We learned a lot from this forum so we thought it was only appropriate to return the favor and share our story for the benefit of others. Still, it seems unnecessary given that the pending renovations will likely render much of our experiences moot, but we will do so anyway for any last minute travelers or those on the fence. We couldn't post this in the Trip Reports section so please feel free to move. A little about us: We are both 40. We are high school sweethearts that have been together for 23 years and married for 18 years. We are not in the lifestyle but have been to Desire Pearl in the past. While Pearl was amazingly beautiful with outstanding service, rooms and food, we found it to be generally quiet and low energy. We especially found all of the nudity to be too much in our opinion. We knew to expect the nudity but after 4 days it really stopped being sexy (in our opinion) and became mundane and unnecessary. We travel quite a bit and aren't overly picky people. So with that background, this is our opinion of TTR: The Resort: We were pleasantly surprised by the condition of the resort. We were in building 5. After reading some complaints on the forum and given the pending renovations we had low expectations. Yet we found the resort to be very well maintained and the room to be nice. We didn't have any A/C issues and everything in the room was very nice. There were small holes in the curtains and nicks on the furniture but those weren't an issue at all. We were expecting a 3.5 star resort and got just that. The resort was very much in line with what we paid. Side note: We read several complaints that there was not a door to the toilet. Not sure if this is true for every room but the shower door swung both ways to close either the shower or the toilet area. Obviously the door can't close both at once but there was at least a door. Overall we liked the layout of the resort and its size. It wasn't too big or small. We like open corridors that allow the tropical breeze through and worry that the renovation will drastically change the feeling of the resort but time will tell. Waiting for elevators in a high rise will have a different feel. Food: We thought the food was good, not great, but certainly wasn't bad. There was a good variety and the servers tried hard to please. It is definitely not the food or service from the Pearl but we did not pay Pearl prices either. Besides, we don't think anyone is coming here because of the food. Pools: We spent most of our time at the Sexy Pool. It is very large and the center of activity. We met a lot of people there and generally enjoyed our time. The biggest complaint was that the water temperature was very warm and not refreshing at all but it was July so it should be expected. The Sexy Pool was well maintained. It did become cloudy in the late afternoon that we really believe just to be from all of the sunscreen people had on. We saw a constant stream of people using the bathrooms so we don't think (or hope) that it's as dirty as people say. We only went to the Sports Pool once for the Foam Party which was amazing. The foam became overwhelming sometimes but also allowed for a really good time. We only ever walked by the Quiet Pool and it was just that. Activities: They were fine but dominated by the same 3-5 women during our stay. The activities were fun to watch though they tended to get a little raunchy sometimes. It was fun to see the activities once but not sure we need to see them again (except for the Saturday night hired dance show which was impressive). Paty O's: We had the best time dancing each night. Our only complaint is that there really isn't a designated dance area. Instead it takes a few people to start dancing in the aisles and then a few more and few more until a dance area is just established. Seems like there should be a designated area as dancing was very popular. Hopefully that is one of the things that the renovation fixes. The Nice Shoes dance area was just a waste and basically unused. Beach: The beach was very nice and well maintained. We took naps each afternoon on the beach beds listening to the gentle waves. The sea floor is generally sandy but does have some pieces of small rocks and coral. Nothing too bad but not a perfectly sandy bottom if that is a requirement for your beach. Atmosphere: This is really the reason most people go and the reason we choose this resort. We found everyone to be very nice and approachable. We've been to many other resorts and barely see the same person twice much less talk to anyone. But here we spent a lot of time talking to other couples and even had dinner with a couple we just met. We love the social aspect and that would keep us coming back. We weren't there for a Boobs Cruise so we can't offer any comments on that but we did do a Couple's Message. We will just say it was an experience. Not the greatest time we ever had but we are glad we did it once. We were concerned about single guys but never had any real issues. We found a few trying to walk by acting like they were just walking when they were really trying to take videos. Security was great about putting a stop to that whenever they saw that happening but they can't be everywhere. There was never any pressure for my wife to be topless even when we were talking to other topless women. Everyone just seems to enjoy themselves at their own pace. Similarly, we saw several couples that were clearly into the lifestyle but no one ever made us feel uncomfortable. Everyone was exceedingly nice and just looking to have a good time. Biggest Complaint: Those plastic brackets are the worst. We thought we'd accidentally cut each other open from the sharp corners. We understand the need, but follow the Desire's lead and get a soft fabric band. Overall: We really had a great time and my wife declared that this was probably the best couples trip we have ever taken. We loved the social aspect of the resort combined with the sexy vibe. We would certainly be looking to go back if not for the renovation. We will have to see how that affects the atmosphere of the resort. In the interim, we are very likely to try Desire RM next as it seems to offer many of the benefits of the Pearl while offering more of a party atmosphere. We'd still have to contend with all of the naked people but I'm sure we can find a nice, quiet spot on the beach. Our final advice would be that if you are on the fence about it, just go. You can always find what you are looking for. If that's a quiet, couples only vacation, then the quiet pool and beach are perfect. If you want more of a party then it's ready for you. Or you can do as we did which was bounce back and forth depending on our mood. Jason and Jen P.S. - Shout out to our friends from Chicago who we had dinner with and a great time dancing. We'd love to hear how your cruise and day trip went so send us a PM. And to the couple from Alberta we talked to about having fun together our last night, sorry we missed you at the end of the night but send us a PM as we have a funny/interesting story to share from later on that night.
Great trip report, and happy to hear you enjoyed your trip. Thanks for the detail, and I am sure that will be most helpful for others! I always tell people regarding the complaint above, right after they put your band on, flip it inside out. This way the plastic clasp is on the inside. Elyse and I have previously cut ourselves, and flipping it can prevent that.
