About the DJ...

[chicagoan69]

We went to DP last year and had heard the DJs weren't great. I'll be honest: the DJs were awesome--and it was the hotel guests who weren't great. A DJ has to get a feel for a room and, IMO, unfortunately everyone leaves the dance floor too fast and doesn't give the DJ a few songs to figure out the room!

For all of you who say the DJ sucks--did you make a few requests? Did you try and dance and he kept disappointing you?

We went to the show, then the DJ played a few songs. People left QUICKLY! They didn't give him a chance. So probably 10 songs in (post show), it was me and my DH and that was just weird. So we started to leave and the DJ randomly played one of my favorite songs as we were walking out. I made my DH turn around and we danced....and then the DJ played another amazing song. Then we started requesting songs and we essentially had a private DJ for THREE HOURS!

We ended up there until the dance floor was closed and we were the only ones in the room ( except for the random people who would walk in and be scared because it was empty and leave). We had sex in the Sin Room a couple times and it was amazing. We couldn't believe that NO ONE ELSE bothered to come dance or check out the SIN ROOM.

The DJ has to be there until a certain time each night....so why not have a request list ready and be in the mood to dance and have sex? Don't be negative! The DJ is there to make everyone happy! But if you have no favorite songs, or just want him to guess what you like--you will be disappointed.

ChiWolve and I are planning our request list now! Can't wait!

[Don't mean to criticize--just want everyone to think about the DJ in a new frame of mind!]

[tspad]

With all due respect....... I completely disagree with your opinion.

When we visited the DJ played the same 5-10 songs every night at the start of his set. I agree that he needs to see what the temp of the room is, but please give me a break.

Enough with BLURRED LINES twice a night, every night.

[ksr]

We like to dance and have found that most all-inclusive resorts, (c/o or not), don’t have discos. So, it’s great that Pearl has a full-on disco. After 5 trips to Pearl we have found that the music is about the same every night and for the most part, we don’t enjoy the music that is played in the disco. Judging from crowd reaction, neither do most of the other folks in the disco. Once the disco thins out, I give the DJ $20 and he plays our requests until we stop dancing. So, kudos for having a disco, but the lame music sure could use an improvement.

[J&K]

With all due respect....... I completely disagree with your opinion.

When we visited the DJ played the same 5-10 songs every night at the start of his set. I agree that he needs to see what the temp of the room is, but please give me a break.

Enough with BLURRED LINES twice a night, every night.

Totally agree with this opinion. I will even take it a step further. We have been there with a party crowd dancing the night away despite the repeats and the dj will go 100% Latin music when there isn't a Latin person on the dance floor. The floor clears and he continues. Almost like he was trying to get everyone to depart.

We too have had luck with making requests though AFTER he gets thru his standard songs. So at least he will do some requests.

But we come for the music festival second week of August because the partial takeover brings in Djs that play a variety and play to the crowd and this really amps the party up. Music fest starts on the 7th/8th and we arrive on the 10th. Can't wait!

[desireaddict]

If there is a "weak link" in the Desire Experience, it is the DJ in the disco at BOTH resorts.
We just came off of a week split between Pearl & DRM, and the music in the disco sucked.

Sunday at DRM, Willie the DJ, should just be shot because firing him would be too polite.
He absolutely doesn't give a f*ck about what the guests would like to hear and wouldn't even remove headphones to talk/listen.
The same evening, the band in the courtyard had well over 50% of the guests at the bar and tables up and dancing. That same crowd left the disco early.

Perhaps ever sadder than the "worthless" employee, is that management evidently doesn't give a f*ck either.

Sr. Martinez has done a good job as Gen Mgr since Martin Good retired. I think that overall there has been a small decline in the quality of things but not as great as I feared. This is just one example where "the little things" are left unattended instead of "fixed". Until there is some serious competition in the marketplace, they won't have to fix things. Like it or leave it.

[Cheers2US]

We went to DP last year and had heard the DJs weren't great. I'll be honest: the DJs were awesome--and it was the hotel guests who weren't great. A DJ has to get a feel for a room and, IMO, unfortunately everyone leaves the dance floor too fast and doesn't give the DJ a few songs to figure out the room! ...

For all of you who say the DJ sucks--did you make a few requests? Did you try and dance and he kept disappointing you? ...


The DJ has to be there until a certain time each night....so why not have a request list ready and be in the mood to dance and have sex? Don't be negative! The DJ is there to make everyone happy! But if you have no favorite songs, or just want him to guess what you like--you will be disappointed...

[Don't mean to criticize--just want everyone to think about the DJ in a new frame of mind!]

I have to disagree with this post. We were at DP last month for 7 days. Each night at the disco had the same handful of songs. They were songs I like/love, but it got annoying hearing the same songs, in practically the same sequence, night after night. By the 3rd or 4th night, I had a good chance of predicting the next song and getting it right.

