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Hello
Feb 1, 2005 20:07:20 GMT -5
Post by JIMD on Feb 1, 2005 20:07:20 GMT -5
If the Singapore is getting any work done my money is on it's absolutely necessary. I've spoken to the owner many times (they also own the Palm Beach and The Grand) and he's a savvy businessman from Florida who doesn't like to part ways with his money. He just sold the Palm Beach and I'm sure it's just a matter of time until The Grand and Singapore are sold and he exits the town with alot more $$ than he came with. If you want to read about the Singapore and it's currrent condition search on Yahoo for " Singapore Motel Wildwood reviews ". Here's the link if you can't find it. You can get reviews on all the hotels from the Tripadvisor site, most are not in good shape at all. Faced with the option of refurbishing or sellling and making a quick buck alot are leaving www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46932-d92679-r2497398-Singapore_Motel-Wildwood_Crest_New_Jersey.html
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Feb 1, 2005 20:15:54 GMT -5
Post by Al Alven on Feb 1, 2005 20:15:54 GMT -5
I agree, Frank. Groff's is, by far, my favorite restaurant in the Wildwoods, and I just hope that the transition to the eventual new ownership is a smooth and successful one. It is such a great place, such a constant; I would just hate to see it changed in any way, shape or form, whatsoever. I work at Temple University on "beautiful" Broad Street here in North Philly, by the way.
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Feb 1, 2005 20:18:48 GMT -5
Post by Al Alven on Feb 1, 2005 20:18:48 GMT -5
Wow, JIMD, those are certainly some BRUTAL reviews! That's a real shame. Architecture-wise, the Singapore is a real beauty. I hate to hear that it is not receiving the proper respect it deserves, and that it is operating under such poor conditions. And, yeah, refurbishments or not, I wouldn't be shocked to see the motel sold in the near future. The Palm Beach will be gone soon, and it may (sadly) be just a matter of time for the Singapore.
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Feb 2, 2005 23:24:45 GMT -5
Post by AnthonyV on Feb 2, 2005 23:24:45 GMT -5
I wouldn't care all that much if the GRAND hotel is razed and something better built there mostly because the truth is that you can't even get on the beach at the end of Rochester down in Diamond Beach near PIER 6600 - which is satisfying to me since many of the people who reside in the development condos and town homes are notoriously brutal to vactioning renters and for the most part treat them like they simply are intruders.
My aunt was a longtime realtor at Daniels Realty and she absolutley hated having to deal with summer rentals in that area because the people who own homes there usually behave like miserable "condo-nazi's" intent on making worthy vacationing families unwelcome to the point where fist fights have broken out and Lower Township police were called in for the slightest noise after 10:00 pm!
The GRAND, though, has turned into a place that no human being should subject themselves or their family to - and recent lawsuits against the owners of the hotel back that opinion up totally.
Odd thing is that while the owner has let the GRAND crumble and reach the level that makes a crack house look like a Hilton, somebody on the GRAND's staff drives around in a blue Rolls Royce, which is usually parked in the GRAND'S parking lot during the summer. You can't miss it because it's usually the only car ever in the parking lot!
The once beautiful and unique SINGAPORE has certainly become another roach motel over recent years (under the same owners who ruined the GRAND I hear) but the style and ther architecture is well worth saving while the owners who've allowed the structure to decay by the year would be more welcome to town leave once and for all by most vacationers and home owners in the area - not to mention the Wildwoods Chamber of Commerce and Hotel & Motel Association.
The reviews on tripadvisor.com are most accurate and honest about THE GRAND and SINGAPORE. And yes, these two places are so horriblly infamous now that they both have been part of feature stories on various TV news shows as well as being reported in various news papers.
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JIMD
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Posts: 221
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Feb 3, 2005 1:35:34 GMT -5
Post by JIMD on Feb 3, 2005 1:35:34 GMT -5
I'm sure the RR is the owners car. He's quite a character and dresses like someone out of Miami Vice. His daughter Mimi runs the Singapore and as you can tell by the tripadvisor reviews is quite a piece of work.
Timing is everything and this clown had timing on his side, he bought all theses propertys in the late 90's, let them go to hell and will probably make a 1,000 % profit when he leaves town, not to mention all the people who had their vacations totally ruined by staying at one of his properties. He owns the Singapore, Grand and the Palm Beach which may be sold.
This guy has ALOT of $$$$ and i wouldn't be surprised if he building condos on the island
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Hello
Feb 3, 2005 12:39:06 GMT -5
Post by Al Alven on Feb 3, 2005 12:39:06 GMT -5
The neglect that this owner has for his properties is an outright embarrassment, and a clear statement of disrespect to the communities of the Wildwoods, the other business/motel owners, the residents and – most importantly – the poor families whose vacations have been negatively affected in any way.
There are many, many terrific hospitality options in the Wildwoods. Imagine freely choosing to stay at the Singapore, the Grand or even the Palm Beach (of which I have heard many similar complaints over the past few years) and being subjected to even a portion of the horrors explained in those reviews!
