Paradise Lakes: John-John - March, 2010
Trip
Report – Paradise lakes – March 2010
After
about an 18 month hiatus, we went back to Paradise Lakes for the St.
Patrick's Day weekend.
Although
we were told that the place was full and that we had to take a condo in
the back part of the Fountains, there were a lot of condos unfilled when
we checked in.
We
decided to try dinner in the restaurant that Friday night and we were
one of only three tables occupied. The food, however, was outstanding.
We even asked to shake the chef's hand. They cannot keep this guy very
long at this rate. Good service too - just nobody there to enjoy it.
Off to
the revamped L'Attitudes,
now called Club Reveal. It was about 2/3 full but had been remodeled so
that it looked fuller. One exit had been sealed off (Hello? Fire
Marshall?) to allow a raised booth for "the
owner." The rest of the wall area - which used to have tables and
seating by a rail - had also been remodeled to accommodate three
reserved booths. The net result was fewer seats and an air of privilege
that kinda smelled.
Tables
by the dance floor had also been removed in favor of taller, skinnier
tables that – I assume – were meant to make up for the volume of seating
lost along the wall. That meant cramped seating for all.
The
place lacked energy and Friday’s DJ spent more time taking breaks by the
bar than playing music. We left early (11:00) after visit to the Key
West bar and the karaoke going on over there. THAT place was jumping.
On
Saturday, we got to the pool by about 10:30 and observed that 7 inches
of rain the previous week had dumped leaves into the main pool and
rendered the hot tubs well, not so hot. Nothing had been done about
either. No one went swimming.
We
arranged our chairs and settled in for sun and alcohol. Both, happily,
were in abundant supply. About 12:30, two couples who I must assume are
“regulars,” came in and claimed nearby chaise lounges where their towels
had been draped since early morning. They observed – loudly – that
“someone” must have “rearranged” their chairs. When I informed them that
nobody had touched them, I was ignored. Whereupon, said chairs were
dragged in front of us with much huffing and carrying on. Who said
nudists were friendly? We’ve been members (on and off) there for three
owners and rarely, if ever, have we seen attitude like that.
Saturday
night’s dance featured more people, a better DJ, but still no energy.
Old friends we saw agreed that something was lacking. Truth be told, a
lot of the tables were occupied by people that made ME look young and
that didn’t help the ambiance. There were younger people by the bar, but
even dear friends of ours, who used to own and operate a swing club in
Miami, were bored with the scene.
About
10PM, the OWNER slithered in with three young women and a guy friend and
the entourage took their places in the raised booth. Nobody wandered
over to say hello. After a bit, two of the young women were dispatched
to the stage next to the DJ booth (another place which used to have
seating…). There they disappeared behind two backlit screens and
proceeded to gyrate in the shadows on the screen in time to the
music to
the amusement of, I suppose, The OWNER.
We went
home early again.
What
else can I say about the place that hasn’t been reported on the boards?
Paradise Lakes was once a
helluva lot of fun; outrageous and risqué,
fun and memorable, for the sights, sounds and people. Two duds in a row
for owners and today it’s full of owners/regulars who are pissed off and
show it. I can’t say that I blame them because, like us, they knew it
when.
Sweet
Home Alabama