Desire Resort Forums

Hello,

My wife and I are going to RM this month and have a few questions that we were hoping you could help with. We have done our best to search for this information in threads that have already been posted but still have some questions.

Are there any companies that provide snorkeling opportunities within walking distance of the hotel? We read that you need to go with a guide, and would like to try it for a couple of hours. This is our first tropical vacation for either of us, so we wanted to know if this activity is an option.

I have read that desire tries to get you to attend a sales pitch, but some people have been able to negotiate for freebies in exchange for attending the sales pitch. Other than the couples erotic massage, has anybody else had success negotiating for a comp for one of the other experiences? It looks there are a lot of fun possibilities!

It looks desire plans activities throughout the day. Does anybody have any favorite daily activities?

Has anybody done the romantic dinner by the beach? Have you enjoyed it?

Has anybody had issues getting sick from the water, particularly drinks with ice? I read the water is safe for the most part in the FAQ, but I read some other conflicting information in other reviews.

What food and alcohol is inclusive, and what is not inclusive? Will the staff tell you if what you are requesting to get is extra?

Thanks again! This forum is a great resource for information.

Hi there. We've been to RM 5x, so will try my best to answer:

1. Can't answer the snorkel opportunities. I would hazard a guess there isn't anything within walking distance. You'll see the drive back to the resort is a long one off the main road- I know the first time we did it I was worried for a few minutes (not really) wondering where the heck we were going. You should be able to arrange for a car (USA Transfer is best) for something offsite.
2. We negotiated a massage and hear most do as well. I'm sure there are outliers for a beach dinner, but guessing it's negotiating skill / what they're able to offer. Not much help here- was happy with the regular massage.
3. Love the pool volleyball- all the activities, if you're so inclined, are fun and harmless and good natured.
4. n/a for us
5. I believe they use bottled water to make the ice- they bring huge bags in all the time. Knock on wood, no issues. And they use huge tubs of bottled water for drinking water. Bring a yeti cup or similar to hydrate. Much needed!
6. All the food and drink is inclusive. You could order a bottle of wine or a bottle of liquor at dinner and that will be extra and they will tell you the charges. The house stuff is still offered at dinner, but if you go up a notch, there are charges. I'd suggest if you have a favorite top shelf or bottle of wine you need to find some bubble wrap / liquor carriers and pack them in your checked luggage. Way cheaper and nice to enjoy in your room / pour a cup and walk about. Room service does have a fee when you order, but the food you order is inclusive.

Hope this helps.

My understanding is that there is someone that staffs the dive shop on the beach that can probably arrange a snorkel tour, but we have never done it personally.

Regarding the dinner on the beach, again, we have not done it personally, but we did get some feedback from someone that did try the dinner that it was good, but it took a long time to finish the meal. I think I recall them saying it was also very windy the evening they did it.

The Ice and the water they pour you is definitely okay. We don't use water from the sink to brush our teeth, out of caution. They will also stock the fridge in your room with bottled water.

If you are getting something that is not part of the all inclusive, like wine at dinner, they have a wine list with prices in pesos. The dinner menu at Sahlo also lists things that are extra with prices, like adding a lobster tail to your meal. At the end of the meal they bring you a check to sign with your name and room number. I don't think there is anything outside of the restaurants and resort store where everything is not included. For example, I've never seen someone have to fill out a bill at the lobby bar, so i think everything they are serving is included. Bottom line, yes you should know if you are ordering something that is extra. When you check out, they have you pay for the extra things you ordered.

As SusanAndDavid suggested, you can bring your own wine and even take it to the restaurants for dinner. We have done this several times. Also, we have never seen anyone do this, but we have read here on the forum that you can take a bottle of liquor or something you particularly like that the resort doesn't stock and the bar tenders will keep it behind the bar for you.

Rodman Divers is located at both RM and Pearl, they offer snorkeling, scuba, and catamaran cruise. They are independent from the resort, but on premise.

We did the beach dinner once. For some reason, it wasn't actually on the beach, but up closer to the rooms on the grass (this was at Pearl). In that spot you are very much at the mercy of the people who are actually in the rooms you are close to...we sat about 30 feet away from a couple who were shouting and fighting through most of our dinner. Not great, but not Desire's fault obviously. Just something to think about. We won't do that again. We also had a private meal up on the terrace of the restaurant upstairs at Pearl (back when it was named Unik). We enjoyed that much more.

We do the sales pitch often, to get the free massage (disclaimer - we are also members). When you check in they will show you a card that describes what you get as a free gift for attending. I honestly don't recall if there were deals on the excursions, since we don't usually do those. I think there may have been discounts on some of the special meals, in addition to the massages. We never tried to negotiate anything better than what is on the card. I believe you get everything listed on the card.

The water is bottled, and the ice is fine. We also don't drink from the faucets. I seem to be more sensitive than my wife...after many visits, I now believe it is the fresh salad that disagrees with me. I'm not sure why, as I would be surprised if they didn't use the purified water to clean it. My wife eats it daily and has never had an issue, so YMMV.

As far as the daily activities, the resort actually posts a weekly PDF, found here: https://static.desire-experience.com/da ... es/drm.pdf

Thanks for the information everyone! This was really helpful.