HSH 2018 Renovations

[bdh]

With as tight lipped as Hyatt is with everything, was wondering what was happening at Sunset Harbor with the resort renovation project. Saw that KAL has a project photo page on his website. http://bywindkal.com/Hyatt/HSH2018.html

From the looks of things, there's a lot of action inside and outside the units! The Office to Pool Walkway photos show progress in the work as they're obviously taken over several days. From the looks of the one interior photo, the finished product looks like its going to be VERY nice.

A few other renovation notes:

• When working in tight quarters, storage space is at a premium. ie: the Pool Furniture Storage photos.
• The unit furniture (bed frame, mattress and chairs) stored outside on the walkways looks a little unorthodoxed - or maybe that's KW?
• Interior renovation for Building 1 was finishing up on Monday, 7/9. So started demo on the interior of Building #2. Hopefully the learning curve from Building 1 kicks in and the renovation of Building 2 moves a little quicker - if not, the mid-September project completion date could be a little overly optimistic
• The office walkway fountain has been removed and there's a palm tree in its location. (Thank God that there's no fire pit in its place!)
• The new pool deck walkways and gazebo flooring is supposed to be complete on 7/18 - from the looks of it, that may also be a little overly optimistic.
• The grills look like there going to be permanently removed from their building 5 location - no idea where they're going to replant them.

If the exterior pool deck reno runs over a few days, wouldn't expect that to be a big deal. But if the interior unit reno runs over, expect there to be some red butts on that one.

 

[TBipp]

Thank you for posting--we will be staying at Sunset Harbor in November. Maybe we will get a renovated room?!

 

[bdh]

Thank you for posting--we will be staying at Sunset Harbor in November. Maybe we will get a renovated room?!

If the unit you get in November isn't renovated, expect there would be red faces at Hyatt and red butts on contractors.

 

[IslandTime]

This is awesome, thanks for posting! Can't wait to see the new bathrooms in December.

 

[AJCts411]

I Sure hope a that the work will be complete as they scheduled. Now for a mission critical question...what coffee makers do they have? Still the filter and pot..or K-Cup...

 

[bdh]

The

I Sure hope a that the work will be complete as they scheduled. Now for a mission critical question...what coffee makers do they have? Still the filter and pot..or K-Cup...

The pool is open now, however haven't finished the deck at the hot tub/spa area or the deck area adjacent to building 5. As far as interior work goes, their only half way done with that task. Sounds like their moving at KW speed.

 

[Kal]

I Sure hope a that the work will be complete as they scheduled. Now for a mission critical question...what coffee makers do they have? Still the filter and pot..or K-Cup...

With all the costs of the renovations, Sunset Harbor might be considering a "time-proven" alternate:

 

[AJCts411]

Well...maybe...this is in "OLD" Key West.

 

[TBipp]

We own at Beach House and I sent in a suggestion for a combination K Cup and coffee maker. I didn't know if such an appliance existed and it does. I think it makes a lot of sense when you have a group that all enjoys a pot of coffee but yet if only one person drinks coffee, you have the option of the K cup. Or, the option of a cup with or without caffeine if a pot is made for the group.

 

[AJCts411]

Would another owner have an update on the progress of the renovations at Sunset. Heading there wk 39/40 (400 and 200 block)...5 weeks away. Is the pool deck done? Renovation done/ noise? When the renovations were announced I believe they said end of Aug as a completion date. Are they close?

 

[bdh]

Would another owner have an update on the progress of the renovations at Sunset. Heading there wk 39/40 (400 and 200 block)...5 weeks away. Is the pool deck done? Renovation done/ noise? When the renovations were announced I believe they said end of Aug as a completion date. Are they close?

Completion was originally scheduled for Sept 30 - as of two weeks ago, they were still saying Sept 30 completion. With your units being Building 4 and 2, you'll be ok - the reno work in Bldg 2 has already been completed and the work in Bldg 4 is headed for the finish line. People with units in Building 5 will be the ones that are closely watching the Sept 30 deadline.

 

[AJCts411]

Thanks, good to hear...for me at least.

 

[dbmarch]

We were just there the week of Aug 19. The pool is open but the hot tub is roped off. The stage ( aka smoking area) is blocked off. They seem to have a lot of work started outside (roped off) but nobody worked on it the week we were there. (Not sure why they started work everywhere at once). There were a handful of people working in building 4. Our unit in building 1 was already remodeled. It's nicer but the workmanship was 'ok'. Our unit in Windward Pointe is fixed up nicer.

Attaching photos from our trip. (outside)

 

[bdh]

We were just there the week of Aug 19. The pool is open but the hot tub is roped off. The stage ( aka smoking area) is blocked off. They seem to have a lot of work started outside (roped off) but nobody worked on it the week we were there. (Not sure why they started work everywhere at once). There were a handful of people working in building 4. Our unit in building 1 was already remodeled. It's nicer but the workmanship was 'ok'. Our unit in Windward Pointe is fixed up nicer.

