Are you ready for a vacation?
Several items were donated for the live auction part of our fundraiser. The one item that I am going to describe today is the vacation certificate that was donated by Jack Edwards, a realtor with Coldwell Banker.
Let me tell you about the certificate. It comes from Resort Vacation Certificates, which is affiliated with RCI, the worldwide resort destination company. The certificate will give you hundreds of options for an exciting vacation, locally or around the world.
In some locations, you can use the certificate to cover the cost of your room at the resort, but in some locations, especially during busy times, you may have to pay a small fee for the whole week, not each night, in addition to using the certificate. The key is to plan early and book your vacation as soon as possible to get the best choice. You will have to book your vacation before April 25, 2025 and you must start your travel within 365 days of the date booked.
What do you do if you have the winning bid?
If you have the winning bid for the vacation certificate, you will need to provide an email address so that we can send you the certificate. Once you receive the email, you will be directed to create an account and log into the www.resortscerts.com website. You will be required to register your certificate before you can start to explore and ultimately redeem your certificate and complete your booking.
On the website, you will be able to view all of the available resorts as well as four videos with vacation ideas. I have included links to two of the videos here for your viewing pleasure: https://americanlegionelkgrove.com/videos/Orlando.mp4 and https://americanlegionelkgrove.com/videos/Mazatlan-Mexico.mp4
Keep in mind that the certificate does not include any of your expenditures such as air fare, transfers, activities or meals. Additionally, there will possibly be a required deposit, a resort fee, a charge for housekeeping, as well as a tourist tax.
I have seen resorts in Arizona that charge an air conditioning fee. Some resorts require the visitor be over 21 years of age.
If traveling to Africa, you may have to get vaccinations before you leave home.
So, before booking, look at the bottom of the resort information page for any additional fees, local taxes or other restrictions.
P.S. These fees are not just for certificate holders, they are mandatory for all guests.
Here are some thoughts for international destinations. Three of my favorite places to visit would be Cabo San Lucas, Australia and Africa. I have included excerpts from the website showing where some of the resorts are located. You will have full access to all of the locations after you register your certificate. Again, as a reminder, book as soon as possible for the greatest selections. Also, you will see below that some resorts show that they offer upgrades as well as options for no additional fees. Some resorts also offer to sell you an “All Inclusive” option to cover some of your food and drinks.
In the first image below showing Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, I am showing a couple of the options. We have stayed at a couple of these resorts. We have stayed several times at the one marked $470 which is the Worldmark Coral Baja and the one marked at $555 is the Pueblo Bonito Rose in Cabo San Lucas. The last time I checked, Pueblo Bonito Rose was getting a little run down, but next door is the sister resort of Pueblo Bonito Blanco. Coral Baja and Pueblo Bonito Blanco are great resorts.
Below is a graphic showing some options in the Melbourne area of Australia. We have stayed at Phillip Island and will be staying at Torquay this fall: a beautiful place to visit. As you can see, none of these resorts are available with an extra fee of between $200 & $301 dollars.
For my Africa example, I am showing South Africa and the town of Hazyview which is just west of one of the main gates into Kruger National Park. We visited there in 2015 and stayed at the Sanbonani Lodge, shown in this example, and enjoyed visiting Kruger every day except for a spa day at the resort to rest and relax. $362 dollars for a week in a great resort is a great price. Don’t hesitate to ask me about any of these vacation locations.
It seems that most of the resorts in this area of South Africa will charge an extra fee of $361.75 per week for a two bedroom unit that sleeps 6 people. I don’t think you can stay at a Motel 6 for a week for $361.75. I just checked and you can stay at the Motel 6 in Rancho Cordova for about $832 from the 12th to the 19th of July to visit the California State Fair but you won’t get a two bedroom unit because they don’t have any of those. For 6 people, you would need 3 units which would cost you $2496 for the week. If it is for mom and dad and a couple of kids, you may get by with cramming everyone into one room for $832 for the week.
According to The Reserve, a local hotel in Hazyview, which would charge you $179 per night for a room with a bed and a fold out couch, “One of the most enticing aspects of staying in Hazyview is its proximity to the world-famous Kruger National Park.” The Phabeni Gate is less than 15 kilometers away.
So, are you ready to vacation? Start thinking about where you would like to go and how much less it would cost if you have a vacation certificate that covers most of the cost of lodging for your visit. Yes, there is still air fare or other transportation costs. And there is food; but I bet you were planning on eating if you stayed home for that week.
This is also the perfect vacation option if you want to visit resorts throughout the USA and Canada. Places like Las Vegas, San Diego, Palm Springs, Sedona, Banff, Calgary, Canmoor etc… I have told you a lot about what this vacation certificate is great for, but what it is not great for?
For example, these are resorts and generally not hotels in big cities in the rest of the world, so don’t bid on this item if you want to visit London, Paris, Berlin or Sydney.