Newbie Trip Report: Dec 1-Dec 5, 2014

[BeantownNewbs]

We just got back from a 4 night stay at DP and had a great experience.

This trip report includes details, thoughts and perspectives from Mr. BeantownNewbs. As our profile name indicates, we have never been to a c/o resort or anyplace like Desire, although I have been to Temptation myself. A little background on us: we are in our 40’s-50’s and while we have known each other for approximately 5 years, we have been in an exclusive committed relationship for about 3 months. So, visiting Desire was a big unknown in terms of the potential impact on our relationship.

This was also our first vacation together. Frankly, when we were evaluating vacation options, and I suggested DP and a link to the Desire Pearl website, these forums, certain of the trip reports here (especially from other newbie) and TripAdvisor reviews. Ultimately, I was surprised Ms. BeantownNewbs opted in DP, but her sense of adventure and exploration is one of the things that I love about her.
Still, we were skeptical and I am sure she was a little worried about the lifestyle/swinging component and the nudity. But by day two, she was naked in the Jacuzzi and overall felt very comfortable, although she elected to keep her bathing suit on at the pool during the day. We conversed and met great people, independent of clothing or no clothing. We met people at the restaurant, pool, in the Jacuzzi, and by the bar outside the disco. We shared our scotch and port one late afternoon in the Jacuzzi and it was a big hit. Chatting and getting to know others was certainly one of the highlights – we even did some soft swap one night, but otherwise enjoyed a very sensuous vacation together.

OK, so for other perspectives and experiences, from the rooms to our first ever erotic massage, here goes – (I realize that for many, Desire is really only primarily about the c/o and swinging dimension, so virtually all the other factors mentioned below are basically irrelevant). Still, I believe there’s a subset (10-20%) that cares about the quality of the food, beverage, and amenities and would veen pay a premium for it. Frankly, we learned that the resorts average operating cost per day per person is $136 (including food, beverage, staff, electricity, etc.). I think they can do better for $136, or I would prefer they spend another $50-100 and just charge more and deliver a more premium experience. That’s just my personal opinion and I realize it’s a minority opinion. We still had a great time, so here’s the nuts and bolts of our trip report (pics to follow once I learn how to load them):

Transfers: pick up by USA transfers booked on this site was slow at the Cancun airport: we probably had to wait about 15 minutes and were anxious to get out of the sun and to the resort. That’s really too long. I don’t think I’d use them again: they are too big. We found the USA rep right away who found our reservation w/o a problem, about 5 minutes later and said our driver would be there in 5-7 minutes; about 5 mins later, another rep showed up and seemingly started the process again. No idea what was behind that disorganization. Return was flawless. USA wanted to schedule pick up at the hotel for 2 hours and 45 mins before departure and we settled on 2 hours, which was still plenty early, allowing for tequila tasting (including a $500 bottle) and shopping at Duty Free.

Hotel Check In: our check-in process at DP was among our biggest disappointments, despite a very warm and enthusiastic welcome from Emmanuel, who was always around with a big smile. I had checked in online 15 days before arrival and made numerous specific room requests (which turned out to be different from what we would now request, having visited the resort, but that’s not the point). We were in a Master Suite and requested a ground floor room, and then specific buildings in priority. We were assigned room 28, which was a 3rd floor Master Suite in the closest bldg. to the Spa, and is probably the worst room in the hotel. Not only was it not ground floor, but the highest up of any room besides a penthouse suite, but it wasn’t even an ocean view: the view from our bedroom balcony, which didn’t even have any furniture on it, was a combination Jacuzzi and a palm tree view – no ocean in sight. While I realize that the resort doesn’t guarantee that room requests will be honored, and to some extent, the room assignment process is the luck of the draw, my conclusion is that the advance room requests were totally ignored in before our arrival, because you’d never assign this room to someone that had pre-requested a ground floor room as their #1 priority, and there’s just no excuse not to even make the effort to pre-block rooms based on advance requests. OK, well, we had no choice and took this room for the 1st night and then moved to room #5 only ½ flight up, overlooking the pool and yes, the ocean (phew). We loved this room.

