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Posted - 05/03/2012 : 12:45:33 AM
Published by New York Daily News
Florida motel turns to nudity to revive business
Hopes to draw "family-friendly" nudists
By Braden Goyette / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, May 1, 2012, 1:49 PM
A struggling Florida motel has reopened as a nudist resort.
A cash-strapped Florida motel is hoping a unique business strategy will help it stay afloat in these troubled economic times: nudity.
The Fawlty Towers Motel in Cocoa Beach officially reopened as a nudist resort Tuesday.
When owner Paul Hodges was having trouble making ends meet and had to scrap health care for his staff, he decided to take a gamble on the novelty of a nude motel.
"It's just a niche in the market," Hodge told Florida Today. "There's no competition in 100 miles."
Clothing is optional for guests at the 32-room motel, and those who haven't booked a room can also purchase a $25 day pass to access the pool and tiki bar au naturel.
Though his guests may bare all, Hodge said he wants to make sure the resort isn't a magnet for predators.
"We don't want to get the other side of it," he told Florida Today. "We want to stay as we always have been — family oriented."
A set of rules on the motel's website stipulates that "swingers and talk of swinging is prohibited," as is "sexual and provocative clothing."
Cameras are not allowed, and single males must call ahead in order to be approved for booking.
So far, the new strategy seems to be paying off.
"I've been swamped all morning, and we're looking for it to pick up," Chiquita Ward, who works at the Fawlty Towers front desk, told the Daily News.
"We're almost filled up for the month of May," Ward said. "There are only a couple rooms left."
Published by Florida Today
Cocoa Beach motel hopes nudism pays off
Fawlty Towers' plan a last-ditch effort to remain open
2:54 PM, May. 1, 2012
COCOA BEACH — Dozens of empty lounge chairs dotted the kidney bean-shaped pool in the courtyard of Fawlty Towers Motel on Thursday, a problem that owner Paul Hodge said has only gotten worse as time passes.
But his solution to get bottoms — albeit bare ones — in his chairs and hotel rooms, has some in Cocoa Beach raising their eyebrows.
Starting Tuesday, Fawlty Towers turns into a nudist resort.
“It’s just a niche in the market. There’s no competition in 100 miles,” Hodges said.
Hodge said the switch to a clothing-optional resort is a last-ditch effort to save his business. Snowbirds flock to rent condos where they avoid the bed taxes hotel guests have to pay, and his 32-room motel struggles to compete with larger chains that he said were “building hotels like it was going out of fashion.”
“It’s sort of a make-or-break situation. We can’t pay ourselves in winter. We had to scrap health insurance,” he said. “Every year it gets a little bit worse.”
Hodge started researching the idea about two or three years ago, but thought his ex-wife, with whom he co-owns the motel, wouldn’t go for it.
But with business struggling, Hodge said she jumped at the idea when a colleague mentioned it to her.
“I wish I had told her ages ago,” he said.
Only about 10 rooms are booked for the opening day , but the weekends are filling up quickly, Hodge said. Guests without rooms can buy a day pass that gives them access to the pool and tiki bar at $25 per person, an option that Hodge said might turn out to be more lucrative than overnight stays.
Hodge said he has been flush with potential customers, many from Cocoa Beach, stopping by the motel ever since two nudist magazines wrote features about his transition.
“I didn’t think there would be so many nudists right here,” he said. “It looks like we’ll do well.”
Over the winter, Hodge hired an attorney and sought the help of the American Association of Nude Recreation. Both said there was nothing on Cocoa Beach’s books that prevented the motel’s new dress code.
Cocoa Beach City Manager Chuck Billias confirmed that.
“If you go to a Holiday Inn and take off all of your clothes is that illegal?” he said.
Whether it’s legal is one thing. But people in the beachside city have differing opinions on a nudist resort in their community.
Tony Perrera, a cab driver who works in Cocoa Beach, said people he’s talked to are none too happy about the new venture. The motel is only three doors down from Shepard Park, which will be filled with children every day as soon as summer hits, Perrera said.
“Is this the right thing to do? No. Not there,” he said.
But Annie Abercrombie of Cocoa Beach sees no problem.
“I think it’s a good thing. Why not?” she said. “Key West has places like that and they do good business.”
