Introduction
If you sat through a presentation at Moon Palace, Le Blanc, or another Palace Resorts property, you likely believed you bought a timeshare. You didn’t. You bought membership in a vacation club. That distinction matters. It shapes your costs, your rights, and how cancellation actually works.
Who Is Palace Resorts?
Palace Resorts operates through International Hotel Company, LLC. Properties sit in Cancún, Riviera Maya, Cozumel, and Los Cabos. The brand markets several resort lines, including Moon Palace and Le Blanc. Presentations often happen during a stay, framed as an “owner update” or “member benefits” review.
Mexico Doesn’t Sell Timeshares — It Sells Vacation Club Memberships
This is the most important thing to understand before evaluating Palace Resorts. Unlike a U.S. timeshare, a Palace membership isn’t a deeded interest in property. You’re buying a contractual right to use accommodations. This model isn’t unique to Palace. Vidanta, Unlimited Vacation Club, and most Mexico resort brands use it too. Often, the company selling you the membership doesn’t own the resort. A separate corporate entity typically owns and manages the property. That entity sometimes shares a similar name. This makes it easy to assume you’re dealing with one company. You’re often dealing with two.
What Palace Resorts Membership Actually Costs
Costs vary by tier and by how the sales presentation went. Members report upfront fees ranging from several thousand dollars into six figures. Annual maintenance fees climb over time. Exchange programs add further costs. One member documented this clearly in a TripAdvisor review of Moon Palace Cancún: a trip marketed at $1,329 for a family ballooned to $1,956 once exchange fees applied. The listed exchange fee to Palace Resorts alone ran $443 per week. Interval International, the separate exchange company involved, added another $209 per week plus $99 to $556 in membership costs.
Is Palace Resorts a Scam?
Palace Resorts is a large, legitimate resort operator. The properties are real. Members do receive genuine accommodations. That said, real complaints raise serious concerns. Better Business Bureau records show 50 complaints filed against International Hotel Company in the past three years. The largest categories involve misleading amenities and false product representations, followed by safety hazards and poor maintenance. One BBB complainant reported that staff “lied that the certificate does not have an expiry date” to close a sale. Other BBB complaints describe parasitic infections, cockroach infestations, and inadequate pool hazard signage. Several members reported being overcharged at checkout and pressured to sign for the extra charges on the spot. The Moon Palace Cancún reviewer summed up her experience bluntly: “You will be misled about what you are purchasing.” Her refund request received only an automated response, with no real follow-up from the company. So while Palace Resorts isn’t a scam in the legal sense, the pattern of complaints means members should read every document carefully, get promises in writing, and understand exactly which entity they’re contracting with before signing anything.
Mexican Jurisdiction and Your Legal Rights
Mexican contract law governs Palace Resorts memberships. Disputes and cancellations proceed through Mexican process, not U.S. or Canadian courts. PROFECO, Mexico’s consumer protection agency, can be a genuinely useful resource. Filing a PROFECO complaint has helped other members apply real pressure when a resort resists cancellation.
Credit, Payment Status, and What Actually Matters
Canceling doesn’t affect your credit. Mexican resorts don’t report to U.S. or Canadian credit bureaus. Payment status doesn’t matter either. Whether you’re paid in full or still making payments, cancellation works the same way. However, many Mexico timeshares are known to make illegal attempts using American collections agencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Cancel a Palace Resorts Membership? Yes. The process is more straightforward than most members expect once they understand it’s a membership agreement, not a property transfer. The full step-by-step process is covered in [How to Cancel a Palace Resorts Membership→]. Your options range from a self-guided DIY course, to a document-preparation app, to having the documents prepared for you personally.
Can I sell my Palace membership? You can attempt to transfer or resell, but demand is limited and prices are low. Be extremely cautious of unsolicited resale offers that require upfront fees.
Are maintenance fees mandatory? If your contract requires annual dues or per‑stay all‑inclusive fees, those obligations are mandatory for as long as the membership is active. However, the company that sells the timeshare is generally not the same company that owns the resorts, and therefore, closing costs and annual maintenance fees should be unnecessary.
What happens if I stop paying? The resort may suspend benefits, pursue collections. Before stopping payment, understand your legal position and consider professional advice.
About the Author
Wayne C. Robinson spent 25 years in the timeshare industry. The last 10 focused specifically on helping members cancel unwanted vacation club memberships, including firsthand experience working resort-side in Mexico.
Reference List
Official information appears on Palace’s own websites and Palace Elite materials, while consumer perspectives appear in TripAdvisor reviews, owner forums like Timeshare Users Group, Better Business Bureau complaints, cancellation‑oriented sites, and resale platforms. Together, they offer a fuller picture than any single brochure or review.
(2026). Redweek.com. https://www.redweek.com/forums/messages?thread_id=20426
(2023). JustAnswer. https://www.justanswer.com/canada-law/ngo4x-offered-sum-membership-week-palace.html
An Exclusive Membership Experience | The Palace Company. (2026). Thepalacecompany.com. https://www.thepalacecompany.com/palace-elite
C, L. (2021). Buyer beware – Vacation membership with Palace Resorts. TripAdvisor. Retrieved from https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g150807-d13138532-r859969487-Moon_Palace_The_Grand_Cancun-Cancun_Yucatan_Peninsula.html
International Hotel Company, LLC. (2016). Bbb.org. https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/doral/profile/hotel-reservation/palace-resorts-0633-26000893/complaints
Mexican Timeshare Solutions. (2021, December 22). PALACE RESORTS Timeshare: What is a Palace resort? Timesharescam.com; Mexican Timeshare Solutions. https://www.timesharescam.com/blog/236-palace-resorts/
Palace Resorts – Membership. (2018, August 8). SellMyTimeshareNow. https://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/palace-resorts-timeshares/palace-resorts-membership/
Palace Elite. (2026). Palace Elite. https://www.palaceelite.com/help-center/additional-benefits
Palace Resorts Timeshare Cancellation: Step-By-Step Guide. (2026, February 4). Resort Victory. https://resortvictory.com/timeshare-cancellation/palace-resorts/
Thinking of purchasing a Palace Resort membership. (2007, June 2). Timeshare Users Group Online Owner Forums. https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/thinking-of-purchasing-a-palace-resort-membership.47892/
International Hotel Company, LLC | BBB Complaints | Better Business Bureau
Professional Cancellation Assistance
If you feel trapped in a Mexico vacation club membership, the most important thing you can do is speak with someone who understands how these contracts are structured and what options may be available based on your specific situation.
As a former timeshare industry executive who worked extensively in Mexico, I have helped owners understand their contracts, evaluate their options, and avoid many of the costly mistakes that can occur when dealing with unfamiliar exit companies.
Before spending thousands of dollars on a cancellation company, start with a FREE Mexico Timeshare Exit Review. I will personally review your membership, explain the potential risks and opportunities, and help you understand the options that may be available to you.
No obligation. No pressure. Just straightforward information from someone who spent more than 25 years working inside the timeshare industry.
Final Thoughts
Palace Resorts delivers strong all‑inclusive vacations in desirable locations, but the membership structure is complex, costly, and difficult to unwind. Ownership may make sense for travelers who run the math carefully, visit often, and understand exactly what their contract says. For others—especially those uncertain about future travel, finances, or heirs—the risks may outweigh the rewards. As with every resort we examine in this book, the goal isn’t to scare you away, but to equip you to make decisions based on facts rather than sales pressure.