# cabana rental fee at surf watch



## pdwyerdpm (Jun 26, 2006)

just got to surf watch in hilton head sunday.  To my great surprise, the cabanas around the pool now have a fifty dollar per day charge.  Even if the cabanas are not rented and empty you still can not use them, no 7:30 sign up like at aruba surf club. The manager was not at all helpful and actually rather snotty, as if she was beyond answer questions from an owner.

WHAT IS NEXT PAYTOILETS IN THE ROOMS?

ANY ONE HAVE ANY HELPFUL IDEAS
PAT DWYER


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## jme (Jun 26, 2006)

No, the next thing will be the fee for the golfcart ride to the pool and beach. THEN, after one full year without ANY successful rentals of the cabanas, they will sell them as one-BR units.  YEP, oceanfront!!!!  jme


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## Elden12 (Jun 26, 2006)

Suggest SurfWatch owners write Marriott and the SurfWatch board....the price that Marriott charges for SurfWatch weeks  should include cabanas by the pool.

In my opinion the pool by the beach is too small.  There is no shade on a hot day by the pool without the cabana.  Well, I take that back...if you want to sit at the pool bar you can get some respite from the sun.


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## davemy (Jun 27, 2006)

does anybody rent shade items on the beach?


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## ArtsieAng (Jun 27, 2006)

....that sounds like too much money. Assuming that they would need to charge something, that is just way too high a price to pay.


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## ArtsieAng (Jun 27, 2006)

jme said:
			
		

> No, the next thing will be the fee for the golfcart ride to the pool and beach. THEN, after one full year without ANY successful rentals of the cabanas, they will sell them as one-BR units.  YEP, oceanfront!!!!  jme




:hysterical:


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## pdwyerdpm (Jun 27, 2006)

how to contact board?
I told the rep I will not do sales demo because of this issue


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## mjs (Jun 27, 2006)

If the fee is too high, just dont rent it.  If too many go unrented, they will eventually lower the price.(supply and demand)
The Breakers Hotel in Palm beach recently opened cabanas next to the pool, although they include living area, tv etc.  $450 per day, plus your room rate during prime time.


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## ZCar (Jun 27, 2006)

Think Ko'Olina is only $15 and Owners get it for $10.


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## sandytoes (Jun 27, 2006)

While at Ocean Point we were told by Management that they were considering renting the cabanas there as well. There are a couple of reason why . . .  the first is that they are having problems with people rushing down to the cabanas very early in the AM and placing personal items in the cabana and claiming them for the entire day even when they are off walking the beach or swimming in the ocean or just not using them but not want anyone else to use them either . . . they said it was a big problem and they have lots of complaints from people wanting to use a cabana but not finding one empty.

Also they are looking at it as a way of raising revenue. Apparently the over head cost is very high to run the resort and thus far they are not making a profit. Finding employees is very difficult in that location as the people who live in the $900,000+ homes near by don't want to work the jobs offered by Marriott. Those who can work have a long commute, thus Marriott has to pay  higher wages to attract employees. I've been told Marriott even has a "dorm" style living quarters some distance from the resort. Marriott sends a bus for these people in on a daily basis.  I found this all to be very interesting and something I did not stop to consider. It may be a way to help keep the maintenance fees down.


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## Bill4728 (Jun 27, 2006)

sandytoes said:
			
		

> While at Ocean Point we were told by Management that they were considering renting the cabanas there as well. There are a couple of reason why . . . the first is that they are having problems with people rushing down to the cabanas very early in the AM and placing personal items in the cabana and claiming them for the entire day even when they are off walking the beach or swimming in the ocean or just not using them but not want anyone else to use them either . . . they said it was a big problem and they have lots of complaints from people wanting to use a cabana but not finding one empty.



People who claim a cabana or even a pool chair for the day by setting a towel or other personal items are the real problem here. No one should be able to claim something for a day by leaving their stuff. There should be a better way of dealing with this than an outrageous charge of $50/day


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## geekette (Jun 27, 2006)

Bill4728 said:
			
		

> People who claim a cabana or even a pool chair for the day by setting a towel or other personal items are the real problem here. No one should be able to claim something for a day by leaving their stuff. There should be a better way of dealing with this than an outrageous charge of $50/day



Exactly.  Pigs.

