Playa Grande Golf and Resort Sold

[ju10prd]

Just so I'm clear . . .

"Opened last year . . ."

ONE year after opening, "closed for two months".

For - ". . . repairs, tweaking the system . . . improvements."

So . . .

CLOSED for TWO MONTHS ? ? ? After only being open for a year. Repairs? Improvements?

Something isn't adding up, but I'll defer to posters with first hand knowledge.

It is called a 'soft opening'. The developer and Aman commit publicly to an opening date and it turns out unrealistic to meet the Aman standards in full....which are extreme. So they go for the soft opening. Press, friends, Aman Junkies and when that is over......back to getting it really ready.

Did that at Amanyara on Provo. Christmas 2005 soft opening. Properly opened after Easter 2006.

At soft opening there was much to do, refine and commission properly. Aman is a zero snag property on opening and that takes lots of time I can assure you. Equally the service expected of an Aman resort has to be perfect. Adrian Zecka set his stall out on this and developed perhaps the best luxury small brand for luxury on account. Sadly he was moved aside as CEO in a nasty ownership struggle and maybe things will slip on account. I think he still owns the Setai brand and has now started the super luxury MAHA yacht club brand with Johnathan Breene.

Likely this explains the short closure at Amanera.

 

[miguel james]

If the (young lady) keeps trying to get (housekeeping, childcare) workers to work for less and and steal their (tips), it will turn into to the other one to the north.

 

[NY-DR Commuter]

It is called a 'soft opening'. The developer and Aman commit publicly to an opening date and it turns out unrealistic to meet the Aman standards in full....which are extreme. So they go for the soft opening. Press, friends, Aman Junkies and when that is over......back to getting it really ready.

Did that at Amanyara on Provo. Christmas 2005 soft opening. Properly opened after Easter 2006.*

At soft opening there was much to do, refine and commission properly. Aman is a zero snag property on opening and that takes lots of time I can assure you. Equally the service expected of an Aman resort has to be perfect. Adrian Zecka set his stall out on this and developed perhaps the best luxury small brand for luxury on account. Sadly he was moved aside as CEO in a nasty ownership struggle and maybe things will slip on account. I think he still owns the Setai brand and has now started the super luxury MAHA yacht club brand with Johnathan Breene.

Likely this explains the short closure at Amanera.

I fully understand the concept of "soft opening". Usually doesn't involve CLOSING, just tweaking.

If a resort must close for TWO MONTHS, after being open for ONE YEAR . . .

with these accolades no less . . .

Amanera is the most successful Aman opening EVER.... after the first year.

. . . bookings continue to be strong this season.

Big tickets, couple of thousand a night.

Bill Ackman, hot shot NYCers.... popular, to say the least

As I said, strongest, best opening of any Aman in the world.

Including your own . . .

. . . Aman is a zero snag property on opening . . .

. . . Equally the service expected of an Aman resort has to be perfect . . .

I am not so sure that "Soft Opening", or "repairs, tweaking, improvements" . . . likely explains the TWO MONTH CLOSURE at Amanera.

They can't have it both ways . . .

"zero snag on opening", "perfect service", "most successful Aman opening EVER", "strongest, best opening of any Aman in the world"

. . .CLOSED for TWO MONTHS.

Just my opinion, I may be wrong.

 

[ju10prd]

An Aman resort previously would not stay open for general 'repairs, tweeking, improvements. They opened a year ago at Amanera for high season and my guess they took a commercial decision to run until after high season before sorting out some issues. As I wrote the man that established the brand as something really special is no longer CEO and some Russian holds this role now. Adrian Zecka would never accept anything but the best and under his patronage this would never have been allowed........as I personally know from my first encounter with him and his expectations clearly stated for Amanyara. He is an beacon....a very demanding one....for small boutique luxury hospitality and his hallmark is there to be seen in the detail in the jet set resorts that established his mark primarily in south East Asia before commercial demand brought the brand worldwide.

Amanyara was closed for three months after the soft press opening and again in the first or second season September. It is not unusual for small quality Caribbean resorts to close in September to early October too.

I don't know the specifics of Amanera but the developer, who has now sold on, presumably wants to get into the business that makes the money....the villa sales rather than hang on to the operating resort.

 

[william webster]

Right ju10

When you see no ski bookings at a ski resort, you close.
No different here for a winter getaway spot.
Additionally, the fixes were needed.... I personally identified one of them which took weeks to repair.

All in the normal course , no chicanery here.

The Russian actually had a good idea to contribute.... granted he's no Adrian*

The experts run the place, the rest of us comment.

 

[william webster]

Villa sales will be the focus henceforth, once you see who the operating actually is.

Third Point is the financial partner, I doubt will be an operator...

As for the seller, balance sheet housekeeping is the game.
Asset heavy, cash poor.... as I see the financials.

 

[chico bill]

A golf resort that costs as much for a family of 4 to travel to and stay in for a week as a small new car is not a recipe for repeat visits. Add that to it's distance from the airport over roads now showing their fragility and no significant night life or culture in the area (even if it were safe enough to venture out) and it is no wonder the cash is not flowing.
But a golf course requires daily cash to maintain and that is best obtained by play from, you guessed it, golfers. The course has real potential and I went around it in the early days about 7 years ago, maybe more, and then it was $75 per round. At $75 + caddie it was a course I would drive to and play maybe twice a year. Now maybe $100. If you have friends here maybe over the course of a week you might get in two rounds for a group of 4 that would $800 - which pays for a lot of lawn mowing. I hope they make it so locals (those with cedulas) can contribute to and enjoy it for a price that makes the rust fall off my Callaways, not my credit card. Ever notice how your grips rot in this weather ?

