Aimfair Home Page

November 28, 2013

Betty and Ray spent their Thanksgiving in Nuevo Vallarta, along with many others. They took the time to send us all a Thanksgiving Cheer prior to setting out for their meal in the form of a beautiful view of the Bahia de Banderas before the sun fell below the horizon.


Thank you Betty and Ray. What a great reminder that we do have a lot to be thankful for.

We hope everyone had a great day, regardless of where you are! Make today the longest day of your lives...

November 27, 2013

Leaving a place that has been home for two weeks can generate mixed emotions. Packing and reorganizing suitcases are never pleasant activities. We need to check two and three times to be sure we leave nothing behind.

Face it. The last day for us is work. Moving luggage from one place to another, checking out, creating a schedule, making sure all the people who helped us during our two weeks are recognized, seeing all the friends who are arriving, taking the last of the many photos and relaxing. Yes, you can get a glimpse of what Mary Ann has to deal with.

Interestingly, our experiences this year are much different from prior years. The check out process was easy. There were minimal adjustments to our bill. Our luggage was well tended to after it disappeared from our room and reappeared when we hailed a cab to leave. Nothing to it!!

The shuttles are frequent and flexible. As crowds increase, the number of shuttle carts increases. Sure, some of the shuttles are full during the most popular times of the day, but communication systems between the shuttle drivers and bellmen seems to keep people moving. We did not have to spend more than four minutes waiting.

Our lunch at the Si Snack, which is next to the Custom Made Burger Restaurant, was terrific! A shrimp cocktail in a delicious sauce was just right for Mary Ann, while I had the Spinach and roasted Pineapple salad. Both had generous proportions of Avocado, and chips were there to soak up the rest of the sauce.

When we finished our meal, we sauntered to the main lobby of Tower I to catch the shuttle. Yes, you guessed it. The first one to pass by was full. But, as the full shuttle left, another one drove up. No wait. No anxiety. Off to the Sanutario we went, where we presented the bellman with our check-out confirmation. In a matter of minutes, our luggage cart was in front of us and the cab rolled up too. Nothing to it!

This year marks the first time we felt relaxed as we left. There was plenty of time to get to the airport, the taxi was air conditioned and our luggage was stowed.

No, this year’s emotions were about the friends we met, the good times we had with our family and the fact that we were unable to meet in Harry, Mark and others in person. This year truly set the stage for years to come.

November 20, 2013

We visited the Santuario last evening and had a terrific time with our six adult children (The grand children were at the Kids Club African Night.) We discovered the following:

1. The water is back in the pools, a lovely ambiance with the changing lights.
2. Drink minimum is one per person, including coffee and other non-alcoholic beverages.
3. Entertainment is constant. We saw five different acts during our hour and a half stay.
4. Venue was well attended.

All in all, a fun experience!

Having a great time....stay tuned...

November 19, 2013

Join us and say "hello" to other Aimfair members. Share your experiences in the SPA 2 and 3 BR units and more.

Let's get together.....again - November 19, 2013.

There will be at least four of us and maybe more.

Where? In the outside seating area to the right of the Luxxe Tower I Lobby Bar. Its great outside seating area. We will be there at 4:30 PM on Tuesday, November 19.

Join us. Everyone is welcome.

Cheers!

Bob and Mary Ann

November 9, 2013

Let's get together on Tuesday, November 12 for a Gathering of Aimfairites at 4:30 PM at the Luxxe Tower I Pool Bar. No RSVP necessary. We will have fun talking to whomever arrives. Just drop in and say "Howdy". We will be there for about an hour or so. It will be longer if you want it to be.

See you there!

Cheers!

Bob and Mary Ann

October 2, 2013

In the last four days, we have received scam warnings from American Airlines through ETurbo Global Travel Industry News http://www.eturbonews.com/print/38475, Grupo Vidanta Beware of Unsolicited Communication and two Aimfair members, each about different companies. In the cases of American Airlines and Grupo Vidanta, the scammers leave the impression that they are authorized to discuss transactions with their customers. Not true!! In the cases of the two other companies, they offer to buy weeks or contracts at very high prices. Not true!

