General Manager's Update

Greetings from Sunny Belize!

I have got to be honest here: never before has watching the paint dry been more exciting! For all the silly slow-downs to see the buildings coming to life...it is quite rewarding, if overdue. For those of you frustrated by the delays, I feel your pain. But know that what can be done is being done. Look to the second part of this blog for a blow-by-blow, building-by-building update.

Building A Roofing as of  May 16th

The highlights are that the last of the roofing began this week, and the last of the exterior paint is ongoing also. Having been on the roof many times, and having slung some paint myself, I assure you all that the work is being done carefully, and with the care that prevents re-do in short order. Many builders might not have replaced the roofs, so all credit to Ben & Co.who eschewed the path of least resistance and took the far more difficult (and expensive) avenue to replace it all.

As some of you may recall I offered all the owners on the Caribbean side a "micro" update on their particular unit. I am pleased to say that one person has taken me up on that offer, so I extend this again to anyone curious about their particular unit's progress.

Logo

You may notice the modified logo.  It has been improved, stylized and updated by a well-respected Argentine graphic artist. Look for this to adorn the shirts, table cloths, website, social media and web booking engine going forward. At look at this process and our online presence will be part of my next update next week.

License

I am proud to say that persistence pays, and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) has awarded the Belize Ocean Club their hotel operating license #1777 (sounds lucky, doesn't it) as of yesterday, May 15.  Although a long-time coming, the license carries quite a bit of cachet here. We already have a tax ID number, and the last step is to get a liquor license, but that must wait for the kitchen installation. Watch for further licensing updates soon.

Commons Areas

Some owners have asked about the commons.  Here's a brief update on those pieces to the puzzle:

1. There is a very ambitious plan to install beautiful and functional decking around the buildings to keep the guests our of the sand when going from building to building, building to pool, pool to reception, and so on. Those planks will complement the decking, the pool bar and sea-side dining areas. Because the stripping and painting, the roofing, the landscaping and assorted other chores were so messy this plan is slated to begin in early June.
2. There has been a great deal of planting and landscaping.  New borders have been erected by the carpenters to better designate the parking and turning areas, and to provide a barrier for all the new plantings. Some plants were "borrowed" from the other side of the road near the restaurant, where the plants were just booming. Others were cuttings and replants from the other Belizean property. All look tremendous.The primitive fencing concept has been extended to the A/C areas as well. A local landscaping expert has consulted as well for which climbing plants and so forth work best given the soil condition. This gent also took the plantain tree planted by owner Gloria Innis and has somehow multiplied that group into 20 or so like it. 
3. The restaurant tiki #2 is still awaiting a full-moon cycle in order to harvest the materials. This cycle is starting soon, and the locals insist on waiting for the tides to be just right before harvesting the particular fronds they use. Another local touch to add to the restaurant tikis made of local hardwoods, and equipped with tables and chairs carefully crafted by local tradesmen. The tradesman designing and building the furniture began near the first of May, plans to deliver by month's end.
4. The pool repair and completion has been delayed b the need to finalize the logo. Now that this is done and official, as soon as we can get the tiles we will put the masons to work with a huge logo that will announce our presence both in photos and in fly-overs by the puddle-jumping flights. It is going to be a distinctive, proud statement. We now hope to buy the tiles soon, manufactured in next-door neighbor Mexico. We await the suppliers to provide us the best possible colored tiles to have a striking contrast that leaps out at you. Of course, this also delays filling the pool, but we believe the marketing cahet to be worth the wait.
5. Fish Story Grille Restaurant has made little progress in the kitchen. We are trying to get a waiver from the Belizean government that cuts the import duty -- or eliminates it -- before ordering the equipment from the states. The outdoor dining areas will gather palapa this fortnight, and the tables and chairs are being constructed locally which supports the local economy, saves on import duty, and takes full advantage of two of Belize's best natural resources: local tradesmen and beautiful wood.  Stay tuned...

Building-by-building Update

Building D

For reasons that I am not really privy to, the first roof and the first paint job was done on Bldg. D. Those of you with units in Bldg. D have been seeing photos of your units as these have been nearly completed for the photographers to use as models. So the major five things are largely complete with this portion of the project:

1. the roof is completely replaced
2. all exterior paint is complete
3. all interior paint is complete
4. all flooring is complete and perfected
5. furniture and fixtures are in place and working with the exception of some decorations, mirrors and electronics.

What Bldg. D lacks (in fact all buildings) are those finishing touches that make it special. Many of those are on order and will transform the already tastefully appointed condos and turn them even more into showplaces of indigenous art.local architecture and ancient ruins, and home-grown exterior lights that will brighten the tropical appeal even further.

Building C

Building C has 2 of the above five items in place:

1. The roof is completely replaced
2. The exterior paint is complete.
3. The flooring has been perfected
4. There is some interior paint just begun. (This is slated for completion end of month)
5. The furniture and fixtures are not yet done (of course, this is dependent on the interior paint completion). 

