The Kingsley Hotel

JP Liz

Is it true it wont open again and all staff let go?

munstercork

JP Liz wrote: »

Is it true it wont open again and all staff let go?

It is not letting staff go and will reopen in January 2010

kingtut

JP Liz wrote: »

Is it true it wont open again and all staff let go?

It is letting the majority of its staff go but will re-open in a number of months, some time in 2010.

daisydotty

Ya i think its just temporary staff they're leaving go.i'm a member of the health club-i loved it there so gutted to see it closed.typically too i had just got into going about 4 times a week.I also am off for 3 weeks for study leave and was thinking that i'd go every morning early and then home to study!!they rang me today to say that they still can't give a timeframe for being open again but that they'll keep in touch.wished them the best of luck!!

Owen

A friend of mine is working there, and they're due (As staff) to begin cleaning next week.

evilivor

kingtut wrote: »

It is letting the majority of its staff go but will re-open in a number of months, some time in 2010.

Yep, according to the Irish Examiner "Most of the 130 staff… will have have to be laid off" and the marketing manager says it is too early to say with certainty when the hotel will reopen.

Papa_Lazarou

evilivor wrote: »

Yep, according to the Irish Examiner "Most of the 130 staff… will have have to be laid off" and the marketing manager says it is too early to say with certainty when the hotel will reopen.

Well according to breakingnews.ie they will have to let a lot of their temp staff go but will be attempting to keep most of the 130 full time staff.

Pixie1979

The majority of staff have been let go-including myself-does anyone know anything regarding redundancies? I have had a problem regarding this-I would appreciate any information from former staff.
Thank you

Owen

From the rumour mill - and mods, feel free to delete, it's being absorbed by NAMA, and probably won't be opening again. However, the rumour mill seems to have all the details on this one.

Dudess

My friend's job in the spa (part-time) was gone in November anyway.

Pixie1979

Really Nama..???-I didnt hear that before-thats such a pity if its true-it was a beautiful hotel. there seems to be a big cloak over the whole thing at the moment.
And im sorry to hear about your friend in the spa-

trotter_inc

I'm a member in the gym and haven't heard anything from them since before xmas. They told me back then that it would be open for the 2nd or 3rd week of January, no sign of it opening anytime soon and haven't heard anything since before xmas.

Getting a little tired waiting tbh, am going to Leisureworld 3 or 4 times a week and it's costing me about €30 per week!

Pixie1979

I think they dont know themselves what is happening and when they can open. such a pity i loved our gym there. I went to leisure world a few times and just found it so busy and dirty that i have taken to running and cycling on the streets instead. it looks like its going to be a long time before there is anything open in the hotel.

trotter_inc

Pixie1979 wrote: »

I think they dont know themselves what is happening and when they can open. such a pity i loved our gym there. I went to leisure world a few times and just found it so busy and dirty that i have taken to running and cycling on the streets instead. it looks like its going to be a long time before there is anything open in the hotel.

I know what you mean. I've been going there early in the mornings and it's quite enough then, I avoid the evenings there at all costs I only go there for my weight training, I've been doing my running out on the road, but I miss a nice quite swim and jacuzzi after it

I'm going to call the Kingsley this morning to see if they've any update, will post here once I talk to them.

MunsterCycling

Well when you build in a flood plain and don't bund the area around the building then you get this, stupid stupid planning allowing this hotel be built here, city is just laughing its way to the bank to count the fees they charged for permission to build this now white elephant.

Have they not made arrangements for members to use other gyms while they are out of action, that should have been their first course of action when they saw how long it would take for them to (if ever) reopen.

Totally agree with the above, similar looney idea to have anything in the basement of the County Hall. And the Kingsley car park :rolleyes:

Will the members be reimbursed if they had paid their membership in advance ? I presume the folks paying by direct debit are not being charged since it closed ?

trotter_inc

RoverJames wrote: »

Totally agree with the above, similar looney idea to have anything in the basement of the County Hall. And the Kingsley car park :rolleyes:

Will the members be reimbursed if they had paid their membership in advance ? I presume the folks paying by direct debit are not being charged since it closed ?

