Timeshare – What you need to know
What’s the difference between a timeshare, hotel and vacation club?
When considering a timeshare, many travellers compare their options based on the experiences they have had with hotels. If you’re deciding between your timeshare and hotel options, here are a few things to keep in mind:
– Most timeshares are as good or better than a hotel in terms of luxury and service. In fact, many of the best timeshare resorts are owned by the most trusted names in the hotel industry, like Disney, Four Seasons, Hilton and Marriott.
– Timeshares typically offer much larger accommodations than their hotel counterparts. In fact, many timeshares include multiple bedrooms, fully equipped kitchens, dining areas, living room spaces and balconies or patios.
– With a timeshare, you not only have access to luxurious accommodations but also to all that the resort has to offer, such as workout facilities, pools, tennis courts, activities for the kids and much more.
– Your timeshare property is a vacation you can count on. Rather than worrying about hotel room availability, especially during peak seasons, your timeshare is there for you to enjoy year after year.
– Many timeshare properties offer exchange programs, enabling you to see the country or even the world through the benefits of your timeshare ownership.
– Unlike a one-time stay at a hotel, your timeshare ownership is an investment that can be shared with friends and family and even passed on to future generations.
Below is a typical response from a potential timeshare purchaser?
I’ve been suckered in the past into attending timeshare presentations and definitely wanted to avoid spending our vacation time being pushed to buy property or join a vacation club. I looked on TripAdvisor and saw several posts of travelers who complained about being bullied into sales presentations we decided to lower our expectations, especially since it was a free trip but we were going to stay firm and avoid any sales presentations.
Everything seemed great when we arrived the resort. We were offered transportation from the airport and when we got to the resort we noticed that it was one of many properties owned by a company called Vedanta
The service was impeccable during check-in but as soon as we received our keys we were immediately asked to meet with a manager. The manager explained the key attractions and benefits at the resort then asked if he could invite us to a free breakfast. Red flags and melee went up and we politely declined over and over. The manager kept insisting that we attend and wanted to show us all the benefits of becoming a member of a luxury vacation club we still said no. The manager also asked about booking excursions and when we told him that we had already booked our own tours online he seemed pretty annoyed.
Fast-forward to the evening and we noticed that the room was really noisy, the wall seemed thin and we had a connecting door that didn’t help.
We basically heard our neighbours conversation and the music that they were playing on their phone since we got an early morning tour we decided to ask the front desk if we could get a different room preferably one without a connecting room or at least a connecting room that didn’t have occupancy
We were really surprised at what happened next. The front desk was unwilling to help us; we went back and forth with the manager for about an hour and at one point they agreed to put us in another room. We were asked to pack up our stuff and return to the front desk when we stayed there for about an hour and then we were told that the room was not available and that we would have to stick to our original room. We decided to leave the resort the next day and forfeit our free stay.
Using my Chase Ultra Wars points I transferred 60,000 points to Hyatt and booked to stay at the Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya down the road the hotel was incredible and a complete contrast to our experience at the Mayan Palace
So what’s the difference between a hotel versus a timeshare or vacation club for those of you who don’t know the difference
Timeshares are agreements where several joint owners have the right to use a property as a vacation home usually for a specific period of time. The key word here is owner as you’re actually purchasing the right to the property even if it’s only for a week or two in a year
Timeshare owners typically enter a real-estate deed for specific dates at a specific property; it’s like owning two weeks of a furnished condo in Hawaii. You’ll have to pay some maintenance fees for the property but it should be less than owning a second home or property
With timeshares, you can usually participate in networks where you can trade stays with other timeshare owners allowing you to travel to other properties in the world. This can be a bit tricky especially around popular travel times and locations.
Vacation clubs are slightly different, it’s basically a membership that gives you the right to access properties under an umbrella of resorts. The key term here is right to access rather than buying into a property you’re paying a membership fee to your Resort
You’ll get more flexibility on the location and time that you want to use it but you’ll sacrifice the equity that you would earn if you purchased a timeshare.
