The latest electronic edition of Royal Resorts Life, your annual resort magazine is now available online. Click here to read the magazine and get the latest news from the resorts and trip ideas for your next trip. The 2016 Advisory Council reports and accompanying financial statements are also included.

Printed copies of the 2017 magazine will be available in the villas at the resorts in early February, so be sure to collect your complimentary copy during your next stay.

It is our policy to alert you about suspicious emails or phone calls received by members from companies or individuals promoting timeshare sales, re-sales, rentals or soliciting information. The latest case to come to our notice is a possible rental scam involving a company called My Holiday Home reported by one of our members.

The member received a phone call from an individual soliciting her unit for a 10-week rental. He asked her to pay the maintenance fee upfront for 10 weeks and in return she would supposedly receive US$40,000 for something called “accelerated weeks.” The caller claimed to have authorization to offer this program from a person called Fernando Rodriguez in the Corporate Office at The Royal Sands.

The claim is completely false. Royal Resorts has no knowledge of My Holiday Home. It does not have an Accelerated Weeks program nor would it authorize any person or company to make such an offer. Furthermore, there is no one by the name of Fernando Rodriguez working in the Corporate Office. An investigation is underway.

Cyber crime is on the rise and there are many companies in the marketplace or operating via the Internet that are engaged in fraudulent activity. We would urge you to be very careful when responding to any offers or requests for personal information.

Follow these steps if you receive a suspicious email or phone call

• Check the source of the email if the company or individual claims to be associated with Royal Resorts. All Royal Resorts communications are sent from an official royalresorts.com email address, if this is not the case, then the email is not from Royal Resorts.
• Disregard the email or phone call if money is requested in advance for resale or other timeshare-related services.
• Do not supply personal data or the contact details of friends if referrals are requested.
• Do an online background check on the company to see if it is legitimate.
• Ask Royal Resorts if you are in any doubt, we are here to help you.

Above all, do not send any money. When companies contact you via email, the Internet or phone to offer resale, exchange or rental services and ask for cash in advance it is generally a good indication that they may not be genuine and if you pay it is very possible that you will not hear from them again.

Royal Resorts protects your Personal Data

Royal Resorts takes your privacy very seriously and is in full compliance with the corresponding privacy laws. The personal details of our members and guests are strictly confidential. Royal Resorts does not sell and has never sold personal information to third parties. You can feel confident that Royal Resorts will continue doing everything possible to protect your personal information.

All member communications, updates, letters and promotions are sent from an official Royal Resorts email address.

We recommend that you avoid disclosing your personal information on forums, blogs and other open media venues and participation in Internet referral schemes that ask you to send the names and details of friends. When you provide your information to others in order to rent, sell or lend your unit please ensure that your information will be protected.

If you have received a phone call or email from a company that you suspect of misrepresentation or that may be engaged in possible fraudulent activity and would like to share the information with us, please feel free to contact us.

On your next vacation use the Guudjob App to rate customer service at all the Royal Resorts. Did a Royal Resorts employee make your day with service that exceeded your expectations? Or is something you feel that he/she could improve on? Post your review in real time.

Download the Guudjob app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. All you do is log on and search for the Royal Resorts logo and the person’s profile and you are ready to write your review.

If you would rather post your comments via the Internet, you may do so by visiting www.guudjob.com and writing your review.

Using the reviews members and guests post on Guudjob helps Royal Resorts identify areas where there is room for improvement and provides additional information on job performance that is incorporated in regular evaluations for the internal employee recognition program. It will also motivate staff and encourage professional growth.

Guudjob was launched in 2016 as a pilot project at The Royal Islander and was extended to all the Royal Resorts on December 31, with the exception of Grand Residences.

The Royal Sands has another delicious dining option for you to try on your next vacation. Now open, Sand Dollar Cevicheria is a seafood bar on the terrace outside Sidelines.

The menu features an array of freshly made fish, shrimp, octopus and oyster mushroom ceviches and seafood cocktails, crisp tostadas topped with fish ceviche, octopus, tuna or shredded beef salpicon and a variety of seafood tacos. Order your tacos with the traditional soft corn tortillas or choose lettuce leaves, crispy taco shells or rice sheets for an Oriental touch. The tostadas and tacos come with chili sauce or chipotle mayo and there’s plenty of habanero chili on demand.

After lunch or dinner sit back, enjoy the view, a beer or cocktail and be sure to save space for a tropical ice cream or Key Lime pie.

Sand Dollar is open daily from 12 noon to 8 p.m.