loyalty,

Hang in there. My wife and I are members (the special type that were previous owners at the old Continental Plaza Playacar before it became the Playacar Palace). You are only trying to help.

It is true, that as members, it is almost imposible to get correct information from Palace Resorts staff. We have been fighting this for two years. The two things I have learned for sure is that most contracts are different (depends on what you negotiated) and the Palace Resorts busines practices rate them as one of the most complained about chains in Mexico .

Just a thought, one thing to watch is the name of the resort. If the name of the resort does not use the word Palace in could be construed to not falling under the standard Palace resort availability in current owners contracts.

Finally, we are also members of the Melia Vacation Cub at the Gran Melia Cancun. We can only use the old members section of the resort. We can use the newest section only if we upgrade our membership (and pay big bucks). Common practice at resorts in Mexico and other locations.

Good morning to you rtsmudbug....To the contrary, I am not riled up. You are correct - I am not a member & I cannot comment on your rights as a member which...if it sounded like I was, I apologize. I am also not a lawyer, so I could not to begin to decipher all the "legalese" that might be contained in the contracts.

In reality, I was giving you an opinion on perhaps why Le Blanc Spa Resort may not be included because it is not actually "termed" , if that word describes it better, a Palace Resorts: I am not even going to speculate at all on the Moon Grand , Club Maeva when it becomes a Palace Resorts or the Moon Palace Casino & Spa Resort, Punta Cana.

Have a great day

to BobDidlt...Thanks for your support - you seem to be the only one out there who "got" the fact that Le Blanc Spa Resort does not fall under the Palace Resorts brand, although owned by Palace Resorts.

It saddens me to hear that so many members get conflicting information or no information at all, but you must be right..."Not all contracts are created equal".

for what it's worth, i appreciate your attempt to add some clarity to the LeBlanc issue, and as I said previously, I understand completely that they are 'branding' it differently to exclude it from the "Palace" chain. I believe all you have posted because it makes sense. Unfortunately I'm not too convinced that the next person I talk to at Palace would give me the same story.

I just sat through a member update presentation Tuesday of last week and what I am reporting about Grand, Punta Cana, Le Blanc & RCI plus is what we were offered as an upgrade from our current VIP Palace Premier membership. The beginning price was 55,000. and they came down to 38,000. When we declined their offer, they made it clear that the new Grand at Moon will be separately gated with a guard and they will be able to use the MP facilities but other Palace guests would not be able to use those of the Grand. We also will not be able to go to the new resort in Punta Cana, DR unless we purchase this upgrade. And we currently have 250 weeks or 125 presidentials and we certainly do not need or want any more weeks but it is an all or nothing situation according to the 3 sales team members we worked with. He did finally tell us if we wanted to just do Punta Cana that he could offer that at 12,800. I told him to keep the DR I suddenly had no desire to visit there.

OMG

As a person visiting a Palace Resort for the first time.... I don't want to sit through a timeshare presentation when I get there...

but...Did I understand you right? To upgrade your current membership it costs $55,000.00 US????? Without being rude.. and I know that pricing is different depending on your negotiating... but how much does a membership typically cost and what do you get for membership??? Just very curious now.......

to answer your question about costs/what we get - look on the XpuHa forum for a thread titled "Xpu ha palace is open!!!" (page 5 if you want to get right to it...)

I forgot to mention that the 12,800. didn't include anything, no Imperials weeks, no spa money, no airfare, no additional weeks - that was just so we could use our existing weeks in Punta Cana.

Formjoy...just read about your member update experience. Do they really think we are that stupid /or that rich? I was clearly told that my original VIP premier weeks would be good at all future Palace resorts...I have no desire to pay over $12,000 (with no imperial weeks!) just to stay at resorts that I should be entitled to already, that have not been built yet, and which, I am willing to bet, will not be all that different from the present properties.

Loyalty,

I'm Premier VIP Member and the folks on this forum would rather conplain about the nasty Palace Resorts than try to understand what is going on. I get the same answers you are being given from Palace. Maybe they just don't know how to ask. We are set to go to XPU-HA in Oct. Have had the Maeva deal explained to my satisfaction.

If you folks are members and want answers, maybe pick up the phone and call sales rep you dealt with in ASP.

John