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Accommodations: Belmar Security Question
Bonaire Talk: Accommodations: Archives: Archives 2000 to 2006: Archive - 2006-03-01 to 2006-08-31: Belmar Security Question
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Smith (BonaireTalker - Post #13) on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 12:57 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hey all-

Getting very excited....we're headed to Bonaire for our 1st time Friday night, arriving Sat morning. We're staying at Belmar.

I'm wondering about room security at Belmar. A friend coming with us would like to bring his laptop, and I have a camera that isn't exactly a disposable. :-) Obviously we won't take these items to dive sites, but would they be safe in a locked room when we're out for the day?

Thanks,
Jim

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #402) on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 1:51 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Jim,

We have not had or heard of any problems with security at Belmar, have stayed there many times. We bring all of the above with us. There is an in-room safe, but only big enough to hold wallets, travel documents, etc. The rooms lock securely. There is a security guard at night. I'd say take reasonable precautions, and your chances of a problem at Belmar are minimal, probably much less than at places closer to town or the main hotel area.

David

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #403) on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 1:53 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Oh, and have a great trip!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Grasshopper (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #17152) on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 1:58 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Jim, Belmar is a very secure property. They have a security guard from before dusk to after dawn, and access to the property is locked with gates at night. Obviously, don't leave your valuables open in in sight for everyone to see. Lock all items you can into the room safe when they are not on your person as you would when traveling to any other country (or in the US on vacation).

Personally, I leave my laptop at home while on vacation. Not worth the hassle or worry about something happening to it. Kevin at Great Escape right across the street from Belmar has an Internet Cafe, 5 bucks a day unlimited use.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cheryl Ferguson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #273) on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 2:38 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We locked camera equipment, IPODs etc in the largest suitcase we had and hid it out of the way. It was a pain but we hoped to thwart temptation. One day at the Divi we had forgotten to lock our second floor patio door during the day, and when we got back to our room, the maid had locked it for us! We appreciated her proactive behaviour :o)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Vince DePietro (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #236) on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 6:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

My advice is to leave your laptop at home. You can walk across the street at Belmar to Great Escape which I think charges about $5 to use their computer. This is certainly much safer & prudent then taking your own laptop. Why chance a problem if it's really not necessary?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike (BonaireTalker - Post #24) on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 7:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

BelMar is wireless which is great for a
laptop. I have never had a problem at BelMar.
I bring my laptop, video and camera gear. As
long as you take the normal precautions you'll
be fine. Both security guards have been with
BelMar for years. Most of the time, we leave
our dive gear out to dry over night on the
oceanside patio and bring in the expensive toys
locked up on our room. Three more weeks and
counting!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #285) on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 10:29 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We just returned from a week at BelMar and I was amazed at the nighttime security. The guard would appear out of thin air when you parked your car or were walking around. I think if you take precautions and store the items in stacks of luggage to be safe you shouldn't have a problem. (I'm very glad my daughter didn't know about the $5/day Internet service at Great Escape!! - we would have never gotten her out to dive).

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kevin Wayne Williams (The Great Escape) (BonaireTalker - Post #90) on Thursday, March 2, 2006 - 9:24 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

In general, the crime problem on the southern part of the island is lower than the northern part. A lot of that is just the natural consequence of not having as many people. The BelMar has pretty good security, which helps a lot.

You shouldn't get complacent, though. There was a break-in at a neighboring property a couple of weeks ago, and I would have told you that it was quite safe as well. Keep an eye on things and keep them secure. If you can't put it in the safe, put it in your nightstand or someplace where people will make noise trying to get at it.

And Sue ... I'm quite sad that you didn't know I had internet access, because it means you never came over to eat either.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #406) on Thursday, March 2, 2006 - 3:12 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Mike,

Do I understand correctly that Belmar has added wireless internet? Not available when we were there in Dec.

-David

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lynn Schwiebert (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Thursday, March 2, 2006 - 6:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Last week we arrived at the Belmar (our first visit) with every type of security devices imaginable (short of heat seeking missles)and felt really foolish when we discovered how secure it really was. We brought door alarms for every door and a motion detector alarm. The locks on the doors are so secure that they become a pain in the ___, especially the sliding glass doors that require a locksmith degree to open. You can not leave the place without using a key in the deadbolt (a feature not allowed in USA because of the problem with exiting in a hurry in case of fire.) Anyway the Belmar is secure and a terrific place to stay but I would just be careful. We saw people leaving their dive equipment on the dock overnight which is probably not the smartest move. We would dry our gear on our porch but then move it inside at night.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike (BonaireTalker - Post #25) on Friday, March 3, 2006 - 8:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dave,
I was at BelMar last October and they had
wireless out of their office. I had no
problem logging on. Some of the units farthest
away from the office might not be able to log on.
In that case, there's a picnic table right outside
the office that you can at and log on.
You can check with BelMar but as far as I know
their wireless is still up and running. If you
find out differently please let me know as my
wife and I will be coming down in three weeks.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kevin Wayne Williams (The Great Escape) (BonaireTalker - Post #91) on Friday, March 3, 2006 - 9:50 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Belmar has a wireless system. It doesn't reach all the units and hasn't got as fast of an uplink as I have got in my cafe. If you don't need high-speed and you can find a spot where it works for you, then it will probably serve you just fine. If you need a faster uplink or can't find a comfortable spot to get access, I'm across the street.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #407) on Saturday, March 4, 2006 - 10:29 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Mike, Kevin,

Thanks for the info. I guess I just didn't know it was there. I used the computer at Great Escape once to check on my wife and daughter's flights down to BON, and otherwise we all took a vacation from the internet and e-mail.

