Aimfair Home Page

February 27, 2011

About five days or so ago, we announced that Members were restless. They want updates, photos and information.

Well, there were many out there who were listening. Charles provided us with photos of the properties and excursions. Bud and Lori sent in photos of their excursions to Punta Mita, San Sebastian, El Tuito and Mismaloya. Sherm, Don and MJ and Dennis provided us with construction updates for and reviews of the Grand Luxxe at Riviera Maya. Steve provided us with an update of the Bliss Resorts. Finally, tonight, Linda sent us an update from Nuevo Vallarta.

Bottom line is there is much going on at the Vida Vacation Club (Grupo Vidanta) properties.

Steve and other Bliss Members are disappointed that the Bliss Resorts will not be built in the near future. According to Linda in Seattle (in Nuevo right now), based upon the statements made in the members update, it is unlikely that the Bliss Resorts will be built any time soon because there is no demand for the product.

On the other hand, the number of Grand Luxxe members is increasing. According to information passed along to Linda, Vida Vacation Club has sold about 4,500 2 BR Grand Luxxe Villa weeks and 3,600 Grand Luxxe 2 BR units to date. This explains why reservations are difficult to get during the most popular dates.

But, from what we hear, Grand Luxxe Building Two in Riviera Maya may open in late 2011 and two more Grand Luxxe buildings in Nuevo Vallart could open in 2012.

All of this is going on during a very difficult economic period throughout the world and during a period when there is so much uncertainty in Mexico.

We are looking ahead to many years of enjoyable use of the Vidanta properties as they expand on current properties and expand into new areas. The key from our point of view is to keep information flowing, so we can all vicariously participate in the trips each of us share with each other.

February 22, 2011

In keeping with our banner, we are a place where Grand Luxxe and other Grupo Vidanta Timeshare Owners connect and exchange.

The issue that arose this morning is the future of the Bliss Resort.

Steve is a Bliss owner, who contacted us over a year ago. In his email, he expressed concern about the sales presentation his family and he attended, information provided then and "promises" made.

We suggested that he address his concerns with Customer Service and told him we thought he would be treated fairly, especially in the difficult economic times that were in place then (2009). Later, he sent us an update and said he was unable to reach agreement to resolve the issues.

Fast forward to this morning....we received an offer from Steve. He is now at Nuevo Vallarta and has asked us to post his comments.

Since his comments are short, we are posting them here and in Current News. Please consider:


Understand that Steve's comments are his own and should not be construed as statements from management or anyone else.

We know the Bliss has become a resort without definition. This may be the case because Vida Vacation Club can sell the Grand Luxxe and Grand Bliss resorts at higher prices, which makes them more profitable than the lower priced Bliss units. Result is the Bliss members paid for upgrades that will not be built.

Regardless, we also know that Vida is trying to provide meaningful alternatives to Bliss owners. So, we do not think all is lost. Just more conversations with Customer Service to get the issues ironed out to everyone's satisfaction.

Thank you Steve.

February 20, 2011

Mary successfully uploaded her photos and overcame the frustration that comes with technology....especially new technology.

Come to find out through our experts there are many reasons why time outs occur....Internet connections....software....comupter....network traffic....location....type of connection (wired or wireless)....and so on. In fact we all have experienced dropped connections and timeouts every day. It is just that we want everything to be perfect, right?

In fact, just a little while ago, Nancy in Edmonton asked a question about the Grand Bliss and if anyone had recent photos they could share.

In response, we observed Linda In Seattle (actually in NV) try to no avail to upload a brief video, which we bet dollars to doughnuts it contained footage of the Grand Bliss.

Also in response, we just completed posting Gary III's great photos of the Grand Bliss, which he took while staying at the Grand Bliss during the week of December 7, 2010. He was one of the first to experience the resort.

So, the issue of providing a communication link among Grand Luxxe and other Vida Vacation Club members continues to be the challenge we have taken on by establishing this website.

No, our goal is not lofty. Rather, it is very achievable. We simply have to understand the limits of where we are and how they impact our objectives.

