The longest trip report: December 16 to 29th, 2010

[Luv4life]

Desire Trip Report: Christmas Week December 16th to 29th, 2010

Airport:
Thankfully arrived early, got our bags, and went through security without issue. As we had a Passion Suite transfers were already set up through the hotel with Trans Beach. We went through the gauntlet of folks trying to sell us a ride to our hotel and exited the airport. We quickly saw our driver holding up a Desire sign. Regrettably, we had to wait about a half an hour (so much for arriving early) before our van arrived and off to the hotel we went.

Check-In:
We arrived at Desire and were greeted with a "welcome home" by Arco, the ever present bellman. Always recognizes us, always with a smile, works his butt off and is a great employee. Check-in was as smooth as always, champagne immediately appeared, resort bands affixed. At first we were told our room was not ready yet, but when we seemed disappointed they double checked and lo and behold our room was ready. Our butler Jorge took us to our room, 2011. (Butlers come with the Passion Suite. We had both Jorge and Rafael taking shifts.) Jorge showed us all the stuff in the room, asked if we needed anything, and left us to get ourselves out to enjoy the day.

The Room:
The room was gorgeous. In the 2000 building it would appear they turned the four 2nd floor rooms into two rooms providing a large amount of space. The balcony overlooking the beach was wonderful and shared with the room next to us. There was a bed area with a TV, a dresser, mirror, and set of doors opening to the balcony. The living room had a nice long couch with a table and TV. Behind the living room was a huge hot tub probably big enough for 6. The bathroom had a tub with a shower (no curtain or anything, just open), two sinks, hair drier, lighted makeup mirror, and a large amount of counter space. Throughout the room there was plenty of ambient lighting and was well furnished overall. The problems were that there were only 15 or so hangers and 0 drawers. Seriously, 0 drawers. We asked Jorge if he could find us some hangers and some drawers (as a joke) and he did, a small plastic drawer set. It helped and we moved some things off of the shelves that held the coffee maker, etc and used the shelves. The one time we went to use the hot tub; the water was brown and muddy. I kept trying to run the water and drain the tub to see if I could just clear out the line, but that was to no avail. Since we wanted to use it right then, or not at all, we didn’t bother to call the front desk to get it fixed. Once before we booked a room with a hot tub…a “Jacuzzi Suite” and tried to use the hot tub twice, and both times we had to call the front desk to have it fixed. You kind of lose the moment when you are waiting for a repairman…

Pool / Beach:
Everyone is different, some liking the pool and some liking the beach. Being one of us likes the pool and one of us likes the beach we would usually do the pool in the mornings and the beach in the afternoon.

For the pool there is a pool desk area where you can get your towels, book day trips, and get lounges from Daniel. When the resort is full it can sometimes be difficult to obtain lounges (or beach beds.) I would recommend if not sure, get out there early (7:30-8:30.) We would get out to the pool by 9:30 and there were still lounges available but not always where you want them (in the shade or sun, etc.) There is also an activity board by the pool desk. I always would check it out to remind me what day it was as far as the evening theme and entertainment. It would also list all daytime activities. We always enjoy the pool games either watching or participating. We played water volleyball, water polo, horse shoes, corn hole (like horse shoes throwing a bean bag into a hole), pool ring toss, movie trivia, song trivia, etc. etc. We didn’t come close to doing all of the available activities so there is plenty for everyone. For the volleyball folks, there is usually a beach volleyball game around 10:30 – 11AM. Sylvia the pool waitress comes around after 11AM to begin taking drink orders and is there until 4PM when all guests have moved on.

For the beach, there is a beach bar staffed by C.C. and a beach waitress Africa. Also floating around there is someone to give you your beach bed and towels. Again, if the resort is full, try to get out there early or speak to the beach bed guy the day before to reserve a bed. Passion Suites come with their own dedicated beach bed. Some beach beds are fully covered and some partially covered. Some of them are swinging beds! Please note, over the years the beach has seriously eroded. They are trying to fix the problem but it seems to get worse year after year especially after Hurricane Wilma hit a number of years ago. The further down the beach you go away from the pool area the less sandy area there is between the beds and the ocean. Africa, like Sylvia at the pool, goes up and down the beach taking orders from about 11AM until 4PM.

