Ever have a resort shut off the power all night? Costa del Sol did.

[vacationhopeful]

I arrived at one resort at 11:15PM and found a slew of FPL trucks on the street and in the parking lot. Thought to self ... "this don't look good". No lights in parking lot but front desk building was up & running. A few MORE people around in parking lot and lobby .. but not every seat taken.

Then I recognized the #2 resort manager ... okay ... this is LATE for him; actually this was way TOO late for him. Asked him HOW he got in the Dog House and he said, the electric was OUT in half of the resort - transformer on street had blown up. Asked what building ... told me that one was up & running as power came from different street.

I guess now the main office area was on backup generator - front buildings ran on the bad (DEAD) transformer and back buildings ran off the rear street transformer. Notice all power was running by 12:30AM.

 

[chriskre]

Well Friday the resort had a free lunch for all the guests to compensate everyone for the construction inconvenience. They never mentioned the electricity per se but I guess there was enough ill will that the resort felt the need to do a little damage control.

So it started at 12 noon and by 12:10 all the food was gone.
Mostly scarfed up by the construction workers who were loading up plates and taking multiple sodas.
Good thing I got there by 12:05 or wouldn't have even gotten a bag of chips.
We heard the workers in spanish telling each other to get extras.

 

[chriskre]

Even if you have a large enough generator, you can't just "plug it in" to a building's electrical system that isn't already designed for a backup power source.

Theo is correct on this and brought up an excellent point.

Kurt

Okay, this is FL.
We get hit with hurricanes all the time.
I'm sure an electrician can fix this issue so in the future the resort could run on Emergency power if the need would arise. It's not like it's not going to ever happen again, it's only a matter of when.

Did the FL electric company post a notice in the local newspaper or run this on the local television station about this action?

I would call the state attorney general office to see if this is legal ?

This is FL. Our AG can't do squat.
Maybe the Public Service Commission but I doubt the AG would even bother with this. They're too busy with all the other issues we have in this land of scammers.

The TS has no control over the power company, therefore they are not negligent and can not be held responsible.

Of course they have no control over FPL.
That was exactly their stance on this whole issue. Easier to pass the buck.

But they certainly should be better prepared for similar issues like this one like say a hurricane! Everybody here has a generator. I have a generator.
Of course mine is only for my little house and controls a few appliances but all this can be done to scale. We Floridians know about generators.

Granted it was the conventional hospitality industry, but I have never in my 30 year career worked for a resort that wasn't at least designed for temporary emergency power to be harnessed in. Of course, the larger ones all have backup generator plants onsite.

And I agree with you about mismanagement and improper funding....If an HOA can't afford a $500 or even $2,000 one time generator rental to cover a scheduled power outage out of a multi-million dollar budget, either they are afraid to budget what they really need out of fear of owner revolt, or they are inept.

I've seen several HOA financial statements where (minor) operating overages were floated from the reserve, and the reserve repaid out of the following year's operating budget.

All HOA's have an emergency fund for things like cleanup after a hurricane.
I guess this resort thinks that they are immune to emergencies and they run the place as such.

As someone else already quite eloquently observed, you can't just latch onto a generator and somehow "plug it in" to the facility.
It just ain't that simple or straightforward, whether or not anyone particularly likes and / or understands that indisputable fact.

Obviously there is more to renting a generator than just having it delivered.
That's what we have electricians for or is an electrician someone who would be clueless on how to hook up a generator? Shoot my handyman knows how to do this.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Well Friday the resort had a free lunch for all the guests to compensate everyone for the construction inconvenience. They never mentioned the electricity per se but I guess there was enough ill will that the resort felt the need to do a little damage control.

So it started at 12 noon and by 12:10 all the food was gone.
Mostly scarfed up by the construction workers who were loading up plates and taking multiple sodas.
Good thing I got there by 12:05 or wouldn't have even gotten a bag of chips.
We heard the workers in spanish telling each other to get extras.

The resort manager should have TOLD the construction site manager his work force was NOT INVITED to lunch... they were being paid to go a job ... at a larger resort, the lunch should NOT have been near the construction guys. If YOUR resort manager INVITED the construction dudes to chow down .... he still owes HIS guests a thank you .... maybe a Subway gift card for $25 each room.