Hodges added new screening and and taller balcony fences to block any views. The doors have coded locks to prevent people from slipping into the hotel and signs warn guests where clothing is required.
All staff will be fully clothed in new uniforms except for the bartenders, who will be topless.
Hodge said he has rules in place to ensure Fawlty Towers is a non-threatening, not a place for sexual perversions. Swingers, or talk of it, is banned. So is sexually provocative clothing and cameras.
“We don’t want to get the other side of it,” he said. “We want to stay as we always have been — family oriented.”
SEE VIDEO Fawlty Towers changing to nudist resort: Fawlty Towers in Cocoa Beach will be featuring a topless bar among other new amenities as the hotel tries to find ways to bring in more revenue. By Rik Jesse and Tim Walters Posted April 26, 2012
Published by USA TODAY
Fla. motel resorts to nudity to survive
By Susanne Cervenka, Florida Today
COCOA BEACH, Fla. – Dozens of empty lounge chairs dotted the kidney bean-shaped pool in the courtyard of Fawlty Towers Motel on Thursday, a problem that owner Paul Hodge said has only gotten worse as time passes.
But his solution to get bottoms — albeit bare ones — in his chairs and hotel rooms, has some locals raising their eyebrows.
Starting Tuesday, Fawlty Towers turns into a nudist resort.
"It's just a niche in the market. There's no competition in 100 miles," Hodge said.
Hodge said the switch to a clothing-optional resort is a last-ditch effort to save his business. Snowbirds flock to rent condos where they avoid the bed taxes hotel guests have to pay, and his 32-room motel struggles to compete with larger chains that he said were "building hotels like it was going out of fashion."
"It's sort of a make-or-break situation. We can't pay ourselves in winter. We had to scrap health insurance," he said. "Every year it gets a little bit worse."
Hodge started researching the idea about two or three years ago, but thought his ex-wife, with whom he co-owns the motel, wouldn't go for it.
But with business struggling, Hodge said she jumped at the idea when a colleague mentioned it to her.
"I wish I had told her ages ago," he said.
Only about 10 rooms are booked for the opening day, but the weekends are filling up quickly, Hodge said. Guests without rooms can buy a day pass that gives them access to the pool and tiki bar at $25 per person, an option that Hodge said might turn out to be more lucrative than overnight stays.
Hodge said he has been flush with potential customers, many from Cocoa Beach, stopping by the motel ever since two nudist magazines wrote features about his transition.
"I didn't think there would be so many nudists right here," he said. "It looks like we'll do well."
Over the winter, Hodge hired an attorney and sought the help of the American Association of Nude Recreation. Both said there was nothing on Cocoa Beach's books that prevented the motel's new dress code.
Cocoa Beach City Manager Chuck Billias confirmed that.
"If you go to a Holiday Inn and take off all of your clothes is that illegal?" he said.
Whether it's legal is one thing. But people in the beachside city have differing opinions on a nudist resort in their community.
Tony Perrera, a cab driver who works in Cocoa Beach, said people he's talked to are none too happy about the new venture. The motel is only three doors down from Shepard Park, which will be filled with children every day as soon as summer hits, Perrera said.
"Is this the right thing to do? No. Not there," he said.
But Annie Abercrombie of Cocoa Beach sees no problem.
"I think it's a good thing. Why not?" she said. "Key West has places like that and they do good business."
Hodges added new screening and and taller balcony fences to block any views. The doors have coded locks to prevent people from slipping into the hotel and signs warn guests where clothing is required.
All staff will be fully clothed in new uniforms except for the bartenders, who will be topless.
Hodge said he has rules in place to ensure Fawlty Towers is a non-threatening, not a place for sexual perversions. Swingers, or talk of it, is banned. So is sexually provocative clothing and cameras.
"We don't want to get the other side of it," he said. "We want to stay as we always have been -- family oriented."
Published by WESH.com NEWS
Nudist Hotel To Open In Cocoa Beach
Fawlty Towers Motel Opens Tuesday, May 1, 2012
COCOA BEACH, Fla. -- The Space Coast's first nudist resort will open in Cocoa Beach on Tuesday.
Fawlty Towers Motel owner Paul Hodge is hoping that opening the motel to nudists will fill the place.
"We couldn't make mortgage payments and we've had to scrap our health insurance," said Hodge. "We've just been struggling so much we said, 'Well we've got to do it.'"
