Craigendarroch Owners' Club Newsletter
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Craigendarroch Owners’ Club Newsletter Volume 23 Spring/Summer 2017 "for the owners, by the owners" Loch Muick Welcome This newsletter is one of the primary means of communication with lodge owners, their guests and other visitors to Craigendarroch alongside the website. The Winter 2016 edition of the newsletter underwent a change of location and format as we considered that the Owners’ Club Newsletter was not reaching its main audience. Historically the newsletter was on the ‘Members Only’ section of the website. Via the Google Analytics Audience Overview we were able to ascertain that of the 11,798 visits to the Craigendarroch website in one year, 75% were from new users with only 25% coming from existing users. The analytics also indicated that less than 800 users went into the newsletter section. We produced a printed ‘coffee table’ item to be available in all lodges in the hope that readership would increase. Your Owners’ Club Committee comprises of five members. There are three lodge owners: Mr N Howells – Chairman Mrs C Howells Mr J Curry – Editor The owners are democratically elected in rotation by Club members at the Annual General Meeting. There are also two committee members as nominees of Hilton Grand Vacations: Mr Michael Coletta – Director of Business Management Ms Aileen Munro – Resort Director Hidden Gem: Tomnaverie Stone Circle Ever been to the Historic Scotland Stone Circle at Tomnaverie? Earlier this year we stopped by to take a look, and it was spectacular in the winter sunshine. It’s just 12 miles from Ballater, right next to Tarland and well worth a visit. This stone circle, believed to have been built in 2500BC includes a recumbent stone, (long horizontal stone pictured above) that perfectly frames Lochnager, almost 20 miles away! For more details of Tomnaverie and other Historic Tomnaverie Stone Circle, Recumbent Stone Scotland places to visit, go to: http://members.historic-scotland.gov.uk/places For regular local area and Country Club information follow: www.facebook.com/craigendarroch Update on Resort Happenings We have had another successful refurbishment programme which ran from November 2016 through to the end of January 2017. Through this period we have approximately 15 properties available each week allowing us to carry out essential maintenance. The window is very tight, whether it is full decoration throughout, a carpet being replaced or a kitchen work top this all needs to be carefully managed. A mild winter allowed a fair bit of external work to happen, which is pretty unusual. There were road repairs, sewer lids reset, rough casting of walls, pathway slabs and steps realigned and a retaining wall rebuilt where tree roots had affected the stability of the wall. We have progressed well with the external painting of properties and even managed to fit several balcony replacements. The annual gutter cleaning regime went without a hitch, along with the annual oven clean and carpet clean contractors coming in. We have now completed the heating installation throughout the Estate, removing the storage heaters and replacing them with a more efficient and totally controllable radiator, allowing the user to regulate the amount of heat required. Photo courtesy of Dining tables, chairs, mattresses, carpeting, rib matting, vertical blinds, drying cabinets, kitchen appliances and kitchen work tops are a small Assistant Facilities Manager selection of renewals that have taken place. Russel Davidson The grounds team are eagerly awaiting the spring bulbs sprouting from the ground; they had a busy planting prior to the first frosts, so the show should be great. We have noticed our furry friends the red squirrels digging up the crocus bulbs and scampering off with them to their winter store - gourmet food for them! Hilton Grand Vacations is proud to announce the roll-out of the lost and found solution that will make the process of returning left/lost items to the rightful owner a prompt and effective one. The programme is called Charger back, a web based platform that will allow guests to search, report and pay for the return of their lost or left behind items. Our previous solution was a manual recording folder. The statistics this solution produces are great; since going live we have had 357 left items - make sure you check all areas before leaving your property! I encourage all residents to complete and hand back the feedback questionnaire. Each week we audit these at an operational level, we act upon reported items. The feedback can build trends that often influence the decision making process of your Committee. Such items as fitting hand rails to the entrance steps of properties - twenty five handrails completed this year. We have also added additional lighting over the bathroom mirrors which was a trending