The two companies making offers to buy weeks or contracts are called:

• I Realty Connect (Referred to us on September 30, 2013) - Fax: (512) 298-4159 - Located in Del Rio, Texas, not Austin, Texas. The stated website of www.irealtyconnect.com does not exist and the domain is for sale. Seems this company is gone for now.
• My Space Vacation (Referred to us on September 27, 2013) - Fax: (773) 451-8681 - Located in Chicago, IL. According to a reverse search of email address owners, a person called Ann Burdett is listed as the owner of this and three other email addresses associated with companies that are questionable.

The Advance Fee Fraud is easy to fall for. Why? Because we are all trusting soles. We want to take advantage of easy money. Everyone is tempted by easy money. Many of us are unable to make full use of the weeks we own because of changes in our health, family situations, interests by other family members, discouraged for any number of reasons, etc., etc. We want out! The money sounds great! We realize there are people out there who might take advantage of us, but the people who contact us are so convincing that they could not be one of THOSE people.

There is a science to their tactics, verified by research funded by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) (http://www.bbb.org/scam-stopper/the-science-of-scams.php). The research found that scammers use many techniques to increase credibility and emotion to encourage making quick decisions.

These individuals are very well connected with each other. If you turn one person down and leave the door open, then another person will contact you to make you and offer. If you turn down an offer and suggest you would consider something more, they will come back with the higher offer. Their only objective is to receive a commission on money their victims send in. It's all about what we send in, not what they will pay us.

What can we do to stop this epidemic? Send us your experiences so we can publish them. Use common sense. Suggest that you send a note with a number in the note to the company address via courier. Have the recipient call you with the number. Make sure you do not have to pay any fees except from the proceeds of the sale. Never fax documents; always send them by courier. Conduct your own due diligence by contacting the Better Business Bureau and use this website to learn about the person calling you: yougetsignal.com/tools/reverse-email-lookup

Remember....if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is...

September 30, 2013

Vida Vibe is the official newsletter for Vida Vacations. It is informative and provides us with a glimpse of what we can expect during the next vacation season.

For example, here is a quote from the September 2, 2013 edition (http://www.thevidavibe.com/memories/-/blog/blog?entryId=306113):

Time sure does fly… we have enjoyed a wonderful summer season and look forward to everything the fall and winter have in store before we gear up for 2014, our 40th anniversary (but more on that to come later)! Summer officially comes to a close on September 22 with the fall equinox. For those who don’t know why equinoxes are particularly important to us in Mexico, the Mayans considered them sacred times. Ancient astronomers and architects created the El Castillo pyramid at Chichen Itzá so that during the equinoxes when afternoon sun hit the western balustrade, seven triangles would form creating a shadow that imitated the body of a 120 foot snake slithering down the steps until it reached the serpent head at the bottom of the stairs. It is an incredible site to see whether on an equinox or not!
With fall and winter come openings and we have a lot to introduce from La Plaza in Nuevo Vallarta with a gourmet food court, French restaurant and bar, ballroom and boutiques to Grand Luxxe Spa Towers, remolded clear lakes and so much more. As soon as opening dates are made official, you will be the first to know so keep reading the Newsletters and following your membership on social media!

The new season is fast approaching, and we look forward to sharing what we learn ourselves and from fellow members of Aimfair, the Grand Luxxe Residence Club and the other Vidanta resorts.

Nuevo Vallarta is in the lime light, but Riviera Maya, Puerto Penasco, San Jose del Cabo (East Cape) and Acapulco could be locations with news as well, especially given the fact that the developer will celebrate 40 years of growth and change in 2014.

You know what we are going to say....Stay Tuned....!

September 7, 2013

This morning we were treated to an email from a fellow Aimfair member. The sender asked the same questions we have heard before:

• Have you ever heard of this company?
• What do you think?

No, we had not heard of this company. But the name is similar to another perpetrator of Advance Fee Fraud schemes.

After a relatively quick review of the company and information we learned about the company, we summarized our findings here: Prestige Vacation Services

We do not believe Grupo Vidanta benefits from these scams in any way but one: it reinforces management's efforts to remain very diligent about protecting confidential information and to keep its members aware of these scams.