Disgusting.
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Hello
Feb 7, 2005 22:13:24 GMT -5
Post by MMM on Feb 7, 2005 22:13:24 GMT -5
The once beautiful and unique SINGAPORE has certainly become another roach motel over recent years (under the same owners who ruined the GRAND I hear) but the style and ther architecture is well worth saving while the owners who've allowed the structure to decay by the year would be more welcome to town leave once and for all by most vacationers and home owners in the area - not to mention the Wildwoods Chamber of Commerce and Hotel & Motel Association. It's very sad to read those reviews. The Singapore is such a wonderful looking, special place, and I agree quite unique. I would hope that the repairs going on in the off-season are well done and put the place back in good condition, and that it is ever sold that it goes to someone who appreciates the place and takes good care of it (and doesn't destroy it!). Let's hope that if the Singapore makes a turn for the better, the different news programs could do a follow-up showing that things are going well there, even if someone has to encourage them to do a story.
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Feb 8, 2005 8:03:29 GMT -5
Post by FlyinGN on Feb 8, 2005 8:03:29 GMT -5
The singapore is(was) a beautiful hotel that cannot to ruined like its being done now.. I wonder if someone can convince him to restore this hotel. If hes $$ smart he should know this.. A hotel that is sought after and in perfect shape can get much more $$ per night then a run down one. Take the Star Lux. Its a motel who can ask and get quite a bit more per night then a regular hotel.. Because its in perfect shape and highly sought after by vacationeers..
Frank
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JIMD
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Feb 8, 2005 11:46:22 GMT -5
Post by JIMD on Feb 8, 2005 11:46:22 GMT -5
I'm in the construction business and I believe the Singapore is beyond repair unless the new owner wanted to pay 7+ million for the place and drop in a minimum of 2 million to rebuild it. That's judging by what I see from the outside, from once you open it up it will most likley be much worse. It would take a unique person to pay 10 million for a 100 room hotel that operates at capacity 2 1/2 months a year.
The current owner bought the place in 1998 for under 1 million. He actually tried to do some repairs back around 2000, I know he added an elevator and refurbished some rooms but I think the more work he did the more he found out needed to be done.
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Feb 8, 2005 16:08:37 GMT -5
Post by FlyinGN on Feb 8, 2005 16:08:37 GMT -5
I hear ya Jim. I'm an Engineer and run all the construction for a major University.. I know a few million don't buy much in renovation.. 10 mil is really not that much either. I've replaced roofs on 80k sq ft buildings and spent close to a mill. Sad..
Thats why maintenance is sooo important on an aging building.
Frank
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Feb 8, 2005 18:03:14 GMT -5
Post by MMM on Feb 8, 2005 18:03:14 GMT -5
I guess that's where getting places like the Singapore declared historic property by the Federal & State Governments is important for grants, tax incentives, etc., to encourage and make it easier to bring a building like it back to what it should be with the extra $$$ these provide. Of course we need the Local Government to not allow demolition.
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JIMD
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Feb 9, 2005 8:49:16 GMT -5
Post by JIMD on Feb 9, 2005 8:49:16 GMT -5
The salt in the air literally rips these places apart, add to that all the sand that gets tracked through the rooms everyday and you can see it's a nightmare to keep these places up.
The Singapore was built using alot of wood, not a smart move for a hotel by the ocean. You'll notice the places that are kept up the best are usually almost all concrete.
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Feb 27, 2005 0:14:44 GMT -5
Post by SixxVanRose on Feb 27, 2005 0:14:44 GMT -5
Last summer I just had to walk through the The Grand, my god what a dump. It just fell apart. Let's not even talk about the smell in the building. A crack house has better conditions. I mean Pier 6600 is old, but at least they try to keep it clean. They haven't replaced bulbs in their sign in like 5 years, but thats a whole different story...lol
--Pat
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Feb 27, 2005 1:21:50 GMT -5
Post by AnthonyV on Feb 27, 2005 1:21:50 GMT -5
I remember when THE GRAND truly was...well...grand! It was considered among the "best of the best" down in the Diamond Beach area years ago. Today, a crack house would actually be almost an improvement for the place!
Vacationing for a week at New York's infamous Love Canal would be less of a health risk than just simply walking by The Grand or Singapore these days!
I remember when the parking lot across the street from The Grand had this big neon sign, which fell down at some point around the 1995 or '96 season. That thing remained there for years before it was removed, but the broken and shattered glass and rusting metal fragments from the once inviting sign remained strewn about the parking lot for years!
I hate to see any motel be demolished but this place has been allowed to remain in such a horrible state that perhaps demolition might be the only honorable thing to do - but only with the horrible owners locked inside one of their rooms! That migth seem harsh but if anyone has ever dealt with the owner or his family in the past, such cruelty might be considered fair justification.
What I always found funny as of late was how the owners of The Grand Hotel down in nearby Cape May have made it a point in reminding possible vactioners that their facility WAS NOT affiliated with The Grand in Wildwood Crest in any way!
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