Gary and Terrie Trip Report – May 2016

 

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Hidden Beach 13th Anniversary

Gary and Terrie Hare
April 29 – May 7, 2016

Friday

After a smooth flight, we arrived in Cancun Airport.  Immigration and customs went fairly well; only an hour, however, Saturday guest reported a 2 ½ hour wait 9in immigrations.  Lomas travel provided transportation with no issue.  HBR provided us with a warm, scented towel and cocktail as we checked into the resort.  We introduced ourselves to American and her staff and made plans for the following morning Castaways guest check in.

Ate dinner at HBR and participated in the Glow Party activities.  HBR provides a body painter who does a remarkable job.  Early evening for us as it was our travel day and a big day a head-on Saturday. 

Saturday

Lobby 10:00 – 8:00

America had the lobby decorated for the 13th anniversary including the outdoor “pond”; (pictures attached).  Instead of a glass of Champaign to welcome the guest, there was an open bar and refreshments.  Throughout the first few days, we distributed the Castaway beach bags and materials to the guest as they arrived.  The Castaways sarong was a huge hit and a few non-Castaway guest requested one.  There were 13th Anniversary signs posted throughout the resort. 

No waiting for guest rooms as they were ready when guest arrived.

  • John and Jackie requested room 1209, but previous guests were already in the room ad it would not be available until Sunday. John and Jackie decided to stay in their assigned room and we did not hear any issues.
  • Cindy and Troy arrived late; their first flight was canceled, thus causing their arrival at HBR to be delayed from 3:00 PM to 9:30 PM. Contacted Lomas with the flight changes and to assure their car would be available in the evening.

Karaoke Night had a small audience since this was a travel day for most of the guest.  

Sunday

We hosted the Meet and Greet on Sunday afternoon around the pool and reminded folks about the free lobster dinner (Castaway guest only), Wednesday’s cameraman trip and to sign up for next year’s 14th Anniversary.  The foam party and water balloon was a HUGE success; a great way to start the week out and many requested to repeat activity for next year.

Several clients signed up for spa treatments and many guests took the opportunity to try the Au Natural Water Journey at the Naay Spa on Sunday evening; a very relaxing and soothing experience.  The evening concluded with Hawaiian dancers for entertainment.  Most guests arrived in colorful grass skirts and a few coconut bras!

Monday
Hidden Beach provided a Champaign and treats for the afternoon hut tub party.  The Glow Party was a huge success as about 25 guests (male and female) were airbrushed by a very talented artist.  He worked much longer than expected so we expressed our gratitude with a tip. 

Tuesday

The afternoon had the traditional volleyball game between the Hidden Beach staff and guest with the guest winning!  You certainly don’t want to be the one hitting the ball into the pool bar or you have to do a tequila shot!  The evening found most guest arriving in Moonlight in their Sexy Lingerie. 

Wednesday

A total of 31 guests sailed the Nude Catamaran Cruise, including the host couples.  Great day on the water:  snorkeling a little rough with the current and the beach BBQ lunch much nicer than people expected.  Almost made it back to the dock before the torrential rainstorm let loose.  The bus ride back to the resort had everyone taking a nap to recover in time for the evening activities.  Due to the earlier storm, the beach grill out was moved to the Moonlight Pavilion.  Not many guests participated in the Retro night as they were exhausted from the catamaran trip, plus the theme was confusing as the guests didn’t understand it was the 70’s theme. 

Thursday

Had three couples departing and one couple arrive. 

  • Coordinated with Lomas to ensure the pick-up location of Dan and Anne Boychuck @ Grand Velas Resort.

HBR did an outstanding job celebrating Cinco de Mayo with all of the decorations, tequila bar tasting, great variety of Mexican foods and even a donkey to have your picture taken with.  HBR also distributed 13th-anniversary golf shirts to clients. 

Rocker Night, as expected was a huge success.  The band was supposed to end at 11:00 and at the encouragement of the guest, the band sang “one more song”, three times!  The DJ was still playing to the guest at midnight when we departed.

Friday

The morning started off slow at the pool; could be a result of the Thursday activities, gaining souvenirs for family members, etc.  John and Jackie departed and we finally met Alex (he booked on Monday, traveled Tuesday and said he slept in until past noon Wednesday and Thursday.  Apparently, he broke up with his girlfriend last week.  Very nice gentleman and all guests got along with him well.

The HDR 13 Anniversary dinner was held poolside with lobster, steak, a Champaign toast and special cake.  Dr. Dave and Rebecca had their lobster dinner on their patio and were personally invited to the celebration when they finished dinner (which they accepted).  America’s team attended along with their significant others.  HBR staff even partied with us till the wee hours of the morning.  The Acrobats and Divas were probably the best entertainment of the week. 

Saturday

Goodbyes with a lot of hugs and kisses and reminders to sign the contract for next year’s 14th Anniversary. 

