Desire Resort Forums

denise&john wrote:WI Couple

We are not members, but if I was a member I would book a reservation every evening for at least 4 if not 6 and then pull along other couples we met during the day for dinner. Just saying.

That's exactly what we did after we became members and other couples we met did the same.

Also the comment above about newbies booking pearl is absolutely spot on. When we first went in 2021 it felt close to perfect, I want others to have that feeling. We became members because we just couldn't see ourselves going anywhere else for our vacation and that's all the way from the UK ( see I'm using vacation instead of holiday now thanks to the friends we made ).

I am of the understanding that the plan is to renovate Pearl after RM is completed and the disco and Pearl restaurant are moving ( allegedly but we'll see), so there are plans afoot.

As I said above, I wouldn't suggest to anyone they cancel or give their first visit to Pearl a miss. The place is wonderful, the staff are fantastic and the atmosphere is incredible. Put that together with some great guests looking to enjoy a great vacation, whether they're in the LS or not and you have a perfect package. I just want it to stay that way

I hope they don't do to Desire, what they did to Temptation.

Temptation was a great, budget-friendly resort that was so fun, risque and raunchy, but in a safe, controlled, mature environment. My husband and I loved it and it became our favorite place after our first visit.

Then they renovated almost the entire resort, shutting it down for months (years?) The resort had been older and there were cracks, leaks, so yes, there were things that needed to be addressed. But the company overhauled the entire resort, changed the concept and it became a somewhat different resort.

Nowadays, it is more a "Vegas-style" place with bottle service, spots to take Instagram selfies, an elevated dance floor, and toned down entertainment. It's still a nice resort, but not nearly as nice as we remember.

Now our favorite place is Desire, which is owned by the same company as Temptation. Just hoping the overall feel of DRM and DP stay the same.

Definitely plans for Pearl renovations and the mock-ups look really cool. The common areas it’s just about better using the space they have. There are plans to do a lot of work on one of the room blocks to make it passion suites and plans to expand the mansion as well. All in good time though. And a lot probably (does) depends on if the DR flops or flies.

tj71903 wrote:

beachnbaja wrote:

WICouple wrote:Wouldn't the restaurants be easier to manage by using a reservation system? Will be at Pearl in 3 weeks. Will see what it is like.

They used to. People complained about that as well because Members and anyone with a Butler were able to get the times they wanted. Everyone else had to head to the buffet early in the morning to make one. It was a first-come first-served. And the issue was the same as now: all of the prime times were gone before breakfast even opened (because of Members getting theirs ahead).

Ultimately, there just aren't enough seats/tables for the crowds. Especially now that they are almost always at capacity.

There is enough seating to accommodate every guest in every room. The problem is that there is not enough seating for every guest to eat at a specific time at a specific place. I think your point about making sure there's a constant flow of new business is a good one and is something that should be built into the system, however. Can't get new blood if you cut off the appeal for same.

We're going down next week and usually have a chance to sit and chat with some of the brass, I'll bring this up and report back.

Yes, no doubt. The issue of course is that there is a natural "flow" at Desire. And eating at 5 or 6 is definitely not part of that flow. 7 can be doable but difficult. For most, it is that 7:30-9 window that makes everything work.
You still get to migrate to the hot tub after the pool and have time to get ready for dinner.

Honestly, so much of this is fixed if the food in Aphrodite was better at dinner. But it is terribly mediocre. They would likely do themselves a favor if they served good Mexican food in there every night. Neither Pearl or Suki ever do. And the Mexican they have served in Aphrodite is just not great (outside of the shrimp tacos for lunch which are pretty good).

I think "flow" is relative though in that it's really up to each person/couple to determine what works for them.

For us, we never eat later than 7:30 when we're eating on property. Generally it's around 7 and if we're at Pearl or Suki the staff knows that we want to be in and out within 45-60 minutes. Tops. I don't need a meal drug out for ambiance, etc. We love the resort but if it's a foodie vacation we want, we'll be elsewhere (Manhattan, Europe, Vegas, etc).

In general we finish beach or pool volleyball at 4:30 (ish) and then head straight back to the room to float in our pool or use veg. Usually the staff has snacks waiting in the room when we arrive. We will eat those (because we usually don't do much for lunch) and then go to dinner at 7 or 7:30. This - given the timeframe of an hour or less - allows us to get back to the room so that she can finish putting on whatever she needs for the theme nights and parties before we head that way around 9:30 or so.

Deviations from this aren't uncommon though as we usually book, are invited, or encouraged to try "special" dinners on the beach, in the disco, on the terrace, in the pool, etc, etc. We may eat at Suki once a trip and the same for Pearl. The rest are usually in the Mansion, one of the special dinners, or we'll go out to PM to the local places (Yum Yum Wok is great and I liked Romarley's too though it's not fully Jamaican).

