Not much to report on what appears now to be the former Blue Seas. According to my sources it is indeed changing hands and will be called One Vallarta Resort and Spa.
The restaurant has been renamed Bite Me! and is being operated by two people who used to own Mama Dolores, Grant Hunermund and Kieran Justason.
Apparently the place still closes at 6:00 P.M., and they have a happy hour from 4:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M.
The restaurant opens at 8:00 A.M. for breakfast and some of their menu items include a New Orleans style Shrimp Po' Boy sandwich, a Monte Cristo sandwich, a Ceasar salad topped with deep-fried calamari, and a trio of sliders (beef, chicken, and shrimp). Also a desert menu that includes frozen fudge brownies and key lime torts.
Friday, May 1st, they had Los Bambinos performing (no cover, just drinks) and the promise to have more events in the future.
I am still not sure what is happening at the resort itself or if Ken Molinaro is still involved. I don't even know if the same staff is there. I certainly hope so, because I always thought they did a very good job. I am talking about the front desk, security, maintenance, and maid service.
I do know that they have a whole new crew of time-share sales people on the premises, so we shall just have to wait to see how that all turns out.
I will keep you posted if I hear anything more, and if anyone reading this hears anything, be sure to either post a comment or send me an email.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
New Owners?
It appears that Blue Seas is soon to be under new management. One Beach Street, LLC is now advertising a Puerto Vallarta presence, One Puerto Vallarta, and the pictures are, drum roll, please, those of the Blue Seas.
You can check this out at:
http://www.onebeachstreet.com/obsteam.htm
If the pictures are a bit ambiguous, certainly this isn't:
http://onlyataoneclub.com/contactus.htm
That Puerto Vallarta address is, indeed, the address of the former Playa del Sol and now what looks to be the former Blue Seas.
Rumors had been flying for a few weeks that Blue Seas has been sold or leased, but of course everything was supposed to be hush hush. There is an "owners" meeting March 30th where, supposedly, everything shall be revealed. One Beach Street's website kind of gave the game away, though.
Interestingly, fractional owners are not permitted to attend this meeting. Only full owners and, I guess, whoever they decide they want to attend will be allowed. The fractional owners will be represented by someone from Bancomer, which holds our trusts.
When I find out more, hopefully soon after the March 30th meeting, I will post whatever I have learned.
Never a dull moment here in lovely Puerto Vallarta.
You can check this out at:
http://www.onebeachstreet.com/obsteam.htm
If the pictures are a bit ambiguous, certainly this isn't:
http://onlyataoneclub.com/contactus.htm
That Puerto Vallarta address is, indeed, the address of the former Playa del Sol and now what looks to be the former Blue Seas.
Rumors had been flying for a few weeks that Blue Seas has been sold or leased, but of course everything was supposed to be hush hush. There is an "owners" meeting March 30th where, supposedly, everything shall be revealed. One Beach Street's website kind of gave the game away, though.
Interestingly, fractional owners are not permitted to attend this meeting. Only full owners and, I guess, whoever they decide they want to attend will be allowed. The fractional owners will be represented by someone from Bancomer, which holds our trusts.
When I find out more, hopefully soon after the March 30th meeting, I will post whatever I have learned.
Never a dull moment here in lovely Puerto Vallarta.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Homophobia At Blue Seas Resort
As many of you who follow this post realize, there has been an ongoing conflict between longer term fractional owners of the once Playa del Sol and now Blue Seas Resorts and the owners and management. One of the bones of contention is the repostioning of Blue Seas Resorts as a primarily gay resort when most of those who originally bought here are not gay, are older, and often bring their children and grandchildren with them when they stay here.
In one of those things that make you scratch your head, Ken Molinaro, an owner of Blue Seas Resorts, brought in some kind of a communication guru to address these issues. As one might expect, given who hired him, one of his findings was:
Homophobia
A considerable amount of homophobia was expressed during the interviews and meeting amid the claims of heterophobia from Playa del Sol management to owners.
Much of the resistance to the rebrand appears directly related to homophobia amongst owners despite claims to the contrary.
I find this to be somewhat amusing given that a number of the fractional owners here are gay and we have always been a gay-friendly resort.