So, to Linda In Seattle, we request the video be sent to us by email, so we can post it for you from a fast Internet connection. To Nancy, we suggest you click on Gary III's Grand Bliss - December 7, 2010 to see the great photos of the resort he sent. And to everyone else, we hope you all enjoy the journey, hiccups and all.

February 14, 2011

First of all, Happy Valentines Day to everyone! What fun it would be to enjoy Valentines Day at one of the Vida Vacation Club resorts in Mexico.

Speaking of getting together at Vida Vacation Club resorts, Aimfair members have gathered at the area to the right of the Luxxe Pool bar, near the Reflection Pond between Grand Luxxe Tower I and Grand Luxxe Tower II. In the past the meeting time coincided with Happy Hour, which was 5:30 PM on Mondays. Of course there is nothing magic about Mondays.

Communicating with each other is difficult. So we set up a communal email address: call_us@luxxeowners.com.

To access this account:

1. Type into your browser address bar or click on the following: mail.luxxeowners.com. This is the Lets Get Together Email Account.
   
   
2. Type "call_us" as the user name.
   
   
3. Type "letsgetT" as the password.
   
   
4. Once in the email account, review all messages or send a message.
   
   
5. Sending a message, you simply enter into the "to" and "from" email addresses the following email account: "call_us@luxxeowners.com". Your message will appear in the call_us@luxxeowners.com email account for all to see.

Note: This procedure applies to all properties and resorts. Everyone can see the messages. Therefor, be sure to mention where you are when making posting your message asking others to get together..

We hope everyone shares Valentines Day with each other.

Have fun!

February 13, 2011

We are making changes to a number of pages that will allow us to post photos provided by viewers. We have a number of them that we want to share. Charles R was so generous! Whale Watching Tour at the Marieta Islands, Horse Back Riding and many wonderful photos of the Grand Luxxe at Nuevo Vallarta in November, 2010.



Many photos are up and were contributed by Gary III, Dave and Terrina, Ron, John, Don and many others.

Our objective is to provide Members with access to the Photo Galleries so everyone can enjoy them. In the meantime, you may see a file name or two that have nothing in them. Work in progress. That is what you see.

Another of our objectives is to provide information about the Timeshare Industry. Nick Copley, President of the Sherpareport, has an extensive background in Fractional Ownership, Destination Clubs, Residence Clubs and other forms of sharing ownership of tangible assets with others. He will be quoted now and again as we provide articles he has written.

We are particularly interested in valuing ownership, the financial arrangements offered by these different forms of ownership, ways these owner organizations deal with reservations when supply is limited and demand is high and how they are doing during these most difficult economic times.

From an operating point of view, please let us know the pages that you cannot see because you get the "ooops" page. We want to make corrections to viewing rights as quickly as possible.

Thank you all for your continued support and participation.

No one wants to have Expiring Weeks.

1. Some weeks expire because the year ends and there are no spacebanking or other options available to us, and
   
   
2. Others go unused because at the last minute, a member or member's guest experiences a change in travel plans.

We may have an option for the second circumstance, which we are calling:

Member's Getaway Weeks©

A Member Getaway Week is an expiring week that a member is willing to rent.

A typical example might be where a member reserved a two bedroom unit for a family member or friend to use. In some cases, travel plans change. The consequence is the guest is not able to take advantage of the member's generosity.

We have developed a way for members who are placed in this situation to offer their week and possibly collect a fee for the use of their vacant space. In essence, the member has created a Getaway opportunity for others to use.

One such opportunity now exists. You can read about it by clicking here to Test Drive A Luxxe.

Seems like a win - win situation for all persons concerned. Let us know your thoughts by emailing us at Infoaboutus@aimfair.com or by starting a topic on the forum called Members Getaway Weeks.

Should be fun to see this new service for Subscribing Members in action. Stay tuned.....

February 3, 2011

Doug recently returned from Acapulco and has an update to provide us all.

This tower has been under construction for a number of years. Members have said they were told it was going to be a Grand Bliss, a Bliss or a combination of the two.

Now, we hear that it will become a Mayan Palace building.