 

[william webster]

Study up the traditional Aman guest....might not fit your profile*

 

[chico bill]

Study up the traditional Aman guest....might not fit your profile*

Definitely not my profile. I'm just a country boy at heart - Hang me, dang me, rope me wrang me...Everybody's Hustlin' Something.
[video=youtube;vyMYu_cAoWA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyMYu_cAoWA[/video]

 

[Hillbilly]

Haven't bn back there in ages, but I remember a few of the rounds I "played" over there.

I remember with fondness the rounds I played there with Bushbaby and Tom and a few of the other guys up North. A couple of tournaments, and, of course, I remember the last round I played with my son Marco...I beat him on the 12th hole, the last time I ever won a hole from him...Alas, I can't play another round with him in this world.

That course is one of the most dramatic in the world, I really can't see how you could argue that. Starting next month, there will be whales cavorting offshore, and the vistas are so impressive year-round.

Many, many years ago, in a world far away, Julian Javier and I were part of the Playa Grande Golf Club....made up of locals who loved the game.... :-( no longer able to play there.

Oh well, the memories are sweet,


HB

 

[miguel james]

Chico Bill + WW great points on each side. However, the young "lady" had a chance to work with some people from North America that (understood what her clients needed) and she choose to work with area local's!!! Some of the guests that venture out of the compound got a dose of good old Dominicans politics (gri, gri luguna) boatmen auguring over who turn is it etc... In my humble pie opinion people with that type of money did not come to be entertain by this side of tourism that has cause some of the downfall on this side of the DR.

 

[william webster]

I don't want to wade in too far here to avoid breaking confidentiality, but....

Aman is not a family oriented resort , although I have seen families.

The closure was in the normal course.... that is for certain, anticipated and executed.

Miguel, I know nothing of the 'lady' story you refer to.....

Guest activities include trail hiking, yoga, massage... and the like....
They may well go to Laguna Gri Gri....did so myself, once and only once.

To say these guests are coddled is an understatement.

Anyway, as we all read, the deal is done and will close in a week after the 15 day waiting period.
Which actually speaks volumes if you know the people involved and why the waiting period.

There is still more to be told on this story..... it will come out in time.

 

[miguel james]

WW we can agree that Aman can be something really great for the North Coast and RSJ if the (local government) can get their act together?!?! Yes you might be more in the no than many but I look at action's and my eyes. The "Lady" I hope she lean from some of the mistakes she made!?!?!? She can start by...let me put it this way "A old man once told me if you have employees avoid messing with their money"....However, as was said by CB... I'm just a country boy at heart - Hang me, dang me, rope me wrang me...Everybody's Hustlin' Something.

 

[william webster]

We can agree Miguel

Management or employees might change, we will see....future should improve.

 

[chico bill]

Chico Bill + WW great points on each side. However, the young "lady" had a chance to work with some people from North America that (understood what her clients needed) and she choose to work with area local's!!! Some of the guests that venture out of the compound got a dose of good old Dominicans politics (gri, gri luguna) boatmen auguring over who turn is it etc... In my humble pie opinion people with that type of money did not come to be entertain by this side of tourism that has cause some of the downfall on this side of the DR.

People who don't want to experience any part of a foreign country they traveled to should maybe go to Hawaii, or Florida or if they really want a more semi-protected island experience could go to one of 4 or 5 decent golf and hotel resorts in Puerto Rico. You could isolate yourself with the hoi polloi at Cap Cana. But if you want even 1 day on the beach at Playa Grande (instead of the pool) then you have to mix with Dominicans and they will try to sell cigars, towels or wood carvings. Learn to say "No Gracias"
I have been to the Lagoon and did the trip too, but honestly didn't get hustled, I speak Spanish and was with two Dominican friends from Rio San Juan so that may have insulated me, but being in a foreign country as a tourist for me is to see whats up. We were all tourists in DR at one time. I recall my first trip to DR ~ 16 years ago and I took my RayBan sunglasses off and laid them on the table to fill out the tourist card and the sunglasses promptly took their own extended vacation (from me). My buddy and I laughed at that for the next 2 weeks, saying "Well Duh".
Try to go with the "Flow" when in Rome.
Oye Como Va

 

[JD Jones]

Playa Grande

Try as I may, I couldn't find the Playa Grande thread, but this tidbit popped up in my news feed today.

The website is Latin Lawyer, and you gotta be a member, but here's today's teaser:

Headrick Rizik and Quiroz Santroni guide Dominican resort project deal
Monday, 19 December 2016 (12 hours ago) by Emilio Demetriou-Jones

Dominican firm Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fern?ndez has helped US companies Third Point and Discovery Land acquire Playa Grande Golf & Resort project in the Dominican Republic for US$150 million.

If a mod knows where the thread is, feel free to move this.

 

[william webster]

Although accurate, nothing was ever posted giving any details.

They must have acted on the RD side.
Both parties named are accurate.

Deal is done*

Google Dolphin Capital, JD

 

[william webster]

Here you go

 

[Tamborista]

Here you go

You couldn't broker this, I am surprised WW!

 

[DR Solar]

So much fun with you guys. But no one has talked about Sea Horse Ranch with a US $80 Mil. price and they have active buyers looking with reps. here now. Plans for new hotel and golf course. Perhaps a new thread is in order?