New pier fee at Wyndham Aura Wooden Pier

[PARADISE HUNTER]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let everyone know that when I pulled up to the Wyndham pier a few days ago I was presented with a letter on Sand Dollar Sports letterhead announcing that as of April 1st Sand Dollar will be charging divers $3. USD per person to use that pier. So if you are planning on staying there bring lots of change to use the pier.

I guess I better get started emailing my customers and letting them know.

I have tried to upload the letter but I am kind of digitally challenged sooooo......

Alison Dennis in Cozumel

Thanks for the heads up and welcome to SB.

Is it safe to assume that your the Alison in the dive operator Dive With Alison?

You are spoken very highly of here and I look forward to reading you insightful posts.

Safe diving,

PH

 

[Sue Sue]

OK..I emailed/wrote Wyndham Resort- Corporate Customer Service. I mentioned that my husband and I feel it is unfair that a charge is being applied to paying resort guests for the use of the Wooden Resort pier. Will my note make a difference....most likely not..probably not...99.99999 % not, but, then again it can't hurt either. At least I feel better. Sue

 

[ggunn]

OK..I emailed/wrote Wyndham Resort- Corporate Customer Service. I mentioned that my husband and I feel it is unfair that a charge is being applied to paying resort guests for the use of the Wooden Resort pier. Will my note make a difference....most likely not..probably not...99.99999 % not, but, then again it can't hurt either. At least I feel better. Sue

IMO, these resorts charging their guests a fee for using their pier if being picked up by an offsite op is a PR mistake. If the money really is an issue, then they should increase their entire clientele's bill by $1-2 a day (which no one would notice) and keep quiet about it. If the money is not an issue, then it's nothing more than petty harassment of their guests who choose another op.

I wonder how much they have to pay someone to collect and administer those fees.

 

[Sue Sue]

IMO, these resorts charging their guests a fee for using their pier if being picked up by an offsite op is a PR mistake. If the money really is an issue, then they should increase their entire clientele's bill by $1-2 a day (which no one would notice) and keep quiet about it. If the money is not an issue, then it's nothing more than petty harassment of their guests who choose another op.

I wonder how much they have to pay someone to collect and administer those fees.

good point gordon

 

[Rodive]

OK I am going to try to give you our take on this matter and all I wish you may do is try to appreciate our stance. I understand you may not agree, I am not trying to make you like the decision of being charged for using a pier. But if I could at least make the facts known I think this board would have at the very least served its purpose by informing those who may not have all of the information. Once again, I appreciate your frustration on a charge that is not what you were used to but the fact of the matter is that the overhead to maintain and run a pier has skyrocketed in the past year.

Let me see if I can clear up some comments.
ŵhe cost of running a pier is minimum so the operator should just forgo the charge even if we are diving with another dive operator.
No true. Last year we spent over 40 thousand dollars to maintain staff, permits, taxes & maintenance of just the San Clemente pier. This is too much of an expense to let other operations just uses our hard earned facilities at no charge. As you can see this is not a matter of cents, it is a matter of comfort and presence that carries a hefty price tag for the Dive Operator that gives their guests the added value of diving from a private pier. I donÃÕ know a dive operation on the island that views over 40 thousand dollars in expenses as chump change.

ŸYNDHAM RESORTS are the owners of the wooden pier.
Not True. The builders and owners of the wooden pier is Terra Sud S.A. de C.V. This company has reached an agreement with Sand Dollar Sports to be the official operator of the Wooden Pier.

ŵHE WYNDHAM should offer a pier for itÃÔ guests for free.
True, and it does. You can use either pier San Clemente or the Wooden pier and Sand Dollar Sports picks up the tab. We understand that as it is an all inclusive we are their in house Dive Operator.
Let me explain this in simpler terms. Say you have all the food included at the Wyndham but you really like PepeÃÔ in town. Do you think the Wyndham should pick up the tab at PepeÃÔ or let them come cater your food here at the Wyndham and let them use the kitchen to heat up the food you prefer? There would be cost for PepeÃÔ Grill to come and use the Wyndham Facilities and similarly there is a cost to use the Sand Dollar Sports facilities. Does that make sense?

Honestly guys, I understand if you do not agree with our policy. We really are not trying to upset you nor is it personal. We will continue to review this issue and we will continue to see how we may improve the satisfaction of the guests who do decide to use Sand Dollar Sports as their dive operator. We simply are caught in the middle on this one. It simply does not make financial sense to let everyone who is not using our services have the same accommodations as the guests who invest their vacation on our staff and facilities. I really am sorry if you are upset at us, it is not our intention. We are just trying to make this fair for everyone.

