We just completed our second short get away trip (four nights April 22-26) of the year, following up to March's four night stay. While we envy those who are able to stay for more than a week, it's not in the cards for us at this point.
This was the third trip of 2021 and maybe our seventh overall. Seventh or eighth. I forget. And while we've pretty much seen and done it all with the resort (or thought so), we continue to see Desire as a great way to recharge and reconnect and will, therefore, be looking forward to next month's trip.
Preamble aside, here's what we saw, did, etc on the latest visit.
TRAVEL
Connection through Atlanta and then down to CUN. No real issues on the flight other than we picked a later itinerary to facilitate being in the office for several hours prior to departure. That choice got us into Cancun just after 6:30 and so we once again hired the expedited customs service. Good results again (that makes 2 out of 3 times) as we were met at the jet bridge and then were shaking hands with USA Travel 12 minutes later after being walked through the customs hall lines by the concierge.
Met up with USA Travel and were taken straight to the SUV for the drive over to Pearl. Non-eventful drive over and the driver was pleasant and safe.
The return trip was more of the same as USA was at the resort at 5:30 waiting on us to drag our bags (and selves) up to the lobby for departure.
Only notable observation from the return travel was the super aggressive porters at the airport (literally attempting to take bags out of your hands to "help you" get to the door). Outside of that I'm pretty sure you have to be a world class jackass to be a TSA agent at the ATL airport when coming through customs and connecting. This is back to back trips where the 'officers' were inconsistent with instruction and rude to the entire line of people. Not worth engaging them, but man...somebody needs some medication or manners or some combination thereof.
Moving on to more pleasant interactions/experiences...
CHECK IN/CHECK OUT
We arrived after normal business hours and so check-in was at the front desk. We came in and had the bags checked and sanitized. Had a quick temperature check, and signed the various/usual forms outlining the rules, policies, etc. Champaign offered with bottles of water (they know I don't drink all that much) No more than 10 minutes and we were walking over to the room after saying hello to the bar tenders in the lobby and a few roaming staffers we've gotten to know.
Same smooth experience when we checked out. We scanned the mandatory health forms at the resort to avoid doing so at the airport and had our COVID tests/attestation forms printed as well. Quick review of the bill and swipe of the card and we're in the car and off to the airport.
Because we come to leave at the unholy hour we did, the staff wasn't there. No matter, they sent a security guard to help us get the bags down to the lobby. Resort was eerily quiet, but still saw maintenance workers out beginning their work in hushed tones. A testament to how much gets done behind the scenes by the staff.
ROOM
Second time in the penthouse, this time in Room 75 which is on the quiet side. There's pluses and minuses to everything, of course, and we enjoyed the views of the ocean and sitting in the hot tub at 5 in the morning most days (with laptop on the side so we could work before breakfast). If you're going to work, it's kind of nice to do so listening to the ocean and watching the sun come up. The room is essentially a master suite with 1.5 bathrooms instead of two full ones. That can be a drawback when the fairer sex's primping may or may not align with the space time continuum in the way of things like "dinner reservation times" and "schedules" and other such phenomena. Only other 'downside' is when said fairer sex is in heels, some of those stairs can be an adventure.
Shower is a bit tiny, but the water faucet is far more forgiving than in other rooms. Warm water takes a more gradual ramp up to nuclear/melt your skin. Plus you have a dual shower head (main and handheld) if that's important to you. The closet is similar to the mansion setup (not same furnishings, obviously) in that it's in the main bathroom with safe mounted to wall. Plenty of storage and hangers and such.
We don't usually use the room service menu other than for a snack before dinner (chips and salsa), but when ordered the service was fast and drinks were chilled/cold.
One interesting observation is the different channel lineups in the different rooms. Seems to vary by building. Not a big deal, but notable. You go from Spanish channels to sports (lots of soccer, which for us is great), to a few English speaking US channels to some HBO variations to...hardcore porn. That being said, I think we may have had the tube on twice in four days.
TYPICAL DAY TO DAY AT DESIRE
There's definitely an uptick in occupancy since we started coming last year. Hot tub is very full most nights. Pools is also pretty full as are the chairs surrounding it. Still, if you like to create or otherwise find your own personal bubble while still being close enough to soak it all up there's a place for you.
Activities are beginning to open up more and more as well with playmakers getting more participation from the bigger crowds. We played water volleyball, beach volleyball, water polo, did water aerobics (her, not me), played corn hole, did some trivia games, and on and on.
We weren't as busy during days as usual as we had some other things planned that took away from being at the pool. Still, our chairs were ready for us when we arrived on Friday morning thanks to the pool concierge's efforts. Umbrellas go up earlier these days as it's getting very warm down there. Pool remains lively for most of the day up until around 4 when people migrate to the hot tub.