We hear about our friends being taken advantage of by these "business schemes". The callers are very slick salesmen who do nothing more than ask people to send in money in exchange for false promises.

Don't be a victim! Let's keep the information flowing!

Remember...if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!

September 3, 2013

A couple of years ago, excitement was extreme! Cirque du Soleil would occupy a theater on the eastern edge of Grupo Vidanta's property at Neuvo Vallarta. The theater was to be built in a development called "Celebration", which was to be a significant development for public access and use.

That was yesterday. Today, Barbara Anderson wrote in her Milenio column called "Nothing Personal, Just Business" http://www.milenio.com/cdb/doc/impreso/9190458 an article entitled "Daniel Chavez and Cirque du Soleil theater in the Riviera Maya".

The highlights of the article corroborate what we heard from our latest Aimfair Member update, in which he said a theater for Cirque du Soliel was under construction across the highway from Grupo Vidanta's property at Riviera Maya and it might open in November, 2014. The theater will have 250 VIP seats for dinner and the show plus 250 traditional theater seats. According to Mr. Moran, the theater will be configured to expand by an additional 500 seats in the event demand exceeds the initial seating design.

It makes sense because the highway provides easy access to the facility by the general public. Also, the theater is easier to build there than in Nuevo Vallarta for a number possible reasons.

Barbara claims the theater will cost approximately $20 million and be owned outright by Grupo Vidanta. She goes on to say it will be the first theater in Mexico that will be designed for permanent Cirque du Soleil productions.

Grupo Vidanta is one of Mexico's premier resort developers and operators, and guests of the resorts contribute approximately $600 million to the Mexican economy. Mr. Chavez says two other permanent locations for Cirque du Soleil productions are under consideration.

Very interesting indeed!

Stay tuned....

August 21, 2013

A Grand Luxxe owner contacted us with a question. Have you heard of this offer? He described it in his email to us, which you can see by following this link: Skylar Vacation Services - Possible Scam

The story line is a buyer wants to gain access to ownership in Grupo Vidanta's Costa Rica property by buying up Grand Luxxe contracts. He will pay $168,000 for the contract. But, the seller must agree to pay a commission of 8%.

On and on. The money is a grabber. Who wouldn't sell a contract for $168,000?

Maybe we would be willing to sell, but no one is going to buy.
The only thing the solicitors want is their commission. The only way to get their commission is for sellers to pay it before the transaction closes.

We have recently seen a number of members ask questions and actually pay money. They are terribly disappointed because they put their trust in the person who was trying to get their money.

Trust must be earned! Strangers cannot earn trust through telephone conversations.

Remember, the solicitors earn a commission on every penny unsuspecting victims pay them. There is no remorse, no feeling of ill will, no feeling of doing anything wrong. The party sending the money did it of his or her own free will.

Take to heart the warning Grupo Vidanta issued today: Beware of Unauthorized Payment Channels.
Use your weeks and have fun with them. A quick buck is not in your future!

Cheers!

August 5, 2013

A few days ago, we received the following question from an Aimfair member. We thought it was interesting....and....provocative:

Hi,
I am surprised that you are still referring to Grand Luxxe as a Timeshare when it is a Private Residence Club (same as Fractional Ownership). Major differences.

Should the correction be made?

We all want accuracy, don't we? Are interests in the Grand Luxxe Residence Club Fractional Ownerships or Timeshare Interests? What do you think?

Since we tend to lean toward the "Timeshare Camp", we look at our interests as Rights To Use rather than Fractional Ownerships. In essence, our contracts expire every ten years (or twenty five, if you still have a twenty five year contract), unless we renew them. Since we intend to renew them, we can do so a fixed number of times. Then our Rights To Use facilities owned by the Grand Luxxe Residence Club expire.

That said, we also were interested in the concept of Fractional Ownership. We bought a number of weeks in order to conform with the internal definition used by our collective sales staff. Of course the concept is just that. There is nothing in our contract that states we have rights to a theoretical fraction of the building, or number of floors, or anything else except the right to use the number of weeks in our contracts, all of which are subject to availability.