The room(s): as others have reported, are nice and spacious. The suite living room is a little under-used, but more space provides a sense of space which is positive and having two full bathrooms is a major plus. Whether this is worth an effective premium of $158/night (after discount) is debatable, but we did appreciate the benefit of the extra bathroom. On a somewhat humorous side note, there was one bottle of bath products in the shower in the suite bathroom shower (the same bottle type in both room 28 and room 5) and I presumed it was shampoo, only to learn two days later that the bath product assortment consists of 4 bottles (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion) and I had been using body wash as shampoo, because I didn’t take my glasses into the shower and was unable to read the label, and otherwise assumed the housekeeping staff would have placed shampoo in the shower, at a minimum. I don’t understand why they don’t fully stock the second bathroom with all 4 products – without having to make a special request – and certainly don’t understand why they choose body wash as the one item to place on the shelf in the shower. Separately, the beds are fine, nothing special, the pillows are too hard, and the sheets/linens may be 300 count, but also nothing special. The robes are a disaster, IMO. They look silly on, and are not soft or comfortable. Don’t know which committee made this selection.

Food: we were disappointed in the food, across the board. The kitchen was trying hard, but substantially missed the mark, given the price, in our opinion. We are somewhat foodies and certainly enjoy and seek out good restaurants, both at home and in our travels, and there was little that was distinctive or wow about the food. I think we each went wow once: over mushroom soup for dinner at Aphrodite. We ate at the Pearl restaurant for 3 out of 4 nights: French, Mediterranean, and Aphrodisiac menus, and once at Aphrodite, which was the steak-themed menu. Lunches were ok, but still disappointing: the pizzas were soggy and not very flavorful; the best thing was probably the BLT. On the other hand, the service was generally excellent and the restaurant staff, from the Maitre ‘ds to the waiters, were extremely friendly, especially JJ at the Pearl. Also, we ordered a Caribbean lobster tail for $40 as a supplement (grilled, w melted butter and garlic sauce on the side), and it was excellent (and huge). In addition, the presentation/plating was very well executed and menus were sophisticated, just not prepared with great flavor or the right flavors (generally).

Wine: As has been said by many others, the house wine is not very good and not consistent in price/quality with the level of the other alcohol available. There is plenty of other wine available for purchase, but at a high markup. IMO, if you are going to have poor wines as your free wine option, you should SIGNIFICANTLY reduce the upcharge for people interested and willing to pay a premium for better wine – cover your costs and add a small profit, but make it an amenity, not a profit center (400% markup?). Fortunately, we read in advance about the wines and brought our own, together with a bottle of scotch, champagne, and a 20 year old tawny port. Needless to say, our bags were much lighter for our return trip.

Pool: The pool is the center of the daytime experience, where all the activities are held (except beach volleyball), but given that, there are probably only about 40-50 lounge chairs around the Aphrodite side of the pool, where most people want to be, including about a third of reserved for Premier members. So by default, that leaves many people disappointed. Little they can do about that. In this case, Victor is your best friend: scout him down and take care of him and he will take care of you. The pool is not heated and is a little chilly, which I found disappointing, as I would have spent more time lounging in the pool. Otherwise, the pool area is very nice.

Staff: one of the best things about DP is the friendliness and talent of the staff, especially including the entertainment and activities staff. Simple awesome across the board. Desire does a cool thing by providing free rooms to specialists, like the yoga teacher and the couples massage teacher, in return for services, so I include Pamela (yoga) and Lisa (massage) in this accolade.