In summary the pros for timeshares are:
The cons for timeshares include:
For vacation clubs the pros are
The cons for vacation clubs are:
If you do decide to purchase or join one of these resorts here are some things to consider:
1) hire resort costs and prices. My experience at vacation clubs is that the prices at the resorts are generally higher for the value that you receive while I expect prices for meals to be more expensive at a resort or hotel I generally don’t mind if I feel like that quality is also high, unfortunately we found the prices for meals drinks and groceries outweigh the quality and customer service since it’s sometimes difficult to leave the resort so you can become quite reliant on what’s available and being charged
2) prices may not be competitive. There is a tonne of stories online of folks who research to stay at the exact same location and timeframe and found it to be the same cost or cheaper than their timeshare or vacation club rate. Also, where services like Airbnb you now have more options when booking a vacation staying, so keep that in mind when considering the fees associated with a vacation club or timeshare
3) limited flexibility. This primarily applies to vacation clubs. I found that these resorts typically want to control the customer experience and when you deviate from it you tend to find problems or lack of support.
Our story from earlier is a perfect example everything seemed great until we deviated from the structure
We refused to attend the sales presentation and booked our own independent tours when we wanted to leave we were forced to have our luggage transported back to the resort’s main lobby rather just having a taxi pick us up with our luggage from the specific resort. When I spoke to the manager he was unwilling to make an exception even though certain guests were allowed to have a direct pickup from the resort.
This added another 45 minutes to our checkout experience and we felt uncomfortable giving up our luggage since we already were in conflict with the resort.
4) high-pressure sales. I can speak from personal experience that the sales tactics used by timeshare networks and vacation clubs are extremely aggressive. They usually try to lure you in with gifts or free services like meals tours and the event tickets then you’re stuck in a long presentation where the price keeps dropping and the pressure to sell increases
I know it is the nature of the industry to sell but I personally can’t stand spending my vacation time being pressured and bullied into a deal.
5) difficulty getting out. One tactic that’s often used by timeshares and sometimes by vacation clubs is the idea that you can commit now and if you change your mind you can just call and cancel within a certain period of time. These sorts of clauses are called a cooling-off period; this is often mixed in with justifications like “why not lock in the price now there’s no penalty if you change your mind”. The trick is that they make it very difficult to cancel you’ll often have to call different offices and send in all sorts of official paperwork.
Some vacation clubs don’t even allow cancellations so make sure to check the agreement if you’re considering entering a deal.
6) disputes. This goes for any hotel or resort stay, not just vacation clubs. If you encounter a payment dispute with the hotel. I was just refusing to sign the credit card receipt or invoice while the hotel and resort can still charge you the fee.
You basically forfeit the right to a dispute; by signing the invoice since you’re agreeing to the charges. We made this mistake at the Mayan Palace and we’re stuck with four nights of resort fees when we only stayed there one night. They refused to waive the fees and told us to call the booking agent. When I called them afterwards they said that we were misled since they don’t deal or receive any of the resort fees and that, as I’d signed the credit-card invoice, I basically waived my right to a chargeback. So definitely don’t make the same mistake as us!
Of course, there are people who love their timeshare and really find value in it. I guess I just really value having more flexibility in my travels and with points and miles and Airbnb I feel like I’m able to travel and afford things that would normally be out of reach.
One other thing that’s really important to me is customer service and intention I don’t expect things to be perfect but I expect there to be an intention to resolve issues my experience at the Mayan Palace versus Andaz Mayakoba Resort was like night and day
While we felt trapped, unsupported at the Mayan Palace our experience at the Andaz Mayakoba made us appreciate the importance of customer service and our desire to feel like valued guests when visiting a hotel.
Vidanta Vacation Timeshare scam
We were taken to the property for a good deal on Xcaret tickets and verify membership on a vacation club (that we already have).
We were told that it will take only 20 min. After arriving at the location, they wanted to see if we had credit cards (flash logos for sponsorship – not true, just making sure you have brought some CC, so they can corner your for a downpayment).
Now, they said that we have to go thru a 90 min presentation to get our tickets. Then we met with a salesperson, who outright said that this is not a timeshare and pressuring us to buy a timeshare (1wk) at their newest resort – 68k. After 90 min of BS, we said that we are not interested, and we would like to move on and get our tickets. Then they said that they are not sure if they can give us the tickets if we are not willing to listen to more options.
