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

[chriskre]

I am staying at Costa del Sol in Lauderdale by the sea this week and they posted a notice on the elevators that
they were shutting off the electricity on Wednesday night from midnight to 6am.

I approached the staff and asked them why they were doing this at night and their answer was that they were
not doing it but it was FPL (Florida Power & Light) that was doing it.
Talk about passing the buck.
FPL does not turn off the power to a full building without notifying the association and coordinating it with them.
I know because I am a condo President in my complex.
Nothing like this happens without coordination and agreement.
So this association arranged this with FPL regardless of what they say.

Now the problem with doing this at night aside from the obvious is that for me I use a CPAP and without electricity
I would not be sleeping at all.
Not to mention that it's mid August in FL where the temps at night are in the high 80's plus our humidity factor.
And never mind that there are a lot of seniors here who could easily fall in the middle of the night in the dark.
Plus 6 hours of food in the fridge may not survive the outage if it went longer and they didn't provide any extra ice.
There are only two ice trays in each fridge.

I spoke to other exchangers in the hot tub, cause isn't that where you talk to other guests :big grin: and one of the l
adies had an autistic daughter and was freaking out how she would handle that.
She was on an RCI exchange and of course RCI knew nothing about this.
I'm on an II exchange and it wasn't mentioned there either.
I did book this a year out though.
She ended up taking a hotel close by to avoid a problem with her daughter.
Luckily this was just a stay cation for me and I only live an hour away so came home for the night.
I guess I'll find out today and tomorrow what others ended up doing.

I asked the staff why they didn't rent an emergency generator for the night and they said that it wasn't in their budget.
Mind you this is a full service (daily maid service) resort.
Why they have daily maid service I haven't a clue cause it's overkill for sure.

I called II to see what they could do on their end. I know it's not their fault but I feel like doing a re-do of this vacation.
I've lost more than just the 1 night since I had to bring my food home and now schlep it back again today.
Talk about inconvenient. Luckily I have one of those giant costco freezer bags and most of it fit.
I've emailed the customer service with II about my displeasure.
Hopefully they can lean on the resort a bit cause this certainly could have been done during daylight hours like noon to 6pm. :roll eyes:

Other than this huge inconvenience it's actually a nice little place.

 

[geekette]

I am staying at Costa del Sol in Lauderdale by the sea this week and they posted a notice on the elevators that
they were shutting off the electricity on Wednesday night from midnight to 6am.

I approached the staff and asked them why they were doing this at night and their answer was that they were
not doing it but it was FPL (Florida Power & Light) that was doing it.
Talk about passing the buck.
FPL does not turn off the power to a full building without notifying the association and coordinating it with them.
I know because I am a condo President in my complex.
Nothing like this happens without coordination and agreement.
So this association arranged this with FPL regardless of what they say.

Now the problem with doing this at night aside from the obvious is that for me I use a CPAP and without electricity
I would not be sleeping at all.
Not to mention that it's mid August in FL where the temps at night are in the high 80's plus our humidity factor.
And never mind that there are a lot of seniors here who could easily fall in the middle of the night in the dark.
Plus 6 hours of food in the fridge may not survive the outage if it went longer and they didn't provide any extra ice.
There are only two ice trays in each fridge.

I spoke to other exchangers in the hot tub, cause isn't that where you talk to other guests :big grin: and one of the l
adies had an autistic daughter and was freaking out how she would handle that.
She was on an RCI exchange and of course RCI knew nothing about this.
I'm on an II exchange and it wasn't mentioned there either.
I did book this a year out though.
She ended up taking a hotel close by to avoid a problem with her daughter.
Luckily this was just a stay cation for me and I only live an hour away so came home for the night.
I guess I'll find out today and tomorrow what others ended up doing.

I asked the staff why they didn't rent an emergency generator for the night and they said that it wasn't in their budget.
Mind you this is a full service (daily maid service) resort.
Why they have daily maid service I haven't a clue cause it's overkill for sure.

I called II to see what they could do on their end. I know it's not their fault but I feel like doing a re-do of this vacation.
I've lost more than just the 1 night since I had to bring my food home and now schlep it back again today.
Talk about inconvenient. Luckily I have one of those giant costco freezer bags and most of it fit.
I've emailed the customer service with II about my displeasure.
Hopefully they can lean on the resort a bit cause this certainly could have been done during daylight hours like noon to 6pm. :roll eyes:

Other than this huge inconvenience it's actually a nice little place.

Confused - how would shutting off power during the day be better? It's hotter, more people out an about, wanting to use microwave, water heater, tv...? What is the reason for the outage?

Having been thru my share of outages this summer, food survives just fine for 6 hours if the fridge/freezer doors aren't repeatedly opened. I still had coldish beverages in fridge after 3 days. I definitely wouldn't clear out and return, I'd just go to sleep and power would be back before I missed it.

