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January 31, 2013

One whole month has passed since our last post, when we said good bye to 2012 and hello to 2013.

It certainly has been an interesting month, for sure. Most of the discussions are about change in Neuvo Vallarta. Pools, walkways and waterways are changing. The Santuario now offers music in the evening. The sales department is active. Concierge shifts have changed. The Si Cafe kitchen is now below seven Jacuzzi pools. Yes, the company has been very busy completing projects they set out to finish.

It is busy behind the scenes too.

A fellow Grand Luxxe member wanted to share his recent experience with the Accounting Department to show how far company employees go to better serve their clients. Here is his story:

I wanted to share a nice experience with everyone.

We purchased additional weeks while at Nuevo Vallarta over New Years. We weren't planning to upgrade on this trip, and didn't bring our credit cards with us to the update presentation; however, we did have a personal cheque from our Canadian bank with us (we spell "check" as "cheque" in Canada). Rather than return to our room to obtain our credit card, our Vida sales rep said that it shouldn't be a problem to cash a cheque in Mexico drawn from a Canadian bank.

After three weeks, I noticed that the cheque had not been cashed, and I left a message with the Vida accounting department. Ernesto from Vida sales called me back and said that they were holding onto our cheque as they weren't sure if the funds were in Canadian or U.S. Dollars.

Long story short, we agreed that I would pay via credit card and that Vida would destroy our cheque. I called the accounting department back as per Ernesto's instructions, and offered to pay via credit card. I was impressed that the Accounting Dept would not accept my credit card payment until they tracked down our cheque, which had now gone missing.

I received a call back two days later from Mayra in Vida Accounting, who stated that they found our cheque, and that Vida would void the cheque immediately after we paid via credit card. Soon after I gave Mayra our credit card details, I received an email from her with a scanned copy of our cheque market void, and the credit card receipt.

Although Pat and I already thought very highly of Vida, we feel even more trusting of Vida after this nice experience.

Regards,

Nino and Pat

Our takeaway from Nino and Pat's experience is company employees work as hard behind the scenes to be certain they can provide guests/clients with exceptional, trusted service. It is a great way to start the year, don't you think?

Thank you Nino and Pat for letting us know about your experience.

January 11, 2010

A Subscribing member of Aimfair wrote to ask if others have seen a change in their account numbers. She said she tried to use the automated reservation system with her contract number and found the system would not accept it. So, she called the Contact Center and asked why her contract number no longer worked in the system.

The agent looked up her contract number, said her account number has changed and gave her a new number.

Have others experienced the same thing? Any explanations provided?

We heard the company was going to change its computer system, so possibly the new system requires a different numbering system. Also, we know that Vida Vacation Club is now the operating entity, and perhaps the new numbering system is related to this change. If you have any comments, let us know or post them in the Forum or on the Nuevo Vallarta Corners.

Have a great day!

January 1, 2013

Good Bye 2012

Hello 2013

Cheers.....Bob and Mary Ann

December 1, 2012

It seems to us that we all are becoming hostage to the media.

An example of this is the February 27, 2012 Huff Post Travel article that barked "Cruise Passengers Robbed: 22 Carnival Passengers Held Up In Mexico". In the article the writer stated:

"The guests were being transported from a jungle nature hike to the port in Puerto Vallarta, when they were attacked around 5 p.m., reports the Los Angeles Times. The robbers made off with cameras, money, watches and other valuables before leaving the scene."

Other sources of information for the article were the Associated Press and CNN.

As you do, we have many friends who are against traveling to Mexico because of fear generated by articles like this one, written by well recognized publishers such as the Huffington Post, the LA Times, the Associated Press and CNN.

Why would these publications post an article that was so slanted in one way, almost fear mongering?

Where are the articles that discuss the fact that Carnival Cruise Lines and others have scheduled in 2012 and 2013 numerous trips that stop at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico?

Where are the follow up articles that answer questions that linger afterwards?