Food:
The food compared to most all inclusive resorts is excellent.

Breakfast: Only served in the buffet, El Arrecife or you can get room service. You can pretty much get anything you would want in the buffet with Matilda cooking up eggs of any type, pancakes, French toast, etc. There is bacon, sausage, cereal, yogurt, fruits, coffee, juices, different breads and pastries, etc., etc... Breakfast is subdued and quiet with many folks having a late night and needing some coffee and time to collect themselves.

Lunch: Served by the pool in the Tentazione outdoor restaurant (or in El Arrecife if raining.) They always have burgers, fish (grouper which is always GREAT), ceveiche, salads, guacamole, pico de gallo, strip steak, grilled chicken, ice cream, etc. This is where we discovered one of our disappointments, the guacamole. It was without flavor and runny. You need to understand that we LOVE guacamole and Desire has always served the best. Each year we look forward to our lunch time (and sometimes before dinner snack) guacamole. When we mentioned this to the Food and Beverage Manager at the returning guest reception he actually agreed with us! No argument, no saying oh… there are others that prefer this more…nope, he said and I quote, “You are correct, there is something wrong with the guacamole and we will be finding a new supplier shortly.” The honesty is refreshing which I love, but that doesn’t get us good guacamole. What does get us good guacamole was his next statement that he would make sure we had good guacamole for the remainder of our stay. He was NOT kidding. When Edelberto saw us at lunch the next day (he seems to be like a head waiter) he came over and asked if we were ready for our guacamole! We said sure and shortly thereafter he came over with a freshly made large bowl of the good stuff! I know this sounds funny, but think about it… We had one request which the resort took seriously even though it was minor, and made sure it was fixed asap. Now mind you the old stuff was still out for the rest of the guests, but since we said something they made sure we were happy. What resort would do this other than Desire? Every day Edelberto would ask us in the morning about what time we would like our guacamole and every day no matter who our waiter was the freshly made good stuff found its way to our table without us even asking!

Hint: If you like steak and guacamole, order a pepito! (You can thank me later)

Dinner:
The buffet, El Arrecife is open every night with a different theme. Check the theme if to see if that is what you would like or if you would rather go to one of the other restaurants. Simply, the food is good and there is a large selection. That being said, on Christmas Eve they have a total blow out with the best food ever served at any all inclusive resort anywhere! There is SO MUCH good food you simply cannot eat all of it. They really go out of their way for one incredible Christmas Eve food fest!

Suki Japanese style restaurant: Here we felt the food went down a notch. The tuna is wonderful, and the spring rolls, and appetizers were great, but we were not thrilled with the main courses. We went there 3 times in the two weeks we were at the resort. One time we did the hibachi which was great, one night we had a regular meal when we were not happy with the entrees, and one night we just had sushi and appetizers which were quite good. Suki is closed one night per week.

Il Piacere: This can be the longest dinner of your vacation, not that that is a bad thing. Dinner can be anywhere from 2 to 3 hours long as there are a number of courses. Another factor is we would go with other couples we have met and are too busy talking to order so it just seems to be a meal that takes a long time. Again, that is not a bad thing the ambiance is wonderful, and the staff attentive. The food here this year was hit and miss. Most folks at my table enjoyed everything they ordered. The lamb chops I ordered medium rare came well done. They would have made me new ones had I asked, but I was already kind of full, and didn’t want to get out to the entertainment late. We ate here twice in the two weeks and one of those evenings they had the Asian night in the buffet (Suki was closed) and we wanted a bunch of sushi and appetizers from the buffet that were obviously not on the menu in this restaurant. No problem! Our waiter asked what kind of things we liked and brought over a large platter of a sampling of things from the buffet. Clearly, if you ask for it, and it can be done, they just do it. Great service. Il Piacere is closed one night per week.

