Saving money on our vacations is always a top priority for our family! One way we’ve saved a lot of money is to rent from timeshare owners, Airbnb, VRBO, etc. Hotels are a great option too, but often times you can get great deals from Timeshare Owners who need to rent out their available weeks.
Timeshares are available through many companies including Hilton, Holiday Inn and Wyndham as well as smaller companies too. Some offer their Timeshare Owners a certain number of weeks or points to use over the course of a year, while others limit you to a certain week every year in the same room. Typically when you own a timeshare, you’re required to pay a yearly maintenance fee that covers updates to the property as well as fees such as cable, internet and cleaning. These fees are charged to the Timeshare Owner regardless if they vacation there or not.
Often times, Timeshare Owners will defer the cost of their yearly fees by renting out their weeks to friends, family or complete strangers. We never realized this was even a thing until we purchased a Timeshare of our own about 10 years ago! Our Timeshare (or “Membership” as our resort calls it) is through the Sandos Resorts chain, which has resorts in both Mexico and Spain.
Our Membership allows us to stay in any of the Sandos Resorts for four weeks every year. We paid an up-front fee for our Membership and are contracted to pay a yearly maintenance fee to the resort over a total of 30 years. This fee is paid whether we use our membership or not. And our weeks do not roll over, so if we don’t use any of our weeks in the year, we lose them. We never use all four of our weeks each year so we sell our additional weeks to help defer the cost of our annual maintenance fees and our up-front cost.
Our Membership is unique because it’s part of an All-Inclusive resort. When we vacation to Sandos, we still need to pay an “all-inclusive fee” that covers all of our food, beverages and activities for the time we’re there. Our Membership guarantees a room for us, provides us with significant discounts on all-inclusive fees and gives us an all-access pass to the resort. When we rent our weeks to others, our savings are passed on to them!
We actually have a vacation planned this summer at a resort in Missouri that has a timeshare section. We are staying at the resort for five days and paying a total of just under $800. We get all of the same amenities as a regular resort guest, but at a huge cost savings! Booking through the resort directly, would have cost us well over $1250 for those same dates! We rented our room as well as my parents’ room from a Timeshare Owner on Airbnb.
One thing that I will always recommend is to do your research! Make sure you know what your getting, whether you book through a company like Airbnb or VRBO or through an individual. Read reviews and be sure to read the fine print! There are a lot of rentals on Airbnb that seem really inexpensive, but it’s because you are renting a ROOM and not the entire house. This means that you may have shared living quarters with the owner or someone else in the house. This is something that is disclosed in the listing, but can easily be missed so just pay attention!
Our Sandos Membership gives our guests a room at the resort–which is a private hotel room. Plus you get a variety of benefits from renting with us. Read ahead to see the perks!
So How Did We End Up With a Timeshare?
In 2011, we booked our first-ever All-Inclusive Resort vacation at Sandos Playacar, located in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. My husband and I had been on cruises, but never went to an All-Inclusive Resort. I scoured the internet looking for places that would be good for us and our three year old son. We found the Sandos Resorts chain and it seemed like a great option.
When we arrived, we were just normal guests–we booked our stay right on the resort’s website. We ended up LOVING the resort and purchased a Timeshare/Membership. Since that visit, we been to either Sandos Playacar or Sandos Caraol five additional times! We’ve gone both as a family and without the kiddos. We’ve also rented our Membership to several friends, family members and strangers (several of whom have rented multiple times or even purchased their own Membership while they were a guest of ours)!
What’s included in our Royal Elite Membership?
Because we purchased a timeshare, we are considered “Royal Elite” Members. Our “Royal Elite” Member status is passed down to any guest who rents with us! The resort uses a colored band system. Purple bracelets are for general guests with no added privileges (this is how we booked our first stay directly with the resort), Gold bracelets are for guests staying in the Adults Only section and Black bracelets are for Royal Elite guests. Black bracelets give you an “all-access” pass to the resort with some added benefits that are not available to regular resort guests.
Our Membership allows us to visit any of the 9 Sandos Family Resorts, located in Mexico and Spain, four weeks every year (for 30 years)! As you can imagine, we don’t use all of our weeks each year so we sell off our extra weeks to help defer the cost of our yearly maintenance fees. Everyone’s contract with the resort is different so what we offer may be different from others who sell their weeks at the same resorts.
You can book your vacation right from the Sandos website, but you won’t have the same amenities as you would if you book from a “Royal Elite” Member.
