Gaston's is requesting feedback

[Diana]

Just received a call from Logan at the Gaston’s Resort asking for feedback. He said they wanted to know if there were any problems that they needed to address and he wanted to know how they could improve the quality of our stay next year. I thought his request for feedback was really a nice touch.

I don’t want to turn this into a gripe session, but if there is anything realistically feasible that they can improve on, please let me know. Don’t hesitate to PM me with your response.

One thing that I mentioned was the hint of a smell of stale smoke in our cottage when we arrived. They immediately brought the ionizer down at the time and it fixed the problem. Logan said that from now on, all the cottages will be non-smoking…they just need to get all the signs up to make it official. They have already moved the ashtrays out.

When I mentioned that some people would like to have the option to be able to camp with their airplanes, he said their insurance won’t allow it. He said their insurance has a lot of rules they don’t agree with, like not allowing people from the State Park nearby to use their swimming pool, but that’s the way they have to play the insurance game.

 

[jason]

Just received a call from Logan at the Gaston’s Resort asking for feedback. He said they wanted to know if there were any problems that they needed to address and he wanted to know how they could improve the quality of our stay next year. I thought his request for feedback was really a nice touch.

I don’t want to turn this into a gripe session, but if there is anything realistically feasible that they can improve on, please let me know. Don’t hesitate to PM me with your response.

One thing that I mentioned was the hint of a smell of stale smoke in our cottage when we arrived. They immediately brought the ionizer down at the time and it fixed the problem. Logan said that from now on, all the cottages will be non-smoking…they just need to get all the signs up to make it official. They have already moved the ashtrays out.

When I mentioned that some people would like to have the option to be able to camp with their airplanes, he said their insurance won’t allow it. He said their insurance has a lot of rules they don’t agree with, like not allowing people from the State Park nearby to use their swimming pool, but that’s the way they have to play the insurance game.

It would be nice to have a coin-op washer/dryer on site. Clothes can get so...well, you know...and they don't ever dry out. I'd rather do a load on site than to pack them away and fly home with them in my bag.

Even if it isn't on the runway, could they make a dedicated camping area? Even if they charged a few bucks per night.

 

[tonycondon]

yea washer/dryer would be sweet, great idea Jason.

really, i was very happy with everything.

 

[jesse]

washer/dryer would be huge. It would also be nice if they would adequately staff the restaurant during our Saturday dinner. The slow service drives me absolutely nuts.

 

[bjohnson]

Nothing comes to mind in the way of complaints. They were very accommodating with every request. I do however limit my visits to the restaurant.

 

[bjohnson]

Even if it isn't on the runway, could they make a dedicated camping area? Even if they charged a few bucks per night.

Good point. I can understand why insurance has a problem camping on the flight line but what about camping next to the cabins? I would be happy sharing my cabin bathroom/shower with campers.

 

[AdamZ]

Diana: It has been 2 years since I was there so some of the things I mention may have already changed. If so just ignore them.

1) Resvervations. When I called about reservations I was told they are non-refundable. It is totally understandable that they can't loose the income but given how much folks from afar are at the whim of the Wx. It would help if the pilot calls to cancel if they could put the room 'back on the market' to try and re-let it. If they can't then the pilot has to pay but it always seems they are full up so perhaps that might work. Of course we can try to unload the room here on the board too.

2) Do they still charge for things like the movie screen?

3) I suspect based on the posts that they do have much better internet access than they did in 06"

4) It would also be helpful if they could move the resort about 400-500 miles East North East.

 

[SCCutler]

I agree with the idea of a couple of coin-op washers and dryers as well (I had actually thought that they had them there anyway; in the alternative, if they have an arrangement for a reasonably-priced wash & fold service with a local laundry, that works too (maybe even better).

You really cannot ask for better care, though- they were more accommodating this year than ever. As for the restaurant, well yeah, it ain't Galatoire's or anything like that, but it is good, even quality food and served in a friendly way, and if the prices are a little high, just compare them to restaurants at larger resorts, and it all feels better again.

Power outlets at the flight line, live all the time and not just at night.

A WiFi hotspot at the flightline (they could just put an antenna at the front of the canopy in front of the main office).

A portable gas grill? Nah, the charcoal's better anyway- food just tastes better.