Lobby Bar Pizza: If you get the pizza at lunch, it doesn’t seem to be too good. If you have it at 9PM it seems to be a bit better. If you have it at midnight it’s not too bad… If you have it any time after 2AM it is THE BEST PIZZA IN THE WORLD! At the lobby bar they do make the pizza fresh I think after 11PM or so. Many people after their evening activities at the Disco, Hot Tub, or whatever eventually end up at the lobby bar on their way back to their rooms to grab a slice or pie. The pies are small enough for 2 people to share and after a night of drinking, dancing, and making new friends it is a great way to wind down the evening.

Entertainment:
The one area where Desire has been unsuccessful in keeping good staff is in the entertainment crew (ECs) but this year there were two from the year before. The man in charge Lazaro, who was there last year we did not see very much except for MCing some evening activities. Dianna was also back from last year, great gal. There were three new additions to the ECs, Daniella, Vanessa, and Brenda. Of all 5 of the EC staff, Daniella and Vanessa REALLY stood out this year. They had SO much energy, so sweet, cute, caring, GOOD people. It meant a lot to me when I was not feeling well and a doctor was called that Daniella, when she saw me she came running over to see if I was ok. Vanessa is also so good with people… Both of them throughout the week were egging me on to participate, have fun, and just provided wonderful fun entertainment. When it comes to the entertainment, the more you participate, the more people you meet, the more fun you have! It really is that simple. Yes, I lost a game and had to become a breaded chicken (covered in sand and cluck like a chicken.) In the sexy gift exchange I ended up stripping in front of the entire resort putting on a pair of Playboy / Desire boxers and dancing with Vanessa, and the infamous Eyes Wide Shut night where I was VERY nervous but after seeing it the previous year I had wanted to participate ever since. I won’t say what happened for EWS so as not to spoil it for any new comers.

Each night after dinner they have a DJ or band by the lobby bar and then some kind of act such as a male stripper for the ladies, a lingerie show and contest, a best school girl contest (I was a judge one night), a Chippendale contest, jugglers using fire, etc. The evening entertainment is mostly quite good. Of course after the evening entertainment it is time for the Disco.

Staff:
There really are no words to describe how good the staff is. Of course this is not 100% of the staff, but the vast majority actually give a #$%, and want to make your vacation as good as possible.

Some of the staff that we found to be excellent are Arco (bellman), Leo (waiter), Edilberto (waiter/manager?), Mario (waiter), Memo (waiter) Carlos (bartender), Gerardo (bartender), Dianna/Vanessa/Daniella (entertainment crew), Daniel (pool lounge chair/towel guy), Valentina (guest services), and Rafael (Passion Suite butler.)

An example of how good the resort is, and how good their staff is would be the morning I woke up and realized I must have pink eye. Ok, that sucks… have to be careful not to touch anyone or anything and need to get this fixed asap. I went down to the front desk all dressed in shorts, shirt, sneakers, etc. to find out where I have to go to get a doctor. I speak with Valentina and tell her my problem. She gets on the phone and asks me where I will be in an hour. I’m confused thinking I need to go into town or Cancun, but she tells me the Doctor is in Cancun, but he will be at the resort in an hour. I tell her I’ll be on a beach bed and ask if I should come back in an hour. She says no worries, they’ll come find me. An hour later I see Valentina walking up the beach with what must be the doctor carrying a case. After introductions the Dr. and I go up to my room, he examines me, explains it is conjunctivitis and he wants to give me a couple of shots to immediately begin to treat it and he would give me a prescription for eye drops. (and yes, the Drs.’ English is very good.) Within a half an hour the Dr. was done ($160USD for the visit, not bad for a house call) and I went back to the front desk to see about getting the prescription filled. I spoke again to Valentina who told me no problem, she would have it filled and delivered to my room! On my way back to the beach I see Daniella from the entertainment crew running towards me. When she gets to me she says that she happened to notice I was walking with the Dr. and wanted to make sure everything was ok with my wife and I. Now think about it, if she didn’t care, why would she make an effort to find out if I was ok? All in all, I was fine very quickly, and the staff shined in how they care and made an annoying situation to be no problem at all. And to any friends we met down there, I was VERY careful about constantly washing my hands, not touching my eyes, and making sure I didn’t touch anything unless my hands were clean! LOL!