 Hosted Groups Gary and Terrie Trip Report

Restaurants

  • Hidden Beach Resort Restaurant – whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner, the food was delicious and a variety of choices every meal. Breakfast and lunch could be ordered off the menu or buffet style; the buffet lunch was always around the pool.  Castaway guests were treated to a surf and turf dinner which was individualized by HRB for each guest. 
    • Leydi is now the manager of the HBR restaurant and doing a great job.
  • Gourmet Pub: Reservations required.  Both appetizers and entries are small portions so order many items. 
  • Mia Casa (Italian): Reservations required.  There are now two Italian restaurants serving the same menu.  We ate at the new one and the décor was lovely.  If a guest is not into pasta, there are many other choices. 
  • Klay Talay (Asian): Reservations required.  This restaurant was moved from the El Dorado side to the new lobby area.  The décor is stunning.  The waiters can help with food selection and portions if guests are not familiar with the food. 
  • Seaside Market (Buffet): Experienced breakfast and there was a nice assortment of food.

Bar Service

All bars were well stocked with top-shelf liquor; no complaints from anyone.  The bars could use some fresh fruit to add to their tropical drinks. 

Grounds

HBR is beautifully landscaped and well kept.  

Guest Rooms

Soft tones and colors for relaxing when not at the pool.  Plenty of hot water and air conditioning worked well.  Well stocked liquor cabinet and mini bar.  Turn down service every night.

Swimming Pools – Beaches

Plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas whether you want to sit around the pool or on the beach as well as many palapas.  Swim up bar was popular to keep everyone “hydrated”.  Several guests took the opportunity to have massages or their surf & turf dinners on the beach.  The beach is not very wide and do not expect soft, white sand. 

Hot tub – Although the jets did not work, the hot tub was usually crowded at the end of the afternoon for one last cocktail before folks went for naps/dinner/nightly entertainment. 

EntertainmentTheme Nights

  • About half the women dressed for the themes, mostly after dinner. Very few men dressed for the themes.
  • Glow Party – it was suggested to possibly have the airbrush painter come before dinner to paint the guest so that they could enjoy wearing their “outfits” through the entire evening.
  • Retro night was a little confusing for the guest – next year, call it 70’s night.
  • With the different groups, it was evident a couple of nights that there were different themes. Not certain if the guest (not Castaways) knew of the theme night changes. 

Notes

  • A good week for Castaways Guest. If you hear anything other than this, please inform us.
  • HBR staff excelled at customer service; it’s nice to see the same faces after 13 years!
  • Adrian, the entertainment staff, did an excellent job engaging the staff, particularly with water volley ball, aqua fit and even beach bowling throughout the week.
  • Saturday arrivals: heard nightmare stories at immigration (2 to 2 ½ hours). People backed up the entire corridor, up the stairs and beyond!!!
  • There were 13th Anniversary signs posted throughout the resort. You might encourage the Castaways logo on them in the future. 
  • Castaways beach bags and goodies were a huge success. Several guests used their cozies around the pool and many of the women sported their Castaway sarongs during meal time.
  • Hot tub jets did not work all week and temperature was very hot a couple of days. Apparently, the jets haven’t worked for a few years!?
  • HBR made each guest personal lobster dinners special. Those with swim-up suites had private dinners and those who did not had dinner on the beach; a little windy. 
  • HBR did an excellent job celebrating special occasions: birthdays and anniversaries. 
    • Greg Fissel’s birthday
    • Scott and Debra Taylor celebrating 27th anniversary
    • Chris and Andria Nardella 3rd anniversary
  • All the first timers became acclimated to the clothing optional resort very easily.
    • Bill and Lisa
    • Josh and Heather
    • Marty and Susan
    • Dave and Rebecca
  • Themes:
    • Glow Party – it was suggested to possibly have the airbrush painter come before dinner to paint the guest so that they could enjoy wearing their “outfits” through the entire evening.
    • Retro night was a little confusing for the guest – next year, call it 70’s night.
    • Guest suggested Cowboy/girl night and Pirate night
  • Several guests mentioned it would have been great to have name necklaces, but we remember the time intensity and supplies to make these at Hedo!
  • The bars could use some fresh fruit to add to their tropical drinks versus the various fruit liquors.
  • Small “hiccups” for the week:
    • The first few days we had one refrigerator and an air conditioning with issues that we reported to maintenance and were both fixed immediately.
    • John & Jackie were disappointed that they did not have a luxury car for their transportation from the airport to the hotel.
    • Albert appeared to be on the prowl the first couple of days of the trip, but settled down and spent a lot of time on the Eldorado side at the swinging bar in the evening.
    • Chris was a very nice gentleman, kept to himself, a lot reading on the beach. Disappointed in the beach regarding the sand and being able to utilize for swimming, snorkeling, etc.
  • Sent personalize thank you notes to departing guest and along with 2017 HBR contract.
  • Once home again sent personalized thank you notes; individual pictures and reminders of the 2017 contract.

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