What does “All-Inclusive” Really Mean?
When we head to Sandos for a family vacation, we pay for our resort fees, flight costs and a private round-trip transfer from the airport to the resort and back. We have done some excursions when we’ve traveled without the kids, but in all honesty, there is so much to do at the resort that we don’t usually go off resort property. This means that once we pay for these things, we’re done! There aren’t any added costs we have to worry about. We know exactly how much we’ll spend when we book the trip, which makes budgeting super-easy!
When we go to Mexico, it’s a time for us to relax and enjoy each other. Don’t get me wrong, we love places like Disney and Universal, but I often feel like I need a vacation AFTER that vacation! Our typical day in Mexico consists of breakfast, pool, explore the resort, lunch, pool, nap, explore, dinner, explore, bed (and of course snacks in between)! The days are lazy and the sun wares you down so it’s easy to see why siestas are a thing!
Pools & Activities
With our Royal Elite membership, you have access to all pools and waterparks on the resort property (sometimes it’s fun just finding the hidden ones).
There are tons of included activities available as well! You can kayak, snorkel, bike ride, access certain parts of the spa such as the hot tub (services are extra), watch the nightly show or participate in the beach or pool activities–ALL FOR FREE!!
Some of the fun pool activities we’ve experienced in the past were riding a mechanical bull, racing in those huge blow up hamster balls, water balloon fights and so much more! The activities director really does a great job!
There are also areas around the resort that are fun for everyone. Our kids love the game room where they can play foosball, pool, video games, life-size chess or connect four, etc. Sandos Playacar and Sandos Caracol also have lots of animals to see–have your cameras ready because you may just capture a monkey swinging in the trees! There is really so much to see and do!
Food
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (and everything in between) are included in your stay–and there is no shortage of food! There is never a time when food isn’t available. Some restaurants will close to prepare for the next meal, but there are ALWAYS other restaurants open. It doesn’t matter what time you eat your meals, you will have options! Head to the Royal Elite restaurants because they are usually less crowded and offer some additional options. And don’t forget about room service. It’s typically available 24/7 and is part of your all-inclusive fee.
Alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) Beverages
In addition to food–alcohol is also included. You can drink all day and not pay a dime extra! They have a variety of fun cocktails available, plus your typical mixed drinks and beer. Your room is stocked as well with alcohol, pop and water. Don’t forget to head over to one of the Royal Elite Bars for premium selections!
What’s even better is that kids can “drink” for free too. Our kiddos LOVE smoothies and they also LOVE heading to the swim up bar and ordering on their own. They feel so cool. My kids try all varieties of smoothies and all virgin drinks are part of the cost too (so if you’re pregnant or don’t drink, there are still plenty of fun options).
Kids Club
Most of the Sandos Resorts have a Kids Club, where you can drop them off and let them play while you enjoy some adult time. Typically it’s free starting at age 3, but there are areas available (with a parent) for smaller children to play. The kids club has a variety of activities and they even feed them while they are there. There are certain hours the kids club is available so be sure to check that out. They typically have one of the nightly shows that the kids practice for and participate in, which is really cute!
Gratuities
Your all-inclusive fee includes ALL gratuities. If you’ve ever been on a cruise before, you know that there is a very hefty fee that’s added to your bill at the end of the trip. Last time we were on a cruise, it was $14.50/person/day! Unless you pay those in advance, that $500+ fee for our family of five is a HUGE cost if you’re not expecting it! You DO NOT have to worry about those fees on a trip to Sandos! They are part of the all-inclusive fee you pay!
Now I will say that we do set aside some extra money for tipping. If we’re using the same bars, daily and get great service (which you will), we give a little extra at the end of our stay. For instance, I like iced coffee and in Mexico everything is blended (like a Frappuccino). I don’t want a “coffee milkshake,” I want coffee poured over ice cubes! We went to the same bar every morning to get our coffee and by the 3rd day, our bartender knew exactly what I wanted without me asking for it. That kind of service deserves a little extra in my book!
What are the Royal Elite Member Benefits?
Some of the biggest benefits of the Royal Elite (Member) status include:
Black Bracelets: Your black bracelet gets you into all of the member-only bars, pools and restaurants as well as into any adults-only areas.
Premium Liquor: Royal Elite bars are stocked with more premium liquor than you would receive in other bars around the resort. Plus, the bars are usually less crowded than other bars.