Pardon my ignorance, but not sure I understand the issue with no power while autistic child sleeps? CPAP, I understand.

I'd be annoyed at losing power as early as midnight, as I'm sure some would be annoyed in not having it by 6 am (no coffee??)

They really should have offered flashlights to all guests that wanted them and also bring in hot coffee for the early birds (my mother is up at 4:30 every morning).

Interesting situation overall.

 

[DeniseM]

Just guessing, but an autistic child may not be able to tolerate complete darkness and may need a nightlight or lamp to sleep.

 

[presley]

I asked the staff why they didn't rent an emergency generator for the night and they said that it wasn't in their budget.

That doesn't make any sense. I can see why they'd have it shut off at night, though. During the day, they'd have to close the pools/hot tubs and people who are trying to cook would be very upset. I think overall they chose the right time to shut it off, but they absolutely should have rented generators so people could run their medical equipment and the air conditioning.

I'm sure II will compensate you somehow when they know that you had to drive for an hour to go home so you could sleep that night.

 

[sjsharkie]

I can understand the OPs frustration, but I disagree with some of the inferences in the post.

If FPL is doing a large swath of work in a particular area, they aren't going to get agreement from every single condo board on the dates they want to do it. There certainly should be ample notification (assuming this was not an emergency repair), but not necessarily agreement on the particular date and time. I used to be on a board of a non-profit, and when PG&E was doing work which required shutting off electricity for a large project in the area, they gave us over a month's notice, but didn't let us choose the date and time.

The resort could have given occupants more advanced and better notice than a posting on the elevator. But then again, we don't know how much notice was given to them.

I also agree with others that for the majority of the guests, performing maintenance during the night versus the day is probably less impactful. I'd be upset if I couldn't use the pool or other facilities during the day.

I'd complain and see what compensation is given. That's really all that can be done IMHO.

-ryan

 

[Ty1on]

I can understand the OPs frustration, but I disagree with some of the inferences in the post.

If FPL is doing a large swath of work in a particular area, they aren't going to get agreement from every single condo board on the dates they want to do it. There certainly should be ample notification (assuming this was not an emergency repair), but not necessarily agreement on the particular date and time. I used to be on a board of a non-profit, and when PG&E was doing work which required shutting off electricity for a large project in the area, they gave us over a month's notice, but didn't let us choose the date and time.

The resort could have given occupants more advanced and better notice than a posting on the elevator. But then again, we don't know how much notice was given to them.

I also agree with others that for the majority of the guests, performing maintenance during the night versus the day is probably less impactful. I'd be upset if I couldn't use the pool or other facilities during the day.

I'd complain and see what compensation is given. That's really all that can be done IMHO.

-ryan

As far as renting a generator, it seems to me that's the kind of thing Reserve funds are there for.

 

[chriskre]

Confused - how would shutting off power during the day be better? It's hotter, more people out an about, wanting to use microwave, water heater, tv...? What is the reason for the outage?

Having been thru my share of outages this summer, food survives just fine for 6 hours if the fridge/freezer doors aren't repeatedly opened. I still had coldish beverages in fridge after 3 days. I definitely wouldn't clear out and return, I'd just go to sleep and power would be back before I missed it.

Pardon my ignorance, but not sure I understand the issue with no power while autistic child sleeps? CPAP, I understand.

I'd be annoyed at losing power as early as midnight, as I'm sure some would be annoyed in not having it by 6 am (no coffee??)

They really should have offered flashlights to all guests that wanted them and also bring in hot coffee for the early birds (my mother is up at 4:30 every morning).

Interesting situation overall.

I think it would have been less impactful during the day because at least you can get out and about during the day so the autistic child and their family wouldn't be impacted. There are things to do in Fort Lauderdale other than hang out at the resort if it was really necessary to do during the day but definitely not happening at 12-6am unless you're taking grandma clubbing. :whoopie:
Yeah maybe we couldn't use the pool and hot tub, but at least we had the ocean.

And yeah the CPAP issue is a problem for me.
Not so much worried about my food since I brought it home with me.

Just guessing, but an autistic child may not be able to tolerate complete darkness and may need a nightlight or lamp to sleep.

Yes that's what the Mom said. Apparently he sleeps with a light on.

That doesn't make any sense. I can see why they'd have it shut off at night, though. During the day, they'd have to close the pools/hot tubs and people who are trying to cook would be very upset. I think overall they chose the right time to shut it off, but they absolutely should have rented generators so people could run their medical equipment and the air conditioning.

I'm sure II will compensate you somehow when they know that you had to drive for an hour to go home so you could sleep that night.