Thank you & kind regards to everyone...

Rodrigo Ferriol
Director of Operations
Sand Dollar Sports
Resort & Cruise Operations
dive@sanddollarsports.com
Sand Dollar Sports. Cozumel, Mexico.

 

[Christi]

OK I am going to try to give you our take on this matter and all I wish you may do is try to appreciate our stance. I understand you may not agree, I am not trying to make you like the decision of being charged for using a pier. But if I could at least make the facts known I think this board would have at the very least served its purpose by informing those who may not have all of the information. Once again, I appreciate your frustration on a charge that is not what you were used to but the fact of the matter is that the overhead to maintain and run a pier has skyrocketed in the past year.

Let me see if I can clear up some comments.
ŵhe cost of running a pier is minimum so the operator should just forgo the charge even if we are diving with another dive operator.
No true. Last year we spent over 40 thousand dollars to maintain staff, permits, taxes & maintenance of just the San Clemente pier. This is too much of an expense to let other operations just uses our hard earned facilities at no charge. As you can see this is not a matter of cents, it is a matter of comfort and presence that carries a hefty price tag for the Dive Operator that gives their guests the added value of diving from a private pier. I donÃÕ know a dive operation on the island that views over 40 thousand dollars in expenses as chump change.

ŸYNDHAM RESORTS are the owners of the wooden pier.
Not True. The builders and owners of the wooden pier is Terra Sud S.A. de C.V. This company has reached an agreement with Sand Dollar Sports to be the official operator of the Wooden Pier.

ŵHE WYNDHAM should offer a pier for itÃÔ guests for free.
True, and it does. You can use either pier San Clemente or the Wooden pier and Sand Dollar Sports picks up the tab. We understand that as it is an all inclusive we are their in house Dive Operator.
Let me explain this in simpler terms. Say you have all the food included at the Wyndham but you really like PepeÃÔ in town. Do you think the Wyndham should pick up the tab at PepeÃÔ or let them come cater your food here at the Wyndham and let them use the kitchen to heat up the food you prefer? There would be cost for PepeÃÔ Grill to come and use the Wyndham Facilities and similarly there is a cost to use the Sand Dollar Sports facilities. Does that make sense?

Honestly guys, I understand if you do not agree with our policy. We really are not trying to upset you nor is it personal. We will continue to review this issue and we will continue to see how we may improve the satisfaction of the guests who do decide to use Sand Dollar Sports as their dive operator. We simply are caught in the middle on this one. It simply does not make financial sense to let everyone who is not using our services have the same accommodations as the guests who invest their vacation on our staff and facilities. I really am sorry if you are upset at us, it is not our intention. We are just trying to make this fair for everyone.

Thank you & kind regards to everyone...

Rodrigo Ferriol
Director of Operations
Sand Dollar Sports
Resort & Cruise Operations
dive@sanddollarsports.com
Sand Dollar Sports. Cozumel, Mexico.

I was hoping you would pop in here Hola!!!

I don't disagree that if Sand Dollar is paying the maintenance, permits, etc. to keep the pier operational that they shouldn't be compensated. As I said in my previous post, I don't take issue with any private pier charging for it's use (ie: San Clemente pier, Aldora pier, etc.) In fact, I pay a base fee plus a per diver fee to use the Aldora pier downtown. This is a service I choose to provide my divers at no additioanl charge for those who are not staying in a resort with a pier or those who are staying in one of the downtown hotels. I do not expect or agree to pay pier fees for resorts when the guests are paying to stay there. My point is that this is an expense that the resort should cover as a service to their guests...IMO.

I see your point about the hotel being an all-inclusive and Sand Dollar being the onsite...but I don't think that it's a logical analogy to compare it to dining outside of the resort. If the diving was included as part of the AI package, you would have an argument...but it's not. They are still paying an additioanl fee for the diving...so if they have to pay for it...they should have the right to choose without penalization.

I don't know who Tera Suds is, but I can imagine that they are a subsidiary/sister company of some kind to the resort. I won't buy that some random company came in and decided to put a pier at the resort without any affiliation. The fact that they are hiring Sand Dollar to manage the pier is fine...but the resort is who should be paying Sand Dollar...not the guests and not the dive shops that the guests choose to dive with.

