Inside The Fawlty Towers Nudist Resort

In tough economic times, some hotels and resorts are ready to try just about anything to revive their sagging fortunes. On May 1, The Fawlty Towers Motel in Cocoa Beach rebranded itself as a “clothing-optional resort” in a bid to revive its sagging fortunes, and according to David Broad, 54, a Welsh national who manages the resort, business is picking up.

But not everyone in Cocoa Beach is thrilled with the new naturist business model. According to Florida Today, a bid by prudish local residents to shut the place down fizzled after local authorities determined that Fawlty Towers had the legal right to go nude.

David Broad spoke to Gadling and gave us the low down on nude resort rules and etiquette, the efforts to sanction Fawlty Towers and other clothing optional resorts, and why the resort allows nudism but not provocative clothing or swinging.How did the place transform from a regular motel into a clothing optional resort?

My best friend who owns the place bought it in 1988. It’s a small mom and pop motel with 32 rooms and over the last few years they’ve been building bigger hotels and they have higher advertising budgets, so business slowed down and we decided to try this.

And business has picked up?

We’ve definitely been busier on the weekends. Weekdays are picking up too now that more and more people are hearing about it. Room rates start at just $79 so it’s quite affordable as well.

On your website, the people pictured are wearing clothes. What’s up with that?

No, it’s just for the photographs; people don’t want to be photographed with their clothes off. It can compromise you, depending on what your job is.

Tell me about the nudist demographic?

We had a gentleman here the other day from Australia who read about the place. Quite a few people from Germany, Switzerland, Canada, everywhere really. It’s all ages. It’s 21 and over only though actually. The average age on the weekend is probably 50-60, but we have some younger people as young as 23 or 24.

That tracks with what I noticed on nude beaches in Greece this summer. Do you think older people are just more comfortable with their bodies and less self-conscious?

I think so. It doesn’t matter if you’re 200 pounds or 500 pounds, no one cares.

Americans are generally a bit more prudish about nudity than in other parts of the world, but tell me about some of the backlash you’ve encountered from the more conservative members of your community?

There’s been some negative comments in the papers here. The city was a little bit up in arms about us in the beginning but they’ve eased off because there’s been no trouble here. Even the police have noticed, there’s been no trouble here. Most of our customers are in their 50s or 60s and they’re in bed by 10 o’clock. The city admitted in the end that we were operating legally and there’s nothing they can do about us.




You have a list of rules on your website and I wanted to ask you about a few of these. The first rule says that the atmosphere must remain non-threatening and non-sexual at all times.

When people are nude they aren’t allowed to do any petting around the pool. You know, touching each other, kissing, nothing like that.

And then it says that swingers and swinging is prohibited. Why is that?

In the privacy of their rooms, they can do what they want. But if they’re out there trying to recruit people we stop that straightaway. We don’t want it to be a swingers resort. We do background checks on everyone before they can come here. It’s to make sure the person has no criminal history so everyone is kept safe.

It also says on your website that provocative clothing is prohibited. Why is that?

We don’t want people parading around in stockings and stuff like that. It’s a proper naturist place. Proper naturists don’t walk around in see-through negligées and things like that.

So it’s OK to be naked but you can’t wear a see-through negligée or a thong?

It’s a hard one to explain. It’s like drawing attention to yourself, whereas if everyone is nude then no one is drawing attention to themselves.

I see that you have a gym as well. Do people work out nude?

No, the gym is half mile away and you have to wear clothes there. The clothing optional part is just the hotel, the tiki bar and the pool area. It’s all very private and secluded, no one can see in here at all.

Do you get some first timers who are unaware of nude resort etiquette?

Oh yes, but everyone is comfortable. Some start apprehensive, but everyone is friendly and welcoming. We limit cellphone use and cameras to make sure people aren’t taking photos at the pool.

When you get very attractive women there, are the men able to contain themselves?

Everyone behaves themselves. No one is judged.

Does the staff go nude as well?

No, no, we have to be dressed according to the state law, unfortunately. Otherwise, they classify us adult entertainment.

What do you want America to know about your resort and other clothing-optional places?

It’s very private. No one gets exposed to this if they don’t want to be. We don’t drag people in here. People come on their own free will and it’s not thrown in anyone’s face. We don’t have a sign outside reading “Nudist Hotel” or anything like that.