Erotic Massage: there are many accurate reports of the erotic massage. We scheduled ours for day one at 4pm. The list price is $350 and we used a $150 coupon, for a net price of $200. It was a great experience and a great way to ease into Desire, but it’s overpriced and isn’t really a massage. There was about 10 mins of light touching face down and then we turned over for about 10 mins of light, erotic feather touching on our fronts, including pubic areas and penetration, and then they pushed the tables and us together and stayed in the room for about 10 mins and we four hands all over us as we made love together. Then they left us alone. We would have preferred they stayed until we were done, but what are you going to do. After thoroughly enjoying ourselves, we went to the private hot tub in the room for some sparkling Mexican wine (not cold, but later replaced) and chocolate covered strawberries (4 or 6 on a plate). We relaxed for about 20+ min and enjoyed the hot tub, before joining a somewhat thinning scene in the Jacuzzi, which was our first group naked Jacuzzi experience. We met some people and ended up having dinner with one couple. I forget whether Ms. BeantownNewbs went naked or not…I think she did, she’s not so sure, and the next day, she was in a bathing suit, and then day 3 in the Jacuzzi she was naked, while on day 4, she was wearing a bathing suit again, partly because she was a little cold.

Free Massage: we had our 25 free massages ($86 value) on Day 3 at 5:30. I probably would have made it later or earlier, as it interrupted the Jacuzzi scene. We probably got about 20 mins of back-only massage, which felt good and it was nice to have. Might have been a good idea to upgrade this to a one hour massage.

Weather: I thought the temp was great: 81/82, during the day and low 70s at night. It did rain (pour) for most of day 2 – the highlight of which was a pole dancing class for Ms. BeantownNewbs who turned out to be a natural and was great to watch.

Management: we addressed some of our perspectives and experiences with Paloma, the gust services manager. She took notes and was very nice and totally surprised us with roses and love towels on our beds that evening, and a bottle of sparkling wine. We felt heard by her and that she cared, and really enjoyed meeting and talking with her, and her extra touches were very much appreciated.

Membership Presentation: Very interesting and very nicely presented. Seems like a reasonable value proposition if you plan on committing to 1-2 trips to Desire for the next 5+ years. We decided we were not prepared to make that commitment.

Other: I’ll probably come up with other recollections…we enjoyed the disco…the sin room wasn’t our thing, and Desire is really about people, people, people. Desire offers a lot and you can really get out of it whatever you want – if you participate in activities and do more, I think you’ll have more fun and meet more people (I really enjoyed playing water basketball), but if you want to just hang up alone on the beach and have mostly private intimate experiences, you can do that too.

[BeantownNewbs]

Room 28 View from Bedroom Balcony of Jacuzzi and Palm Tree (no ocean):


Room 28 Blalcony (no furniture):


Room 5 Pool and Ocean View (bedroom patio):


Red House Wines ($5 market price):


Surprise Heart and Roses Bed:


Activities List (Tuesday):


Partial Red Wine List:


Surprise Thank You Desert (last night):

[BeantownNewbs]

Looks like either time or some helper (CokeMann?) uploaded the pics...Thanks!

FYI: prices on the wine list are in Mexican Pesos (divide by 13 for USD). $40 Caribbean lobster surcharge and massage prices referenced above were in USD.

[CokeMann]

Admin Note FYI - I have fixed your image links so that they now work

Also for your reference here is how to post picture links from Flickr that will work
1. From your Flickr album select the picture you want to share
2. click the download icon bottom right of the Flickr screen
3. Select view all sizes
4. choose and click an appropriate size (ie Medium 640)
5. when that image displays right click in the picture and select "View Image"

Now Copy the URL that is displayed in your browser bar and that is the link to the image

Paste the Image in your post then highlight the full link and select(click) the Img tool from the posting tools
It should look like this:

Code: Select all

[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7527/15934929686_3f51267fb6_z.jpg[/img]

[BeantownNewbs]

Admin Note FYI - I have fixed your image links so that they now work

Also for your reference here is how to post picture links from Flickr that will work
1. From your Flickr album select the picture you want to share
2. click the download icon bottom right of the Flickr screen
3. Select view all sizes
4. choose and click an appropriate size (ie Medium 640)
5. when that image displays right click in the picture and select "View Image"

Now Copy the URL that is displayed in your browser bar and that is the link to the image

Paste the Image in your post then highlight the full link and select(click) the Img tool from the posting tools
It should look like this:

Code: Select all

[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7527/15934929686_3f51267fb6_z.jpg[/img]

Mucho gracias!

