Comparing TTR and Desire Pearl is like comparing apples and oranges. Both taste great and are similar, but yet they are very different. We did 6 days at TTR and had a riot. We reconnected with some awesome people from last year and made some incredible new friends. We did the golf cart rental on the island and laughed so much with 4 friends. That was my highlight at TTR. I dressed up for some of the theme nights, but not all. I altered the Sexy School girl theme and became the sexy Librarian. We decided to try a Jacuzzi room this year as I got sick from the swamp air conditioner last year. The Jacuzzi room was great. We used it every day, sometimes twice. It is a lil tight for 4 people but that just makes it more fun. We slept with the sliding doors wide open and the privacy screen down thus allowing alot of air flow. No sore throat or lung issues this year. It was very quiet at night but rather rude when they started cutting grass outside our room at 6am. As usual, the service was good at TTR. By the end of our 6 days we were about ready to come home but we still had 4 days at Desire Pearl. We were both a bit nervous about going to Desire Pearl but once we were there, all the nerves disappeared. Upon arrival they presented us with a cocktail in a champagne glass at the check in desk. They also gave us a wet cloth that smelled so good to refresh ourselves in the heat. It only took a few min. to check in and they informed us that we would be receiving an upgrade. Apparently TTR was over booked so they were sending people to Pearl. They were given our basic ocean front room and we were upgraded to a Master Suite. OMG TAKE THE UPGRADE!!! The room was beyond incredible. 2 bathrooms, 2 balconies, living room, wet bar, sunken bedroom and right on the ocean. We were 3 floors up (no elevators) but the room was directly over the beach. Gord woke up the first night at 3 am and asked me to turn off the ocean. Lol. Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, we headed to the pool. We walked the pool deck area and felt rather conspicuous in our clothing. We found the Pool deck guy who found us deck chairs, and after a nice tip, we had the same chairs reserved every day without asking. The clothes came off pretty quickly and it was all smooth sailing from there. People are so less judgmental when everyone is on the same level. There were all shapes and sizes. The age range was probably about 40+. The hotel is only 80 rooms so realistically you can talk to everyone. There are 2 pools. The main pool is much bigger than at TTR with a quiet end and a swim up bar. The hot tub is about the size of the sports pool, again with a swim up bar and lots of ledges and seats and deck loungers. Most of the deck activities stop around 4pm when everyone migrates over to the hot tub. People start to head off for dinner around 7pm. For us it was a romantic dinner for 2 or 4 with other couples we met. After dinner it is relax time as the disco doesn’t open until 10:30pm. There is a show and some dancing and then it seems people either go to bed or head back to the hot tub for some fun and relaxation. That is perdy much how every day goes. The deck games were not like TTR. They had pole dance lessons and lap dance lessons. OMG the foam party was incredible. (TTR needs to rethink the foam party seriously). No swearing on the PA system. No raunchy games and no one was made fun of. There was no pressure from the time share people although we did sit thru the presentation. At TTR they are obnoxious and pushy. At Pearl, they were very polite and engaging. It was easy to give them 45 min. Pearl staff went above and beyond to find somewhere for us to watch the Olympic hockey games. They connected 2 big screen tv’s in the Disco and we were served drinks and lunch in the air conditioned room while watching the game. The hotel staff was unbelievable. They were constantly asking if they can get us anything, a drink, breakfast in bed, a towel etc. The beach is beautiful and we enjoyed a nice walk into Puerto Morales (about 30 min. each way). We were both sad to leave. We had made many connections with people who were interested in making the trip to our edge of the world and who invited us to visit them. I was actually more comfortable being naked at Pearl than I was wearing a bathing suit bottom at TTR. It was a first for both of us and we both laugh now on how much we would rather be naked and how we hate clothes. [FONT="]I think we fit at both resorts but for different reasons. TTR is good. Good service and great people. We have friends at TTR who may not be comfortable at Pearl. Pearl is relaxing and entertaining and beautiful. The grounds are like walking in a manicured jungle. The food was always good. My only complaint was that I would like to have seen somewhere like the grill at Patyo’s where you can get a burger at midnight. Lol. Pearl is a much slower pace (yes there are people reading books around the pool deck). Pearl is very sexy. It is fun to watch and be watched. It is just as much fun ignoring everything going on around you and concentrating on making your significant other as happy as possible. There is something about soaking in a huge hot tub with 50 other people and looking up at the stars in the evening. No pressure to do anything with anyone. Everyone is very respectful. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. I will answer what I can. Overall, we had a wonderful vacation reconnecting with old friends, making new friends and discovering a little more about who we really are. [/FONT]
Ah, Pearl, my little bit of heaven on earth.......sigh.... BTW, you can get midnight pizzas and toastie sandwiches by the lobby bar. Glad you loved it, just like us. :daisy:
Very well written comparison. Thank you. This reaffirms our decision to try Pearl in may for a little change. We LOVE TTR for the reasons you mention and believe we will LOVE Pearl also for the reasons you mention. Going to do 7 at pearl this trip but will likely do a split like you in the future. TTR to party hard followed by pearl sounds perfect. A couple pearl questions... - which day was the foam party? What made it so much better? - we have an ocean view for 3 nights and penthouse for 4, hoping to upgrade the ocean view onsite, did you run into anyone that was able to pay to do that? Great that you got it for free! - what were the %'s of nakedness by your estimation? That is my biggest concern. I am sure we will go with the flow like u but it will take some getting used to Thanks again!
The foam party was Saturday I think. It was kind of all a blissful blurr. TTR's foam party is an accident waiting for a place to happen. I would have nothing to do with it. I watched all the crazy drunk people dancing at night and then watched how the foam masked the edge of the stage. How easy it would be for someone to slip over the end of the stage, hit their head and go under the water or under the deck. They would not be found until the next day. At Pearl it is done at 2pm in the warm sunshine. Everyone is naked so no clothes get ruined. The pool is only 4 ft and the blow foam on top of it. Yup, it goes up over your head but almost everyone is involved so there is much less risk. We did a Conga line in the foam. We played in the foam. I went in deep and squatted down and waited to see how long it would take Gord to come looking for me lol. I surprised myself even more than at TTR. One of the wives encouraged me to get up on a ledge in the pool and do a naked coyote ugly with her in the foam. lol. OMG. so much fun. I laughed for over an hr. The wind from the ocean just blows the bubbles away and everything goes back to normal. It must have been about 1.5 hrs of playing in foam because we all headed to the hot tub when the pool was empty. You will love the Penthouse. We didn't get up to see one but the Master suite is 2 steps down the pay grade and it was incredible. I don't know about upgrading on site, but the staff went over and above at every turn to make us happy. I would say 99% of men were totally naked at the pool side and maybe 90% of women. Trust me when I say that you will feel weird with clothes on. lol.
What makes the Pearl foam party good? This....imagine music pumping, body shots, crazy inflatables in the pool....dancing..... :daisy:
Oh man. If I knew it was 2 on Saturday would of planned differently. We land at 2 one Saturday and depart at 4 the next Thanks for the info!
Very very good review.Thanks and we agree with it all. The two are just very different experiences. I think people should know that before they book Pearl. As for the %nakedness it varies by the group and from day to day. But no one cares really. Just be comfortable. We have said this before, we just have not found a more upscale and classy topless/CO resort than Pearl with incredibly friendly guests.