They brought 2 other managers and presented more BS options and try to pressure us to buy a different product from them – this time 10k. We repeatedly said that we already have a membership, and we are happy with our services.
They continue to push the agenda and asking us to cancel our current membership (by just walking away from a contract that we have already signed- they simply said to us don’t pay any of your instalments to your current membership) and buy Vidanta timeshare program. My advice is to save your time and dignity. Don’t get caught to this scam. Their tactics are very demeaning and unprofessional.
Mayan Palace, overcharging, imprisonment!
Upon arrival we had been traveling 15 hours, with 4 kids under the age of 11. We were initially checked in at ‘the main lobby’, from there it was 2 hours before we got to, and were checked into our hotel. The resort is massive. At the first point of entry we were stripped of our luggage, we asked twice if we could please keep our carry on, we were told it was not allowed.
From that first check-in point our luggage was confiscated, and we were put in another bus. This next bus took us to our hotel, it was a 40 minute line to check-in (only one person in line ahead of us). We had necessary medical supplies in our carry on and asked that it be returned to us several times and were told that ‘Anna’ would take us to our luggage.
After 15 hours of travel, the hotel checkin at the Grand Mayan directed us to ‘Anna’ to obtain our luggage. After more than a half an hour of listening to Anna, 3 members of our group asking for our luggage, she continually said that unless we paid her $20 she could not tell us where our luggage (with necessary medical supplies) was located. Out of desperation we paid her what she required to get our luggage.
Exhausted we ordered room service for nearly $200, they said it would be an hour, they delivered after two hours. The chicken was raw and inedible. After speaking to staff they removed the charge.
It turned out that the $20 we paid Anna to obtain our luggage was for a buffet breakfast for our family in exchange for an hour presentation. After 2 hours they told us it would be a mere $80,000 for a one bedroom, one week timeshare. By hour 5 they had dropped the price to $18,000. As we continued to say no they threatened to redact any and all of their offers for listening to their presentation. Telling us we would have an additional $400 in charges to our room for not signing up for the time share.
We dropped our items at the room and immediately went to the pool, after checkin. Which required 2 trains and 30 minutes. Within 5 minutes of our arrival there was a huge fight. Guests were trying to drown other guests, people were throwing punches, women were having their faces held under water. It was a big drunken mess. The staff took 53 minutes before removing the man that was attempting to drown people. Very frightening since I was there with 4 small children. The pool staff clapped and cheered on the altercation. After 53 minutes, and 15 staff members the perpetrator was removed.
My son tried using the bathroom but none of the toilets near the pool flushed. I used the restroom, one toilet was covered with feces. Another toilet didn’t flush. That left one toilet in use, which left a 27 minute wait. I informed two staff members about the bathroom issue and they said it wasn’t their area but they would inform those responsible. The bathroom situation stayed the same for 3 days. Guests started going in with cleaning supplies to clean the toilets so that we could utilize them.
We asked the concierge twice about going out in mexico with a local cab company, they said it was too dangerous and we needed their shuttle in order to protect my children. Their cab was $160 to and from the Tulum ruins (I believe it was 20 kilometers each way).
We ultimately hired a private driver for the day. Upon exit, the woman representing Vidanta asked us where we were going, who we would see, and how long we would be gone. I asked her if there was an issue with us leaving. She said that if we spoke to any other timeshare companies we would be putting our children’s lives in danger, and we could only blame ourselves for not heeding her advice not to speak to any other hotel representatives.
We went to management and explained our concerns. They said that we were right and nothing that we had experienced was acceptable, Alfredo (management at the Grand Mayan) said that to compensate us he would ensure we had a taxi waiting for us the morning of our departure. We arrived for departure at 0400, the staff initially said we had to wait for a manager to come on at noon before they would get us transportation. After much negotiation, showing emails, and showing the staff their hotel policy they arranged for transportation at 0500.