Here is what Doug has to say:


Hello,

I’m a current Luxxe owner and just returned from two weeks in Acapulco. There currently is not a Luxxe on site so we stayed in the Grand Mayan. Here is what is currently taking place. The Mayan Palace that was on the north end of the property is closed and was being demolished while we were there. They opened a new Mayan Palace last Sept. inland about a quarter mile on the other side of the golf course. It consists of several three story buildings that curve around the huge pool and lazy river area, which is very similar to the PV Grand Mayan pool. The landscaping around the pool area is gorgeous. We actually went to this pool area everyday. They provided shuttles that made for easy access back and forth. The high rise building that has been under construction for some time, IS NOT going to be a Grand Bliss but another Mayan Palace. I don’t quite understand that. They have completed all the outside construction and have started putting in the windows/sliding glass doors. Completion date unknown. Construction on the Luxxe will begin in April. It will be located on the South side of the property where the current water park is located. Because it will be located in front of one of the Grand Mayan buildings, it will not have as many floors as the Luxxe units in PV. They say it takes eighteen months to build, so they should be opening around the end of 2012. We shall see.

That’s what I know.

Doug





Thank you Doug. Great to hear about Acapulco.

January 30, 2011

Nino sent everyone a review and asked if we would post if for him. Here is what he has to say about the Riviera Maya and Nuevo Vallarta Grand Luxxe units in Building One (Please click on the article to see the full text.):


Dear fellow Grand Luxxe owners:

My family and I recently spent a week in NV and a week at RM - both in a two bedroom GL suite. I thought it would be informative to compare the two resorts, without duplicating what other members have already written. I have attempted to do so, with more emphasis on RM as the GL there just recently opened in November.....


If you would like to see maps of the Vida Vacation Club Riviera Maya Property, follow this link: Architectural Renderings of the Riviera Maya Vida Vacation Club Property


Thank you Nino, very informative.

January 24, 2011

We read that there will be 10,000 or so "Baby Boomers" coming of age each day after January 1, 2011 for the next 12 to 15 years. Coming of age means retiring. Wow!

Our important take away from the article is scams will likely be on the rise. In fact, the Grand Luxxe Residence Club issued a warning on January 18. This is the second in about six months. It is a problem.

Aimfair Members are also concerned. Several have been in contact with the companies listed in Possible Scams. In particular, John followed up an asked:

- Why not contact the FBI when you come across a possible scam?

You can! Follow this link: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and use his FBI specific ID: "I 1101212153044412" to gain access. Leave the details of the scam on their form. Of course, you can ask us to post the company and deal here too.

The bottom line is scam artists are coming out of the woodwork.

Although we all believe our Vida contracts are valuable and would like to make back some of our money through rentals or an outright sale, the fact of the matter is the market for timeshare contracts is governed by supply and demand, not companies that claim to have relationships that offer prices that are too good to be true.

We are very happy with what we purchased and hope you are too. It is tempting to think we can get more than the market will bear. But, in our view, it is likely too good to be true.

January 23, 2011

Nuevo Vallarta is very active. Of course it should be. There are about 450 rooms in the Grand Mayan and about 252 rooms in the Grand Luxxe alone. Add the rooms in the Grand Bliss and Mayan Palace and you are going to gather a crowd.

Generally, our Grand Luxxe members report having pleasant experiences. One exception might be "The Fence". We certainly do not think the reasons for the fence are self serving other than to provide guests with protection and allow the developer to manage insurance risks.

Sales representations are always topics of interest. Most are very complementary, indicating there is a change from the old ways to the new ones.

In the end, the company has to keep selling product. Sales is the life blood of any organization. We all appreciate this and respect the effort it takes to motivate buyers.

Some of the more common complaints arise from the following circumstances:

• The Promise of Ocean View Rooms.
  
  
• The Promise to Take Over Existing Timeshare Obligations
  
  
• Bullying Buyers
  
  
• Misleading Buyers Using Portions of Contracts and Orally Interpreting Them.

There are likely to be others. If you would like to have us post your suggestions, just let us know by sending us an email at infoaboutus@aimfair.com and place Sales Tactics in the Subject box.

Vida Vacation Club management is committed to both growing the company by building resorts complexes and filling them with members as they come on line and using ethical sales techniques, which includes intensive training.

