Westin Cancun Timeshare Offer: $249 + 15k Points or $75 Resort Credit
I received an email offer for a Westin Cancun timeshare package. For anyone interested, here is what I received, so you can hunt for offers or contact them about this offer.
Details of the Offer
The offer is for the Westin Resort & Spa which gets not so great reviews on TripAdvisor. The offer comes with the following:
- 5-day, 4-night stay at The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancún
- Free shuttle service to and from Cancun (CUN) airport for arrival and departure
- Your choice of 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy™ Points OR a $75 Resort Certificate for spa services, dining, shopping or activities during your stay.
- Must attend a timeshare presentation (time not specified, expect 2 hours)
- Pay $249
- Must book by February 23, 2022
- One year to travel from the date you accept the offer
Searching for 4-night stays during the rest of 2022, I found several options for $460 in late May and June, as well as early December. The cheapest price of $428 shows up on tons of dates (mid-week arrivals for all of them) in September and October, plus a few dates in early November.
I didn’t see a resort fee on my test bookings.
Comparing to Other Offers
Mark had a timeshare offer for the Westin Cancun back in September 2019, but his was different:
- Same number of nights
- Add these perks in his offer:
- Daily American-style buffet breakfast for two
- Nightly cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for two
- Remove this perk from my offer:
- Free shuttle service to and from Cancun (CUN) airport for arrival and departure
- Both say you must attend the timeshare presentation
- Both offer a choice of 15,000 Marriott points or $75 property credit
- My price: $249
- Mark’s price: $269
Breaking Down the Value
Let’s assume the 4-night stay is worth around $450, given the prices I saw. From our research, Marriott points are worth about 0.67¢ each. 15,000 points would be worth $100.50, which is higher than the $75 property credit.
The value of the transfer to/from the airport is worth around $75, depending on which company you book with (assuming you book in advance).
Putting all of that together, the value is around $625 for the stay, the transfers, and the Marriott points. Paying $429 for this is a discount of 31%.
Analysis of the Offer
The resort looks to be a lower tier Westin and nowhere as nice as the Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort. If I was going to take them up on it I would ask for more than what they are offering, as you always should.
Also, if you can negotiate, I think Mark’s previous offer is much better. If you are willing to trade the airport transfers for daily breakfast and evening cocktails, I think you would save in the long run. 4 days of breakfasts will definitely cost more than the airport transfers (and you can even book airport transfers with Citi ThankYou Points via their travel portal).
On the face of it, yes, this is a ‘deal’, considering you’re saving money. However, you always need to factor in a few things when evaluating a timeshare offer from the Westin Cancun or any other place:
- How good are you at negotiating for a better offer before booking?
- Would you go to this place without this deal, or did you just get sucked in?
- How much is 2 hours of your time worth during vacation, since you have to go to the presentation (including all adults on the reservation, and sometimes even the kids)?
- Are you good at saying “no” during a high-pressure sales event?
- Understand what benefits you will and won’t get when you stay at a property where you have status (stay credits, upgrades, breakfast, free parking, etc.).
If you’re interested, here are the terms of the offer I received. The number to book (or to negotiate for better!) is 866-664-2839.
Final Thoughts
Timeshare presentations can be an interesting way to travel. You can get discounts by adding meals, services, activities, etc. into a package price. If you’re good at negotiating, you can get even more before agreeing to take the trip and put down your deposit. However, you should always evaluate these offers to see if they really make sense for you and fit into your travel goals. My offer is interesting, but I think Mark’s old offer provides a greater value.
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Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
I did this offer back in 2018 I believe. I had the package Mark had but think I paid $249 or $199 even and it was SPG points, so much more valuable! It is a weird setup, a newly renovated Westin and then a hotel next door they acquired and slapped some paint on and this is where they put you. The true Westin is very nice with a pool and great dining. The one benefit that makes this worthwhile was the breakfast and the nightly drinks and appetizers. Breakfast was a very full buffet with hot and cold options. In the evening, the drinks were very generous and the appetizers were more than enough for dinner. We barely spent much additional on food. I would hold out for the breakfast and evening reception.
I did the 2019 version of this deal and would not be very interested in doing it again. As you said, there’s nothing particularly nice about the property. When we visited, there was sea weed covering the beach and the water fronting the hotel. The Lagunamar, on the other hand, had clean water and sand and was superior in all respects. The timeshare pitch was also a harder sell than I have experienced elsewhere. I literally had to tell him I wouldn’t take it if he gave it to me for free to get him to accept “no”.
I stayed her after arriving late birthing special wouldn’t stay here unless I absolutely had to . The Lagunamar is much nicer .