Trip Index
- Courtyard Cancun Airport, Secrets Silversands, "Just say no"
- Secrets Silversands, Westin Lagunamar (coming soon)
***
Neuzil's birthday was near the end of January; to celebrate, a bunch of us met up at the adults-only Secrets Silversands all-inclusive resort located in the Riviera Maya.
Kaleb and I booked award flights to Cancun on United Airlines using Mileage Plus miles gained from United credit card sign-up bonuses.
I secured reasonably priced airport-to-hotel, hotel-to-hotel, and hotel-to-airport transfers with CARM Transfers, paid in advance using PayPal.
Our 7-night stay at the Secrets Silversands was heavily discounted by attending an Unlimited Vacation Club sales presentation. It would have been an 8-night stay, but we waited a bit too long to book our room, and January 19th was sold out. Having already booked our flights a while ago, we elected to stay at the Courtyard Cancun Airport hotel using a free night certificate from having the Marriott Business credit card. (no longer available for application)
I also took advantage of a promotion in the mail offering a four night stay in a studio villa at the Westin Lagunamar plus 15,000 Marriott Rewards points for $319, with no timeshare sales presentation requirement. I booked this to follow our Silversands week. The Westin resort is located in the Hotel Zone so we could enjoy soft sandy beaches and azure waters.
On with the trip...
Our early morning flight to Cancun required a stop in San Francisco. This allowed us a little bit of time to enter the SFO Centurion Lounge for some breakfast, thanks to having the American Express Platinum Card.
On the second flight, we ordered food from the breakfast menu using credits from the CNB Crystal Visa Infinite card. I don't recommend the overnight oats.
The Courtyard Cancun Airport hotel offered a complimentary shuttle service. The room confirmation mentioned calling the hotel's 800 number for pick up. Reviews on TripAdvisor had described a public telephone available near a bar, outside of the airport terminal exit. I happened to find another one inside the terminal (I think it was either before or past the timeshare "shark tank"), but the sound quality was so bad. I had to dial them twice and guessed at what the other side was saying, but I was able to communicate our shuttle request. The pick-up location was at space #26, located across from the terminal exit. Various unmarked transport services used the same stop so we were unsure what vehicle to expect. When the shuttle arrived, there was no mistaking it as it was prominently labeled. Turned out that the Courtyard shuttle comes by every half-hour or so automatically, but I would still contact the hotel if possible, as reviews mentioned late or non-existent shuttles. If you can't find a phone or have someone call for you, I think you can ask any transportation staff standing near space #26 about the Courtyard shuttle.
Check-in was easy, and we were offered a welcome beverage. The room was comfortable and the grounds were nice considering it was an airport hotel. We had a decent dinner at the restaurant on-site, El Henequen. The menu was huge, serving all sorts of cuisine like Mexican, American, Italian, and so forth.
The next day, CARM Transfers promptly met us for the drive to Secrets Silversands. When we reached the security gate, the guard could not find neither my or Kaleb's name on his clipboard. I gave him a confirmation number, he radioed in something, and then let us through. Were our reservations lost? When we arrived at the lobby, a staff member met us and said that my last name had been misspelled on the list...whew!
Check in was easy, and we were introduced to Nicolas, who would be our host on the presentation tour tomorrow morning at Secrets Maroma Beach - we had stayed there almost 9 years ago before the formation of the Unlimited Vacation Club, so it would be nice to see the changes.
Our partial oceanview room was in a quiet section of the resort and had all the features as expected in a Secrets resort, such as the "Secrets Box" for private room service delivery and stocked complimentary mini bar.
After settling in, we met up with Sandy, Neuzil, Clara and Paul for lunch at Seaside Grill.
Walking back to our suite, we passed by a pop-up grill, a bar with hot snacks, plus a projection TV set up for watching the NFL playoffs.
The girls decided to work out in the afternoon. The fitness center was located at the west end of the resort. There was a decent selection of equipment, ample air conditioning, and refreshments.
Tonight's dinner was at El Patio. There were eight of us (including Michael and Melissa) and the restaurant could not seat us all together, so the guys and gals split up to our own tables.
The next morning, Kaleb and I had buffet breakfast at the World Cafe. There was a lot of selection, including made-to-order eggs and omelettes.
We met up with Nicolas in the lobby for the sales presentation. A car dropped us off at Secrets Maroma Beach resort, then he took us on a tour of the property. The Preferred Club category did not exist when we last stayed here, so we got to see the Preferred Club lounge. We also toured the lavish Presidential Suite.
We had lunch at the World Cafe. The food was very good. There was a ceviche bar with six kinds to choose from. The fruit was neatly displayed. A taco station served handmade corn masa tortillas. A chocolate fountain flowed in the dessert bar. The food quality was what Kaleb and I had remembered when we last stayed here years ago.
