As I read this thread, a few thoughts cross my mind. I'll attempt to spit them all out, in a stream-of-consciousness and hopefully, non-contradictory manner. 1. We need to clearly distinguish between TTR staff and ownership/management. These are two separate things. The staff is awesome. The ownership, well honestly, I don't know enough to speak on them but from what I see at the resort, they don't seem all that interested in reinvestment into the property. I realize they are planning an expansion, but I am talking about reinvestment purely from a quality and aesthetic point of view. They don't seem too concerned with addressing basic things (all outlined above) which would dramatically improve the view and perception of quality of the resort from it's visitors. 2. Being an owner of a business which has run the gamut from early operating losses, to "cash-cow", I understand the mentality of merely cashing checks and "riding the wave" of popularity, high public opinion, and lack of any other competition. Sometimes, as an owner, when your margins are just crazy high, you really don't care what happens in the future. You can make enough money in a couple years that the future doesn't really matter. Now, like all things in life, change happens, and sometimes it can be a cruel slap in the face. Maybe the emergence of GOV will light a fire under TTR ownership, creating positive change. And maybe it will not. We will have a much better idea in a year from now. Of course, if GOV falls flat on it's face (always a possibility), TTR will have no incentive to change and we will have this same discussion a year from now. What I am saying, in short, is that great success has a tendency to create complacency. This is human nature, in all but the most driven entrepreneurs. It has happened to me, and it's happened to many, probably since the dawn of time. 3. Having said all this, I think it would be most beneficial if Steve compiled some comments and statistics from all related threads, on what we (as "enthusiasts") feel is lacking at TTR, and where relevant, why we are planning to switch to GOV. If this were communicated to TTR ownership, we would have a really good idea (shortly thereafter) about the future of TTR. Either they will change to adapt to the new marketplace (with competition) or they will become a dinosaur. It's my hope they would adapt, because competition is good for the consumer, but who knows? Now I realize Steve would have little incentive to take on such a project, after all he is not an ambassador who works for free to ensure we all have great vacations (though, if you have been on his Boobs Cruise, it may seem that way). So then the question becomes, WHO gives TTR the wake-up call? Because if (and when) a momentum shift to GOV occurs, it will be too late for TTR.
Jeff... Having been to both TTR and GOV earlier this year I have to admit TTR has nothing that GOV already has and I highly doubt they have the bank account to try to get up to speed with the new kid on the block. Oasis has 6 high end hotels in Cancun already and the property itself is beyond amazing. What makes TTR really fun is the people here from Cancuncare, which is what will make GOV a step above what it already is. Let's be honest, we have fun at pretty much any holiday destination that Jodie and I go to, we make friends everywhere but we never really meet those people again. Thanks to cancuncare we can do that year after year. Without this website I highly doubt TTR would have so many repeaters, we didn't know this website existed until we met a bunch of people whom kept talking about cancuncare. Shit there was even talk that Steve owned TTR it was confusing. our first trip there both of us were like wow this place is old and run down, but it's a party non stop, so it's a good bang for the buck. You get what you pay for. Now the competition is just down the road and they are definitely a 4.5 star resort, with that being said my version of a 5 star would be the RIU, The Hard Rock, and The Ritz Carlton bit we all know there is no topless their or sex vibe and everyone goes to bed a 9 pm. My biggest issue with TTR is the management and time share. I have read too many time of the members being ripped off, different contracts that change without notice hence what the contract for then, employees not getting paid or the management forcing them to sign papers and under paying them, not naming names if your not already in the know. People being bump to a different resort once they get their (total bullshit) and the simple fact that they DONT listen to anyone here which is where the bulk of their FREE ADVERTISING and REPEAT CLIENTS come from. if we do go this Feb it will more then likely be our last time there and only because all our holiday friends are there unless The Week 8 Crew wants to switch over to GOV this year and be the first rowdy crowd of Cancunare to give Gov a big welcome party
As mentioned above and not sure that Steve has approached TTR management about it but have them answer questions and concerns here on a thread would be great....but then again they have to want to do it...guess that might not happen until they see the revenue go down due to lose of guests and repeaters to the resort.
Lenni, I totally agree with what you're saying. Although we've obviously not been to GOV (yet) it's quite obvious it's a nicer property in almost every way. That is very appealing to us (especially the misses). TTR could improve a ton by some simple, and not necessarily expensive, changes. But will they? I hope so, because having two such resorts in the same area will do a lot to keep prices down for us, and choice is always good. As for Week 8 this year, I know that our TTR trip package was non-refundable, as was some Week 8 friends from last year we booked with at the same time. I won't hesitate for a second to switch in 2015 though, by which time we will have a really good idea what's what, and who's going where. Either way, I'm excited to see what the future holds for the new place.
We were there 2 years ago, and that was one of the biggest complains we heard, the music runs the same loop over and over. One night they had a live rock band and that place was rocking, the dance floor was packed, everyone had a great time.:musik026::musik026:
All great ideas...We could not agree more about heating the pools and adding hottubs. Last time we went to TTR was mid March and it was cold, no one was in the pool for 3 days.. I know we would be willing to pay a lil more for some improvements..
If you notice the music being on a loop, you aren't drinking enough! I will say though, I noticed at night they will throw a couple really crappy songs into the mix and patyo's would empty out... I think Lenni called this the "crowd clearing" songs, or the resort trying to get people to stop drinking their liquor and go to bed. It was a real buzzkill. I retaliated by ordering extra drinks each time this happened!
I have often said I would pay more for some improvements. We love the party but every year my wife says can't we go somewhere a little nicer... Food with taste, better beach, less rundown, etc. The counter argument to paying more for improvements that is frequently posed on the board is why don't you go somewhere else like Desire then and dont change the TTR we love. Well now that the prices are going up and the options are increasing damn right we are going to try somewhere else. To be honest I would of preferred TTR just improved and we could just go back and have the improvements we mentioned but that hasn't happened yet. So in May we are taking that advice and trying GOV and Pearl. It is a risk we hope pays off. We will likely be back to ttr, everyone loves to go back to your first love, the old girlfriend, the couch that is so damn comfortable despite showing age. I just wish they would make it easier with some of these suggested improvements. Not holding my breath. I usually don't post on these many improvement suggestion threads during the years as I truly believe no one is listening so it isn't productive. I guess some small part of me had hope this time that they will listen due to GOV coming along.
That's exactly why I started thread. I know in the past there's been other discussions about how to improve the resort that have gone unheard, but with competition now in the picture I'm hoping they're going to be more proactive.
We are more or less newbies. Went last August and our second trip is scheduled for April and we are keeping our fingers crossed that TTR lives up to its reputation when we return. Several things seem pretty clear in that regard. The first is that it's about the people. As a location and facility, the TTR resort is at best okay and if the CCC folks leave to go somewhere else, TTR is finished. Secondly... well there is no secondly. Hopefully they will listen and do what needs to be done to satisfy their loyal clientele. If not, see you at GOV... May 2014 or later
