Club Orient - Status

We receive many inquiries on the status of Club Orient and questions about reservations. No details or guidance has yet been possible from resort management. A historical perspective may be of value.

Hurricane Irma has been noted as 4 times worse than the last devastating, Hurricane Luis on September 5, 1995. While the recovery of Club Orient from Irma may not be comparable to that of Luis, there are similarities. Following Luis, Club Orient did not reopen until November 1, 1996 ... over 1 year later.

.. Jim

Jim ....Thank you for this information. You have done such a great job for us all these years. I don't know what we would have done without you...especially in times of crisis...I.E. expired Passport oh boy....

I am praying with every fiber of my being that we can return April 2019...I knew it was not realistic to make the trip April 2018. It takes 4 months here to build a subdivision house. It has to take much longer than that to settle with the insurance...tear down all the existing damaged buildings...ship in the supplies required...get all the furnishings and appliances...fix the landscaping...on and on and on.

and it has to all be done all over the island.

Who gets top priority? How do they get enough skilled labor and where will they house them and feed them when so many of the buildings have been damaged?

Even if we do get to go back in April 2019...will grand case be back? How about the supermarkets and gas stations?

It would be so much simpler if we were talking about just rebuilding Club Orient...but we all know we are not.

I can tell you...if Club Orient is back ...we will be back

I have been extremely upset by all this...I cry everyday. I have been looking at the thousands of beautiful pictures we have taken since 1999...and reread all of my trip reports.

The last paragraph of my April 2017 report is this

I have to say…of all the places we have traveled…. Club Orient is the most organized of all. Check in is always perfect and so is check out. The office staff, boutique staff, wait staff, maids, gardeners, beach workers…. everyone…is always so kind and so helpful and so pleasant. It makes the vacation that much more wonderful. There are some things about club orient that are looking a little tired. The entrance for example…used to be so beautiful….and now it is half dead and overrun with weeds and grass. Much of the board fencing needs to be repaired or replaced. Some of the picnic tables on the patios are warped and rotten. None of these things would keep me from coming back…but it would only take a little time and money to put things back in tiptop shape…
We say this often….if there was no Club Orient….we would not go to SXM….that’s how important it Is to us.

Almost prophetic isn't it? Let me tell you...I would give anything to have it back...just the way it was.

Amen to everything that Cathy says.

If anyone is interested, there is a GoFundMe page set up by the owner of BareNecessities Cruises for the benefit of the employees of ClubO. PM me for the details.

Regarding skilled labor, I know this is significantly worse than Luis, but I had several roofers as clients back in 95 who spent the winter (when their business in the NE is limited) in SXM, housed by the insurance companies, and made pretty good money for a winter in SXM. Bottom line, if the insurance companies are solvent and cutting checks there will be no shortage of contractors ready to spend the time away from home for the virtually unlimited work, especially over the winter.

You're not alone. We discovered Club O late in life. I was 65 the first time we went and in our minds had contingency plans in case we arrived and didn't like it at all. We booked a week and we were hooked. We were both still working and had to wait a year until we could return. Over the years each trip got longer until we were up to a full month in a mini-suite deluxe. Last year, we booked our November trip as we were checking out. Our biggest worry was the condition of the beach. Now I fear Irma dealt a death blow to our favorite place on earth.

I'm a bit jealous of those who don't go to Club O and really love St. Martin, but if Club O isn't rebuilt, we won't go back.

To us...Club O is the draw...

We have been to 12 Caribbean Islands...They have all been gracious...and we have enjoyed our visits to each one.
But we have been to SXM 15 times...the first time we stayed at St Tropez and every trip since at club orient.

If club Orient were located on a different Island....we would go to that island. It happens to be on SXM.

That is not to say that we don't love SXM on its own merit because we certainly do. We love that we can drive...we love that we can choose between hundreds of restaurants for dinner. We love that we feel safe. We love that SXM has a very European feel....and we always stay two weeks and it is never enough.

we also love Jamaica and have been there 20 times...but we stay at an all inclusive resort which we never leave and we stay only one week which is enough to usually eat at the restaurants on property once or twice...and while we gain weight...the food is never spectacular.

It is a different vacation...it is not SXM and it is not CLub Orient. We have cancelled our upcoming April trip to club o...and we have rebooked to Jamaica.

It will be a lovely trip...just like it always is. But it wont be CLub O.

Club Orient will be back better than ever I'm sure. We have stayed all over the island and Club O outclasses them all. The rebuild will be no different.

