FAMILY
Dear Royal Resorts Member,
We are proud to be an award-winning family company that sets standards in hospitality and ethics. And we are constantly searching for ways to enrich the vacation experience we offer you. This is why the Board of Directors and founders have decided that it is time to step aside and usher in a new and exciting era in Royal Resorts’ history.
I am thrilled to share that The Royal Sands®, The Royal Cancun®, The Royal Haciendas®, and Grand Residences by Royal Resorts®, as well as most of Royal Resorts' related companies and its corporate operations, have been acquired by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated.
As a member, you will continue to vacation in your beloved Mexican Caribbean home away from home and our valued employees will be here to welcome you.
Dr. Kemil Rizk
CEO & President, Royal Resorts
To read the full statement, click here.
Kemmons Wilson, the founder of Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated, experienced firsthand how hard it was to travel and find affordable, clean hotels for his family of seven. He dreamt of a better way for families to vacation.
Nearly 25 years after the debut of Orange Lake Resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated partnered with IHG® Hotels & Resorts (InterContinental Hotels Group). Together, they created the Holiday Inn Club Vacations® brand.
To learn more about the history of Holiday Inn Club Vacations, click here
Sharing a commitment to creating exceptional vacation experiences
The Royal Resorts Board of Directors and founders, who have been at the helm of Royal Resorts for more than 45 years, have decided that it is time to step aside and usher in a new and exciting era in Royal Resorts’ history. They wholeheartedly believe that Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to provide extraordinary vacation experiences to its members.
They also believe that the introduction of the Holiday Inn Club and the benefits it provides can enhance the Royal Resorts membership experience by elevating those memberships to the next level. You will have the opportunity to enhance your current membership(s) by joining the Holiday Inn Club, which will give you access to a vast network of resorts throughout the United States and beyond. Holiday Inn Club Vacations has added more than two dozen resorts since 2006, making it one of the fastest-growing vacation ownership companies in the industry.
Additionally, through a strategic alliance with IHG® Hotels & Resorts (IHG), Holiday Inn Club members have access to one of the world’s largest hotel groups comprised of more than 6,000 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries. IHG also offers one of the largest loyalty programs of the hotel industry, IHG One Rewards, which includes over 100 million loyalty members. This provides a multitude of travel options for Holiday Inn Club members.
Furthermore, Royal Resorts and Holiday Inn Club Vacations share the same viewpoints as they relate to core values, ethics, and high integrity business standards. The histories, consumer-centric approach, member communities and operating standards of both companies are very similar. In a nutshell, Royal Resorts and Holiday Inn Club Vacations are a great match for each other.
Understanding the important role existing team members have played in the success of Royal Resorts, Holiday Inn Club Vacations does not plan to change the resort teams operating The Royal Cancun, The Royal Sands, The Royal Haciendas and Grand Residences by Royal Resorts. Fernando López Ruiz, who has been serving as Royal Resorts’ Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for nearly 20 years, will lead these teams in his role as President of Holiday Inn Club Vacations Mexico.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated is a vacation ownership company on a mission to be the most loved brand in family travel. The company was founded by Kemmons Wilson (who also founded Holiday Inn, a global brand) in 1982 with the opening of its flagship Orange Lake Resort in Orlando, Florida.
The Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand is one of the fastest-growing vacation ownership brands in the industry, with a vast owner and Club member base. The expanding Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort network offers memorable family experiences in fun and exciting destinations across the U.S., such as Orlando, Florida; Galveston, Texas; Lake Tahoe, Nevada; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; New Orleans, Louisiana; Scottsdale, Arizona; Gatlinburg, Tennessee; and more.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated offers memberships in the Holiday Inn Club, which provides more choices and the flexibility in which to enjoy the Holiday Inn Club Vacations network of resorts, which consist of spacious, well-appointed accommodations, onsite family-friendly amenities and activities for all ages. Through a strategic alliance with IHG, Holiday Inn Club members also have access to one of the world’s largest hotel groups comprised of more than 6,000 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries.
As a Royal Resorts member, your membership remains intact following the acquisition. With the exception of the Royal Uno® All Inclusive Resort & Spa (Royal Uno), which is no longer affiliated with the Royal Resorts Signature Club (RRSC), members enrolled in the RRSC may still utilize their points to secure reservations at The Royal Cancun, The Royal Sands and The Royal Haciendas.
Fractional owners and Signature Club Elite members at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts will continue to be able to utilize their points to secure reservations at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts, as well as the other Royal Resorts properties acquired by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated.
Fixed-week/fixed-unit members who are not currently enrolled in the RRSC will continue to be able to use their membership at their home resort.
If you have a Points membership at Royal Uno, your use rights will remain intact and be honored by Tortuga Resorts UK Limited (Tortuga), the company that acquired the entities that operate Royal Uno and The Royal Islander®.