Its been 9 months since the incident. We thought it would be fun to find out how many cruise lines are returning to Puerto Vallarta.

Here is what we found on CruiseCompete.com for arrivals in December, 2012 and early January, 2013:

• Disney Wonder (Nov 25 and Dec 2)
• Oceania Regatta (Nov 27)
• Hollland America (HAL) Zaandam (Dec 1 and 8)
• Celebrity Cruises Century (Dec 4)
• Oceania Regatta (Dec 4)
• HAL Amsterdam (Dec 5)
• Carnival Splendor (Dec 9, 16, 23, 30 and Jan 6, 2013)
• Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess (Dec 22 and many in 2013)
• Cunard Queen Elizabeth (Jan 6, 2013)

This list does not include the Princess and Crystal Cruise ships we saw on November 16, 2012 as we were on our way to Boca Tomatlan to have lunch at the Ocean Grill.

Is it just us? Or are we all captives of the media and believe the bad news and forget to follow up to learn the "Rest of the Story".
Cruise lines are extremely concerned about security and safety. Their ships travel to only the safest ports.

Why don't publishers of catchy headlines follow up to tell the rest of the story, such as the major clean up in Puerto Vallarta and increased focus on tourism?

Maybe its because we readers only want to hear the negative sides and not the positive. But then, that's a whole nother story, isn't it?

Stay tuned...

November 18, 2012

We just returned from a great two week vacation at the Grand Luxxe in Nuevo Vallarta.
You are probably well aware that the areas closest to the Ameca River are changing, impressively so.
Everyone seemed to have their own explanation about the final configuration, and no-one seemed to offer a consistent answer. So we asked for an interview with management. Following are the opening comments from our interview:

When we arrived last week, as you may know from our pictures, the Punta Pool area and area around Grand Luxxe Towers II and III were under construction with trucks and tractors everywhere. This was a surprise to many vacationers.
We asked for an interview with management to gain insight to the reasoning behind the changes. Here is a portion of what we learned:

• The Punta pool area changed to accommodate the new navigable waterway that extends from the Punta pool area to the Spa tower pools.
  
• The navigable waterway was built:
  • To protect the crocodiles and make sure they stay in their home, the river.
  • To create a fun way to move between the Punta Pool area and the SPA Towers pool area.
  • To increase the beauty of the property.
  
  
• Heating the Punta Pools became an insurmountable technical challenge.
  • The only practical way to heat the pools was to reduce the size of the serviceable area.
  • That is why at 3:30 PM we saw the large Punta pool closest to the ocean being filled in with dump loads of dirt!!!!
  • Once the pools are reconfigured, the water in the remaining pools can be heated during the upcoming season.
  • The smaller pools with swim up bars remain in tact.
  
  
• The Si Café’s new kitchen is now located underground near its previous site.
  • There will be 7 jacuzzis instead of the 4 we used to have.
  • The new jacuzzis will be located on top of Si Cafe structure.
  
  
• There will be a new "fun" beach area on the sand below the navigable river, including volley ball and seating.

You can read all of what we learned by following this link: Our Interview with Management
We are grateful to members of the management team for spending time with us. Their comments and commitments are not only exciting, but they provide us all with a better understanding of the vision they see for their expanding presence in Neuvo Vallarta.
As we all take each step along the way to a completed project, we are fortunate to be part of something that will become renowned in the timeshare industry when the construction phases are done.

As always, stay tuned....

November 17, 2012

Important to Aimfair and Grand Luxxe members is the opening of Grand Luxxe Tower III B and the new entrance to the Grand Luxxe III towers.





The new cart paths now deliver guests staying in Grand Luxxe Towers III A and B directly to the new entrance.
The Grand Bliss pools are now open, as well as the new restaurant.
Have fun.