Direct debits have been cancelled for people who were paying in that way.

For those who have fully paid, their memberships are being extended for the period which the gym remains closed. However, I talked to other members who have fully paid their membership and 'apparently' the Kingsley have agreed to reimburse them with their money.

Pixie1979

trotter_inc wrote: »

I know what you mean. I've been going there early in the mornings and it's quite enough then, I avoid the evenings there at all costs I only go there for my weight training, I've been doing my running out on the road, but I miss a nice quite swim and jacuzzi after it

I'm going to call the Kingsley this morning to see if they've any update, will post here once I talk to them.

great-would be interested to know what there story is now.

trotter_inc

Pixie1979 wrote: »

great-would be interested to know what there story is now.

Just off phone, work still hasn't even started as there is problems with the insurance company, a decision still hasn't even come through so refurbishment work still hasn't even started

I was only talking to the receptionist, I asked if a membership refund was an option and she said that Alan and Brian (Health club managers) are in the process of calling members. I haven't heard from them since before Christmas!

In a nutshell, neither them nor us have any idea of when it will reopen

LoveSick

I'm a member of the Health Club and the Thermal Suite and honestly I think the whole set up is a disgrace. From then night of the flooding I feel us members have been treated terribly.

The only contact the hotel made with me was a voice mail about a week after the floods saying that they were closed temporarily, but that they would be open in 2-3 weeks. That week we had no water at home either so I was really caught out, but I was happy enough with the thought of the health club opening in such a short space of time. But time has slipped by and there has been no contact from their side since. I thought we would be given complimentary passes to another Leisure Centre, allowed to use their sister hotel in Middleton, or something to keep us going, but that was never even an option.
If we had been told how long the health club would be closed I would have joined somewhere short term, but I've just been waiting and waiting, thinking it could open any day, and now I'm totally out of all routine, still waiting, and still no answers.

I was a member of the Mardyke before I joined the Kinglsey, my sister is still a member there; they were given passes to go to Leisure World and even a shuttle bus was put on to transport them. The Mardyke was always upfront and honest about the state of their premises, the work being done and from the beginning they has Feb 15th as their opening day. They opened Mon 15th as promised.

I really feel that we have been treated so badly. Within the last week I've spoken to the receptionist who told me about the problems with the surveyonrs, that work hasn't even started etc... I reckon they are being covered for loss of earnings and will stay closed for a long time to come, so I've also emailed the health club and I have frozen my direct debit account, so even if/when they do re-open, they have to contact me to re-new my membership.
It's terribly sad that our beautiful health club was ruined, but its awful customer service from the hotel not to keep it's members informed. I don't know if I will re-new my membership if/when the time comes ~ the whole thing has left a bitter taste in my mouth, I really feel like they have left us down.

Dudess

I'd feel a bit more for those who lost their jobs in there, rather than the gym/spa members.

Owen

+1 Dudess. I've friends affected by this, and it's terrible. And if the NAMA rumours are true, then it's worse again. This will be the second building absorbed by NAMA that I know about, Cork'll end up like Detroit.

I even heard rumours during the week that they're trying to buy the few people who've bought apartments in the Elysian out of there so they can give that to NAMA too.

Papa_Lazarou

PaintDoctor wrote: »

+1 Dudess. I've friends affected by this, and it's terrible. And if the NAMA rumours are true, then it's worse again. This will be the second building absorbed by NAMA that I know about, Cork'll end up like Detroit.

I even heard rumours during the week that they're trying to buy the few people who've bought apartments in the Elysian out of there so they can give that to NAMA too.

Brand new state of the art private hospital/surgery moved in there,trust the elysian aint going to NAMA.

GiftGrub100

NAMA has nothing to do with this, regardless of any potential for the backers to put this project into NAMA a failure for the insurers to pay up is the main problem.