Evenings / Theme Nights:
Not everyone participates, but many do. We do our best to dress up each evening to the best of our ability. White night is easy… Denim and Diamonds is a bit silly if you ask me, but also easy… School Girl which is one of my favorites is great to see the ladies dressed up but I’ve yet to come up with anything for me to dress for that theme! And no, I would not look good in a school girl outfit! Lingerie and PJs is always sexy and fun. For Black Tie and High Heels I actually dusted off my tuxedo which was a big hit. I think there was only one other guy wearing one and all the other guys that participated either just wore a bow tie with their outfit or something like a t-shirt with a picture of a tuxedo. Hey, I had fun all dressed up and it did stand out. Freestyle night might as well have been lingerie night again. Eyes Wide Shut, either do it or not…we did it and had a ball. However be aware it is explicit! Leather night, we’ve got nothing. For me, the guy, I cannot seem to find anything that I can wear that is leather that does not make me look like I should be cast in a gay porn movie! As for the missus, she doesn’t want to wear leather in the tropics! I do miss the old pimp and ho night, casino night, costume night, and the tropical and sexy night.

Disco:
We enjoy the discovery much. We really enjoyed the old one, and we also enjoyed the newly renovated version. The atmosphere, the playfulness of the guests, the drinks, and simply the laid back fun of it is wonderful. When we first started to go to Desire they allowed smoking in the Disco. That was changed a number of years ago, and I agree with that even though I am a smoker. That however caused a bottleneck at one of the entrances where all the smokers would hang out. One of the additions to the new disco is an outdoor terrace overlooking the lobby whereby guests can step out to cool off or have a smoke without bothering anyone. Very well done! In regards to the music, I’ve heard many folks complain there is too much techno, or too much Latin, or not enough of this or that. Let’s face it, you cannot make everyone happy all of the time. In all the times we’ve gone, except for once when there was a large takeover by Europeans and the DJ was playing mostly non-English music, we’ve enjoyed the music. This year was no exception with what I thought was a good mix of 80s, 90s, to current music plus some Latin and reggeton which I have come to enjoy and listen to at home. We heard everything from Shakira, to Tom Jones, to A/C D/C, Usher, Eminem, and as long as it was danceable, which it was, it worked for us. With the new renovation came the introduction of beds around the disco and dance floor. From time to time this provided some other “titillating” things to watch as you danced…

Playroom:
If you have not yet been to the playroom, but are curious, go and take a look during the day when the whole place is empty or right as guests are going upstairs after the evening entertainment around the lobby. If you just want to sit and watch, find someplace else to go. If you want to have a conversation, find someplace else to go. If you are alone without your significant other, find someplace else to go. That being said, if you want to watch and be watched with your significant other, go in early for your first time so that it is not too busy and you can see it is not scary at all. If another couple reaches over to you or asks to join you, you can politely say no thanks, and that is fine. On the other hand if you see a couple that interests you, you can ask and expect the answer could be yes or no. Do not take offense if the answer is no simply because it very well might not because they do not like you, it might just be beyond their limits, or a million other reasons that are totally understandable. If open minded you never know what could happen. With the new playroom comes a new addition of a swing. We do use the playroom a number of times each time we go and find it an extremely fun part of the vacation. We did try the swing for our first time and it was great! It was just the right height, strong as hell, and the bouncing of it we found quite fun.