November 11, 2012

Mary Ann and I will be at the Grand Luxxe Pool bar on Monday, November 12 from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Although this is not a designated Happy Hour for this location, we have learned that the Alcohol for the Day is Tequilla. If you order a drink made of the "House" Tequilla any time of the day, you will receive a second one, complements of the resort.
Oh yes, we learned about one other perk. The resort is celebrating the Grand Luxxe Pool bar House Wines. Therefore, if you order a "House" Cabernet or Chardonnay, the resort will provide you with a complementary second glass.
Consequently, we will make our own Happy Hour on Monday.
Rest assured, this is a very informal gathering. Just show up, introduce your self and start your conversations. It is one way to connect the electronic dots with real faces.

Hope to see you then.....

November 9, 2012

We arrived in Nuevo Vallarta on November 3 for a two week vacation, full of expectations and excitement.
No, the construction going on around us was not a surprise because members of Aimfair like the Crandels, Gary III, Mark, Glen, Paul, Adie, Actionslax, Ron, Linda, Dave and the many comments on the Owners Forum have contributed their thoughts and photos to keep us all up to date. As an aside, many other members keep us updated with changes taking place at Riviera Maya and the other locations as well. The bottom line is we are all very lucky because of fellow Aimfair member's updates.
Five days after we arrived, and after reflecting on our many conversations with guests and reviewing photos we have taken, it became clearer that working and vacationing can be symbiotic. The photo that clearly makes that connection is the following:

Its not that the photo is perfect, because it is not by any means. Rather, the juxtaposition is striking. On the left, a very large front end loader is deepening a new holding pond, which is part of the new waterway that surrounds the Punta pool area. On the right, an exercise class is under way in the pool nearest the construction site.
Clearly, this is one example that works. On the other hand, the north side decks of Grand Luxxe Towers II and III A are treated to the sound of trucks and graders moving back and forth as they move dirt and change the landscape. The difference? The sound has no place to go. The result? Amplified noise.

Note: We caught the train by accident. Click on the photo to expand it. Pretty much fun....
It is about 7:45 AM now, and we see people walking the new pathways, seeking their lounges for the day, moving on the beach and generally starting their next day of vacation. Soon, at about 8:00 AM, the many crews will start their work. There is much to do (or not, depending on your interests) and there is a new day to enjoy. Both we vacationers and the workers, who are making improvements to properties we enjoy are making the best of the circumstances at hand.
In the end, we are all very lucky to have access to beautiful and changing properties. As an Aimfair member wrote yesterday: "As the French say...plus ça change, plus ç’est la meme chose!!" Translation: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Enjoy....

November 1, 2012

In November, 2010, we enjoyed the company of over 50 people on two occasions in the outside lobby of the Grand Luxxe Tower I on the.. first Monday and in the Reflection Pond area near the bar next to the Blue Fish restaurant on the second Monday.
Several of those wonderful people we met are in town again this year and thought it would be fun to "strike up the band" again.
So, here is our notice to anyone in Nuevo Vallarta, who would like to meet other members of Aimfair to say hello and get acquainted. It will start at the beginning of Happy Hour (4PM, Monday, November 5 and 12) at the seating area to the right of the Grand Luxxe I Pool Bar and last for about an hour.
Betty tells us there are chairs to sit in and lots of shade.
It will be very informal. Just show up and start conversing. It will be lots of fun.

See you then. Oh, if you can't make this Monday, then let's try next Monday..

October 28, 2012

The Banderas News posted information about the Day of the Dead celebrations that will take place in Purerto Vallarta, beginning at 7 PM on Calle Agustin Rodriguez, when it will be closed to traffic and the street will be decorated with 1.65 to 2 meter
Catrinas, hoping to win the $5,000 first prize.
"The goal of this contest is to have Catrinas made to decorate the whole of Agustin Rodriguez Street. The Catrinas should be between 1.65 and 2 meters in height and must use traditions materials - reeds, shells, Mexican fabrics and various types of paper products. The prize for first place is five thousand dollars," announced Langarica Cesar Santana, head of markets.
Following are Google Earth impressions of the street and area:




There will be music and lots of festivities. Let us know how it was.