Like I said, they were all great songs, but they are, by far, not the *only* great/popular songs out there. It seemed like the DJ had one playlist and would just press PLAY each night. Why bother having a DJ then? Anyone, the waiter, the bartender, the groundskeeper can press PLAY. A DJ is supposed to have a good MIX of music. I mean, it's good that he takes requests, but if you have to tell him what to play then why is he the DJ?

For anyone interested, the songs I heard every night included: "Blurred Lines" (by Robin Thick/Pharrell/TI), "Shots" (by LMFAO/Lil Jon), "Sexy and I Know it" (by LMFAO), "Party Rock" (by LMFAO), "Fireball" (by Pitbull), "Uptown Funk" (by Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars), "Despacito" (by Luis Fonsi/Daddy Yankee), "Danza Kuduro" (by Don Omar/Lucenzo), "Vivir Mi Vida" (by Marc Anthony), "Shake That" (by Eminim/Nate Dogg)

[ksr]

We went to DP last year and had heard the DJs weren't great. I'll be honest: the DJs were awesome--and it was the hotel guests who weren't great. A DJ has to get a feel for a room and, IMO, unfortunately everyone leaves the dance floor too fast and doesn't give the DJ a few songs to figure out the room! ...

For all of you who say the DJ sucks--did you make a few requests? Did you try and dance and he kept disappointing you? ...


The DJ has to be there until a certain time each night....so why not have a request list ready and be in the mood to dance and have sex? Don't be negative! The DJ is there to make everyone happy! But if you have no favorite songs, or just want him to guess what you like--you will be disappointed...

[Don't mean to criticize--just want everyone to think about the DJ in a new frame of mind!]

I have to disagree with this post. We were at DP last month for 7 days. Each night at the disco had the same handful of songs. They were songs I like/love, but it got annoying hearing the same songs, in practically the same sequence, night after night. By the 3rd or 4th night, I had a good chance of predicting the next song and getting it right.

Like I said, they were all great songs, but they are, by far, not the *only* great/popular songs out there. It seemed like the DJ had one playlist and would just press PLAY each night. Why bother having a DJ then? Anyone, the waiter, the bartender, the groundskeeper can press PLAY. A DJ is supposed to have a good MIX of music. I mean, it's good that he takes requests, but if you have to tell him what to play then why is he the DJ?

For anyone interested, the songs I heard every night included: "Blurred Lines" (by Robin Thick/Pharrell/TI), "Shots" (by LMFAO/Lil Jon), "Sexy and I Know it" (by LMFAO), "Party Rock" (by LMFAO), "Fireball" (by Pitbull), "Uptown Funk" (by Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars), "Despacito" (by Luis Fonsi/Daddy Yankee), "Danza Kuduro" (by Don Omar/Lucenzo), "Vivir Mi Vida" (by Marc Anthony), "Shake That" (by Eminim/Nate Dogg)

To funny/sad. Same songs 3 years in a row.

[Explorer79]

Like I said, they were all great songs, but they are, by far, not the *only* great/popular songs out there. It seemed like the DJ had one playlist and would just press PLAY each night. Why bother having a DJ then? Anyone, the waiter, the bartender, the groundskeeper can press PLAY. A DJ is supposed to have a good MIX of music. I mean, it's good that he takes requests, but if you have to tell him what to play then why is he the DJ?

This is what baffles me the most. Seems like the fun of being a DJ would be the opportunity to be creative, interact, improvise, not just press play. A good DJ knows how to give the crowd what it needs not what it thinks it wants. As you said anyone can grab a group of songs put them in a play list and hit play.

I'm genuinely curios to know the thought process (if any), makes no sense to me. We've seen it go from full dance floor 2 couples in about 30 seconds.

For anyone interested, the songs I heard every night included: "Blurred Lines" (by Robin Thick/Pharrell/TI), "Shots" (by LMFAO/Lil Jon), "Sexy and I Know it" (by LMFAO), "Party Rock" (by LMFAO), "Fireball" (by Pitbull), "Uptown Funk" (by Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars), "Despacito" (by Luis Fonsi/Daddy Yankee), "Danza Kuduro" (by Don Omar/Lucenzo), "Vivir Mi Vida" (by Marc Anthony), "Shake That" (by Eminim/Nate Dogg)

[TandD]

I imagine being a DJ would be a blast - for the first 30 days *back to back*.

He probably gets paid to be there for X hours - whether there are people on the dance floor or not. Desire doesn't sell more drinks the longer he keeps people in the club (in fact, it's arguably *cheaper* for the resort for him to get them to leave earlier).

So what's the incentive besides reducing the number of complaints on this message board?

[God, I'm getting cynical in my old age...]