I think that if you leave your stuff, that's your problem, shouldn't prevent others from enjoying the cabana.  

An hourly charge ought to clear that up.  Why pay to leave your stuff in the cabana a couple hours while you're not in it?


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## rsackett (Jun 27, 2006)

I like an hourly charge idea.  I think most people do not need/want one for the whole day.


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## stevens397 (Jun 27, 2006)

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua, Maui last summer.  There was no shade either at the pool or the beach.  For $45 you could rent a shade that covered two chaises or for $75 you could get a four-posted tent.  

We went to visit the Four Seasons and the shade there was free.  It felt like a rip-off to have to pay but we really had no choice.

These timeshare resorts have a serious problem and they are clearly grappling with finding an answer, but rest assured, there is no solution that won't upset a lot of people.  That said, I think the suggestion here to rent it by the hour is the best I've heard.  Would you allow people to reserve them, say from noon to 4 PM?


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## sandytoes (Jun 27, 2006)

I too like the hourly suggestion . . .that would keep the price down and make more people happy . . . never going to please all the people all the time. I would think having blocks of time on some might also be good.


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## OCsun (Jun 27, 2006)

stevens397 said:
			
		

> These timeshare resorts have a serious problem and they are clearly grappling with finding an answer, but rest assured, there is no solution that won't upset a lot of people.



There is a very simple solution to this problem. . .provide enough shade.  Why can't timeshares buy enough umbrellas to complement every four chairs.  Most umbrella's will not extend beyond four chairs, therefore they would not overlap.  Guests who do not desire shade can leave the umbrella's down.  Even the nicest of umbrella's could be purchased, if every unit owner had a one time assessment of $2 added to the annual maintenance fee.

Most resorts do not suffer from lack of member chairs, they suffer from lack of chairs with umbrella's.  People would not get up early and reserve a spot with personal items, it there were umbrella's next to the fifty open chairs.

This does not go just for Marriott's it goes for ALL timeshares.  I just don't get why this is still a problem in this day and age of purchase power!!    
Pam


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## Blue Skies (Jun 27, 2006)

Excellent suggestion OCSun.


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## stevens397 (Jun 27, 2006)

You're right too!


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## jme (Jun 28, 2006)

How about a small cabana-type covering, similar to those tent-like ones used on the beach by families? (4 poles with covering--maybe enough to cover 1-2 chairs, & easy to carry). There must be something on the market! Or, just invent it! I promise, it would sell like wildfire to ALL pool & beachgoers, because there's the need. Like the Hummer commercial, "Make a smaller one." And Marriott could say nothing! We already have round umbrellas which clip onto a beach chaise or chair, so we're covered....('scuse the pun), but a slightly larger one would be best. I'm thinking 5 ' x 5', or 5' x 8' to cover 2 chairs (i.e., the head portion of the chaise chairs)....... jme


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## Zac495 (Jun 28, 2006)

Bill4728 said:
			
		

> People who claim a cabana or even a pool chair for the day by setting a towel or other personal items are the real problem here. No one should be able to claim something for a day by leaving their stuff. There should be a better way of dealing with this than an outrageous charge of $50/day



If I see things lying around like that for awhile, I'll push them over and sit down. If someone comes right over, I'll apologize and say the truth - too many people just save these things. If no one comes around for awhile, I'll move their things (neatly). Love when they come back hours later and complain.

Cheers,
Ellen


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## jme (Jun 28, 2006)