Nakation Nation: Nudist Resorts And Beaches Solve Airline Baggage Fee Woes

And from the, “OMFG” department comes this information, via press release: The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) “encourages wholesome family nude recreation [“Nakations”] in appropriate settings such as designated nude beaches and AANR-member resorts, or around the home. Experts have attested that children raised in a social nudist environment grow up with a stronger sense of self-esteem, free of many of the body image issues that trouble the average textile youth.”

I’m most disturbed by the terms, “textile youth” and “Nakation.” I’m not going to touch those with a ten-foot…never mind. Why I’m so skeeved out by the naked family vacay thing is a bit more convoluted. I like to think that I’m pretty open-minded, and it’s true we’ve become a nation of body dysmorphic, eating-disordered freaks…when we’re not morbidly obese, that is.

I have no problem going topless on European beaches, and have often bemoaned the puritanical leanings of Americans when it comes to censorship with regard to nudity on television and in magazines. I just feel that it’s potential fodder for a therapist’s couch when children and their parents frolic about sans textiles after the toddler stage has passed; I also believe that public nudity past toddler-hood is something that should only be done by consenting adults.

I’ve been to a nude beach twice. Maybe it’s because I didn’t holiday in the buff with my family (my eyes, my eyes!) as a child, but I can tell you two things my nude sunbathing didn’t accomplish: providing me with a stronger sense of self-esteem, and freeing me of the body image issues that have troubled me ever since I was an average, deprived textiled youth.It could have something to do with the fact that the first time I went, it was with an exhibitionist Australian boyfriend who was a professional athlete. It was (as we discovered) a gay beach, meaning most of the men were totally ripped. I’d also been on a month-long food writing assignment, so I wasn’t feeling very good about my body. And I was covered – literally – with mosquito bites I’d gotten several days prior on a camping trip. This included my ass, because…let’s just say that women have a tougher time peeing in the great outdoors than men.

So, I wasn’t exactly feeling empowered about this experience, but I forced myself to do it. Just so I could say my boyfriend and I went to a gay nude beach in Australia. The second time, I was by myself in Santa Cruz and it was all good until some freak threw his towel down three inches away from my toes. I haven’t taken my clothes off in a public place in broad daylight since.

Clearly, I’m the one with the issues, because according to the AANR, the “2011 Portrait of the American Traveler tells us that at least 53 million people are interested in visiting nudist resorts or nude beaches. This confirms the increasing public understanding that family nudity is wholesome, natural and comfortable after the first daunting but liberating plunge.”

I guess the issue really comes down to, “Is this behavior hurting anyone?” and that’s open to debate. Personally, I’m not too cool with kids being, uh, exposed to naked strangers. I agree that teaching children to have a healthy sense of esteem about their bodies is important (as important, say, as feeding them a well-balanced, nutritious diet and encouraging them to be physically active and play outdoors), but I think there are plenty of ways to learn that without going on Nakations. Or, for the cash-strapped family, “Staycation Nakations.”

One thing I will say about clothing-optional travel: it saves money on baggage fees and laundry. The downside is explaining how you got melanoma.

[Photo credits, sunbather, Flickr user uppityrib; sign, Flickr user Sister 72]

Top five tips for newbies visiting nude beaches

Are you planning to go “clothing optional” for the first time? From what I understand, you can have a lot of fun, but there are rules to be followed. Failing to do so can lead to an awkward situation or worse. Most of this is common sense, of course, which is probably why it’s worth mentioning. You can have fun without coming across as a disgusting nut job. I found a list of suggestions for first-time visitors to nude beaches over on Fox News and pulled the top five for you, below:

1. Wear protection: you’ll have much more of your body exposed to the sun than usual, so bring and apply sunscreen – lots of it. Could you imagine getting a sunburn on your… exactly. Test out sunscreen on areas where you may not be accustomed t wearing it, because your body may have an unexpected (and unpleasant) reaction.

2. Expect to be a hottie: if you think you’re going to find tight bodies pulled into provocative positions all over the beach, prepare yourself for some disappointment. You may get lucky and run into something sweet, but much will sag and drag.

