Do you love your vacations with us? We want to see the best snapshots from stays at our resorts! The contest starts June 17th and goes through July 8th. It is open to all of our Mayan Palace members. If you are a Mayan Palace member, you must participate in the Mayan Palace Contest - your entries will not be valid for other brands. Also for your pictures to be considered, they must be taken within the property of one of our seven destinations. We will choose 15 finalists at the end of the three week period. Once we have selected the finalists, members will have one week to vote on their favorite pictures. The three pictures with the most "Likes" will win prizes!

Prizes include:

Grand Prize: One week at Mayan Palce

Two Runner-Up Prizes: $150 USD resort credit

Want to participate?

By Facebook, upload a picture on the Mayan Palace Facebook through our new Share application (shown above on image 3)

By Twitter, tweet your picture @Mayan_Palace with hashtag #MayanPalacePhotoContest

By Instagram, upload your picture and include @MayanPalace with hashtag #MayanPalacePhotoContest in your description

By Pinterest, upload your picture and include @MayanPalace with hashtag #MayanPalacePhotoContest in your description

Weeks are subject to availability and food and beverage are not included in the Grand Prize

Terms and Conditions

This contest is in no way intended as, nor may it be construed as, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy timeshare, lodging rights or any other product or service, or as an inducement of any kind in connection therewith. Nothing contained herein may be construed to create any obligation, express or implied, on the part or the publisher, Mayan Palace, Grupo Vidanta, or any Vida Vacations resort or any other person or entity except as expressly stated herein. By entering this contest, the contestant consents to the use for advertising or other publicity purposes (with or without attribution to the contestant) of al or any portion of the review submitted. All rules, decisions and interpretations relating to this contest shall be in the sole and final discretion of Mayan Palace, which reserve the right to amend, modify or terminate this contest or any portion thereof with or without notice. All matters related to this contest shall be governed by the laws of Jalisco, Mexico, and the courts thereof shall have jurisdiction over, and be the exclusive venue for, all matters related hereto.

Do you love your vacations with us? We want to see the best snapshots from stays at our resorts! The contest starts June 17th and goes through July 8th. It is open to all of our The Grand Mayan members. If you are a The Grand Mayan member, you must participate in the The Grand Mayan Photo Contest - your entries will not be valid for other brands. Also for your pictures to be considered, they must be taken within the property of one of our seven destinations. We will choose 15 finalists at the end of the three week period. Once we have selected the finalists, members will have one week to vote on their favorite pictures. The three pictures with the most "Likes" will win prizes!

Prizes include:

Grand Prize: One week at The Grand Mayan

Two Runner-Up Prizes: $150 USD resort credit

Want to participate?

By Facebook, upload a picture on the The Grand Mayan Facebook through our new Share application (shown above on image 3)

By Twitter, tweet your picture @Grand_Mayan with hashtag #TheGrandBlissPhotoContest

By Instagram, upload your picture and include @TheGrandMayan with hashtag #TheGrandMayanPhotoContest in your description

By Pinterest, upload your picture and include @TheGrandMayan with hashtag #TheGrandMayanPhotoContest in your description

Weeks are subject to availability and food and beverage are not included in the Grand Prize

Terms and Conditions

This contest is in no way intended as, nor may it be construed as, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy timeshare, lodging rights or any other product or service, or as an inducement of any kind in connection therewith. Nothing contained herein may be construed to create any obligation, express or implied, on the part or the publisher, The Grand Mayan, Grupo Vidanta, or any Vida Vacations resort or any other person or entity except as expressly stated herein. By entering this contest, the contestant consents to the use for advertising or other publicity purposes (with or without attribution to the contestant) of al or any portion of the review submitted. All rules, decisions and interpretations relating to this contest shall be in the sole and final discretion of The Grand Mayan, which reserve the right to amend, modify or terminate this contest or any portion thereof with or without notice. All matters related to this contest shall be governed by the laws of Jalisco, Mexico, and the courts thereof shall have jurisdiction over, and be the exclusive venue for, all matters related hereto.

Do you love your vacations with us? We want to see your best snapshots from stays at our resorts! The contest starts June 17th and goes through July 8th. It is open to all of our The Grand Bliss members. If you are a The Grand Bliss member, you must participate in the The Grand Bliss Photo Contest - your entries will not be valid for other brands. Also for your pictures to be considered, they must be taken within the property of one of our seven destinations. We will choose 15 finalists at the end of the three week period. Once we have selected the finalists, members will have one week to vote on their favorite pictures. The three pictures with the most "Likes" will win prizes!

