RENOVATION NEWS
We have great news to report – the room renovation officially started on May 1, 2008! The project we’ve embarked on will substantially enhance your future vacation experience at La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club, so we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your understanding and compliance as we proceed with our 21st century ‘renaissance.’
One of the questions on all your minds is ‘Who was awarded the General Contractor bid for the renovation?’ Here’s your answer: Konstruktiva & Design N.V., a local contractor who has quite a bit of experience with similar projects in Aruba, and we’re confident they’ll do an excellent job re-shaping our ‘home away from home.’
The first phase of the renovation began on May 1st whereby for three days a crew of designated La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club associates completely stripped 36 rooms of all furnishings, bedding, etc. The three-day process of stripping the rooms entailed saving many items that we will use as replacements if needed in the balance of the rooms awaiting to be renovated. The rest of the old furniture and appliances have been stored in containers for sale first to La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club associates and then to the local market.
Since May 1st and May 2nd were holidays in Aruba, the general contractor officially began work in the rooms on Monday, May 5th. To reiterate from previous correspondence, the Board approved the pre-purchase of time-sensitive materials such as tiles, cabinetry, granite tops and light fixtures for the first two phases of the project in an effort to avoid any delay in the renovation process. Each phase should take about 14 weeks to be completed.
Safety is of paramount importance, so to avoid public access to the work space the general contractor has already sectioned-off the construction area. Keep in mind that the mesh blocking the construction area is only temporary, and that while the renovation process itself isn’t always attractive, the final result will be well worth it.
To ensure that the renovation remains on schedule and runs smoothly, the Board of Directors has hired a project management company, BK Consultants, who will have a full-time person in Aruba to supervise and monitor the efforts of the general contractor. This project manager will also act as a liaison with the management team regarding any operational, financial or engineering matters that may arise.
We are finalizing contacting owners in the second block whose units will be affected by the renovation and soon will be contacting owners in the 3rd phase. Please keep in mind that many owners whose units undergo renovation during their owned week will be offered the Entitlement Certificate. This certificate is valid for five (5) years from the start date of their week that was scheduled for renovation. If the owner decides to send a guest in their place using the certificate, the owner will still need to fill out the usual ‘Guest Authorization’ form.
With the renovation in mind, it’s imperative that you keep us updated with changes to your contact information such as a new address, phone number or e-mail address. Communication between our staff and our valued owners is vital to the workings of our operation. If we don’t have your proper phone number, problems might be encountered with the use of your room. The last thing we want is for your stay in paradise to be stressful! So, when informing your friends and relatives about your new contact information, please make sure La Cabana BRC is also on your list of ‘people to tell.’
We will continue to keep you updated on the renovation project, and we hope you share our enthusiasm for the future of our revitalized resort in the tropics. Please feel free to contact us at members@lacabanabrc.com if you have any questions, concerns or comments. Be sure to check-out pictures of the phase under renovation on the website.
CLOSING PATIO/BALCONY DOORS
In these times of environmental consciousness and high energy costs, the little things each person does can make a huge difference in today’s world and on your wallet. We at La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club are not immune to the impact of rising energy costs, and as such, we’ve implemented various methods to save and conserve energy. In keeping with our Green Globe mindset, over the past few years we’ve spent more than US$500,000 on energy-efficient equipment and will continue to do so in order to control our energy expenditures.
As owners, you can make a difference without spending any extra money by simply keeping your patio/balcony doors closed when you’re sitting outside enjoying the warm weather and breezes. We are aware that many owners will sit on their patios/balconies and leave the doors open, which is a huge waste of energy that can easily be reversed. Beyond the energy waste, keeping the doors open contributes to the increased mold and mildew that we continuously have to eliminate at a very high cost. So, we ask for your assistance in making a difference –help conserve and enhance our environment by keeping the patio and balcony doors closed at all times. It’s one of the easiest things we’ll ask you to do! Thank you, in advance, for your compliance.
ENERGY SURCHARGE INCREASE
As you know, energy costs on the island are increasing as a result of the world price of oil. Therefore, effective May 1, 2008, the energy surcharge per night has increased as follows:
* Studio and One-Bedroom Units – from $3 to $4.50
* Two-Bedroom Units – from $6 to $7
* Three-Bedroom Units – from $9 to $10.50
The price of oil is out of our control, and this increase is in response to our higher operating costs.
ADDRESS CHANGES
We can’t express enough how important it is for you, our owners, to provide us with your new contact information. More times then we’d like to count, owners relocate and they don’t provide us with the new change of address. This impedes communication between owners and La Cabana’s team, and as a result, important mail doesn’t get delivered.
