TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin What about Grand Case Beach Club?

Any word or pictures?

Their website team (in USA) finally posted to Facebook the following message:
We are grateful for all your (many!) messages of concern as you learn about the impact of Hurricane Irma on St. Martin.
At this time electricity, internet and telephone are not available and we are uncertain when the team at Grand Case will be able to communicate with all of us.
Please continue to keep Steve and the amazing team at GCBC - as well as all those who have been impacted by the hurricane - in your thoughts and prayers.
As soon as we are able to provide an update we will do so.
-- Nevin and the website team standing by on the North American mainland.

Also, I think you can kind of see some of the buildings in the background of some of the photos Calmos cafe posted. Otherwise, i haven't heard anything "verified".

Ive read where the manager of Club O returned back to GCBC after surveying the damage. Ive also read another article about him where it describes to scary night where he and his wife had to escape a damaged unit and being stuck in bathroom.

That said, dont knownif both articles added together meant he spent the hurricane night at gcbc or the next night after wards,.

Ive seen enough to know it was horrific.

Here's some info provided by GCBC to an owner friend of ours.
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General:

· KNOWN Grand Case village is mostly destroyed.

· KNOWN Talk of the Town and most restaurants are destroyed, or have received massive irreparable damage.

· KNOWN Hospital in Marigot, the roof is gone.

· KNOWN Extensive damage and flooding in Marigot

· KNOWN The whole of the island – massive damage – too much to comprehend.

· Timeline UNKNOWN Utilities are non-existent. Return of services weeks away.

· GOOD NEWS – no injuries were incurred by the 33 remaining guests on property during Irma.

· SAD NEWS – Steve Wright, General Manager, did sustain a minor injury to his leg.

· KNOWN Currently (9/7/2017) 33 guests and 17 staff on property. The 17 staff members’ homes were totally destroyed, and we are glad to provide a “home” to these dedicated staff members.

· Timeline UNKNOWN We are currently working with our travel partner, Ron Muzii, of Muzii & Associates Inc., to make evacuation plans for the 33 guests remaining on property.

· Timeline UNKNOWN French government cargo planes will be flying supplies into L'Espérance Airport, also known as Grand Case Airport, as soon as the runways are cleared.

· Timeline UNKNOWN French government will also be sending in gendarmes and other personnel to L'Espérance.

· Timeline UNKNOWN Cargo ship expected from Guadeloupe with supplies (next few days.)



Specific to GCBC – much of this information is from cursory inspections by Bill and Steve. Obviously, it is too early to assess and analyze structural and internal damage.

· KNOWN The rock sea walls survived the winds and the storm surge GOOD NEWS.

· KNOWN Townhouses – no visible structural damage. No inspection at this time to assess internal damage.

· KNOWN 100 Building – roofing gone along with hurricane shutters. No inspection at this time to assess internal damage.

· KNOWN 200 Building – roofing gone along with hurricane shutters. No inspection at this time to assess internal damage.

· KNOWN 700 Building – roofing gone along with roof rafters, leaving the units open to the sky. No inspection at this time to assess internal damage.

· KNOWN 800 Building – roofing gone along with roof rafters, leaving the units open to the sky. No inspection at this time to assess internal damage.

· KNOWN Steve and Bill’s offices on the 2nd floor of the Reception building gone, along with all computers, and all contents.

· UNKNOWN Sunset Café – not much talk with Bill about this, but the assumption is that it will be a total loss.

· KNOWN The Pavilion structure on the hill is gone, along with all the trees.

· UNKNOWN Pool - No inspection at this time

I know this news about GCBC is distressing to all of us, but, we can be thankful that there was no loss of life at GCBC during Irma’s landfall. Many of our long-time owners will remember 1995, and the destruction wrought by Hurricane Luis, and then Marilyn one week later. In that storm, we experienced similar damage, although not as severe as what we are currently seeing with Irma. It took many months for insurance inspections and assessments, and working with the government, before we could even entertain the thought of rebuilding. The same will be true here. It will take weeks before we will have a full assessment of damages sustained, and then months working with our insurance companies and governmental agencies to achieve a settlement. And then, the rebuilding will begin! In the meantime, please know that both Steve and Bill, and the Board of Directors will do everything to prepare for your “Return to Paradise”, although who knows when that will be possible.