Having developed a level of comfort with staying
stateside, we decided to return to Paradise Lakes over the 4th of July
weekend. Actually, this time we stayed well over a week and had a wonderful
time.
We stayed in one of the condo units we'd stayed in
before and everything was super. For a detailed account you can read one of
our previous reports.
What we wanted to tell you about this time was our
side-trip to Caliente. Caliente is a new nudist resort 5 miles north of
Paradise Lakes. During our last trip many of the regulars at Paradise Lakes
encouraged us to visit Caliente, but we didn't. This time, one night when
things were slow at Paradise Lakes, we decided to drive up to Caliente to see
what all the fuss was about. By the way, this is not a "let's slam Paradise
Lakes" report, nor is it a "promo for Caliente." We will try our best to avoid
comparing the two while attempting to report what we experienced while guests
at Caliente.
When we arrived at the gate we presented our
Paradise Lakes cards and asked if we could visit the disco and have a
drink. The guard took down our names, said we were most welcome, there was no
charge, and called ahead to the front desk to tell them we were coming.
Caliente is a world class operation. We were
warmly greeted at the front desk and told we were free to explore the resort,
dance in the disco, swim in the pool, dip in the hot tub, and if we liked, we
could return the next day for a formal tour of the resort and the housing
options should we ever decide to stay at Caliente. There was a lively crowd
for a weeknight. The DJ kept the music spinning. He said, as long as there was
one dancer, he'd keep playing. We had a blast. The light show was state of the
art. The dance floor was sort of circular, ringed with cozy intimate booths
and high chairs along mini-bars that allowed for easy access to the dance
floor for those who wanted to dance, or a nice perch for those who preferred
to sit and watch. From outside, the light show on the windows looked like one
of those glass xmas balls that you invert and snow comes down all around the
village and the snow man, it was neat. The liquor was top shelf. The bartender
told us it was a "cashless society." You either had to use your credit card or
buy a "cash-card" at the front desk.
A balcony with seating surrounded the outside, and
stairs led down one level to a long "S" shaped conversation pool that probably
seated about 150 people. We were told the temperature was kept at about 93
degrees. Not far away was a clover shaped hot tub with seating for probably 2
dozen, with a constant temperature of 103 degrees. Both pools were immaculate
and comfortable with wide seating around the inner edge.
Down another level was a cool pool with an island
with palm trees in the middle and a water fall at one end, with seating behind
and under the falls, more spacious and beautifully designed than any pool
we've seen on our many trips to the Carribean. We were told it took three days
to fill it. Molly wouldn't get out. They use something other than chlorine in
their pools, no wrinkling or chemical smell. It was simply magical, plenty of
floats, and plenty of room for privacy. How large? Molly thought it was four
blocks long, and maybe it was. Again, super clean and well maintained.
There were 1,500 lounge chairs surrounding the
pools, wonderful little grass-topped huts for shade, two volleyball pools, and
a tiki-bar adjacent to the big pool. I don't want to forget to mention the
upstairs restaurant offers a pretty sophisticated menu for a dress up dinner
near the indoor piano bar. There are also two other bars aside from the one in
the disco, they all offer a varied menu of salads, sandwiches, and various
"munchies."
We did return for the tour. Chuck, one of the
owners was our guide. We toured the resort on a little golf-cart and Chuck
narrated along the way. We saw hotel rooms, plenty of room for two, with a
mini-fridge, mirrors on the ceiling, etc... Condos, really nice, and our
favorite, which we ended up booking for New Years... Casitas, one bedroom
permanently anchored trailers, stuccoed with tile roofs, air-conditioned, a
chariming little village of them, kitchen, living room, porch, everything
you'd need for a tropical getaway...
And of course there were the big homes being
built, yep, people actually get to live at Caliente, but, the thing that most
impressed us, along with the "above and beyond" service ethic, (I wanted
ice-cream but the freezer outside the boutique was closed, when I said, hey,
no problem, it's late... That wasn't good enough, the manager said, If one of
our guests wants ice-cream, they're gonna' get it, if they can't, that's a
problem, and we're gonna' solve it, and they did! I had my ice-cream) By they
way, the gym, sauna, and steam room were pristine, along with the ten or so
different-themed massage and spa options, they actually have a chiropractor
and a plastic surgeon on staff...
Anyhow, the thing that impressed us most, Caliente
does not give off the "we're a private club and we tolerate visitors as long
as you don't get on our nerves" vibe... They are definitely a resort dedicated
to pampering and spoiling their guests... After our initial visit, we returned
everyday, and yes, Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie were there, we missed 'em
by a day, thank goodness, we sure weren't looking for any camera-time.
As far as the crowd at Caliente, there was a nice age mix,
this was reflected in the music at the disco, and from our casual
observations, they seem to be what people might term "a bit more upscale."
Everyone was friendly, but not overly so, discretion seemed to be the
operative word, and for those who are concerned about propriety, no was was
pushy or inappropriate when it came to boundaries of any kind.