I hope everyone received the written update from Fripp Island Resort. Please make sure you read their information carefully. They made two big concessions based on your feedback. They will not require a club card minimum per bedroom; and, the new 12.8% fee will only apply to new reservations for 2023 and all reservations for 2024.
I personally think their new position is very fair and I hope everyone will join me in pushing guests to use their amenities. We need to partner with them for a better experience for everyone. I wanted to get this communication out so each of you would have time to take similar actions.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO RIGHT NOW
(If you are under full management with Fripp Vacation or Island Life Getaway,
they will handle this step for you.)
1. Close all outstanding offers dated 2/20/23 or earlier
For offers sent 2/21 or later, and not already accepted:
2. Resend the offer and put in a note that says, “If this offer is not accepted by today and you want club cards, a new 12.8% of the total rent resort fee will be charged in addition to the cost of the individual club cards for access to the resort amenities.”
3. Yes, the above also applies to any offers sent today.
For property listings:
4. If the listing offers club cards, add this verbiage, “A new 12.8% of the total rent resort fee will be charged in addition to the cost of the individual club cards for access to the resort amenities.”
For new offers starting tomorrow:
5. If the guest requests club cards, add the 12.8% of the rent fee as an additional purchase and provide club cards as normal (screen shot below). The example shown is based on $3,000 rent. Because the fee is not mandatory, it is not taxable.
WHAT WE ARE DOING
We have made immediate changes to FrippIslandStay.
The Guest Stay Page club card section has been disabled temporarily.
It is grayed out (screen shot below). The owner or property manager will have to add the 12.8% fee as an additional purchase and the club card costs for the guest.
If your property uses FrippIslandStay to connect you to VRBO, your listing has been updated with the following revised statement at the end.
“If this property offers club cards for access to Fripp Island Resort amenities, a new 12.8% of the total rent resort fee will be charged in addition to the cost of the individual club cards.
After booking this property, VRBO will charge their service fee separately and then the reservation will be transferred to FrippIslandStay where the property owner or manager will charge your credit card for the other items seen in the quote provided by VRBO. The refundable security deposit if applicable will be included in the final payment. You will also have the opportunity to purchase travel insurance and damage protection insurance on FrippIslandStay.
You will receive an email with log in information from FrippIslandStay right after booking. Please check your spam or promotions folders. Once logged in to FrippIslandStay, you will be able to order club cards if available and gate passes for access to the island.”
Finally, we will begin work next week on site modifications to implement these changes and get back to more business as usual. I will send a further update once we know more on that schedule.
