Grupo Vidafel is a major Mexican development corporation.that has been in business for 25 years. The name Vidafel comes from the Spanish words Vida Feliz (Happy Life). Its first building project was a subdivision at Mazatlan. When the executive board decided to sell time shares instead of ownership, it was the beginning of Vidafel's phenomenal success. After the company had made enough money from the time shares, it bought land and built a hotel in 1979-1982. Originally called Paraiso del Mar, it is now the Sea Garden. It was followed in 1983-86 by the Vidafel Mazatlan, and in 1987-1990 the Vidafel Marina Vallarta and the Sea Garden Vallarta, both in Puerto Vallarta.
The company's vision was a hotel chain, but not merely hotels; the concept was that they were vacation clubs. Vidafel sold time shares in many countries and became part of RCI, the biggest time share coordinating company in the world. Vidafel's business strategy was aggressive, yet conservative, never operating on money from investors, but always using its own. Thus, while other time shares ran out of time and money, Vidafel was able to continue operating successfully despite the devaluation of the peso in 1995. The keystone of its business strategy, as articulated by its leadership, is marketing and sales.
Now another vision for Vidafel began to take shape: that of a mega-project developer. In 1991-94 the Mayan Palace Acapulco was built. It was not only a vacation club and a hotel, but a master gated community, the first in Latin America. It was followed in 1995-96 by the Sea Garden Acapulco, a smaller luxury hotel for those who prefer shorter distances to walk and a more intimate atmosphere. Vidafel projected that all the units would be sold in 15-20 years, but the entire project sold out in 7 or 8, and there is still a waiting list for condos. In 1996-97 the Mayan Palace Nuevo Vallarta was built and in 1997-98 the Mayan Palace Puerto Vallarta. Every project has been bigger and better than the one before, drawing on past experience.
Vidafel is known throughout Latin America as the premier developer of vacation clubs and luxury residential communities. It now has 3000 employees. The company sells $50 million worth of time share to Americans in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta alone.
The company had known
of Puerto Peñasco from years ago, and had predicted that because of its
strategic location--on the beach, near the U.S., close to many major urban centers,
in the Free Zone--it would be the perfect place to build a mega-project. The
Grand Mayan Puerto Peñasco will be the realization of this dream, a top
of the line development, 6 times bigger than any previous one, drawing upon
Vidafel's 25 years of experience with hotels, condos, residences, and vacation
clubs. Its major appeal is its setting--a perfect sandy beach, turquoise sea
water, Bird Island in the distance, the estuary with its variety of marine life,
glorious sunsets every night. Add to this luxurious living quarters with all
the amenities anyone could desire, and it will be like a paradise on earth.
In Phase I, the project will have a 5-star hotel, 72 condos, 260 residential
units facing the sea in 20 "cloisters," each with 13 homes arranged
around a central swimming pool. Phase II will have 2 more luxury hotels, townhomes
facing a celebrity golf course dotted with small lakes, an aquatic park, and
a marina. The Grand Mayan Puerto Peñasco, a pearl on the shore of the
Sea of Cortez, will be the centerpiece of Vidafel's diadem.