Also, what was ignored, was the shift from gay-friendly to an exclusively gay community, as is obvious from the language of the Blue Seas Resort website:
Blue Seas Resort and Spa is Puerto Vallarta´s first luxury beach-front Hotel and Beach Club dedicated to providing a unique and personalized holiday experience to the gay and lesbian community and our friends
And:
Exclusively for the discerning gay man, lesbian, and all our friends.
And:
Paradise for those seeking the intimacy and quality of an exclusive beach-club with the excitement and open social atmosphere of the traditional gay beach.
I don't think one has to be homophobic to surmise that there has been a shift from gay-friendly towards exclusively gay. At least in terms of marketing. You will note that their website features no pictures of heterosexual couples, nobody who is middle-aged, and cetainly no children.
Also impled was that because of the homophobia there was an undue concern with inappropriate behavior. Again, apparently ignored, was this statement on the Blue Seas Website:
We are committed to providing a truly unique and memorable experience for all our guests. So for the confirmed hedonists, we are creating an exclusive, luxury Spa with professionally-trained staff, private treatment facilities, steam room and a fully-equipped gym with state-of-the-art equipment.
Hmm, confirmed hedonists. Isn't a hedonist someone who subscribes to the ethical doctrine that only that which is pleasurable is intrinsically good? Now granted, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the philosophy of hedonism. But in the context of providing intimate settings and outdoor beds on the beach it does tend to blur a bit into licentiousness, the lacking of moral discipline or sexual restraint.
Things are pretty calm down here though. The Beach Club no longer enforces a minimum amount of purchases in order to be able to use their beach chairs, the bar and restaurant are virtually deserted except as a place for the timeshare salesmen to conduct business, the whole place shuts down at 6:00 P.M., and things are almost normal again.
In one of those things that make you scratch your head, Ken Molinaro, an owner of Blue Seas Resorts, brought in some kind of a communication guru to address these issues. As one might expect, given who hired him, one of his findings was:
Homophobia
A considerable amount of homophobia was expressed during the interviews and meeting amid the claims of heterophobia from Playa del Sol management to owners.
Much of the resistance to the rebrand appears directly related to homophobia amongst owners despite claims to the contrary.
I find this to be somewhat amusing given that a number of the fractional owners here are gay and we have always been a gay-friendly resort.
Also, what was ignored, was the shift from gay-friendly to an exclusively gay community, as is obvious from the language of the Blue Seas Resort website:
Blue Seas Resort and Spa is Puerto Vallarta´s first luxury beach-front Hotel and Beach Club dedicated to providing a unique and personalized holiday experience to the gay and lesbian community and our friends
And:
Exclusively for the discerning gay man, lesbian, and all our friends.
And:
Paradise for those seeking the intimacy and quality of an exclusive beach-club with the excitement and open social atmosphere of the traditional gay beach.
I don't think one has to be homophobic to surmise that there has been a shift from gay-friendly towards exclusively gay. At least in terms of marketing. You will note that their website features no pictures of heterosexual couples, nobody who is middle-aged, and cetainly no children.
Also impled was that because of the homophobia there was an undue concern with inappropriate behavior. Again, apparently ignored, was this statement on the Blue Seas Website:
We are committed to providing a truly unique and memorable experience for all our guests. So for the confirmed hedonists, we are creating an exclusive, luxury Spa with professionally-trained staff, private treatment facilities, steam room and a fully-equipped gym with state-of-the-art equipment.
Hmm, confirmed hedonists. Isn't a hedonist someone who subscribes to the ethical doctrine that only that which is pleasurable is intrinsically good? Now granted, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the philosophy of hedonism. But in the context of providing intimate settings and outdoor beds on the beach it does tend to blur a bit into licentiousness, the lacking of moral discipline or sexual restraint.
Things are pretty calm down here though. The Beach Club no longer enforces a minimum amount of purchases in order to be able to use their beach chairs, the bar and restaurant are virtually deserted except as a place for the timeshare salesmen to conduct business, the whole place shuts down at 6:00 P.M., and things are almost normal again.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Pool Side
There have been a lot of pictures posted of the pool at Blue Seas, many of them of a different pool altogether. Here is an actual picture of the Blue Seas Pool taken just yesterday.
Blue Seas Pool
Although most of the advertisements for Blue Seas specify that there is a Jacuzzi, in reality this is what is in the pool.