To be honest, the cabana rentals should be hourly or a special price for half-day, and that's it. If one wishes for all day, then do two half-days. And the PRICES should be much, much, much more reasonable, to encourage use, and not to abuse the owners who have already spent a ton buying a semi-oceanfront , marsh-view week requiring a golfcart ride to the beach and beachside pool.  Over a year's time , the money made by Marriott would be significant, given the fact that (hopefully) no cabanas would ever be unused, and always rented out. To have a pool that small is also not the best move, but it may have been limited by the "marshland/dunes abuse" thing, which I strongly suspect. Anyway, the cabana RENTAL policies have been one major mistake. I'm surprised that they didn't build multi-level chaise lounge chairs poolside, so that more people could get around there....say, 3 to 5 stories, like bunk beds.  Look for that concept in the future  .....********Too bad Marriott never asks me first...they should....I did finally get them to build the outdoor poolside grill at Grande Ocean (no kidding), and now they make money, and can have families eat lunch poolside...actually the burgers & hotdogs are very good. I finally told the resort manager (at that time) that the WESTIN HOTEL had them beat, and that bothered them, with their huge poolside umbrellas with great tables and poolside SERVICE with a great menu, including salads, etc. I think the lightbulb finally went on. I think also the "opportunity to make money" perked up the ears. So, now we have it. BUT, we are on vacation, no? Sometimes the ladies just don't wish to go back to the room to make lunch, and the grill is an awesome idea. It's packed all the time. I also had them improve the outdoor lighting all around the shuffleboard courts for evening/dusk play. And a few other things. I used to know all the grounds crew members' names (and the resort manager probably cringed when I called him every visit), BUT things can always be tweaked, and improved for the owners...always! I heard that Grande Ocean may be going to a wristband ID for poolside and beachgoers, to minimize the intrusion by non-owners and non-official guests. It's a bigger problem than most people realize. At any given time in summer, there may be 10-20 non-owners and "illegals" there on the property, with no good excuse other than they're enjoying the free amenities which they didn't pay for. Some folks staying a few resorts down the street have been overheard bragging that they "always come down and spend the day around the pools...like for years" . They tend to camp around the dolphin pool and Poolbar Jim's area. I hope we owners at GO welcome that wristband system with open arms  , as it will free up many chairs and keep the leeches out.  jme


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## wsrobinson (Jun 28, 2006)

Hopefully, there are some Surf Watch owners here to answer my question.  If not, perhaps some seasoned Marriott owners will lend their expertise.

My question is rather simple.

Should I buy a 3 Bedroom Gold week at Surf Watch or a 2 Bedroom Platinum week at Surf Watch?  They are close to the same money (within 4K).  

Thanks for the input!


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## jme (Jun 29, 2006)

wsrobinson said:
			
		

> Hopefully, there are some Surf Watch owners here to answer my question.  If not, perhaps some seasoned Marriott owners will lend their expertise.
> 
> My question is rather simple.
> 
> ...



How can one know? Do you wish to go during Fall/Spring, or Summer? Do you wish to take enough people for 3 BR's , or just 2? Those are simple calculations, and you should do what you want with the number of guests and times of year...there should be no other considerations. ****To be quite frank, I would buy a resale platinum Grande Ocean week...(maybe even TWO, for what you'll spend at Surfwatch------if you buy TWO platinum weeks at GO, you'll have a 4-BR timeshare, i.e., 2 units, same price or LESS!!!!) )....and GO is a far superior resort in many different ways. jme


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## Wonka (Jun 29, 2006)

Why don't the resorts simply enforce the rules on placing a towel on a cabana preventing other folks from using them?  It seems like it isn't only cabanas it's also pool chairs everywhere we've been.  People rush out first thing in the morning and place a towel on the chair and then don't reappear to late morning after going into town for breakfast, or whatever.  If the staff would simply gather up those things and leave a note to pick them up there'd be much less of a problem.  Charging an outrageous rate for cabanas is the easy way out for the resort.


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## Gadabout (Jun 29, 2006)

Wonka said:
			
		

> Why don't the resorts simply enforce the rules on placing a towel on a cabana preventing other folks from using them?  It seems like it isn't only cabanas it's also pool chairs everywhere we've been.  People rush out first thing in the morning and place a towel on the chair and then don't reappear to late morning after going into town for breakfast, or whatever.  If the staff would simply gather up those things and leave a note to pick them up there'd be much less of a problem.  Charging an outrageous rate for cabanas is the easy way out for the resort.



I agree. This sort of thing is just a blatant money grab. Another option, if feasible, is to build some sort of permanent shade structure or use retractable awnings. 

As far as wristbands, why not just have one of those 5 button combo code locks (like many offices use for employee-only entry doors) on the gate to the pool and other amenities, and change the code every so often (say once a week). Let people know when they check in that if they only want authorized people to use the facilities to only let people in their own party in and close the gate right after. Tons cheaper than hiring yet another employee.


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## TerriJ (Jun 29, 2006)

I just watched pool chair saving for a week at the Flamingo HGVC and I think it has gotten out of hand.  We had a guy interrupt our yoga class (put on by the resort) because we were in the spot he wanted to save all day and only use for a few hours.  He was very rude and I think this should not be allowed.  I should have went in and got the security people.  HGVC has signs up all over but they are blatantly ignored.  It sounds like this goes on at many resorts.


