Hello everyone, I just wanted to share with everyone in here a personal experience I just had this past weekend using my own GRN Platinum membership. I am planning on going to the world famous Rio Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil this coming February, which is by far the biggest party on Earth. As I was planning my trip, I started searching online for an hotel with a great overall value: that is quality of the hotel, location of it proximity to the events and last but not least, the price. Within the GRN directory, the Rio Othon Palace which is a 4 or 5 star hotel (depending on the source) overlooking world famous Copacabana beach. After having done some research on some of the major sites online, here is what I found: Dates: February 21 to 28, 2009. Rio Othon Palace, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Booking.com NO availability for those dates. Travelocity.com Dates: February 21 to 28, 2009. Rio Othon Palace. Nightly rates are based upon 2 adults in the room and may not include Taxes & Fees unless otherwise noted. Room Types Sat Feb 21 $930.64 Sun Feb 22 $930.64 Mon Feb 23 $930.64 Tue Feb 24 $930.64 Wed Feb 25 $930.64 Thu Feb 26 $211.99 Fri Feb 27 $273.33 Avg. Nightly Rate* $734.07 Review your total price and continue Deluxe Double Ocean Front - Includes Buffet Breakfast (2 Adults), 7 Nights $5,138.52 Taxes & Fees $457.76 Total: $5,596.28 Expedia.com Sat 21-Feb-2009 to Sat 28-Feb-2009 Room type Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri document.write(szARL); Avg rate (per night) Deluxe Ocean Front Room-European Plan Includes: Breakfast Buffet C$991 C$991 C$991 C$991 C$991 C$226 C$292 C$781.95 Total room cost: C$5,769.66 Expedia Special Rate Hotelsanddiscounts.com Rio Othon Palace Avenida Atlantica 3264 - Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 22070-001 Feb 21, 2009 to Feb 28, 2009 Currency Displayed in CAD The room rates listed are for double occupancy per room unless otherwise stated and exclude tax recovery charges and service fees. See FAQs for more details. Room Type Sat C$991.24 Sun C$991.24 Mon C$991.24 Tue C$991.24 Wed C$991.24 Thu C$225.72 Fri C$291.73 Deluxe Ocean Front Room-european Plan C$5,769.66 Total Hotelreservations.com Feb 21, 2009 to Feb 28, 2009 Currency Displayed in CAD The room rates listed are for double occupancy per room unless otherwise stated and exclude tax recovery charges and service fees. See FAQs for more details. Room Type Deluxe Ocean Front Room-european Plan Sat C$991.24 Sun C$991.24 Mon C$991.24 Tue C$991.24 Wed C$992.24 Thu C$225.72 Fri XC$291.73 C$5,769.66 Total Hotels.com Rio Othon Palace, COPACABANA / RIO DE JANEIRO Average Nightly Rate 21 Feb 22 Feb 23 Feb 24 Feb 25 Feb 26 Feb 27 Feb C$781.95 C$991.24 C$991.24 C$991.24 C$991.24 C$991.24 C$225.72 C$291.73 Now, using my Global Resorts Network Platinum membership, I have been able to book an entire week during the primest of weeks there for only US$650! That is still about 30% cheaper than the going rate PER DAY during that time of the year and I am paying that much for the entire week! Simply unheard of! When I told this to my friends in Brasil, they didnt believe me when I told them how much I am paying for the Rio Othon Palace during the week of Carnaval. I go frequently to Brasil so I know the market there quite well. Oh and the best part that I almost forgot about, I asked the parent company to upgrade me for FREE to an ocean view deluxe suite and they are working on that as well! How incredible would that be? $650 for 7 nights and 8 days, that translates to $92.85 per day. During Carnaval, in Rio, you would be LUCKY if you could find a HOSTEL for under $100 per day, let alone a 4 or a 5 star hotel as the Rio Othon Palace. I am literally blown away by this. I still have to pinch myself to believe that this is true. Thats how unheard of a deal that is. I am simply speechless as are my friends in Brasil. To get a deluxe ocean view suite that goes for just under $1000 a night for about 92 bucks a night, or 1-10th of the price? Simply unheard of! Deals like that are the bread and butter of the GRN Platinum Membership. As a member of GRN, we have unlimited, unrestricted access to over 5000 3, 4 & 5 star resorts worldwide with no annual fees, no maintenance fees, no dues; no black out dates (if there were, I would not have been able to get a week at THE primest time of the year in Brasil for the greatest show on Earth!); no limitations to the # of vacations per year a member can take, can vacation for upto 52 weeks a year for as little as $298 upto $799 a week for upto 6 people. Not only that, but there is no coupons, vouchers or other annoying certificate to mail in or pay for. The membership is valid for 99 years and is fully transferable and willable! Over the course of the lifetime of this membership (99 years), the one time fee to get this membership ($3000, remember, there is no annual fees or dues - EVER!) translates to about 30 bucks per year! And with each vacation taken using this membership, a family can easily save anywhere between $1000 to 2 or 3 grands if not more (over $5 grands as I am on my up-coming trip in February)! Now, who wouldnt want to get the kind of amazing and unheard of deals as the one I just mentioned for every vacation for their family for the rest of their lives? Who couldnt afford a laughable and lousy $30 bucks per year to have unlimited access to over 5000 3-4-5 star resorts worldwide with no fees or dues or restrictions AND save that much per trip for the rest of their lives? You simply could not afford NOT to get your own lifetime platinum membership! Happy luxury travels at a fraction of the cost, Payman. 416-899-5332 [Post edited - Admin]