Occasionally, our U.S.-based mailing house (which distributes the print version of HIGHLIGHTS, the convocation packages and other mailings) is required to pass their mass mailing list through the U.S. Postal Service’s National Change of Address (NCOA) system. If the system catches any errors (because addresses don’t match), it’ll print out the owners latest address but La Cabana does not get notification of this change, and the volume of mailing (at 15,000) is too large for a single person to sort through. Data is not passed through the system every time there’s a mailing (there is a cost attached to the process) therefore certain mail may not be received by owners. This will explain why you might get a particular edition of HIGHLIGHTS (distributed by our mailing house) but not certain materials sent by us directly.
After the invoices for the renovation assessment were sent out, and payments weren’t received in some cases, numerous owners were extremely upset and didn’t understand why the mailings seemed inconsistent or why they had to incur a penalty fee for a late payment. We hope this explanation provides clarification. Just because owners receive some correct mail at their address doesn’t mean we at La Cabana know of the change. Therefore, we implore you to please make sure La Cabana directly knows of your address and phone number changes when you move. Late charges will not be waived because of mail not being received.
You can easily let us know of changes to your address and phone number by completing the form online at http://www.lacabanabrc.com/contact.shtml or you can e-mail the membership department directly at members@lacabanabrc.com. Thank you for your understanding.
UPDATE ON THE RENOVATIONS
The renovations are about to begin. The architects have been hard at work over the past few months to create the finished design plans following an exhaustive process in which many of you, our owners, participated in providing your valuable input.
The Board of Directors have reviewed the final Design Plans and met with five General Contractors to discuss the plans and the bidding process. Final bids are due March 19, and the Board will meet on March 25-26 to choose the General Contractor for the renovations project.
The actual work on the renovations project is expected to begin the first week in May. Each Phase will be under a strict timing guideline to be completed in 14 weeks. All the General Contractors felt that this schedule would be achievable.
To ensure an on-time launch of the renovations project the Board has approved the pre-purchase of time-sensitive materials that will be needed onsite for the General Contractor to proceed with the work.
The Board has also hired a Project Management company to provide full-time oversight and manage the renovations project on a daily basis on site. Board members will also be on property to provide additional oversight during the renovations.
As we near the beginning of the actual renovations work, we will endeavor to provide you with the details of the current status of the renovations project. Here are the latest details.
Following a review by the Board of Directors, and after final changes and adjustments, the Design Plans were submitted to five General Contractors for bidding on the renovations project. Four of the five General Contractors bidding on the renovations are respected companies based in Aruba. One is an equally respected company based in the United States, but with prior experience in Aruba and throughout the Caribbean.
A pre-bidding meeting was held in early March with the Board members and the five General Contractors, plus engineers, architects and the design planning team. Contractors asked questions of both the architects and the Board as well as the Beach & Racquet Club Management Team.
A site tour of the resort was conducted for all the General Contractors pointing out the staging areas, the various phases and other important details.
Following this pre-bid meeting, an addendum to the design plan was sent out to the General Contractors. The date of March 19 has been set for these General Contractors to submit their final bids.
The Board will review the bids and meet on March 25-26 to discuss the details of all the bids and agree on which General Contractor should be awarded the contract for the renovations project.
An announcement of the winning bid will be made during the first week of April. Once the winning bid has been announced the Board will draw up a Contract Agreement that will include all pertinent related information and responsibilities. All General Contractors have already been given strict instructions that each Phase of the renovations is to be competed in 14 weeks.
Also, once the General Contractor has been identified and the Contract agreement signed, the final dates of each Block will be posted on the website with floor plans and specific dates when units will be taken out of use. We have communicated with all owners affected by the first Block and will communicate with all owners in the Second Block planned for renovations at that time.
In addition, the Board has identified and hired a Project Management company to provide full-time oversight and manage the renovations project on site. This company will have a full time Manager on site at all times to supervise and monitor the project's progress and the quality of the work being done. The company is a well-respected firm that is based in Coral Gables, FL and has worked on similar projects in both the U.S. and the Caribbean; most recently the Divi Links project in Aruba.
The Board will also have at least one of its members on site at all times to monitor the renovations progress.
To ensure that the renovations work begins on schedule, the Board has approved and authorized the pre-purchase of time sensitive materials to be delivered on property. These time sensitive materials will include HVAC units, cabinetry, granite counter tops and other materials that would otherwise delay renovations if not available on site.
We've redefined what it means to have "sweet dreams" in bed thanks to the fact that our new king-size mattresses are here! At this point in time, most units have their new "Dynasty Plush" mattresses in place. Since the beds were replaced while guests were staying in their rooms, we want to thank all those who were inconvenienced during this process.
The B units will not receive the new mattresses until the units are remodeled since that's when the Murphy beds will be removed from those suites and replaced with a real queen-size bed.
With the installation of these new mattresses, we're proud to be able to cross off the number one complaint owners have had on the guest comment cards. Currently, we're about to place an order on new pillows and we're in the midst of testing a special mattress cover so the new mattresses will be protected during the renovation. Here's to a good night's sleep every night in paradise!
Pictures of the staging area and the first Phase will be available in May on the website.