Again, not for everyone, but works for us.

Suki is always Asian. Pearl alternates between Italian and French cuisine and, as I said above, I don't come to Pearl for a Mexican take on those styles.

If you want great Mexican food, it is available there. We usually have a chef's table dinner once or twice a trip. Several trips ago I echoed your desire for real Mexican food after we got invited to a special event thrown for the staff by the ownership. They had authentic Mexican dishes served and it was fantastic. After that we asked Marco (who has since been promoted to head chef) to make us what his grandmother would have made him when he was a kid. The results were tremendous.

All this being considered I do think there should be a better flow and availability for new guests and those who choose not to be members. We usually host friends we've met during the days a time or two during our trips, but obviously having an initiative by the resort to help maximize the new guest experience is crucial to getting new blood as you've (IMO) correctly pointed out.

The dining reservations - or lack thereof - are a deal-breaker for us. We usually go to RM anyway. But even if we were thinking about going back to Pearl, there’s no way we would book a trip with this policy in place. There are ways to incentivize memberships, but those incentives should be upgrades and add-ons. You don’t incentivize memberships by downgrading a standard service. What an incredibly poor decision.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed that this idiocy doesn’t spread to RM.

Here is an update on how dinner went the last three nights of our trip. We decided that we would adapt to the new system and try to make the best of it. And I think that management may be reacting to try and improve the experience. At least I hope so. Every night we went to Pearl at about 8-8:30 pm. The second night we were told it would be an hour wait, so we took that time to sit at the bar and have a couple drinks. It was actually an enjoyable time hanging out and talking with each other. The wait was closer to 45 minutes, and I’m glad we waited. The food was so good and our service from the waiter Jairo was the best! Why do I think management is trying to help with the wait? The first two nights I would say that half the tables were empty. And then the second two nights it feels like they increased the amount of staff and the restaurant was full. The third and fourth night we were able to walk right up and get a table with no wait. And service was still personal and intimate. And the food was so delicious!
I still don’t really like the system and the idea behind it, but after a change in my mindset it was an easier experience. In my first response to this post I was pissed about the dinner reservation changes. (And I may have been a little tipsy when I wrote it.) But in the end I got over those feelings and it wasn’t as bad. So if you’re on the fence about canceling, I would say don’t. If you have to wait for a table, sit at the bar and have a few free delicious cocktails while you stare at your beautiful wife wearing something sexy. And pinch yourself to remind you that you aren’t dreaming. You really are at the happiest place in the world.

Tex_cpl wrote:So if you’re on the fence about canceling, I would say don’t. If you have to wait for a table, sit at the bar and have a few free delicious cocktails while you stare at your beautiful wife wearing something sexy. And pinch yourself to remind you that you aren’t dreaming. You really are at the happiest place in the world.

Bravo, good for you....it truly is an amazing place if that is the mindset while at the resort!!!!

I read the following quote in your message and it was one of the most uplifting, enticing things I have ever read:
open quote
post I was pissed about the dinner reservation changes. (And I may have been a little tipsy when I wrote it.) But in the end I got over those feelings and it wasn’t as bad. So if you’re on the fence about canceling, I would say don’t. If you have to wait for a table, sit at the bar and have a few free delicious cocktails while you stare at your beautiful wife wearing something sexy. And pinch yourself to remind you that you aren’t dreaming. You really are at the happiest place in the world.
closed quote

Tex_cpl wrote:Here is an update on how dinner went the last three nights of our trip. We decided that we would adapt to the new system and try to make the best of it. And I think that management may be reacting to try and improve the experience. At least I hope so. Every night we went to Pearl at about 8-8:30 pm. The second night we were told it would be an hour wait, so we took that time to sit at the bar and have a couple drinks. It was actually an enjoyable time hanging out and talking with each other. The wait was closer to 45 minutes, and I’m glad we waited. The food was so good and our service from the waiter Jairo was the best! Why do I think management is trying to help with the wait? The first two nights I would say that half the tables were empty. And then the second two nights it feels like they increased the amount of staff and the restaurant was full. The third and fourth night we were able to walk right up and get a table with no wait. And service was still personal and intimate. And the food was so delicious!
I still don’t really like the system and the idea behind it, but after a change in my mindset it was an easier experience. In my first response to this post I was pissed about the dinner reservation changes. (And I may have been a little tipsy when I wrote it.) But in the end I got over those feelings and it wasn’t as bad. So if you’re on the fence about canceling, I would say don’t. If you have to wait for a table, sit at the bar and have a few free delicious cocktails while you stare at your beautiful wife wearing something sexy. And pinch yourself to remind you that you aren’t dreaming. You really are at the happiest place in the world.