Building B

Building B, you may recall from Ben's communique, finished the roof last week. For some reason, this roof  had fared the worst from the storms, earthquakes and lack of TLC during the shut-down.  Much material was required for the roofers, and in mid-project some of that material was suddenly very difficult to come by. But such is the best-laid plans in Belize, and eventually, the zinc roofing material materialized, and that project and the corresponding ceilings that were damaged are all completed.

So for the big 5:

1. The roof is finished, and all related repairs done
2. The exterior paint is ongoing, and slated for finish by this time next week
3. All flooring, with one unit's exception, has been redone
4. The interior paint has not been started, as until a few days ago, the roof was off.
5. FF&E await the paint.

Building A

For owners in building A:

Later: May 16th.  New roof going down over the weekend

1. Roof work has begun with the removal of the old tiles. The roofing materials arrived today (thankfully, there were no mishaps with either the supply or the delivery.We have learned not to take such routines for granted here).
2. The exterior paint is completed, save any touching up required by the roofing project.
3. All flooring is complete
4. The interior paint has not yet begun
5. FF&E will wait until paint is complete.

Thanks for wading through all my rantings. I know it is not the most interesting online read you will likely see today, but the construction portion is not really my department, so I wanted to be thorough. It is easier to share the entire update with all of you than to offer these updates separately, but for the lot of you I offer both.

Trust me on this: no one wants to see the place open sooner than I, but only if it is done right. I am happy to report that in no cases have corners been cut. I look forward to your postings and queries.so please, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me at any of the contact data below. Some of you have done that, and I urge everyone not to be a stranger. Note the "Skypein" number: 305.704.7239 which is the best way to reach me from any device, be it land-line, mobile or other VoIP device. I could not get a Belize number as the government owns the phone system so I got a US number to make that a domestic call for the American owners.

Sincerely, West 

Fish Story Grille Hires Chef Juan Gil

Chef Juan prepares home-made pasta for Dos Lunas, Argentina

Greetings from Sunny Belize!

The Belize Ocean Club and the Fish Story Grille is proud to announce the hiring of the most important post in the resort, Executive Chef Juan Gil. Juan will serve as kitchen manager, food and beverage manager, and handle all restaurant-related staff. He brings to the BOC a wealth of experience in both Belize and around the Caribbean. His creative menu plans include dishes from all over the various islands, capture the flavors of the Yucatan as well as favorites from other stops in his culinary career including Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, and some savory favorites from the States.

Chef Juan received his culinary training from the famed Le Cordon Bleu of Paris where he earned chef honors for both his cuisine and for pastry. For those of you familiar with Placencia's dining scene, Chef Juan comes to us most recently from the Rumfish y Vino Restaurant in the village. The Rumfish is widely regarded as Placencia's best restaurant, and was recently featured by United's in-flight magazine where he and the restaurant were featured as cannot-miss dining experiences in Belize. As Chef Juan's roots are from Chile, don't be surprised by South American favorites as well.

Chef Juan has chosen the BOC over a pair of other opportunities, and wants to turn the Fish Story Grille into a "Caribbean eatery, incorporating local flavors and spices into creative and popular dishes from all over the islands, with tastes from Cuban to Creole." Juan also shares the GM's emphasis and concentration on providing excellent service in addition to area-best food. He also shares the GM's vision for making the FSG a destination  restaurant, popular with the resort guests and local diners.

Juan has already proven himself a team-player and his guidance will make the FSG a well-designed and customized kitchen that will pump out bar favorites and creative sandwiches at lunch-time, the peninsula's best seafood cuisine by night, and late-night favorites for the room service menu. Further, look for the dessert menu to be establish the gold standard in Belizean dining.

Chef Juan also has his ear to the ground regarding food-related things Belizean, so check back for future postings for a preview of the initial menu, and for creative ways to procure the best food available. We are thrilled that such an accomplished chef was available when we went looking for a chef, and we at the BOC are thrilled that the timing was such that we were able to recruit him even before the FSG has a kitchen, and that he could make it his own. He has unique ideas for healthy smoothies and coffee drinks in the morning, and we are taking aim on the locals population through coupons and discounts in order to offset slow times during the off-season with creative entertainment offerings.

Dos Lunas

Owners may be interested to know that the Dos Lunas Resort in Argentina, where Chef Juan is pictured above training staff there in mid-April, is a destination that is also available to investors in the BOC.  If interested in learning more, please contact Ben to find out availability and details.

Job Fair - March 18, 2013

Warm Regards from Sunny Belize!

Just wanted to update all owners on progress with the hiring cycle. We had posted an ad in the Placencia Breeze in order to try to fill our buckets with applicants, hoping to find a few acceptable candidates. I am pleased to say that we did far better than that.  Although we really did not know what to expect when we advertised the job fair in the local paper, but we certainly did not count on this level of  response.