Any comments we make here will be taken as constructive comments. The management team has a big job managing the number of sales personnel it takes to continue growth in these tough economic times.

As buyers, we can do our part by exercising discipline and restraint. Everything needs to be in writing. If you do not understand, take a walk and come back later. No one can make you sign anything.

Success is not measured by anything more than satisfied members.

Cheers and thanks to Earl and Anita and others for their contributions to our thoughts today.

Last week we all learned that access to the Nuevo Vallarta property is now funneled through one entrance. This is the former Main Entrance near the round about and Tacos Break.

Here are one member's comments:


January 20, 2011

I'm writing from the Grand Bliss in NV. Thought you would want to know Vida has completely closed the road running in front of the Grand Mayan, etc towards the Sea Garden to vehicles and foot traffic. A high chain link fence now exists at the end of the Grand Mayan over to the end of the parking garage. Apparently construction near the sales end of the Grand Mayan is the excuse. The only way to Sea Garden, bus stop, OXXO, NV marina, etc is by taxi for 35pesos each way. No arrangements have been made to allow walking to the Sea Garden, although a path could clearly be provided There is no communication from Vida regarding length of this condition. FYI - R Best


Gary III posted on the Forum comments from Ron, who spent a lot of time last year keeping us all up to date.

We can only speculate about the reasons behind the change. Security first comes to mind. Adopting a multi-step process that ultimately leads to the new main entrance near the highway might be a reason. We understand the property will not allow autos, so perhaps Vida Vacation Management is making the move to a single entrance point now, before there are many more visitors due to the increased number of rooms that will be available in the near future.

Gina was there too. She was told the closure was related to insurance. Golf carts and autos using the same roads make for potential conflicts.

Regardless, many members are grumpy over the change. Too bad they had to experience the move first hand.

On the subject of the property, Ron sent us a number of photos. One is particularly interesting because it provides a glimpse of the amount of vegetation that will cover the property. More later....

January 18, 2011

Nuevo Vallarta: Through Gary III on the Owners Forum, Ron informed us that there is now a gate that prevents auto and pedestrian access to the property from the road that leads from the Sea Garden.

This changes the way we access restaurants called Prime, EStudio, Don Quixote, Ochos Tostadas, Eddies, Guidos, the marina and etc.

Although we did not understand the full impact of what we were told, during our last visit we were told that autos would no longer be allowed on the property. That seemed like an admirable goal, but we did not realize pedestrian traffic would be restricted as well.

Security is extremely important given the conflicts we all read about. This may be the best way to maintain tightened security, which is the good news.

The logistics of going anywhere could become a major issue. Given the length of time we had to wait for transportation in November, the new scheme may add to the wait times, not take away from them.

Also, it seems the number of cabs will have to increase, considerably.

Finally, if the plan is to take cabs from the new entrance area, which is near the highway and is a possibility, then we all will become better planners. Spontaneity may leave our vocabulary.

We welcome more explanations from Ron and others.

You may recognize Ron and Gary III. Both have been active contributors by providing comments on the Forum and many wonderful photos during the construction phases. Thank you Ron and Gary III.

Before leaving the matter of the Forum, you will note that a list of the last 20 posts appears at the bottom of the first page of the Forum. This will help us keep track of changes.

Also, we are exploring ways to create a clear Reply text box and put together the email responder.

Thank you for your suggestions.

For those of you who are unable to see the Forum, please feel free to Subscribe.

January 20, 2010

Would anyone in Nuevo Vallarta now like to tell us where the fence line is?

Follow this link and maybe let us know by emailing us or posting in Owners Corner: Nuevo Vallarta Entrance to Grand Mayan from Sea Garden.

Thank you from all of us....

January 20, 2010

Would anyone in Nuevo Vallarta now like to tell us where the fence line is?

Follow this link and maybe let us know by emailing us or posting in Owners Corner: Nuevo Vallarta Entrance to Grand Mayan from Sea Garden.

January 18, 2010

Change - the only constant in life! We all know the adage. In our personal lives, professional lives and in society.

Well, about five hours ago, we received an email from a friend in Nuevo Vallarta. He thought we would be interested and sent us the following link: Grand Luxxe on Facebook.