[feverpair]

i assume those wines are off the all inclusive list?

[BeantownNewbs]

i assume those wines are off the all inclusive list?

Yes, that is a pic of a page from the supplemental wine list. There also is a supplemental premium drink list with bottle and glass prices for premium whiskeys, tequilas, vodkas, cognacs, etc.

For example, I think JW Blue was about $37/glass...this is in addition to the fact that there's supposedly some value to free drinks...but is typical for restaurant pricing where it generally goes for $35-45/glass, or more.

[Scamp&Cabanaboy]

Wow, even at 13:1, those wine prices are a huge markup. I'm curious if you have recommendations on how you packed your wine and liquor in your suitcase so that it didn't get broken on the way down. We brought rum home from St. Martin once and one of the bottles was broken when we got our luggage.

[BeantownNewbs]

First, I took a soft terry cloth bathrobe and used it to line the inside of a suitcase. My bags fly free, so I dedicated a suitcase to alcohol. Another benefit was that Ms. BeantownNewbs had a plush bathrobe. I then use the material and sleeves creatively to protect the wine. In the end, the bag was packed tightly, so the bottles didn't jiggle. I may have used another piece of clothing to create more insulation and help separate the bottles from clinking together. I figured there was a chance something could break, but somewhat low. I bought a bottle of whiskey en route.

[feverpair]

Can you not just pick up duty free when you arrive in Cancun rather than buy it at home and pack it in your luggage?

In response to the trip report. Overall it paints a very different picture of what most others say about the resort. We have never been, yet, our first and most likely only visit will be in May 15. Reading your report would make most think twice about going, especially from far flung places like the UK, it is actually a very expensive couple of weeks, rather than a cheap trip for 3 or 4 days from the US.

After reading lots of other reviews on here and trip advisor, Pearl appears, in the main, very popular and liked. So, do you visit much higher level hotels than most, hence why the service and facilities at Pearl feel lower in their standards?

Obviously, we are all entitled to an opinion, and no opinion is right or wrong, but when looking forward to what most would say is a great place to visit, even one negative review will un nerve those yet to visit.

[BeantownNewbs]

Can you not just pick up duty free when you arrive in Cancun rather than buy it at home and pack it in your luggage?

Yes, there is duty free shop at the entrance to the arrivals lounge/baggage claim. I doubt they have an extensive wine selection (any?) but you'll do fine w tequilas and other popular spirits.

[Beach girl]

The rooms are very nice, not the Four Seasons but very nice. You can't always control the height of the trees hence blocking your view. The food is very good and most enjoyable. Maybe not what you'd find at a 5 Star restaurant in NYC but very good. Never had a problem finding a chair. The wine is okay, not great but okay. I agree they should upgrade their wine or lower the ridiculous price they charge. With all that being said we don't go for the food or the wine or the room that we spend very little time in. We are not in the lifestyle. However, we go for the fun and sexy vibe and great people. Which is what you'll find! Quite sure most will agree with me. Don't hesitate, make the trip and have fun.

[CokeMann]

Can you not just pick up duty free when you arrive in Cancun rather than buy it at home and pack it in your luggage?

Just a FYI - Mexico does not apply duty to booze or wine so you will find that the price of either is cheaper at the local Cancun Walmart or La Europea than at the airport "duty free" shops - lol - you will also find a better selection of each at these shops compared to the airport "duty free" shops.

[mrstommer]

While I appreciate your report, I beg to differ with your review. It is unfortunate that you did not find the food and wine offerings to be sublime, which they certainly are, by many accounts. At least, you did comprehend how hard the staff work to make us happy while we are their guests. They make many of us feel like we are 'home', or as we wish our home could be.