All Royal Resorts members are invited to upgrade and join the Holiday Inn Club. Members who join the Holiday Inn Club will have access through their membership to utilize points to secure reservations:
If you are interested in joining the Holiday Inn Club, we invite you to visit a Sales center to learn more about the Holiday Inn Club and the benefits of membership.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations acquired The Royal Cancun, The Royal Sands, The Royal Haciendas and Grand Residences by Royal Resorts. Holiday Inn Club Vacations also acquired most of Royal Resorts’ related companies and its corporate operations.
Royal Resorts’ hospitality and service standards will remain the same. Holiday Inn Club Vacations does not plan to change the resort teams operating The Royal Cancun, The Royal Sands, The Royal Haciendas and Grand Residences by Royal Resorts. As such, you will still be welcomed by the resort staff with whom you are accustomed. Management and line staff will be unchanged in most cases.
You will gradually begin to see the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand on signage and other promotional materials at The Royal Cancun, The Royal Sands, The Royal Haciendas and Grand Residences by Royal Resorts.
The resorts acquired by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated – The Royal Sands, The Royal Cancun, The Royal Haciendas and Grand Residences by Royal Resorts – will continue to operate as normal. The company’s plans center around enhancements of the member and guest experience, building loyalty and driving growth.
Understanding the important role Royal Resorts team members have played in the organization’s success, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated does not plan to change the resort teams operating The Royal Cancun, The Royal Sands, The Royal Haciendas and Grand Residences by Royal Resorts. Fernando López Ruiz, who has been serving as CFO of Royal Resorts for nearly 20 years, will lead these teams as President of Holiday Inn Club Vacations Mexico. Dr. Kemil Rizk, Royal Resorts former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President, will move into an advisory role with Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated.
Holiday Inn Club membership is a points-based exchange program that offers members the opportunity to reserve stays at 28 Holiday Inn Club Vacations properties in the U.S., and now, four Royal Resorts properties in the Mexican Caribbean. A few additional benefits of Holiday Inn Club membership include:
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated has a strategic alliance with IHG, one of the world’s largest hotel groups. IHG’s family of brands includes more than 6,000 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries and a collection of 18 brands including, without limitation, InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Six Senses, Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, Vignette™ Collection, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza®, EVEN® Hotels, VOCO™, Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, Hualuxe® Hotels and Resorts and Holiday Inn®. Members in the Holiday Inn Club are afforded membership in the IHG One Rewards program, IHG’s hotel loyalty program, which is one of the largest hospitality loyalty programs in the world with over 100 million members.
As a result of this strategic alliance, Holiday Inn Club members can exchange their points to stay at IHG-branded properties worldwide. The IHG network offers several international luxury brands that provide exclusivity, gourmet cuisine and memorable experiences, similar to the offerings available at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts.
Tortuga Resorts UK Limited (Tortuga), an owner of luxury beachfront resorts across Mexico and the Caribbean, acquired the entities that operate The Royal Islander and Royal Uno. Tortuga is not affiliated with Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated.
Grand Residences by Royal Resorts fractional owners and members will continue to enjoy their luxury vacation experience at their home resort in Puerto Morelos.
Furthermore, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated is committed to completing the construction of Phases 3 and 4 at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts in accordance with the project developed by Royal Resorts. Construction could begin as early as Q1 of 2024.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated is committed to completing Phases 3 and 4 at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts and will predominantly follow the original plans developed by Royal Resorts, as modified and approved by a vote of the fractional owners and members. This includes Phases 3 and 4 new Residences and suites, along with the addition of two new specialty restaurants (for a total of four), new meeting space and a new building featuring a spa, fitness center and shopping area. Additional sunbeds and grills will also be included.
This acquisition does not affect the range of complimentary benefits you have enjoyed during your Grand Residences by Royal Resorts vacations. Fractional owners who are part of RRSC and Signature Club Elite members at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts will continue to be able to utilize their points to secure reservations at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts, as well as the other Royal Resorts properties acquired by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated.
This acquisition does not affect the reciprocal use privileges owners/members have with The Registry Collection® for international vacation exchanges. You will still be able to book stays at the luxury properties listed on The Registry Collection website.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated has affiliations with RCI and II, so if you are currently enrolled in either of these exchange networks, your ability to use them to exchange your points or weeks remains intact.
Yes. The rental program will remain in place and fractional owners at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts will still be able to utilize this benefit.
Yes. As a result of this acquisition, the strategic alliances Royal Resorts forged with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for hotel operations, and with Wyndham Destinations for vacation ownership have been terminated. Royal Resorts, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated and Wyndham all agreed that the termination of these strategic alliances was appropriate given the competing timeshare brands.
This means that Grand Residences by Royal Resorts will no longer be part of the Registry Collection Hotels brand and the Opera PMS will be removed at the resort. Grand Residences by Royal Resorts will be removed from Wyndham Hotels and Resorts global booking engine and marketing channels.
