If you bought a Royal Holiday membership after a long, high-pressure sales presentation and now regret it, you’re not alone — and you’re not stuck. Here’s what you need to know before you try to cancel.
Who Is Royal Holiday?
Royal Holiday is one of Mexico’s largest vacation club operators, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Mexico City. The company is a subsidiary of Park Royal Hotels and Resorts and markets itself as an alternative to traditional timeshare ownership, offering members a points-based system for booking stays across its network. WikipediaLeadIQ
Where Is Royal Holiday Located?
Royal Holiday operates primarily out of Mexico, with sales offices that opened in Cancun and Cozumel in 1985 before the company expanded internationally. Today it markets memberships across more than 180 destinations spread across over 50 countries, including resorts throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and beyond. WikipediaZoomInfo
Royal Holiday Is a Vacation Club, Not a Timeshare
Despite what you may have been told during your sales presentation, Royal Holiday sells vacation club memberships, not deeded timeshares. This distinction matters. A vacation club membership doesn’t give you ownership of any property — it gives you the right to book stays through a points system, subject to Royal Holiday’s rules and availability.
They Don’t Own the Resorts — So Why Are You Paying Maintenance Fees?
Royal Holiday reserves rooms from hotel and resort owners on behalf of its members — it doesn’t own the resorts itself. Since there’s no property ownership involved, there should never be closing costs or annual maintenance fees in the first place.
How Royal Holiday Sells Memberships
Royal Holiday’s sales process typically starts the same way for most members: an invitation while checking into a resort, at the airport, or through the hotel concierge to attend a “free” presentation. Owners have described these presentations as lasting several hours, with high-pressure tactics used to keep them in the room and push them toward signing before leaving.
Why Are So Many Royal Holiday Members Cancelling? Top Complaints
Members who want out of their Royal Holiday membership tend to cite the same handful of issues:
- Rising annual fees. Many members say they weren’t clearly told how much fees would increase over the life of the membership — some report committing to 30-year terms without understanding the long-term cost.
- Difficulty using the membership. Limited availability at relevant locations and strict booking rules leave many members unable to use what they paid for.
- High-pressure, multi-hour presentations. Some members describe being kept in sales meetings for several hours, with staff withholding promised gifts until the full pitch was heard.
- Promises that didn’t match the contract. Verbal assurances made during the sale — flexible cancellation terms, broad point usage for flights and hotels — often turn out not to be reflected in the actual signed agreement.
Can You Cancel a Royal Holiday Membership?
Yes. It doesn’t matter whether your membership is paid in full, still has a balance, or whether you’re well past the 5-day rescission period — cancellation is still possible. But it has to be done the legal way.
What Happens If You Cancel the Wrong Way
- You could face continued financial costs through your financial institution if the cancellation isn’t handled properly
- Royal Holiday does not issue refunds outside the rescission period — even when you’re legally in the right
- Because Royal Holiday is a Mexican company, your contract’s jurisdiction stays in Mexico, which limits what U.S.-based remedies can actually do for you
Why Royal Holiday Cancellations Require a Mexico Timeshare Expert
Members who try to cancel on their own often run into resistance — and sometimes illegal tactics. Some companies in this space have been known to sell member files to U.S. collection agencies, despite the fact that the contract’s jurisdiction remains in Mexico, making that collection attempt illegal. A Mexico timeshare expert knows these tactics, how to counter them, and how to get you out the legal way — without paying anyone and without damaging your credit.
How to Legally Cancel Your Royal Holiday Membership
Wayne personally prepares your legal cancellation notice and supporting documents for you — Document Preparation Service, $995.
Guarantee: 90-day cancellation guarantee, regardless of whether your membership is paid in full or still has a balance.
About the Author
Wayne C. Robinson is the founder of Everything About Timeshares and author of Everything About Timeshares: Before, During and After the Sale. He spent 15 years working resort-side in the timeshare industry — in sales, marketing, and contracts — across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, including roles with major resort brands. He left the industry after refusing to keep misleading clients to make a sale, and has spent the past 10 years helping timeshare owners legally cancel their memberships without paying anyone, without lawyers, and without damaging their credit.