Large Weddings at CSA-Ambience Lost

[T&A]

Absolutely yes! On our 2nd trip to CSA we encountered a similar experience. In one wedding party the bride was able to get her 3 teenage boys a room ranging in ages from 16-18. You can imagine how the boys acted at the bars as well as running around on the walkways at night nearly running into people. Ver

[dianavr]

I am sure that from a business standpoint Couples loves these large wedding parties. But if they are receiving preferential treatment by reserving large portions of realestate to exclude other guests, then they are not in keeping with the Couples philosophy of intamacy and romance for everyone, in my opinion anyway. The problem I would have with a large party of guests is if they tend to move with a herd mentality; crowding restaurants at the same time, congregating at one bar in large numbers, descending on Seagrapes all at once. In other words taking up space and services for themselves to the detriment of the experience of the other guests. If they could have the wedding, with their full party in attendance, then blend back in with the other guests before and after the ceremony I would have no problem with it at all. But again, that's just my opinion.

I agree with you. A few years ago at CTI there was a very large loud wedding party. We could not eat at Verenda or Bayside because of the wedding party, they took over the restaurants. We had to eat dinner at the Patio every night for a week. CTI is my heart and we still go back every year but that year was not nice!

[Blondie]

[QUOTE=Suzi;174759]From a business standpoint, I don't think Couples is making huge revenue by booking an 80 person wedding vs booking 40 COUPLES. The room rate is the same (actually if they're booking so many rooms, the rate may even be less!). At a non-inclusive resort, these wedding guests would be paying for all meals...at Couples the food is all included.QUOTE]

Actually Suzie, I would think that it is not the room rates, it is all the extras that large groups like that pay for. The private parties, the bands for the wedding, photgrapher, etc. In addition, it is a guaranteed revenue, keeping the occupancy up.

[scorpiogal]

This is a big issue for us as well. We don't go to the "S" resorts because they have a huge problem with this. Hope this doesn't become an issue at couples... Our last trip to an "S" resort, there was a large group continuously drunk with boombox on the beach. Lucky for the rest of us that everyone could hear their music??? LOL They also took over areas much as has been described in this post. The wedding gazebo was just outside our room and it was run like an assembly line!

We also ran into a wedding group in punta cana at another resort chain. Every day the whole group took over the pool bar, drunk, smoking and swearing.... it was a high end resort.... we stayed away from that area so it didn't really impact us but we noticed it.

We visited CSS last year and absolutely fell in love with the ambiance. There was one group there for a few days and they were big on throwing balls of wet sand but we stayed away and never noticed them anywhere else. We still loved our experience!!! We have CSA booked this year. I am going to check the wedding schedule. I just don't want my vacation turned into someone else's bachelor/bachelorette party....

[RubiGal04]

Just read on here where a CSA guest was only able to eat at Patois one time because masses of large wedding parties had taken it over each evening. That is unacceptable, as zaraforty said above, we are paying customers too and it is supposed to be COUPLES and romance, not huge parties which keep a COUPLE from getting on the cat cruise or eating at a particular restaurant. Randymon, something needs to be looked at here so those of us coming as a COUPLE aren't discriminated against when it comes to using all the facilities and restuarants offered and also so the overall romantic ambience is not lost.

[Tom & Erin]

We just returned yesterday from 10 nights @ CSA. Our 19th trip. This definitely was a problem, more so than previous years.

I also do know for a fact that this was brought to the attention of Mr. Issa the resort owner who happened to be on the property, and GM Karen Lanigan.

We did hear many guests complaining about the noise, and inappropriate behaviour, several to the point where they said they may seriously think twice before returning.

The key word here is "respect." Respect for fellow guests, and this appears to have disappeared.

Yes, this issue can be a double edged sword, but a very smart CEO once said, "there are some customers that can afford to be fired."

If you feel it is an issue, do take the time to voice your concerns on the checkout comment card, and with the management team. If management is unaware of how serious the problem is, they can't be expected to fix it.

Cheers,

[jhabey]

I just wanted to say that I believe it's truly based on how these large groups handles themselves. You could have a group of four people acting like complete morons and on the other hand have a group of 20 enjoying the resort without disturbing others. I am looking forward to the destination wedding I am going to in June and not one of the people we are going with would think of being inconsiderate to individual couples.

[Chickie]

I think MOST of us on this MB can agree that Couples SHOULD be monitoring this situation& I would definitely like to see them respond to this issue!! There are a lot of other places & venues that these 'groups' could go to (as could we). I feel that if " COUPLES" promotes themselves & advertise their place as a "destination for COUPLES", it should be a place for couples! !! A place where couples can reconnect & spend quality time & Couples should deliver! There is definitely a different "mentality" between several couples celebrating a wedding & a "GROUP" moving as a "herd" & taking over the resort! Is it too much to ask for mangement to put some kind of policy in place or at least "MANAGE" the groups when they get out of hand- when they "take over" the pool, spas, restaurants & bars. etc? These groups should NOT take away the pleasure of other couples vacationing at a COUPLES resorts !! This NEEDS to be addressed! THX for letting me vent!Cindy

[lugnut]

funny how management has nothing to say about this on this thread. maybe they don't care how we feel, as long as they are getting business from these huge wedding parties.

[dirtleg]

I am noticing a trend on this thread and I would like to maybe try to push this in a more positive direction.

We are going to CSA for our seventh visit in June. We have always had a wonderful vacation. No problems with large groups or wedding parties making things uncomfortable or detracting from our experience. For those of you that have been reading this thread, whether you have participated or not, please rest assured that the "Large Weddings at CSA - Ambiance Lost" is an exception rather than the rule. I think that 99% of the weddings are simple ceremonies with either just the couple being married or a handful of guests. We have never witnessed a wedding party larger than eight or twelve, and then only once or twice in all the years we have been vacationing at CSA. Please don't be swayed away from selecting CSA as a vacation or wedding destination by these really isolated incidents. You will be missing maybe the best vacation or honeymoon you could ever have. This is not the norm, nor do I believe it will become so. I have to say that I am a bit surprised that Randy has not chimed in on this thread, I had hoped he would attempt to bring some reassurance to new guests, and even some repeaters, that CSA is not becoming the Grand Central of beach weddings and that a quiet, romantic vacation for couples is still the prime objective of Couples and CSA.

It is good to get this information out for discussion and to perhaps bring it to the attention of Couples management. But I would not let it worry me or create any sort of anxiety about my upcoming vacation. Your going to love CSA, promise. It is beautiful, romantic, quiet and just a wonderfully relaxing place to vacation. And the beach is tops!

Have a great trip, no problems mon!

[maitai]

So what does management have to say about all this????? Please step up and give us your thoughts!!

[randymon]

A couple registers on our wedding calendar to reserve a date and time for their wedding. They tell their friends and family - without booking as "contracted group" with Couples Resorts. Our rooms are available on a free sell basis, meaning that anyone can book until we are sold out.

The bride and groom arrive and then 40 of their best friend and family arrive as individual bookings - without our knowing that they are part of this wedding party...

How can we possibly know that there are this many people intending on being part of the wedding.???

A party of 4 couples - infused with massive quantities of alcohol - can be as disruptive as a party of 40 well-behaved people just intent on having fun.

While the affiinity of friends and family vacationing together MAY influence behavior- generally accented by alcohol consumption, the key is educating all guests on what we feel is appropriate behavior.

That said - Couple Resorts is not the only company challenged to deal with guests who have no respect for what the brand stands for nor for their fellow guests.

We will endeavor to monitor and - short of stationing security at every corner - encourage a minority or unruly and inebriated guests to behave properly.