1674-3 Charles S. Krom \A(\;\C`:
Ra:
Spring Lake, B . J.
November m+.bar 1st, 1926
!''gra C. 44, Chase
Carl Fisher properties
Beach, Fla.
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Dear Pete:
Ackno .ledging yours of October 27th, relative to mid-winter conven-
tion of the U, •S, Realtors, note that there is sore Question about
the .coney-Plaza and Liiami Beach Casino being ready in time to take
care of these people.
Regarding the rate offered by the .Roney-Plaza, I had quite a talk
with Arthur Pancoast about this and he told me he had quoted Lir.
Sheehan and o ther members of the Committee, a rate of a8.00 a day
each person, European plan, and had agreed to take care of 75 people,
it being Arthur s idea to furnish them all double rooms so that the
rate figured 16.00 a day double room, European plan. For some rea-
son the Committee got the idea that Arthur was offering them double
rooms for two people at8.00 a day and they told this to :Toney, who
agreed to meet Pancoast' s
s figures, while in reality Pancoast's figures
were just twice .what the Committee told 2ioney,
Mr. Kohlhepp wired r Sheehan from New York that we would take care
of some of the delegates at the Eicher Hotels at 418.00 a day double
and 4;12.00 a day single, European plan, which was right in line with
Arthur Pancoast o quotation.
From the point of view of a Miami Beach property holder, I can read-
. ily see where you people would be very anxious to have the realtors
at l semi Beach rather than at Coral, Gables, bat from a more. selfish
point of view, as manager of the Flamingo, (and I believe I voice
the sentiments of all the other Fisher managers) I .have reason to
believe having any number of realtors would do the hotels infinitely .
more harm than good. I have had a lot of experience with conven-
tions at Npring Lake every season - one just before the hotel opens
and another just after the hotel closes. If we could have the °+
realtors down there just prior to January first, all well and good,
but to have them there during our regular season is an entirely dif-
ferent matter. In fact, the plass of people who vi ti t the Fidler
Botelc have become quite disgusted hearing so much of real estate in
the past few years. At least 95% of our guests come down to
Florida for rest, recreation and pleasure, but they have been hat-
reseed on all sides by real estate and you know more than half of
the papers for the past couple of years was devoted to real estate
advertising. To have a lot of realtors from all over the U. S.
hanging around the hotel while our regular people are there this
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inter, even if for only a few days, is going to create a most un-
favorable impression on our guests. - Furthermore, I know from ex-
perience that convention people and regular guests in resort hotels
of the class of ours de not go together. The regular guest
feels- that he is paying a big rate mid is entitled to a lot of con-
sideration« root of the are more or loss selfish and you can
aot appreciate how they resent having any convention people around.
All convention people are naturally noisy. ) hey aro all greeting
each other and saying hello and in addition to this there are always
Uorne r of them who go out and get tight."
You may recall about three years ago we had 75 Canadian insurance
men at the Flamingo the first .week in January. They were a fine
lot of men. . They arrived in =Awl on a special train at three
o' clock in the morning and reached the Flamingo about four-thirty
and disturbed a lot of our pobplo getting into their: rooms, talking,
laughing and taking baths, etc. , at that hour of the morning. The
first- day they were there they were very well behaved , but the sec-
ond night about eight of them wont over to the silver 5lippor,or
some place of that kind, and came back- pretty well loaded about
three in the morning, while the last night they were there about
half of them went out to vatious supper clubs and raised Hell when
they came back. They were no different from any other convention
people I have ever seen and I have had druggists, doctors, dentists,
automotive engineers, hotel men and others. In the past 15 years
I have handled no lose than thirty conventions and I can speak from
experience and I ,now without the slightest question of a doubt
that our regular patrons are bound to resent having them in the
hotel.
I have never yet seen a convention that didn't have some Jews in the
crowd and I don' t believe a bunch of realtors are going to be differ- .
eat from any other.
It seems to me that it is up to Lr. Fisher and %r, Xohlhepp to, in
the final analysis, determine whether or riot we want to take care of ,;
any large number of realtors at the Fisher rlotele. If they feel
that the interests of Uiami Beach as a whble are paramount and be-
lieve that it is for the best interests of everybody to have the .,
realtors there, why I shall be only too glad to do my share in taking
care of some of them at the Flamingo, and I am sure the other members
will do the same. I would say that we could take care of 75 at
the Flamingo, and it should be distinctly understood that we would
not have any Jews wished on to us. The Flamingo, as you know, is
operated on the imerican plan exclusively, and is bound to cause more
or less confustion if we take the realtors on the European plan.
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I would suggest quoting a rate of ,;,16.00 a day per person, American
plan for a double room with bath, occupied by two persons, and
417.00 a day single room with bath occupied by one person. I would
suggest a rate of not less thanl;8.00 a day each person for a double
room with bath, two persona, 4uropean plan and 410.00 a day single
room with bath one person. This is lower than the rate which
George is getting at the Nautilus for ti..o convention which he has
booked just prior to his opening. I would suggost your talk-
ing the matter over with Mr. George .C-rom, Arthur Pancoast and Lund-
berg, all of whom are at idiami Beach at the present time ,f-rad whatever
-decision is reached, aftorketting Mr. Fidaer' s and Mr. Kohlhoppis
views, i am only too willing to abide by and co-operate to the ful-
lest extent.
Very truly yours,
Copies: Mr. earl G. Fisher Manager
Ar. A, 4ohlhepp
Mr, George A4om
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