David

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Smith (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 12:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Had a fantastic time at Belmar. We were very impressed with the security, and none of our needs went unmet. Highly recommended; we'll definitely return.

Jim

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Vince DePietro (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #252) on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 6:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I know exactly what you mean.."Butchie" does a great job watching over things at night!
Glad you enjoyed your trip.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob & Kobi (BonaireTalker - Post #52) on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 10:03 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

This is good information to know as we're coming in May; staying at Buddy's BUT going to buy one of the 8 units currently for sale at Belmar.

We've taken the "sit back and observe" route currently; gathering other's comments prior to the purchase.

Thanks all...........

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lynn Schwiebert (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 2:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

If you are really thinking about buying a unit at Belmar I would highly recommend ground floor unit #1..which I think is for sale right now. It is on the very end and they keep the gate locked at that end so you will not have people constantly walking around your unit like at the other end where the rinse tanks and office are located. Also it is a little bigger unit. It has a great view and because it is on the end I think that it would be nice and quiet. We were just there and stayed in unit #2 (a great unit also) but had fantasies about buying #1!!!! Are there 10 other people out there who would like to go in on it with us????

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #546) on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 2:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Lynn: We stayed in Unit #1 in September and are staying in Unit #2 in June. Just wondering how the view for the Unit #2 patio was for you. The view from #1 is outstanding and if I remember right, the patio of #2 sits back further from #1's patio. Thanks.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dr. Director (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #142) on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 10:02 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We were in unit 3 at Belmar in October and one day had very strong wave action rolling in from the Northwest and crashing into the sea wall from the far off hurricane (I believe it was Wilma). Belmar has been strenthening and installing concrete deflectors along their seawall, essentially an upside-down "L", as a means of deflecting the water away and this was their first true test of the deflectors. When we were there, the deflectors were in place from about unit 3 through unit 8, and they worked. When the waves hit the seawall, they were deflected up to about the middle of the second story and away, so only a small portion of water splashed onto the pool deck area. (This is in contrast to what we were told happened in the prior storm where the waves were really crashing onto the pool deck and patios.) Unfortunately, the deflectors had not yet been built in front of units 1 or 2, and in combination with blocked drains, plus the closer proximity of unit 1 to the seawall, quite a bit of water sloshed onto the patio of unit 1 and then into the living room. The guests spent much of that day "sweeping back the ocean" and were reasonably successful, so I don't believe there was any real damage, but it was a mess for them. I believe Belmar is planning to build the deflectors all the way to the end, so that will help, but that wasn't done when October's storm hit. (The patio on unit 2 got some water onto it, but not bad, and our patio in unit 3 stayed dry.) Suggest you look for the deflectors before you buy unit 1. Otherwise I agree with what Lynn said.

BTW, to save the docks, Rob, Manon and Henriette, with help from some of the younger guests/owners, lifted out about every third section. Those who have been there both before and since the docks were badly damaged in a prior storm would know how they were redesigned to allow sections to be easily removed, and the new design worked well, although it was a lot of work for Belmar's staff.

Marcus: I believe that owners are required to place their units into the rental pool and are limited in the number of weeks they can stay there themselves. Also, I believe owners pay a reduced fee (don't know how much) for when you use your own unit.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #296) on Friday, March 17, 2006 - 2:14 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dr - your description of removing sections of the dock solves the mystery of why there are numbers on each piece of decking wood!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dr. Director (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #143) on Friday, March 17, 2006 - 6:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We were at Belmar shortly after the "boat" dock (as opposed to the "umbrella" dock) washed away completely a few years ago, and again about 6 months later when it was fully back. Saw both the section numbers and the bolt heads and figured out that someone had used common sense to build a dock that could be disassembled. Only issue is it takes time to undo the bolts and drag the sections up to the pool deck. Rob, Manon, Henriette and a few others spent several hours in the pounding surf and all they got disassembled was about a third of the dock. Although that too they did with common sense, removing about every third section, plus most of the sections closest to the seawall, so the waves would go through the skeleton without destroying the decking. Once the storm was over, it took about 2 days to reassemble, but others did that, not Rob and crew.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dr. Director (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #145) on Friday, March 17, 2006 - 6:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Message for scubalaw: tried to respond to your private e-mail, but it appears the e-mail address in your profile is no longer valid. Please update it, or send another private message with an e-mail address that I can use to respond. Thanks.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike (BonaireTalker - Post #29) on Friday, March 17, 2006 - 9:53 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Updated with new e-mail address. Try again.
Thanks for the reminder.

 


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