Resort facilities are NOT open to contractors .... were they swimming in the pool, sitting in the hot tub, sliding up to the Tiki Bar, sleeping on the lounge chairs, using the luggage carts?

 

[AKE]

I don't know where everyone else lives (maybe a dream world!) but power interruptions can and do occur, whether planned or not. Today power outages are way less frequent than 30 or 40 years ago and guess what - we all somehow survived.

If you live in a rental and there is a power outage do you run to your landlord and demand a refund of your rent or do you use a flashlight? If a road is closed off due to construction do you demand that your local politicians refund part of your taxes or do you take an alternate route? If your plane gets delayed or cancelled (be it weather or mechanical) do you demand a refund or do you make the best of the situation? There are rules re what the airlines are required to do but most people simply put up with the inconvenience instead of taking a refund because they still have to get to where they were going to. Life is not perfect and neither are holidays (I would think that a 6 hour night-time power outage is way preferable to 7 days of straight rain at a resort yet I am not aware of resorts compensating their guests because of the weather). Be glad that you are fortunate enough to be able to take a holiday - many others can never afford to even take a holiday or those that do, rarely experience the lifestyle offered by a timeshare.

 

[Talent312]

Six hours w/o power in the middle of the night (when you should be asleep) is nothing; certainly nothing to get one's dander up. Think of it as camping out.

Get the room as cold as possible beforehand.
Need a light? Buy a battery-powered lantern at Wal-Mart.
Need something kept cold? A bag of ice will cover it.
CPAP? There are DC (battery) adaptors to use w/car or marine battery.
Wanna watch TV? Invest in a UPS, which are nice to have on hand.
.

 

[Ken555]

These types of threads seem to follow a typical process. First people are upset that the vendor could do such a thing. Then, others chime in that things are so easy today - who are you to complain about such a little inconvenience? Etc etc

Absurd. Resorts need to have backup power plans. There could be medical, business, and many other objectivity reasonable concerns which require constant power. Buying a flashlight might not solve the problem. That said, a few hours of an outage in the middle of the night is not out of line, but six hours? Something should have been done to minimize that outage.


Sent from my iPad

 

[chriskre]

These types of threads seem to follow a typical process. First people are upset that the vendor could do such a thing. Then, others chime in that things are so easy today - who are you to complain about such a little inconvenience? Etc etc

Absurd. Resorts need to have backup power plans. There could be medical, business, and many other objectivity reasonable concerns which require constant power. Buying a flashlight might not solve the problem. That said, a few hours of an outage in the middle of the night is not out of line, but six hours? Something should have been done to minimize that outage.


Sent from my iPad

Thanks Ken.
I was starting to feel the weight of the bricks.

And I know, I know first world problems until it's your problem. Ha!
I'm half Dominican so I know first hand about power outages and guess what? Dominicans buy Catepillar generators and build little houses for them and buy $600 worth of gas a month to run them just at night for when the power goes out.
So the third world knows how better to handle a power outage than us first worlds.

 

[Jim Bryan]

Bottom line, the Resort should have probably handled it much better than they did. I would want to know why, so I could know how to judge their response.

 

[geekette]

I think that for the resort to continue to take reservations for the time when MAJOR utilities are KNOWN to be interrupted for extended time is unconscionable! The VERY least they should have done when the power outage was known would have been to notify reservation holders so that alternative plans could be made by those who wished to not be inconvenienced.

Offering monetary or credit refunds to affected guests would be appropriate. Guests asking for such should be accommodated- up to the cost of a night's lodging in similar quality facility.

Jim

How would they have known a year + ago?

 

[Passepartout]

How would they have known a year + ago?

They wouldn't have to have known a year ago, but it's clear from what the OP posted that the resort DID have *some* advance knowledge. Even advising current guests with a flyer under the door, or by mail with incoming guests so contingencies could be made. For instance for people with CPAP devices, or a child that needs a night light or for a cooler with some ice in it for food that needed refrigeration.

Another way the situation was poorly handled was allowing the construction workers unfettered access to the guests' lunch that was meant as compensation for their inconvenience.

The thing was simply handled poorly. Period.

 

[geekette]

They wouldn't have to have known a year ago, but it's clear from what the OP posted that the resort DID have *some* advance knowledge. Even advising current guests with a flyer under the door, or by mail with incoming guests so contingencies could be made. For instance for people with CPAP devices, or a child that needs a night light or for a cooler with some ice in it for food that needed refrigeration.

