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February Newsletters
2008 (weeks 5 to 8)
Weeks 5 & 6 Saturday February 14, 2008
PelicanNews - Weeks 5 & 6 - Date sent February 14, 2008
Be sure to check the web site for rentals and sales @ www.pelicannews.net
email judy@navnet.net
***************************
**** IMPORTANT*** Be sure to put pelicansxm@yahoogroups.com
into your safe list to receive the newsletter.
Visited the Resort web site - Pelicanresort.com
In the owners section:
1st 2nd and 3rd Quarter minutes 2007
Monthly financial information
Register on line for your next stay at Pelican www.pelicanresort.com
*************************
Notice to owners wanting to let the Resort know you are renting your unit to
another party. Please email: memberservices@royalresorts.com
*************************************************
Subject: AMF Payments on Internet
Date sent: Tue, 15 Jan 2008
Dear Board Members,
As of last Friday all the members of PRC can make the payments of the AMF on via
internet on the web page of Pelican. More that US$180,000.00 (258 transactions)
were
processed as of yesterday.
We are in the process of making some changes in the web page such as a pop-up
screen
with that information for all people visiting PRC web site. In addition, we will
post this information at the 2 Front Desks as well as in the next publication of
Pelican News.
************************************************************************
Date sent: Fri, 1 Feb 2008
From: Ron Champagne
Subject: 4 weeks in St. Maarten
Just returned from 4 weeks in St. Maarten and out of 3 different resorts,
Pelican
tops our list. Yes I have been very unhappy about the assessments and increase
in
maintenance fees but the improvements are showing. Purchased an extra night in B
building and the room was clean and had a well equipped kitchen. New feature
this
year is the resort sends up your keys and paperwork for your check in by 10:30
next
morning. The people I talked with said it was great, but it didn't work for me.
Called the desk at 11:30 and complained and my keys were there within 10
minutes. I
seemed to have the only check in person who really didn't care. Checked into my
room (Marina building) and found a clean room with A/C in the living room (new
this
year). It didn't work very well, but I didn't care as I didn't feel I needed it.
The new tables and chairs at Marina pool were great. I stayed in the Marina
building in November and the new tables and chairs were put in then. The new
wooden
frames were installed in November, but I don't understand why the netting still
wasn't up 3 months later. Wireless fantastic, new painting everywhere, cameras
going up (I believe for security) and a lot of chairs on the beach. Kat and Lisa
running the bars and restaurant very aggressive and trying to expand their
areas.
Meet and greet for $2.00 a good little breakfast. Wine tasting for the third
time
was great.
Yes there were negatives, but not major. I was so happy to see my suggestion of
a
special line for pre-registered, but the line is only available when there isn't
a
rush. Had to stand outside for my second week at the Pelican and only one line
for
check ins. When I complained about the check in and I was pre-registered, his
answer was that it was too busy. Ron
**********************************
From: "elaine" <ewlefebvre@comcast.net>
Subject: Note from Elaine Lefebvre
Date sent: Fri, 1 Feb 2008
Hello Pelican owners! I have a favor to ask. My Guide to SXM restaurants,
beaches,
etc. is on the website. My husband and I will be celebrating our 25th
anniversary
in July at Pelican along with several couples who will be joining us. As we did
not
get to the island last year (we did timeshare exchanges to France thru II for 2
weeks which, by the way, worked out very well for us), I'd appreciate any input
from
owners who have been to the island more recently and could tell me about any
changes
to the information I have on the website...or great new suggestions for
restaurants!
Thanks so much!! Elaine Lefebvre
Judy's Comment. I looked at the restaurant page on my web site
it certainly needs a lot of updating. Send in your comments.
*********************************************************
Date sent: Sat, 2 Feb 2008
From: Ken Warner
Hi Judy,
After reading the recent New Letter I decided to write this letter.
Please publish it with the next newsletter.
If you could e-mail me that persons e-mail address at the Pelican's
Sales office then I'll try to get the answers I am looking for
about foreclosures with her.
If you like, respond to me about the following news letter.
I would like to hear your comments as a board member..
Date Sent: Feb. 2, 2008
From: Ken Warner
Subject: Pelican Resort Conditions
Dear Judy,
After e-mailing you over the last six weeks I can understand some of the
frustrations that surround The Pelican Resort Club by some of the owners. On the
other hand I still don’t understand the reluctance on the part of the board to
respond to or implement small positive steps that may reduce the amount of
negative
press coming from some of the owners.
While I think the complaint about the condition of the road leading into the
Pelican
Resort is rather petty given the positive construction, which equals positive
cash
flow, being developed there is a temporary problem but on the other hand the
“blocked views issue” for some owners isn’t. If there is a possible workable
solution in the wind I think it needs to be openly talked about in this forum
now
rather than later.
