Cost

[2good4better]

Caliente , a clothing optional resort based in Tampa , is starting a new competition with Desire in the Carribbean. "Caliente Caribe" has always been a private all inclusive nude resort- (very lush and tropical) and I have heard from a company source that they have researched Desire to a great deal and are eager for the "lifestyle" share of all inclusive nude travelers. Already they have made moves with "lifestyle weeks" more often this year than ever before and have built their first beach bed.(This is a private resort so sex on the beach is more than implied- its encouraged, especially during lifestyle weeks. ) I am not sure what they will do about singles - they probably aren't either, but I encourage competition.
In full disclosure we have been to both resorts Desire and Caribe - and will continue to go to Desire over Caribe until/unless Caribe becomes more like Desire. Just thought you all should know what is happening.

It's good to know that other resorts are at least willing to compete with Desire. My concern would be that others places will be tempted by the added income of single men on a day pass. A non-couples atmosphere is a non-starter with us and that is what makes Desire so special.

Another resort can compete with Desire on many levels (food, amenities, beach, entertainment) but these things were only marginally the focus for us. Desire's atmosphere is why we keep going back. Other resorts won't be able to compete with Desire if they have a sleazy vibe.

[CokeMann]

Caliente , a clothing optional resort based in Tampa , is starting a new competition with Desire in the Carribbean. "Caliente Caribe" has always been a private all inclusive nude resort- (very lush and tropical)

I certainly wouldn't describe Caliente Tampa anything like Desire - more of a nudist motel/condos/RV park that operates throughout the week as a typical AANR family facility(including singles and children).

They do schedule some lifestyle friendly weekend parties but from what I see there is no couples only requirement to attend. Great if you want to get away and party for a weekend, but not what I would call a competitive vacation destination in the same league as Desire or the Hedos

The thing is that all the comments I've read from many boards seem to indicate a ongoing issue from those that purchased homes/condos at a AANR facility and Caliente management that is running lifestyle party weekends - there just seems to be a lot of conflict between two sides and they appear to be unable resolve it and decide what Caliente really is.....

Desire as we all know is a full time lifestyle friendly clothing optional resort

[Cali_desire_cpl]

Coke,

"Caliente , a clothing optional resort based in Tampa , is starting a new competition with Desire in the Carribbean. "Caliente Caribe""

I don't think they were comparing Tampa Caliente...it is Caliente Caribe they were talking about.

I'm all for competition for Desire. i will keep them on their toes and make the experience there much better and maybe have competitive prices?

I agree, a sleezy vibe or single guys would be a del breaker for us...we can get that @ Hedo (but we don't ).

Terry

[CokeMann]

I don't think they were comparing Tampa Caliente...it is Caliente Caribe they were talking about."

Yes, after re reading - you are correct. thx

However we did look into Caliente Caribe for our regular May group and although the resort prices where somewhat better the negatives for our group out weighted the potential savings

From our groups perspectives some of the negatives where:
- more difficult/time consuming and expensive air connections compared to Cancun airport
- much more time involved in airport to resort transfers compared to Desire
- no viable options for "off campus activities" during the week compared to many immediately available in the Cancun to Playa corridor.

We will continue to look at new "options" in trying to get the best value/experience for our group.

I'm all for competition for Desire. i will keep them on their toes and make the experience there much better and maybe have competitive prices?

I agree, however Desire prices are (unfortunately) competitive with similar nearby properties.

Just as an example for the 2nd week in May(our group week this year) the base rate for a couple at Desire for 7 nights cost (standard rates without using promotions) $3010 USD

The base rate for a couple at Excellence Riviera Adults Only, All Inclusive for 7 nights would cost(using a currently available Expedia promotion) $3,094 USD

Excellence Riviera does not have a Desire style Jacuzzi, does not allow clothing optional on the property or beach, does not allow PDA/PDS and is not lifestyle friendly

[miranda]

How about Hidden Beach? Never been but just curious if that place could accommodate a lifestyle-type vacation?

[miranda]

Oh, and I think Ceiba del Mar is having some sort of lifestyle take over week this year. I think that resort, however, might be a little too quiet.

[CokeMann]

How about Hidden Beach? Never been but just curious if that place could accommodate a lifestyle-type vacation?

There are a few small lifestyle groups that do takeovers or invasions at Hidden Beach.

Unfortunately with only 42 rooms it is too small a facility to handle most groups that currently book Desire. The other issues are that costs are no better than Desire and it is located a 1 1/2 hour drive south of the Cancun airport so transfers both ways are very expensive.

