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Dear GullWing Unit Owners,
Greetings from sunny Fort Myers Beach! It is hard to
believe that it is already March; time just seems to be
flying by. Season is definitely upon us, and the resort
has been busy. Due to recent occupancy levels, the
maintenance department hasn’t been able to tackle many
extra projects, but they have been working on projects
for the Association. I feel that the weakening economy
has had some impact on the resort’s revenues, but
distributions have remained positive, and our
refurbishment projects for 2007 are now wrapped up.
The
maintenance projects that were tackled include tinting
the windows on the east end of the 12th
floor. We are experimenting with the window tinting as
a possible way to reduce energy consumption for the
building. Please take a look at the windows and let me
know what you think of having all of the windows
tinted. Our Maintenance Team has also been busy
dressing up the lobbies. Both lobbies now have a new
chair rail installed as do the common area bathrooms.
 
Revenues
for January and February were down slightly in
comparison to last year. I feel the slowing economy has
contributed a lot to the lower revenues. Other like
businesses in the area are also down compared to
previous years. It seems as though our area had a slow
start to the season this year. It is most evident by an
unusual lack of traffic.
January’s reduction in total revenue was driven by an 8%
decrease in occupancy. ADR for the month was up $6.70
compared to the previous year. The same pattern
continued in February where occupancy decreased 13% from
last year. Part of the reason for this decrease was due
to an over 25% increase in owner nights this year
compared to last year.
March is
still showing signs of being very strong. This is
typical of any year when Easter occurs early. Easter
week has been sold out for a long time, and we are now
working on filling in any gaps to insure that every last
room night is sold this month.
An early
Easter and increased revenues for March and
unfortunately has had the opposite effect on April. We
have been able to keep occupancy up for April, but have
had to lower our rate to do so. We are hoping as the
month starts to fill up, we will be able to slowly raise
our rates to improve our ADR as much as possible.
Early
this year the in-room safes arrived, and this completed
last year’s refurbishment for the most part. The only
item yet to be completed is the fabric for the dining
room chairs. The fabric was delayed after the sample
the factory sent didn’t match the fabric currently used
in the units. This has been corrected, and we are
expecting delivery soon. The chairs will be
reupholstered on an as needed basis, with the cost being
charged back to that unit’s $500 unit repair allowance.
I look
forward to meeting with the committee this summer to
work on the next project. My suggestions to the
committee will include Appliances, Guest Bedroom
Mattresses, and Flat Screen Televisions.
Although
it started out very slow, you can definitely tell season
is upon us. The maintenance department is hard at work
doing what they can when time permits. The guest
service staff is paying very close attention to our
reservation pace and working with our Director of
Revenue to make any necessary adjustments to maximize
revenue during this slower season, and many guests are
enjoying the upgrades made through the refurbishment
program last year.
As
always, please feel free to contact me directly at
CurtB@SunStream.com or by phone at (239) 765-4300 to
discuss any questions, comments, or concerns you may
have. From all of us here at GullWing, have a great
Easter, and we look forward to seeing you during your
next visit.
Sincerely,
Curt Brenner
General Manager
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