Update from Perdido Key - COVID19 - March 17
Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2020
We know everyone is very concerned about the current Coronavirus COVID-19 situation and its impact on Perdido Key. We always want to have everyone's health and safety in mind and that extends beyond the vacations to our property owners. We hope you're doing well and staying safe.
We are getting calls, social media posts, and questions on what is happening locally on our beaches. At this time, the changes locally in Perdido Key include one bar (Florabama Main Bar) closing temporarily (all other bars are also restaurants, so they are remaining open), restaurants are operating with limited seating, grocery stores are closing early, and indoor spaces like fitness centers in the resorts are closed out of precaution. Thankfully, as opposed to the summers, this time of year isn't very busy in the restaurants. Properties are still accepting guests, people are on the beach. Perdido Key further benefits, because our area doesn't have large crowd venues so things like a fishing charter, for example, which only has a handful of people on it seem to be operating as normal. Similarly, vacation rental homes aren’t positioned in big hotels or theme parks so folks can avoid the crowds and still enjoy their vacation. Nevertheless, the calls we're receiving are from very concerned parents. Folks worried about the media's and our governmental leader's talk of a national pandemic. As a result, we are allowing guests to move their spring reservation dates to later in the year as well as temporarily modifying our cancellation policy to allow guests who have an arrival scheduled to occur between now and April 17th to cancel [UPDATE] or apply 110% of their reservation towards a future stay. Similarly, we are beginning a push promoting a worry-free booking to encourage short-notice bookings which, like with hotels, will allow guests who make a new reservation now to cancel up until the date before arrival now through April 17th to help fill any vacancies on the calendars. This is being done in an effort to ensure we do not alienate the loyal audience of vacationers who come stay in the properties we manage during these stressful times and is rapidly becoming the norm in reaction to this impact on tourism with property managers and large sites like Airbnb doing the same.
We are seeing reservations still being made as some families now have children off school for longer than anticipated and parents are asked to work from home. Our office will continue to remain open and we will work to generate rentals as well as document any cancellations should there be a claims process similar to what we experienced with the BP Oil Spill in 2010. I'll continue to post updates as things progress.
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I want to catch you up to speed today with an update on how things are progressing in the office. I hope you're doing well and staying safe.
In the office, we have been fielding cancellation requests alongside a handful of new booking requests today. I had a meeting with our housekeeping coordinator to ensure that our cleaning crews are taking extra precautions to disinfect properties to prevent the spread of coronavirus and that they are paying special attention to surfaces and areas such as appliance handles, phones, and remote controls. Additionally, we have amended our check-in procedure to allow guests to stay in their vehicle while a staff member brings their keys, passes, and paperwork out to them. I believe our arriving guests will appreciate this curbside service.
Another impact we're seeing now is among our military service member stays. Most who are not yet here have had their travel plans canceled due to the current DOD travel ban which went into effect March 16 and is set to expire mid-May. The ban restricts both domestic and international travel, also covering Permanent Change of Station moves and military separation moves. We've been making outbound calls to current and future guests who have been impacted by this so that we can plan accordingly by opening up calendars are extending current guests' dates when necessary.
Our Worry Free Reservation which highlights our modified cancellation/refund policy for arrivals between now and April 17th went live online today as did a push aimed at nearby families to go on a staycation with us in Perdido Key. These will work alongside our book 3 get the 4th free promotion which is active through mid-May and a discount we're offering on weekly stays in April. I'm optimistic that this will encourage those on the fence to feel comfortable making last-minute plans to come enjoy the beach for a few days this spring.
If you have any questions, please send me an email. The office phones have been quite hectic at the moment, so I'll likely be able to reply faster in an email or jump off a call to reach you from my cell.
I hope you're doing well and staying safe!
In the office, the phone and email traffic has slowed tremendously. The reservations we've received over the past 24 hours have been for the 2020 summer and 2021 winter/spring. The Governor of Florida just mandated that restaurants only be available for takeaway and gyms/fitness centers close. The Board of County Commissioners is met to discuss access to our beaches and they've decided to close the beaches for the next 13 days effective tomorrow which is when their next meeting will be held. They intend to revisit the topic of beach access on April 2nd. Currently, the national seashore (Johnson Beach) and state beach in the center of the island are open as is all beach in front of condominiums. Unfortunately, explaining that to prospective vacationers is not fruitful at the moment. The rental office's hours are being modified for the next two weeks to be 9am-5pm. We're looking forward to seeing this behind us and hope that you and your families are keeping safe.
If you have any questions, please send me an email. I'll continue to post updates as there is new information available.
The next Boards of County Commissioner meeting is in 2 weeks. We’ll know more about the beaches then.
Until then, stay safe.
JD HallamGM - Perdido Key Resort ManagementBroker/Owner - Perdido Key Resort Realty
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