ST. MAARTEN--- Pelican Resort Club and Pelican Marina Residences in St. Maarten say goodbye to Hurricane Earl with relatively minor damages mostly contained to the resorts' extensive gardens and shrubbery. On Sunday, Aug. 29 and Monday, Aug. 30, 2010 Hurricane Earl – the first major hurricane of 2010 to impact the Caribbean – passed 25 miles Northeast of St. Maarten as a Category 2 storm.Royal Resorts Caribbean CEO Richard Corso remained on-site throughout the entire storm. He credits the hard work and preparedness of Pelican Resort's staff for protecting the resort and owners' interests ensuring the safety and comfort of guests.
Despite high winds and heavy rain, Pelican Resort's staff attended to the needs of its nearly 500 on-property owners and guests. Led by General Manager Jules James, the staff worked around the clock to ensure safety, and also coordinated the in-house food and beverage teams to make certain everyone was comfortable and fed. Although Mr. James is new to the company by Royal Resort's standards (less than three years), the native St. Maartener is the President of the St. Maarten Timeshare Association and is a tremendous addition to Royal Resorts Management team.
Damage from the storm was primarily contained to the resorts' extensive garden area. The rains and flooding brought employee transportation to a halt, but by 6 a.m. workers arrived at the resort on foot and began the task of cleaning the grounds and readying the pools and beach for anxious sun worshippers who had been stuck indoors for the previous 36 hours. By 6:30 a.m. this morning, Royal Resorts Sales Director Jozef O'Niel was driving around the island picking up workers in need of transportation.
"I am very proud of the staff," said Richard Corso, CEO of Royal Resorts Caribbean, who stayed on-property throughout the storm to assist with the implementation of safety measures.
"There is a lot of preparation for a potential storm in the Caribbean. We have been working almost non-stop for the last two-and-a-half days and everyone continues to perform with a great attitude and the highest concern for owners and guests," he added.
Hurricanes are nothing new for Corso and Royal Resorts staff members. Royal has been operating resorts in the Caribbean since 1977.
"It kind of brings back memories of Hurricane Wilma in 2005. I look around and see everyone pitching in," said Corso. "Our Financial Controller (Ricardo Iman from Merida, Mexico) is sweeping up leaves and debris, and our Sales Managers (Lance Vaugh and Ric Corsello from Cancun) are cleaning and hauling away trash. Accounting and sales teams work right along side the operational staff to take care of the guests," he added. "It is the Royal way."The infrastructure of Pelican continues to improve. During the storm the resorts maintained continuous power and AC through its generators. The TV signals and guest wireless services were virtually uninterrupted.
As of Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 31, 2010), the pools are open and all services have returned to normal. Sun bathers have tucked their toes back in the sand, but high tides have resort management suggesting guests stay out of the ocean until tomorrow. Concierges have already invited all the guests to tonight's Rum Party at 5:30 p.m. to bid farewell to Earl.