Prizes include:

Grand Prize: One week at The Grand Bliss

Two Runner-Up Prizes: $150 USD resort credit

Want to participate?

By Facebook, upload a picture on the The Grand Bliss Facebook through our new Share application (shown above on image 3)

By Twitter, tweet your picture @The_Grand_Bliss with hashtag #TheGrandBlissPhotoContest

By Instagram, upload your picture and include @TheGrandBliss with hashtag #TheGrandBlissPhotoContest in your description

By Pinterest, upload your picture and include @TheGrandBliss with hashtag #TheGrandBlissPhotoContest in your description

Weeks are subject to availability and food and beverage are not included in the Grand Prize

Terms and Conditions

This contest is in no way intended as, nor may it be construed as, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy timeshare, lodging rights or any other product or service, or as an inducement of any kind in connection therewith. Nothing contained herein may be construed to create any obligation, express or implied, on the part or the publisher, The Grand Bliss, Grupo Vidanta, or any Vida Vacations resort or any other person or entity except as expressly stated herein. By entering this contest, the contestant consents to the use for advertising or other publicity purposes (with or without attribution to the contestant) of al or any portion of the review submitted. All rules, decisions and interpretations relating to this contest shall be in the sole and final discretion of The Grand Bliss, which reserve the right to amend, modify or terminate this contest or any portion thereof with or without notice. All matters related to this contest shall be governed by the laws of Jalisco, Mexico, and the courts thereof shall have jurisdiction over, and be the exclusive venue for, all matters related hereto.

Your kids will not want to miss a week or two at Summer Camp the Vida way!

Every week this summer from July 1 - August 31, children under 12 can attend Summer Camp while parents relax in the sun! In addition to the already great Kid's Club schedule, we have taken the fun to a new level by adding morning, afternoon and evening activities.

Each day kids get to explore and discover their sports talents during beach volleyball, beach tennis, beach soccer, SNAG, horseshoes, bocce ball and more. We also encourage children to challenge their creativity at our Pottery Stand, Arts and Crafts Studio, and during the Artistic Expression workshops. Nature Hour raises children's awareness of the enviornment and includes activities ranging from visiting the turtle camp to flora and fauna tours to sand castle building. For those interested in experiencing extreme fun, we have bungee trampolines, rock walls, water balls and v-flyers. Once the sun has set, families can enjoy stargazing on the beach with telescopes, movies on the beach, special contests, karaoke and more. 

To schedule your next vacation or sign your children up for summer camp, please call 1.800.292.9446. The Calendar of Fun can also be downloaded by visiting www.calendaroffun.com

What's the best way to celebrate Father's Day? On the beach at his favorite resort, of course!

As a thank you for everything they do, we planned a Father's Day getaway with golf, grilling and pooltime, which is sure to be just what he wants. If you aren't spending the holiday with us and haven't done your shopping, why not surprise him with the gift of a vacation? Simply write the phone number 1.800.292.9446 in his card and let him know he has seven destinations to select from.

For those lucky Dads spending the holiday with us, we have special activities from the Calendar of Fun:  

• A free round of golf for two
• Father's Day golf tournament with great prizes
• Special pricing on selected excursions
• Tequila show and tequila lesson with a master distiller
• Daily happy hour poolside with traditional appetizers, including guacamole, chips and salsa, and quesadillas
• Special pricing on a fishing trip for couples and families
• Grilling and a cookout with what you catch
• Complimentary prime rib dinner on Father's Day for Dad

We wish all of the Fathers and Grandfathers, Happy Father's Day! May your day be filled with smiles, laughter and family fun!

We ended May in Nuevo Vallarta on a high note with the Grand Luxxe Invitational on the Nicklaus Design Nayar Golf Course! Itt was a huge success not to be forgotten anytime soon. 

The event started with welcome cocktails at Santuario for members to get acquainted and the scheduling of tee times. Viña Chocalan, a Chilean vineyard sponsored the event and did wine tastings. 

The tournament included two days of golf. We had prizes for Closest to The Pin, Longest Drive for Women and Longest Drive for Men. 

We would like to congratulate our first place winners of luxury timepieces that were 'Closest to The Pin'

Hole 3: Rodrigo del Corral - Rolex

Hole 5: Terry Wilinston - Cartier

Hole 10: Tomas Jewell - Montblanc

Hole 12: Andrew Usher - Tag Heuer

Other prizes included full sets of TaylorMade golf clubs, MacBook Pros, mini iPads and TaylorMade fairway woods. 

