OYSTER BAY--It is not a usual day, but spirits are high at Oyster Bay Beach Resort (OBBR) as staff members gather for a warm lunch in the resort’s restaurant.
The timeshare resort was one of the many hit by monster Hurricane Irma when it tore through St. Maarten on September 6. A total of 148 guests and 70 staff members were in the resort at the time. They all rode out the storm together and emerged all safe.
“I told my employees and guests: ‘We are all equal and we will all get through this together,’” Assistant General Manager Anne-Marie Brooks said. She and Human Resources Manager Mirurgia “Mientje” Brown were on the property from before the storm and remain there still to take care of the many things in need of constant attention.
When the storm left the local area, they did not waste time finding ways to evacuate their guests, many of them long-time island visitors. In spite of limited communication from Oyster Pond to the rest of the island, they got all of their guests on evacuation flights.
“They are heroes,” said General Manager Ricardo Perez. “They took care of the staff and guests and got everyone flown out all with limited communication.”
“We did not leave our guests to fend for themselves. They were our guests. We took care of them all the way,” she said of herself and team.
Guests were taken to the airport when flights were available and assisted from start to finish by the resort’s team.
The team members ensured the guest experience was as optimal as possible under the circumstances. They also put their personal challenges aside. Both women, like many working at the resort, have to deal with significant material damage not only at the 182-room, 26-condo resort, but also at home. This is not stopping them from soldiering on and it shows in the appearance of the resort.
Were it not for the hills of debris on either side of the road leading into the resort, the tumbled down railings once there, along with the furniture drying in the sun, it would resemble any other sunshiny day at the resort.
Clean up
The team has been cleaning up the resort with gusto since both Hurricanes Irma and Maria cleared the local area. The grounds are spotless and common areas are as clean as they can be after the debris dumped by the monster hurricane.
The resort clean-up team also received applause from its current guests – members of the Police Force and the Koninklijke Marechaussee (Royal Military Police). The officers are lending a hand to the resort in their spare time.
Perez described the damage to the resort overall as “significant.” However, all hope is not lost for welcoming guests and timeshare owners for the winter season. He was cautious, though, saying while there is eagerness to get guests back, this will depend on the pace of reconstruction.
“We could have a partial opening in the months to come, but that depends on construction and the look of the area around us,” Perez said. “If it is unsafe or unsightly that is not the product we want to offer our guests.”
The businesses and other buildings outside of the resort are also severely damaged. The debris piled up on the sides of the road resembles hillocks. There are sunken and partially sunken boats in the pond and some are up on land, forced out of the water by the hurricane.
Employment
The worry about the level of unemployment still to rear its head in the country is very present in most corners of the community.
At the resort, staff are being taken care of in the clean-up and recovery process. Of the 187 on payroll, 100 report to work daily and happily carry out tasks they would not ordinarily do, among them general cleaning. Perez said those working daily are on reduced hours because of “the physical work” carried out.
The staff not reporting to work have opted for a leave of absence, have taken up entitled vacation days or have had to evacuate to ensure continued schooling for their children.
“Some of our people have another job off property. They have told us they will come back when we are ready,” Brooks said.
The Interval International-affiliated resort provides transportation for staff to and from the resort every day. They receive breakfast and a warm lunch before ending the day’s toil. This is to add a bit of comfort to their heavily hurricane-impacted lives.
Usable furniture salvaged from damaged rooms is going to workers who need it most to restore some normalcy in their world. Perez is happy that the resort was one of the few properties in the country not looted.
Food, water, clothing and over-the-counter medication are given out to staff. These items were acquired by management from relief organisations. Drinking water made on the resort grounds with a desalination plant set up by Samaritan’s Purse Water was also given out to Dutch Quarter residents.
Gofundme campaigns are ongoing to help staff. The campaigns were started by resort owners and by timeshare owners/guests who were grateful for the care they received in the trauma wrought by Irma.