Tex_cpl wrote:Here is an update on how dinner went the last three nights of our trip. We decided that we would adapt to the new system and try to make the best of it. And I think that management may be reacting to try and improve the experience. At least I hope so. Every night we went to Pearl at about 8-8:30 pm. The second night we were told it would be an hour wait, so we took that time to sit at the bar and have a couple drinks. It was actually an enjoyable time hanging out and talking with each other. The wait was closer to 45 minutes, and I’m glad we waited. The food was so good and our service from the waiter Jairo was the best! Why do I think management is trying to help with the wait? The first two nights I would say that half the tables were empty. And then the second two nights it feels like they increased the amount of staff and the restaurant was full. The third and fourth night we were able to walk right up and get a table with no wait. And service was still personal and intimate. And the food was so delicious!
I still don’t really like the system and the idea behind it, but after a change in my mindset it was an easier experience. In my first response to this post I was pissed about the dinner reservation changes. (And I may have been a little tipsy when I wrote it.) But in the end I got over those feelings and it wasn’t as bad. So if you’re on the fence about canceling, I would say don’t. If you have to wait for a table, sit at the bar and have a few free delicious cocktails while you stare at your beautiful wife wearing something sexy. And pinch yourself to remind you that you aren’t dreaming. You really are at the happiest place in the world.

This is great. Thank you for sharing.

ContentTwo wrote:The dining reservations - or lack thereof - are a deal-breaker for us. We usually go to RM anyway. But even if we were thinking about going back to Pearl, there’s no way we would book a trip with this policy in place. There are ways to incentivize memberships, but those incentives should be upgrades and add-ons. You don’t incentivize memberships by downgrading a standard service. What an incredibly poor decision.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed that this idiocy doesn’t spread to RM.

Curious what this is like at RM? No reservations? Or do they do the same "run to breakfast in the morning"? Are dining times not an issue there?

beachnbaja wrote: Curious what this is like at RM? No reservations? Or do they do the same "run to breakfast in the morning"? Are dining times not an issue there?

Back on our trip to RM this past April we found out that instead of making dinner reservations at the buffet in the morning like always, reservations "opened" at 12:00 pm in the lunch buffet. Which for me typically meant getting out of the pool, getting dressed, and getting in a small line to try and get a spot for later that night - then going back to the fun. By that point in the day typically the members had reserved most of the best spots, though we were at least able to get a reservation every night. But having to interrupt the flow of the afternoon to stand in line instead of getting it booked at breakfast time wasn't ideal.

denise&john wrote:WI Couple

We will be there at the same time -- September 14 to 20.

Perhaps we connect with a member and get a group reservation. Nothing like having 3 couples enjoying good food and wine, followed by great dancing, and then fun times in the jacuzzi.

We are not members, but if I was a member I would book a reservation every evening for at least 4 if not 6 and then pull along other couples we met during the day for dinner. Just saying.

We're there the same dates as you. And this is a great idea - we need to make friends right away with members!

beachnbaja wrote:

ContentTwo wrote:The dining reservations - or lack thereof - are a deal-breaker for us. We usually go to RM anyway. But even if we were thinking about going back to Pearl, there’s no way we would book a trip with this policy in place. There are ways to incentivize memberships, but those incentives should be upgrades and add-ons. You don’t incentivize memberships by downgrading a standard service. What an incredibly poor decision.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed that this idiocy doesn’t spread to RM.

Curious what this is like at RM? No reservations? Or do they do the same "run to breakfast in the morning"? Are dining times not an issue there?

Not a big deal at RM since they have a buffet restaurant that is never full for dinner.

ThatPNWcouple wrote:

beachnbaja wrote: Curious what this is like at RM? No reservations? Or do they do the same "run to breakfast in the morning"? Are dining times not an issue there?

We just returned last week from 5 nights at DRM. We no longer bother with Salo. It just takes too damn long and while the food is good (some very good), it just isn't worth it (unless we want to spend some special time with friends). The Hibachi tables at Suki are nothing special and we prefer to order from the Suke menu once visit on each trip. But, we actually ate at the main buffet every night (except the members night) and found the food quality to be greatly improved. My wife has food allergies and the chefs were diligent about catering to her, even preparing a special dessert one evening. Kudos to Christian, the chef at the poolside lunch restaurant who went above and beyond in every way. (THANKS!)

We're booked for a few nights at Pearl in October. Hoping it's not a disappointment. Years ago we spent a few days at Pearl and thought the food presentation was much more creative than DRM was at that time.

But bottom line is we don't go for the food. We go to spend time with friends! And I'm sure we won't go hungry.