Another way the situation was poorly handled was allowing the construction workers unfettered access to the guests' lunch that was meant as compensation for their inconvenience.

The thing was simply handled poorly. Period.

I agree, handled poorly. Sign on the elevator is very very lame (what about peeps that use the stairs?), but wondering if resort knew at check-in day?? If they knew by then, every guest checking-in should have been notified, don't like it, here's RCI's number if you want to move, and agree, warning before ever leaving home IF resort had advance notice. Don't know what the nature of the electrical issue was, sometimes there isn't notice.

Cannot comment with family language what I think of the luncheon that kinda wasn't.... :ignore:

 

[vacationhopeful]

It is ALL in the mindset of the people handling the issue .... 3rd world countries and the people who live there do NOT CONSIDER a 6 hour electric cut out anything more than a cloudy day ... it is a "SO WHAT" moment in their universe.

I suggest your BODs look at to WHO is running the show and get them into the current century .... cheap labor ... hire an 18 year old who would be flipping out if no internet or able to run his computer.

 

[Ty1on]

It is ALL in the mindset of the people handling the issue .... 3rd world countries and the people who live there do NOT CONSIDER a 6 hour electric cut out anything more than a cloudy day ... it is a "SO WHAT" moment in their universe.

I suggest your BODs look at to WHO is running the show and get them into the current century .... cheap labor ... hire an 18 year old who would be flipping out if no internet or able to run his computer.

3d world countries and the people who are in them are NOT paying $1,000 to $2,000 per use week for maintenance fees in addition to the equity cost of their contracts (Even if you bought resale, there was an initial equity cost that someone paid).

I think the bottom line is that resorts have backup plans because they are going to lose revenue if they don't. What's the incentive for an HOA or management company to arrange backup power?

 

[Talent312]

I agree, handled poorly. Sign on the elevator is very very lame (what about peeps that use the stairs?)...

The class and there's no class. As an example of class:
There were 3 false fire alarms in the span of a few hours at a Hyatt Hotel where we stayed a few weeks ago. All 454 occupied rooms received a letter of apology from the manager. No drink coupons, but a classy gesture nonetheless.
.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Reminds me of the Marriott Beach Place helpful (NOT) handling of a hurricane/tropical storm several years ago.

3 nights in a row after 6PM, a letter from the resort manager being pushed under the door. Basicly, implying the resort MAY be closed down ... but NOT clearly saying such. If you call or went do to the Front Desk ... those staff members KNEW NOT what you were talking or asking about as the manager had gone home. It was advising they were watching a storm in the Atlantic and advised (more like a HINT) there MIGHT be a evacution - consultant the Broward County Emergency Management for shelter locations.

The resort management team was NEVER available to be asked any questions .... I guess they had left town.

Talk about helping to keep their out of town guests in the loop. NOT!

 

[chriskre]

It is ALL in the mindset of the people handling the issue .... 3rd world countries and the people who live there do NOT CONSIDER a 6 hour electric cut out anything more than a cloudy day ... it is a "SO WHAT" moment in their universe.

I suggest your BODs look at to WHO is running the show and get them into the current century .... cheap labor ... hire an 18 year old who would be flipping out if no internet or able to run his computer.

My cousin is in a wheelchair in the Dominican Republic and she lives on the top floor of a 10 story building. Many a time she gets stuck on the first floor because the building loses power. The downstairs neighbors let her hang out with them until the power returns when it happens which is luckily less often then in years past. It's an older building so they don't have a generator for the elevators. So yes it's something she lives with but certainly is not a "so what" moment for her. But there isn't anything she can do about it except move which is not an option for her. There is no ADA to defend her rights.

 

[chriskre]

I agree, handled poorly. Sign on the elevator is very very lame (what about peeps that use the stairs?), but wondering if resort knew at check-in day?? If they knew by then, every guest checking-in should have been notified, don't like it, here's RCI's number if you want to move, and agree, warning before ever leaving home IF resort had advance notice. Don't know what the nature of the electrical issue was, sometimes there isn't notice.

