Just got back
We just returned from week 48 at the Sands and 49 at the Haciendas. The Sands beach has recovered significantly from the condition it was in at the same time last year. Palapas are up against the wall(s), but still plenty of room. Had two yellow flag areas one day, but most of the time it was limited to only one yellow flag area. Red everywhere else. All beach access points, with the exception of the ramp at Phase I, were open. It was about a 18" drop to the sand at the end, so it stayed closed. Last year it was about a 4 foot drop, so some sand has returned.
It is evident that even without hurricanes, the beach hydraulics have changed everywhere. We did not hear the comments about hotels sharing the cost of the beach renourishment. Maintenance fees are going up everywhere, so it is difficult to separate fact from paranoia. The only thing we did hear was discussion of work to start in the first quarter of 2009. That may just be the engineering studies, only those in direct contact with the effort can tell....I don't know anyone whose information I would trust...so I would watch, read, and listen.