CSS - Has there been a recent change in management?

[KarenON]

Thank you for posting your review on our Message Board. We would like to assure you that there has been no change in our management. It is our goal to provide total guests satisfaction for which Couples Sans Souci is renowned. Travel leisure magazine recently release is rating for the region ( 2012) and again CSS was rated the highest of all the couples resorts.
We did have several challenges after Hurricane Sandy which affected the hotel that could have had some negative impact with our repeat guests.
One of the areas that was most affected was the Au Naturel facility. Several weeks of clean-up had to be put in place to restore the area to its natural beauty. Also we lost the use of our Penthouses for over a period of 8 weeks so as to repair damages that had occurred.
A few changes were also made with regards to our Mini bar procedures – not variety or quality – (all resorts had the same adjustments) which made some of our Repeaters concerned about our changes from that time. We have already reversed some of those procedures to accommodate all our valued guests.
We wish to thank you sincerely for your concerns but also want to reassure you of our full commitment to the product of our resort and looking forward to your future visit.
Pierre Battaglia
General Manager Couples Sans Souci

Mr B., in all our years of travel we have never encountered a GM who is as visible around a resort as you are. The staff are a huge reason why we love this resort so much, the respect they have for you comes across in the way they treat each and every guest. We are made to feel very special there and miss it every day. Can't wait to return in April!

[Jed]

Pierre
thanks for the response


I will add my two cents
My wife and I have been to CSS and CTI multiple times
We were at CSS in July 2012 and Oct 2012
Other than different guests, our experience between the two trips was minimal
Rooms, food, service, water sports, bars, atmosphere were all pretty much the same high level that we have come to know and expect.
We have been so many times that we notice when staff are on vacation or days off or are working in a different area.
We don't have rose glasses but we are also not hypercritical
We love the place and will continue to go to CSS

Pierre's response is consistent with our experience. A management that is very responsive to the customer (repeater or not)

John

[caribbeanbound]

Pierre - you know you rock. We were so dazzeled with our first trip (CSS 10/2011) that our return did seem a little bit of a let-down (CSS 10/2012). Then we realized the problem - they do take care of everything all the time and we we not "shocked" by each display of "no problem mon". We booked for CSS 10/2013 three days after returning home. Going to be curious about a new island adventure in Barbados?!?

[suzyQ]

Hello!
Just returned home from CSS on Friday evening! Service was great! Rooms were clean! Top shelp liquor flowed freely and there was Red Stripe in the minibar that we didn't have to pay for!!!! There was evidence left behind from Sandy---more tree trunks and broken branches but the landscape is still amazing!

Have a great trip!
suzyQ

[SusanL0412]

We have only been to CSS once, but it was the best vacation we've ever had. Everyone was wonderful, the food was amazing, the room was exactly what we had expected... and we were lucky enough to actually sit with Pierre at the repeater's dinner. He is not only correct in all that he says above, but he is clearly very devoted the resort. He gets really excited when talking about future plans and was wonderful in answering the tons of questions we tossed at him. We are returning in April this year and I cannot wait!!!

[Redsolocup]

Thanks for your reply and update SuzieQ. Appreciated!

[D&A913]

These posts make me feel so much better. We pick the Couples chain and CSS based on glowing reviews. It seems like nothing but negative lately on trip adviser!

[Mzambo]

Mr B., in all our years of travel we have never encountered a GM who is as visible around a resort as you are. The staff are a huge reason why we love this resort so much, the respect they have for you comes across in the way they treat each and every guest. We are made to feel very special there and miss it every day. Can't wait to return in April!

Karen, I will 2nd this, after falling in love with CN after two trips in 06,07 it was difficult to talk some of our great friends who were big CN regulars to take a chance on CSS in 08 (we returned in 10 and our friends in 09 & 10 & 11). OMG, LOVE LOVE LOVE CSS, the grounds, the Spa Huts, the hidden treasures, and a GM who in my opinion is unrivaled! I never met the GM at CN, but I did at CSS more than once, and his attention to details was incredible. He even accommated a beer preference after a Trading Places day at CTI without being asked. (He got a big hug for that one). His response was "it's just what you do, if that is all it takes to make a guest happy you do it". It was difficult making the decision to return to CN after many years, although I miss that beach, I know I will miss the presence of Pierre, and his approachability!

[racegrrl]

Trip Advisor posted our review last week from our November 2012 trip (my fault they just got it, TA was not late in putting it up). It was very positive! And we loved it so much we have already booked a return trip for 2013. No worries, mon, it's an awesome place with fantastic people working there!