While the board has addressed problems with mold in the “B buildings” it hasn’t
responded to the possibility of the owners help with the leaking air
conditioning
systems. Yes, they have implemented a test to a few units but I still can’t
reason
their lack of response to helpful positive solutions from the owners. If there
is
some “legal reason” that the owners suggestions won’t work than I think the
board
needs to respond with those facts and not just let them complain without
resolution.
While the board has told the owners that foreclosed on units would be available
to
view and purchase on this web site it seems still not to happening. I know that
it
takes time to get a computer program up and running however I think it should
have
been a more urgent issue for the board to address given the state of the dollars
being lost every year due to these foreclosures.
I think that some of the issues that the board has addressed like early check in
and
out, paying the yearly fees on line and reporting on the on going results with
the
new Marina Residences development are positive steps that help renew the faith
of
the owners but not openly addressing other issues and just letting some owners
feel
abandoned is a shame. It leads to more critical letters and hard feelings that
the
Pelican Resort Club can’t afford. This resort can still be a jewel in the
Caribbean
but it will take cooperation on both the part of the owners as well as the board
to
respond to their suggestions as well as their complaints.
Ken Warner, Unit B268 - Week 3
Judy's Comment I believe the email address to contact the resort is
Sales <info@pelicanresorts.com>
***********************
Subject: INFO: PRC Owner question
Date sent: Mon, 4 Feb 2008
From: "Richard Anthony Corso"
To: Joan Kittman <Tx222Step@aol.com>
Hello, Joan. Thank you for your question. I love your email address (I am
originally from Texas).
I can happily advise you that all cost associated with marketing, sales, and
administration of both original and new Pelican villas are paid by the sales &
marketing company (not a single penny comes from PRC owners, operations or the
AMF).
Even the weekly owner’s cocktail party is currently paid for by sales &
marketing.
PRC (via the TAPRC) has a fixed fee contract with the sales & marketing company
and
the amount the sales & marketing company spends/invests has no negative bearing
or
impact on the profitability for PRC. On the contrary, PRC owners should be
concerned if too little money is being spent or the quality of marketing &
promotional materials/offers is low –as this could contribute to lower sales
pace,
sales volume and prices.
To really get into historical details, the original year-2000 agreement between
PRC-“Royal” for the new project made this issue of expenses very complicated.
Sales
& marketing were originally going to be done “at cost” but this was changed for
reasons precisely like your question. The Board and “Royal” wanted to avoid PRC
owners feeling too much or too little money was being spent, or that it was
being
spent in the wrong way, etc. Now there is a fixed cost for PRC and the risk of
any
profit/loss associate with selling in solely on the sales & marketing company.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions. It is our duty to keep you
informed of details, and the more you know the better off we all are.
Richard A. Corso
Chief Operating Officer
The Royal Resorts
Cancun, Mexico
From: Tx222Step@aol.com
Date sent: Sun, 3 Feb 2008 17:42:10 EST
Subject: you must have forgotten to publish this - answer still needed
Owner question from Betty Slabysz: I would like to know who is paying for the
lovely
glossy brochures we constantly receive promoting the Marina Res. from Royal
Resorts?
Does it come out of the maint. fee we pay?
Judy's Comment: The sales department is responsible for advertishing and
promoting
the Marina Residence.
that seems to beg the question, doesn't it?
her question is - are the pelican owners paying for these brochures, or is royal
resorts? from your answer, it seems that the cost is coming out of our amf, and
that
would be pretty bad. please clarify. joan
*********************
From: Dtmland@aol.com
Date sent: Sat, 2 Feb 2008
Subject: For your news letter
Hi Judy, Please put this in your next newsletter thanks Dan
REF: Jeff Berger Time Sharing In St Maarten E-mail 4 Feb
Jeff, In your "Timesharing In St Maarten E-mail 4 Feb" a Pelican owner
complained
of humidity and mold in their units. I am curious why you did not inform this
reader of all of the work that Pelican has been doing to renovate the
B-Buildings,
eliminate the humidity issues and possibly supply central air units for the
units?
You are well aware of all of the hard work and constant efforts that the TAPRC
Board
and Royal Resorts has put into this issue, and many other owner issues, yet you
completely disregarded this in your comments on your newsletter. A better
response
and a more helpful one, would have been to refer the owner to the management
team at
Pelican and the TAPRC Board members, where they would have received further help
and
information regarding their concern.
*********************
Date sent: Mon, 04 Feb 2008
From: Lee Jarvis
To: jmbweb@jmbcommunications.com
Copies to: Judy@navnet.net
Subject: Mold at Pelican
In October I was in the same situation when I rented B 206 (mold,
mildew, leaking a/c, and wet floor from the lower unit a/c
malfunction). Pelican management did nothing but put towels on the
floor and a blanket in the closet to absorb the leaking water from the
a/c unit. The unit smelled like mold & mildew. I am the Director of
Public Health for a municipality in MA and deal with mold issues.