Cannot comment with family language what I think of the luncheon that kinda wasn't.... :ignore:

Well the lady with the autistic child had been using the stairs only and had not seen the notice until we started a little chat in the hot tub. Isn't that where you meet everyone in the resort?

The resort check in lady did not mention it at check in. I saw it in the elevator the day of check in but definitely those who took the stairs didn't see it.

 

[wed100105]

I understand your frustration; instead of going home and calling after the fact, I would have most likely went to the front desk as soon as I saw the notice of the power outage, politely stated my problem (medical issue-CPAP) and asked for them to put me up in a nearby hotel (with power) for the night. Why did you wait until after the vacation to say something?

Our family could have easily dealt with the outage, but I am not naive enough to suggest that it would be a major issue for others. I would expect the resort to have some sort of back up plan for medical necessities (given that this was an expected outage with no weather or emergency causes).

 

[VacationForever]

Sometimes there is really nothing the resort can do about it. Late last year we checked into Marriott DSV II and I happened to have picked "Jasmine Court" due to TUGgers' input that it is a quiet end of the resort. We checked in at the main lobby and there were notices posted and flyers handed out that water would be shut off between 10pm to 6am by the city in at DSV I and DSV II on one of the weeknights (Wed or something like that) to repair piping. We later learned that Jasmine Court was the only area of the resort that not affected (I don't remember if it was after the fact or knew about it before hand). There was a Thank You and Sorry For The Inconvenience party held a day after the incident. All I can say is *bleep* happens and sometimes the resort can do something about it but sometimes not.

 

[theo]

<snip> All I can say is *bleep* happens and sometimes the resort can do something about it but sometimes not.

Exactly so. Well said.

 

[silentg]

The past couple of exchanges I have made thru RCI were fine at the time I made them. I went back to check dates etc in my vacation history and noticed In red writing to click for updates. One said major remodeling would be done at the resort during the time I would be there. So I canceled that exchange. Last one said there would be painting of the exterior and interior of the buildings. We went anyway, and found they closed some of the buildings, unoccupied and were renovating those. It did not affect our stay at all.
Did you have any alert on your resort confirmation? Check as your week gets closer each time, they slip those in, sometimes at the last minute.
Also, living in Florida, we get last minute notices that they are shutting off power, or water. Last week, I returned home to find a man digging in my yard, and trucks up and down the street, with men digging in everyone's yard. The one in my yard said , no worries we are changing all the water meters. They left a note on the front door and said the water would be off while they changed up the meters! It was off for an hour or so.
Never a dull moment here!
Silentg

 

[Chrispee]

This reminds me of our stay at the Westin Kierland Villas at the end of August. We were given 24 hours notice of a water shutoff from 10am to 4pm in our building (the main building with the lobby). The resort's contingency plan was to have 3 units in other buildings opened as public rest rooms. We went to bed that night wishing that we had a trip planned for the next day rather than a day of rest at the pool.

The Westin staff embraced the unexpected inconvenience with all activity staff donning high visibility vests and hard hats. They had extra staff on deck giving out water, apologizing for the inconvenience, and directing people to the available restrooms. They even grilled hot dogs by the pool to thank everybody for their patience. It's not about the crisis, it's about how it's handled.

 

[Jim Bryan]

This shows a Resort that cares.

 

[klpca]

We had no power for a full day at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas in 2014. No notice at check in four days earlier - just a note slid under the door the day before. It was for an installation of an hvac unit or something like that. So they *did* know - this was scheduled maintenance. Of course, it was the day that we had scheduled as a resort day. (I'm not one to lay around - ever - but I was traveling with a friend who only wants to lay around the pool at the resort. Figures that it would be that day, lol). We couldn't use our room so we went to the pool as planned. We couldn't even use the jacuzzi's because the power was shut off. They had a bbq lunch which I thought was a nice touch since you couldn't cook in your unit, but they charged for the meal. Tacky.

I didn't complain because it the big scheme of things it wasn't the end of the world, but IMHO I thought that it was handled quite poorly. It was more disruptive than it needed to be. If we had been told at check in, we would have scheduled our spa day for that day and been away from the property all day. If they had provided a meal to recognize the disruption to our vacation that would have been a gracious gesture. Instead, charging for it felt like another shakedown for money. It didn't ruin our trip but I will never forget how we were treated, that's for sure.