u/OneFreshLimeSoda

I have been seeing a lot of people wondering whether Club Mahindra is the right choice and whether they should invest in it. Also a lot of negative reviews etc Based on my own experience, I thought I should put my thoughts out there.

I've been a Club Mahindra member for over 15 years. I'm currently a Purple member, although I started as a White Studio member. We are one of the few users who have used the membership completely, made some amazing memories, and stayed at almost all of the properties over the years.

The short answer

This membership doesn't work for everyone. Many of the negative reviews you see come from users whose profile doesn't fit the kind of person who can actually use Club Mahindra. In my opinion the timeshare is being mis-sold to a lot of customers who should never have bought it in the first place. But if you fit the right profile, you can really enjoy it.

Who is the right user?

Buy the membership only if you fit the following:

1. You take multiple holidays in a year, even in the off-peak season. If you take only one or two holidays a year and are completely dependent on Club Mahindra, you may have a negative experience, because you will sometimes not get inventory when you want it. You have to be flexible. We do 5 to 6 trips a year, and twice a year we use Club Mahindra if it works out. If you're flexible, you will definitely get availability and enjoy it. But if you take only one holiday a year and can't get a room, your experience will be limited.
2. You have a higher-level membership, or you're comfortable travelling in the off-peak season. When we were White members, we still got availability because we travelled off-peak. As Purple members, we always get preference. If you have Red or Purple, you will have priority. Otherwise, you should be comfortable travelling off-peak. Then you will be fine. Thats why you see lot of retired folks using the membership.
3. You don't expect a very high standard of infrastructure. Let's be honest: not all Club Mahindra properties are the same. Some, like Coorg, are really good, but most of them are, I would say, Level 3. They more than compensate because the stay is completely free of charge (apart from the AMC) and you get to be at a really nice location.
4. You're willing to compromise on the property for the location. For example, Puducherry is next to a beach. The property is okay, but the location is fantastic. The food is expensive, but you can always go out and eat. If you're open to compromise, you will be fine. We have stayed in the best of resorts and in decent ones, and we are okay with both.
5. You're okay with being secluded. Club Mahindra properties are typically in secluded locations. You don't have access to the main market, so you will need a vehicle at all times. If you're okay with being isolated in a beautiful place and spending 2 to 3 days there, or you have a car at your disposal to go to the main markets, you will enjoy a Club Mahindra property.
6. You're okay with the AMC . You have to pay AMC every year. When we started the membership, it was ₹8,000. Today it is ₹22,000 to ₹26,000, so you have to be okay with that. When we purchased the membership, it was hardly ₹2.5 to 3 lakh, and we later paid another ₹4.5 lakh to upgrade. Our initial investment was very low, and I don't know what the cost is today. Still, we have done almost 60 trips over the last 20 years, so I feel we have more than made up for our cost.

If the above conditions work for you, you can enjoy the membership. Otherwise, you're better off booking the resorts/hotels of your choice directly. Today, a good property easily costs ₹10,000 to ₹20,000 per night, so a 7-night stay would set you back about a lakh. We stayed at Taj this year for 3 nights and it cost us 30K per night so yeah it was a great experience, but we cannot do so many trips if its that expensive.

Hope this helps. If you have any doubts, you can ask me. I'm quite experienced with Club Mahindra and can give unbiased feedback