Dean - October, 2007
Back from our first visit to Desire Cancun in early October (2007), here
is our comparison to Hedo II (after 7 visits there):
Resort Grounds
Desire Cancun: Half the size of Hedo II. Can walk across resort in
just a few minutes. Nicely kept buildings since just remodeled after
hurricane damage. Landscaping is nice but still recovering from rebuild
after hurricane. Only 30 minutes from airport but costs $75! Expensive
cab ride into Cancun for shopping.
Hedo II: Larger property, very mature landscaping. Hills can be an
annoyance. Condition is good, always under some improvements. 1+ hour
ride from airport is FREE, $5 cab ride into Negril for shopping or
dining.
Food
Desire Cancun: Breakfast not as good, very little bread. Lunch variety
is half as much as Hedo's Main dining room. Dinner: Italian was a bit
boring but was OK, steak filet is good at fine restaurant,
seafood buffet was very average, fajitas are good, Suki (Japanese) was
poor. Not nearly the selection of breads, deserts, or good salads that
Hedo has.
Hedo II: Much more selection at the main buffet for lunch and dinner,
especially salads, breads, and veggies. Japanese much better. Italian is
better. Steaks are good. Some weird foods I won't eat. Overall, we
prefer Hedo II.
Pool
Desire Cancun: Nicer, and larger that Hedo nude pool. No swim up bar but
has cocktail waitress (thank you!). No PDA's, very quiet during the
daytime.
Hedo II: Nice pool, a little small, sometimes crowded, PDA's allowed.
Very active and fun place to be during the day.
Hot tub
Desire Cancun: Nice but way too many steps, especially when you've had
alcohol. Beds are cool. View is awesome. Nice having bar right there at
the tub. Very clean. Not as big as Hedo II hot tub. Sheltered area and
cubby holes nice for keeping dry during rains.
Hedo 2: Big tub, bar is far away, weird guys lurking at times. Floaty
stuff. The only public place for PDA's.
Beach
Desire Cancun: Very nice but narrow. Very quiet. Bed huts are really
nice. No PDA's -- you can get a ticket! No float pads provided by
Desire.
Hedo II: Calmer and better for floating, rocky and weedy, not as pretty,
trees on beach are nice for shade.
Disco
Desire Cancun: Too many steps for the ladies, very small, hot, better
music, fun playroom. No sitting area to get away from the music.
Hedo 2: Larger than Desire's, loud techno music, wooden benches for
seats. No playroom. Seating outside disco for talking.
Rooms
Desire Cancun: Nice, smaller room, better shower and bathroom, smaller
countertop, small refrig is nice.
Hedo 2: Fine. Like mirrors on ceiling, more closet space and drawer
space. Small bathroom but longer countertop.
Sports/Activities (non-sexual)
Desire: Very, very little to do. Poor tennis court. Extra cost
for snorkeling trip, scuba, etc. No sailboats. Beach and Pool volleyball
is about it. Can be very boring during the daytime. Bring books to read.
Hedo II: Lots of stuff for active people. Scuba, snorkeling,
sailboats, waterskiing, games, etc. all included. This makes Hedo a
better deal if you use this stuff. Much more active crowd and more fun
during the daytime.
Entertainment
Desire Cancun: EC staff are really friendly and outgoing. They try hard
to have fun with everyone. No entertainment at dinner. Evening
entertainment is very limited - silly games or a saxophonist. We got
very bored after dinner before the disco got rolling.
Hedo II: EC staff varies - some are great some are not. Entertainment at
dinner -- can be good or bad. After dinner you can hang out listening to
entertainment on main stage or hang at the piano bar. Piano bar is
usually fun.
Service
Desire: The staff seems to care more, work hard, and are eager to make
us happy. Dining room service is better. Sometimes bar service is
slow. Cocktail service (Sylvia!) at pool and beach is great! Staff is
obviously well trained.
Hedo II: Some staff doesn't seem to care. The ones that do are
awesome. Main dining room service can be very poor. Overall, we are
always satisfied with the service and a few staff members are
outstanding.
Desire is quieter during the day and less active in sports. It is for
relaxing during the day and playing with friends at night. There are not
many public PDA's here, except at the Jacuzzi at certain times. Desire
is better if you are looking for a more relaxing getaway or a quieter
getaway with friends.
Hedo II is a better value if you use the sports options. Hedo II is more
active during the day as well as at night. We never get bored at Hedo II
and have a hard time finding time to sleep or read a whole book.
We'll return to both resorts, but Hedo II more often.
D&M