5 door CAR WANTED

Am I alone in thinking that the Spa is a huge white elephant?  A clever sales ploy used as a magnet to attract prospective purchasers by KM sales?  Lovely in principle, completely unworkable in practice?

Why can't we try to make this area EARN US MONEY INSTEAD OF COSTING US MONEY?  My view is that:

• The area is far too small for the development
• The facilities are open to abuse and have already been mistreated, stolen or broken
• Any Spa in the UK controls access by children or teenagers by either saying a blunt "No" to their presence or having allocated family time for use of an indoor pool.  Apart from the obvious Health & Safety implications, unsupervised children will see the area as an experimental playground.  I have seen this for myself - unsupervised children go into the sauna and steam room and jump straight back into the pool without taking a shower (yuk) and then jump out of the pool and use the running machine and bikes barefoot and dripping wet.
• Handles are falling off doors (I got trapped in the loo in the ladies changing room a few weeks ago), tiles are broken, the pump room has problems, etc, etc
• As the capacity of the hot water tanks in owner's apartments is small, the changing room showers will be used extensively at the community's expense

In an effort to retrieve the situation and arrest spiralling costs, couldn't we just keep the indoor pool for the winter months and perhaps the running machine and use the freed up space for money making ideas such as a chiringuito selling soft drinks, newspapers and ice creams with perhaps a small internet cafe selling tea, coffee and pastries?   The block paved area outside could have some tables, chairs, parasols and rubbish bins.  Any entrepreneur will tell you that you drop what doesn't work fast and stay with what DOES work.   It seems fairly obvious after only 5 month's use that the unsupervised gym, sauna and steam room really don't work in a community of our size.  

We have already been advised that the provision of lifeguards for the summer months may - mid september will cost the community 5,400 euro per MONTH.  If we continue to run the Spa and put in supervision, the cost of staffing, maintenance and upkeep of equipment will spiral. 

Hopefully, there will be a vote taken on this issue at the forthcoming meeting.

Our pool on AA Resort is closed from May thru September as it is warm enough to swim outside. From September thru April, the indoor pool is open for use and the outdoor facility is closed. These are the times any repairs/ maintenance are carried out to the systems, and of course keeps the running costs down.

With regards to the hot tub, the instructions will come with a warning that states it is not suitable for children under a certain age (can't remember what ours was now), due to the high temperatures of the water and it's ability to interfere with certain stages of adolescence! Depends on how hot you keep the water thiugh?

Mark

If this does get picked up at the forthcoming community meeting perhaps the May - September timeframe might be looked at.  We have just returned from a week out at Thalassa and had one whole day's worth of solid rain, followed by two more days of intermittent showers.

During this time it certainly was not warm enough to swim in the outdoor pool.  Having bought a property on a "spa" complex partly due to its indoor facilities (with no mention of seasonal opening times) it would have been a shame not to have been able to use them.  Our property is for own use but had we been a rental customer I am fairly sure it would have put us off returning if we hadn't had an alternative.

Having said this, the handle fell off the turkish bath door, one of the head cushions was falling off in the jacuzzi to reveal a loose screw and we had to report a flood in the gym to Theo, following the 12 hour thunder storm!  Not good for saying it has only been open since late November.

I agree that the size of the spa is crazy for the size of the complex and not of the standard that was in the advertising blurb.  However, to prevent it from declining more, we would be in favour of the community agreeing to get the spa to a standard that we are happy with and agree a method to keep it maintained at that level within a budget that the majority are happy to pay for.  I know there have been some concerns with the level of community charges so maybe there may be some way to get some budget from elsewhere.  If not, then maybe the reality is that the current spa is already as big as its residents are willing to pay for??

I know this has been covered on ealier threads but would be interested to know what others think?

I also personally think key mare are getting away with too much

from the brochure promises to this charade, i think that all of us shoudl write to our solciitors we used as a starter and then ask for key mare solicitor as a starter

i am still in emails with macanthony as they also gave me the promise with seeling me the property of what they were told to sell

i think it should be brought up at the community meeting

thanks sorry for rambling lynda

Would like to know how many other developments employ lifeguards, I'd bet we are on our own?

Once again SuziQ has raised a very good subject for debate and I fully agree with grumps.

Why should a private development employ lifeguards? This is not a public swimming pool nor a hotel, children should be supervised by their parents.

There should be an age restriction on the gym, although how this is monitored and supervised, I am not sure.  Maybe the indoor pool should be closed from June to end of September, and entry into the Spa to use the Gym and other facilities should be by a keyholder only.

Sorry Folks,

My feelings regarding the spa have been well documented on this forum. My suggestions regarding cost-cutting exercises, implementation of rules and regulations, hygiene issues, access etc., are there for all to see.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am unable to communicate privately with any owners, and, in respect of the forum rules, I will not comment further in order that my postings not be edited.

My thanks to those who have contacted me using my personal e-mail address and thank-you for your support and well-wishes.

I have resigned my post as Vice-President of the community in order that someone better qualified can take up the cause. I think the person in question is a regular contributer to this forum and they have always had the best interests of the development at heart.  The forum rules prevent me from naming names, but I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

Once again, thanks to those who have shown your support during this sorry, pathetic debacle.

Lorraine Braid.