If any project goes to NAMA then it must run or sold at a later date at a profit. Leaving a state of the art hotel to go to ruin is madness and the insurance company would need a good reason to prevent payment.

Hopefully for all concerned the insurers and owners will sort things out ASAP, this massive complex needs to be open.

Hopefully the ESB will build a pipeline to the sea to ensure in the future they don't have to flood the LEE fields area to protect the dam.

Owen

Papa_Lazarou wrote: »

Brand new state of the art private hospital/surgery moved in there,trust the elysian aint going to NAMA.

I'm not talking about the ancilliary buildings, I'm talking about the tower.

PaintDoctor

PaintDoctor wrote: »

I even heard rumours during the week that they're trying to buy the few people who've bought apartments in the Elysian out of there so they can give that to NAMA too.

I thought they had already bought them back as they could not let folks move in as they couldn't run the building with so few sold. Also didn't the developer have an arrangement whereby he only paid the bank back once he had sold the apartments.

GiftGrub100

GiftGrub100 wrote: »

Hopefully the ESB will build a pipeline to the sea to ensure in the future they don't have to flood the LEE fields area to protect the dam.

I take it that's a tongue in cheek comment

trotter_inc

LoveSick wrote: »

I really feel that we have been treated so badly. Within the last week I've spoken to the receptionist who told me about the problems with the surveyonrs, that work hasn't even started etc... I reckon they are being covered for loss of earnings and will stay closed for a long time to come, so I've also emailed the health club and I have frozen my direct debit account, so even if/when they do re-open, they have to contact me to re-new my membership.
It's terribly sad that our beautiful health club was ruined, but its awful customer service from the hotel not to keep it's members informed. I don't know if I will re-new my membership if/when the time comes ~ the whole thing has left a bitter taste in my mouth, I really feel like they have left us down.

+1 LoveSick, I'm a member and am seriously thinking about moving to another gym permanently, I love the gym in the Kingsley and miss it but I can't keep wasting money in Leisure by paying 'as I go'. Its costs €8.65 for admission to the gym alone, I used to go to the Kinsgley 5 times a week but because of the cost in Leisure I'm cutting back, I can't afford to pay over €40 per week there. I paid my membership in full in the Kingsley and I think I'll just try get a refund out of them.

I know they're having major problems there but that's no excuse for the lack of communication with its members whose membership fees keep them open!

parsi

LoveSick wrote: »

I was a member of the Mardyke before I joined the Kinglsey, my sister is still a member there; they were given passes to go to Leisure World and even a shuttle bus was put on to transport them.

I don't know about the Shuttle Bus (where would it be shuttling from) but Mardyke members were offered the opportunity to use other centres at no extra cost _or_ suspend their Direct Debits until re-opening. They re-openedo on target and are also giving a month free to members.

Papa_Lazarou

parsi wrote: »

I don't know about the Shuttle Bus (where would it be shuttling from) but Mardyke members were offered the opportunity to use other centres at no extra cost _or_ suspend their Direct Debits until re-opening. They re-openedo on target and are also giving a month free to members.

All UCC students/staff/gym members could avail of a shuttle bus and free vouchers for leusiure world. Also quite a few gyms in the city did cheap 3 monthd packages for students fom UCC after the floods.

parsi

Of course.

I'd forgotten that us public members subsidise the students ......

/gathers hat & coat and walks away cautiously..

trotter_inc

parsi wrote: »

I'd forgotten that us public members subsidise the students ......

Ouch!

opus

Papa_Lazarou wrote: »

All UCC students/staff/gym members could avail of a shuttle bus and free vouchers for leusiure world. Also quite a few gyms in the city did cheap 3 monthd packages for students fom UCC after the floods.

Didn't hear about the shuttle bus but they arranged membership of the Locker Room for me (very plush place!) & also stopped taking the membership fee for the last two months (UCC staff can pay by a monthly wage deduction).

