Beach Club

I would take it out with the garage owner who broke the deal and not another customer who got the same deal but isn't too bothered by it.I was being scolded for having a different view on things,told the likes of me should be ashamed.For what? Originally I posted on this thread to bring what I saw as a bit of positive news on how I saw improvements in the beach club and paying the €10 was only a passing comment that when we visited the place we felt you know what if we had to pay the €10 we would.It was in reaction to reading all the posts being so negative ,much of it hearsay and people working themselves into a frenzy that it had been sold and it was a diaster.Everyone was fueling everyone else's fear and upset.Its not true to say I care only about my opinion.I said I understand your viewpoints.And like you said opinions don't count but ACTION does.This is becoming upsetting and distressing for me so please take your upset and annoyance out on the people who have broken promises and not on someone who has a different view on things to your group.

I suppose Calidona said on their marketing brochures that a Beach club was included but never said it was free entry. I think they have been allowing people in for free upto now as it was struggling and they needed numbers in to cover the light bill. We all know that calidona need to sub out any dealings with joe public as they cannot organise a piss up in a brewery themselves.we saw that when then club house had to be rescued by callados, who turned it back into a place that it at least upto some kind of standard.Would the roof top terrace bars be there if calidona were still in the driving seat?

Anyway, I did visit the beach club yesterday to see what all this hussle an bussle is about. I just walked in passed the porsche they had on display from Porsche Murcia so I didn't pay entry. The place has seriously improved, all staff pleasant and if I was entertaining guests it would without a doubt be a place where I would bring them. As for the 10 euro and the free towel... I don't know but I could do with a few free towels for my 3 apartments on Roda that have now been valued at 40% of what I paid for them.

The way forward... I think we should leave calidona build up their bank account by renting this Beach club, hopfully some victim with lots of money will visit there with investors and see potential in investing in the long awaited hotel on Roda. We can start protests outside it, give out and fight all day long but at the end of the day where will we get? Nowhere.

I think we should leave the dust settle on the beach club for a few months, maybe it will be open all year round now. Leave them charge in or whatever and live in hope for the bigger picture of the 5 star hotel finished and the remaining holes in the ground on phase 4/5 filled in with buildings.

Relax...and admire the porsche and walk around it for free entry, its very exciting. The beaches in spain are owned by the government so they cant tell you get off it. Bring a bag of cans and a deckchair and tell them not to have the music too loud if you like and ask them for your free towel.

You make me smile ace!great to have another point of view and at last another person who's glass is half full despite everything!:)good to hear there will be at least one other Roda owner still using the beach club.I'll keep an eye out for the lad with a bag of cans and a smile on his face like myself!!

Cat,

I have not used the beach in 2 years and come over at least 3 to 4 times a year, thats not the point.  The point is I paid a premium for a property because of what I was promised when I purchased it.  Hotel with spa, shops, restaurants, PRIVATE beach club, PRIVATE complex etc etc.  These are just a few and how many of the above have we got?  Yes I have a lovely property but I should have more for the price I paid and was promised.

 

Paul

What is happening on this thread is an old pattern.  

Roda/Calidona sold us our properties at a massive premium promising wonderful things (just read Shannon's earlier posting to see how badly we were mis-sold) - no wonder people are upset.  It is completely understandable from a business perspective that they should now offload the running of the resort to those like Collados, who are at least better at it (though that's not saying much) when they can't make the clubhouse and beach club pay.

It is also completely to be expected that people who have paid a small fortune for their properties, possibly having to work harder and longer as a result, maybe suffering financial worry and/or distress, etc. etc. etc. are going to be a little upset when they experience offhand and shoddy treatment by Roda in the various forms that have become legendary over the past few years.  Everybody's circumstances are different.  Some people have had to hand their keys back, others are wealthy enough to be able to stand the hit and move on.  There are lots of us that fit somewhere inbetween.  Those who live on Roda are obviously going to have a different point of view from those who bought just to rent. 

The common factor is that we all paid for something which has not been delivered. This is bound to spill out onto this forum, because quite honestly, there seems little else we can do.  I've lost count of the times I've read the phrase "who do we contact?"      "Negative" opinions are voiced and others counter those with "positives".  cat is "just happy with her property" and I'm furious at another slap in the face by a wet (albeit free) towel by Roda.  So there we are.  

What disappoints me is that instead of taking it out on the real villains here, we get drawn into taking sides against each other(although again, that's also completely understandable), when in reality, we are all in it together.  cat suggested getting together,  Pommers also posted somewhere about starting some sort of association.  I can't help feeling that working together, rather than taking sides against each other, is the way to go.

