Iberostar Cozumel dock fees!!!!!

[Mike]

I had a short conversation with someone are the front dest this evening. I am going to call tomorrow to find out more. What I was told is that when paying to stay there you have already paid to use the pier. But that the dive company that would pick up there would have to pay for that same right of use. When asking how much the person with who I spoke to said that they didn't have that information at hand but a customer could not cover that cost directly by paying the hotel for this cost.

That sounds like typical Mexico 'customer service' double speak to me.

As a paying guest you have paid for the use of the pier............ if you want to sit on it, take a picture of it, or use it to get on the house dive ops boats..... but not if you want to have another dive op pick you up. How about if I had a friend living on the island with a boat and he was coming down to pick me up for little friendly boat ride? Would my paid use of the pier cover that?

Sounds to me like it's totally a method of trying to keep other dive ops away from the Iberostars guests.

 

[MMM]

I had a short conversation with someone are the front dest this evening. I am going to call tomorrow to find out more. What I was told is that when paying to stay there you have already paid to use the pier. But that the dive company that would pick up there would have to pay for that same right of use. When asking how much the person with who I spoke to said that they didn't have that information at hand but a customer could not cover that cost directly by paying the hotel for this cost.

In the word of Arnie S, "Hasta la vista, baby".

 

[jfcl01]

Wow. Their commitment to the absurd is impressive.

 

[Fin59]

So, next are they going to charge the taxi drivers for using the parking lot to drop of guests?

 

[zzzScuba]

I find it totally amazing that many of you think that "outside" dive ops should not be charged a fee to access/use the hotel pier. All-inclusives are for use of hotel facilities & related hotel operations (in this case, a dive op which pays for the benefit of being the exclusive onsite concession).

There are no free passes in life. If you choose to use an outside operator, the outside operator should pay its fair share in helping to maintain the facility (in this case, a dock). If they don't want to contribute to the dock's maintenance, then you have 4 options: (1) take a taxi to the outside operator's slip, (2) stay at a different hotel, (3) use/support the hotel dive op, or (4) pick an outside operator who is willing to contribute to the dock maintenance.

It's that simple.

 

[Willar]

So, next are they going to charge the taxi drivers for using the parking lot to drop of guests?

LOL! You probably think you're being funny or sarcastic, but you are more correct than wrong. Throughout the travel industry, throughout the Caribbean and the world, kickbacks and access fees are the norm much more than the exception. Many hotels deny taxi and shuttle services access to their grounds unless an access fee (kickback) is paid. Sometimes it is prepaid, sometimes it is charged on a 'per visit' basis, either way, most outside vendors pay for access.

Resorts supplement their room charges by capturing as much guest spending as possible. Any and all outside companies that have access to guests inside the resort are being charged a fee/kickback/commission/gratuity/revenue sharing. This is just a part of how the resort makes a reasonable return on their investment.

 

[vanduker]

zzz,

If you want it to be that simple I suppose it is. Follow the logic and the hotel adds a surcharge if you decide to use a taxi other than their chosen provider. You rented a car from someone other than the in house provider - guess parking it in the hotel lot will cost you. Got food delivered - better pay a few extra bucks as that driveway doesn't maintain itself.

It is a mindset difference. Some folks like to go to a non AI resort, paying as they go for food, drinks and such while others like an AI where they are probably paying more than they might have to. The non AI person likes eating where they want and save some $$$. The AI person sees the tradeoff because don't have to think about the costs other than what they signed up for.

What griped me when I was confronted with paying was not the 3.00 per day. I'm no high roller but even to me 3.00 isn't much. I tip way more than that for decent breakfast service at an AI. The gripe is in the attempt to coerce me into using the in house dive op.

If the resort needs me to pay extra to maintain the pier then by all means add it into the tab. Plenty of people are making money from the resort but the whole reason I use an AI is because I don't to be out 2.00 here and 3.00 there. If I wanted to do that (and it is a viable model) I would go non AI.

That said the membership of SB isn't going to reverse this. Is too few people. What SB members can do is educate themselves and either decide to pay, decide to stay elsewhere or do what I did and walk a few hundred yards down the beach to get picked up there. Is my little way of sticking it to the man.

 

[Mike]

I find it totally amazing that many of you think that "outside" dive ops should not be charged a fee to access/use the hotel pier. All-inclusives are for use of hotel facilities & related hotel operations (in this case, a dive op which pays for the benefit of being the exclusive onsite concession).

There are no free passes in life. If you choose to use an outside operator, the outside operator should pay its fair share in helping to maintain the facility (in this case, a dock). If they don't want to contribute to the dock's maintenance, then you have 4 options: (1) take a taxi to the outside operator's slip, (2) stay at a different hotel, (3) use/support the hotel dive op, or (4) pick an outside operator who is willing to contribute to the dock maintenance.

It's that simple.

I understand the basis of why you are saying this. However, policies don't originate in a vacuum. Policies are based on individual local customs which have taken 50 years to accumilate and evolve in Cozumel. Local customs dictate to some extent how new policies will be accepted or not. Any location evolves over time and establishes it's local customs and expectations of it's guest.

Instituting a new policy like this whether it is accepted by the community or not is based not 100% on logic but on how it fits with the locations evolved customs.

Cozumel has a rich history of independent dive operators who have pioneered and created cozumel as a dive destination in combination with the lodging vendors. It's extremely unfortunate that the lodging vendors are taking an us vs them mentality on so many issues and turning their backs on their dive operator peers.

 

[cvchief]

I find it totally amazing that many of you think that "outside" dive ops should not be charged a fee to access/use the hotel pier. All-inclusives are for use of hotel facilities & related hotel operations (in this case, a dive op which pays for the benefit of being the exclusive onsite concession).

There are no free passes in life. If you choose to use an outside operator, the outside operator should pay its fair share in helping to maintain the facility (in this case, a dock). If they don't want to contribute to the dock's maintenance, then you have 4 options: (1) take a taxi to the outside operator's slip, (2) stay at a different hotel, (3) use/support the hotel dive op, or (4) pick an outside operator who is willing to contribute to the dock maintenance.

It's that simple.

Or overly simple. I stayed at Ibero because they had a nice dock for my op to pick me up plus their other features. I want the freedom to choose who I engage for my diving and I don't want to have to pay them more because of it. I don't want the resort steering me to whichever operator can squeeze out the most kickback. That is what I was paying for. No complaints about the resort op, just not who I want to go with. Clearly there are a ton of non-hotel dive ops talked about on here everyday that people love. They do their business based on their service with out the advantage of being the on-site op. It would be a shame to see them denied a level playing field. I would rather pay the fee myself, so I know what I am paying for than have it a hidden fee.
It isnt just dive op, what about anything else, like fishing or tours or even pickup by a private boat. I am a capatislist. They have every right to do it. They should post online that the dock is only for use of approved ops though. I hope the market shows them to be in error. If my op doesnt pay them, then I wont stay there anymore.

It is only simple if you eliminate the customer's wishes. Put them in the equation and it becomes a more interesting issue. If the practice continues, I guess that will mean the business plan is working for them and we will see more of it. I hope not.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I think the biggest issue with the Iberostar is that they want to charge a set amount the dive operator by month not by the number of customers that a dive op picks up at there hotel. If they want to privatize the hotel like the Scuba Club then they should just come straight out and do that. A phone call with the hotel manager is due this morning.