Checking In and Out at Westwind Club
So many of us have been coming to Westwind for so long that we may have forgotten that the Club has a procedure for arrivals and departures. Most of us are close friends with the staff and forget that we can make it difficult for them when we bend the rules or ask for special treatment.
Check-in time is 4 p.m. Upon arriving at the Club, please check in at the office before putting anything in your unit. It just slows things down for the maids to have to clean around your bags or move them several times. It is acceptable for you to put your bags on the patio, as long as they are off to one side and out of the housekeeper's way. If your things end up in the office area, we now have a golf cart and will help move your bags to your unit. If you contact the Club and inform them of your arrival time, the staff can schedule the cleaning of the units in a far more efficient manner, making your wait shorter.
Also, when you check in, please be sure to offer your credit card for processing. This is standard operating procedure for most hotels and guest facilities throughout the world. We require this from all guests whether they are RCI traders, renters, or owners of long-standing.
Late Arrivals:
Make sure you have gotten a combination for the lockbox on your unit if you intend to arrive after 6:00pm. The office is closed after that time and this will be the only way to get your key. You can complete official check in the next day. In this respect, we ask that you please take the time to advise us whether or not you will be coming or arriving late. We can leave your key in the lockbox outside your unit and advise you of the code to access the key. This will make your arrival as efficient and trouble-free as possible. Also please bear in mind that these key lock boxes are there for your convenience in the event you lock yourselves out! Each unit has its own specific code, and we ask that you leave a key in the lockbox so that in the event you lock yourselves out, you will not be charged the $50 fee to have one of us come and let you in after office hours. When leaving your unit, please lock it.
Check-out time is 10 a.m. On your departure day, please move your belongings out of your unit by 10 am so the cleaning staff can prepare the unit for our arriving guests in an efficient manner. If you have to wait for your flight, you can leave your luggage in the clubhouse area and you can spend that time around the clubhouse enjoying your last few moments before leaving for home. You are welcome to use the washrooms by the office for cleaning up and changing into your snowmobile suits.
If you are staying for another week, your unit will be among the last to be cleaned in order to get those units ready for the poor, weary travelers who want nothing more than to slip into a pair of shorts and down a cold Kalik beer.
Occupancy:
Be advised that the bylaws of Westwind Club allow for a maximum of SIX (6) people to each unit. So please cooperate with us and limit your units to only 6 people at a time. The Board of Directors has instructed Steve to limit each unit to six only. These units are being stretched to the limits with 6 as it is. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated and will eliminate any embarrassment, to you and your guests.
Purchases at the Club:
We operate a cashless bar and ask that you check in with a credit card the same way you would at any hotel. Any charges will show on your room tab which you can see daily. To settle at the end of your stay, if you wish you can leave charges on your card. We are now totally computerized! We now have a Touch Screen Computer at the bar, which provides each unit with a daily tab of their charges as well as allowing us to keep an up-to-date inventory of the bar and grill supplies. (Point of information your guest can also have a personal tab just ask and they can be set up. This will make it easy to keep track of their own charges.) During Happy Hour (4-6PM) drinks are now $3.50 but before 4PM and after 6PM they automatically go back to $4.50 up to $6 for frozen Daiquiries. Sunday BBQ is now $15 for Chicken and $18.00 for steak, which basically covers our cost. All in all, these increases are minimal yet they will help offset some of the club's expenses, which in the end will benefit all.
Cats:
The Board of Directors is requesting all our owners to NOT LET CATS IN THE UNITS. We have received complaints from some people who have an allergy to cat hairs. These allergies can be very serious to anyone allergic to animals. PLEASE KEEP THE CATS OUT OF THE UNITS. It's OK if you want to feed them but let them stay outside in their natural habitat. They are great hunters of "night squirrels". The less we feed them the better they hunt.
Westwind's Fleet:
For all you boaters out there.... For now Westwind's Fleet consists of the following:
Two-2 Person Kayaks, Two 1 Person Kayaks and Two Paddle Boards which rent for $10/hour
One sunfish sailboat -ask about rates at the club
NOTE: A damage deposit is required when renting the boats. Please be aware that at low tide there is no clearance above the reef that runs one mile from shore - be careful!
Westwind Club Association Limited Rules, Regulations, and Management Policy
To benefit all Residents and to ensure proper use of the entire Premises of Westwind Club Association Limited (“Club”); consisting of the grounds of the Club, units, pool, club and patio area, and beach (“Premises”), Residents agree to comply with the following Rules and Regulations. These Rules and Regulations were updated and duly adopted by the Board of Directors on November 13, 2006, and are part of the time-share documents governing the Club.
- 1Residents will use the Premises for residential purposes only, comply with these Rules and Regulations and the terms and provisions contained in the other time-share documents, and will do nothing that may injure the reputation of the Club or the condition of the Premises or the comfort and enjoyment of the Club by other occupants.
- Residents will not do anything or keep anything in or about the Premises that will increase the risk of fire or that may conflict with fire or insurance regulations.
- Residents shall respect the rights of all other Residents of the Premises to peace and quiet and will not disturb Residents by shouting or other loud use of his or her voice, with noise, music, radios and televisions, odor, or in any other way. All abusive, disorderly, violent, or harassing conduct by a Resident, including but not limited to abusive and/or foul language, sexually explicit comments toward Residents, occupants, or management is prohibited and is grounds for immediate termination of occupancy and additional remedies set forth below, regardless of where on the Premises this activity may occur.
