Trip Report
Hidden Beach Resort
July 8-13, 2003
Hidden Beach Resort (HBR) is new resort just opened at the end of May 2003. It is owned by the same company that owns Eldorado Resort & Spa and is right next to Eldorado. In fact to enter HBR you actually take Eldorado’s entrance off the road and when you get to Eldorado’s entrance you go north 100 feet to HBR’s entrance. There is a guarded gate and fence that separates the two resorts. HBR guests can use Eldorado’s facilities (provided they wear clothes) but Eldorado’s guests do not have the same privileges at HBR.
Upon arriving at HBR you are shown into a small building where you check in. The first thing they do is offer you a cold glass of champagne. If you like you can take your clothes off right there. Once you take your clothes off you never have to put them on again.
The resort is small with only about 40 rooms total. The first floor rooms have a canal right in front of their patio that connects to the pool. In the canal in front of each room is a small sitting area with an above water table so you can walk out of your room, sit in the water and relax without ever having to move more then ten feet. Second and third floor rooms have balconies. When we got to the resort they upgraded us to a first floor since there were only 14 couples at the resort. We spent the night in that room but really prefer having a balcony so the next day they moved us to the second floor. Both rooms were very nice. All rooms are equipped with a liquor cabinet and a small frig with beer, soft drinks, and water.
Most people congregate in the pool or on the beach. There were plenty of rafts and lounges. While the water directly in front of HBR is very rocky the beach is nice. They have these large lounge things with thatch roofs and cushions and pillows. They are plenty big for 2 or more people and great for getting out of the sun while still enjoying the beach. We were told some people have slept out there at night. Of course the waiter comes around regularly to bring drinks or food. The pool has a swim-up bar with a shaded surfaced area behind it. The bartender, Tito, was a riot and always ready with whatever drink you want. He told us one day it was his birthday and had everyone sink happy birthday to him. We suspect he has a birthday weekly. There was also an entertainment coordinator, Chava. He organized a Mexican cooking demonstration, body-painting, basketball and other activities but most guests just seemed to want to relax in the shade or the water. Chava runs the music and did a nice job. Each day he started with quieter music during the morning and would gradually up the tempo all day, he has a large selection from CW to classical, big band to reggae. During diner a couple nights we had live music. The waiters all very nice, not all are proficient at English just yet but they all tried very hard and did a good job. The food at HBR was wonderful. Had something different at every meal and loved every meal. At breakfast they have fresh pastries and all kinds of fresh fruit, French toast, various kinds of eggs, etc. Never had room for lunch but generally got some chips and guacamole in the afternoon, one day we had strawberry Sundays for lunch. We love fish so diner usually was some kind of fish; they have a great grilled lobster. One night they did sort of a Mexican bar-BQ and set up a large group table outside. You can eat inside the restaurant if you like but they also serve outside in front of the restaurant. Some people actually put on clothes for diner but most wore a wrap or a towel. There was always a stack of fresh towels at the bar or inside the restaurant.
Above the restaurant there is a small disco with a bar, dance floor and pool table. Many people would go up there after diner. They have a sound system again with all kinds of music. They even had a karaoke night, which was fun. A few of the guests actually did sing; “The Gambler” will never sound quite the same again. The disco was actually fairly quiet; we couldn’t hear it from either of our rooms. Once people tired of singing and dancing the generally moved down to the hot tub. The hot tub is big enough for 10-12 couples.
Each day while we were at HBR we ended up taking a walk at Eldorado. HBR is small so it doesn’t make for a very long walk. We did need to wear bathing suits. Eldorado is a much larger resort with over 100 rooms. There are 3 separate restaurants, several pools, and all kinds of activities. They also have a very nice beach at the southern end of the resort. For all the amenities it sure seemed as if HBR had a livelier group. The walk felt good but we were always glad to be back at HBR.
While we were at HBR, tropical storm Claudette brushed us. We were very impressed with the way the staff handled the situation. Ruben, the manager, had a meeting at noon with all the guests and told us the storm was coming, what to expect, and the actions the staff would be taking. All day long the staff was dismantling everything along the beach and moving it behind the resort. As a precaution they moved everyone up to second floor rooms so they had to get 13 additional rooms ready. Ruben made an interesting comment during the meeting. He said at other resorts people were separate and would sit in twos in the restaurant but at HBR everyone was so friendly, always saying hi and inviting others to sit. This is the company’s first move into clothing optional resorts and they have been surprised how easy going and friendly the people are. At 6:30 there was another meeting to update everyone and advise us of what would happen that evening. We were advised to eat diner early in case there was a problem, so we did and then moved to the disco for a hurricane party. We lucked out and the storm only brushed us over night. The next day the staff had to re-assemble everything on the beach. They really worked hard. With all this going on, we were never inconvenienced and always felt comfortable that HBR had things under control.
In conclusion, we can say we are definitely looking forward to our next trip to HBR and we will be back as soon as possible. Have a great time if you go.