It is a spirited discussion, for sure. There are many forms of breaking use and ownership of tangible and intangible assets into fractions of time and ownership.

Regardless of the terms we hear, we look to our contract. That is where we find solid ground to stand upon. And, by the way, we thoroughly enjoy the ground we stand upon when we are visiting one of the resorts offered by Grupo Vidanta.

Follow this link to read our full answer to our member's question: Timeshare Interests....or Fractional Ownerships....What are We?

Thank you for raising the question and challenging us.

June 16, 2013

Last year, in the first Annual Photo Contest, three photos of the top ten photos as selected by Vida Vacation Club were contributed by Aimfair members: DL Crandell had two photos selected and David Osborne had one. That is pretty impressive! Way to go Crandells and Osbornes!

Here are links to their contributions to Aimfair:

• February 22, 2013 - Dave and Lisa in Nuevo Vallarta
• November 27, 2012 - Lisa and Dave's View of the Grand Luxxe - The rest of the story...
• November 20, 2012 - Lisa and Dave's View of the Grand Luxxe
• February, 2012 - Crandell's Images of Change In Nuevo Vallarta
• February, 2012 - The Crandell Family Loves Nuevo Vallarta
• April 24, 2011 - Dave and Terrina
• April 22, 2011 - Dave and Terrina's excursion to San Francisco - San Pancho - Beach and the Mayan Property at Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

Congratulations to the Crandell and Osborne families, and thank you for your contributions and support.

Good luck this year!

June 9, 2013

Scams are becoming an increasingly troublesome problem. Aimfair members report to us instances of cold calls from people with fictitious names and companies. Some have been unable to retrieve money they sent these people in good faith.

Grupo Vidanta has issued two warnings in the last three months.

Now we see the US Department of Consumer Affairs and the FTC increasing pressure on scams in the Timeshare Industry. "The Federal Department of Consumer Affairs issued a warning about travel scams, what the agency is doing to curb them and what to look out for. You can read the article in its entirety by following this link: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/ftc-cracks-down-on-timeshare-resale-travel-scams-060613.html?goback=.gde_159828_member_248105574

The FTC claims there have been 191 separate actions taken, including three FTC cases, 83 civil actions filed by 28 states and 25 actions taken by law enforcement in 10 other countries. Also, 184 individuals are facing criminal prosecution by federal and state prosecutors.

The following image is an excellent reminder of how Advance Fee scams work:

Keep this image firmly in mind! These people are very convincing. Do not fall for their promises. Listen again to this recording of a conversation between a scammer and the person he has impersonated to increase his credibility with his prey:

Click Here to Listen

Read the full account of this scam here.

Please....Do not fall for schemes that are too good to be true!!

June 7, 2013

Grupo Vidanta sent us all an announcement that Aeromexico will start regularly scheduled service from Las Vegas to Puerto Penasco on June 20, 2013. This is certainly great news for Grupo Vidanta because it opens the door a little wider for increased visits to its beautiful Mayan Palace property at La Jolla de Cortes.

In case you have not seen the announcement, a copy appears below:


Not only is it important to know that commercial flights are now available from somewhere in the US to Puerto Penasco, it is also important to know that you can use the codes in the notice to receive promotional fare discounts on one way and round trip flights.

We looked at the schedule. Thursdays and Sundays are the only flying days. Leave on a Thursday and come home on a Sunday or a Thursday. The cost is a little over $500 US before the discounts listed above. Please note: This is not an advertisement in any way. We are simply passing along information that we learned.

The golf course at the Mayan Palace is beautiful. Now you can fly commercially to get there....if you happen to live in Las Vegas.

More will come, we are sure....stay tuned...

June 7, 2013

OAG Worldwide Limited, also known as the Official Airline Guide, is a United Kingdom based travel news, data and ranking service.
The company released its June OAG FACTS (Frequency and Capacity Trend Statistics) report. You can view it by following this link: http://www.oag.com/sites/default/files/June%20FACTS.pdf

We thought the findings are interesting because Mexico is one of four countries that replaced the previously ranked four fastest growing countries in airline seat capacity in the world.

