- Thread starter visitante
- Start date
What happened with that criminal case Velero had going against its former manager?
I just looked at TripAdvisor and there seems to be nothing but accolades for the property. Perhaps the problem is internal only? Owners aren't getting their money? Expenses out of control? etc. It appears not to be affecting the guest experience.
I always felt it was a great place--hope it rebounds.
As for the alleged criminal activities, I am sorry to say that it just seems like business as usual in the DR. My affection for the place can only be surpassed by my total mistrust of anything and anyone there.
Too bad.
I always felt it was a great place--hope it rebounds.
As for the alleged criminal activities, I am sorry to say that it just seems like business as usual in the DR. My affection for the place can only be surpassed by my total mistrust of anything and anyone there.
Too bad.
Thanks, Still Abe, for your concern. Fortunately, things are pretty fine here at Velero. The beach is bigger than ever, reservations are strong and as you pointed out, our TripAdvisor reviews and accolades have never been better.
Here's the nutshell of the problem we had in the past: Our previous GM, Mr. Mario Magnan, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the condominium and the condo's hotel operations. So we fired him, and also the management company that promoted and supervised him.
Over $100,000 of Mr. Magnan's theivery was money that was supposed to be paid to the Dominican government tax authorities. So in order to pay it (plus the fines and "late fees") Velero condo owners agreed to a special assessment, and all (except Mr. Magnan) contributed to resolve the problem.
Consequently, all taxes were paid back in 2011, and Velero is now a smooth-running, client-caring, profitable condo-hotel which TripAdvisor has now rated #1 of the 22 hotels in Cabarete. And, impossible as it seems, Trip Advisor has also named Velero the #1 Romantic Hotel and the #1 Family Hotel.
The only remaining aspect is the criminal case against Mr. Magnan, for whom an arrest warrant was issued by the judge in Puerto Plata on August 27th. All of the above is factual, documented and true. Please feel free ask me any other questions.
Here's the nutshell of the problem we had in the past: Our previous GM, Mr. Mario Magnan, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the condominium and the condo's hotel operations. So we fired him, and also the management company that promoted and supervised him.
Over $100,000 of Mr. Magnan's theivery was money that was supposed to be paid to the Dominican government tax authorities. So in order to pay it (plus the fines and "late fees") Velero condo owners agreed to a special assessment, and all (except Mr. Magnan) contributed to resolve the problem.
Consequently, all taxes were paid back in 2011, and Velero is now a smooth-running, client-caring, profitable condo-hotel which TripAdvisor has now rated #1 of the 22 hotels in Cabarete. And, impossible as it seems, Trip Advisor has also named Velero the #1 Romantic Hotel and the #1 Family Hotel.
The only remaining aspect is the criminal case against Mr. Magnan, for whom an arrest warrant was issued by the judge in Puerto Plata on August 27th. All of the above is factual, documented and true. Please feel free ask me any other questions.
If according to his "full disclosure" Castellamonte didn't hire Mario until after he was fired from Velero, the rumor that Mario was distributing business cards showing he worked for Castellamonte before he was fired can't be true. And the friendship between the two wouldn't have had anything to do with a legal dispute between Velero and Cstellamonte over a marketting contract Mario supposedly signed with Castellamonte on behalf of Velero. Good thing that's been cleared up.
If indeed the fox was guarding the henhouse, then there must have been some amazingly naive older foxes asleep at the switch as the alleged embezzler was helping himself to "hundreds of thousands of dollars." Velero is not a large property--it's unlikely that condo owners weren't curious about what had to be a highly visible cash flow discrepancy for a long period of time. Something doesn't smell right here--in that one guy could not have pulled this off, if indeed there was a crime at all. Perhaps this former GM is being made a fall guy. Or--as I sadly expressed earlier--the culture of corruption in the DR is so widespread that many people were feeding at this trough. For example: Wasn't there an accountant in between the money and the GM? etc. etc.