We all need to remember that patience is a virtue, and to wait 15 minutes for something isn't really that long, after all, we are alive and well, and whether on our way to Desire, or are waiting for dinner to be excellently prepared, we are in one of the most lovely beaches and resorts around Cancun. IF your tastes are more exclusive and upper crust, than I hope you find your place. For many of us, this is a most divine place.

Cheers!

[BeantownNewbs]

Can you not just pick up duty free when you arrive in Cancun rather than buy it at home and pack it in your luggage?

Yes, but I suspect Duty Free wines are very limited, but CokeMann makes a good point, that for $30, you can pay for a stopover at Walmart and buy your own wines. However, I found it very easy to bring my own...but to each his own.

In response to the trip report. Overall it paints a very different picture of what most others say about the resort. We have never been, yet, our first and most likely only visit will be in May 15. Reading your report would make most think twice about going, especially from far flung places like the UK, it is actually a very expensive couple of weeks, rather than a cheap trip for 3 or 4 days from the US.

So, a whole bunch of things. We had a great time...and I went out of my way to say this...but it is an expensive resort and I think the resort drops the ball on certain fronts that could be easily corrected or improved and it would be better if done, and I would pay more for better food and execution. But the hotel's formula works for most and works very well. The resort is basically sold out constantly and/or operates at very high occupancy. Most people just don't care: they get decent free booze, decent food, and a lot of sex in an atmosphere that is very cool and unusual.

After reading lots of other reviews on here and trip advisor, Pearl appears, in the main, very popular and liked. So, do you visit much higher level hotels than most, hence why the service and facilities at Pearl feel lower in their standards?

Yes, I would tend to stay at a St. Regis or Four Seasons or Aman, or a boutique 5* resort, or even a W (Desire is lower quality than even W, IMO) which would have better to wow food, much nicer linens et al, for not much of a difference in price. As a businessman, I say cudos to the owners of Desire for hitting it out of the ballpark as a business model, being such a money maker with a formula where people are thrilled and just don't care about this other stuff and/or sacrifice in these areas. I mean, not even having a heated pool is a simple example of being chincey, IMO, and getting a way with it. No reason for it but money. If they had a warmer heated pool, they would have more people playing games in the pool and just lounging for hours on end in the pool and by the pool bar and hugging each other and being/feeling romantic in the pool. That wasn't happening. I do realize some people like it cool, but not the majority and a non-heated pool is not the standard for a luxury hotel. And, I did play water basketball and had a great time and my body got adjusted to the pool temp...but virtually everyone getting into the pool said something initially about the water shock, to which the activities director responded over the microphone that it's "refreshing," but a warmer pool would encourage more daytime pool socializing vs just 4:30-6:30 pm jacuzzi socializing -- during the day, there are very few people in the pool (like fewer than half a dozen on average, ignoring game times). My same point goes for the wines and the food...although on the food front, I think they could deliver much better food at approximately the same cost with the right chef (who may cost more in salary, but I can't imagine that amounts to a lot more on a per person basic -- possibly negligible).

Obviously, we are all entitled to an opinion, and no opinion is right or wrong, but when looking forward to what most would say is a great place to visit, even one negative review will un nerve those yet to visit.

You should absolutely go and look forward to it! It is an amazing and unique experience. I am surprised you think this is a negative review? It's an overall highly positive review in spite of some negative and some disappointing experiences. Ms. BeantownNebs and I became closer together and left with smiles on our faces and more love between us! Personally, I think there's a market for "DesireLuxe" -- turning things up a notch and a little more expensive. Most of the people there are happy with the level and quality of the food and would rather pay less and just mingle and have fun. I still suspect 10-20% of the market would rather have the level of experience I am describing and alluding to. But I don't expect the resort to change much, because they are making too much money with this current formula, although the employees really do seem to care and try their best and that rubs off. I don't think they really know what to do. In perspective, this is a small hotel chain: 4 resorts, all relatively small...very successful, but perhaps they don't recruit enough people with more global and extensive hotel operations and management.