Maybe a few bicycles for rent?

I'm grasping at straws, here- they do a fine job, IMHO.

---

Edit: Adam, they do charge for the screen, which is why last year, we projected onto a bedsheet, and this year, I brought a screen. It was entirely too small, though, so maybe we negotiate the free use of a movie screen they already own?
Internet is better now- there is a DSL modem in each room. Not lightning fast, but pretty good and free.

 

[mikea]

washer/dryer would be huge. It would also be nice if they would adequately staff the restaurant during our Saturday dinner. The slow service drives me absolutely nuts.

Our service wasn't so slow on either Saturday or Sunday brunch (same waitress). Musta been something you said.

I was wondering if last year, when we did endure hours and hours of wait, there was another big group there, and they served them first. Gaston's must have added to the staff this year.

 

[SCCutler]

Oh, and on the topic of restaurant feedback, waitress Holly should get a raise- she was great!

 

[Diana]

Our service wasn't so slow on either Saturday or Sunday brunch (same waitress).

We had no complaints about the service...didn't seem slow to us.

Our internet connection was fine too. Adam, it was better than in 2006.

A washer and dryer would be great! I had to change clothes two or three times a day.

I'd thought about the bicycles too. It would be nice to be able to get back and forth to the room quicker or to just go riding around.

 

[AdamZ]

Pack a razor scooter. light small and fun

 

[SCCutler]

Pack a razor scooter. light small and fun

Written by someone who clearly has never taken a scooter-enabled tumble!

If they were not so fool much money, this thing'd be perfect for a Segway.

 

[jesse]

Our service wasn't so slow on either Saturday or Sunday brunch (same waitress). Musta been something you said.

The brunch is generally OK. It is the Saturday night dinner that is always unbearable. Keep in mind that I'm somewhat of an impatient person.

 

[mikea]

We had no complaints about the service...didn't seem slow to us.
...

The brunch is generally OK. It is the Saturday night dinner that is always unbearable. Keep in mind that I'm somewhat of an impatient person.

I was gonna add that.

The service at Sunday brunch is nothing to be concerned about because you can do like I did and head for the plates and dig in right away. (I had to get Pancho out of her borrowed room by Noon.)

Again the speed of our service Saturday night was fine.

 

[tonycondon]

they certainly werent rushing on saturday night, but that was OK. I wasnt in a hurry to get out of there. the AC was sweet and the conversation was wonderful. I was just thankful that the waitress wasnt coming around every 10 minutes and interrupting us asking if everything is OK. that drives me nuts.

 

[Bob Bement]

Written by someone who clearly has never taken a scooter-enabled tumble!

If they were not so fool much money, this thing'd be perfect for a Segway.

A-men. I am still recovering from a bicycle wreck!

 

[Dave Siciliano]

washer/dryer would be huge. It would also be nice if they would adequately staff the restaurant during our Saturday dinner. The slow service drives me absolutely nuts.

I thought that's why they had hors d'oeuvres and Bourbon and Seven

Best,

Dave

 

[Dave Siciliano]

As for the restaurant, well yeah, it ain't Galatoire's or anything like that, but it is good, even quality food and served in a friendly way, and if the prices are a little high, just compare them to restaurants at larger resorts, and it all feels better again.

I found their desserts to be sorely lacking: Chip and I both vote for Spumoni with Balsamic Vinegar. Really missed that dessert option

Best,

Dave

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Keep in mind that I'm somewhat of an in-patient person.

And they let you out for the weekend

Best,

Dave

 

[Dave Siciliano]

I had a wonderful time and thought they did a great job!

My recommendation is they form a volunteer fire brigade! Really could have used one this year.

Could also use winds outta the NE next year. Tell them to wire the J-3 and make that request early. Temps under 90 would be nice also.

Best,

Dave

 

[Steve]

Just a few observations.

1. The west 2/3rd's of the centerline of the runway, including the low spots toward the west end, needs to be filled in, packed with a roller, and over-seeded. The south (river) side of the runway is smooth because its not used that much. That's okay if you don't mind lining up on the tree at the departure end. Even if you had to NOTAM the runway closed for a week or two to rehabilitate the rough areas it would be worth it, FLP and BPK are close enough for pilots to get their fly fishing fix, if necessary.