[Healthy*World]

Hello all - glad to hear there have been some really positive reviews lately!
We initially went to CSS in 2007 for our Honeymoon, and we've been hooked since; I must say - the people/service/food/facilities/environment and ambience have been absolutely outstanding and we look forward to our next trip in 2013 (this will be our 8th week spent there, over a total of 5 trips). I agree re: current manager - he has been very visible and really attempts to continually improve the experience; As well, the staff have been amazing - For example, the last time we were there in 2011, the Head Chef wandered by Sunset Beach to chat with the staff and any guests who wished to ask questions etc. - During brief conversation with him I remarked on how much we enjoyed the food, and casually asked about a certain dish which we had remembered from a couple of years previous, but that no longer seemed to be served at lunch at the Beach Grill; That was the extent of the conversation. The next day, we wandered over to the beach restaurant on the main side of the resort and sat down for a drink and to await lunch service; We literally hadn't ordered yet when the server brought over the dish I had asked about, for my wife and I to enjoy. The server pointed off towards the direction of the resort, and I turned to see the Chef standing in the distance waving at us; Unbelievable - we were floored!! This may not be a typical experience, but it certainly represents the warmth and caring attitude of the staff towards the guests. We've been to many other AI resorts in the past, and can honestly say that CSS has provided us with the most memorable and enchanting vacation experiences yet! Don't hesitate - you'll have a wonderful time!

[caveman]

We'll be leaving in a couple of weeks for CSS and are ready for the trip. Yep, I see the stuff on TA, but you must understand that there is always something or someone that can wreck a trip. I work in the travel industry and most of the time a customer bad experience has nothing to do with the experience. It is usually something or someone very close to the reviewer that is causing the friction. The 'bad' review is a way to vent. Sometimes the problems are real. We've been to CSS 4 or 5 times and prefer tha slower pace compared to the Negril side of the island. We are trying a PH this time around just for the heck of it...it sounds like everything is dialed-in after the storm repairs. Just a side bar - we just spent a week in NYC and the aftermath of Sandy is still a very big deal. Big generators are powering everything for a few blocks inland from Battery Park area. This is a big city that had immense resources pouring in for reconstruction. It makes sense that Jamaica might still be struggling, too.

Either way, I am happy that Msr. Battaglia is still the boss. I am delighted that there is Red Stripe in the rooms...heck, it is Jamacia after all! We are going to have a blast because there is no snow or ice in Jamaica (except in the glasses) and we won't be at work! Dang, time to get the suitcases out and leave them laying around (Crazy Wife) for another 10 days!

[Jagarooni]

We just booked our 3rd trip to our paradise--Couples San Souci--The best, amazing place in the world for us! Absolutely beautiful, quiet, romantic, incredible spa, incredible service, incredible food, a piece of Heaven!

[MeandT]

Hello. We stayed at CSS from 26 Nov - 9 Dec.. (Stayed at CSA previously.) We were very impressed with "Mr B", and were lucky enough to have him at our table during our first week repeater's dinner. It is not a publicity ploy - he really DOES put his heart and soul into running CSS. If you do have any issues when you are on-site, have a quiet word with the relevant department manager and give the CSS team a chance to resolve the issue.

I believe that some TA reviewers don't do this, so issues go unresolved, so then they complain in a review after getting home. This doesn't help anyone - the guest doesn't get the experience they wanted, and the property gets a bad review which could have been avoided... (This is true for all places, of course.)

As for the airport transportation - that is run by independent taxi drivers who are not under direct control of Couples. However, anyone with a bad experience can take the registration (license plate) number of the taxi and advise Guest Services. Couples can then work to ensure that this doesn't happen again (and maybe not use that taxi again). It does seem that sometimes the taxi drivers want to fill EVERY seat on their bus - so they can get maximum tips. I do see their point, but when it means a significant wait for those on the bus then Couples should be able to tell the drivers to go ahead. (On our Dec return, there was clearly two busloads going to the airport. Yet bus 1 driver insisted on filling EVERY seat, even the horrible fold-down middle aisle benches, before going. Then bus 2 (which thankfully we were on) had about 6 or 8 empty seats... where is the logic there? They should have been filled equally... but the Bus 1 driver was bossing the Couples team around and they didn't seem comfortable telling him to get on with it. Our driver was great though - lots of history and stories on offer. :-)

So...go. Relax. Enjoy. And send some warm sunshine to the UK when you get there, please! :-)