Now, some of you may have already seen this great presentation, but it is new to us. We think it is a great way to spread the word, and the change is in the way the organization presented themselves.

Certainly a change from a few years ago, that is for sure. Congratulations to those who are managing the change in the Grand Luxxe Residence Club, Vida Vacation Club and Grupo Vidanta, is what we say!

January 16, 2011

Thanks to all for your Aimfair.com member feedback regarding User Name and the "1" item when paying with PayPal.

When completing the PayPal form, the User Name we are asking for is your Aimfair.com User Name for authentication purposes.

Also, the number "1" item refers to the number of subscription periods (i.e.) one year (365 days).

As long as we are on business matters, today marks the one month anniversary for our new platform. We are very pleased with everyone's acceptance of our transition and continued support. We thank you all for that.

For those of you who have forgotten about the need to Subscribe during our trial period, you may notice that your account has changed from a Subscribing Member account to a Registered Member account. You can easily change this by submitting payment through PayPal or by check.

Please note that our bank charges $25 to process a personal check that is not in US dollars and from a non-US bank. So, please make your payment through PayPal or send us a US Money order or Certified Check in USD. Most likely it is easier to establish a PayPal account.

We are all learning about the features offered through our new platform, especially yours truly! Therefore, please be patient as we move through issues of navigation and improved interaction.

One question that frequently arises has to do with the Forum. When replying to a post, what is your preference?

1. A reply box that does not repeat the original post? In this case, you can refer to all or a part of the original post to which you are replying.
   
   or....
   
   
2. Leaving the reply box the way it is.
   
   

Our goal is ease of use. Let us know by making your comments on the Forum under the topic of Forum Preferences.

Finally, many Aimfair.com members are leaving the snow and ice for their vacations in the sun by the beach. Some have volunteered to keep us updated with the progress at their destination resorts. We look forward to their photos and comments. As a reminder, the Let's Get Together pages are active. You too can participate by following this link to the Calendar item on the Members Bar (Orange bar).

Happy traveling.

January 2, 2010

Yes, we know, its a day late. But we wanted everyone to recover from their late night or early morning. Believe, us, we know what it was like at 1:30 AM on January 1, 2011.

First, we would like to welcome everyone to our new platform. Some of you are familiar with the original site, while some may be first timers.

We share lots of great information here, contributed by the many people who enjoy their stays at one of the seven cities in which Gurpo Vidanta operates properties. Sharing is what we are all about here,

Dave has given us all the wonderful photos from the air and the Sand Bar. Also, we are just now getting through the many wonderful photos Charles and his family provided us. Also, Examples appears below:
















During the next month or so, we will be introducing a site map to make navigation a bit easier. There is a lot of information available to everyone, and more will be on the way as we learn about new programs and offers.

Also, we have many other photos and comments that are coming from everyone...."what about whale watching"...photos from Mazatlan's Sea Garden...excursions to the Marieta Island....horse back riding.....all fun things to do. Maybe zip lining or cross country biking?

Charles R has provided us with a wealth of photos that we will be posting over the next several weeks. Thank you, Charles for giving us all the opportunity to view your world through your images.

Stay tuned, we have lots to see and do in this wonderful new year!

A blog is a place to share information and other stuff... Perhaps a blog is about contracts. Perhaps a blog is about resorts. Photos and documents can be shared on a blog. Should be a very versatile feature.

Blogging is an important part of our world today.

Through a blog, we can present ideas, thoughts, impressions, feelings, news, humor, events and other wonderful expressions to our community.

Blogs are important to groups like ours because they allow for a free exchange of ideas. Blogs are a great phenomenon.

We are an interesting, eclectic community of Vidanta / Mayan resort group members. We all have ideas we should share, assuming we are comfortable doing so.

The result is an exchange of ideas that Mary Ann and I hope are useful.

The only way to know is to give everyone a chance to express themselves.

How disappointing it must have been to make plans to see friends, only to find that the reservations center changed your friends reservations.

Its tough at Nuevo with all the construction. Any word when they will reopen the Mayan Palace and Bliss?

Bob and Mary Ann