To keep the doors, open Hodge decided to open something that doesn't exist in a beach town within a 100 miles -- nudity.
The motel's common areas will be nude, but patron must put on something to go onto the beach. The motel staff will be clothed.
"It looks as if it is going to work," said Hodge. "I am shocked with how much interest there has been. We've got thousands of people coming since I started advertising a few months ago."
The city cannot outlaw nudity behind closed doors or in the motel's case, behind the new fences and screens closing off the pool area from the street view.
No one has threatened a protest or brought legal action against the motel.
SEE VIDEO
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| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Diger |
Posted - 07/13/2013 : 11:29:27 PM
Guess you didn't get the word Fawlty Towers has gone back textile so we can blame this one on them.
Those crazy textiles.
Diger |
| lynnmarie0123 |
Posted - 07/13/2013 : 3:58:57 PM
i live near there. A man was shot and killed there right in his room, at the end of June. Go figure. might not be going anytime soon..... |
| HomeNudist |
Posted - 10/01/2012 : 11:18:05 PM
As a single male, I do have a dog in this hunt.
I say more power to Fawlty Towers. They are the ones who invested their life savings, not me. So they have the right to make the rules, not me.
I can accept that.
I understand that they are not open to the General Public, They cater to Nudist Couples, not everyone. They have picked a certain limited segment to cater to. This is their Business Plan. It is applied uniformly and I find it acceptable.
The continued whining about this is as silly as whining about males being excluded from Curves International membership.
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| Diger |
Posted - 10/01/2012 : 9:31:58 PM
Tiger,
Just a warning ... name calling is an Express Lane to get kicked out of this forum by the Admin. They will not allow personal attacks or name calling.
Diger |
| TigerTiger |
Posted - 10/01/2012 : 5:02:00 PM
Blavan, again insisting that I have to operate a nudist resort for a year just to have an opinion on the matter is absurd, especially since you can have whatever opinion you want without having to do the same, you hypocrite. I guess anyone who owns a business gets to be as discriminating as they want, right? I'd hate to live in your world. Just because something doesn't affect you doesn't make it okay for you to ignore it, much less say that I shouldn't care about it. Being treated unfairly is hardly selfish. Hotels don't get to make their own rules outside the laws, even if those laws aren't enforced. There is an objective standard which all establishments must follow, and nudist hotels are no exception; having a choice doesn't make it okay. Was it okay when there were separate bathrooms for whites and blacks? Everyone had access to a bathroom, just like everyone has access to biased and unbiased nudist resorts, so what was the problem? Get my point? Also, your assumption that single men who only want equal access to nudist resorts automatically makes us women haters is a baseless and audacious thing to say. Safety for women can't be ignored for the sake of equality for men, but there's no reason you can't have both. |
| MrsAzLagoon |
Posted - 10/01/2012 : 3:52:02 PM
Uh-oh...he said the 'g' word...
Originally posted by Diger[/i]
Come on guys .... no one can benefit from this.
Some have differing opinons about this and you will never change that. Just like some of the people that don't like guns, they will simply not buy one, then others want to ban them completely.
Personally I don't believe in forcing my opinions on others but dont want theirs forced on me either.
OK guys play nice.
Diger
[/quote]
Enjoy the sunshine!
MrsAZLagoon-AKA C-OHome
www.ClothingOptionalHomeNetwork.com |
| Diger |
Posted - 10/01/2012 : 2:53:44 PM
Come on guys .... no one can benefit from this.
Some have differing opinons about this and you will never change that. Just like some of the people that don't like guns, they will simply not buy one, then others want to ban them completely.
Personally I don't believe in forcing my opinions on others but dont want theirs forced on me either.
OK guys play nice.
Diger |
| blavan |
Posted - 10/01/2012 : 08:20:33 AM
quote:
Originally posted by TigerTiger
quote:
Originally posted by blavan
There is nothing else to say until you have operated a nudist resort for a year.
Being Naked and Being Real
Sorry, you don't get to pick and choose what kind of answer you want to accept. I've already given you an example of a resort that didn't restrict single men, and you can ignore it if you want, but it's absurd to say that I can't reference anything outside of my own management just because you say so.
By your logic, you wouldn't be able to say anything either, unless you ran a resort for over a year, otherwise you'd be a hypocrite. So, either PM me the name and number of the resort you managed that can also verify your identity, or don't bother to reply.