The four fastest growing countries in airline seat capacity are now Turkey, Indonesia, Mexico and the Philippines, and in the past five years have a combined average annual growth rate of 16%.

Brazil, Russia, India and China were previously the four fastest growing countries in seat capacity, and their combined average annual growth rate was 10% during the past five years.

These fastest growing countries "...were grouped together due to their high levels of economic growth and favourable demographics. In fact, the International Monetary Fund forecasts increases in gross domestic product this year of 3.5% for Turkey and Mexico, 4.8% for the Philippines and 6.3% for Indonesia.", according to the study.

International seat capacity has grown at an average of 10% over the past five years as well.

Why the rapid growth rates in these four countries? According to an OAG executive, Low Cost Carriers (LLCs) have expanded their airline seating capacity rapidly over the past five years. He says: “In Indonesia, Lion Air has 52% of domestic capacity and for the year-to-date has added 5.2 million seats compared to 2012. In the last year, Indonesia AirAsia has increased its seat capacity by 62% and has added a further 2 million seats so far in 2013. In Mexico, low-cost carriers have added 1.8 million seats so far in 2013, with the vast majority coming from Volaris and Vivaaerobus, while low-cost airline Pegasus has added nearly 1 million domestic seats in Turkey so far in 2013 compared to 2012."

We feel this is good news for all of us. Mexico's economy is growing. It remains an attractive vacation alternative for those of us who have vested interests in the country. We believe the numbers of new visitors will increase too. Mexico is trying hard to increase its appeal through improvements to infrastructure in the major tourist centers.

Finally, in line with the above report, today we received more good news from Grupo Vidanta that Aeromexico will begin regularly scheduled Thursday and Sunday flights from Las Vegas to Puerto Penasco on June 20, 2013. More seats.

All good news, from our perspective. How about yours?

May 31, 2011

Tomorrow is June 1, which is nearing the official start of summer and about 6 months since someone (Update: Dave and Terrina informed us that, although they would like to take credit for this great photo, they cannot. Who ever did upload this for us all, we thank you.) provided us with this great image of the Nuevo Vallarta property.


We have nothing more to say than....Wow! To get the full view, click the small magnifying glass that appears under the lower right hand corner of the photo.

This image will help keep in mind the reason you own your Luxxe or Grand Bliss or Grand Mayan or Mayan Palace contract.

Buildings are, from the left, a condo, Grand Mayan, Grand Bliss, Mayan Palace, Luxxe II, Luxxe I and, under construction, Luxxe Punta.

Yes, Bob and Christina, we know you feel Riviera Maya is the best! Still, this photo is pretty spectacular, don't you think?

Thanks for thinking of us anonymous contributor, who ever you are....

May 27, 2013

An Aimfair member sent us a note today. Although its content is specific to those of us who live in the United States, it also reminds us to be thankful for all the other men and women who serve in their respective country's military services to protect their fellow countrymen.

The world we live in today is very different from the one in which most of us grew up. Consequently, we all have to adjust in order to continue enjoying our lives.

That said, we respectfully submit for your review and consideration the comments from one of our fellow members and a speech presented by General John Kelly on May 23, 2013:

Attached is the Memorial Day speech in San Antonio, TX given by SOUTHCOM Commanding General John Kelly, USMC on 23 May 2013. A long read...but worth every word and every minute spent reading it. I urge you to read the speech as you prepare for and celebrate Memorial Day - After all is said and done, it is meant to be much more than "A day off to mark the beginning of the Summer beach and barbecue season."

This is for those that understand MEMORIAL DAY and for those that don't. we honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and those who have served...our troops and all those who stand in harms way.
God bless America.

Respectfully,

WNS

Captain, United States Navy, Retired

Follow this link to read General Kelly's speech:

http://www.southcom.mil/newsroom/Documents/GEN_Kelly_Memorial_Day_2013_Speech_SanAntonio_130523.pdf

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and General Kelly's speech with us WNS. We all have much to be thankful for, which in large part stems from sacrifices made by members of the military services on our behalf.