The beach had a TON of seaweed but the staff was cleaning at every turn. The barrier is keeping the swimming area clear for the most part, but overnight it washes up. Looks like it's going to be an ongoing battle, but one that is manageable (and is being mitigated).
Had we not planned several extras this trip - photos, lessons, dinners, massage - we'd have done the usual arrive early, hang, eat, play, then head back to room around 4 (when the hot tub population swells) to get ready for dinner before heading out for the night.
THEME NIGHTS
We participated in Neon, Casino (Bunnies), Latin, and Schoolgirl nights. Neon remains my favorite. DJs were good. Participation in the early show in the lobby was good for the most part.
There were groups shows this time - Kia on the trapeze, Yuni doing bellydancing, and then the usual dance groups doing the performances. All four were great, but Kia's show was incredible. Very impressive and the kind of thing you'd expect to see at Cirque du Soleil.
After the shows we'd usually hang in the disco for 45 minutes but after that it really began to clear out (for the second straight trip) as people headed to hot tub or elsewhere. By 11:45 most nights there were only a handful of couples left. The sin/red/whatever room wasn't overly utilized it didn't seem like.
Still, a lot of fun and we enjoy participating each night.
EXTRAS
Even though it was a short trip we did some extras. First up was a photoshoot with Provoke that took most of Friday. We started around 9:30 and finished up around 2:45 or 3. We did a lot of experimental stuff that took a while to get the hang of, but the results were terrific. We shot with Jahel and several Provoke staffers. All of whom were great. Both of us really enjoy being around creative people and the whole troupe fits that description. Once we had all the pics completed and reviewed, we were thrilled with the results. There was a lot of collaboration and give and take, but that's what made it so much fun.
We also did the bondage massage with Elodia and Cecile (two females) which was a hit. Last visit was our first experience with tow females and the boss/wife/warden prefers that pairing. That preference was reinforced this time as the hour flew by and was a ton of fun. We've learned that mixing up the massage to around 40/60 of regular massage and erotic component works well. The bondage aspect of it continues to vary in terms of intensity, but this time it felt as though there was more heavy duty materials in play (straps, restraints, masks, etc). Anyway, wife swears she'll maintain the pairing and setting and such from here forward. That's cool, I go where I'm told.
She also had the chance to do a pole dancing class with Yuni during the afternoon. I, who don't look quite as fetching in a pole dancing outfit, was relegated to watching the class. Yuni is extremely talented (not to mention athletic) but was also very thorough with her instructions and encouragement. By the end of the hour there was a very passable and entertaining routine in play before me.
The last extra we took part in was another champaign dinner with Miguel. Five course dinner in the disco in which you pair and learn about red and white wine as well as champaign. We samples a few bottles and discussed/learned how they interacted with the various dishes prepared by the resort's head chef. Great way to spent 2.5 hours. And for dessert you get to douse the wife with bottles of champaign in a bathtub while the DJ has the lights, smoke and sound system going. You know, how most dinners end. Side note, the look on Cesar and Charlie's face when they walked in to set up the disco mid-shower was pretty priceless. Makes/made for a great set of pics and videos.
OTHER THOUGHTS/MISCELLANEOUS
- The crowd was decidedly younger this go round. In March it was a more mature grouping. This time I'd say the top of the age bellcurve was probably upper 40s.
- As usual there are different folks and therefor different strokes (pun not intended). I'm always amazed at the variety of backgrounds we run into. For the most part there were a lot of great people at the resort this time. Most all were respectful and could handle their business as it were (i.e. manners). There were a few exceptions which were more comical than not. Example: Dude sitting at the bar and attempts to hit on wife and friend with the following: "All you need to get a woman to do what you want is something that's six inches with a big head...it's a $100 bill." He then asks them for a blowjob in exchange from $100. Smooth. With that kind of game it's a wonder you're resorting to soliciting prostitution from total strangers, Casanova.
- For the first time we joined one of those social media groups leading into the trip. Won't be doing that again as the creep factor is off the charts.
- The pier is still in bad shape. I walked out on it around 6 AM one morning, bypassing the gate. It's sturdy to a point but after that the left side supports appear to have given out. No idea when or if they plan to fix it other than "later this year".
- Hot tub was pleasant this time. Bubbles were plentiful and powerful and heat was nice. Not scalding, but very nice for late night happenings.
- Foam part on Saturday was a lot of fun as always. Wind can sometimes make it a challenge, however.
- Maybe around 15 percent of the guests were yellow banded.