Mold is a significant health concern as most people are sensitive to
mold. Exposure to mold causes symptoms such as rhinitis, nasal
stuffiness, conjunctival inflammation, wheezing, skin irritation, and
in severe situations can cause fever, shortness of breath, asthma, and
mold infections in their lungs. I find it hard to believe after my
complaints, and letter published in Judy Young’s Pelican News last
November, regarding the mold and mildew problem, and my assurance
from Pelican Resort management that the problem would be abated
immediately that nothing has been done. I have been an owner at
Pelican (B building) since 1986 and have never had any major problems
prior to this and love the resort. I, like many others would gladly
pay an additional one time fee for the upgrade of the B building a/c
units. I will be at Pelican for three weeks in April (B building) and
hope the problem has been abated. Not rocket science, reduce
miosture, no mold growth. Lee Jarvis
Response: Subject: RE: Mold at Pelican
Date sent: Tue, 5 Feb 2008
From: "Richard Anthony Corso"
To: <judy@navnet.net>,"Jeff Pray"
Copies to: "Luis Cabrera", "Rodrigo Gamboa Guzman"
SXM Operations team
Please follow up on this issue. I realize you have very limited
funds...do all you realistically can. Richard A. Corso
************************
Weeks 7 & 8 Saturday February 28, 2008
PelicanNews - Weeks 7 & 8 - Date sent February 28, 2008
Be sure to check the web site for rentals and sales @ www.pelicannews.net
email judy@navnet.net
***************************
**** IMPORTANT*** Be sure to put pelicansxm@yahoogroups.com
into your safe list to receive the newsletter.
Visited the Resort web site - Pelicanresort.com
In the owners section:
1st 2nd and 3rd Quarter minutes 2007
Monthly financial information
Register on line for your next stay at Pelican www.pelicanresort.com
*************************
Notice to owners wanting to let the Resort know you are renting your unit to
another party. Please email: memberservices@royalresorts.com
*************************************************
Subject: AMF Payments on Internet
Date sent: Tue, 15 Jan 2008
Dear Board Members,
As of last Friday all the members of PRC can make the payments of the AMF on via
internet on the web page of Pelican. More that US$180,000.00 (258 transactions)
were
processed as of yesterday.
We are in the process of making some changes in the web page such as a pop-up
screen
with that information for all people visiting PRC web site. In addition, we will
post this information at the 2 Front Desks as well as in the next publication of
Pelican News.
************************************************************************
Date sent: Sat, 16 Feb 2008
From: "Ron Frankel" <ronf3@verizon.net>
Subject: TELEPHONE CALLS TO / FROM ST. MAARTEN
Hi Judy,
First, thank you for many years of PelicanNews. About 18 years ago I first went
to
the Pelican, bought into the Flamingo and then into the Royal Palm. I now own 9
weeks in SXM and find your info very helpful.
For the last 2 years I have been developing a way to provide cheap and easier to
use
phone service to SXM. Now I have a collection of choices for calls to & from SXM.
These are summarized in my new web page: www.callSXM.com (also www.callSTM.com -
my
wife's non-techie idea). Basically, there are two offerings: One can buy a
calling
card from my own system for as little as $5.00, or I will set-up an account for
anyone interested with a "BudgetSIP" account (I’m one of their authorized
sign-up
agents). Each has its advantages and beats the competition dependent on user
needs.
For example, calling from the US, my callSXM card for $8.00 allows 1 Hour
calling to
SXM landlines (47 minutes to a SXM cell phone). There is speed dialing to the
Flamingo (F-L-A), to the Pelican (P-E-L), and to the Royal Palm (R-O-Y on the
dial)
so callers don’t have to look up or enter long international phone numbers to
call
the major SXM resorts. I'll add more resort speed dials as needed. The $5.00
callSXM.com card is the only really cheap way available to reach vacationers not
expecting a lot of calls. And there even is an 800 access number from the US and
Canada (somewhat fewer minutes apply using the 800 number).
The "BudgetSIP" account offers calling to/from SXM for as little as US 9 1/2c
/min
with BudgetSip’s Euro $10 account (about $15 after PayPal converts the Dollar to
Euros). One of their great features is "internet trigger" calling. This is
fabulous for people with wi-fi access in SXM. You log-in from anywhere, enter 2
phone numbers and click connect, then both regular phones ring and are connected
together. Since the computer is not used for the call itself, it can be shut
down
anytime after “triggering” the call. Although still very cheap, this costs a bit
more than using a headphone and mike (12 to 13c /min, US/SXM) but is well worth
it
to get in-resort calling initiated from a laptop anywhere in the world using the
regular resort phone in your room.