And speaking of getting lucky … 3. Forget about sex: to feel comfortable on a nude beach, it seems, you need to be ready to take sex out of the equation. This isn’t the case at some beaches, however, which specialize in fostering carnality. But, be ready for bodies ready to be put to work. Look at (2) above, and prepare for the tables to be turned. Do a little jogging before hitting one of these destinations.

4. Leave your camera at home: even if you think you’re the next Larry Flynt, you should leave your inner shutterbug behind for a day. Photography and video are highly inappropriate. So is staring, in case you couldn’t figure that out on your own. Would you want anyone to do this for you? Wait … don’t answer that (except maybe in the comments below).

5. Take a towel: there are some places where you’ll need to cover up. Dining areas, bathrooms and entering and exiting the beach typically call for modesty, however much you may loathe it. Don’t do it for you – do it for everyone else.

[photo by ilovememphis via Flickr]

02Hide’s Transparent Bags: The Perfect Bags for Clothing-Optional Resorts?

Now that you know where to go for your next clothing-optional vacation, you need a bag to stuff your toothbrush in, right? Why not show everyone how witty you are and take a see-through bag? After all, you got nothing to hide, right?

02Hide (pronounced “Zero to Hide”) bags are smart, stylish, and entirely transparent. Available in 6 different styles — including a city bag, a backpack, a messenger bag, and more — each bag comes with a detachable luggage tag and a 1 quart cosmetic bag, perfect for holding those 3-ounce liquid containers.

The World’s Best Clothing-Optional Resorts

Sometimes, the best vacations are those in which the traveler can let his or her down, unwind, and put it all away — literally. If you’re looking for a place to let it all hang out, then you might want to check out our list of some of the world’s best clothing-optional resorts. In addition to being quite liberating, bear in mind (ha ha), that packing for these detinations should be very, very easy.

In case you’re wondering, “clothing-optional” doesn’t really mean you’re still supposed to prance around in your your tighty-whities — even if you DO look like these guys.

(Warning: Some of the websites listed are NSFW.)

  1. Catering specifically to couples, Palm Springs’ Terra Cotta Inn is a beautiful, historic mid-century modern property. Originally built for celebrities, the complex boasts 17 large rooms, a poolside breakfast, and high walls — to deter Peeping Toms.
  2. Pleasure Grove Resort is an adults-only resort in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of Northeast Georgia, 1½ hours north of Atlanta. A full-service, four-season resort, “The Grove” is the perfect destination for couples to “get away from reality, indulge their senses, and realize their wildest fantasies.” Unless, of course, those fantasies include wearing lots and lots of clothes.
  3. Jamaica’s Hedonism II hosts annual couples’ conventions that feature various events, including erotic costume contests that tend to the extreme. Is that a banana costume, or are you just happy to see me?
  4. Hidden Beach Resort Au Naturel Club was created for “uninhibited vacationing.” The only only all-inclusive nudist resort in the Mexican Caribbean, Hidden Beach boasts 42 beach-front suites in Tulum, Quintana Roo.
  5. Located 90 minutes from LA, The Sea Mountain Spa was ranked the Top Celebrity Spa in the US by MSN (2003-2006), and awarded Best Private Retreat in the USA 4 years in a row. AOL declared it one of the top 5 places to be naked in the USA.
  6. From August to April, Cairns’ The White Cockatoo operates as a nudist resort with a limited number of non-nude chalets available in a separate area. The Cockatoo (tee hee) promise that naturalists and non-naturalists will not accidentally bump into each other. After all, who wants to run into a clothed person?!
  7. If you are looking for luxury and sophistication, Portugal’s Quinta de Horta…may not be for you. However, if you’re looking for casual arts and crafts, an organic farm, and horseback riding — all in the buff — then you’re in luck.
  8. Located on the Florida-Georgia line,along the banks of the St. Mary’s River, the Hidden River Resort promotes “respect for our environment, ourselves and others while experiencing family and social nudism.” At the 88-acre retreat, guests can go hiking, lounge by a cypress pond, or enjoy campfires with marshmallows. Watch out for flying embers!. Pets are welcome — but they must also romp in the nude.
  9. Club Orient is a naturist resort situated on the mile-and-a-half-long Orient Beach on St Martin.
  10. Eden Bay Resort & Spa, in the Dominican Republic, is adjacent to the world-class Robert Trent Jones golf course. Careful with your club!

If you go, send pictures!