[Workhardplayhard]

In defense of the DJ, at Pearl there are people of all ages and all cultures. We've seen the floor totally packed when he's played Latin music/salsa if there is a large Latin crowd. We've also seen the floor totally cleared by another Bee Gee's or disco song. I can definitely see why the DJs stick to the same-old-same-old.

I will say that I request songs frequently, and the DJ will play them when they fit with the previous song. Usually 6-7 songs after I make the request.

[J&K]

A good dj reads the dancefloor and the audience and adjusts. Playing the same songs every night regardless is lazy. I too fear that is the instruction to keep people happy for a little while and then move them onwards. For years I have been providing feedback on the music. Then the request board appeared poolside at Pearl. That was a nice add. Maybe if we all keep providing feedback a change will be made. It is worth a shot at least.

[Explorer79]

I imagine being a DJ would be a blast - for the first 30 days *back to back*.

He probably gets paid to be there for X hours - whether there are people on the dance floor or not. Desire doesn't sell more drinks the longer he keeps people in the club (in fact, it's arguably *cheaper* for the resort for him to get them to leave earlier).

So what's the incentive besides reducing the number of complaints on this message board?

[God, I'm getting cynical in my old age...]

I feel like that is the sad truth. The incentive should simply be the desire to continually strive to put the best experience out there, be great not just good enough. This feels like they are content with good enough. It should be obvious to anyone that sits and observes the dance floor that it could be much much better. Like I said, I've seen more collective energy with a group of vanillas at the makeshift dance floor at the local sushi bar.

In this case it's not even a $$$ issue, I'm sure there are plenty of good DJs available for the same cost, or at worst minimally more. Desire seems like a great place to work judging by the joviality of the staff. They could have their pick, it's just obviously not a priority. There is no more money to be gained from it so why bother. Unless of course it is to intentionally clear the room. I have a difficult (but not impossible) time believing that - if true would be pretty damn shitty.

If you look at the Desire disco in isolation then I can see how some would think it's fine, but when you actually start to compare it to other locations it's pretty easy to see the difference. There's really no excuse to not be able to work up a crowd as willing as the typical Desire crowd - it could be mind blowing - and the few times I've seen it approach that is not because of the DJ, it's because they had other performers / shows in there actually doing something with the crowd to get them worked up.

[MattKenzie]

We went to DP last year and had heard the DJs weren't great. I'll be honest: the DJs were awesome--and it was the hotel guests who weren't great. A DJ has to get a feel for a room and, IMO, unfortunately everyone leaves the dance floor too fast and doesn't give the DJ a few songs to figure out the room! ...

For all of you who say the DJ sucks--did you make a few requests? Did you try and dance and he kept disappointing you? ...


The DJ has to be there until a certain time each night....so why not have a request list ready and be in the mood to dance and have sex? Don't be negative! The DJ is there to make everyone happy! But if you have no favorite songs, or just want him to guess what you like--you will be disappointed...

[Don't mean to criticize--just want everyone to think about the DJ in a new frame of mind!]

I have to disagree with this post. We were at DP last month for 7 days. Each night at the disco had the same handful of songs. They were songs I like/love, but it got annoying hearing the same songs, in practically the same sequence, night after night. By the 3rd or 4th night, I had a good chance of predicting the next song and getting it right.

Like I said, they were all great songs, but they are, by far, not the *only* great/popular songs out there. It seemed like the DJ had one playlist and would just press PLAY each night. Why bother having a DJ then? Anyone, the waiter, the bartender, the groundskeeper can press PLAY. A DJ is supposed to have a good MIX of music. I mean, it's good that he takes requests, but if you have to tell him what to play then why is he the DJ?

For anyone interested, the songs I heard every night included: "Blurred Lines" (by Robin Thick/Pharrell/TI), "Shots" (by LMFAO/Lil Jon), "Sexy and I Know it" (by LMFAO), "Party Rock" (by LMFAO), "Fireball" (by Pitbull), "Uptown Funk" (by Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars), "Despacito" (by Luis Fonsi/Daddy Yankee), "Danza Kuduro" (by Don Omar/Lucenzo), "Vivir Mi Vida" (by Marc Anthony), "Shake That" (by Eminim/Nate Dogg)

Just returned from Pearl Tuesday evening. Cheers2US is spot on. There were other songs but I believe I can recall each and every song they just listed. We all were joking amongst ourselves about "where's the Pitbull?" and "is he going to play any Pitbull?"; we never had to wait too long. I'm a live music guy so i am not too caught up or knowledgeable on these tunes but I certainly learned enough about their style and didn't lose any sleep over any of it. It's Desire. We had fun. It won't stop us from returning.

On the positive side of all that, my wife loved hitting the dance floor with this music despite our joking about it. The other positive side to this was when she grew tired of the same songs on whatever particular night, we headed to the jacuzzi. It was a win-win as far as I was concerned.