No II didn't do anything for me. :annoyed:
They agreed with me that it was an unacceptable situation but that I should have called them before I left so they could find me accommodations for the night. I didn't even think to call them until today when I am home checking the sightings. They blame the resort, which I agree and that they do not have to do anything for me, not even a stupid AC. Sheesh. :roll eyes:

They did say they were going to talk to the resort manager and let them know that they could possibly lose their rating if they do this again.

I can understand the OPs frustration, but I disagree with some of the inferences in the post.

If FPL is doing a large swath of work in a particular area, they aren't going to get agreement from every single condo board on the dates they want to do it. There certainly should be ample notification (assuming this was not an emergency repair), but not necessarily agreement on the particular date and time. I used to be on a board of a non-profit, and when PG&E was doing work which required shutting off electricity for a large project in the area, they gave us over a month's notice, but didn't let us choose the date and time.

The resort could have given occupants more advanced and better notice than a posting on the elevator. But then again, we don't know how much notice was given to them.

I also agree with others that for the majority of the guests, performing maintenance during the night versus the day is probably less impactful. I'd be upset if I couldn't use the pool or other facilities during the day.

I'd complain and see what compensation is given. That's really all that can be done IMHO.

-ryan

The resort is doing lots of work on the building. FPL was only going to run new lines to the building. Honestly this doesn't sound like a 6 hour job but that's what they were telling them just to cover their butts.

As far as renting a generator, it seems to me that's the kind of thing Reserve funds are there for.

Ya think? They don't seem to have a line item for that.

 

[Miss Marty]

Being without Electricity at Home or at a Resort

I am staying at Costa del Sol in Lauderdale by the sea
this week and they posted a notice on the elevators
that they were shutting off the electricity on
Wednesday night from midnight to 6am.

Now the problem with doing this at night aside from the obvious is that for me I use a CPAP and without electricity I would not be sleeping at all.

You may want to consider:

A LED rechargeable plug-in power outage flashlight
that senses a power failure and automatically lights
up in an emergency for home and travel.

Also Alternative Power Options for Your CPAP
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Machine

 

[Miss Marty]

Ever have a resort shut off the power all night? Costa del Sol did. No


Our First Hurricane

Once we stayed at The Hilton Grand Vacation Club on I-Drive
and was without power for 26 hours during a Sept. Hurricane.

The only things we had were a flashlight and a small battery
operated transistor radio to sit out the storm.
(A gift from Timesharing Today Magazine)

I will always remember watching the rain pour down
International Drive and the resort resetting almost
all their big beautiful palm trees after the Hurricane.

Next day, we visited the other HGVClub
and learned that they never lost power.

 

[Ken555]

Sounds like the HOA is managed by a bunch of incompetents.


Sent from my iPad

 

[chriskre]

You may want to consider:



A LED rechargeable plug-in power outage flashlight

that senses a power failure and automatically lights

up in an emergency for home and travel.



Also Alternative Power Options for Your CPAP

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Machine

My phone has a flashlight.
I wasn't scared of the dark.
If this had just happened by accident I would have just winged it.
I have slept on the floor thru many a hurricane at the hospital as a nurse waiting out the storm for 36 to 48 hours.
I am not a whimp trust me.
Been thru much worse with hurricanes and keeping people alive on life support.
But that wasn't planned and we were better prepared than these bozos.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chriskre]

Sounds like the HOA is managed by a bunch of incompetents.


Sent from my iPad

Yup. It appears so.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[theo]

Perception vs. reality...

I certainly have "no dog in this fight" and (just like everyone else here) I do not know all of the underlying facts or the real reason(s) for the temporary interruption of power in the unfortunate instance cited. Sometimes s&*t happens --- and six (likley unavoidable) hours of inconvenience (with written advance notice provided and limited to a time period in the middle of the night) ain't exactly a tragedy of epic proportions, nor is it in any way a "compensation-eligible" situation (IMnsHO). C'mon, really?

My primary point in commenting at all on this matter is to simply note that unless the facility already has a backup generator capability and all the necessary associated wiring and circuit "switching" infrastructure already in place and integrated into the facility's electrical system for future use, there is not now (and there was not then) any realistic (or even available) option to just go out and get a generator, even if one was somehow available for free. Frankly, the very idea is just absurd, reflecting a complete lack of knowledge and / or understanding about how independent backup generation of electricity actually integrates into any electrical system.

In short, running out to buy, borrow, rent, teletransport (or acquire by any other conceivable means) a generator for six hours of use at any structure not already fully equipped to integrate it was never a realistic option --- regardless of cost, personal viewpoints, disappointment, inconvenience, or preferences to the contrary.
To suggest otherwise is to just conveniently ignore all factual reality regarding backup power availability in infrastructure not even equipped to employ it. Just sayin'...