October 21, 2012

Yes, the site is up and running.
Yes, there is a team working in your behalf to make sure your Aimfair.com site is secure and the foundation is strong.
The upgrade went smoothly. Actually, it all started in July when your technical team created a staged site where the upgraded program ran every day. Understanding the differences between the two versions is important and allowed us to smoothly move from one version to the other.
We mention this to let you know there are people who care about your experiences on Aimfair.com. They understand the system that interacts between we who create content and you who read it.
Granted, our real interest is in what is happening on all eight properties owned by Grupo Vidanta and what is happening to the contracts we own. Agreed! But, the only way we communicate is through the expertise and devotion of Robert and Rodrigo.
For that reason and many more to come, we say....High Fives to Robert and Rodrigo!

On we go....and Stay Tuned....

October 17, 2012

We are upgrading our software to a more current version and will be locking the website during the process. It should not take too long. We appreciate your patience.

In the meantime, please feel free to browse pages of interest. If you have information you would like to share, please wait until our upgrade is complete.

Thank you for your patience and understanding....

October 17, 2012

On October 8, 2008, we asked our our first question on the Owners Forum. "What is the Bliss?"

Four days later, Darcey and Anna sent in their answer:

Author: Darcey & Anna
Date: 10/12/2008 1:53 pm PDT
Hi,

We just recently upgraded (Mayan Riviera, end of August 08)from the Grand Mayan to the Grand Luxxe condo (we are still considering the Villa). When we upgraded, we went back for 3 days and asked many questions, basically making pests of ourselves. There are several new Grupo Mayan products. I will list all that I can remember from low end to high end. This is what we were told and some things only may apply to the Mayan Riviera location.

1: Sea Garden (no more are to be built)

2: Mayan Palace Regency (no more are to be built)

3: Bliss, Bliss golf, Bliss Jungle (depending on location to the beach and golf courses). In Mayan Riviera, they claim they are turning some of the original Mayan Palace suites closest to the pools into Bliss and also building some new Bliss only buildings with a huge lazy river pool. All are basically upgraded and enlarged Mayan Palace Regency suites. All Grupo Mayan locations will be getting some of these new separate buildings.

4: Grand Mayan, Grand Mayan Golf, Grand Mayan Jungle MF $829 (depending on location to the beach and golf courses). They are still building more.

5: Grand Bliss, Grand Bliss Jungle MF $999 (some suites are upgraded and enlarged Grand Mayan suites that are the closest to the beach and pools). Some new buildings with only Grand Bliss close to the beach will be built with new pools and clubhouse.

6: Grand Luxxe Condo MF $1199, Grand Luxxe Villa MF $1299 (completely new buildings, all have ocean view and a new pool and clubhouse). They will all be facing the ocean with the entrances from the back, Grand Luxxe Condos in the middle with Grand Luxxe Villas on either side. The Villas have a nicer view as they have 3 balconies, 1 facing the ocean, 1 to the side and 1 on the corner having both views. The Grand Luxxe villa is larger with a 3rd room with the balcony to the side. Layouts are very similar to the Grand Mayan suites but larger and much newer/nicer with bigger kitchens and full size refrigerators.

If you own a Grand Luxxe you can use the facilities of any of the other types of units but not the other way around. Each type of unit will have its own clubhouse and pool for the use of that type's owners or from higher up the chain. The Grand Bliss get free internet in room, 6 hours free spa classes and 6 free rounds of golf per week. Grand Luxxe owners get free internet, 16 rounds of golf, free spa classes and 2 massages per week.

Hope this helps,
Darcey.

Yes, Darcey, it did help. Thank you.

So, four years later, we learn that the Bliss now has 21 buildings in Riviera Maya. We also see from Google Earth that there is a Bliss Jungle Bliss and Bliss Golf.





The image on the left shows the Grand Bliss construction site behind Grand Mayan Building 8. On the right, the photo displays 11 buildings closest to the golf course, 12 closest to the "new" Lazy River that Karen discovered in 2012, and 3 closest to the Grand Luxxe "Pods".

