My wife and I attended a sales pitch at sunset Royale and under the ussual high pressure sales we decided to purchase the deal. Although the ameneties are very nice, the contract and sales team are deceptive and full of loopholes. I am a SCUBA instructor and my entire family dive. I told the salesman that and wanted to be able to stay on or near Cosumel for the better diving. We were told that we could stay at any of their hotels as members so we bought into it. We attempted to book our first week the next year at the Playa Del Carmen resort and found out the reality of things. We are only guaranteed a stay at the Lagoon, the less attractive of the resorts and getting into any of the other resorts was virtually impossible. In spite of this we still booked the stay at the lagoon.
While at the resort, our 17 year old daughter went back to the room to shower and get ready for lunch. Little did we know that there was someone in the room hiding when she went in and while she showered they stole money and jewelry and left before she got out of the shower. Heres the kicker, i insisted that the manager print out the key card log of who entered this room and when because there was no indication of breakin. He reluctantly did so and it was determined that his key card was used moments before my daughter entered the room. So whoever stole these things used the managers card to enter the room. This would suggest that it was the manager himself who did the theft. Not to mention what else he could have done to our naked 17 year old daughter. Thank god she wasn't raped or worse. I suppose he though he could get away with the theft, but rape could have gotten him dead and I assured him of this.
When we got home there was a $150 charge on our credit card from the resort. I demanded a copy of this receipt and when I received it we knew what was going on. When you first arrive at the resort, they demand a credit card . When you check out, they have you sign this zero balance receipt. Then they print bogus charges onto the receipt and try to charge you for things that you didn't buy. Fortunately, this time they actually printed the charges overtop of my signature and the charge was denied by my credit card company.
In summary, the contract was a rip off, the manager ripped us off, and the the company tried to rip us off after we left. We have $15,000 invested in this property now and can't afford to give it up. We will probably never visit again and yet we still have to pay off the remainder of the contract and the $700 yearly maintenance fees or we will lose the entire amount. Of course selling these weeks is imposible so we are paying every month and every year for a property we will never use again. I guess it may be a good gift for weddings and graduations but I feel obligated to inform the recipient of our experience so they are careful. Don't get caught up in this scam yourself. They will rip you off from start, during and after your visit.