Good post johnjane I do agree and am too very upset at what we have got compared to what it was sold as.

But having watch a few tv doc on spanishe properties I am happy that our place is complete and not half built with the builder going bust, that we do have a nice club house even though service can be a bit hit and miss. And we dont have the government wanting to pull our properties down. "thing could be much worse" Not that this make it ok.

I am very dissapointed that they have choosen to charge roda owner for the beach club and only offer towels !!! bit of a p*** take. At least they should have made it half the price of non owners say 5euros at least as an owner you would feel some privalidge.

cat it may only cost you 20euros a year for two visits that does'nt seem to bad when you say it like that but if you go as a family day out of 4 it 40 euros a hit plus your drinks and food way to much for a day out at the beach!!! Even if it is lovely

Yes I agree with you.We all bought into the package but somethings are a priority for some and not for others.Like you I don't visit the beach club often enough for the €10 to bother me.Like ace I see the onsite facilities as more important and in my view this has only a chance of happening if the company are making money.id love to know how often the others frequent the beach club or if given a choice would they rather have free entry into the beach club or a profit making company that may add to our resort.they have restarted on the clubhouse in Corvera but I would put money on it it is not so much about keeping promises but a financial decision to save themselves money in court and having to refund people because of a lack of facilities there.the golf course wouldnt stay open or in good condition if we got to play for free and I personally just see the beach club in the same way.next time your over call into the beach club and see what you think.I really saw a great improvement. It's very Ibiza-esque with the lounge beds down by the waters edge and the beach Dj.Of course it would be nice if we got in for free but having seen the improvement I personally felt I would be willing to pay a little towards a better looking beach club.We don't get to play golf for free but we get discounted rates.Now we don't get the beach club for free but we still get a slightly better deal than non- owners.Id say ace is probably correct in saying that we may have never been promised free use of the beach club.I distinctly recall a promotional video saying we had the use of the beach club at our disposal but never recall the word free being used.As for it being private I do believe we were promised that but I can see why that was broken as it couldnt make money or survive on our custom alone as several of us on this thread have admitted we don't use it at all or just now and then.I think ace may also be correct in saying that they can't keep the beach private as I distinctly recall being there the first year when it was supposedly private and saw people coming up along the beach from the right hand side walking dogs and flying kites and nothing was done about it.I was quite annoyed about it at the time.I also remember thinking what's the big deal about this place-a few sunloungers thrown by water full of seaweed and one pool ,I'd rather have been sat by my own pool or down at the Mar Menor but when I went a few days ago the atmosphere was great and it looked great and felt posh to be frank and I was excited about the place again!Friends and family have gone over in the past and I always felt a bit nervous about their reaction because I knew the reality wasnt as good as the promotional photos and videos but I had spent so much time boasting and showing it off they were dying to go and of course when they got there they didnt see anything too
exciting about it but I would certainly recommend they go again now.I hope the next time you go you find you have a good experience too.!I just
hope Collados keep up the good standard and I don't end up eating my own words!And maybe you and some of the other guys on here who share the same view and if you feel strongly enough about it should join together and go to Collados.To me the clubhouse in Corvera would not be restarting only for people dogidly chased after them and threatened them with court action to get what they wanted!I just feel that bringing Calidona down will just take the future of the resort down with them and like ace would hope that some investors would come in and complete the vision but they are not going to take on a loss making company up to their eyes in debt with legal costs and a loss making business model.Just my opinion.you can agree or disagree as I believe this is a discussion forum and not simply a place where only people with the same point of view can make a comment.nice discussing our views Paul in a fair and adult fashion and I'm sure we can agree to disagree and may even find some
common views.

Jane John.thank you for bringing some sanity back into this discussion.exactly I am not the villain here and I think the suggestion of €5 is a good idea.yes!the guys who were venting their annoyance towards me should be venting it towards the company.they should put their strong views to good use and come together to solve what is a problem for them.

Hevs.hands up! I agree with you it is a large sum for a family but its probably a once a year trip and you know what the Mar Menor is just as good a day out if not better when you have the kids with you.You're a short distance from home and have a choice of places where you can buy your food and drinks.I know it's a shame that the price might be restrictive for some and I have a geuine alternative for some.I recently discovered a beach bar called Spinosa with a very similar vibe to the beach club.it's down at the quieter end of the promenade to the left and the beach is free for the kids!just for me,kids and all having seen the improvement to the beach club I see it as value for my money and a place I would now like to spend time.Everyone has a choice and can make their minds up for themselves.if people disagree with the charge they are not going to achieve anything by taking a dig at me.
I am far from loaded but I don't mind spending money where I feel I am getting value for money .Previously although entry was free I kind of saw it as a waste of time and money on the transfers .
For anyone with kids who used the bus/ferry transfer previously the cost difference isnt actually so great.