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## pwrshift (Jun 29, 2006)

And I was complaining about BeachPlace's $12 a day for parking!

It kinda depends on who is getting the money - Marriott?  Or does it go directly to the owners to lower maintenance charges?  And do owners have to pay at their own resort.

BeachPlace doesn't charge owners if they are using the weeks they booked with Marriott - when I was there this year they didn't charge me parking for the lockoff week either.  Exchangers pay the $12 a day.  The HOA put the plan in to reduce maintenance fees - heaven forbid.  It turned out to be a scam - lots of money collected (est. $600,000) while MF went to new levels, just shy of $1000 a week for 2006.  The HOA doesn't even mention it in their newsletter.

Brian


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## KathyPet (Jun 30, 2006)

GO has a rule that says if you do not return to your pool chaise within a certain time frame (I forget what it is a hour maybe) than you forfit your right to it and someone else can take it.  A couple of years ago hubby watched a chaise for almost two hours and the occupier never came back so he moved her towel and settled in.  Sure enough 30 minutes later she showed up and she was hopping mad.  She called security and made a scene at the pool side.  Husband was using one of our brought from home beach towels and not the GO towel so she accused him of being a interloper.  He had to show the key to the security guard and get his name checked against the list of registrations.  Finally the woman sitting in the next chasie over supported him with the security guard and told him the woman had been MIA for well past the deadline time before hubby took over.  Secirity guard never apologized to my husband for the harrassment and embrrasment he went through but did apologize to the irate woman who then stormed off in a major huff.


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## jme (Jun 30, 2006)

Gadabout said:
			
		

> I agree. This sort of thing is just a blatant money grab. Another option, if feasible, is to build some sort of permanent shade structure or use retractable awnings.
> 
> As far as wristbands, why not just have one of those 5 button combo code locks (like many offices use for employee-only entry doors) on the gate to the pool and other amenities, and change the code every so often (say once a week). Let people know when they check in that if they only want authorized people to use the facilities to only let people in their own party in and close the gate right after. Tons cheaper than hiring yet another employee.



THE CODE SYSTEM at the various gates are easily violated. Monarch does that at the beach access gate, and violators (non-owners and non-guests) simply tag along real owners and walk in behind them as the gate is opened....saying "thank you" with a nice smile.....while the real owners haven't a clue that they've just let in leeches who walk in off the beach and enjoy the amenities.   jme


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## Gadabout (Jun 30, 2006)

jme said:
			
		

> THE CODE SYSTEM at the various gates are easily violated. Monarch does that at the beach access gate, and violators (non-owners and non-guests) simply tag along real owners and walk in behind them as the gate is opened....saying "thank you" with a nice smile.....while the real owners haven't a clue that they've just let in leeches who walk in off the beach and enjoy the amenities.   jme



But if you blatantly told owners the problem, it would stop pretty quick. I would point out that they are potentially letting criminals in. 

One place where we lived did that with the PO Box lobby so that people could still have the 24-hour access that they paid for and people would just not let others in.  

But then I have no problems whatsoever telling people to get away from me if I think they're too close (after all, they could be trying to purse-snatch) and a stern look doesn't get the message across. "Sorry, you can get the code from the front desk when you show your ID."  

People need to grow a spine.


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## 714 (Jun 30, 2006)

We checked into Surfwatch this afternoon and asked about the using the cabanas and we were told that they just lowered the price from $80!!! to $40 per day.  Also, you could only reserve for a 2 day maximum.


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## jazzeaw (Jul 3, 2006)

OHHH the towel on the chair thing kills me.  We own at MGO and MOW and every morning and I mean EVERY morning around 8:00 or so there are people (mainly older women) out there with 5-10 towels taking up every chair they can get their hands on moving them around and then claiming all the umberllas.  And then no one in their party comes out to really use them until 11 or later.  If there is some security guard floating around to yell at them it must be on the other side because I never see it - but I do see people moving other peoples towels and fights ensuing.  

This is a problem at MGO and very soon it will be a MAJOR problem at MOW because next year the 3rd bldg will be open but no additional pool or facilities yet.  As it is now that pool is crowded at MOW.  I dread to see next year.


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