We returned from Pearl yesterday after our first visit (four nights). We really appreciate all the reports here. Because of you all, we were pretty prepared and had a good idea what to expect. So rather than recap the whole trip, here's the things that stand out that were maybe a little different than we could have expected. (For better or worse.)
BETTER:
1. The Ocean View room was very comfortable and nice. We travel for business all the time and get to stay in some nice hotels. But really there's just no good reason we can imagine to pay for more unless you plan to entertain.
2. The WIFI was excellent in our room. (Room 87...high up at the far end of the resort.) We'd read that it was only good in the Lobby. It must have been upgraded. We streamed Deep Tracks on YouTube non-stop (bring a speaker!) and it was cool to have WIFI.
3. The food was better than we expected. The Brazilian BBQ was really good in Aphrodite (only dinner we did there). The lunch buffet was very nice. Good salad options, fresh fruit and veggies, nice hot entrees and sides. The burger was below average. Desserts were okay. The Bistro was really good. We only did it one night...but probably would do at least 2 next time. We enjoyed our dinners in Pearl...though not as much as the others.
4. More guys dressed in theme than we expected. Some were hilarious. Kudos, dudes! (We were especially glad since we both dressed up.)
5. The entertainment was really good. The guy playing electric violin was amazing. The entertainment staff really did an amazing job of making everyone feel welcome, included, and "special."
6. The pool was warmer than expected. Really warm. Like almost tub warm. Like no way you could be cold even for a second getting into it during the day.
7. The bartender staff and drink runners were really cool dudes. Super friendly.
8. Pool volleyball was really fun. (Do it!)
9. The walk to Puerto Morelos was nice along the beach.
10. The photography session was even better than the high expectations had us anticipating. Definitely do it! We ended up with some very treasured pics....including one or two that were even family friendly :-).
11. It was really easy to duck the membership sales pitch. (Just booked it for our last day at 1030am...and called around 10am to say we weren't coming.) End of story.
12. Folks were welcoming. It was relatively easy to join conversations in the pool and hot tub. We also were invited to a party at a Penthouse. That was fun (thanks J&N!). But in general there was less sexual energy at the resort than we expected. (We aren't very aggressive, so we would need to feed off the group to make much happen...and that didn't really materialize.) That said, we had a super sexy time focusing on each other and wouldn't hesitate to visit again. (Probably RM for variety and comparison.)
WORSE:
1. The playroom was a write off. (We'd heard it was lame...but it was really lame.)
2. We never saw a body shot :-(. Guess we could have gotten that party started.... But we're not quite that out there.
3. There was very little public sex...and even less apparent swinging. We were at the hot tub each day, including both evening and late night. (Though not every night both.)
4. Not really worse, but the age skewed older than we expected. Could've been the week we were there so close to Christmas. But it certainly helped make this 53/48 yo couple pretty comfortable (lol). But we did feel for the 20/30-something couples (but I guess they knew what to expect/didn't mind since they were returning couples).
5. The photography is REALLY expensive if you want a bunch of shots. While we'd heard the packages were negotiable...and we're sure they are...but our idea of a fair price didn't even warrant a counter offer. I guess it was unintentionally insulting. We gave up quickly and ended up with only 10 at the rack rate.
6. We chatted with swingers who had made more effort to survey couples in our age range...and were told that very few were in the lifestyle. (They had visited RM before and felt this was a lot more tame.) Whether it's a normal difference or not, who knows. But we might be inclined to try RM next time as we wouldn't mind a bit more wild.
Overall, we had a great trip and will look for another chance to go before too long. Hugs to all the folks we met! Thanks again for all the advice on this forum.