So when a Facebook ad popped up offering five days at an all-inclusive Mexican resort for $399, I clicked. The idea of a no cooking holiday sounded amazing and the price was cheaper than I had hoped. My husband, ever the skeptic, thought it sounded too good to be true, asking, “What’s the catch?” He was right—there was one. We would have to sit through a two hour timeshare presentation to get the deal. The trade-off seemed worth it: five days in Playa Del Carmen at the four-star Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda hotel with two pools and unlimited food and alcohol. I closed the deal and crossed my fingers that it was real. And it was — but not everything went as expected. Here’s how it was. We were pleasantly surprised by how nice the hotel was. Amy Klein
Our all-inclusive resort in Mexico was better than expected… but we had very low expectations
When we landed in Mexico, both my husband and I were afraid that no one would be waiting for us, that our room would be dirty, or that the whole deal was a farce. But someone was waiting at the airport to take us to the hotel, which was about an hour south of Cancun. There, we found a dimly lit, plant-filled outdoor lobby, and the friendly staff took us in a golf cart to our room at the other end of the property, where an iguana and a deer crossed our paths. Then came the moment of truth: our room. It was simple with two queen-size beds, a veranda overlooking palm trees and a fridge stocked with soft drinks and water. As we walked through the breakfast buffet the next day, certain details made me think the property was a bit dated (the club area had pictures of Magnum PI and Elvis) and I noticed that the beach was full of seaweed. But we couldn’t complain. Maybe other all-inclusive resorts were nicer with finer food, but I was happy I didn’t have to cook and my daughter couldn’t believe she could have unlimited dessert. The hotel where we had our timeshare presentation was amazing — and part of the sales pitch to lure us in. Amy Klein
Finally, we had to attend the timeshare presentation.
The timeshare presentation was back in Cancun and would take at least four hours with the trip. The hotel started pestering me to schedule it from the moment we arrived, and wanted us to come on the first day, but I held them off until the third day when it was raining. The presentation was at a luxury resort with stunning crystal clear pools that made our hotel look shabby. Of course, to use them, we’d have to spend $100,000 on a timeshare there. We were then taken to the sales room, where every few minutes a bell rang to signify that someone had signed a deal. I pretended to take notes on my computer while googling, “How to get out of a timeshare showing.” We turned down their deal to buy the lovely setting, but before we left, they sent us to a cramped room to book our ride back to our hotel and returned one final sales pitch: for $3,000, we’d take three vacations for the next three years, plus a stay at this beautiful property in Cancun. “Not bad,” said my husband, wanting to buy the deal. “Think about it – that would take care of our winter vacation and we can have our summer vacation for free,” he said. But on the hour-long drive back, I became the cynical one. Reading the fine print, I saw that the property in Cancun was under construction and they could not tell us in advance how much we would have to pay for a stay in the summer season, which would come in addition to the $3,000 or which properties we would actually be available when we wanted to travel. I wasn’t ready to commit and convinced my husband to back out of the offer. My daughter at our hotel in Mexico. Amy Klein
I’d give up a vacation day to watch a timeshare presentation again for a cheap deal
With travel prices skyrocketing, I’m still on the hunt for cheap vacations, especially all-inclusive resorts. The lack of planning and cooking felt priceless, and for me, the long presentation was worth it for the cheap deal. I will gladly attend another timeshare presentation in exchange for a cheap price and will definitely book another one of these deals — as long as my husband promises not to buy a timeshare.