Hot Tub/Jacuzzi:
Open from 1PM until 3AM, but is usually at its busiest from 4PM to 7PM and from midnight to 2AM. In the afternoon it can be a tight squeeze, but most every guest we have come across is extremely respectful and careful to at least try to give personal space if it is possible (and wanted.) It is a great place to meet people since so many people are at the same place at the same time, and almost always totally nude. When it is busy you can do a 360 and meet 10 people in 10 minutes. Body shots from time to time are done at the swim up bar, and at least one of the beds are often in use. Sometimes you actually have to wait for a bed if the resort is full and you are there for prime time so to speak. This year we had a great time going to the hot tub and one evening we were even treated to the best lunar eclipse I’ve ever seen with so few lights around, no clouds, and with some of my closest, newest, naked friends at 1:40AM with my wife in one hand and a drink in the other. It doesn’t get much better!

Guests:
We’ve been to many resorts over the years from Grand Lido Negril, San Souci, etc., and what we have found is that at most resorts, especially adults only resorts, nobody talks to each other! On the nude sides of some of these resorts you do find some of them are quite friendly, but for the most part they are quiet and bed time is 10 or 11PM. Yes, Hedo (and Temptations) is different, but you also have many singles and folks acting like they are at a frat party. Here, while at times can have the frat party atmosphere, it is a slightly older crowd (30s to 50s), and much more respectful. In other words they ask before they touch! Also, almost everyone talks to everyone! There is no religion, politics, racism, class status, etc when everyone is nekkid! I’ve met powerful attorneys, doctors, folks in the armed forces, ad executives, teachers, etc. Every walk of life is represented, and in that vein every body type imaginable is there with you. If you are self conscious about your body, you can go and see simply, IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER! Because everyone is so respectful, it makes it easy to just be yourself, meet new friends, and become even closer with your significant other. This year we made friends from London, had dinner with folks from, Florida, Germany, and Scotland. We danced with a couple where the husband was from MD and the wife from Columbia, another couple from Phoenix, another couple from CA, and who knows where else… It was a great diverse crowd and for those we met, thank you for making our vacation as wonderful as it was!

For returning guests there was a “Repeaters Cocktail” on Wednesday night from 6:00 to 7:00. They have been doing this for a number of years now, and it is quite nice with the General Manager, and top staff members in attendance. They serve drinks and hors d’oeuvres and allow guests to mingle under a lobby lounge palapa. In years past they had only given out hats. Last year they had given out hats and souvenir tequila. This year they gave out hats and allowed the ladies to pick out a piece of jewelry that was quite pretty. Being my wife was running late, I picked out a red and black necklace that matched the dress she was wearing that evening. It really was a very nice gesture by the resort.

For those new to the resort, when you go remember four things: 1> The golden rule to do unto others (being respectful), 2> Do not ever take pictures with other people in the background or foreground without their permission! 3> No means no. And most importantly 4> Make sure the lines of communication between the two of you are constantly open to ensure you both have the vacation you could have only fantasized about.

Going off Premise:
It is very difficult for us to find the time to squeeze away from the resort. The first year I insisted we go to Chichen Itza as my wife had never been there. I think if you haven’t been there, you do lose a full day but it is worth it. We usually go to Desire for 8 to 10 days so we try to make a two or three hour hiatus from the resort and go to Puerto Morelos for some lunch and buy souvenirs. We also try to take a half a day or so to go to Playa Del Carmen for some real Mexican food and more upscale shopping. We watch the weather channel on the TV in our room to see what day(s) might be cloudy or cool to decide when to go. Puerto Morelos is quaint, quiet, and mostly a fishing town with a few good, small restaurants and shops to buy inexpensive souvenirs. Playa Del Carmen is much more gentrified and built up but nowhere near the size of Cancun. You want to go to 5th Avenue which is where all the shops and restaurants are. In Playa we’ve gone to the same restaurant a couple of times over the years, Casa Adela, which has large portions of wonderful Mexican food with excellent staff. This year was no exception. Other trips we’ve taken are the catamaran cruise which is for Desire Resort guests only so that it is clothing optional. We went a number of years ago when they shuttled us to Blue Bay in Cancun (now Temptations.) While the catamaran that is at the resort is newer and smaller, we enjoyed the trip out of Cancun a bit better. The trip this year we were told included snorkeling, swimming, and shopping. The trip was for four hours and when we were about an hour out, near Puerto Morelos, we were asked if we wanted to go snorkeling. We were then told we would need to dock the boat, switch to another boat, pay some fees and then go back out on this other boat. We were not told this ahead of time and being the first time we did this we didn’t need to switch boats and all charges were included was part of the reason we liked that trip better. On this outing there were 3 other couples with us and none of us wanted to switch boats so no snorkeling. He then took us to a quiet area where we were able to go swimming (no clothing required) but being the water was cold only half of us went in the water. After swimming the captain of the boat (there was one captain and one assistant who kept feeding us drinks) asked if we wanted to sail slowly back to the resort. We all said sure thinking that along the way we were going to stop somewhere to shop. Before we knew it we were back at the resort, alas no shopping… So, it was fun to be out on the water on a quiet sailing ship with good music playing and drinks in hand but it was not the excursion that we thought was advertised. Other trips from the resort are shopping trips, a trip to Tulum which like Chichen Itza are Mayan ruins, but much smaller without the pyramid and other impressive buildings. It is however much closer to Desire. Any trips you might like or are curious about you can go to the pool desk and speak with Manolo.