If you would be interested in a complementary demo, please let me know. If you
find
it works well and/or may be valuable to your readers, please add the info to
your
Newsletter!
Thanks for your time and consideration of my new services.
Best regards, Ron Frankel
******************************
From: "normand barbara berlin"
Subject: Evaluation
Date sent: Fri, 15 Feb 2008
We have been with the Pelican from the very beginning, which itself should
indicate
that we have been, and are, enjoying the three weeks every year that we have
spent
on the island. Now, however, is the first time we have found it necessary to
write
an overall evaluation. "Things, they are achangin'," and usually not for the
better.
Before we get to the negatives we wish to commend Mr. Cabrera who has taken on
the
additional burden of the new Marina project at the same time that he manages to
speak on a personal level with many of the owners. When he promises something he
usually comes through--and we say this even though we had to wait three years
for
our very old patio furniture to be replaced.
We will not enter the "blocked view" controversy--one of our units is in
Diefenbachia--but whatever side one is on, we should all acknowledge that
someone in
authority lied to prospective owners, There's not much we can do about it, but
surely we should understand the truth of the situation. Nor will we address the
absurdity of the suggestion that owners of units who want air-conditioning
should
pay for it. We are paying for it. But if those who feel strongly about this wish
to
contribute to a special fund called "save the airconditioning" by all means do
so.
We'll number the negatives: (1) The paving coming to and ON the property. The
mini-ditch in front of the towel distribution shack caused a man to fall. We saw
him
limp away without a word. Surely some of those walking around the resort with
their
pads see the same ditches that we see. Nothing is done. Is there no money for
some
cement? Are we insured for accidents that occur because the paving is
treacherous in
places?
(2) Inventory--there was a time when the head housekeeper saw that a unit had
all
the supplies listed on an inventory list. Now there's no list, but even without
a
list there should be some bare minimum of observation. For example, one of our
units
had three wine glasses, one had four, one had two; one unit had one steak knife,
the
others had none. ETC.
(3) More chairs--not the old ones--are needed at the B pool. We had them but
slowly
they began to disappear. A mystery.
(4) Pre-registration was a useless exercise since the same questions were asked
at
the front desk. There was a time when an envelope was prepared and could be
picked
up quickly by those who pre-registered. Now we are merely repeating the same
process.
(5) Did you know that some dogs are roaming the resort?
(6) Is it necessary for those who are servicing the resort--housekeepers,
workers,
gardeners--to SHOUT across long distances, and short distances, to each other?
(7) A big question and a big negative--why must ISCO, and not those closest to
the
situation, handle the most elementary exchanges from one room to another on the
resort. More than any other issue this is what owners are talking about--the
mix-ups, the false information, the excuse that ISCO is in charge. (To change a
room
next door by way of Mexico seems the height of absurdity!)
It's easy to be negative, but we think that some changes must be made if we have
any
pretension to becoming a 5-star resort. We're beginning to settle for 3 stars,
it
seems.
Barbara and Normand Berlin Weeks 2, 3, 4.
************************************
From: Peter & Lynn Cunningham
Subject: Pelican
Date sent: Sun, 17 Feb 2008
New from St Martin. We just got back from two weeks in St. Martin. The resort is
gorgeous. We stayed in the new marina residences and it lives up to their five
star
rating. We did take the Valentines Day boat sunset cruise and it was pretty
awful.
Pretty expensive and hardly any food. Had a great rate from Alpha Car Rental.
Best food came from Lido's !!! Found a new jeweler in Phillipsuburg - Sunny at
Grand Jewelers. He gave us some fantastic deals. I'd try him out if anyone is
looking. The board walk in Phillipsburg was pretty impressive too. A nice
alternative for the boat cruises. That's about it. Lynn
***************************************
From: Jerry" Ratelle
Subject: vacation
Date sent: Fri, 22 Feb 2008
Hi Judy from Helen&Jerry Ratelle Just back from 2wks 6&7. Had a great time,
other
than the first two hrs. My son lost his new $500 phone and he had his credit
card
denied. The place looked great and the people are still friendly.Feel bad for
the
people in some of "B" bldg. with the mold and no ac. Hope they can work things
out.Saw the new bldg., it's BIG, very nice, but blocks the view from the road
and I
wouldn't want to be in the "D" bldg. Ate in alot of great restaurants TuTu-Pasta,
Temptations, Halsey's, Boathouse, Pizza Galley, and more.Nice to have Monty back
with Pelican at the beach bar, good food there too.We left 2 days early to beat
the
snow storm in Ma.It would be nice to have a direct flight out of Hartford,
Bradley
Field, could you see what you can do about that and get back to me, thanks. Keep
up
the good work that you do for us owners,thanks again....The Ratelles'
*******************************
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