2. There should be at least two large capacity fire extinquishers on the flightline on either side of the runway when there's a peak in aircraft population such as a fly-in. Mary and I discussed this on the way home and we would be willing to chip in to donate towards one to be kept at the local VFD with the understanding it would at least be staged on the flightline during our event. A second one could be kept at Gaston's year round with the same stipulation. They would need to be "aircraft-friendly".

3. The resort staff was very accomodating from my perspective. Not sure how much more helpful they could have been. Any requests were handled expeditiously as far as I know.

4. My open face roast beef sandwich in the restaurant was dry.

5. There is a coin laundry in Bull Shoals next to the pizza pit. Mary would have used it if she really wanted to have flown to Gaston's to do laundry.

6. With all the reported ticks and chiggers who in their right (or left) mind would want to camp, especially with the free ranging peacocks?!?!!

7. I had adequate cell phone coverage on the flightline and in the cabin.

8. The internet speed was acceptable for download, but the upload speed was very slow at the end of the line in #74.

9. The oven in cabin #74 cooks unevenly (that's from Kathleen)

10.The new runway markers are a vast improvement over the previous ones.

11. Continuous electrical power at the flightline outlets would be nice. I realize that would require some major requiring to accomodate a separate circuit from the lighting. I guess we could just ask for the lights to remain on during the day.

12. I think a reserved room clearing house for the fly-in could be handled best by PoA internally. We're not Gaston's only customers that weekend, unless we're willing to book the entire facility as a group I really don't see any other fair way to do it.

 

[Jason Oliver]

Tell them to give that guy Jason behind the front desk counter a raise... Please? JK

 

[kevin47881]

Tell them to give that guy Jason behind the front desk counter a raise... Please? JK

Now that's funny right there!

 

[tonycondon]

9. The oven in cabin #74 cooks unevenly (that's from Kathleen)

excuses excuses...

 

[Diana]

I wonder if we can order that pretty blue sky again next year? Did y'all notice how blue they made it for us this year? Great for photos!

 

[Dave Siciliano]

And those exquisite clear starry nights with the crescent moon!

For those of you from up North, perhaps we should provide a short book of terms for next year:
Onced and Twiced are words down here.
JAW-P refers to whether you used the restroom
Fixinto is one word
Jeet is a phase that refers to weather you ate.
You don't push buttons down here, ya mash 'em.
No Jew is a common response to the question, did you bring any beer?

I'm sure Sparky can add some more so y'all don't feel outta place here <g>

Best,

Dave

 

[4763E]

It would be nice to have a coin-op washer/dryer on site. Clothes can get so...well, you know...and they don't ever dry out. I'd rather do a load on site than to pack them away and fly home with them in my bag.

Even if it isn't on the runway, could they make a dedicated camping area? Even if they charged a few bucks per night.

Oh, boy.....can I relate to that suggestion! I almost took a van and my clothes to the local coin laundry.....

And, if they would install big arctic air blowers out on the flight line......(just kidding)......

It was my first trip to Gaston's....Phil has been there several times. I thought they did an outstanding job of putting up with us.

 

[HPNPilot1200]

And those exquisite clear starry nights with the crescent moon!

For those of you from up North, perhaps we should provide a short book of terms for next year:
Onced and Twiced are words down here.
JAW-P refers to whether you used the restroom
Fixinto is one word
Jeet is a phase that refers to weather you ate.
You don't push buttons down here, ya mash 'em.
No Jew is a common response to the question, did you bring any beer?

I'm sure Sparky can add some more so y'all don't feel outta place here <g>

Best,

Dave

Ah, so that's what those terms mean. Thanks for clearing that up, Dave.

 

[kevin47881]

And those exquisite clear starry nights with the crescent moon!

For those of you from up North, perhaps we should provide a short book of terms for next year:
Onced and Twiced are words down here.
JAW-P refers to whether you used the restroom
Fixinto is one word
Jeet is a phase that refers to whether you ate.
You don't push buttons down here, ya mash 'em.
No Jew is a common response to the question, did you bring any beer?

I'm sure Sparky can add some more so y'all don't feel outta place here <g>

Best,

Dave

And it's a coke, regardless of whether it's a Dr. Pepper, Cocola (proper pronunciation), 7-Up or anything else that some may call "pop" or "soda".