feedback from our residents. We have added inventory items such as pizza cutters, ice cream scoops and electrical steamers. I very much appreciate constructive feedback as through this we strive to improve our service and offerings. We were delighted to receive an award from RCI - The RCI Gold Crown Resort designation for the 25th consecutive year. "For a quarter of a century the resort has shown its dedication to providing outstanding customer service and quality accommodation to guests". Be sure to check out the award housed at the main reception. Have a wonderful time at the Resort and if we can assist in any way please just ask. Happy Holidays Aileen Munro Resort Director View from Craigendarroch Hill overlooking Ballater Golf Course A Note From The Chairman Nigel Howells One of the issues that is raised with the Committee from time to time is that of late or non-payment of maintenance fees. Bad debts from non-payment of these fees are rising; though overall the level of bad debts compares well to the industry average. The Committee has made prudent provision in the accounts for these debts, but we remain concerned at the amount of unpaid fees and are constantly looking at ways to recover the sums owed to the Club. The Committee has therefore, recently, decided that a firmer line should be taken with recalcitrant Owners, whilst continuing to respond sympathetically to those in genuine difficulty. You may, thus, hear from time to time that the Club has taken formal legal action to recover debt. We are also looking at more effective ways of renting/selling lodges which have been taken back under the Constitution. I hope that fellow Owners will support the actions of the Committee in strengthening the steps we take in this area of the operation. One other area of concern that has troubled the Committee recently has been reports of bad behaviour by a small number of Owners and/or their guests. Although extremely rare, these events are disturbing as they endanger the enjoyment of the resort by the vast majority of Owners, their families and guests. The Committee is determined to both uphold the quality of the resort and to protect Owners and HGVC employees from unacceptable behaviour. The Constitution of the Club allows us to suspend membership and thus exclude people from the site. We have unfortunately had to do this recently and will do so again if the circumstances justify it. Nigel Howells Chairman, Craigendarroch Owners Club Committee Art Galleries of Aberdeenshire by Christine Howells One of our favourite activities when staying at Craigendarroch is visiting the various and varied Art Galleries which seem to abound in the area. From the wonderful Aberdeen Art Gallery to the smaller local ones who sell predominantly work of Scottish artists. If you haven't visited any of these before, I hope I can persuade you to try at least one ............... there are plenty more than those I mention here. Most of you must have seen the Larks Gallery, on the left on the way into Ballater. I can recommend at least stopping to look in the windows, even better step inside where there is always a warm welcome, I seem to recall a lovely mulled fruit drink last time. The works on offer change and, as it says on their website, includes 'some of the best emerging talents in painting, sculpture, ceramics, glass, wood, textiles, photography and jewellery design', which includes many affordable objects. We have been a fan of this gallery for many years and have succumbed to buying on several occasions, including the lamb pictured here: www.larksgallery.com . Open Monday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday 10.00 am – 5.00 pm, Tel: 013397 55888 Another of the nearer galleries is the McEwan Gallery which is clearly signed on the main road just along from the hotel, away from Ballater. It is a family business which specialises in quality paintings, mostly Scottish artists, but also some English and Dutch works. The first time we went, I so clearly recall being mesmerised by a wonderful large seascape hanging over the fireplace in the large hall. While most of the art is for those with fairly deep pockets, there are other affordable objects. Also, the building itself makes a visit worthwhile, a listed house, built by the Swiss artist Rudolph Christen in 1902. www.mcewangallery.com. Open Tuesday – Friday 11.00 am – 5.00 pm; Saturday and Sunday 2.00 pm – 5.00 pm. Tel: 013397 55429. Further on is the Braemar Gallery. We have been visiting them for so many years now that we rarely miss dropping in to pass the time of day with the lovely Andrew and Kirsty, catching up with their news. We have quite a few paintings which we acquired there, now we try very hard not to buy any more, we have run out of walls! As well as selling their own work, they have a wide variety of other artists and plenty of other great things to tempt you.