Departure:
Well, this time it got interesting! We were supposed to leave on December 26th, however due to a blizzard in the northeast Newark Airport was closed. At around 7PM on the 25th, Christmas Day, we received an e-mail from Continental that our flight was canceled. Woo Hoo! We went to the front desk and asked if we could get a room for the next evening. They told us there was room available and being we were stuck were willing to work with us on the price as the prices go skyrocketing beginning on the evening of the 26th. We did purposely book from the 16th to the 26th knowing we were getting a lower rate than if we stayed the evening of the 26th or later. If we had to pay the higher prices there would have been no way we could have afforded a passion suite for 10 nights! However, since they were willing to work with us, and we hadn’t packed yet, we decided to stay in the passion suite one more evening. The next day, the 27th, our flight was showing on time so we checked out, went to the airport to be there two hours early (transfers already included in our room rate), checked our bags, went through security, and looked at the screens to see our flight was still listed as on time. Five minutes before boarding time the screens changed to show the flight was canceled! We had to go downstairs to baggage claim, get our bags, and go around security (since we never left the country and we weren’t entering the country.) While this was going on I called Desire and they told me to come on back, rooms were available. Whew. We then got a taxi which cost $70USD and back to the resort. Again, thankfully, they were willing to do something on the price but this time we took a garden suite being we did not know when we would get home and we were already way past our budget. At the airport Continental gave us a sheet of paper with a phone number on it to allow us to re-book our flight home. When we got to the resort we called, but the line was disconnected! We checked online and from what we could tell we could not get a flight out until December 31st! Uh oh… We then got an e-mail from Continental with our new itinerary to go FROM NEWARK TO TAMPA on January 3rd! %^#$^%#^??? Ok, that isn’t going to work in any shape or form, so we called our neighbor, a travel agent, who got us a flight on the 29th using US Air. Whew. Come the 29th we checked out and went through the same ritual, again paying for a cab back to the airport, etc. The rest of the way was uneventful until we got home to realize we needed to carry our bags over 2 feet of snow!!!

Highlights:
We were lucky enough to see the eclipse of the moon from the hot tub.
Judging the School Girl Outfit contest
Participating in Eyes Wide Shut (Did we really do that?)
Participating in the Sexy Gift Exchange on Christmas Eve. (Did I really dance in underwear in front of the whole resort?)
Getting a call early in the morning from a couple that was leaving in a couple of hours asking if we wouldn’t mind videotaping them.
The best guacamole, grilled chicken legs and grouper, and cevechie for lunch.
2AM Pizza.
Watching JJ and my wife dance.
Christmas Eve buffet FEAST!
Meeting so many wonderful, great people!!! C&B, E&J, JJ&D, K&N, S&J, J&R, I&T, D&D, and so many others!
Spending so much quality time with my best friend, my fantasy, and wife (Yes, it is all the same person.) Another memory that will last a lifetime that we can never tell our grandkids about…

[miranda]

Thanks for taking the time to write such and informative report. And I completely agree with you about the guacamole! It's the best I've ever had!

