mislead to book wrong resort

Yesterday I was so excited to use my II AC for a week in Cobo. I searched all of the available Hotels on the grid and finally settled on: Casa Dorada San Lucas Bay (CBO). when I googled this hotel for more information, this is the results that come up: https://www.google.ca/search?q=Casa...j0l2.392j0j8&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=0&ie=UTF-8

when you click on any of the websites listed, they all reefer to this hotel: http://www.casadorada.com/cabosanlucasresort-en.html

Guess what? that is not the hotel that Im booked into... turns out that this is the hotel that II reserved for me - Me Cobo: http://www.melia.com/en/hotels/mexico/los-cabos/me-cabo/index.html

Apparently it also goes by the name Casa Dorada San Lucas Bay on II, but that is NO WHERE to be found on the actual hotels name, or website.

I called II today, and they can not do anything about this... Im stuck with this room since I have already booked my airfare and the only other Cobo hotel with availability, according to II, is not something that I would like either.

I'm stuck with this hotel... It appears to be an all night techno party hotel... and this defiantly not what I'm looking for. Is there anything that can be done about this?? I feel that I was TOTALLY MISLEAD into booking this hotel, as they use almost the exact name as another, MUCH NICER, place on the II site.

That's crazy. I would continue to call them and try to get it changed between now and then. September should have plenty of inventory in Cabo. I looked at the resort page on II and it is misleading, imo.

If you look on the II site for resort CBO the contact information says

"Hotel MeCabo - El Médano
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 23410
Mexico"

Is it misleading? I would say yes. They are two resorts next to each other and some of the pics look similar.

I think pursuing the contact information on the II site would have cleared this up for you ahead of time.

I also think you should pressure II to change the name in their listing to make it clear where you are staying.

I have to disagree that you were misled by II. You were actually misled by your Google search.

when you click on any of the websites listed, they all reefer to this hotel

Click to expand...

This is incorrect. The third one on the list of your google search is the trip advisor hit of your booking. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g152515-d154394-r161334546-ME_Cabo-Cabo_San_Lucas_Los_Cabos_Baja_California.html

The resort you mistakenly thought you were booking does not have the same name as the one listed in II. You were booked into "Casa Dorada at San Lucas Bay" but mistook it for "Casa Dorada Los Cabos Resort & Spa". Those names are very different.

I agree that the true name of the hotel is different, but the II name, the matching name on Trip Adviser, and the II contact info "Hotel MeCabo - El Médano" should have triggered a connection.

There are many resort names that are close when you do a google search. This applies in many places. When searching a small operation it is not uncommon to get mostly hits for different but similarly named resorts. With thousands of resorts II cannot really control this.

When you are in Cabo - Casa Dorada means Casa Dorada - not ME Cabo. No one says, "I'm staying at Casa Dorada Los Cabos Resort", they say "I'm staying at Casa Dorada". I'm not sure where II got that name but it seems deceptive.

Go to tripadvisor (or the hotel's own website for that matter) - the name of the place is ME Cabo. I just don't know why II called it something other than what the hotel calls itself, especially a name that is very similar to another resort nearby. That's the deceptive part.

I want to thank the OP for the heads up though. It is a very easy mistake to make because of the similarity of the names.

I feel for you, but I don't think it's really II's fault that you booked a resort you confused with another. There are a lot of "sister" resorts whose names are very similar but in (sometimes slightly) different locations, and are geared to different types of guests. The Casa Doradas are just one of many. The II description for CBO states very clearly that it is an adult-oriented resort, with popular nightclub and weekend parties. The contact information shows Hotel MeCabo.

In the excitement of booking a great vacation deal, it's easy to skip over the fine details. Many have learned the hard way to turn lemons into lemonade, so I hope the vacation works out. I've heard of people in the same predicament who had a LOT of trepidation over staying at the ME, but they ended up enjoying their vacation just fine. My biggest concern would be if it was over Spring Break, but I can't imagine that your AC would enable you to book those weeks.

klpca said:

I'm not sure where II got that name but it seems deceptive.

Click to expand...

Because it's the name of the timeshare! II does not change names to whatever they want. The name came from the resort management company. The hotel name and the timeshare name are very different, but this is not II and nor do they have any control over this.

