By Tucker Omohundro, January 18, 2020
To better state my beliefs on a lodge in Hot Springs Village…
I would love to see a hotel/lodge or hotel chain in HSV, but as a business freestanding from the POA. Just like all other businesses such as a grocery store, retailer, restaurant, medical center, etc. a hotel needs to be its own entity.
I am NOT in favor of a lodge being developed, funded, and run by the POA like our other amenities such as golf courses, tennis center, Woodlands, etc. The POA should not be a hotel management company, a restaurateur, a real estate developer, or anything else outside of its original purpose -POA’s were created for administrative purposes and to maintain the infrastructure; it was formed to manage the assessments collected and to take care of the infrastructure; this is what they should only be doing.
I am not sure if the current BOD/CEO has or had plans, (or hopes), of building a lodge, but it has been brought to my attention as a concern by some Villagers… so, I hope this gives the residents of the Hot Springs Village a clearing understanding of my thoughts about a lodge/hotel.
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Lee Ann Stroud
01/18/2020 — 6:45 pm
Agree with Tucker 💯!!!
Adonnalove hsv
01/18/2020 — 7:00 pm
Agree
Minn Daly
01/18/2020 — 7:14 pm
100 percent with Tucker on HSV POA getting out & staying out of the developer business. We have a developer named COOPER! Voteing Tucker, Lloyd & Dick for BOD. Minn Daly
Vicki Husted
01/18/2020 — 7:19 pm
Tucker,
I agree 100%, but also want to add a caveat that if a developer or hotel chain should wish to come in and be it’s own entity, EXTREMELY careful scrutiny of any proposed contract would be necessary to insure they don’t leave us holding the bag if they are not as successful as their business plan requires them to be in order to remain profitable and not require any subsidies. Just my two cents.
Sam Taylor
01/18/2020 — 8:39 pm
As a caveat to your caveat, I would be against it being built IN the Village. Yes it might be more convenient, but if it did fail then what happens to the building. Either the POA takes it over in some way, or it just becomes a MAJOR eyesore!
Vicki Husted
01/18/2020 — 9:15 pm
Excellent point, Sam! Ongoing maintenance on their dime, in perpetuity!
Anonymous
01/18/2020 — 8:14 pm
Like every thing the POA does they do it with our money. If it fails or needs to be funded they don’t take any blame and no heads roll.
Mary Odom
01/18/2020 — 8:40 pm
Totally agree Tucker and appreciate your clarity on your view. Tucker..Dick..Lloyd for BOD!!
Lloyd Sherman
01/18/2020 — 9:16 pm
I concur with Tucker on this subject. I am not opposed to private enterprise that can build and fully maintain their own operations within the Village. However, it is NOT the responsibility of the POA, nor should it be a financial burden on property owners. Ever! The other reality is that there is a significant rental market within these gates and what impact would a hotel have on their investment?
Anonymous
01/18/2020 — 11:10 pm
A hotel is only another delusional disorder of the cmp.
Juloe
01/19/2020 — 4:24 am
People. Don’t lie awake at night worrying that some “developer” is going to build a lodge in HSV. There is no one in their right mind who would even think of doing something like that. For anyone to think this might happen takes a huge and willing suspension of reality.
Recall please that even the guy who wanted to build the luxury RV sites at the east end bailed out as soon as he took a closer look at the state things. With the current board, “ceo”, and the “cmp”, no one, and I mean no one, would consider such a folly.
Who is gong to fill the lodge? The thousands of Troon golfers we were promised when the top secret, money-losing contract with them was signed? Maybe it is the thousands of people who frequent our fine dining establishments here in HSV. Or maybe the thousands who will flock to the new “town center” when it gets built. Or the thousands of people who have an overwhelming desire to be “livin’ the dream”. Or the thousands who wish to experience, just for a day, the exhilaration of taking a plunge in our new outdoor cocktail pool.
The board and the “ceo” continue to pledge allegiance to the “cmp”, simply a boilerplated mess from some lazy and crazy place that to this day knows less about HSV than the people who fear a lodge is coming.
Dolores
01/19/2020 — 7:56 am
Completely agree.
Man from the clouds
01/19/2020 — 9:28 am
Give Donald J Trump a call see if he wants to build a hotel here
Andy Kramek
01/19/2020 — 9:31 am
Well said Julie. You have hit the nail squarely on the head.
Quite apart from anything else I am not quite sure what a “Lodge” implies. Apparently the dream is for some sort of convention center. At least, according to the rationale I have heard presented we need it to host the large dinners, dance clubs, bingo and other event gatherings that are too big to be accommodated by existing facilities.
However, what I am not hearing from anyone is just what these mega-events really are, where they are coming from and how many of them we are losing by not having a Lodge. Sounds like another case of the CMP pretending that if you create an infrastructure the demand will follow. (Actually that may be true in places where there is excess population, and/or major attractants to bring visitors in large numbers. Neither applies to Hot Springs Village)
So this is simply another case of putting the cart before the horse and, as Julie points out, no-one in their right mind would implement such a strategy. That leaves the only proponents as the CEO (and her tame Board) who, clearly, are NOT in their right mind on this, as so many other things.
Jule
01/19/2020 — 9:40 am
Don’t forget that whenever you reference the “ceo” you need to put it not only in quote marks but also made sure you use lower case to more correctly identify the true nature of this position.
Andy Kramek
01/19/2020 — 11:14 am
Oops, I stand corrected. Thanks Julie
Fred Hale
01/19/2020 — 10:05 am
I strongly Disagree with anyone promoting the development of a hotel/lodge/or additional high-density residential space inside HSV gates. Mr. Omohundro, I urge you to not take this path.
Lloyd Sherman
01/19/2020 — 11:48 am
Build it and they will come. NOT!
Trump Tower in the Village. Sounds perfect. NOT!
I believe that most who speak to lodging within the Village are doing so with tongue in check know full well that it is not practical and is delusional.
However, make no mistake that efforts will continue to find the gullible person/group who would try it.
Until the three major pillars of the CMP are extracted from that document, these delusions will continue.
Cindy Anderson
01/19/2020 — 9:10 pm
I also agree. What would become of the situation with gates is another question on my mind?????
Moe
01/20/2020 — 7:48 pm
They have said they want to remove them…so they will…they are just waiting a bit…
Andy Kramek
01/22/2020 — 2:41 pm
Not true Moe. The powers that be have said over and over again that the “gates will not come down”.
But why on earth should they?
All they have to do is stop manning the East/West gates and leave the card gates permanently open. That way they cover both sides of the equation – the gates have not come down, but there are no barriers to free entry/exit.
Win-win for the CMP!
Meme Lowery
01/22/2020 — 7:14 pm
POA should not run restaurants, hotels or anything else, just the village!
Dave Sintich
04/02/2020 — 8:41 pm
There is enough property close to the gates without being on our property. If access to the property is required then the hotel, lodge or whatever pays for usage and adheres to our rules and laws. I’m against anymore business’s on the property because of the appearance of places already here that do not get needed attention like around El Jimador, Coronado center and Police training building. Let’s NOT forget the famous hole at the entrance to El Jimador. And we can’t force them to do anything so why invite more ??? Even the newer buildings in a few years will need attention, will they get it ? Think ahead and plan the future before allowing more lazy landlords within our property.