Ents Staff Changes

@Jamie
I have pondered this post for days Mr Mayor, and vascillated whether to ISO your points.
And I completely understand the sentiments behind it.

We too have witnessed scenarios similar to what you detailed
And it has kinda bothered me, but I haven't vocalized it, as I thought it was just me that finds it un-hospitable.
So I appreciate you posting your thoughts.

There is an intense goal of winning and reigning supreme, emitted from the Ents Staff nowadays, that wasn't present in the past. (Other than the legend Chino)
And it can be uncomfortable and even kinda ugly when they drag out an event and cheat, in order to win.
And yes it is under the guise of humour and framed as just having Fun.
But it comes across in a different light.
They need to win and seemingly will stop at nothing to claim victory.

It discourages any subsequent guest participation and is also leading to apathy amongst the crowd.
'The staff will win, so no reason to pay attention", is becoming our pervasive thought during pool games.
And thusly the pool entertainment is becoming not very good.
And yes, you are right, it may be impactful on the ratio of returning guests.
Sure seems to dilute the "Let's Play" re-branding of which I chuckle about.

The last sentence of your post is very interesting and revealing.
We too have witnessed a vast exodus of regulars missing from various iconic groups and weeks since re-opening.
We have been 5 times since opening day.
And have overlapped some long-standing large major groups and renowned weeks.
It is very apparent lots of folks have stopped coming, and many who are there, say it is their last time.
They won'the be back.
Seems to be an epidemic.
Have the days of the big groups peaked at TTR and run their course?

I truly believe it was the cult-like loyalty to TTR that made it what it is.
The word of mouth and devout following created it's success.
But like a great restaurant that changes its menu and chef, the flavors change and the dependable regulars stop coming, and soon so will the crowds.
A crowd attracts a crowd, and with the determined push into Punta Cana, the patrons and famous groups will be further splintered.
I sense in another year or 2.....the big groups will be extinct and I am undecided if it is a good thing or not, if that does becomes reality.

I worry that TTR is slowly losing it's culture and uniqueness.
And the days of the place being a clone of any other Adult Only are rapidly approaching.

I realize this is rhetorical and perhaps Chicken-little venting
But your post Jamie has provided food for thought.
Thanks

 

@marshe
Very well stated indeed.
I totally agree with your take and in fact have pondered it myself.
And as you have posted, you have seen much and for a long time.
We have already noticed the change with our own group on 2 vists since the reno, and will most likely see more in next visits ( Aug and Nov).
As I have posted, even in response to you, I believe times are a chagin’ and I cannot quite figure the intent of the owners’ rebranding efforts.
And the only constant is change.

I do know this...follow de mone ($$$)!
Only time will tell.

 

We are about to venture out into the non original resorts world with a visit to the Greek isles next week. I am just hoping I have a pool bar and people to talk to and jen doesn’t feel uncomfortable in her thong topless. We are going to one of the best known party islands in the world, Mykonos, and I search and search for an adults only party cruise where we can try to capture maybe 50% of what the Boobs Cruise offers but I can find anything. Last time we did this we tried Live Aqua and wow what a disaster that was.

My point is while people get frustrated with change and maybe get driven to explore a little by that change, the true partiers at heart come back to TTR. Every time there is a post about what other options are out there never is there a concensus, a plan b, an option to compete. Sad but true. I think when you hang with crazy fun people and go to TTR for vacation where there are crazy fun people you begin to assume the rest of the world is like that. But then when you exit the party zone you realize shit it sucks out here and head right back to where it all began.

Ps. If anyone knows where to party in Mykonos or Santorini then please help me! Ha

 

@Jen&Kyle

Amen!
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.
Sometimes it’s Astroturf !

Please let us know what you find/experience out there.

Fact is change, at some pace, is inevitable.
The only thing that doesn’t change is death and taxes ( hell you even get taxed after you are dead).

 

On the flip side, I did meet new folks that said they would definitely be back.

Will they is the question still to be answered.