Don't forget that y'all is singular and all y'all is plural.

 

[gprellwitz]

- more King or at least Queen beds, esp. in the Ultra Deluxe
- small shampoos in the bathrooms
- Have a radio tuned to CTAF broadcasting at the flight line
- pay Kathleen as a driver
- Comp Diana's cabin

I think most of the other things I can think of have been covered.

- The staff is really friendly and helpful
- they're busy in the restaurant so you may need to wait a while for your check
- electricity at the flight line during the day
- some bikes with baskets (probably cheaper to have than the vans anyway)
- laundry facilities
- cooler weather and better winds
- fire extinguishers
- smoother runway (it's certainly good now, but could be even better)
- more pilot-friendly cancellation policy
- raise for Jason

 

[mikea]

.

And it's a coke, regardless of whether it's a Dr. Pepper, Cocola (proper pronunciation), 7-Up or anything else that some may call "pop" or "soda".

Don't forget that y'all is singular and all y'all is plural.

C'Mon! I KNOW it's Sevmup and Cocola.

Chess pie?

 

[kevin47881]

One thing that confused Debbie is with the wine pricing. Each bottle cost $10.50 but if you buy a box of 2, the cost is $26.50. $5.50 seems a little steep for a cardboard box. Maybe they need to consider bringing the box set in line with the a la cart bottle price. Minor nit pick.

Other than that, both of us were exceptionally pleased with the service received, especially from Jason.

 

[HPNPilot1200]

And it's a coke, regardless of whether it's a Dr. Pepper, Cocola (proper pronunciation), 7-Up or anything else that some may call "pop" or "soda".

Don't forget that y'all is singular and all y'all is plural.

Jason (FlyNE) taught me that on our poker run with Kent.

"Hey Jason, can you pass me my pop?"

"Pass you your what?"

"My pop."

"What do you want?"

"My soda."

"Oh, ok. Sure thing. There ya go."

Partially due my ignorance and the scratchy intercom. Needless to say, I have heard the word before. <g>

 

[Jason Oliver]

Jason (FlyNE) taught me that on our poker run with Kent.

"Hey Jason, can you pass me my pop?"

"Pass you your what?"

"My pop."

"What do you want?"

"My soda."

"Oh, ok. Sure thing. There ya go."

Partially due my ignorance and the scratchy intercom. Needless to say, I have heard the word before. <g>

My family makes fun of me cause I say, "soda." They say, "where are you from cause around here its a pop!" But my grandmother is from Europe, and she was my babysitter when I was young. That's the only thing I can think of...

 

[lahso]

Being our first time to Gaston's, the wife and I were pleased with the service and amenities. Minor complaint from my wife was only one coffee package per day. I asked for more and they promptly sent them down.

I do wish Wi-Fi were available, but my DSL in the room worked fine for my needs.

 

[gprellwitz]

Being our first time to Gaston's, the wife and I were pleased with the service and amenities. Minor complaint from my wife was only one coffee package per day. I asked for more and they promptly sent them down.

I do wish Wi-Fi were available, but my DSL in the room worked fine for my needs.

You had coffee? We had a coffee maker and filters, but no coffee. We bought some on a store run. (It's great that they let you take the vans, BTW).

And yes, Wi-Fi would be nice.

 

[Areeda]

I really can't think of anything that needed upgrading from last year. Sorry I missed this one, we're planning on next year.

Some sort of laundry would be nice but we didn't need it.
Internet worked OK, heck I'll even settle for dialup if need be.

I think it's a great idea to praise the people who took good care of you this year.

Joe

 

[Steve]

Some of us brought wireless routers with us.

I learned they don't work too good if you forget the AC power supply.

Being our first time to Gaston's, the wife and I were pleased with the service and amenities. Minor complaint from my wife was only one coffee package per day. I asked for more and they promptly sent them down.

I do wish Wi-Fi were available, but my DSL in the room worked fine for my needs.

 

[ApacheBob]

We had to cancel due to weather. The clerk said that "Ron" might let us change our reservation to another day later in the summer. When I spoke to "Ron," he said that that was not their policy.
We will not be coming down next year, or ever.
ApacheBob