- Vandalism of any kind by a Resident on or to the Premises is prohibited.
- The swimming pool is for the exclusive use of Residents and their guests as well as invitees and staff. Swimming pool rules are posted at the pool. Residents and guests shall obey those rules. Noncompliance with any rules may result in loss of swimming pool privileges.
- Residents are responsible for the behavior of their guests. Such persons shall abide by these Rules and Regulations.
- Residents are responsible for any damages, including clean-up resulting from the conduct of themselves and their guests.
- Animals are not allowed at any time, under any circumstance. Club animals are not permitted in the units.
- Residents will not paint, paper, or otherwise decorate any unit.
- Unsightly vehicles are not permitted on the Premises. Any vehicle of Resident or of Residents’ guests that leak oil or hydraulic fluid (which damage blacktop) must be removed, and Resident is responsible for any cleanup and repair.
- Residents will act reasonably to conserve water and energy, and will report running toilets and faucets to Management for service. Residents will not make unreasonable use of air-conditioning.
- Residents will not remove or tamper with safety equipment or remove batteries from smoke detectors or in any other way disarm them.
- Possession, sale, or use of any illegal drug or drug paraphernalia on the Premises or in the units is prohibited.
- Possessing, using, or storing lethal weapons anywhere in the units or on the Premises is prohibited. “Lethal weapon” is defined as any deadly weapon which, from the manner used, is calculated or likely to produce death or serious bodily injury. This includes, but is not limited to: all firearms, hunting knives, switchblades, bows and arrows, machetes, or other knives.
- Maintenance requests shall be submitted in writing to Management. Specifics of the problem, to the extent possible, shall be included in the request.
- Residents shall reimburse the Club for repair of any damage to the premises, including the units caused by violation of any of these Rules by Residents or their guests.
- The Club through its Board of Directors may impose fines up to $10,000.00 for behavior and conduct contrary to these Rules and Regulations which significantly interferes with the use and enjoyment of the Premises of other Residents.
- A lien shall automatically attach to an Owner’s time-share interest unit for sums charged to him/her as a Resident for violations of these Rules and Regulations. If the sums charged pursuant to these Rules and Regulations are not paid within 30 days, the Club may forfeit the Owner’s interest in his/her unit and foreclose on the same or prohibit use of the unit by Resident until all sums are paid.
- Smoking inside the units is prohibited and is subject to a severe fine. If you need to smoke, do so on your patio or at the clubhouse.
Swimming Pool Rules
- NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY. Management assumes no liability for persons swimming in the pool. SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK.
- No diving in the pool.
- No rough-housing or dangerous play.
- No loud or obnoxious behavior.
- No foul language.
- No running.
- No glass containers in the pool area.
- Improper use of lifesaving equipment is prohibited.
- Proper swimming attire is required at all times.
- No pets.
- After 10:00pm, the pool area is to be quiet.
Timeshare Owners
MAINTENANCE FEE BILLING:
Each year on the first of October your invoice for maintenance fees for the following year is mailed to you. If you have not receive this invoice by the middle of October you can assume that we have the wrong address information and your mail had been misdirected. Please contact us at once so that we may send your bill to the correct address so payment can be made on time to take advantage of the early payment discount that we offer. It should be known that maintenance fees will be coming out at the end of each year, please watch for them. The maintenance of the mailing list is one of the most frustrating problems that we face - if you have an address change, please notify Nancy Eagle, the editor of the newsletter and the management at the Club - it's best to use the address change form on this web site.
THE INVOICE: Due to the complex rules that apply to the payment of your fees we have tried to make our invoice as informative as possible. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY!
If you pay your fees before the end of the preceding year you are offered a $20.00 per week discount.
All maintenance fees are due by January 31 for the year being billed.
Late fees are incurred on the first of February for the year being billed.
$35.00 is charged on February first and
$15 is charged each subsequent month until the bill is paid for that year. On the first of February all owners who have not paid their fees will have their week blocked with RCI and they will not be able to trade to another resort. At times there is a lag between releasing the block after your payment is received. This causes some of our late paying owners some inconvenience, we apologize in advance, but would remind these owners that you can avoid this inconvenience by paying your invoice on time.
EUROPEAN OWNERS:
You may find it more convenient to pay by wire transfer of funds directly to our bank in the Bahamas. In the past, we have had some problems with this method as our bank tells us that they cannot identify the owner paying their week(s). We have to hold this money aside until you complain about late charges or RCI blocks. We ask that you fax or email the information to the Club when you make these payments so that we may credit the proper week(s). Would you also add $10.00(total) when making this wire transfer as this is the charge our bank charges the Club for this service.
IDENTIFY YOUR PAYMENT
Some of our owners pay their fees by a company check or by money order and there is no way to identify who is making the payment or for what week is being paid. Please tear off the top of the invoice that has your week and unit number and send it with your payment or mark the week and unit on the face of your check. This will save the inconvenience of having your week blocked unnecessarily.
LISTING YOUR UNIT FOR SALE OR RENT:
PLEASE understand that if you are going to rent or sell your week you cannot give it to RCI to be traded or banked. If you sell it privately, you cannot do this if we have rented it for you or if you have banked it with RCI.I know this seems obvious, but about once a month Steve or Lauren has to deal with this situation, please think it through.