March 12, 2013

It was December 17, 2007 when we first became aware of the Grand Luxxe Residence Club. We visited the Grand Mayan at Nuevo Vallarta that day because it was clear we were outgrowing our current timeshare facilities, which was a Penthouse unit at Paradise Village, Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Please do not hold that against us, but the two of our five children who joined us at that time had two children of their own, ages between four and nine months. Suddenly, the Penthouse unit became verrrrrry small. And.....Mary Ann and I had our own separate unit!

So, off we went to the Grand Mayan to see what we could learn.

Our pitch to the Grand Mayan sales staff was we would give them our unit if they would give us theirs. Sounded good to us, but, after they stopped laughing, they provided us with their newest product...presented on a piece of Xerox paper....called The Grand Luxxe Villa, which was offered by the Grand Luxxe Residence Club.

Its now a little over five years later. The inauspicious beginning from two designations of units (the Luxxe Suite and Luxxe Villa) is now up to ten. That is quite a line up.

The ten are offered in three classifications: The Residence, The SPA and the Villa. Here is how they break down:

• The Residences:
  • Four bedroom units in Tower V
  • The Lofts - Two and Three bedroom units on the fourth floors of Towers III A and B and IV A and B
• The SPA Residences
  • Two and three bedroom units on the fifth through tenth floors of Tower IV A and B.
• The Villas, which include the following:
  • The Presidential Villa and its components, the Exclusive Master Villa and the Exclusive Villa
  • The Luxxe Master Villa and its components the Villa Suite and the Jr. Villa
  • The Luxxe Master Suite and its components the Luxxe Suite and Master Room.

The Grand Luxxe Residence Club units are also offered in Riviera Maya, which was the plan and dream, but two years from when we purchased.

So, what do these reflections mean? First, there has been enormous change in the physical plant at Nuevo Vallarta since our first visit. Second, there has been enormous change in the Grand Luxxe Residence Club since our first introduction. Third, the options have expanded beyond our expectations. Fourth, there are growing pains with this new growth.

We are still very happy with the decision we made five years ago. Little did we know the ride we were in for would be as much fun to experience.

Enjoy the ride....and stay tuned!

March 11, 2013

Tiger Woods hits a golf ball at about 130 miles per hour. I am sure I can't get over 100 miles per hour.

So what happens to the golf ball when it is hit at 150 miles per hour? Check this out. It is a golf ball hitting a steel wall at 150 miles per hour. http://www.flixxy.com/golf-ball-slow-motion.htm#.UT4ixFd-tSs

It is really amazing to see how much a golf ball compresses at 150 miles per hour. As a hacker, I now have a great appreciation for the term "compression" when the teacher tells me to maximize the head speed and compress the golf ball.

Did you know there are three regions of the top of the line golf ball? And, did you know that if your swing does not generate head speeds of over 120 miles per hour, you only use two of the three areas of the golf ball?

Enough already. Let's all get on the course and improve our swing to increase speed and compression!

But most importantly, Have Fun!!

March 1, 2013

What is Paradise? No, Paradise Village is nearby and included in Paradise.

Actually, though, Paradise is where we get away from it all. It could be Hawaii, Squaw Valley skiing in heavy snow, Jackson Hole skiing in flour like powder, or somewhere in the Caribbean. It is anywhere you want it to be and where you feel a sense of enjoyment while there.

For us, leaving is always difficult. Should we stay longer next time? Should we get to know more people? How do we manage getting more weeks, if we were lucky enough to stay longer? All these questions.

We know many fellow members go through the same process. Why? Because they live in places where it is cold and dreary during the winter months. So their enjoyment comes in blocks of months, not weeks. Often they are able to spend two blocks of multiple weeks. Which is something they look forward to each year.

But, in the end, we all have to leave. And that is just what Ross and his family recently did. But the nice thing about their trip is they were able to snap one last image.....of Paradise. And here is what they sent us to share with you all:





The McKone family sent us the last photo. What fun, and yet we all have to leave.

Thank you Ross and the McKone family....can't wait to return...