P.S. I have no experience with this facility, but beyond the minor inconvenience one could question how / why any coastal Florida (historically a hurricane prone area) facility doesn't have independent, integrated backup power generation capability in place already; my FL timeshares (all of them built back in the 1980's) certainly do.

 

[chriskre]

Theo there are companies who specialize in emergency generator rentals.
This isn't the types of generators you buy at home depot.
They are commercial ones like caterpillars

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[e.bram]

I have been in my Cape Cod oceanfront TS, where we have had some storm related blackouts. C'est la vie.

 

[PigsDad]

Theo there are companies who specialize in emergency generator rentals.
This isn't the types of generators you buy at home depot.
They are commercial ones like caterpillars

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

 

[geekette]

Just guessing, but an autistic child may not be able to tolerate complete darkness and may need a nightlight or lamp to sleep.

Thank you. I appreciate the education.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

As far as renting a generator, it seems to me that's the kind of thing Reserve funds are there for.

Not at all. Reserves are ear marked for specific capital purposes. I've never seen a general reserve for unforeseen random misc expenses. That would open the door for mismanagement of funds. Everything is budgeted specifically. Almost all timeshares are not properly funded so not only is there a deficit in reserves for what should be known expenses but there is definitely nothing left for unforeseen events.

 

[pedro47]

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 ?

 

[Passepartout]

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

 

[e.bram]

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

 

[tschwa2]

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!

I agree with this statement but I don't really consider 6 hours max (and it may have been less but the resort and the power company wanted guests to prepare for the worst) to be MAJOR or even extended. If they knew it would be anything above 24-36 hrs I would agree that no reservations should have been taken and all guests effected should have been notified in advance and given alternatives. As it is advance notice plus some kind of flash light should have been provide but not really that major.

 

[Ty1on]

I certainly have "no dog in this fight" and (just like everyone else here) do not know all of the underlying facts or the real reason(s) for the temporary interruption of power in the unfortunate instance cited. Sometimes s&*t happens --- and 6 (likley unavoidable) hours of (written advance notice provided) inconvenience (...and limited to a time period in the middle of the night) ain't exactly a tragedy of epic proportions, IMnsHO.

My primary point in commenting at all on this matter is to simply note that unless the facility already has a backup generator capability and all necessary associated wiring and circuit "switching" capability integrated into their multi-unit facility's electrical system, there is not now (and was not then) any realistic option to just go out and get a generator. Frankly, the very idea is just absurd, reflecting a lack of knowledge or understanding about how independent backup generation of electricity actually integrates into any large, multi-unit structure and its' operation with various, assorted units and occupants with individual and different electricity needs or demands.

In short, running out to buy, borrow, rent, teleport (or acquire by any other conceivable means) a generator for 6 hours of use (in the middle of the night) at a multi-unit facility was never a realistic option in this situation, regardless of cost and / or any personal viewpoints, disappointments, inconvenience, or preferences to the contrary.
To even suggest otherwise is to just conveniently ignore the facts and simple reality regarding backup power availability in such a situation. Just sayin'...

P.S. I have no experience with this facility, but beyond the minor inconvenience one could question how / why any coastal Florida (historically a hurricane prone area) facility doesn't have independent, integrated backup power generation capability in place already; my FL timeshares (all of them built back in the 1980's) certainly do.

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.

I doubt it is, but I personally think it should be building code for any hotel or short term residence property. Not to own and maintain the equipment, but to at least be able to use it in emergencies. There is a public good in hotels/resorts being able to run on generator power during crises, too.

Hey, I wonder if FEMA compensates a timeshare for use as emergency shelter, whether that compensation credits against owner maintenance fees LOL

 

[Ty1on]

Not at all. Reserves are ear marked for specific capital purposes. I've never seen a general reserve for unforeseen random misc expenses. That would open the door for mismanagement of funds. Everything is budgeted specifically. Almost all timeshares are not properly funded so not only is there a deficit in reserves for what should be known expenses but there is definitely nothing left for unforeseen events.

Reserves are held for contingencies, not specific capital purposes. The HOA financial report shows an expectancy range of when of these different capital needs arise, but they are not precisely forecasted in advance.

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.

 

[theo]

Perception vs. Reality --- Redux...

<snip> .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.

A nonsense conclusion (no disrespect intended). As clearly pointed out already, even a free mega watt generator delivered right to the site is utterly useless to any large, multi-unit facility whose electrical system and circuitry switching infrastructure / capability is not already fully in place and set up in advance to accommodate it.

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

The lame "not in the budget" response from a desk clerk (or whatever other clueless facility minion actually said that) regarding obtaining a generator for temporary use was unfortunate, uninformed and unhelpful --- but ultimately completely irrelevant anyhow to the real reason why it was never really even an available option at all.