Kind regards
Cat33

 

 

Pleased to oblige Cat33

This message was last edited by shannon on 24/08/2011.

I might suggest troll alert however o]if you look at the histort of posting I do believe that cat33 is a villa owner on RODA

 

This message was last edited by inspectahomespain on 21/08/2011.

I don’t agree with Cat33’s opinions but I do believe Cat33 is entitled to voice an opinion and Cat33 is an owner on Roda.

Hello All,

You must admit chaps that my question was politely asked. Thanks for your replies!

Regards,

Frank

Eye on Spain is a funny old forum. I see this happening on so many other threads around the whole site. Someone voices an opinion and then gets upset when someone else offers a different opinion, or feels they are being got at.
I learnt a long time ago with EoS that "if you can't take the heat then the best thing to do is get out of the kitchen". Hence I no longer post on any threads but the Roda ones - but even these too now seem to be getting nasty.

Please folks - we are all owners on Roda. Would everyone be so direct if they were having this conversation face-to-face? 
Probably not. You have to be more quick witted to do it in person. To do it in writing is easy - you can think about how to say it for far too long. Hence we get some nasty digs and jibes

I am extremely angry like many people about the fact that I now only appear to own an apartment and not the "concept" that I bought into. We bought primarily to rent out but do go to the apartment about once a month for a break. No, we don't visit the beach club but the large amount we paid was supposed to cover all these extra features, and as I said our renters like to go and visit BUT do not want to have to pay to get in after a long drive. If I'd wanted just an apartment & pool in Los Alcazares the ones on the Albatross complex that were about 3/4 of what we all paid would have fitted the bill nicely. Nice apartments, nice pools, nearer the shops, nearer the beach and the same rental value as at Roda. And now I could pay €10 to visit the Beach Club if I wanted to. So YES I do feel cheated. I don't agree with Cat33's view that she is happy to own just the apartment - I want what I paid for. But Cat33 is entitled to her view and we should all respect that and not be nasty about her opinions.

But, as JaneJohn and many others have posted, a discussion on here may vent our feelings but will get us nowhere.

If you are interested in forming an owners association then as I stated elsewhere please PM me and if there is enough interest then may be we can meet up and see if there is something we can do. So far I've had one single solitary repsonse.

So we might all want to whinge on here but no-one seems prepared to do anything. Well one or two of us now are - as I personally feel that we have been pushed once too often. Whether doing anything will have any effect I don't know but at least if we form a group we might be able to get some strength by banding together. Individuals complaining are usually just ignored. I know I have been several times when I've written to Housing asking for help.

However, I have written to Housing once again and have been promised a reply when Marisol gets back from holiday.
So in the meantime I will continue to be angry but hopefully put my thoughts down politely and not get nasty towards fellow owners.

Why don't you ALL write to Housing too - maybe if they see the number of people that are angry about this it will sow a tiny seed of doubt that the worm has now turned.

 

This message was last edited by pommers on 22/08/2011.

Hi Pommers

Sandrab here - totally agree with you 100% - what is the point of airing a view if those that like taking potshots use you as target practice.  It's one of the reasons I too have withdrawn from making contributions on this forum.  Interestingly I was looking back at the old photos on here the other day and I see I was the first to lodge photos (of the beach club site) in May 2006 - my goodness me how far has the circle turned since then.

I have already told JaneJohn that I am happy to support any campaign to get what we paid for (for all the reasons you have so eloquently outliend)  so count me in - that's 3 of us.

We are out as at 21 September for a chunk of time so it might be a good time to meet up for a chat!

Best wishes as always

Sandra

 

Sandra,

We've just booked our flights and are there at the same time - any advance on 3?

Jane 

Collados have imposed the charge with no thought for owners as they have no financial incentive to consider the owners. A boycott of the Club House by owners until Collados reconsider is one possible way to change this.

If someone living on site were to put this possibility to Collados management and take responsibility to communicate and get support for the boycott you would see a change of attitude I bet.

I would personally prefer that there was a compromise before things get to this stage but if owners are prepared to do nothing then arguably  we deserve what we get. We do have some power even if it is only in our pockets where a small business like Collados is concerned.

This message was last edited by jdwhy on 23/08/2011.

 Hi Guys

I'm no expert on these things, but l'm not sure boycotting the Clubhouse - thereby putting Collados under financial pressure - is a terribly good idea. l wonder how long their contract is to operate things both there and at the Beach Club? Do you think there are other candidates waiting to take over if they decide not to renew?