Not A Jacuzzi
At one time there were jets of water that shot out and gave you a bit of a tingle. However, these have not worked for years. If you are told that they are just shut down for the day for maintenance, which I have heard timeshare people say, it is simply not true.
One improvement this year are new lounge chairs with cushions on the pool deck.
They Look Comfy
Of course, not all is good. They have added an extension behind and above the old Pirate Retaurant. Before you could kind of look through the open restaurant and see the beach. Now it is just solid white plaster. Also, they have added the actual sail on top of the restaurant which does a great job at blocking what was once a dynamite view. Before they just had the riggings so they didn't block the view.
The Remodeled Pirate Restaurant
It is this kind of stuff that just makes you scratch your head. Why, when a lovely view from the pool deck would be a great selling point, would you block it. And, of course, offend all of the current owners in the process.
By the way, the view from the pool itself isn't anything to write home about either.
Not Exactly An Infinity Pool
On the plus side, my unit had been well maintained. The walls had been freshly painted as had the railing on the small balconey. A new shower door and mirrors had been installed in the small, second bathroom and, maybe, in the large bathroom as well. I am not sure about that though because those weren't discolored like the other ones.
The slipcovers on the sofas had been washed and, I think, we have a different, if not a new, sofa. It doesn't seem to sag nearly as much. We also have a different television with a larger screen and it seems as though we have more channels available to us.
All and all I am still glad I own here. It is that just for the life of me I cannot understand why the owners continue to do things that seem to be counter-productive. And, just to be clear, I own a fraction via a bank trust which guarantees me the same unit for the same four week period each year. Between a good friend and me we own eight solid weeks here. People who purchased timeshares here have different stories altogether.
Blue Seas Pool
Although most of the advertisements for Blue Seas specify that there is a Jacuzzi, in reality this is what is in the pool.
Not A Jacuzzi
At one time there were jets of water that shot out and gave you a bit of a tingle. However, these have not worked for years. If you are told that they are just shut down for the day for maintenance, which I have heard timeshare people say, it is simply not true.
One improvement this year are new lounge chairs with cushions on the pool deck.
They Look Comfy
Of course, not all is good. They have added an extension behind and above the old Pirate Retaurant. Before you could kind of look through the open restaurant and see the beach. Now it is just solid white plaster. Also, they have added the actual sail on top of the restaurant which does a great job at blocking what was once a dynamite view. Before they just had the riggings so they didn't block the view.
The Remodeled Pirate Restaurant
It is this kind of stuff that just makes you scratch your head. Why, when a lovely view from the pool deck would be a great selling point, would you block it. And, of course, offend all of the current owners in the process.
By the way, the view from the pool itself isn't anything to write home about either.
Not Exactly An Infinity Pool
On the plus side, my unit had been well maintained. The walls had been freshly painted as had the railing on the small balconey. A new shower door and mirrors had been installed in the small, second bathroom and, maybe, in the large bathroom as well. I am not sure about that though because those weren't discolored like the other ones.
The slipcovers on the sofas had been washed and, I think, we have a different, if not a new, sofa. It doesn't seem to sag nearly as much. We also have a different television with a larger screen and it seems as though we have more channels available to us.
All and all I am still glad I own here. It is that just for the life of me I cannot understand why the owners continue to do things that seem to be counter-productive. And, just to be clear, I own a fraction via a bank trust which guarantees me the same unit for the same four week period each year. Between a good friend and me we own eight solid weeks here. People who purchased timeshares here have different stories altogether.
Monday, February 2, 2009
So Sad
After reading all of the hoopla about the new Beach Club, Bar, and Restaurant at Blue Seas I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived. Well, I certainly didn't expect what I found. In the two days that I have been here I have seen absolutely no one in either the bar or restaurant other than timeshare salesmen and their perspective victims. I mean no one. I asked the bartender if they still had their weekly cabaret shows and he said no, that the bar and restaurant closed at 6:00 P.M.
Excuse me, you have a new and fairly fancy enclosed and air-conditioned restaurant and bar on the beach and you close before sunset? Does that make any sense at all? This place was set up to be a nightclub, not a casual place that you just wander into off of the beach, and they are closed for dinner?
Here are the pictures I took yesterday afternoon right about the time when everyone gathers to watch the beautiful sunsets that Puerto Vallarta is known for.