Restaurant Reservations: There are plenty of restaurants and buffets around the resort that are available to all guests; however, as a Royal Elite guest, you are able to eat at any of the sit-down restaurants every night of your stay. Guests who are not Royal Elite members are limited on the amount of nights they can eat at a sit-down restaurant (typically based on their length of stay). Royal Elite members can also make advanced reservations.
Royal Elite Pools & Restaurants: The resort has both pools and restaurants that are only for members. Guests will purple or gold bracelets are not allowed into these areas. You will have a black band when renting from us, so you have access to all of these areas.
Sister resort privileges: Staying at Sandos Playacar, but want to check out Sandos Caracol? Go for it! You have an all access pass to that resort too! You can eat at the restaurants, drink at the bars, swim in their pools and waterparks and participate in their activities with your black Royal Elite bracelet!
The only thing you need to pay for is your taxi ride to/from the resort. It’s a great way to see another resort without having to stay at both resorts (although we have a lot of guests who split their stays by staying half of their time at one resort and half at another). And they are only about 15 minutes away from each other.
Additional Benefits: Each resort has a variety of Royal Elite benefits. You can read all of the benefits for each of the resorts here. **Please note that some benefits are only available in Royal Elite rooms. The rooms we rent are standard rooms (unless there is availability for Elite Rooms).
How Do I Book a Stay?
Because you’re using our membership, we book the room on your behalf. We have a specific team at the resort we work with that gives us the ability to extend our benefits to you. We will provide you with a quote before anything is officially booked and can also answer any questions you may have. Use this link to send us your contact information and reservation details. Filling out this form does not secure your reservation or cost you anything–it just provides us with the information we need to get you a quote!
We’ll email your quote within 24 hours and if you decide to book, we reach out to the resort to check your dates and get a confirmation from them. Once the dates are reserved, we’ll forward you the confirmation email directly from the resort.
Need help selecting which resort is best for your family? Direct links to each of the Sandos Resorts are listed below to help you decide! We are happy to help answer any questions you have, just fill out the form or comment on the page and we can start that dialogue!
What Fees Will I Pay for My Stay?
There are two types of fees that you will pay:
Royal Elite Room Fee
- This fee is paid directly to us via PayPal and covers the cost of using our membership and maintenance fees. This fee is what gets you the all access black bracelet–and typically saves you a decent chunk of money! Depending on the room you choose and the length of your stay, fees start at $375.
- For instance, Sandos Caracol is a favorite for families. An Eco Superior room in the Family Section of the resort includes one King Bed and bunk beds (max 4 people). Our fee for this room is $475 (total) for up to 7 nights. This would be paid to us via PayPal once you decide to book.
All Inclusive Fee
- This fee is paid directly to the resort and covers the cost of everything the resort has to offer (i.e. food, beverages, activities, kids club, gratuities, etc.) This fee also depends on the type of room you choose, the age of the guests and the dates you’ll be traveling. Often times, we have additional promotions extended to us that are automatically passed on to our guests.
- To give you an idea on the costs for a family staying at the resort, guests staying this year between May 5, 2021-June 26, 2021 will pay $59.50/adult/day (prices increase to 67.20 from June 27-Aug 15). With our contract:
- Infants 2 and under are free
- Children 3-12 are 50% off the adult rate
- Teens 13-17 are 30% off the adult rate
- 3rd and 4th adult staying the the same room are 15% off the adult rate
- So if you have a family of 4 consisting of 2 adults and 2 children (ages 6 and 11), you will pay a total of 178.50/day. That’s a total of $1249.50 for 7 nights.
- The total cost for your 7 night stay would be $1724.50 (Our Fee $475 + All Inclusive Fee $1249.50). If you book directly through the resort (I used June 6-13), the total is $2760 and gives you a purple bracelet (not our Black Royal Elite bracelet with our benefits). Our membership saves you over $1000!
- Each resort requires a 15% deposit within a 72 hours to hold your reservation. The final payment is not due until you arrive at the resort for your stay. If you need to cancel, you must do so at least 7 days prior to your arrival. The deposit is non-refundable, but CAN be used towards a future stay.
- Guests have the option to save an extra 5% on their All-Inclusive fees when they pay their total fee up front.
- To give you an idea on the costs for a family staying at the resort, guests staying this year between May 5, 2021-June 26, 2021 will pay $59.50/adult/day (prices increase to 67.20 from June 27-Aug 15). With our contract:
What Sandos Resorts can I book?
