We stayed at the Caravanserai March 18th – April 1st. This was the second time in our unit and we noticed some improvements since our initial visit last year. Here is our report.
Overall appearance: It looks great. The landscaping is spectacular. The pool area has been re-done since Hurricane Earl wiped everything out. A few people have written about Marty at the pool bar. He is doing a great job and there is potential there. He’s personable and fun. However, in my efforts to support his new venture I was charged $7 for a rum and coke. That’s a little steep considering I could purchase an entire bottle of rum down the street for $9 and enjoy a cocktail on my balcony. Happy hour is from 4:00 -5:30p.m. but there isn’t much of a price break. We hear he has big plans for the pool bar and the setting is spectacular. However, regular visits might be curtailed by some people due to the high prices.
Hurricane Damage Protection: After the entire first floor of the Caravanserai was flooded with two feet of water after Hurricane Earl there were changes done to the sea wall. Several holes have been strategically drilled along the wall and they don’t look bad at all. We met another owner named Steve from Maine who is a marine engineer. He said he’s been working with Manek and Ron and feels the drainage holes should work well. Steve is currently going over the property plans and layout and says there are few other minor things that can be done to hopefully minimize the impact of future Hurricanes. However, Steve noted that when it comes to the forces of nature there is only so much that can be done.
Construction: The second half of Timeshare C building still isn’t completed. After a quick tour we noticed that not much has been done since last year. However after discussions with Ron the project manager and Mr. Manek we were assured that it is about to all change. All the furniture will arrive from Puerto Rico in the next two weeks and they say all the units will be done by the end of the month. My husband who is in real estate development thinks it will be several months before all the tiling, finishes and installations are complete. They’ve got a long way to go.
Staff: There have been some wonderful changes to the front desk staff since last year. Most notably, a young man named Ozzie. He was amazing to us during our stay and always so friendly. He even drove us back from the Maho Market one night when we had forgot our grocery bags and were trying to juggle a couple armloads of goods. What a great addition to Caravanserai. I hope he stays.
Caravanserai hosts an island Orientation session every Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. with coffee, juice and pastries. Glenda at the activities desk runs the show is so friendly and happy. They’ve started a Manager’s Cocktail party every Tuesday afternoon with cocktails and food. Nice touch.
We also enjoyed talking to Violet Gumbs in reservations. What a nice lady. We noticed that everyone we encountered at the resort went out of their way to look after us in any way they could. Violet was able to accommodate us after being forced to take a Friday flight from Canada and stored our milk in her personal fridge until our unit was ready on Saturday. Rupert the security guard - a.k.a. “Moon” seemed to be at the resort day and night. He was always walking around checking things out. Some of the guests noted he was even there on his day off. He takes his job seriously and that’s nice to know with the rise in crime on the island.
Amenities: Don’t worry about cold showers anymore. We had tons of hot water every day. I noticed a few tiny ants – but hey, we’re in the Caribbean. No big deal. The old sales office is being converted over to a restaurant. When we got there is was a little French Patisserie that served breakfast and lunch. It shut down the second week because the new owner told me it wasn’t working out. Too bad. Once everything gets up and running in all buildings I hope he changes his mind. Right now he’s thinking of putting in a pizza restaurant. The second floor internet area is great with lots of tables and chairs. The best part? FREE WIFI. Nice. Let’s hope Manek keeps it that way. It’s the least he can do after the frustrations experienced by many owners for the past 6 years.
Dunes Casino: There is another thread going regarding the new addition to the property. What I will add however is that parking is about to become a huge issue for owners. Time will tell, but on the nights when the Casino is open, Bliss and Sunset Beach Bar are rocking and we’re coming back from a nice dinner in Grand Case or Simpson Bay I wonder if there will be enough parking.
Summation: Let’s hope future Hurricanes are manageable and Ron and Mr. Manek can continue to make progress. There are still many frustrated owners that had to move several times during their stay because their units weren’t ready. They were upset that construction seems to be going full steam on buildings D and E but their side of Building C still hadn’t been completed. They continue to use Building A as a temporary solution but with Bliss banging away until 4 a.m. many didn’t a lot of sleep. We were lucky. We had a great stay and my husband kept saying, “It’s going to be an amazing resort when it’s finally open”. We’re praying for everyone that put their faith in the property that one day all the construction frustrations will fade away and we can all enjoy our little piece of paradise.
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