Firstly a little background. We'd done 3 previous trips to H3 with DennyP and the WWWers before making our first trip to Desire. This trip was our 2nd to Desire but our first there at the same time as the WWW group. On our three H3 trips we'd felt a steady deterioration in the level of service being offered, the maintenance of the rooms, and the quality of the food. That prompted our first trip to Desire, which we loved, but we'd read all the recent online criticisms regarding thefts, predatory waiters, the disco music and the mold, and so we had some concerns about whether a 2nd Desire visit could be as good as the first.
Journey
Not much to say other than we arrived on time, cleared immigration and customs fairly quickly and headed out to meet our Lomas travel rep for our connection to the resort. They didn't have us on their list, but after a quick call they verified they should have had, and they completed our paperwork. Unfortunately we then had to sit on the bus for about 20 minutes waiting for other passengers to arrive. This combined with the need to meet the Lomas rep at 5.30pm that day to arrange our return trip (or more accurately to give them a chance to pitch their tours) prompted us to take a cab on our return trip. The only place we intended to be at 5.30pm was the hottub.
The only real criticism we'd have of the week was the attempted time share pitch. Despite being repeat guests, we were told we should go to the desk for an explanation of "what was new since our last trip". As soon as the girl started, we explained that we'd been before, knew about RCI, and had no interest in it. She asked how could we know that we had no interest if we'd never been through the presentation - our response that we researched everything carefully before coming so that we wouldn't waste ANY time on our vacation stopped any further debate. If Desire persist with this, then the next trip will result in a much shorter, less polite response when we're asked to go to the "orientation desk".
The resort
We'd requested our room # both by email to Silvina and in the express check in which we'd done online, and we were fortunate to get one of the two rooms we'd asked for. Most of the resort was as we remembered it with a few notable improvements. The pool beds were much more comfortable, and Rafael did a great job every day ensuring that the fitted towel coverings were replaced when necessary and that abandoned beds were freed up for use. We were usually up early enough to secure some prime real estate, but we noticed Rafael frequently helping to find a spot for people as they arrived at the pool. The pool was busy most of the week; the slight storm surge from Ike had brought the water up to the wall of the resort which probably meant the many new covered beach beds weren't as heavily used as they may have been.
The winds from Ike blew some matresses around at times and the palapas above the restaurants and the hottub bar looked a bit frayed, but beyond that, a couple of showers, and one downpour we dodged a bullet as far as the hurricane was concerned.
The Staff
On our first trip we'd thought the staff were a major improvement over H3, but this trip they excelled themselves. It wasn't enough that there always seemed to be someone there if you needed anything; many of them were proactively seeking things they could do for you. From the bar tenders, to the waiting staff, to the entertainment crew, to the Hibachi chef, to our maid, to the bellboys and the front office staff, every person seemed very focused on helping us have a wonderful vacation.
The food
If anything the food seemed better this trip than last. We also had no problem getting into any of the restaurants - maybe we were just fortunate that we timed it well, but no complaints here at all. There was variety at every meal time, and NOTHING can beat some lobby bar pizza on the way to or from the hottub. We didn't eat anything disappointing all week
Activities
Desire definitely has a slower pace than H3 when it comes to activities, although this trip seemed a "little" livelier with the presence of the WWW group. It really is up to the guests to create the energy though, and it was interesting to see the entertainment crew pretty much give up on Friday afternoon when they couldn't entice anyone to join in any activities. The evening activities by the lobby seemed to blend into the background for us as we spent time getting to know new friends at the bar.
The Disco
While it has to be impossible to keep everyone happy all the time with the music selection, we thought the DJ did an excellent job. We made it there every night, parcticipating in all the themes, and the energy level seemed quite high with lots of people dancing. They were actively seeking requests for the DJ, and the large screen would flash "Request Time". We didn't see, or smell, any sign of mold or dampness in the disco either, so it looks like Desire management has tried to act in response to recent online criticisms.
The People
Everyone has read the standard trip report cliche that "its all about the people", but really it is. We're not sure how Denny pulls together such a diverse group, who are all such fun, interesting people; all we can say is we're very glad he does. We made some great new friends who made the difference between this being an ok week, and an oustanding vacation. No names to protect the innocent
but you all know who you are, and we hope to catch up on the next trip.Conclusion
As soon as we got home we were investigating flights etc for a return trip in May - that should be as clear a conclusion as we can offer. This trip was even better than our first and there's no likelihood of us returning to H3 anytime soon. Kudos to Desire management, as they appear to have taken steps to address a number of issues which had been raised, and they're clearly not resting on their laurels. Now all we have to do is while away the days until May..........sigh
Until then, for those in the know, raise your glasses one more time to "Patio Furniture"