Reviews of the event were nothing but praise, "I had a wonderful time at the tournament. The golf course was in exceptional shape. The tournament was well organized and the prizes were exceptional. I look forward to playing the 2nd Annual Grand Luxxe Tournament next year!" and "Thank you all so much for a fantastic golf event at the Nayar Golf Course! We spend three fantastic days in very good company. The course was in excellent condition and all of us golfers were catered to perfectly. We cannot tell you how much we enjoyed this outstanding golf tournament!".

We look forward to next year's tournament. Stay tuned to find out more information about dates and availability!

Do you love your vacations with us? We want to see your best snapshots from stays at our resorts! The contest starts June 17th and goes through July 8th. It is open to all of our Grand Luxxe members. If you are a Grand Luxxe member, you must participate in the Grand Luxxe Photo Contest - your entries will not be valid for other brands. Also for your pictures to be considered, they must be taken within the property of one of our seven destinations. We will choose 15 finalists at the end of the three week period. Once we have selected the finalists, members will have one week to vote on their favorite pictures. The three pictures with the most "Likes" will win prizes!

Prizes include:

Grand Prize: One week at Grand Luxxe

Two Runner-Up Prizes: $150 USD resort credit

Want to participate?

By Facebook, upload a picture on the Grand Luxxe Facebook through our new Share application (shown above on image 3)

By Twitter, tweet your picture @Grand_Luxxe with hashtag #GrandLuxxePhotoContest

By Instagram, upload your picture and include @GrandLuxxe with hashtag #GrandLuxxePhotoContest in your description

By Pinterest, upload your picture and include @GrandLuxxe with hashtag #GrandLuxxePhotoContest in your description

Weeks are subject to availability and food and beverage are not included in the Grand Prize

Terms and Conditions

This contest is in no way intended as, nor may it be construed as, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy timeshare, lodging rights or any other product or service, or as an inducement of any kind in connection therewith. Nothing contained herein may be construed to create any obligation, express or implied, on the part or the publisher, Grand Luxxe, Grupo Vidanta, or any Vida Vacations resort or any other person or entity except as expressly stated herein. By entering this contest, the contestant consents to the use for advertising or other publicity purposes (with or without attribution to the contestant) of al or any portion of the review submitted. All rules, decisions and interpretations relating to this contest shall be in the sole and final discretion of Grand Luxxe, which reserve the right to amend, modify or terminate this contest or any portion thereof with or without notice. All matters related to this contest shall be governed by the laws of Jalisco, Mexico, and the courts thereof shall have jurisdiction over, and be the exclusive venue for, all matters related hereto.

 

We know how much our members love Tramonto's succulent steaks so in celebration of Father's Day, we had Chef Felipe share cooking tips on how to prepare the perfect steak. With these simple steps you will soon be a grill master!

The Perfect Steak

Once you have picked your meat and are ready to prepare it, whether it is a ribeye, t-bone or filet mignon, pat the filets with a dry paper towel, let the filet come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then pat them again. 

While your steak is coming to room temperature, preheat the grill. As a general rule, you will know it's ready if you can't keep your hand a couple inches over the grill for more than two seconds.

Season the steak with sea salt and place it on the grill with the lid open for three minutes. We like the grill marks so after three minutes, use your tongs to rotate the steak. After three minutes, flip you meat and repeat.

Depending on how you like your steak, 12 minutes total will have your steak rare. 

Recommendations:

Don't use a meat thermometer - it pierces the meat and causes you to lose the natural juices

Use charcoal and/or wood chips

Let the meat sit for 5 minutes on the plate before you serve it

Red Wine Steak Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons or 1/2 a stick of butter
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 3 large shallots, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 2 turns of freshly ground pepper
• salt to taste

Preparation

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add garlic, shallots and thyme; sauté until tender for about 3 minutes. Add flour, stir for 1 minute. Add broth and wine. Boil until sauce thickens and is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, stirring occasionally for about 12 minutes. Collect juices from the beef and add to sauce in the skillet; heat through for about 1 minute. Transfer beef to plates and spoon sauce over.

Chimichurri Sauce

• 2 cups fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
• 3 large cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 oz red wine vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• sea salt and pepper flakes to taste

​Preparation

Pulse the garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the parsley and oregano, and pulse briefly until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a separate bowl. Add the oil and vinegar, and stir. Season with salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Provecho and Happy Father's Day!

