Update from the Coordinator: June 17, 2009
As of this date our pre-feast registration indicates
that we will have slightly over 1,000 people on
Jekyll Island for the Feast of Tabernacles 2009.
Since this number is down a bit from last year,
attendees this fall will have more housing choices.
Please note that we now have an activity schedule
posted and you may begin contacting various
department heads if you would like to volunteer to
help. Just click on the “Want to Volunteer?” hotlink
to the left of this message to view the areas in
which help is needed.
David Treybig
Festival Coordinator, Jekyll Island
david_treybig@ucg.org
Update
from the Coordinator: February 6, 2009
On Monday
and Tuesday of this week I was on Jekyll Island
negotiating housing for the Feast of Tabernacles this
fall. I was pleased to find that the properties
generally held to last year’s prices and that one of
them—Villas by the Sea—is offering us up to 100 more
units this year. This extra housing will alleviate some
of the challenges we experienced last year when we used
all of our reserved housing and will allow us to once
again accept about 1500 for the Feast. If someone isn’t
pleased with his or her room, it’s always nice to have
other options.
Based upon
the input provided in last year’s housing survey, I
didn't renew the contract with one facility for this
fall. In its place I signed up the Jekyll Island Club
Hotel, a property that we have had on our housing list
in previous years but not used recently. Although this
hotel’s rates are higher than most of the other
properties, they will be substantially discounted from
the regular prices and I’m pleased that we can offer
this top-rated facility to attendees who may wish to
stay in this historic property that used to cater to
America’s millionaires.
Attendees may begin making housing reservations this
year on June 7, 2009 at 10:00 am Eastern Time. Please
note that the realty companies on both Jekyll Island and
St. Simons Island are not open on Sunday so reservations
through them may be made beginning on June 8.
And while
addressing housing at Jekyll Island, I’d also like to
encourage everyone who wants to stay at Villas by the
Sea to make his or her reservations with the property
rather than through one of the realty companies. When
one works directly with Villas by the Sea, one has more
flexibility regarding deposits (one night’s cost),
trading units should one not be acceptable, and even
cancellation, if necessary. Realty companies often ask
for half of the total payment in advance, generally do
not have alternative housing if one isn’t pleased with
his or her unit, and do not have as generous
cancellation policies.
A new
hotel, the Hampton Inn, is currently under construction
on the site of the old Holiday Inn on Jekyll Island.
Unfortunately, it is not scheduled to open until a
couple of weeks after the Feast of Tabernacles is over
this fall. Additional hotels are also scheduled to be
built over the next couple of years.
I will
post additional information on this site as activities
are determined and scheduled.
David
Treybig
Festival
Coordinator, Jekyll Island
david_treybig@ucg.org