Kudos to the Mardyke they handled the situation very well I think.

parsi

opus wrote: »

Kudos to the Mardyke they handled the situation very well I think.

+ 1 They did. There was plenty of information issued by them.

corkcomp

RoverJames wrote: »

I take it that's a tongue in cheek comment

I should hope so either that or the poster has no idea of the logistics that would be involved in that . i.e. impossible

corkcomp

corkcomp wrote: »

I should hope so either that or the poster has no idea of the logistics that would be involved in that . i.e. impossible

I fear they were serious :eek:

GiftGrub100

RoverJames wrote: »

I take it that's a tongue in cheek comment

No, how much would it cost to build an overflow pipe to pump excess water to the sea from the Dam thus reducing the potential to flood the City of Cork and reducing the level of chaos we have seen in the last six months ? I would think an awful lot less than the cost of the flood.

If it is that impossible, where do you think the gas from the Kinsale gas field comes from ?, where do you think Los Angeles gets its water from, how do we get gas into Ireland from other countries, Pipelines I think, If the Russians can build the trans Siberian pipeline to move oil over 4,800 kilometers, I don't think it is beyond the realms of possibility to build an overflow system where if the water reaches a certain level they start pumping water away from the Dam area in a separate pipe to a totally different location ie The Sea., not through the city and out the harbour but build it south from the dam area directly to the sea.


Not impossible, just expensive. Better than seeing Cork City under water

I knew he was serious :eek:

Papa_Lazarou

GiftGrub100 wrote: »

No, how much would it cost to build an overflow pipe to pump excess water to the sea from the Dam thus reducing the potential to flood the City of Cork and reducing the level of chaos we have seen in the last six months ? I would think an awful lot less than the cost of the flood.

You really haven't thought this idea through have you......



And there was definitely a shuttle bus for students and staff at least anyway.

Papa has quoted the full post that was there, the edit was adding a big paragraph under the guise of spelling :rolleyes:
(13 mins after the initial post, lol)

The pipe would have to be about half the size of the Lee in its mature stage by the Straight Road, it would cost billions and once fully scoped would be so looney that it would never happen. 'Twould be like a huge chocolate teapot the size of Pairc Ui Chaoimh

GiftGrub100

Maybe not, but if someone suggested building a barrier to stop the sea coming in it would be laughed at, but the Thames Flood Barrier does that in London. I wonder how the Dutch manage with these issues as most of the country is under sea level.

I suppose it would be cheaper to move people out of Cork and transfer the entire area that no longer can get flood cover to higher ground and leave the rest to go to ruin !!!

Just imagine 28 Days Later (starring Cillian Murphy) filmed in the derelict areas of Cork, from the Lee Fields through the Mardyke and down the Western Road, as the population have been relocated.

GiftGrub100

RoverJames wrote: »

Papa has quoted the full post that was there, the edit was adding a big paragraph under the guise of spelling :rolleyes:
(13 mins after the initial post, lol)

D'OH, thought i was previewing but submitted instead, my bad, no intention to deceive or change the tone of post, just wasn't finished with my 2 cents on the issue.
I did add a further piece but with the quote as you can see the original bit was left unchanged.

I must say you seem a splendid sort I reckon you're not a civil engineer though

Papa_Lazarou

GiftGrub100 wrote: »

Maybe not, but if someone suggested building a barrier to stop the sea coming in it would be laughed at, but the Thames Flood Barrier does that in London. I wonder how the Dutch manage with these issues as most of the country is under sea level.

I suppose it would be cheaper to move people out of Cork and transfer the entire area that no longer can get flood cover to higher ground and leave the rest to go to ruin !!!

Just imagine 28 Days Later (starring Cillian Murphy) filmed in the derelict areas of Cork, from the Lee Fields through the Mardyke and down the Western Road, as the population have been relocated.