Grand Luxxe's Spa Towers are opening in Nuevo Vallarta and Riviera Maya!

We are excited to announce that we are taking reservations for the two new Grand Luxxe Spa Towers! Nuevo Vallarta and Riviera Maya will open November 15th! 

Spa Tower accommodations include larger bathrooms, fine touches like hardwood floors, and the most defining addition of all: spa rooms. With personal massage cabins, masseuses from Spatium and Brio Spa pamper you in the comfort of your suite. Also, in Nuevo Vallarta the tower is close to Grand Luxxe's new spa, Spatium.

Make sure you keep reading the Vida Vibe and checking the Grand Luxxe Facebook page to stay up to date on all the latest resort updates!

For more information on these accommodations and to make your reservation, CALL 1.800.292.9446 and a representative will be happy to assist you!

Announcing Non-Stop, Direct Flights into Puerto Peñasco!

Launching June 20th, AeroMexico will offer direct flights from Las Vegas to Puerto Peñasco! These biweekly flights will make this fabulous, exclusive destination easily accessible. If you haven't yet visited Puerto Peñasco, it is perfect for your next escape. The resort is unbeatable for a quiet, relaxing vacation and has incredible eco-tour experiences. Located on the turquoise waters of the Sea of Cortes, Mayan Palace is ten minutes from the airport and offers 5-star service with first-class accommodations and amenities.  

What can you do there?

In addition to relaxing at the beautiful Mayan Palace, the options are truly endless!

• Golf the 7,210 yard, par 72 Nicklaus Legacy La Jolla de Cortes golf course. The course is absolutely stunning with nine of the 18 holes ocean-side.
• Fish like never before in the Sea of Cortes. A deep-sea adventure includes fish like grouper, red snapper, sea bass, cochis and more.
• Eco-adventure your way through the area, which has been compared to the Galápagos Islands. Kayak through the Morua Estuary, discover the El Pincate Biosphere Reserve, snorkel and SCUBA dive with sea lions, watch dolphins and whales.

Flight details: The flight is under two hours and available Thursdays and Sundays. Flights leave from Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport and fly into Puerto Peñasco's Mar de Cortés International Airport. For more information, visit  AeroMexico.com.

To learn more about this destination and make your reservation, call 1.800.292.9446!

Twice a week we offer a tour of the " Back House" in Nuevo Vallarta for members to learn about everything that happens behind the scenes to ensure guests have an unforgettable experience. This provides a unique opportunity to see processes like the thousands of tortillas made everyday in our bakery, the simulated rooms for housekeeping and our water treatment plant.

With a team of almost 4,000 employees working day and night to ensure everything runs smoothly and is beautiful, the Operations building is the heart of the Nuevo Vallarta complex.

The tour visits our microbiological analysis laboratory, laundry room, machinery room, central food distribution office, employee cafeteria, hotel simulator and more. As guests explore the building, they will see a series of posters demonstrating our values of hard work, honesty and respect. "We incorporate our internal philosophy, culture, values and brand standards into every single training program at every level, from operations to line supervisors," says Manuel Becerra, Director of Human Resources.

We look forward to showing you our operations soon! In a recent review from one of our members, "It was absolutely fascinating and I now understand why this is one of the best companies to work for in Mexico. Keep up the great work and congratulations, Grupo Vidanta!" 

Mike Malaska is visiting the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf in Nuevo Vallarta for several days this month to provide expert instruction during the Calendar of Fun's Golf and Spa Getaway week!

Malaska has been a member of the PGA for over 30 years and is the Director of Instruction for Nickalus Academies worldwide. In the words of Jack Nicklaus, "Mike is a tremendous athlete who has a strong understanding of the physical make-up of the body and the mechanics behind the swing. In an era where we are seeing more and more good athletes gravitate to the game, Mike is able to bridge the body's mechanics and teaching methodologies to get the most out of a person's golf game." 

We are looking forward to this week filled with golf, spa and relaxation in the sun. All of our members participating in this week have the opportunity to take advantage of the below planned activities from May 18-25th.

• Golf tournament featuring Mike Malaska and a grand prize of a six hour sailboat ride for eight people
• Free round of golf for two
• One complimentary golf clinic at the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf per couple in Nuevo Vallarta or a half hour lesson from the golf pro at other locations
• Special pricing on tequila reflexology by the beach or pool
• One discounted spa treatment for her
• Complimentary Kid's Club all week

Stay tuned to learn about his visit and tips to help improve your game!