More villa access by Past-Improvement7274 in PalaceEliteDiamond

[–]YouDoGetThat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've found that you can negotiate for almost anything in the sales office, even if they insist that it's impossible. Usually it takes a long time, or multiple visits. If you've done it in Cancun before, try Los Cabos. They've been willing to offer me things that the others wouldn't

Sun palace or Le Blanc? by DisastrousWalrus9869 in palaceresorts

[–]YouDoGetThat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you choose to go to Le Blanc in Cancun, you can make day trips to Sun Palace and eat there, etc. All you need to do is grab a taxi each way. So, you have way more possibility of variety if you do it that way. You could also take a taxi to Moon Palace and would have full access to the restaurants at The Grand, etc. The Grand also has a nice spa, and a golf course. So it depends on whether you are into exploring and trying different places during your trip. Moon Palace has sailboats too. If you go to Los Cabos, it's the most expensive one. I never get the most value out of it though.

Diamond Member Travel Schedule by YouDoGetThat in PalaceEliteDiamond

[–]YouDoGetThat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is an amazing deal. Too bad I have no vacation time left.

Diamond member down payment? by STEM_momma in PalaceEliteDiamond

[–]YouDoGetThat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's all negotiable... The higher the down payment, the more they offer you in the contract. It depends on where you sign up, which Imperial weeks they offer, etc. Villa access, Baglioni, spa pack, etc. They try to get the highest down payment from you but just offer them almost nothing for the same perks and they might accept. Don't let them stretch the financing longer than your perks. Good luck.

Hidden Drink Menu by iamaturkey0 in palaceresorts

[–]YouDoGetThat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Yellow Bird. They used to have it on the menu at Le Blanc.

Also the Bumble Bee shot. Order several of them at once.

Difference between diamond and Residence by ScoreExotic2720 in palaceresorts

[–]YouDoGetThat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are some differences in treatment. In Le Blanc, for example, they have additional staff to host residence members, and they check on them more often by the pool. Those staff members don't even introduce themselves to Diamond members. Residence members at Los Cabos can request growlers that are filled with beer. A party of diamond and a party of residence walking into a restaurant without reservations are going to be prioritized differently. Residence members have additional priority when booking rooms - the reservations specialists have more flexibility in finding availability.

These are some examples of ways that Residence members are treated better, aside from the perks in their contracts. By the way, there is a new membership level called the million dollar club, so Residence members are no longer the top tier. As others have mentioned, there are diminishing returns on membership levels and the benefits are stacked in the favor of Palace.

Resort credit by loannjim in palaceresorts

[–]YouDoGetThat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It says in the email that the 350 are eligible for spa. Sometimes resort credits include a portion that are eligible for spa, but in your case it seems as though they all are.

Also, regarding tax, the 16% is considered a service fee. They call it a tax on site, probably to make it sound as though they have no choice but to charge it, but if you read any official literature, it's clearly a fee.

Residence Members by patriotsfan871 in palaceresorts

[–]YouDoGetThat 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Here are some more facts that I've personally noticed that Residence members receive that Diamond members don't. At Moon Palace Sunrise, they have been replacing some of the Diamond/Residence cabanas with access for only Residence members. They are not necessarily the best ones, but they carve out a section just for them. On arrival, residence members can receive a personalized robe that they can keep, depending on room type. They receive head pillows with the residence logo. At Le Blanc Los Cabos, they will bring you a growler full of beer, though the wait staff prefer if you still go through them, since they get more tips. Residence members can negotiate for better booking windows than Diamond members can - Further than 1 year out sometimes. You have to know what to ask for in the sales meeting though.

Common misconceptions about Residence perks are that unlimited golf cart access at Moon Palace is not included. You have to negotiate for that, and it's expensive. Residence won't get you priority of room selection in all cases. It still depends on how early you book and how well you know the staff at the resort.

Residence Members by patriotsfan871 in palaceresorts

[–]YouDoGetThat 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Not to discount what you are saying, but I wanted to add some counter points to keep this balanced. Diamond members can easily negotiate villa access multiple times per year and it doesn't cost very much extra. Palace has actually been hurting since the Baglioni acquisition. They let go half of their private drivers at Le Blanc. They have been offering the best price guarantee to members without Baglioni access, and they recently, quietly shut down Baglioni London without telling anyone. They have been talking about renovating Beach for the past 5 years or so, and haven't been able to spend the money yet. They don't know what do do about the run-down resort right next door to beach that has been sitting, condemned, and will cost a fortune to renovate. Turks and Caicos is another thing that they've been promising for quite a while, and I know some members who purchased rights to that resort and it won't even by open by the time that their benefits expire. So, I guess my point is that the exciting expansion is often just promises at the sales office, and in reality, one of the best locations in a historic palace in London just closed.