[mfay]

As has been said, it’s all in what you are looking for. The is competition in the general arena with Desire. Places like Hidden Beach, what was Grand Lido Braco, Club Orient, the Hedo Resorts, Caliente Caribe, and several others who are trying to break into nudist or lifestyles travel in one way or another.
All of these places are considered to be alternatives to some people who visit Desire. We know people who alternate between Desire and Hedo, or Braco, or Hidden Beach, etc. To these folks, what these other resorts offer does compete with what they enjoy about Desire.
For many of us though, none of these other places come close to providing what we love most about Desire. Of course that is what has made Desire so successful. They are a unique and original concept, and of course it is very difficult to duplicate that. The attempted copies always tend to pale in comparison.
Years ago, Hedo was the originator of the nude/party hearty/ to hell with rules resort concept. Even after all these years, no body has been able to copy their format and do it better than Hedo. Hedo has stayed true to that concept and that is why they are still successful today while those who tried to copy them have come and gone . But some resorts have been successful at looking at what Hedo offered and finding parts of it that they could specialize in and do better than Hedo, while eliminating the things about Hedo that some people don’t like. Some cater to the naturists who didn’t like the sexual overtones and wild partying at Hedo. Others offer the younger party crowd and singles a place to party hearty- without full nudity but with the sexual overtones. The point is they have had some success not because they copied Hedo but because they focused on one part of the Hedo crowd and tried to give them what they want in a way that Hedo’s concept didn’t allow.
Noone was more successful at doing that than Desire. With help from some leaders of the lifestyles movement, they recognized that there were a whole lot of people who didn’t like some things about Hedo. The single men roaming around, the fact that some never felt safe, the sometimes seedy facilities, and the frat party atmosphere. The recognized that there were a lot of folks out there who wanted a resort with no singles, better quality accommodations, food, and service, and a more classy, relaxing, mature, and sensual atmosphere where they could also be free to enjoy a more open
policy toward public sex. A whole new concept was born, and today Desire is as much an original as Hedo. So much so that now Desire is the one that everyone wants to copy.
Caliente Caribe is not a “newâ€

[miranda]

Very well said in a nutshell, mfay. You are so right!

The whole Desire concept is just what we are looking for in this type of vacation and that's why we have chosen to go there and not the other resorts you have mentioned.

My only wish is that they had kept Desire Cabo. Another Desire resort would just be a nice alternative.

[mfay]

Miranda- I think the Desire Cabo experiment reinforces the point. Even for the owners of the original Desire it is extremely hard to duplicate it. Location, resort layout, finding the right staff, and so many little things have to come together to make it work. They just weren't quite able to pull it all together in Cabo , at least not well enough to get the crowds they needed to make a profit. Maybe someday they will somewhere else. But still it shows how tough it would be for someone else to do it.

[LagniappeDC]

We wanted to add our 2 cents here based on other recent vacations we've taken.

We just returned form Breezes Rio Bueno (formerly Grand Lido Braco). They have a clothed side and a nude side, but is generally not "lifestyle" friendly. I'm not going to go point by point through specific aspects of the resort, but in our opinion BRB was simply an appetizer for what Desire has to offer. Don't get us wrong, we had a good time, met nice people, had good food, but it - well - just wasn't Desire. Prices seemed pretty comparable, especially since you had to book on the nude side to really get the better rooms and services or pay $160 per couple per day to go over to the nude side.

On the total opposite end of the spectrum, considering the classic all-out family friendly vacation. Try spending a week at Disney World. Talk about getting gauged and nickle and dimed. Perhaps that is comparing apples to oranges, but for many of us with small kids it's a "must do".

Also want to put in reminder for what happened last year about this time. We went at the height of the swine flu mania. The area around Desire was basically a ghost town. We took a catamaran cruise and you literally saw huge swaths of empty beaches in front of these huge hotels. Desire was up and running and their staff was doing double duty to keep the guests happy.

We're looking forward to the new upgrades, but sad the Disco will not be finished for our trip. It shows they are putting money back into the resort. Though I will concede, I wish things like top-shelf liquor would be put back. Also, room service shouldn't be a charge though we never used it because we enjoy the breakfast too much.

Is Desire too much? That's really a personal call. But the fact that they are selling out weeks seems to indicate that they are priced just right while offering a product that people clearly want. Hard to argue with that!

[miranda]

For us, Desire Cabo had all the ingredients we were looking for in a Desire vacation. Too bad it just didn't get the numbers it needed. Great staff, good food, top shelf liquors, beautiful beach (don't get me started about comparing the beaches to Desire Cancun ), beautiful resort.

So we tried Desire Cancun - further for us to travel but we "managed"

What we really like about the whole Desire concept is the acceptance of everyone and where they are with with their want and needs. Clothing Optional. Lifestyle Friendly. Two more important ingredients - adult couples only

Desire is worth it and we won't "settle".

[theLUSTs]

The government raises taxes, resorts raise prices, gas goes up!

But where can you go, meet great couples, make fantastic lasting friendships.

oh yeah.....did I mention have fun and fullfil some pretty nice fantasies.

We come BC, Canada and have to pay 2wice as much on travel than most attendees from the US plus we pay in USD$$.

We'll probably always still go, not as often due to the prices. Maybe
we should all buy a place in Mexico and compete... LOL