Need address for Complaint re HH

[Cora]

Hi all,
Just returned from a week at HH. Very hot but we had a great time. Had a few minor and 1 major issue (at least in my mind). My parents (70's, don't walk well due to medical) accompanied us. I requested low floor, near pool for medical reasons. Because of the new room assignment policy, the closest they had at checkin was villa 19. Not a bad location, but my mother made it to the pool once and my dad twice. I just felt that medical rooms should be assigned/held if possible.

This was what really made me angry. I am copying this part of my letter in this post:
My greatest concern was Tuesday night, the Star Spangle BBQ, culminating with fireworks from Shelter Cove. We went to dinner and returned that night at approximately 7:30pm. There were two Cast Members near the gate making sure others did not get in to the property and park. We drove and were not able to find parking near our Villa (#19). All the handicapped spots were taken, as well as all the other spots from our building all the way to the turn circle at the back of the resort. We had to then drop my parents off and we parked our car near the Live Oak Lodge. Please keep in mind we had no problem all week with parking. After the fireworks, imagine my surprise and anger that we started to see people leaving the resort via car. They were parked there for the fireworks. I have no idea how they got in. But I was not happy. We then moved our car back to Building 19.

My question to you is, how did these cars get in? And, if it were not for my husband and me with my parents, they would have had to park at the Live Oak Lodge and walk back to Building 19.

I would like to write a letter to DVC regarding this and some other minor issues. I can't find the address, no matter how many ways I search it.

Thanks!

 

[RobDoc]

The resort address is :

22 Harbourside Lane
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Except for those in the Live Oak Lodge (buildings 11 and 12) there are no handicap accessible villas at the resort. There are NO ground level villas at all due to construction codes for flooding reasons. I stayed in building 19 this month and it is no more than 50 yards to the pool (even the closest buildings will have about a 20 yard walk to get into the pool enclosure).

As for the parking, there are boat owners with parking access to the marina and some of the cars leaving after the fireworks may have been resort guests going out for the evening. Parking is certainly at a premium at the resort and is very limited during the summer months when the resort is at full occupancy each week.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Does the parking fill to capacity at times in the summer? Have any guests ever had to park outside the resort across the marina/bridge to return to your villa?

We have not vacationed in the summer months, but have stayed during other capacity times and have never been shut out.

 

[DVCLiz]

OP, just a thought, but we were at HH a few weeks ago staying on points, and we left the resort after the fireworks to go to the grocery store. I just don't think there is any way that members of the general public could possibly have been allowed to park on the actual HH side of the property - there were staff members there checking to see that all cars had resort ID and if staff hadn't been there, people would have needed room keys in order to get through that gate.

Sorry for your bad experience, though - we found HH to be delightful, and the Tuesday night festivities were a highlight of our trip!!!!

 

[RobDoc]

Yes, the parking spaces are frequently near capacity during the summer months. In addition, the spaces in front of buildings 19, 21, 25 and 28 are also shared by those guests staying in buildings 20,18,24,23,26,27 and 29 since those buildings do not have their own parking areas. I'm not aware of occasions when resort guests have not had a parking space available. I have often had to park away from my building, but the resort is so compact that it's not far to any location.

 

[Dean]

They may be members or they may have gotten in by lying or before the resort started checking closely. I've gone to DVC HH a number of times when I wasn't staying, though never just to park.

And while I agree that medical requests should be given priority, you had the opportunity up front to control this issue, unlike most other medical request. You simply reserve a handicapped unit. I realize that there are many people who want the location of a HC unit without the aggravations of the setup, and i have no problem with asking, but it is unreasonable to expect it in this situation unless you have a HC unit.

 

[Cora]

Dean,
I totally understand what you are saying regarding requesting a HC unit. However, the reason we do not is because my parents have issues walking, they are not in a wheelchair. I don't feel it would be proper to reserve an HC unit if a person can be accommodated in another way. This then allows the unit to be available for those who need those types of accommodations (i.e. wheelchair accessible shower, shower bars, etc.). I know I would not be happy if I were an individual in a wheelchair and found out that I could not use that unit because someone not in a wheelchair was using it.

Also, we have taken my parents with us at least 3 times and each time we have been accommodated. I may have been more sensitive to it this time, since they have gotten worse this past year.

Regardless, we had a great time. A few problems will not ruin a vacation for us. However, I (my husband included) did feel that HH is slipping. Not just with the room and parking issue, but there were other little things that we have never experienced before. We found that we had to call housekeeping way too much. Items were missing from our room. Things weren't working properly in the room. Also, express checkout was messed up for us. All were minor issues, however, the sum of them made us wonder if things are slipping, maybe there has been a change in management???? Doc would probably know...

As we kept saying (through the extreme heat - heat index of 108 - 115!) we're here to be together.

Thanks for everyone's info.

Doc...thanks for the address (boy do I feel stupid, I didn't even think to look at my ressie for the address). Doc, do you have the name of the manager at HH?

 

[Dean]

Cora, at this time all DVC resorts routinely have more HC units than guests who need them. Thus it really isn't going to take one from one who can't survive without it. And your situation seems perfect for the access of a HC unit even if a wheelchair is not needed. It seems the only way to deal with this issue other than simply taking your chances.

On a related note, the "room ready" policy and it's various implementations seem to have made all DVC resorts less than receptive to requests. I think they've simply given up trying to accommodate requests in many situations. That is one of the reasons that I feel smoking/NS should be a reservation type with large and enforced penalties if one smokes in a NS unit.

 

[Cora]

Dean,
Totally agree on the non-smoking. There is nothing that aggravates me more than going into a non-smoking room and find someone has smoked.

Maybe the way to go is HC, however, if I recall correctly, they are all in the Lodge...again the problem of getting to the pool. Although they are slow, they still crave that independence. However, sadly, I don't see my parents travelling in the future.

Thanks
Cora

 

[della]

Just a thought-my mom recently turned 80. Her legs work fine but she has respitory issues and gets winded easily. We recently took her on a 2 day cruise (non-Disney) and brought along a rental wheelchair. She swore she would not be getting in "that thing"! However, she soon came to realize that her independence came a lot easier if she rode in that thing! She would just get out when she got to where she was going. My mom has always been very active, she is finally starting to realize that with a little help along the way she can continue to remain active.

 

[Cora]

Della,
Thanks. We actually used a wheelchair for my mom at the airports and it worked great.
Cora