Because the Royal Resorts relationship with Wyndham Destinations has ended, access to the Club Wyndham benefits component of Signature Club Elite benefits will be terminated and removed. If you are a Signature Club Elite member with a current reservation to stay at a Club Wyndham resort, it will be honored. For information and assistance, contact Signature Club Member Services.
They will eventually be rebranded, but the intent is to keep some elements of the Royal Resorts branding and naming. This is something that is currently under consideration and more information will be shared with you about this exciting development in the coming months as it becomes available.
Both companies were started by the same founder, Kemmons Wilson, but they are not under common ownership. Holiday Inn is a separate company and brand from Holiday Inn Club Vacations.
There are no immediate plans to change your existing Royal Resorts member portal. You will continue to be able to login and access your information in the same way you have in the past. However, as both companies work together to create a seamless experience, we should expect changes to occur over time.
No. Current reservations at The Royal Sands, The Royal Cancun, The Royal Haciendas, and/or Grand Residences by Royal Resorts have not been changed and will not be impacted as a result of the acquisition.
Current reservations at Royal Uno and The Royal Islander have not been changed and will not be impacted as a result of the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated/Royal Resorts acquisition. However, the new owners of Royal Uno and The Royal Islander could make changes in the future that are different than its current intent.
The entities that operate Royal Uno and The Royal Islander have been acquired by Tortuga in a separate acquisition. The RRSC affiliation with Royal Uno has been terminated. This means that RRSC Members cannot use their points to make new reservations at Royal Uno.
For The Royal Islander, The Royal Islander membership agreement still terminates on July 15, 2023. As a result, The Royal Islander will be closed on July 16, 2023, and eventually sold by Tortuga. Any Royal Resorts members who will be impacted by the termination of the timeshare plan will receive communication directly from Tortuga regarding next steps.
RRSC membership points can only be used for stays at The Royal Cancun, The Royal Sands, The Royal Haciendas and The Royal Islander (until its closure). Fractional owners and Elite Signature Club members at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts can use their points for stays at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts, the three other properties acquired by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated, along with The Royal Islander until its closure.
The best option for members who want to utilize points to stay at a Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort is to become a Holiday Inn Club member. To learn more about the Holiday Inn Club membership and joining the Holiday Inn Club, visit holidayinnclub.com/membership or visit a Sales center.
We believe most members will find great value in becoming a member of the Holiday Inn Club. However, if you are happy with your current Royal Resorts membership, you do not have to do anything. Other than the termination of RRSC affiliation with Royal Uno, your membership and use rights have not changed, including how you book reservations and pay fees.
If you own a Points membership at Royal Uno, Tortuga is responsible for determining your rights moving forward.
The acquisition of Royal Resorts by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated will not bring changes to the cadence and current billing schedule for your maintenance fees. Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated will analyze and work with the Royal Resorts management team and advisory boards regarding the adequacy of the maintenance fees and funding reserves moving forward.
While the ultimate ownership of Royal Resorts has changed, the resorts and entities acquired by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated will continue to operate under the Royal Resorts umbrella, which is now a brand affiliated with Holiday Inn Club Vacations. This means that employees will continue to work for Royal Resorts and that the same resort teams will welcome you and your families to the acquired resorts.
Royal Uno is no longer affiliated with the RRSC. Your RRSC Membership will remain in place and is otherwise unaffected by the acquisition.
If you are an RRSC member, you will be invited to join Holiday Inn Club, the points-based exchange program from Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated that gives you the opportunity to, among other things, book stays at Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts in the U.S. and access to IHG hotels and resorts worldwide through the conversion of Holiday Inn Club points to IHG One Rewards points.
Yes. Royal Resorts members who are not currently enrolled in the RRSC will be invited to upgrade and join the Holiday Inn Club. You can learn more by visiting a Sales center.
Yes. The internal exchange program will continue for these members as it does today, but will not allow exchanges into other Holiday Inn Club Vacations properties.
Yes. The rental program will remain in place and members will still be able to utilize this benefit.
The Royal Resorts Rewards program will continue at the four properties still affiliated with Royal Resorts.
Privileges by Royal Resorts membership and benefits will continue to be honored at the four Royal Resorts properties acquired by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated.
Discovery Vacation Program reservations, terms and conditions will continue to be honored at the four Royal Resorts properties acquired by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated. Those stays reserved at Royal Uno will be honored by Tortuga.
Additional information will be shared with you moving forward and you will be invited to attend “First to Know” informational sessions at the resort during your vacation.
Yes, the Owner Loan program will remain in place and members will be able to use this benefit.
Yes, the Refine All-Inclusive package available at The Royal Sands, The Royal Cancun and The Royal Haciendas will still be optional for members. Similarly, the All-in Grand package at Grand Residences will also be optional for owners and members. The member discounted rate will also apply in both cases.
You can contact the Customer Service department at 1-888-215-4395 in the United States or 800-845-0317 if you are calling from Mexico.