After lunch, we were led to a room where we filled out forms and showed our ID's (and credit card, for some reason). Once our information was collected, then we were shown to another room with tables where the negotiations were done. Nicolas explained the Unlimited Vacation Club program, the price of the membership, what was included, etc. I was only partly paying attention because we weren't going to buy anything, so I don't have all of the details, but I did remember something about a $250,000 price tag on the highest membership...ouch! I explained to him that we already owned a timeshare and did not go to all-inclusives often so we would not be interested. He could tell that we were serious, so he didn't waste any time and had the second person come talk to us - his supervisor. The supervisor asked if we were satisfied with Nicolas' performance, then cut to the chase by offering us the "lowest deal" (still five figures), to which we said no. Finally, the supervisor brought in the third (and final) person, the big boss. He offered us one more proposition, which was tempting had we been interested in joining the club - 5 years at the next to highest level for $xxxx and if we wanted to purchase a full term after the 5 years were over, we could apply the amount already paid towards the new membership. But we said no again. He knew we were a lost cause and let us go on our way. There was no uncomfortable pressure during the sales presentation, probably because we disclosed that we owned a timeshare already. If you visit the AMResorts properties often (Secrets/Dreams/Now/etc), it can be worth the price, keeping in mind that you still have to pay yearly fees of some sort. Be sure to read the terms and conditions very carefully to make sure that you're getting everything that was promised. There is an Unlimited Vacations Club public Facebook group where you can ask questions to the members for more clarity. I was unable to find any reviews that talked about the specific 5 year offer we received (just lower valued packages), so who knows if that was real or not.
When the presentation was over, Nicholas escorted us back to the lobby. A car eventually came and took us back to Secrets Silversands. The whole thing lasted around 3 hours, but it saved us around $1500. Thankfully it wasn't too high pressure. Just remember to say no and don't ask any questions (implies interest), then the presentation will be as short as possible.
Tonight, the group had dinner at Seaside Grill. Neuzil raved about the picana steak entree here, so we had to try it. Yummy!
When Kaleb and I returned to our suite, it was turned down. Just one mint?
With the sales presentation out of the way, we can enjoy the rest of the week without bother...stay tuned!
If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for clicking the "Facebook Like" button at the top of the page or retweeting!
Don't miss a blog entry! Sign up for updates direct to your inbox here or add the blog to your RSS feed.
Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go? Contact me at yellowdogtravel at gmail d0t com with your ideas and I can help you plan it! Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard credit or gifts. I have lots of happy returning clients - references always available.
Come check out my other blog "What in the world is Kat Kong doing now?", documenting things other than traveling...sign up for blog updates direct to your inbox here!
Another disclaimer: The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
Kaleb and I booked award flights to Cancun on United Airlines using Mileage Plus miles gained from United credit card sign-up bonuses.
I secured reasonably priced airport-to-hotel, hotel-to-hotel, and hotel-to-airport transfers with CARM Transfers, paid in advance using PayPal.
Our 7-night stay at the Secrets Silversands was heavily discounted by attending an Unlimited Vacation Club sales presentation. It would have been an 8-night stay, but we waited a bit too long to book our room, and January 19th was sold out. Having already booked our flights a while ago, we elected to stay at the Courtyard Cancun Airport hotel using a free night certificate from having the Marriott Business credit card. (no longer available for application)
I also took advantage of a promotion in the mail offering a four night stay in a studio villa at the Westin Lagunamar plus 15,000 Marriott Rewards points for $319, with no timeshare sales presentation requirement. I booked this to follow our Silversands week. The Westin resort is located in the Hotel Zone so we could enjoy soft sandy beaches and azure waters.
On with the trip...
Our early morning flight to Cancun required a stop in San Francisco. This allowed us a little bit of time to enter the SFO Centurion Lounge for some breakfast, thanks to having the American Express Platinum Card.
 |
| standard breakfast offerings |
On the second flight, we ordered food from the breakfast menu using credits from the CNB Crystal Visa Infinite card. I don't recommend the overnight oats.
The Courtyard Cancun Airport hotel offered a complimentary shuttle service. The room confirmation mentioned calling the hotel's 800 number for pick up. Reviews on TripAdvisor had described a public telephone available near a bar, outside of the airport terminal exit. I happened to find another one inside the terminal (I think it was either before or past the timeshare "shark tank"), but the sound quality was so bad. I had to dial them twice and guessed at what the other side was saying, but I was able to communicate our shuttle request. The pick-up location was at space #26, located across from the terminal exit. Various unmarked transport services used the same stop so we were unsure what vehicle to expect. When the shuttle arrived, there was no mistaking it as it was prominently labeled. Turned out that the Courtyard shuttle comes by every half-hour or so automatically, but I would still contact the hotel if possible, as reviews mentioned late or non-existent shuttles. If you can't find a phone or have someone call for you, I think you can ask any transportation staff standing near space #26 about the Courtyard shuttle.
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| the Courtyard shuttle |
Check-in was easy, and we were offered a welcome beverage. The room was comfortable and the grounds were nice considering it was an airport hotel. We had a decent dinner at the restaurant on-site, El Henequen. The menu was huge, serving all sorts of cuisine like Mexican, American, Italian, and so forth.