Look at Redweek - http://www.redweek.com/resort/P264-casa-dorada-san-lucas-bay

The name is Casa Dorada San Lucas Bay and was previously known as Cabo San Lucas Beach and Tennis Club. Any issues over the name should be taken up with the resort management, who changed it. II cannot control this.

I am pretty sure the actual hotel rooms are not the same as the timeshare units, so to name it as the hotel contact would be incorrect.

Here is a redweek message and reply from 5 years ago:

Are the rooms at ME the same as Cabo San Lucas Beach and Tennis Club

Hi!
I'm going in Aug and wondering what the rooms look like. I saw the rooms at ME and they look great but are they the same as The Cabo San Lucas Beach and Tennis Club?
Reply to This Message
Avatar for astridg2 astridg2
5 years ago
Apr 20, 2009
BETTER...!!
Reply to This Message

Click to expand...

So perhaps the actual unit the OP is in is superior to the trip advisor hotel reviews. The reviewers on redweek, albeit not recent, seem to be very pleased.

I thought an AC was cancellable within the 24 hour window?

dioxide45 said:

I thought an AC was cancellable within the 24 hour window?

Click to expand...

They could but they booked their airfare already.

Saintsfanfl said:

They could but they booked their airfare already.

Click to expand...

But under new law, airfare can also be cancelled within 24 hours. Though that may not include international itineraries?

ETA: I see the OP is in Canada, so this law may not apply to them...

Thanks for all of the information... Like I said, we are new to time share (purchased last February) and still feeling our way though, learning as we go.

I did not see anything in the resort listing stating that the name of the hotel was Me Cobo.. if its in there and I missed it then I was too quick to assume and will be more careful in the future.

We will have a great trip away... perhaps its not going to be a quiet and peaceful resort like I was looking for... but on the other hand perhaps my wife will win a wed T shirt contest!

scottandmonica said:

Thanks for all of the information... Like I said, we are new to time share (purchased last February) and still feeling our way though, learning as we go.

I did not see anything in the resort listing stating that the name of the hotel was Me Cobo.. if its in there and I missed it then I was too quick to assume and will be more careful in the future.

We will have a great trip away... perhaps its not going to be a quiet and peaceful resort like I was looking for... but on the other hand perhaps my wife will win a wed T shirt contest!

Click to expand...

That's the proper attitude and I'm glad that you've adopted it.

I'm positive you will have a good time even with the mix up.

When you look at the II resort pages there is a box to the right of the photos titled "Contact Information."

This is just one of the details that you will find you need to pay attention to in TimeshareWorld. Every step of the way from buying to using to selling contain many details that you must pay attention to.

Good luck on the wet T shirt contest, photos would be appreciated but not my everyone here.:ignore:

scottandmonica said:

Thanks for all of the information... Like I said, we are new to time share (purchased last February) and still feeling our way though, learning as we go.

I did not see anything in the resort listing stating that the name of the hotel was Me Cobo.. if its in there and I missed it then I was too quick to assume and will be more careful in the future.

We will have a great trip away... perhaps its not going to be a quiet and peaceful resort like I was looking for... but on the other hand perhaps my wife will win a wed T shirt contest!

Click to expand...

I have to admit it is more confusing than I realized. Redweek has Casa Dorada San Lucas Bay and ME by Melia Cabo listed as separate resorts, even though everything points to them being one in the same. The hotel name was previously known as Melia San Lucas Hotel but they changed it after they remodeled. The timeshare was formerly known as Cabo San Lucas Beach and Tennis Club but also changed probably at the same time the hotel name changed. You were unlucky that you ended up getting something that took a bit of research.

I cannot find anything definitive that the units are segregated between hotel and timeshare. II only lists a 2h2 unit type but yet their own bedroom pic shows 2 beds. There are many unit types on the hotel website and I know there is more than one owned timeshare unit type.

klpca said:

When you are in Cabo - Casa Dorada means Casa Dorada - not ME Cabo.

Click to expand...

Interval International has four separate resorts in Cabo that all start with "Casa Dorada". It's too common of a name to mean one resort.

