Well we finally went to Desire. I little nervous about our first "spicy" vacation. The trip from Toronto was uneventful, the cab ride from the airport to the resort was nice and short. Check in was pleasant enough, although they would not give us a room a couple of hours early and made us wait the two hours before they gave us a room key. Apparently other people I spoke with said they were VERY strict about this, somewhat strange as they tout themselves as a four star resort.

Anyway we changed at the spa and went off to have some lunch. Probably the worst meal of the day. We found that the breakfast & dinner were significantly better. The lunch buffet was not very good, the food was kinda like the Home Town Buffet quality. One thing we really disliked were all the nude people roaming around the restaurant...nothing against nude people but not in a restaurant.

After lunch we went to the infamous beach beds, had no problem getting one from the beach concierge. Lay there for the next few hours remembering why we had come here in the first place. The drinks in general were not as good as what we had experienced at Grand Lido. In general they were not cold enough and the warm drinks would melt the ice and get watered down, don't even try to get a soft drink they were horrible. Our favourite drink the Pina Colada was somewhat of a dissapointment.

The Japanese restaurant was probable the best, open only for dinner. The others were pretty good but started to get tiring by our third day.

All in all it was pretty good trip. Some pretty wild people, almost all of them pretty nice. Some however did not want to waste their time with you once they found out you were not in the "lifestyle". If you are going there to relax in a sexually charged atmosphere and are prepared for an eyeful you will not be disappointed. I thought there theme parties were pretty good. The resort tried to make it fun for everyone. The roof top Jacuzzi, oh well you need to go see that for yourself, suffice to say it was not something I would get into again ; )

The service was very good in general, they work quite hard to make your stay pleasant. One thing I did not like was tipping was strongly encouraged. Even the band made a plea to tip the staff saying they need the money. My point is that at $500/night all inclusive the hotel should take care of its own and not expect the guests to fork over more money. We did notice a difference in service level depending on who you tipped. People tipping for the beach beds were definately getting better beds etc. For what you get I would say the hotel is definately way overpriced. Having said that I'm glad I went to see what it was about but I don't think I would be back at these prices.

Desire Cancun falsely advertises itself as “all inclusive.” Despite average rates of about $600 US per couple per night, the resort charges for “premium” meals, for use of kayaks (a “fee” because the water is a marine reserve), for “reserving” a palapa bed on the beach ($20 US per day), for a WiFi connection, for Internet use ($5 US per 30 minutes), for bottles of wine (about $40 US for a Mexican wine widely available in Mexican restaurants for less than $10 US), and for bottles of liquor. Guests are expected to tip for every service, and upon arrival they are greeted with a hustle that turns out to be a thinly disguised attempt to sell what amounts to a time share in the resort.

What does one get for these charges? The beach is nice; nudity is permitted in public areas, though not in restaurants; and there is a disco and party room for lifestylers or those curious about swinging. There is also a limited room service menu and free drinks by the glass at the bars, in the restaurants, and on the beach; although, as noted, unlike in better resorts like Jamaica's Grand Lido, one is encouraged to tip. There are not nearly enough lounge chairs at the pool, so guests are supposed to get up at 7:00 a.m. [sic!] and register for them with the pool attendant. Alas, in our experience, the attendant wasn’t there at 7:00. When he did show up, all but two of the lounges were already reserved. How did this happen? There are wonderful palapa beds on the beach, but an insufficient number—unless one is willing to pay $20/per day to reserve them, forget it.

The food we had over five days was barely above cafeteria quality—poor ingredients, dishes prepared en mass, little creativity, no skill in using spices or herbs—and the service we experienced was most often indifferent. Anyone used to fine cooking at home, in urban restaurants, or at better resorts in the Caribbean will be appalled.

Desire exploits its customers. It can do so because it has no competition. The other resort on the Riviera Maya allowing nudity, Hidden Beach, has a great pool but no usable beach. And Hidden Beach does not attempt to create a sexy atmosphere or to welcome lifestylers. People who want a sexy atmosphere, a nude beach, and fine restaurants would be better off in South Florida where all these are available.

We have visited Desire several times and completly enjoyed it. We also visited Hedo. The atmosphere and food at Desire are better, but the beach is smaller. We would be willing to share more detailed information with anyone who contacts us at honeygirlsugar@yahoo.com (one sugar).

This was our first experience at a clothing optional resort. I have to say that the drive up to the front of the resort was quite underpar, but since the entrance was not a big issue, it really didn't matter. Once inside, the staff cannot do enough to make you feel comfortable and welcome.
We had selected an oceanview room. It was located directly behind the ocean beds and the view was outstanding. Our room was always kept meticulously cleaned by the friendly staff. There were some individuals who were not happy with the location of their rooms, but the staff did everything in their power to make changes.
The food and service in the International restaurant was wonderful. This is the one restaurant that requires the men to wear pants (no shorts/jeans), which adds to the quality of the restaurant. Very romantic and the food was great. Breakfast was always good with a varying selection to choose from. Didn't go into the Italian restaurant, so I can't comment here.
I have to admit being a first-timer at a clothing optional resort was a little disconcerting at first, but that feeling certainly doesn't last long. I have never been on a vacation where everyone is so friendly. It was very easy to chat wherever you were: bar, restaurant, pool, jacuzzi or disco. Any apprehensions I had were gone within minutes. Young, old, well-built, not-so-well-built...everyone was friendly and on an even par. It was relaxing and wonderful. I was a little awe struck when first visiting the jacuzzi area. Things were going on that were incredible to see...but there was absolutely no pressure to participate whatsoever. You could just enjoy the warm friendly atmosphere or take it further if you so desired...
Definitely would recommend visiting this resort if you're debating...we can't wait to go back!