At 0520 a shuttle arrived. The shuttle was Cancun Bay, he fell asleep and ran us off the road! As the shuttle started to roll I grabbed my children and told them to hold on and they would be safe. Thankfully the shuttle tilted, and didn’t entirely fall over. We got out of the shuttle grateful to be alive, he drove off without even closing the back door. Turns out he dropped us off at the nearest terminal, not our terminal.
We were grateful to return home in one piece, Vidanta then began charging us hundreds of dollars on our credit card after we returned home to the United States. Stating the charges were ‘in person’ after we had left the country. For our family staying at the Vidanta was a dangerous and chaotic atmosphere. From the threats of the staff (making us feel like prisoners), to the manner in which they conducted themselves (less than transparent).
Everything was sent to the appropriate departments, and we received no response whatsoever. Our concerns were not addressed and we were never contacted by any staff or management.
Beautiful resort with many facilities. But read WARNING!
WARNING
Aggressive, rude sales staff. We told them repeatedly that we were not interested but they persisted in pitching us. They would not leave us alone on the first night that we arrived and the following morning. I complained to managers but got no protection from these jerks. They just kept ambushing us in the Mayan Palace lobby.
The head salesman eventually gave up after scorning at me and saying “Maybe you came to the wrong hotel”. The salesman later lied about it to the manager who just shrugged it off. We have never been treated this disrespectfully in 30 years of travelling in timeshares around the world.
Riviera Maya will not get any more of my money.
Also, there are too many extra charges, like $11.00 per person per day for maintenance.
Fantastic experience at the Andaz Mayakoba
Wow. What an amazing weekend! My fiancé and I celebrated our birthdays and on the first full day of vacation we got engaged. This place will forever be special to us. Everything from the room, customer service, and the beach was spectacular. The room service was phenomenal. My fiancé and I spent one evening enjoying New York sirloin steaks while overlooking the lagoon on our balcony. The employees really make you feel welcome and seem to genuinely care about your experience. The photographer did an excellent job with our engagement photos. Our room was always kept very clean and always restocked with amazing Mexican sodas and the best farm nuts. This place is best for couples that are looking to relax or small families. This is not a party atmosphere. I highly suggest spending your next vacation at the Andaz Mayakoba.
Loved Hyatt Andaz Mayakoba!!
What an amazing short weekend at Hyatt Andaz!
Loved every minute from the gorgeous white sand beach, the relaxing pool, the fun nature walk and extensive bike paths.. we had a fun day trip to nearby Tulum as well.
Who knew something so amazing was so close to the Cancun airport!
We go to the upscale resorts in Cabo often but next time we will definitely bring the entire family back!
Andaz Keeps Getting Better!
We stayed at the luxurious Andaz Mayakoba from February 10-16. We rarely go to the same place twice but this year, thought we’d give the Andaz another visit. We are so glad that we did! A year has passed and the resort has grown and improved (Hard to improve over our stay last year). The grounds had filled in, the beach was much wider and the food continued to be excellent. As this was our second visit, we felt like we were home. Everything was so familiar. We knew the ins and outs of taking advantage of the entire Mayakoba development.
The staff at the Andaz was excellent. Many of the staff remembered us, which was pretty cool. They were eager to hear what differences we saw in the property. It was all good! This is a testament to the management that so many of the same folks are still working at the hotel.
The restaurants continued to shine. We did not eat at Ola Ceviche.
Some recent commenters have remarked about the seaweed that has been washing up. We were told that the currents are changing and bring the seaweed to shore. No worries, as the 4 resorts at Mayakoba clean the beaches daily. I was told the beach in Cancun is washing away due to erosion, so I’m glad that they are replenishing the beaches north of Playa.
The other Mayakoba resorts are quite lovely and have excellent dining options. The Andaz is just our style and we like that this was a relatively quiet week.
One tip……TIP. We always tipped the golf cart drivers. We never (ever) waited for a ride anywhere. Tip the concierge, as he or she will work to get you a table in an otherwise sold out restaurant. We never encountered any staff member anticipating or expecting a tip for good service. We just did it because it was the right thing to do. The entire staff made our 2018 experience incredible. Thank you, Andaz Mayakoba. We will be back again!!!!!!
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