Other than your 3rd photo of the new walkway heading towards the main office being taken from the opposite end of the photo on KAL's site, the progress doesn't look too much different than the early July photo. http://bywindkal.com/Hyatt/HSH2018photos/Office to Pool Walkway 3.html

 

[bdh]

Sept 30 was the scheduled renovation completion date - however the target is now Oct 15. The spa is still closed and the walkway from the front office out to the pool is also closed -sounds like they've resubmitted plans to the City to widen the walkway to the spa and put in a fire pit at the office walkway. (Still don't believe that their putting in a fire pit!).

They're also still working on Building 5 interior renovations - the official date for that completion is Oct 20. So expecting that some deeded week 39, 40 and 41 owners in Building 5 are getting bumped to another unit.

 

[Sapper]

... and put in a fire pit at the office walkway. (Still don't believe that their putting in a fire pit!).
.

Maybe they are going to put in a fire spit (some one in the planning office left the "s" off the front end) and roast pigs on it.

 

[AJCts411]

Just returned from a week. walkways, spa...look the same as the above pics. Rumor was Oct 7th for building 5, and 15 for the deck/walkways...which seems impossible.

 

[TBipp]

I’m at HSH now. Pool is open but a lot of construction going on around the pool. It looks like the finish date is quite a bit down the road. And, YES they are installing a fire pit. There are several resorts that have them so the Board decided to install one. BBQ pit being relocated and will have permanent gas line. There will be a larger area for laying out. We are in Biilding 5. Does not seem renovated and kitchen floor has chunks out of it.

 

[IslandTime]

We checked out of 231A (lockoff) this morning. The bathroom reno is very nice. I wish they had painted the bedroom to match the soothing pale color in the bathroom. The bedroom is still the old baby poop yellow color and looks pretty worn in comparison.

We sat at a table on the deck where the swing is for a few hours one day and worked remotely. We didn't see any work on the deck area by the pool at all last week but didn't hang out at the resort much during the day.

 

[Cropman]

At Sunset now. It is unbelievable how slow the construction moves along. I’m betting this won’t be done until snowbird season is over. I’m just wondering what kind of pressure is being put on them by the resort/board/or others. I don’t think it’s much by the pace of it all.

 

[Kal]

Just remember, it's Key West where it takes forever to get anyone interested in doing anything. But that should not be a surprise to the people managing the work. I would wager that the contract does not have any penalty provisions for not meeting specific completion dates.

What would a homeowner do if the contractor work was completed 5-6 months late?? (or maybe 12 months late)

 

[ivywag]

At Sunset now. It is unbelievable how slow the construction moves along. I’m betting this won’t be done until snowbird season is over. I’m just wondering what kind of pressure is being put on them by the resort/board/or others. I don’t think it’s much by the pace of it all.

We're heading to HSH the second week in March. I thought for sure that the renovations would be done by then. Disappointing! Any recommendations for which units to request? (renovations completed)

 

[Cropman]

We're heading to HSH the second week in March. I thought for sure that the renovations would be done by then. Disappointing! Any recommendations for which units to request? (renovations completed)

I think all the units are done. It’s all the work around the outside that taking forever.

 

[AJCts411]

I think all the units are done. It’s all the work around the outside that taking forever.

From your pictures it looks like they have torn out previously uncompleted new construction on the deck/walkways. Owners should be demanding answers, because not one project ever in the universe got cheaper as the project lagged. So who's paying for these over runs?

 

[bdh]

All work on the unit interiors and the wood deck replacement on the hallways & balconies outside the units was completed mid-October. Then construction work on the wood walkways around the pool/hot tub and the fire pit stopped for 3 months due to permitting issues with the city.

Since they restarted work on the pool area wood walkways, there has been a handful of "do-overs" on the wood walkway framing and post installation relocation. If the do-overs are contractor error, the contractor eats it - if the do-overs are a result of design changes, they get paid extra for the additional work. There hasn't been enough framing and post relocation to get excited about the cost either way.

However the resetting of all posts as a result of the permit issue is the bigger question. Original plans called for direct burial of the posts in the ground. While approval for the project had been granted by the City in 2018, the topic of the post installation method was somehow revisited by the City. The City requirement that post installation be revised from direct burial to posts being mechanically fastened to a galvanized steel anchor set in concrete was a game changer. Who pays for that "aw crap" is the question.

Wood framing was completed today and City inspection is scheduled for tomorrow. Once approval of the framing is provided by the City, the crew installing the decking can start. The deck installation will go fairly fast, however the installation of new railings (and painting) well take a little bit of time.

While things in Key West are kind of like a baseball game where there is no time limit, the expectation is that full completion won't be till mid March.