Acceptable pool opening times

[Hells Bells]

Some of you may remember I had some difficulty with pool opening times last winter. Despite the initial times being 3pm-8pm in the ski season, once the French holidays were over in early March, the opening times were, at best erratic.The week we were there it was open some of the time, but the water was too cold to swim, even for my hubby. It was discussed at our co-prop meeting last month, but no reak decision was reached, only that if the place had few occupants it would not open at all (pointless opening if it is cold). Main reasons have been complaints from other owners regarding the running costs. This does not help me though, trying to rent out our property. October is off-season, and I would not expect the pool open, but would my guests? I have already lost a booking. (I do tell them I can't gurantee opening hours outside high season). Our new syndic should sort it out properly, at the moment it is up to the developer when it opens.

[la vache!]

My pool is open 1st April to early Nov and I get bookings because it is open and heated. If I didn't have an abri, it wouldn't be worth keeping it open as it would cost too much to heat and even then wouldn't retain enough heat to keep it warm enough to swim in (IMO it has to be 24°C+). Even with it heated in the shoulder months, it is generally mainly the kids who use it.

[Hells Bells]

Thanks, although it is open air, it is open during most of the winter at a farlyaccepatable temperature, although they keep altering this depending on french holidays. It was meant to be heated by the thermal springs,(and open all year), but the running costs and complaints of other owners suggest otherwise. I am going to contact the coprop, and a couple of the other owners for clarification.

[Hells Bells]

Would you believe it? We had guests arrive Sunday, pool opening hours were up on the notice board in the lobby. Apparently they have now been removed and the pool is not open. We can't contact the gardien, his phone is switched off .

[tree-peony]

oh DASH Helen, that's pretty poor isn't it

[Big Sis..]

OHH Helen How frustrating. ..

Have you a friend who lives there maybe you can contact them and find out whats happening..
They shoulkdnt be able to do this surely..
Our pool is open all year but does get cold I have been in it in Feb[only cos someone said I wouldnt..brrr]..
Theyve extended the opening hours in the summer and now its 9am till 11pm [was 10pm]..Its nice cos our patios overlook it and it makes a nice view even if its not being used..amd its lit at night...
I do dread the Spanish[they dont use it much] wanting it closed some of the times [like siesta] which I have heard has happened in other communities..
Hope you get this sorted

[Hells Bells]

Ros, the pool was open all day during the French holidays, and I suppose they all went back to work. Our Italian neighbour is away in the Us at the moment. Mel our manager knows the gardien so is trying to contact him. I have emailed our developer who is in temporary charge of the complex until the Syndic takes over in October. We tried to get them to commit to regular hours at our coprop meeting, but suspect it fell on deaf ears, as it isn't even mentioned in the minutes I received yesterday, only the temperatures.

[Big Sis..]

Hi Helen ..
I do feel for you but you seem to be doing all you can
..Id be absolutely livid if it happened where we are.....
Do many others rent out where you are surely theyd be just as cross..??

[Hells Bells]

There are a few of us now, but most of the owners are French so maybe they don't expect the pool open. It was marketed as a luxury development with spa facilities, and it is not good if it can't be used for one reason or another. I can see the point of view that it is expensive to operate if there are not many occupants using it, but it was meant to be heated by the geothermal springs and therefore cheap to operate.

[Big Sis..]

What if you were out there would ib open then..or dont you count just the French...

[Hells Bells]

I'm not sure, but it shouldn't matter whether there are paying guests in there or owners.

[Hells Bells]

Amazingly, I've got a reply from the developer already, with a new phone number for our gardien, so at least Mel will be able to speak to him tomorrow.

[Partridge]

I do feel for you Helen, it is sooo frustrating when you take a developers word and they don't warn you about these things.
As I've said before, alot of beach owners were outraged that the pool was not open for May and Oct half term and I can't remember the developer ever telling us there would be a problem, luckily for us on the golf there isn't but as Ros says, you never know if it might change.

[Mouse]

I do sympathise Helen....when we lived in a 'mainly' Spanish community they didn't see the point of the pool - all they saw was cost. At one point they were trying to get it filled in!!!!

We were right on the beach, so minutes from the sea but that didn't help as many of our 'guests' prepared to be a round the pool.

In the end the few non-spanish managed to get a resolution passed that the pool season should be May - October by offering the opinion that some of us bought to use the pool when on holiday...and that wasn't always August. Plus it wasn't something the community had carte blanche on decided...as we all bought knowing there was a pool. So we got it stated by lawyers that the pool would always be open May - October and no-one could over rule that.

But we still had problems when the caretaker pulled the plug occasionally at the end of October therefore catching the late shool holiday.

I do hope you get a decent resolution.

Mouse
x

[Big Sis..]

OOHH Mousie ..

This is exactly what Im worried about ours is mostly Spanish and they just see it as a drain on resources[mostly] but do use it peak weeks and usually later in the evening than the Brits[which is why theyve extended the opening hours I suppose]
We have a Spanish Presidente now and I am a bit concerned...
Mind you I have had a few conversations with him already
..with my little Spanish and his littler English and I think he seems to be very agreeable.....its always good to keep communications open I feel.....