[softplayfriends]

Wow, what a great trip report...Thanks! About the guac.--we had read how great it was in the past, so when we were there (Dec. 12-19) we expected something much better than we found on the lunch buffet. We just chalked it up to our tastes being different than other peoples. If we had only known that all we really had to do was find your table and help ourselves to the good stuff! LOL
Cory and Pat

[Cali_desire_cpl]

luv4life,
What a great trip report....it will go a long way in giving "newbies" what they are in store for when they take their trip to desire. We have made 8 trips to desire going back to the first year they opened....it is one place that is near and dear to our hearts and we always meet great people and have a great trip!

Terry & Gin

[CokeMann]

Joe - Thanks for posting the great TR - nice pay forward from that nervous newbie couple we met so many years ago at Desire !

[hedonismffm]

Thanks for posting this great TR.
It´s by far the best and most detailed
we have read here.

[CplNlove]

Hey guys what a great trip report, the best we have read. Although we are a little nervous and very excited your detailed report seemed exactly what we are hoping to experience together.

Thanks....

D&L

[R&L]

We are going during the same week this year. Looking at the almanac, it seems like it could be too chilly for hanging out naked much of the day. I didn't see anything about beeing cool. Did the weather impact you at all?

[HedoAntique]

R&L, the first time we went was mid January and for us it was too cold. I think the degrees of difference between where you come from and Cancun make a huge difference. If you're used to really cold winter weather you'll probably be ok with cooler temperatures. It might not make a huge difference to you. The daytime temps weren't too bad because the sun still felt warm even though the air seemed cool. We could lay out nude but sometimes we'd have to cover up a bit. It was the night temperatures that seemed quite chilly and I often really needed a sweater. No matter, we still had an amazing time but, after that decided that we needed it warmer and so began going in June or September.

[R&L]

Aww - it's too bad we can't go NOW!
Looks like we'll have to revise our dress plans - this won't work: http://www.wickedtemptations.com/fishnet-cowl-mini-dress-136044-prd1.htm?pSearchQueryId=1026763
Better bundle up: http://www.flirtcatalog.com/p-96832-cable-knit-turtleneck-sweater-dress.aspx

[ottawa_cuple]

R&L,

We were at Desire for Christmas/New Years 2009 and though it was cool at night (you wife might appreciate having a shawl with her for hanging out at the lobby bar, and you might want to pack a long-sleeved shirt or two), the days were warm (mid 70's), sunny, and lightly breezy - perfect for hanging around on the beach beds or around the pool.

Howard & Marci

[R&L]

Wow, if that's the take of a couple from Ottawa, this desert couple better take parkas!

[ottawa_cuple]

Wow, if that's the take of a couple from Ottawa, this desert couple better take parkas!

LOL, you're probably right!!

PS: Re: your "Subject": We're CANUCKS, not "Canucs", just so's you know

[Sxyav8tors]

Thank you so much for such an extensive report, we will be there Oct. 10-19, it will be our first time there and also our 25th anniversary, so we want to make it "special". You've answered many of our questions, but some remain. For the "Eyes" party, which we plan on participating in, do we have to bring the robes? And also, what if anything do we wear under the robes? The "Eyes" party is the only thing we can't seem to get answers to and are a little apprehensive about, because of that. Any enlightenment would be appreciated.

Thanks again for the detailed report.

Sxyav8tors

[ottawa_cuple]

...The "Eyes" party is the only thing we can't seem to get answers to and are a little apprehensive about, because of that. Any enlightenment would be appreciated.... Sxyav8tors

Check out these links to forum topics that discuss the Eyes Wide Shut theme. You'll probably find your answers there.

http://desireresorts.19.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=2183&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

http://desireresorts.19.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=1186&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=ews&start=0