan to stay at PMBC 4 - 31 October. We need to get some dental implants and like our dentist in Mazatlan. Implants are staged. So we'll have initial work in October, then Nov-Feb in PV, then get the implants finalized and permanent crowns in March.

Ken has contracts at 13 resorts in Mazatlan. Since he drove from Northern CA, it was the easier to stop in MZT then drive all the way to PV. We have another contract with a property a few resorts south of MDR. In 2007 when we visited each resort, they told us our unused weeks accumulated just like MDR & PMBC. I spoke with the daughter of the original owner who manages the resort. I have been emailing/calling them since June to no avail. I got a mailing that didn't make sense. Then they said OK, you have 2006, 2007 and 2008. But I can't get them to address the issue of all the previous weeks. I can deposit their resort with II.

Ken has 'senior certificate' for Mayan meaning there is no MF for the 6 weeks of 2 bedroom as long as he checks in. In 2007 I had made PV reservations but couldn't figure out Christmas/New Years. Then Mayan @ Maya Riviera/Cancun told us we could use our 48 week contract for the holidays there because they expected plenty of availabilty. I think building 10 - 19 had just been built.

So we were near Cancun Nov-Dec 07. I cancelled all the 2007 PV reservations.. I deposited 4 x Velas with Platinum Interchange along with Inn at MZT (wk 17-41) contract & Jockey Club. Not sure if I will find weeks to redeem from their away list. We did get Club One in Nice, France although the reviews for that resort are not good.

So after Oct in MZT we use the senior certificate 2 bdrooms in Nuevo Vallarta. But we have Plaza Pelicanos week 46, so it will be 2 weeks Mayan, 1 PP, 4 weeks Mayan again. I was told it is too early for them to decide if/where the 1-48 week contract owners can use week 51/52 for this holiday season.

I have only stayed at VI's Vallarta Torre in April 2006. It will be my first time to visit Ken's properties in PV.

I internally banked Sheriton Buganvilias week 39 for 2007. Wish I had known I could have turned it into 45K RCI points. I already converted Buganvilias 2008 & 2009 weeks to RCI points and probably will do that for the rest of that contract (unless I can find a buyer). I am stuck with a week 39 reservation 9/27-10/4 because it is based on the 2007 so they won't let me bank it at any exchange.

[bezerk Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bezerk]

goodness ..you sure must have a hard time planning all this and such....I own about 8 timeshares.....all but 2 in Mexico.....I find it a lot of work planning but it is still fun...half the fun is planning, but your schedule and such seems very complicated.

We will be at Royal Villas In Mazatlan. That is where we own....

Good luck with all your planning, sounds like full time job, hope you like it....

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

We will be at Royal Villas In Mazatlan. That is where we own.....

Am I correct, that the Royal Villas is a bit South of Inn at Mazatlan? Looking forward to meeting you.

[Hoc Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Hoc]

Anyone know of any reasonably priced internet access at or near the Grand Mayan - Mayan Riviera?

I'm headed down there for a week this December and can't be without daily access. Access in the room is the best, but I don't want to be paying $30+ a day if I can help it.

Also, does anyone know: Is there access in the rooms? What is the price?

[bezerk Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bezerk]

Am I correct, that the Royal Villas is a bit South of Inn at Mazatlan? Looking forward to meeting you.

I am real bad on north and south LOL.....Royal Villas is I think two resorts away from Inn at Maz. towards say Valentinos or such , of course on same side, but they are like neighbors....Hope to meet you too!!

[zdxlc9p6 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close zdxlc9p6]

Does GM Rm still not have wireless?

[KarenK Member Find all posts View Profile Close KarenK]

I am at Villa del Mar in PV and just checked my laptop to see if there was a wifi signal in my unit. It was from Villa del Palmar, the sister resort. I bit the dust, and bought a week package for 750 pesos for the week. Otherwise it was about 10 dollars an hour for the smaller packages. And I have the laptop here, so I guess it makes sense.
In Cancun at Club Internacional there is free access. It used to be just in the lobby and by the pools, but since the renovation it is supposed to be available in all units.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

I am at Villa del Mar in PV and just checked my laptop to see if there was a wifi signal in my unit. It was from Villa del Palmar, the sister resort. I bit the dust, and bought a week package for 750 pesos for the week. Otherwise it was about 10 dollars an hour for the smaller packages. And I have the laptop here, so I guess it makes sense.
In Cancun at Club Internacional there is free access. It used to be just in the lobby and by the pools, but since the renovation it is supposed to be available in all units.

Why are they ripping off timeshare owners at these resorts? I paid 450 pesos at the Sheraton Buganvilias Hotel at the Business Center for the whole week which is only about $34 plus the Business Center was open 24 hours per day. The Grand Velas was three times more expensive but their Business Center was closed at 9 PM and the reception in the unit was terrible. PV Net, across from the Buganvilias, has the best rates of all but we decided to play it safe and stay in the hotel. I heard that the Mayan Palace doesn't charge their owners for the Internet but they charge the exchangers or the people who rent from the owner quite a bit too.