Sandos Resorts are located in both Mexico and Spain. All of the Mexico resorts allow children, whereas Sandos Monaco, El Greco and Atlantic Gardens in Spain are adults only resorts. Sandos Playacar and Caracol both offer adults only sections making them perfect for couples as well as families! Each of the Sandos Resorts offer a different experience and amenities. Check out each of the resort websites to see which one is the best for you!
Mexico
Spain
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best resort for families?
Sandos Caracol and Sandos Playacar (Mexico) are both wonderful options for families! We’ve been to both of these resorts with our kiddos and both have great amenities. They both have kids clubs, water parks, several pools, kayaking, game rooms, bikes, family-friendly nightly shows and more.
If you LOVE the beach, the beach at Playacar is absolutely amazing! Caracol’s beach is still pretty, but just a little rocky (so bring some water shoes).
If you love history and culture, I recommend Caracol. Their shows heavily focus on Mayan traditions and rituals, which is so cool to see. They also have some Mayan ruins on the property that you can hike to along with a cool suspension bridge. Caracol is a very large resort that is settled in a jungle with lots of trails, animals, cenotes and more!
We’ve never been to the Los Cabos resort (Finesterra), but we’ve heard wonderful things! It is situated on a beach, but the currents are strong so the beach often has red flags and is not swimmable. There is a beach off the resort within walking distance. Finesterra is a smaller resort than Playacar or Caracol, but still has the amazing service you get at any of the Sandos resorts and has a kids club.
What is the best resort for couples?
Sandos Cancun is not considered “Adults Only,” but it caters more to adults than kids. It’s considered more of a luxury resort than Caracol or Playacar (which you’ll notice in the All Inclusive fees). Sandos Playacar and Caracol both offer an adults only section. When you stay in these areas of the resorts, there are no kids allowed. There is an adults only pool as well as a section on the beach set aside for adults. Sandos Finesterra is also a good option.
If Spain is where you’re looking, there are adults only resorts available (Monaco, El Greco and Atlantic Gardens).
Is the water safe to drink?
YES! The resort has a filtered water system so all water used (including ice) is safe! Trust me, I was so nervous for our first trip too! I not only had a 3 year old, but I was pregnant too. I talked to our Pediatrician about our trip before we went and she assured us that it was safe! She said as long as you’re staying on the resort property, you won’t have any issues. Just be sure to take bottled water if you do go off resort property.
What airport do I fly into for Sandos Resorts?
For Mexico Resorts (Cancun, Caracol, and Playacar), you’ll fly into the Cancun (CUN) airport. For Finesterra, you’ll fly into San Jose Del Cabo (SJD).
For Spain Resorts (Benidorm Suites and Monaco), you’ll fly into the Alicante (ALC). For El Greco, you’ll fly into Ibiza (IBZ)
What time is check-in/check-out?
Check in is at 3pm and check out is at noon. If you get to the resort earlier than 3pm, your room may not be ready, but you can check in, get your bracelets and leave your bags in the luggage check. You can immediately begin enjoying the resorts amenitites.
We like to book super early flights so we can maximize our time at the resort! We usually arrive around noon so I always pack our swimsuits in our carry on bag so that we can head to the pool when we get there!
Are we charged for the Days or Nights?
You are charged for each NIGHT that you stay. This means that your trip may span 8 days, but you’re only staying overnight on 7 of them. You will pay all-inclusive fees for the 7 nights.
How do we get from the airport to our resort?
On our first trip to Sandos, we used a transfer service that was not private. What that means is that you take a bus to your resort with guests from other nearby resorts. For Sandos Playacar and Sandos Caracol, the airport is about 45 minutes away. That means that we had to sit on that bus until all guests going to the resorts before ours, got off. That was not a fun trip with a three-year-old–especially after a four hour flight!
After we became members, we became part of a Facebook group that is a wealth of knowledge for us. We learned about private transfer companies and began using those instead. Not only was our family the only family in the van, we were taken directly to the resort and even got pampered on the way there. They meet us at the airport with cold drinks and even cold washcloths to beat the Mexican heat! For about $110 round-trip, we can get to the resort and start enjoying our vacation! Our drivers have always given us wonderful service!
How can we book or get a quote?
Fill out this form with your reservation details and we’ll send you a quote within 24 hours!
Are you a past guest of ours?
Tell us about your experience! What did you enjoy most about your trip to Sandos Resorts as a Royal Elite Member?
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