‘I went to Cancun’s adults-only Temptation Hotel’

IT’S a hotel known for its “adults-only sensual fun”, so we went to check it out and found a lot of surprises. WARNING: Contains nudity.

WARNING: Contains partial nudity.

AFTER hearing about the “adults-only sensual fun” on tap at Temptation Cancun we were unsure what to expect from the all-inclusive Mexican resort.

Would we be met by a beach of writhing bodies? Do nudists prefer you to keep eye contact or is it polite to greet each other with an ogle?

And do swingers wear clothes at the dinner table? Given our ages (just the right side of 50) and our marital status (happily monogamous) we wondered if we would fit in, but on arrival our preconceptions quickly melted away.

Temptation is full of happy, liberated, slightly older people who want to have a good time, drink plenty of cocktails, enjoy the sun — and get up to whatever else they fancy behind closed doors — but it’s certainly not a swingers’ hotel.

There’s no outdoor hanky panky allowed, and the vibe during the day is Las Vegas/Ibiza pool party — only without the ­pressure to be body beautiful. There are men and women of all shapes, sizes, colours and ages. No one cares what you look like in a bikini or whether you’ve got the latest designer sunglasses.

It’s not for everyone and you’ll see an incredible array of topless women, but if you have a laid-back attitude and like a good party, you’ll have a great time.

Most people we spoke to were returning guests, and Temptation’s rebooking rate is very high, with guests buying up memberships and coming back year after year.

Guests let loose at the hotel. Picture: Temptation Island

The mix is predominantly couples, but there are quite a few single guys, same-sex couples and friends on girls’ trips too.

Our room in the newly built Bash Tower was huge, beautifully clean, sleekly ­decorated and came with two personal butlers who did everything they could to ensure our stay ran smoothly.

On our balcony we even had a hot tub big enough for two with a view over the ocean and the main pool. The blinds were electric, the minibar well stocked and the bathroom spacious.

Most people are at Temptations to socialise and party, most of which goes on at the imaginatively named Sexy Pool.

It’s busy, buzzy and full of people ­drinking at the huge swim-up bar, getting into dance-offs, playing drinking games (beer pong, anyone?) and partying to the booming music. Everyone talks to everyone, but it is in no way intimidating.

Tops are optional but nudity and any down-and-dirty sexy behaviour is a no-no.

The smaller Quiet Pool still has poolside waiter service, jacuzzi and swim-up bar, but the atmosphere here is more chilled.

There are also sunlounges on the beach stretching from the Sexy to the Quiet Pool, so you can choose which vibe you prefer while sipping your margarita with the sand between your toes.

The Rooftop Bar and Pool is an exclusive area available to premier guests only on the seventh floor — a fantastic space, with sunbathing pods, fabulous food and, of course, on-tap drinks.

The madness of the day at the Sexy Pool finishes with the hardcore party animals migrating to the huge jacuzzi to carry on the fun way after the sun goes down.

At around 7pm, when most guests are ­resting or getting ready for the evening ahead, wonderfully calming chill-out tunes are played all around the hotel and on the balconies.

If you want to relax a little more, there is a tranquil spa with amazing treatments which can be taken solo or with a partner.

We enjoyed a ­heavenly facial combined with a hot stones massage.

The family-owned hotel treats its staff well, and it shows in the way their employees treat guests.

Most of the staff have been there for years. Last year the hotel closed for eight months for a $60 million refurbishment — and the fact that the company carried on paying the staff while it was shut speaks volumes.

Every night is a theme night which takes place in the central Bash Bar — so in the name of research, of course, we went to them all.

Fun in the sun. Picture: Temptation Island

Most of the guests aren’t in Cancun to relax — they’re there to party.

Our favourite was the neon night — think day-glo wristbands and ­luminous body paint.

All theme nights followed a similar vein — pyjama party, devils and angels, lingerie, throwback Thursday and the Friday night white party.

A lot of people dress up, but by no means everyone, and costumes range from hilarious to downright risque.

But if you don’t dress up you definitely don’t stand out or feel like you’ve come to the wrong event — all are welcome, no matter what.

Plastic fantastic. Picture: Temptation Island

Patrons are there to party. Picture: Temptation Island

We booked a cabana for a couple of the party nights, which gave us waitress service and a great view of the raised dance floor where there is usually some form of ­entertainment, from electric violins to pole dancers.

Once the entertainment is over, the guests can’t wait to get up there to strut their stuff to a vibrant mix of music, from handbag house to Latino and ’80s.

There are seven restaurants on site, with some requiring a ­supplement, depending on which all-inclusive package you are on.

We ate fantastic seafood, amazing Italian, top-quality steak and enjoyed the hibachi show at the Asian restaurant so much we went there twice.

One of the guest rooms. Picture: Temptation Island

Tops optional. Picture: Temptation Island

This is a concept hotel — and the concept is that everybody should have as much fun as they want. It’s unique and we had never seen anything quite like it, but we found the freedom and acceptance of others refreshing.

It’s the friendliest holiday we’ve ever been on, and if there is any agenda for some of the guests, well, they are pretty well-versed in their lingo and good at picking up signals, so there’s no undercurrent of any expectation when chatting.

Would we be tempted to return to Temptation? Most definitely!

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This story originally appeared on The Sun and was republished with permission.