Club o is a big draw for us. Shall i dare to ask if Club O werent to continue as a "hotel" would the beach remain au naturelle? If it does, we would be back to SXM. We have beeen to SXM amnyntimes and 3 times in last 20 months and stayed on/ off club o with mostnof our day time spend under a yellow umbrella.

Trip 1 was new years at club o - awesome and we'd done that before
Trip 2 was at mt vernon and drove each day to club o - loved it
Trip 3 was at mt vernon and added 2 nights mid trip at club o

We love dinner at papagayos and the immediate ability to walk out of our unit...........but we loved our place at mt vernon and the getting in the car each late afternoon

So, i think we would go back if only the beach were operating hopefully with resturant and bar and we would definitely throw in stays if the lodging is rebuilt.

Ive kept thinking about some RV scheme for club O and when bad weather comes they roll them up the island to a concrete bunker and back down when storm passes.

Unfortunately I wouldn't count on it. The whole beach used to be C/O (back when Club Orient was just about the only establishment down there), but over time that become more and more restrictive as more and newer businesses moved in. Now I think the concern should be, can Club O rebuild fast enough to protect the clothing optional second of the beach! I sure hope so!

From Club O Facebook page -

CLUB O STAFF - SAFETY CHECK-IN

First of all, we sincerely apologize for the delay in updating you on the impacts of Hurricane Irma, as our communications team in Florida was also impacted by the storm and has had no means of communication due to lack of power, phones and internet. We would first like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your many messages of concern, prayers for our safety and offers of help and assistance! We have been deeply touched and humbled by the outpouring of love and support from all of you! I know that many of you are very anxious for news of our beloved resort and, most importantly, confirmation of the safety and wellbeing of our many staff members that you have also grown to know and love over the years. As we were all scattered to the winds to seek safe haven with our families during the storm and left with no cell service, internet or other means of communication afterwards (not to mention the bare necessities like food, water and shelter), our first priority has obviously been in locating and ensuring the safety of all our Club O staff and their family members. We are happy to announce that we have now been in touch with most of them, and a full list of those confirmed safe is below. Please note that we are continuing these efforts and will update the list as we locate others. Just because someone is not on the list does not mean they are not safe – just that they have not yet been evacuated or they may not have found a means of communication to contact us yet. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers, as the recovery will take some time and it is difficult to determine just how much time at this point. We will update you on all the other issues raised on this page and in emails to us in subsequent posts or direct communication, just as soon as possible. Please bear in mind, however, that evacuations are still underway and we have not yet been able to connect with critical resources, such as banks, insurance companies, emergency funds, etc. because many of these were also located on the island and our contacts are just not available to us. Please rest assured that all issues will be addressed in the coming days. Meanwhile, these, our people, take top priority at this time. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding!

STAFF MEMBERS CONFIRMED SAFE:
Ana - Massage
Anne - Accounting
Annette - Reservations
Benjamin - Watersports
Bert - Maintenance
Carlos - Restaurant
Catherine - Housekeeping
Chi-Chi - Maintenance
Christina - Accounting
Christine - Restaurant
Erikson - Maintenance
Fernand - Security
Florence - Office
Francisco - Maintenance
Gaelle - HR
Gloreen - Housekeeping
Ivon - Security
Jocelyn - Accounting
Junior - Front desk
Karima - Reception
Kenny - Restaurant
Leila - Housekeeping
Linda - Office
Manu - Watersports
Mimi - Boutique
Moby - Maintenance
Nathalie - Reception
Nathalie - Massage
Naty - Restaurant
Niel - Maintenance
Patou - Restaurant
Patsy - Housekeeping
Randy - Restaurant
Ruby - Reception
Ruddy - Security
Sabrina - Housekeeping
Shane - Maintenance
Stephen P.- Office
Stephen S. - Night audit
Valerie - Office
Vanessa - Boutique
Willie - Perch
Zoe - Boutique

Good to hear so many have checked in safe!

We got this email from club o too today.

This is mostly very good news. One name in particular we know is not on this list and we are now praying for.

Hope the list is updated periodically.

I am so happy to know many of our friends are safe.

I don't see Gilbert, Victor and Bruno on list?

Emma from massage is also safe. I have communicated with her.

I don't see Loretta on the list.

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Great Insight! This point has given me the most hope so far. As long as the insurance companies comply, rebuilding COULD happen at a reasonable pace! If I didn't already have a business, I'd grab my hammer and be there!