Cancun Resort “Memberships” Are NOT Timeshares. Here’s The $10,000 Secret You Need to Know.

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You’re on your second day at a stunning Cancun all-inclusive, and you get the invitation: a “free VIP breakfast” or a special tour of the resort, complete with $500 in resort credits, just for 90 minutes of your time. You know the “timeshare” pitch is coming.

But when you get there, the salesperson says something that throws you off: “Oh, this isn’t a timeshare. We don’t do that. This is a vacation club.”

Then comes the presentation, a dazzling look at a life of VIP perks: guaranteed room upgrades, private pools, exclusive lounges, and “member-only” discounts. The catch? The buy-in for this “membership” starts at $10,000, $20,000, or even more.

But what are you actually buying? If it’s not a timeshare, why the 5-figure price tag? Here at The Cancun Sun, we’ve done a deep dive into this new model to reveal the $10,000 secret you need to know.

How It’s Different From a Timeshare (And Why It’s Confusing)

The salesperson is, on a technicality, telling the truth. It’s not a traditional timeshare.

• A Traditional Timeshare: You buy a “deeded” right to a specific week in a specific unit for the rest of your life. You are, in essence, a part-owner of the property.
• A Modern “Vacation Club”: This is what most Cancun resorts, like Palace Resorts (Palace Elite) and Xcaret (Mexico Destination Club), now sell. You are not buying real estate. You are buying a long-term contract (10, 20, 50 years) that gives you the “right to use” their resorts and a list of special privileges.

What That $10,000 Actually Buys You 💰

This is the most critical point of confusion for travelers. That massive buy-in fee is not for a lifetime of free travel. Instead, you are paying for two main things:

1. A Set of “Discounted” Weeks: You are pre-paying for a certain number of future vacation weeks (e.g., 30 weeks over 20 years). However, you still have to pay a nightly all-inclusive fee for these “member rates.”
2. A List of VIP Perks: This is the real product. The buy-in is your entry fee into the resort’s top-tier, and these perks are what they use to sell the dream. They often include:
   • Guaranteed room upgrades (e.g., to an oceanfront or swim-out suite).
   • Access to exclusive “member-only” pools, beach clubs, and lounges.
   • Private butlers, VIP check-in, and free airport transfers.
   • Free spa treatments or tours (often in the form of “Resort Credits,” which may still require you to pay a tax or service fee).

The On-the-Ground Reality: The “Value” Trap

Here is the secret that countless travelers on Reddit and other forums report after they’ve bought in: the value proposition is extremely confusing.

The primary pain point is that the “exclusive member-only rate” is often no better than the public-facing sales that resorts run on their own websites or on Costco Travel. Recent 2025 traveler reports are filled with new members who feel they were duped, realizing their “discount” isn’t a discount at all.

Furthermore, the price is almost 100% negotiable. The $50,000 package offered at the start of the 90-minute presentation can magically become a $10,000 “today only” trial offer by the end, leading to intense buyer’s remorse for those who paid a higher price.

The Verdict: Is It a “Deal” or a “Luxury Buy”?

This is the only thing that matters: A resort membership is NOT a financial investment. You will almost certainly never “make your money back” in a way you can quantify.

It is a luxury lifestyle purchase.

• This is NOT for you if: You are a budget-conscious traveler looking for a good “deal” or a smart financial move.
• This IS for you if: You are a very specific traveler who is 100% loyal to a single resort brand, plans to visit that brand every single year, and places an extremely high dollar value on VIP perks. You aren’t paying to save money; you are paying to guarantee you’ll always have the best room, a private pool, and never have to wait in line at the front desk.

For that traveler, this $10,000+ pass might be worth it. For everyone else, the savviest move is to politely decline the “VIP meeting” and just enjoy the vacation you already paid for.

Happy travels!