So, here is our bottom line: Four years ago, Darcey was told by Vidanta personnel that construction of a configuration of Bliss and other buildings was either about to begin or already under way. Today, almost four years later, almost to the day, Grupo Vidanta is preparing to open in Riviera Maya a new Grand Bliss building and 21 Bliss buildings.

Why is this so important? The Swine Flu, Economy and drug violence were just a few factors that kept many of us from visiting Mexico during the last four years. Yet, in spite of all the challenges, and there were many others, Grupo Vidanta is delivering what they said they would.

Pretty impressive, don't you think....?

October 8, 2012

Unfortunately, we will be passing out candy to the neighborhood children and others who pass through on October 31, 2012. Trick avoidance....

For those of you who will be in Nuevo Vallarta, you might consider another activity. You can play golf on the Day of the Dead. That's right. Golf.

Vidanta is sponsoring a golf outing on October 31, and the proceeds will go to the PV Angels. This is a charity that benefits a large number of causes, and all of them are in Jalisco and Nayarit.

According to their website, "PVAngels is about introducing the world to a safe, thriving, community-driven Puerto Vallarta, raising tons of support for its local charities and having a boatload of fun doing it."

As for golf: "When one thinks of golf in Mexico, one may think of other destinations that have been promoting this sport for a longer time, but we believe that Riviera Nayarit is the up-and-coming golf destination in the world," said Ted Simons, Executive Vice President of the Jack Nicklaus Academy, which recently opened at this very course.

The cost to play is 1500 pesos, which is about $117 based upon today's exchange rate. The registration includes dinner, drinks, golf, beverages at the course and an award dinner. The organizers expect quite a party.

If you want more information, follow this link: http://pvangels.com/news/654/vidanta-invites-you-to-a-night-golf-tournament-in-riviera-nayarit

Let us know if you participate and how the evening went...email [email protected]...

October 7, 2012

Our poll results are in, and there is interest in the Panama Canal cruise. Of the 14 participants, 6 gave the Panama Canal cruise a five rating (the highest) and 1 gave it a four (next highest rating). This is particularly notable because 2 of the 14 participants said they have no interest in cruising.

The result: the Panama Canal cruise was rated highest or next to highest by 58% of the participants.

Also, included in the viewer posts was a trip review. The Tillberg family recently returned from a cruise arranged by Maria DeMarco, and they provided a great review of their trip and the services offered by Maria.



Through Maria, we now have available detailed information about the Panama Canal cruise. This information appears in Aimfair Vacation News Articles. Additionally, you can look for this information in your email.

As a small personal note, Bob's Great Grandmother sailed the same course, only in reverse when she her husband determined the trip across country would be too dangerous....she arrived in San Francisco in 1850. Of course, she traveled by land across the 82-kilometer (52 mile) isthmus then, since building the canal did not start until 1881.

The ship leaves from Los Angeles on May 6, 2013 and now is a perfect time to begin planning for this trip. You can start the process by contacting Maria directly by email at mdemarco at sbcglobal.net or calling her at 1-(888) 797-2956.

What fun this trip will be...

September 18, 2012

Yesterday, we were offered the opportunity to participate in an AmazonLocal deal. The offer is take advantage of a seven-night stay at a Mayan Resort in Mexico. There are five more days left to buy a voucher through a company called Resort Stay Marketing, LLC. The company says they are a Nevada Limited Liability Company, but they are not registered in Nevada as such. Even though the representative of the Nevada office of the Secretary of State said it is illegal for a company to list themselves as something they are not, that is not the point of this post.

Instead, we learned that the The Bliss Resort now has 21 buildings at Riviera Maya.


We do not recall seeing any announcements that stated The Bliss Resort had expanded into the Mayan Palace buildings at the Riviera Maya location. What we find interesting is the Mayan Palace is mentioned in the promotion material as one of the resorts that is included in the promotion, so the conversion is not yet system wide.