I'm also reminded that the pendulum swings....

There were years when we ourselves questioned if we would be back.

There were times when security was standing by the fun holes every afternoon and confrontations with the guests was a regular occurrence. In this case it was management trying to get control back over the goings on at the hotel. Much like now the guests felt they should be setting the rules and do whatever the hell they wanted, when they wanted and where they wanted. you know inmates running the asylum.

Then there were the years where everything, and I mean everything was "skin to win". There wasn't a single activity that happened that didn't end without someone getting naked.

The pendulum swung back and forth.

It's coming up on a year since reopening. Right after reopening it seemed that anything went. Then came the yellow cards that everyone interpreted as a goal to achieve rather than a warning... now it's stern talking's too.

It will be interesting to see where the pendulum stops for a while... I mean one of the biggest complaints was the increase in price but daily we're seeing people find prices lower than the premiere member's price and about 40 to 50 more a night. Still a big increase but not the $200 that we feared. Is it worth $50 more a night... ehhh... depends on what you use.

But I am noticing that the new crowd doesn't feel as "entitled" as some of the old and maybe that's what the management is going for... a sort of reset....

Case in point... young lady was there and the first night was the beginning of her birthday.. so at midnight she was on the dance floor in the rain and ripped off her top... of course security told her no and she came down... I walked over and talked to her and she was confused, like most people till they are explained, why the difference between the pool and the dance floor. She told me it was her birthday and she wanted to dance topless.... so doing what I do, I looked around and saw another lady wearing pasties.. I went over to her and explained the situation and asked her if she had any extra. 5 minutes later the young lady was back on the dance floor topless... sporting pasties... the telling point was two days later she was rather drunk and one of the girls in her party decided that doing a shot off her naked butt was in order and proceeded to do so... well naturally this caught the notice of security as she was having real difficulty pulling her panties back on.... her group packed around her to protect her from security but I stuck my head in and looked at her. She looked at me and said.. "I'm in trouble again huh?" I said yeah, so you might want to take the party back to your room. And they did... no muss, no fuss, just took it private.

I think that's the clientele that management is looking for, not those that feel it should be OK for them to do what they want so they will try to keep doing it till security escorts them away.

 

Thanks Jamie for the further explanation and the anecdote about the pasties.
"So doing what I do"
That is funny....the Mayor solving a crisis in the hamlet of Bashville!
Lol

Sorry for shining a spotlight on your post, but I have reverence and respect for your perspectives and appreciate your contributions to the TTR experience over the years.

You are right about the ever fluid pendulum at TTR through-out the years.
However currently it seems to be coupled to the lunar stages.
Every day different do's and don'ts.

Let's hope they slow that pendulum down and adjust the stroke to languish somewhere between the "Skin To Win" era and the 'Anything Goes' initial phase @ Re-Opening.

Interestingly your analogy about the inmates running the asylum is prolly spot on.
The hotel had no choice but to capitulate to the "Cherry Poppers" upon re-opening for the purposes of positive reviews.
Being a day one'er, I witnessed the chagrined looks from the brass, when the intial guests started to set the tone of the place over those first few days.
I believe it was never the intention to allow such a liberal vibe, but the infrastructure was so lacking and poorly equipped, that TTR had no choice but to allow guests to have some fun.

We sorta caught them with their pants down and they were embarrassed. To save face they had to back up the "Let's Play" slogan and allow the frivolity to unfold.
I know I personally called them out on the slogan.
(Of course, I am aware from whence they lifted the slogan)

(The sample size of data is compelling enough now in order to declare that The Cherry Poppers accomplished their mission!
Maybe on the anniversary in August, we should organize a Cherry Poppers Redux to help TTR find HappyLand again. And maybe it will adhere this time.)

But we are currently in a Meh semester at Mecca and let's hope that pendulum finds a comfort zone soon.

 

Santorini is a fabulous though, not really a party place at least not from what we could find.
Beautiful and relaxing place.