We opened the doors at 8 AM to over 3 dozen applicants for jobs ranging from bus and wait staff for the restaurant to front desk and secretarial. We ran out of forms long before lunchtime. Not only did a great many turn out, but many people that I would be pleased to hire showed up. It seems that the timing was good: since most of the tourist season locally is over, some staffers at other establishments were either available or thought that they might be soon. Still others were taking this end-of-season cycle to consider other options. There were entrepreneurial types that were looking for a steady check to make their cash flow more stable. And lastly, there were a great many Belizeans out of work, but qualified and eager.

The whole experience was very encouraging. What warts reveal themselves should these people come aboard no one knows, but if even 50% of those that we identified as worth hiring and/or training came through, we still had many left in the file drawer for future reference. Although we know that hiring locally can be a tricky proposition, I think that we all left the hall feeling better about the local prospects.

Construction-schedule permitting, we are trying for a May opening, and we let all applicants know that call-backs might not begin until then. Special thanks go to Kimberley Stephens for her gift of conversation and organization. Further  special thanks go to Chef Juan Gil who seems to know everyone locally, and was a completely selfless resource regarding the Food & Beverage side of the house, and the Fish Story Grille.

Travel Data

Some of you had asked for more data regarding travel trends in Belize. The Belize Tourism Board, a government agency that oversees tourism and collects and tracks room taxes, also compiles the official statistics that are used by all branches of government. I am providing a link below to their statistics page, and will update this with a more specific link that addresses the 2013 data as soon as that becomes available. For now, here is the statistics link:

BTB Stats on Belize:

There is much there to be encouraged about, particularly when you look at the records set in 2012. I feel pretty certain after meeting with representatives from that organization that 2013 may improve on those figures as well. Stay tuned, and as we come across more data we will share it with you.

Warm Regards, West Tucker

General Manager's Progress Report

Greetings to all Owners and Others from Sunny Belize!

I thought that I would send out a regular bulletin to update everyone on the progress here at the resort.  Although Ben has been in touch with all of you regarding the progress of the building and renovation cycle, I thought I would also add my behind-the-scenes perspective regarding the machinations that I believe will bring great success to the Belize Ocean Club (BOC). 

It helps to be in the right place at the right time. Last year, according to government figures, Belize enjoyed its best-ever year of tourism. Everyone we speak to here expects that 2013 will shatter those records as well. It is an exciting time to be a part of the upswing. And it stands to reason that you thought that might happen -- after all, many of you are literally invested in that belief. Numerous local articles provide testimony to your foresight. I will share more of them as I come across them.

Belize Tourism Story

As you likely know, there are two buildings that are finished for roof/exterior paint. It looks tremendous.which have new roofs and exterior paint. It looks tremendous. However, what you may not know is that there are many more tasteful touches that are adding value to the property by making the grounds and the interior of the units even more appealing. Each of the units will have a pastel accent wall in each room except the kitchen. Further we are adding sconces made of the beautiful hardwoods that Belize is renown for. Other indigenous touches will complete the mood of the resort.  Some of these new resort assets are the wood walkways and the gorgeous new dining tikis that grace the grounds on the beach side of the pool, bath amenities produced by local artisans,and  local spices and flavors featured by the restaurant will complete the mood.

This theme of local flavor has been carried over into the choosing and implementation of the new logo which I am pleased to introduce here: 

We are hopeful that the image brings home water, subtlety and class.  Similarly, we have named the Caribbean restaurant. the Fish Story Grille which we hope strikes the right note of Belizean carefree lifestyle, but hints at the seafood and the seaside.

The first order of business when trying to get a property re-opened in the 3rd world is to make sure that you pack a great deal of patience. As I have noted first-hand in previous experience at the Bahamas, the US Virgin Islands and to a lesser but still real extent, in Miami as well as previous stops, the wheels of progress can spin slowly when you are dealing with multiple government agencies and entities.That is not to say that we are without wins.

• We have teamed with a highly successful dive and tour group here in Placencia to try to get bigger groups that have a dive angle, and that need our meeting space, which we know has no peer in out part of Belize.
• We are now live on the GDS/IDS the system that supplies our data to the travel agents and the travel websites of the world. 
• Immediate marketing plans include the launch of the new web, and bringing some travel press to the site to see the plans and what we have together.
• Hiring plans continue. We will host a job fair on Monday, March 18th all day long to try to attract the best of the industry help in the area. 

Everyone did themselves a huge favor by getting on board with the RMA program. It is encouraging to see such consensus; currently there is only one unit on the Caribbean side that will absolutely not participate in the rental program. Of course, we would prefer to have 30 units in inventory after Phase I of the opening, but we are more than pleased that all other owners have agreed to participate. As we head into the slow part of the Belize tourism calendar, we plan to make the most of that time to sharpen our processes, better train our people, and be ready to make the most of next season. 

We are working long hours to make certain that the BOC is an excellent destination and to best the competition. If you have any questions about the development, the rental agreements, the plans, please do not hesitate to reach out to me and ask. We welcome your feedback with the same enthusiasm that we welcome our guests, with open hearts and open minds.

Warm Regards,

West Tucker