We know there are explanations for this possible change in brand identification and association. We also know it is not likely we will ever know the real reason for the switch.

This is a promotion, so perhaps there is justification for being a bit lose with the facts. Or, perhaps the facts are known to others, but we are just now learning about them. After all, our focus is on the Grand Luxxe Residence Club, and we all know about change.

We are confident that the Mayan Palace owners of rights to use contracts are fully aware of these changes and supportive of them. Congratulations to those individuals who purchased contracts for use of the Bliss Resort. Perhaps this marks the first of more introductions of Bliss Resorts throughout the Mayan Resort system.

September 5, 2012

They are all over the place! Texas, Colorado, California....no sooner did we post our most recent scam alert (Event Specialists International), we received an email from one of our long time members asking about another company we covered called Investment Vacations Management. While answering Don's email, who should be calling but a representative from Dalewood Property Connections in Denver. Wait a minute!!! There are too many of you. How can we keep up if you continue to multiply geometrically?

Well soon, there will be so many of them, we will all become anesthetized, and the joke will be on them.

In the meantime, be careful, send your unsolicited calls and information about the callers to us at [email protected] and we will post the alerts in our Timeshare sections called Possible Scams and Solicitation Alerts.

Remember....if it sounds to good to be true, it is not likely true!

August 29, 2012

On August 19, 2012, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and Google Mexico announced on Antigua Y Medieval that users of the Google Earth and Google Maps platforms can now enjoy 360 degree street views of 30 of Mexico's notable archeological finds. (Copy and paste "http://antiguaymedieval.blogspot.com/2012/08/zonas-arqueologicas-de-mexico-en-360.html" into the Google Translate Box on translate.google.com to view this article in English.)

Google created a unique three wheeled filming vehicle to produce these interesting street views of historic sites in Mexico, many of which have no paved roads or pathways throughout the sites.

The first 30 locations are prehispanic sites that include: Teotihuacan and its four neighborhoods (State of Mexico), Xochicalco (Morelos), Monte Alban (Oaxaca), and Dzibilchaltún Chichen Itza (Yucatan), Tulum (Quintana Roo), Tula ( Hidalgo), Cholula (Puebla), El Tajin (Veracruz), Palenque and Bonampak (Chiapas), Paquimé (Chihuahua) and Cuicuilco (Mexico City), among others. At the end of 2012, there will be 81 archaeological sites that viewers can electronically roam and are guarded by INAH. All the sites were chosen for their cultural significance and for being popular among tourists.

It is very cool! Follow this link for a translation of the article and an example of what one sees through this new Google Earth feature: Explore Archeological Sites Through Google Earth

Enjoy!

August 27, 2012

Ways to interact on Aimfair are expanding and changing. Registered and Subscribing Members can participate in our Cruise Idea poll at Aimfair Vacations News. At the end of August, we said we would summarize respondent's opinions and share them with you. We would love to see your ideas. The proposed trips are examples of ideas we came up with and are not meant to be exclusive, by any means.

Post Your Input Here

You will be interested to see our results. Certainly we are enjoying the feedback so far!

Thanks to those who have participated. Let your voices be heard....!

August 25, 2012

Those who have recently visited Puerto Vallarta know about improvements to the Malecon, the popular beach side walkway - art gallery - performing arts center for rock stacking, sand objects, mimes and musicians. What's interesting is we arrive after being away for months and maybe even years to find changes that have taken place.

Last year, there were a number of highly visible activities that took place in Puearto Vallarta. To put on its best face, the Federal, state and municipal governments pulled together to beautify the "strip". It is now terrific. Safe and beautiful.

We thought you would enjoy the following video produced by the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta and found on Elmer Hernandez's YouTube page.

Although the video is in Spanish, those of us who do not speak or understand Spanish very well will get the idea.

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/v/lc4PcVlvH3M?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0%22

See you in November....