All the things you quoted in the edited post about moving gas/oil etc etc are irrelvant when it comes to buiding a big pipe from the Inniscarra dam. All those buisnesses are making billions if not trillions every year so they could afford to build such huge complex pipe systems. Russia needs those gas pipes to get to Europe etc , because if they didnt i would probably make more from Dunnes in a week than they would if their gas sales vanished.

The quoted figure to build flood defences along the river was put out at 100m euro which was immediately requested from the Government but was shot down(yet they went ahead and spent millions on green lanes in the Pale) A pipe to take such a large amount of water would cause so much hassle as you would have to bring it right through the city pretty much. The flood defence system is a lot cheaper and efficient but our joke of a Government just won't cough it up.

So 100M(even if it rose to 200m) v probably close to a billion for the pipe.

GiftGrub100

As you have already spotted, no civil engineering background, but was really just thinking out loud.

I accept all the logical discussions and while it would be very expensive and impossible for little old Ireland to pay for, it could be done if it had to be, but probably a lot cheaper to get the people who run the dam to reduce water levels for the winter and to release water whenever possible (when it won't cause the problems experienced.) and then when a perfect storm occurs like last year, there will be plenty of spare capacity available to take the extra volumes.

Thanks for the banter, a most enjoyable discussion.

GiftGrub100

GiftGrub100 wrote: »

As you have already spotted, no civil engineering background, .....................

Thanks for the banter, a most enjoyable discussion.

Likewise on both accounts

LoveSick

Dudess wrote: »

I'd feel a bit more for those who lost their jobs in there, rather than the gym/spa members.

Naturally the people who lost their jobs are the ones who are suffering most and have felt the greatest loss ~ my point is the way we were treated. All I wanted, and all we deserve is communication; basic customer service.

LoveSick

trotter_inc wrote: »

+1 LoveSick, I'm a member and am seriously thinking about moving to another gym permanently, I love the gym in the Kingsley and miss it but I can't keep wasting money in Leisure by paying 'as I go'. Its costs €8.65 for admission to the gym alone, I used to go to the Kinsgley 5 times a week but because of the cost in Leisure I'm cutting back, I can't afford to pay over €40 per week there. I paid my membership in full in the Kingsley and I think I'll just try get a refund out of them.

I know they're having major problems there but that's no excuse for the lack of communication with its members whose membership fees keep them open!

Yes, exactly my point; all I want, and what feel that we all deserve is communication; basic customer service.
Honestly, as much as I feel sorry for them, I think you'd be better off getting a refund. I was emailing Brian, and as I said they have frozen my direct debit now, he said they'll contact me when they reopen and I can start up my membership then if I want.
But I don't know if they are ever going to open. It's a hopeless situation really; I miss it so much. It truly was the best in Cork and its a shame to see it closed now. Over the years I have been a member in 4 other health clubs, I live in town and I passed 6 health clubs/hotels to go the Kingsley, I think the Shearton Hotel in Fota is probably the next best thing, just debating whether its a bit too far to travel... Good luck with your refund!

partyguinness

MunsterCycling wrote: »

Well when you build in a flood plain and don't bund the area around the building then you get this, stupid stupid planning allowing this hotel be built here, city is just laughing its way to the bank to count the fees they charged for permission to build this now white elephant.

Have they not made arrangements for members to use other gyms while they are out of action, that should have been their first course of action when they saw how long it would take for them to (if ever) reopen.

I have spoken to people in the know and they said the extension to the Kingsley was refused by the Planners but of course the gombeen councillors pushed it through anyway...

And the planning department got flooded across the way in the County Hall at the same time.....oh the irony...:)

grenache

partyguinness wrote: »

I have spoken to people in the know and they said the extension to the Kingsley was refused by the Planners but of course the gombeen councillors pushed it through anyway...

And the planning department got flooded across the way in the County Hall at the same time.....oh the irony...:)

I can only presume that the planning officials who granted planning permission for said buildings in the Lee Fields flood plain are still in their jobs, when in reality each and every one of them should be sacked. But alas with the Government we have now, you really couldn't expect them to make the right decisons.