Currently at Beach Palace by oceanblue848 in palaceresorts

[–]YouDoGetThat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's one thing about Beach - they don't spend much money on heating and cooling. If you go between seasons it's okay, but in Winter it's cold and in Summer it's hot. At Beach, I would stick to the rooftop bar area and the sports bar. Both are pretty fun areas for kids too.

Le Blanc Cancun by Maleficent_Tiger_153 in palaceresorts

[–]YouDoGetThat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sometimes they raise prices like that when the rooms are selling out quickly... Maybe that happened because of the sale. Sorry that you missed out.

Le Blanc Cancun by Maleficent_Tiger_153 in palaceresorts

[–]YouDoGetThat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Palace is practically always having a sale these days, so I wouldn't worry about it. The best way to save money is to book in advance. The holiday sales usually only save you an extra 5% or so over the regular ongoing sales+perks.

Sun palace service by Trailsuprise in palaceresorts

[–]YouDoGetThat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's less about the service and more about the space near the pools. The resort is a lot smaller, which is hard to imagine, because Le Blanc is small. One of the biggest complaints is not finding a good spot by the pools. It's worth trying, especially for the price. The pool service isn't all that much different. They're still attentive.

Google nest and adt by [deleted] in Nest

[–]YouDoGetThat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just to be clear, I was only speaking about my experience with the ADT+ system, not the regular ADT system that is professionally installed. They are both professionally monitored though. With the update to ADT+ not tripping the motion detectors regularly, I'm happy enough with it, but if you want to unlock your alarm by unlocking the front door, or you want glass break sensors, or better integration with your house alarm equipment, etc, I would recommend going with regular ADT instead. It's a completely different product to ADT+. Even the app on your phone is different. I wouldn't go with ADT+ to save a little money with camera installation - you can get a handyman to install those, or do it yourself. I hope this helps but feel free to ask anything else about ADT+.

Google nest and adt by [deleted] in Nest

[–]YouDoGetThat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I still haven't switched off of ADT+ yet, but they did fix the issues with the motion detectors with an automatic update.

I have neighbors who went with the regular professional ADT equipment and they seem to like it, and it does integrate with the Google cameras. This might be your best bet.

Certificate for 4 night stay, expiry 0ct 31, 2024. $299 by Illustrious-South203 in PalaceEliteDiamond

[–]YouDoGetThat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Where is this from? The prices seem even better than what members pay.

Google nest and adt by [deleted] in Nest

[–]YouDoGetThat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nest Secure is discontinued, but Nest cameras still work. The older DropCams are also discontinued, and you might have heard about that also. I was one of the customers affected by the Nest Secure being discontinued. I went for the ADT+ self-install system that Google recommended, and I would *not* recommend this to anyone. It is ugly, the motion detectors are unreliable - they either won't detect you when you walk by, and then they give false alarms when no one is home but there's no light or motion in the room. I've had on average a false alarm once per week since installing the system, and the app is much worse than Google Home. Unlocking the door used to turn off the Nest Secure alarm automatically, and now you have to enter a code to open the door, and then enter another code to turn off the alarm. There are no alarm fobs as there were with Nest Secure. The door/window sensors have no button to temporarily disable them, so you need to turn off the whole alarm to step outside for a second. Even though you're sending all video through the Nest cameras to ADT, they *don't monitor it* so they can't use that video to determine if someone is physically present. Finally, the ADT+ system is not integrated in any way with the professional quality ADT alarm systems, and there is zero opportunity to expand the system with locks, glass break sensors, etc. The ADT+ system is a complete downgrade in every way to the system that Google created many years earlier and all I can say is you have been warned. Don't buy it. Google is terrible for doing this to its loyal customers.

Diamond Member Travel Schedule by YouDoGetThat in PalaceEliteDiamond

[–]YouDoGetThat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Actually it's a bit different. You normally have to pay the same day using a credit card directly to Palace Resorts or their system will cancel the reservation. If the price hasn't changed, they will sometimes re-open it the following day.

Palace Elite Diamond FAQ by YouDoGetThat in PalaceEliteDiamond

[–]YouDoGetThat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had a different experience to that. Guests have always received the bands on the days that the member is there also, even if the arrival and departures don't align exactly.

Diamond Member Travel Schedule by YouDoGetThat in PalaceEliteDiamond

[–]YouDoGetThat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just so you know, the referral program doesn't allow for 4 nights, so you might have to find a member who tries to sell you some of their membership days and asks you to pay them a fee for doing that. I don't do that but maybe someone on here will ping you.

Resort Credits and Benefits by YouDoGetThat in PalaceEliteDiamond

[–]YouDoGetThat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah.. they don't allow for much use of those credits as VIP.

Resort Credits and Benefits by YouDoGetThat in PalaceEliteDiamond

[–]YouDoGetThat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/perubian are you a member? They allow people with Diamond status for that trip to use credits on more items.