A much better idea would seem to be the Owner's Action group, and from reading the posts here over the last couple of years there are a number of eminently qualified people who could head that up.

Anyway, we're over at Roda in two weeks time and looking forward to it immensely - despite all it's troubles it's still the best place we've ever stayed at in Spain.

Regards to all.

Tony

PS Fantastic news re the Corvera clubhouse - it just shows how quickly bad news can turn good!!

Hello All,

I am, like a lot of other Roda owners, very annoyed about this latest development, but the blame for it should not, in my opinion, be laid at Collados door. If one considers that Collodas may always have been envisaged  by Roda as the caterers at the Beach Club and the Clubhouse, then the difference would be that we were promised that DeVere would be the managers. It is Roda/Calidona who have made possible what has occured. They have hived off responsibility in this instance and abrogated their responsibility in many other areas.

They have abandoned the land that Phase 4B and 5 would have occupied. It is in a DISGRACEFUL condition, full of weeds, rubble etc etc. They have masked other undeveloped areas by erecting fences which are again in a DISGRACEFUL state and are totally inadequate.The garden and builders waste is piled, composting, next to Phase 4A and it is DISGRACEFUL. Grassed areas throughout Roda are threadbare and patchy while plants in other areas wont grow because, the gardeners believe, there is insufficient irrigation, which again is DISGRACEFUL.

But is the above really a surprise, for as I said earlier in this thread, the inexhaustive list below of promised amenities, together with their DISGRACEFUL activities described above, shows to my mind that they are incorrigible schemers.

They said they wouold provide:-

1) "First Aid Centre"

2) "24 hour Cash Machines"

3) "Hairdressers"

4) "Book Shop"

5)  "Pharmacy/Parapharmacy"

6) "Self Service Launderette"

7) "IT Shop"

8) "Ice Cream Parlour / Juice Bar / Crepery"

9) "Themed Restaurants; Italian / Japanese / Meditteranean etc"

10) "English Pub (Live Music)"

11) "A central Square"

12) "Tobacconist"

13) "Confectionary Shop"

14)  "Bakery"

15) "Bank Office"

16) Offices to include; "Insurance Broker, Travel Agent and Lawyer"

17) "Supermarket"

18) "Exclusive Beach Club"

19) "Transport to the evclusive Beach Club"

20) "secure living environment"

21) "Hotel"

I didn`t imagine anything described above.They said that was the 5* package.

Calidona/Roda are liars and thieves in my opinion. Me and you gave them the money to build a 5* resort, ( In my case 3 years before the credit crunch and I am on Phase 3). They have welshed on their side of the contract. Roda is not and never will be a 5* resort. Everyone of you who has visited Roda knows it is not 5*. Everyone who has visitors knows that they are embarrassed by many areas of Roda. I know I am. People wouldn`t be embarrassed  if it were 5*.

The disdainful way in which we are and have been treated by Roda/Calidona, assures me that because they know we have no recourse, other than the legal route, to make them move, they will do nothing.

But hey, it`s only money after all.

Regards,

Frank

 

This message was last edited by shannon on 23/08/2011.

 All

lf anyone is interested in having a meeting at the Clubhouse to discuss the formation of an Owners Action Group, and exchange ideas on how we can best move forward, l am over from 10th-18th September inc. and would be delighted to mee you.  Perhaps we could invite a representative from Housing to address our concerns regarding the Beach Club, gardens etc etc, and give us an update on what is likely to happen in the future.

The more l think about an Action Group, the more l'm convinced it is a good idea.

Let me know.

Kind regards

Tony

 

Although we are owners at Corvera, not Roda we still try to keep an eye on your developement as it has a direct influence as far as the developer is concerned.

The problem with the glossy brochures is that they can translate in many different ways according to the interpretation required by the reader.

The beach club is 'exclusive' but only if you translate that as example 3 in my dictionary.... 1 and 2 say limited to possession and excluding others but 3 says stylish and expensive.

Frank, I have the brochure in front of me and yes it does state ALL of those facilities you quote. However, you have missed out the vital opening paragraph of the list which reads 'Roda Golf and Beach Resort is SURROUNDED by leisure opportunities for the whole family. Shopping areas,restaurants and countless sports facilities are on hand in the LOCAL area'. They have not actually stated that they would provide them within the development. The same applies to us at Corvera where they say it will 'have it's own airport.' The 5th hole is quite a long 'un but I still don't expect to see any jumbo's flying in, perhaps just a few pigs.

Beware of Brochure translation!