We encountered and signed up for the Royal Holiday Program in Aruba at Paradise Beach Villas where we own (lease) a week of a 1 bedroom unit for the past 13 years. Air travel has become prohibitve from Canafa so now we trade it for resorts in the US where we can drive our car to.
WE bought from reps who had an office at the resort. Because of what we thought was their connection to the resort we ended up buying a modest contract. We liked the idea of points and thought that this company was well connected with quality resorts available world wide. They alluded to associations with both RCI and Interval International with whom we have vacation weeks and points and felt comfortable because of these two reasons eg. Our home resort apparent affiliation and Royal Holidays apparent affiliation with RCI and II.
The 90 minutes expanded to 1/2 day and like the people in the story on your front page we were getting tired and felt we were under the impression that we were buying points that we could use world wide not a time share. As it turned out Royal Holidays was funnelling all its resources into a resort in Cancun.
Our first sting was that while we signed up in March of one year I stipukated in oiur contract that we were not to have it start until the following year. This was totally ignored at year end when we were billed not for annual fees but for a special assessment because of damage to their Cancun Resort by a hurricane. When I called in about it they threatened us etc I said it was not proper and did not feel I should pay because our contract did not start until the next year. They said no it had started but we had been given the first year fee free. The fee was $350.00 per year then and that is what they wanted from us for damages to their property. I stated that I had never been informed about this and I was not liable. I hung up. Then the calls started 8 to 10 per day demanding payment. Finally, we paid out of desperation and the calls stopped. Then came time to book a holiday - properties in the US were few and far between and we made the best of a bad thing for a few years staying in out of the way substandard US properties. WE even tried selling through those crooked time share resellers and paid $450 upfront for a sales fee. Nothing ever came of it. Our final stay was supposedly a time share in a one bedroom condo in Miami. It turned out to be a hotel room that was cramped and a true rip off. We had to access this room via a freighty elevator in this Double Tree Hotel. We booked a hotel near by and had Royal reverse our points to our account.
Finally, we met Diamonds Resorts International and it was a pleasure dealing with an honest company that delivered its promises. We lucked out as they proceeded to take the Royal Holidays deal off our hands and gave us a credit to apply against joining their program. So if anyone wants out of Royal Holidays then check out Diamond Resorts International. You will be glad you did.
WE only recouped a small portion of our initial investment through Diamond Resorts but it was well worth the nonsense and harrassment from Royal. Another year we got the 10 calls per day treatment because as it turned out we owed $15 for some fee. When we asked to have them send a statement we received the statement in detail of some person from South America who was in arrears 5 years of fees.
Any way we are clear of Royal Holidays.By the way their HO is listed as being in Switzerland and their business and call center is in Mexico. We too never received their "Rules"— I eventually found them -the Rules - on their website—they are very draconian.
Anyway that is our story. Avoid Royal Holidays at all costs.
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