Hi there! We vacationed in Desire over Valentines week 2007 (Feb 9 to Feb 17), and I thought I’d try to capture some thoughts for the forums. We were part of the LTT Valentine’s group, so we came open for more than some folks. I tend to be way too verbose, so I’m going to try to do something different and just hit some specific topics with quick thoughts, and then expand on a couple of thoughts.
Top tips we got from the forums that were useful there:
ð Bring one of those hanging closet shoe organizers for the bathroom door.
ð Ignore all the people that try to help you as you exit customs and go out to the curb.
ð Tip your favorite bartender/wait staff…. It makes you feel good and they remember you and give you good service.
ð Hit the Jacuzzi from 4 to 7… virtually everybody is there sometime during that time
ð Make sure you try “43”. Its gooooooodddddd.ð Book Claudia early (we already new about Claudia from years ago but was good to see her again).
Top tips we learned while we were there:
ð When you wake up early for whatever reason, just go right out to the beach and collapse on one of the beds… it’s better than laying in the room and then you have the bed for the day
ð You can use the SPA lockers to store valuables when you are checking in/out instead of leaving them in/with your luggage.
ð Do NOT leave anything on the floor that can be damaged by water (see below).
ð If you are open to experiences with others, just carry condoms with you everywhere… you don’t want to break the mood of something unexpected that is happening to run to your room.
ð Not all garden view rooms are created equal (OK, this was on the forums, but you have to really see the difference to understand.)
ð Before using the outdoor bathrooms or one of those private alcoves… LOOK for the bugs (see below).
ð If you aren’t in a hurry, order nachos and a pizza and just stay on the beach… its much nicer
ð Make sure you check the buffet… they changed which night was “lobster” night and several folks were upset they missed it.
ð Wear sandles/footwear to the Jacuzzi, and be very careful… it gets slick in the area and on the stairs. More than one person fell (including my wife), a couple fairly seriously on the stairs. Its really dangerous when you’ve done too many body shots also….
ð If you go into Playa to shop, and you don’t mind dropping some $$$, the Casa de Aqua was pretty good (its on 5th avenue, a couple of blocks from the bus station).
Comments on hot forum topics:
ð Bugs: We got bit down on the beach at night around our ankles… definitely sand fleas. But we did not get bit once on the beach during the day. The women’s bathroom by the lobby was inundated the last night… She was too happy to notice when she first went in, and by the time she left she had over *100* bites (we counted). But we saw only a couple very small bugs in our room, and definitely no bed bugs (we checked the mattress).
ð Loudness by the pool: We agree way too loud with the music, and way too much competition for the shade. They need way more umbrellas, and to turn the music down. We could only stand it one day. (But we understand some folks like it).
ð Bed reservations… in our experience it was mostly folks that were gone for breakfast and then came back…which doesn’t bother us. We just got up and went out when we woke up early for whatever reason. In our opinion the beds with thatched roofs (as opposed to just slats of wood) were the premo spots, and all the beds should be changed to be thatched.
ð Claudia versus the resort sensual massage: We had both. We’ll see Claudia again, though she is somewhat pricey. The couples massage was worth doing once, but was even more overpriced and we won’t do it again. Both were “interesting” and “thorough” in their own ways.
ð Body beautiful: They say that lifestylers are more friendly and don’t care about your body… that’s our experience at home. We made some great new friends at Desire, and found some folks grew on us as the week progressed… but we also were surprised at the cliques that were obvious and what appeared to be snobbishness about bodies (we are both a little over weight, so may be more sensitive… but I know that’s something folks are worried about that). This is not to say not to go… but don’t go expecting to party with the hot young things if you are middle aged and a little overweight.
ð Weather: We had a couple of significant rains, include one major downpour. Several folks had flooded rooms, *including folks on the upper floors* when the balcony funneled the water into their room. The swamp overflowed the roads and the runoff made the ocean murky for a few days, but the key is to not leave things on the floor you care about.
OK, that’s still way too long, so I think I’ll wrap it up here. I hope this was worth it to some folks.
Disclaimer: Every week will be different, and this was our experiences and observations.