The Crowd On The Beach
People Sipping Cocktails On The Patio
Watching The Sunset From The Bar
Dinner At Sundown
Meanwhile, next door at the Blue Chairs, you know, the place Blue Seas was trying to somehow imitate, things were a bit livelier.
The Bar
The Beach
I don't know what happened at Blue Seas, but obviously people are staying away in droves. And this despite being a fairly fancy place, all glassed in, air-conditioned, and a dynamite location on the beach.
I have heard that there are flyers being distributed in many of the gay bars and clubs in Puerto Vallarta warning people away from Blue Seas. This seems to stem from people who were sold timeshares and told that they "owned" their time at the then Playa del Sol. Now that the ownership has changed they are being told that their time here is no good and they have to use it at the more distant Playa del Sol Grande out in Nuevo Vallarta. A lot of very unhappy people.
It seems Blue Seas has managed to offend everyone, fractional owners who, gay and straight, are boycotting the bar and restaurant, and the gay community to which they were trying to appeal.
Way to go.
Excuse me, you have a new and fairly fancy enclosed and air-conditioned restaurant and bar on the beach and you close before sunset? Does that make any sense at all? This place was set up to be a nightclub, not a casual place that you just wander into off of the beach, and they are closed for dinner?
Here are the pictures I took yesterday afternoon right about the time when everyone gathers to watch the beautiful sunsets that Puerto Vallarta is known for.
The Crowd On The Beach
People Sipping Cocktails On The Patio
Watching The Sunset From The Bar
Dinner At Sundown
Meanwhile, next door at the Blue Chairs, you know, the place Blue Seas was trying to somehow imitate, things were a bit livelier.
The Bar
The Beach
I don't know what happened at Blue Seas, but obviously people are staying away in droves. And this despite being a fairly fancy place, all glassed in, air-conditioned, and a dynamite location on the beach.
I have heard that there are flyers being distributed in many of the gay bars and clubs in Puerto Vallarta warning people away from Blue Seas. This seems to stem from people who were sold timeshares and told that they "owned" their time at the then Playa del Sol. Now that the ownership has changed they are being told that their time here is no good and they have to use it at the more distant Playa del Sol Grande out in Nuevo Vallarta. A lot of very unhappy people.
It seems Blue Seas has managed to offend everyone, fractional owners who, gay and straight, are boycotting the bar and restaurant, and the gay community to which they were trying to appeal.
Way to go.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Too Funny - Blog Was Hacked
Someone managed to hack into my previous blog and replace the link to one for an advertisement for Blue Seas. I must be getting someone's attention.
Interestingly, the link that it was replaced with was to:
hotel-rates.com
If you go to the website and look at the pictures you may note that few, if any, are actually pictures of Blue Seas.
I have contacted blogspot about my blog being hacked and they assure me they take this very seriously. They may be able to trace the hack back to where it came from and if it was someone's personal PC or a business PC, as opposed to one in an internet cafe, they said they would take appropriate action.
Interestingly, the link that it was replaced with was to:
hotel-rates.com
If you go to the website and look at the pictures you may note that few, if any, are actually pictures of Blue Seas.
I have contacted blogspot about my blog being hacked and they assure me they take this very seriously. They may be able to trace the hack back to where it came from and if it was someone's personal PC or a business PC, as opposed to one in an internet cafe, they said they would take appropriate action.
Another Satisfied Customer
This posting is on the internet at:
www.blueseastimesharescam.com
and was sent to me by a Blue Seas fractional owner. The fractional owners are not affected by this, but if you had purchased a timeshare at Playa del Sol you would have been.
www.blueseastimesharescam.com
and was sent to me by a Blue Seas fractional owner. The fractional owners are not affected by this, but if you had purchased a timeshare at Playa del Sol you would have been.
How Blue Seas is trying to RIP OFF the Gay and Lesbian Community
Time shares were sold to the gay and Lesbian community starting in 2001 in Playa Del Sol, the original and legal name of the complex.
After 7 years those who bought were thrown out!
The seller formed a new company and sold the time share portion of the complex (about 50%) to a new company he and his wife now own.
He then threw out all of the people he had sold time shares to and is now selling that same space to you!
How long will it be until YOU are thrown out for a new group by another new corporation!
Don’t be fooled!
Stay away and save your money!
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