Lorraine,

            I am sorry to hear that you have come to the decision regarding your post as VP,I know that you and Peter made very positive contributions to the community,giving both your time and energy. Please continue to enjoy our community ,I know that you are not some-one who cheers from the side-line and you like to be in the scrum,and I am your that you will miss being in the first team. I agree we have a very able person who will I am sure wish to continue your work.

                                                                                                                                              Kind Regards

                                                                                                                                    Ken & Pat

I believe the charge may be for 2 lifeguards but even so seems inflated.  The problem being Thalassa will be seen as a huge cash cow by any sub-contractor wishing to tender and they will probably assume bills and quotes will not be scrutinised too carefully and their accountability won't be as high due to the fact they are working for someone who administrates and awards contracts on behalf of us, the community.  Factor in we might be dealing with the notorious Spanish system of kick-back when awarding contracts.

Although most of KM's brochures state that accounts and other documents are available to be inspected at the administration office, I think we all know by now that this pays lip service to the Law - would there be anyone at the office to show us the documentation or would we be met with the excuse that no one can help us right now and then be forgotten about or fobbed off?

My recollection is that Spanish Law states that the provision of a socorista is compulsory depending on both the size of the urb and the size and/or depth of the pool.  I will post a query on the main forums and see what comes back.  Has anyone actually checked whether we DO require lifeguards before employing them - does anyone know - or are we just being led by the nose?

We can only move forward as a community if we all stand together and be fair and honest to each other - the more voices prepared to query and address issues, the better.  It should not be left to the few to serve the majority's interests and it stands to reason that an administration company appointed by a developer may be in a position of conflict when the interests of the community and those of the developer are not one and the same.

This information was posted in September last year by Maria de Castro, the Spanish lawyer who posts on EOS .

Noreen

LIFEGUARDS for ANDALUCIA POOLS

 Every collective use pool with a water surface greater than 200m² must have lifeguard services. The lifeguards must have the official certificate for life guarding. The number of lifeguards will be required as follows:

A) One lifeguard for pools from 200 to 500 m2 of water surface.

b) Two lifeguards for pools from 500 to 1000 m2 of water surface.

c) For pools bigger than 1000 m2 of water surface, one lifeguard will be added for every vessel or 500 m2 of water surface

Regardless what is stated above, if the separation between pools does not allow an efficient watchfulness, a lifeguard will be required for each pool as a minimum.

All this is a bit silly when the lifeguard goes home for his siesta at 2 o'clock every afternoon when the pools are most busy. At least that is what happened last year but I suppose we now set his hours.

Linda

Hi, 

I agree with Grumpyoldgit, Keymare should be made to meet the conditions laid down in our contracts. Many of the fittings and fixtures in the SPA are sub- standard and not designed  for such high usage ,they are more suitable for the domestic market. However  that does not excuse the amount of misuse which is continually being reported. Seasun as administrators are clearly not providing the service we need to control the complex but they must have a contract which was transfered from Keymare to the owners. Monica will know the terms and conditions and the implictions of any early termination. Is there anything in Spanish Law  which controls the way in which a complex should be administerd ?

At the first owners meeting Lorraine suggested the appointment of a manager and it received very little air time, in principle because we did not know what to expect from Seasun but when we now consider the size of the complex would you put your money into a business with half a million turnover that was being run without a manager ! well I'm afraid thats just what we are doing.

The complex needs day to day supervision, we cannot expect Theo to control the complex it's his boss that receives the 36,000 euro's payment for his services not him. We cannot expect the elected team to control the day to day activities.  No matter how many changes we make to the SPA  it will not stop the hooligan element from taking out their aggression  on the rest of the complex unless there is someone there to beat the drum. We have a beautiful complex with a great future if we keep control, at present we are paying for services that do not provide that control.

         Malcolm 

I also believe that the suggestion made earlier by Lorraine should get serious consideration and would like to throw my weight behind the idea of the community employing a manager, whose responsibilities would include the running of Thalassa on a day to day bases, but also the negotiation and management of supporting supplier contracts. 

This would offer an opportunity for the community to have a greater control and say in the running of our complex and equally help identify potential financial savings.

Lorraine has made many many useful comments and suggestions since becoming a permanent resident on Thalassa last August and I understand was quite reluctant to take up the post of VP in the first place.  The fact that she lives on Thalassa and has first hand knowledge of the day to day running of the urb cannot be underestimated, especially as she has frequently shared her knowledge and humour with us along the way.

Her husband, Peter, also has the community's interests at heart and has spent a lot of his free time uncovering community snagging issues and documenting them in an attempt to help us get them addressed by KM and Seasun.  Had I been standing in Lorraine's shoes at the initial meeting, as a full time resident I would have thought twice about stepping up because of the demands on my personal time and the fact many would bend my ear or knock on my door.   They both have businesses to run.

Having made the decision to step down as a VP, Lorraine is still attempting to help people by answering posts on this forum.  Her idea of employing a manager is the obvious way forward and a good solution to our dilemma.  The Presidenta and VP's are nominated officers and should not have to carry out the administration of the community  themselves, nor should any of he owners - they should be directing someone who does and reports back to them.  Let us hope this can be proposed/voted on at the meeting and we can then set about finding the right person and getting Thalassa back on course to what it can and should be.

Does anyone have plans of the Spa as drawn up by KM and handed out as part of the sales pitch?  We did not get these, although I do vaguely remember seeing the model in the sales office.  Can anyone comment whether the model and/or plans are a true representation of what we now know as the Spa and, if not, what are the essential differences.

Many thanks