You know as well as anyone that there are people that have been diving here for years and they have their own favorite dive shops. And I also am sure yo know that a pier fee is not going to entice them to dive with the onsite shop. As many have noted, it will actually entice them to choose a different resort. If divers choose to stay at a resort (any resort) with an onsite dive shop (which has a concession) why should they be penalized because they have their favorite?

 

[Rodive]

I was hoping you would pop in here Hola!!!

I don't disagree that if Sand Dollar is paying the maintenance, permits, etc. to keep the pier operational that they shouldn't be compensated. As I said in my previous post, I don't take issue with any private pier charging for it's use (ie: San Clemente pier, Aldora pier, etc.) In fact, I pay a base fee plus a per diver fee to use the Aldora pier downtown. This is a service I choose to provide my divers at no additioanl charge for those who are not staying in a resort with a pier or those who are staying in one of the downtown hotels. I do not expect or agree to pay pier fees for resorts when the guests are paying to stay there. My point is that this is an expense that the resort should cover as a service to their guests...IMO.

I see your point about the hotel being an all-inclusive and Sand Dollar being the onsite...but I don't think that it's a logical analogy to compare it to dining outside of the resort. If the diving was included as part of the AI package, you would have an argument...but it's not. They are still paying an additioanl fee for the diving...so if they have to pay for it...they should have the right to choose without penalization.

I don't know who Tera Suds is, but I can imagine that they are a subsidiary/sister company of some kind to the resort. I won't buy that some random company came in and decided to put a pier at the resort without any affiliation. The fact that they are hiring Sand Dollar to manage the pier is fine...but the resort is who should be paying Sand Dollar...not the guests and not the dive shops that the guests choose to dive with.

You know as well as anyone that there are people that have been diving here for years and they have their own favorite dive shops. And I also am sure yo know that a pier fee is not going to entice them to dive with the onsite shop. As many have noted, it will actually entice them to choose a different resort. If divers choose to stay at a resort (any resort) with an onsite dive shop (which has a concession) why should they be penalized because they have their favorite?

Hey girl, Thanks for the welcome.

Actually Terra Sud has different owners and it is not the same board as the Wyndham. Like you say they are not completly out of the left field but they are a different company with different owners, goals and priorities than the Wydham.
Honestly the Pier Fee is not to entice divers to dive with the onsite op it is to offset some of the cost of maintaining the pier.

Regarding the analogy I agree it may not work with dining out but if you bring some from the outside to use the facilities it has a cost. The pier is a facility and we are only talking about a very reasonable cost. It is also about making a distinction between a guest who is diving with Sand Dollar and a guest who chooses someone else. You would be surprised but the fact that we have made many friends thorugh this process. Not everyone is reluctant to pay and we have a good time chatting them up while they wait for thier boat and many people choose to dive with us because of this fact. They like that we are here and they like that we have our own pier for our guests.

I understand where you are comming from that the hotel should build a pier for the guests but that is not the case as of today.

Thanks for your patience and understanding regarding this. I really appreciate it.

Rod

 

[Christi]

Hey girl, Thanks for the welcome.

Actually Terra Sud has different owners and it is not the same board as the Wyndham. Like you say they are not completly out of the left field but they are a different company with different owners, goals and priorities than the Wydham.
Honestly the Pier Fee is not to entice divers to dive with the onsite op it is to offset some of the cost of maintaining the pier.

Regarding the analogy I agree it may not work with dining out but if you bring some from the outside to use the facilities it has a cost. The pier is a facility and we are only talking about a very reasonable cost. It is also about making a distinction between a guest who is diving with Sand Dollar and a guest who chooses someone else. You would be surprised but the fact that we have made many friends thorugh this process. Not everyone is reluctant to pay and we have a good time chatting them up while they wait for thier boat and many people choose to dive with us because of this fact. They like that we are here and they like that we have our own pier for our guests.

I understand where you are comming from that the hotel should build a pier for the guests but that is not the case as of today.

Thanks for your patience and understanding regarding this. I really appreciate it.

Rod

Thanks again for helping to clarify all of this I'm not against SD (you know I love y'all) and I realize you're caught in the middle.

I've actually had a good number of divers at the Wyndam the past few weeks, and most have been agreeable and understanding regarding the pier fees. I think it helps that I let them know up front.

BTW...check your "wall." Have a great weekend!

 

[loudives]

OK I am going to try to give you our take on this matter and all I wish you may do is try to appreciate our stance. I understand you may not agree, I am not trying to make you like the decision of being charged for using a pier. But if I could at least make the facts known I think this board would have at the very least served its purpose by informing those who may not have all of the information. Once again, I appreciate your frustration on a charge that is not what you were used to but the fact of the matter is that the overhead to maintain and run a pier has skyrocketed in the past year.

