In the hyper-competitive world of high-cost vacations, resorts bet on nudity

It’s easy to party naked, you just take off your clothes and… Okay, it’s not that easy to party naked in the States and stay out of jail. But elsewhere that’s changing! A slew of resorts targeting the rich are adopting a clothing optional, sex-positive policy.

On the outskirts of Cancún, the resorts Desire Pearl, Desire Riviera Maya, and Temptation promise “luxury nudity.” Why is this nudity so luxury, you ask? For one, long-haired freaky people need not apply, and their rates make sure of that with rooms costing  $700 to $1,500 in season.

These resorts advertise an  “erotic,” “sensual,” “open-minded atmosphere,” and the lure for horny rich people seems to be working, according to GQ.

“Enterprising hoteliers seem to have made the shrewd observation that they can charge extra for delivering the one thing that nudists and swingers want most: other naked people,” GQ notes, pointing to sexy, naked play pins in Playa del Carmen, Panama, Curaçao, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, St. Martin, and Antigua.

These resorts also attempt to mirror the sophistication their cliental are used to in their day-to-day lives. For instance, dinning is still a formal affair.

“Nudity—encouraged in plenty of places—isn’t allowed in any of [Desire Pearl’s] five restaurants, where the attire can sometimes get pretty formal. The rigidity with which this guideline is observed can seem ironic. One day I watched as a woman was reprimanded for being topless at the buffet while, out the window, another lady was being railed from behind by a guy she’d just met in the hot tub.”

That seemingly strange fussiness plays the important role of creating a “luxury” atmosphere, GQ notes.

It “goes a long way toward distinguishing Desire Pearl from the kind of low-rent swinger fuck pads that exist back in the States.” [GQ]