Sandcastle Suites Renovation...

So what are some things you think they will do to renovate the place? Anything you guys want to be done?

Well, I'm sure all the furniture will be replaced with new furniture, new paint everwhere, updated bathrooms, etc. I would like to see maybe a workout room added or an arcade. Are there chances of that?

Remove the musty carpet and install a proper ventilation system that will prevent the Mildew from accumulating in the first place. Proper winterizing can go a long way for this as well, but keep in mind that Breakers Express is getting musty on the first floor as well - and its not that old.

Update the televisions. It's a small thing, but you would never find such TVs in a hotel outside the park, even the real cheap ones. Otherwise SS is great if you have to sleep 6 in the park.

The hotel store could be improved (an understatement) and some activities for the kids if it's a rainy day (convertable dome over pool for example).

But if the place fills up under the status quo, why bother with improvements? Hopefully that is not the current thinking about the management of SS or the filling up of rooms regularly won't last long!

I wonder if this was a two year plan, since they redid the exterior for 2007.

I stayed at SS this past season, and boy is is long OVERDUE for an interior renovation. A few weeks after my stay, I recieved an email quetionaire. I pretty much blasted them away on how badly the place was outdated. It's hard to believe they kept that early 90's look this long!

We stayed there and received an email questionaire also, but then got another email that we got the questionaire by mistake but could complete and submit it anyway. What's up with that? I decided to delete the questionaire.

I guessed they can't decide if they want my opinion or not.

Who said that SS fills up? When we visited in June, my sister stayed there and her room was ready by 9am. So either housekeeping is really efficient or they had empty rooms.

They don't fill up everyday.

Well the first thing that pops into my mind would be to add an air conditioner into the bedroom half of the room. I have never understood just having one in the living room. Oh yeah, and replace the old one in the living room also, it barely kept it cool, if thats what you would call it.

Even with the renovation I doubt it will fix the problem of bad acoustics, and thin walls.

I worked at Sandcastle for 7 summers (housekeeper, night housekeeper, bellman, and then in charge of housekeeping). I must say that as an employee, some of the best times of my life were in that hotel. So I have very fond memories of the place and the people who've worked there. Yet on another side, I must say that as a hotel, I would NEVER stay there (at least before these recent renovations). The company tried very hard to cut as many corners as they can at this place. Never a pay raise in 7 years. Sometimes tipped employees made more than the manager of the hotel, so of course turnover was VERY high.

As an actual facility, it's about time they are renovating it. As some of you have mentioned, here's a list of several things that REALLY need an update; carpets and tv's for sure. Internet connectivity. Immediate recreation for older people and kids who stay in the rooms during the hot days. A much better restaurant next door. New walls for the entire place. New plumbing (every day there are several toilet overflows, some of which would flow down to other floors).

Besides that, there is a big ant problem. Most the mployees would call it "Any Castle" because we all thought it was located on an ant hill. All we were able to do was kill ants every day.

As a housekeeper, I always felt inbetween a rock and a hard place. For $200 or whatever a night, the cleaning was pretty bad; mostly because we didn't have the staff. Our staff was literally halved from 2000 to 2001, and then from thereeon every year afterwards it crept slowly downwards.

As far as being busy, back in 2000-2001, every single day we were sold out (or nearly close to it). Yet after the much nicer waterpark resorts were built (Great Bear and Kalahari), business dropped significantly for the first part of the summer quite a bit, but then in August it was always sold out pretty much till Labor Day.

So many great times and memories there, but was always amazed at the lack of money, investment, personnel and care the place seemed to get. On one good side, we were out of the spotlight of the major managers, so much less stressful at times. But I really feel the customers "suffered" from the things I just mentioned. I am excited to see how the insides will change, and hope it is for the better!