I do get to choose what kind of answer to accept because I am not critical of other nudist resort owners who have spent their money to own and operate a nudist resort. I get to choose what resorts I want to attend. I get to stay away from the ones I would rather not attend without bashing the resort owner for not catering to my own selfish preferences.
When you have operated your nudist resort for a year then we will talk.
Like the other members who respect women, I am done talking.
Being Naked and Being Real |
| TigerTiger |
Posted - 09/30/2012 : 6:17:35 PM
quote:
Originally posted by blavan
There is nothing else to say until you have operated a nudist resort for a year.
Being Naked and Being Real
Sorry, you don't get to pick and choose what kind of answer you want to accept. I've already given you an example of a resort that didn't restrict single men, and you can ignore it if you want, but it's absurd to say that I can't reference anything outside of my own management just because you say so.
By your logic, you wouldn't be able to say anything either, unless you ran a resort for over a year, otherwise you'd be a hypocrite. So, either PM me the name and number of the resort you managed that can also verify your identity, or don't bother to reply. |
| blavan |
Posted - 09/29/2012 : 5:57:04 PM
There is nothing else to say until you have operated a nudist resort for a year.
Being Naked and Being Real |
| TigerTiger |
Posted - 09/29/2012 : 11:04:47 AM
quote:
Originally posted by blavan
OK let's settle this. Why not you two guys open the BKnows and TTiger Nudist Resort in a Nude Hotel Format or as a Nude Resort type Country Club.
Admission for everybody. No background checks ever, because that would be against your principles. And you surely would not even consider affiliation with any time tested Nudist or Naturist association. You surely would expect a lot of people to attend, due to the lack of all those discriminatory rules right? Operate it for one year. Go ahead. Let's see how that goes.
Being Naked and Being Real
You must've not read my reply, since I said that background checks if applied equally would make things safer. I've been to a more rustic resort that didn't restrict single men but also did a standard background check at the desk, and that resort is still doing well, has been for years. And that was my first nudist resort, so I didn't have to do the Catch-22 BS many AANR resorts enforce, and I still got in. And that resort, despite having no discriminatory entry rules, had a fair gender ratio, I'd say 60/40. Families with kids lived on resort property as residents, so safety was still a big concern, but they weren't bigots about it. Did you have anything else to say? |
| Bob Knows |
Posted - 09/28/2012 : 2:03:39 PM
quote:
Originally posted by steady78
Now that's an interesting twist on a very common concern for women!
Calling women who, are concerned about their safety, biggots!
Wow, that's a stretch !!
WOW. Now men are a safety risk for women. The misandry on this forum is palpable. |
| blavan |
Posted - 09/28/2012 : 11:49:00 AM
OK let's settle this. Why not you two guys open the BKnows and TTiger Nudist Resort in a Nude Hotel Format or as a Nude Resort type Country Club.
Admission for everybody. No background checks ever, because that would be against your principles. And you surely would not even consider affiliation with any time tested Nudist or Naturist association. You surely would expect a lot of people to attend, due to the lack of all those discriminatory rules right? Operate it for one year. Go ahead. Let's see how that goes.
Being Naked and Being Real |
| TigerTiger |
Posted - 09/28/2012 : 12:03:12 AM
Wow, NaturistDoc and Steady87, way to attack BobKnows and not his argument, like taking his use of "p**** pass" out of context; it's the resorts that view women as passes for admission. Men, women, single, married, to most commercialized resorts they're all numbers, nothing more. Gender ratio exists to make money, and also for safety, but that's mainly for their own liability. Fawlty Towers didn't even try a women-only floor, they just restricted single men outright, so yes, their business plan is questionable.
Having women-only floors or areas, like seperate showers, are some ways to increase safety without giving into ignorantly biased fear. So is running a simple background check from the man's driver license, something that AANR resorts refuse to do because they restrict single men outright. When you take an all-or-none approach instead of making a reasonable compromise, you're treating all single men as a threat, when the same entry restrictions should apply to everyone. I'm not asking for the impossible here. |
| steady78 |
Posted - 09/27/2012 : 10:15:13 PM
Oh and BK, chains like Hilton and Crown Plaza offer ladies floors. So, looks like they're offered even in the non "liberal " cities! LOL |
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