Casa Dorada Cabo Real
Casa Dorada San Lucas Bay
Casa Dorada Spa and Golf Resort
Casa Dorada at Médano Beach

Saintsfanfl said:

I have to admit it is more confusing than I realized. Redweek has Casa Dorada San Lucas Bay and ME by Melia Cabo listed as separate resorts, even though everything points to them being one in the same. The hotel name was previously known as Melia San Lucas Hotel but they changed it after they remodeled. The timeshare was formerly known as Cabo San Lucas Beach and Tennis Club but also changed probably at the same time the hotel name changed. You were unlucky that you ended up getting something that took a bit of research.

I cannot find anything definitive that the units are segregated between hotel and timeshare.



Interval International has four separate resorts in Cabo that all start with "Casa Dorada". It's too common of a name to mean one resort.

Casa Dorada Cabo Real
Casa Dorada San Lucas Bay
Casa Dorada Spa and Golf Resort
Casa Dorada at Médano Beach

Click to expand...

With regard to the last part, what I meant is that my personal experience is that when you are in Cabo San Lucas, Casa Dorada refers to the resort in Cabo San Lucas (on Medano Beach) and the third one on your list (Spa and Golf) refers to the resort 20 miles away in San Jose del Cabo. And I've never hear of the other two, so in my world they can't exist! (I'll have to look up Cabo Real, and now I know what the San Lucas Bay name refers to, lol).

I am thankful for this thread because I could see myself making the exact same mistake. I'm glad that OP is going to make the best of it because it does look like a lovely resort and the location is great. Hopefully the noise won't be too much of an issue.

klpca said:

With regard to the last part, what I meant is that my personal experience is that when you are in Cabo San Lucas, Casa Dorada refers to the resort in Cabo San Lucas (on Medano Beach) and the third one on your list (Spa and Golf) refers to the resort 20 miles away in San Jose del Cabo. And I've never hear of the other two, so in my world they can't exist! (I'll have to look up Cabo Real, and now I know what the San Lucas Bay name refers to, lol).

I am thankful for this thread because I could see myself making the exact same mistake. I'm glad that OP is going to make the best of it because it does look like a lovely resort and the location is great. Hopefully the noise won't be too much of an issue.

Click to expand...

Well I was still confused because I was thinking the Casa Dorada Spa and Golf Resort was the resort in question that the OP thought they booked. I realize now that it is really Casa Dorada at Médano Beach in II. That resort's actual name is Casa Dorada Los Cabos Resort & Spa which to me is more similar to the name I was confusing it with.

I think this is a very good lesson. Put on hold, then do some research for 15 min. Then re-hold if need be.

scottandmonica said:

Thanks for all of the information... Like I said, we are new to time share (purchased last February) and still feeling our way though, learning as we go.

I did not see anything in the resort listing stating that the name of the hotel was Me Cobo.. if its in there and I missed it then I was too quick to assume and will be more careful in the future.

We will have a great trip away... perhaps its not going to be a quiet and peaceful resort like I was looking for... but on the other hand perhaps my wife will win a wet T shirt contest!

Click to expand...

I love your attitude! I'm betting you'll have a great trip. We've stayed in many of the resorts in Cabo, and ALWAYS have a good time. Please post after you return and let us know how it went.

Welcome to the adventures of timesharing!

Whenever I'm doing an Exchange I have a second window open on my web browser and Google the names of the various resorts and will look up the reviews as well. Then I will go to the resort's website to confirm that the information is indeed true.

When I'm happy that the information matches the description then I'm happy.

Yes, there is a timeshare experience learning curve. Esp in the early years AND sometimes, even the most experienced of us, still get a true surprise (the not so good type of surprise).

good news, I called II today and had an agent there help me switch into another hotel that will work better for us. unfortunately its not the original Casa Dorada that I was excited about... but it will be a great condo.

We have a 1 bed with Kitchen at Villa del Palmar-Cabo San Lucas (VDC) now. they originality wanted to recharge me the $216 AC fee because I was contacting them more then 24 hours past the original booking... I pleaded my case respectfully and finally had a supervisor refund my original purchase, and allowed me to repurchase this condo.. so no additional charge!

Thank you II for excellent customer service.... Now I can start to get excited again!