Report Abuse

This sounds very similar to what my wife and I did. We originally purchased into the "budget" Mayan Palace system (a 1 BR at the Mayan Palace in Acapulco or elsewhere) in 1998 at a bargain price (under $10 K) and gradually upgraded over the years so that we now own a 2BR unit at the Grand Bliss -- always saying NO! to the salesmen until they practically gave away the upgrade we wanted (and always by us selling back unneeded weeks as part of the deal). Along the way we, too, have enjoyed several Rhythms of the Night and other freebies, and I have gone on multiple SCUBA trips with Vallarta Adventures. You have to be savvy and persistent with these people, and we've learned how to get what we want without a major investment. Now, our contract only requires us to pay for a week when we want to use one (no annual obligations for maintenance fees), and if we choose to stay at a Mayan Palace or Grand Mayan instead of the Grand Bliss, we pay the lower maintenance fee appropriate for that resort.