Guests of Sunscape, Secrets & Residencias Reef

[Christi]

We are now 30+ strong including Condo owners at Reef residencias and dive op and boat owners. Some are off island and can't attend, but support us. We may be making a petition for guests to sign as well - stay tuned - we are fighting for all of us and all of you!

 

[cicopo]

Good luck team.

 

[kelemvor]

From my perspective I think it is extremely "small and petty" of hotels to charge their guests to use a hotel facility like a dock. Why not the swimming Pool? Like Iberostar, I think most reasonable people should avoid these places and I will urge my hundreds of customers to look elsewhere for a hotel. Those idiot bean counters may think they can squeeze a few bucks out of each guest but I wonder how much empty rooms may cost them.

I had the impression that the hotel was charging competing dive shops to use their dock, not the guests. However, I do hope you guys work out a favorable solution. Competition is good for everyone.

 

[cicopo]

No matter how you say it it's adding expense to the diver who "prefers" to use the op of their choice. Dive shops aren't going to absorb the fee by spreading out in their rates all divers pay. The hotel or resort is penalizing it's guests for wanting a better choice in dive op than their in house op; no matter how good or bad the in house op may be.

 

[ggunn]

I had the impression that the hotel was charging competing dive shops to use their dock, not the guests.

Same difference; it's per diver per day. The dive ops can eat it or pass it on, but margins are thin.

 

[Christi]

I had the impression that the hotel was charging competing dive shops to use their dock, not the guests. However, I do hope you guys work out a favorable solution. Competition is good for everyone.

It has nothing to do with the onsite dive shops. They pay a concession fee - this is not them nor is it about pushing people to dive with them. They pay a concession for the privilege of having a captive audience for those who don't know any better.

This is ALL about the hotel trying to pass the buck - literally!

 

[Christi]

We had a great united front at the meeting today and stood firm woth our position that we will not pay the hotels pier fees - period. Somewhere between 20 - 25 operations were represented and represented well! Many others were not able to make it to the meeting due to other commitments but support our efforts and position.

We have them one last opportunity to change their position - I am hopeful but not overly optimistic. We should hear from
Secrets management within the next day or two with their choice.

Will provide a full update when the hotels choice is made.

 

[mcohen1021]

Somewhere between 20 - 25 operations were represented

If Secrets decides not to change policy, will you post a list of operators that will not service that pier? (I occasionally stay @ RR)

 

[Christi]

If Secrets decides not to change policy, will you post a list of operators that will not service that pier? (I occasionally stay @ RR)

No one will be servicing the 2 hotels (Secrets and Sunscape) - we are 100% united in this effort - but the RR HOA has made arrangements with Paradise beach for Reef Residencias guests ONLY so RR guests will not be affected, you'll just have to walk a tad bit further. Hotel guests iwill NOT be permitted to use the Paradise pier.

The ONLY way we will have an impact is to boycott the pier.

In closer examination, we had closer to 30 shops represented at the meeting yesterday and another 15 - 20 who simply couldn't be there

This is the e-mail I sent on behalf of the dive ops this morning:


Good morning Ulises,

I just wanted to thank you on behalf of the dive operators for taking the time to meet with us and listen to our position yesterday.

We are hopeful that we can move forward from this and build a mutually beneficial relationship in the best interest of our guests and the very thing that built and supports this beautiful island.

We look forward to your favorable response.

Christi Courtney
Blue XT~Sea Diving
www.bluextseadiving.com

 

[RhodeDiver]

All this makes me just want to skip Cozumel all together. The only people loosing out are the tourists. Both the dive operators and the resort are just putting them in the middle... And from what i can see it is all because the dive ops don't want to go through the effort of getting passes for their customers. Anyone staying at Secrets is not going too worry about $2 being added to their dive bill.