Let me see if I can clear up some comments.
ŵhe cost of running a pier is minimum so the operator should just forgo the charge even if we are diving with another dive operator.
No true. Last year we spent over 40 thousand dollars to maintain staff, permits, taxes & maintenance of just the San Clemente pier. This is too much of an expense to let other operations just uses our hard earned facilities at no charge. As you can see this is not a matter of cents, it is a matter of comfort and presence that carries a hefty price tag for the Dive Operator that gives their guests the added value of diving from a private pier. I donÃÕ know a dive operation on the island that views over 40 thousand dollars in expenses as chump change.

ŸYNDHAM RESORTS are the owners of the wooden pier.
Not True. The builders and owners of the wooden pier is Terra Sud S.A. de C.V. This company has reached an agreement with Sand Dollar Sports to be the official operator of the Wooden Pier.

ŵHE WYNDHAM should offer a pier for itÃÔ guests for free.
True, and it does. You can use either pier San Clemente or the Wooden pier and Sand Dollar Sports picks up the tab. We understand that as it is an all inclusive we are their in house Dive Operator.
Let me explain this in simpler terms. Say you have all the food included at the Wyndham but you really like PepeÃÔ in town. Do you think the Wyndham should pick up the tab at PepeÃÔ or let them come cater your food here at the Wyndham and let them use the kitchen to heat up the food you prefer? There would be cost for PepeÃÔ Grill to come and use the Wyndham Facilities and similarly there is a cost to use the Sand Dollar Sports facilities. Does that make sense?

Honestly guys, I understand if you do not agree with our policy. We really are not trying to upset you nor is it personal. We will continue to review this issue and we will continue to see how we may improve the satisfaction of the guests who do decide to use Sand Dollar Sports as their dive operator. We simply are caught in the middle on this one. It simply does not make financial sense to let everyone who is not using our services have the same accommodations as the guests who invest their vacation on our staff and facilities. I really am sorry if you are upset at us, it is not our intention. We are just trying to make this fair for everyone.

Thank you & kind regards to everyone...

Rodrigo Ferriol
Director of Operations
Sand Dollar Sports
Resort & Cruise Operations
dive@sanddollarsports.com
Sand Dollar Sports. Cozumel, Mexico.

I am a regency member at Wyndham and pay a maintenance fee for a room, and an AI fee per person for food and drink. I do not have to pay to go into the Restaurant or to use the toilets around the pool. These facilities have upkeep also so I guess They will be installing pay toilets soon.

Why is it I can also walk on the wooden pier then swim back to the beach without charge? Am I not still inflicting damage to the pier? Don't you still have to pay taxes and government fees for the pier?

I can use the wooden pier as a guest of the Resort without charge if I do not get picked up. Or will that change too?

 

[Rodive]

I am a regency member at Wyndham and pay a maintenance fee for a room, and an AI fee per person for food and drink. I do not have to pay to go into the Restaurant or to use the toilets around the pool. These facilities have upkeep also so I guess They will be installing pay toilets soon.

Why is it I can also walk on the wooden pier then swim back to the beach without charge? Am I not still inflicting damage to the pier? Don't you still have to pay taxes and government fees for the pier?

I can use the wooden pier as a guest of the Resort without charge if I do not get picked up. Or will that change too?

Hey there Lou, I hope you are doing great.

Ok let me see if I can help clear up something here. Niether the Wyndham nor the Regency ownes either of the piers we are talking about. Acutally they are not even on their property.

I don't understand the analogy it doesn't make sense with what we are talking about.

With regard to the questions, don't worry we don't charge because for "inflicting damage"...That simply doesn't make sense. Anyone can use the pier to walk on (regardless of hotel, regency, residencias, etc...) to go swiming. But if you want go on the portion of the pier that is used to dock boats then their is a charge if you are not using the onsite operator of the pier. This is where I think you are confused this is beyond diving. We also run Deep Sea Fishing Charters, Parasailing Boats Snorkel Trips, Sunset Cruises, etc... Anyone who uses the pier that is not the pier operator gets charged. You maybe confusing Sand Dollar Sports as just the Dive Shop and I am refering this info as the Pier Operator.

I hope I helped clear this up...It may get confusing at times I understand..Thanks for your time, and comments and I will try to always help out.

Rod