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The next day, CARM Transfers promptly met us for the drive to Secrets Silversands. When we reached the security gate, the guard could not find neither my or Kaleb's name on his clipboard. I gave him a confirmation number, he radioed in something, and then let us through. Were our reservations lost? When we arrived at the lobby, a staff member met us and said that my last name had been misspelled on the list...whew!
Check in was easy, and we were introduced to Nicolas, who would be our host on the presentation tour tomorrow morning at Secrets Maroma Beach - we had stayed there almost 9 years ago before the formation of the Unlimited Vacation Club, so it would be nice to see the changes.
Our partial oceanview room was in a quiet section of the resort and had all the features as expected in a Secrets resort, such as the "Secrets Box" for private room service delivery and stocked complimentary mini bar.
 |  |
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After settling in, we met up with Sandy, Neuzil, Clara and Paul for lunch at Seaside Grill.
 |  |
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|
|
|
|
|
Walking back to our suite, we passed by a pop-up grill, a bar with hot snacks, plus a projection TV set up for watching the NFL playoffs.
 |  |
The girls decided to work out in the afternoon. The fitness center was located at the west end of the resort. There was a decent selection of equipment, ample air conditioning, and refreshments.
 |  |
 |  |
Tonight's dinner was at El Patio. There were eight of us (including Michael and Melissa) and the restaurant could not seat us all together, so the guys and gals split up to our own tables.
 |
| chips and dips |
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|
|
The next morning, Kaleb and I had buffet breakfast at the World Cafe. There was a lot of selection, including made-to-order eggs and omelettes.
 |  |
|
|
|
|
We met up with Nicolas in the lobby for the sales presentation. A car dropped us off at Secrets Maroma Beach resort, then he took us on a tour of the property. The Preferred Club category did not exist when we last stayed here, so we got to see the Preferred Club lounge. We also toured the lavish Presidential Suite.
|
|
|
|
|
|
We had lunch at the World Cafe. The food was very good. There was a ceviche bar with six kinds to choose from. The fruit was neatly displayed. A taco station served handmade corn masa tortillas. A chocolate fountain flowed in the dessert bar. The food quality was what Kaleb and I had remembered when we last stayed here years ago.
 |  |
 |  |
After lunch, we were led to a room where we filled out forms and showed our ID's (and credit card, for some reason). Once our information was collected, then we were shown to another room with tables where the negotiations were done. Nicolas explained the Unlimited Vacation Club program, the price of the membership, what was included, etc. I was only partly paying attention because we weren't going to buy anything, so I don't have all of the details, but I did remember something about a $250,000 price tag on the highest membership...ouch! I explained to him that we already owned a timeshare and did not go to all-inclusives often so we would not be interested. He could tell that we were serious, so he didn't waste any time and had the second person come talk to us - his supervisor. The supervisor asked if we were satisfied with Nicolas' performance, then cut to the chase by offering us the "lowest deal" (still five figures), to which we said no. Finally, the supervisor brought in the third (and final) person, the big boss. He offered us one more proposition, which was tempting had we been interested in joining the club - 5 years at the next to highest level for $xxxx and if we wanted to purchase a full term after the 5 years were over, we could apply the amount already paid towards the new membership. But we said no again. He knew we were a lost cause and let us go on our way. There was no uncomfortable pressure during the sales presentation, probably because we disclosed that we owned a timeshare already. If you visit the AMResorts properties often (Secrets/Dreams/Now/etc), it can be worth the price, keeping in mind that you still have to pay yearly fees of some sort. Be sure to read the terms and conditions very carefully to make sure that you're getting everything that was promised. There is an Unlimited Vacations Club public Facebook group where you can ask questions to the members for more clarity. I was unable to find any reviews that talked about the specific 5 year offer we received (just lower valued packages), so who knows if that was real or not.
When the presentation was over, Nicholas escorted us back to the lobby. A car eventually came and took us back to Secrets Silversands. The whole thing lasted around 3 hours, but it saved us around $1500. Thankfully it wasn't too high pressure. Just remember to say no and don't ask any questions (implies interest), then the presentation will be as short as possible.
Tonight, the group had dinner at Seaside Grill. Neuzil raved about the picana steak entree here, so we had to try it. Yummy!
 |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
When Kaleb and I returned to our suite, it was turned down. Just one mint?
With the sales presentation out of the way, we can enjoy the rest of the week without bother...stay tuned!
***
If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for clicking the "Facebook Like" button at the top of the page or retweeting!
Don't miss a blog entry! Sign up for updates direct to your inbox here or add the blog to your RSS feed.
Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go? Contact me at yellowdogtravel at gmail d0t com with your ideas and I can help you plan it! Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard credit or gifts. I have lots of happy returning clients - references always available.
Come check out my other blog "What in the world is Kat Kong doing now?", documenting things other than traveling...sign up for blog updates direct to your inbox here!
Another disclaimer: The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
