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 Posted - 05/03/2012 : 12:45:33 AM
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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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Admin
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Posted - 05/03/2012 : 12:49:06 AM
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NRO would like to send our sincere congratulations to the owners of Faulty Towers Motel for their choice to join our community of family-friendly nudist resorts!
The best of luck to you!
It looks like the old saying is true. When one door closes, another one opens. Literally.
Now, it's time to send them some business. Lots of it.
We would suggest sending this page to everyone you know that might enjoy a nude vacation on the Space Coast.
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Bob Knows
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Posted - 05/03/2012 : 12:42:46 PM
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quote:
Cameras are not allowed, and single males must call ahead in order to be approved for booking.
Sexist discrimination is illegal in the United States. I wouldn't patronize an anti-men sexist bigot if it was the only nudist place.
Shame on them. Florida men should sue.
Bob Knows.
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Edited by - Bob Knows on 05/03/2012 12:44:00 PM |
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go n nude
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Posted - 05/07/2012 : 7:35:07 PM
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This family oriented (resort)Motel has the right to do back ground checks on all visitors single and couples, as many resorts and clubs now require all members be screened for registered sex offenders ect., call ahead for pre approval is not discrimination towards single males, they are not unfairly judging anyone prematurely,they have safe guards in place for everyone's safety, including their business and reputation, many clubs have refused single males, due to problems and trouble caused by a few and suffered by many.Thats discrimination.
go n nude
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Bob Knows
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Posted - 05/07/2012 : 8:27:02 PM
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If it were, "all visitors" then you would be right. But its only men who have be pre-approved, according to posted informaiton. Requiring men, but not women, to call ahead is SEXIST bigotry. This hotel is sexist misandrist. I won't patronize misandrist bigots.
It also violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating on the basis of sex.
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Edited by - Bob Knows on 05/07/2012 8:30:26 PM |
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Admin
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Posted - 05/08/2012 : 11:57:13 PM
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[Here's a trip report from a couple who are friends of ours, who recently visited Faulty Towers.]
"Fawlty Towers is very nice. Like I said, it started out, it used to be a La Quinta. You know, it's got the kind of court yard area, and the pool, and a tiki hut.
Yeah, I've heard that somebody said they were talking about, that one of the men at the councilmen meeting said, 'Hey, look at Pasco County. They're making money with these nudist places. Look at Haulover, making money with these nudist places. Why not have our county make some money with this nudist place?'
"But, they're very nice. You can't go outside your room, you know, without clothes. You have to be clothed outside your room. But outside your room, outside the walls. But if you go outside your room into the courtyard area, you're fine. Yeah, like you have a sliding glass door towards the pool, and you have a door for outside, to get in. Like a hall, because it's two levels. As long as you're on interior walls, you can be naked. And they have a little area, even a little coffee area that you can go get coffee and still can be naked. You know, you can't go through the store which goes out into their office, and right, you can't go there. Because, I mean, it's right on a busy street.
"They have a bar, they do not have a restaurant. There's a couple of little, you know, beach bars. One of them, definitely a very nice menu, delivers! And, Bob and I shared a burrito. And, you know the, like, from corner to corner of one of those Styrofoam containers? It filled that. I mean it was that long. We split it. So it was a dinner serving, like, and it was 10, 11 bucks. But, I mean with delivery, tax, it was, they gave ten percent off because of the new nudists and promoting that, and if you have it delivered. So then you didn't even have to go get it. So, that's still not bad.
"I mean, they had some fish tacos, $3.99. It looked really good, you know, different things. And, you know, a variety, of course.
"We just stayed one night. But our friends stayed, like, the weekend. Now, there's, you know it's going to be, of course, in the SUN paper. [A local nudist magazine, no relation to Society for Understanding Nudism - Ed.]
"There's a bar, right inside, right? But it only serves beer and wine. And they will make you a frozen, a margarita frozen with, like, wine instead of tequila or something like that.
"But, the people were very nice. People were making suggestions. Like one suggestion Bob made was they only allow, 'cause they do allow locals to come in just for the day, if you want to have a day of being at a nudist place. But, I guess they only allow four, you know, you have to be AANR or something, or they have to do a background check before you're allowed in, for male nudists. For male, single males I guess, is what I was getting at.
"It has probably 32 rooms, is what Bob found out. When we were there, there were only like, 4, 5 rooms that night when we were in there, sold that night. I think that weekend, you know that, because we were in there Thursday night, left Friday morning. That, you know, probably there were going to be a lot more. And there might have been more rooms, but we only saw, like, around the pool, 3 or, okay there was one other couple there, so there were probably 5, 6, or 7 couples there. So, 5, 6 or 7 rooms, and 3 or 4 single guys hanging around.
"I mean, it was a La Quinta, yeah. That's why I'm saying the courtyard kind of atmosphere, kind of. It's very pretty, kind of tropical. It's in real good shape. We thought, we rated it a 9 out of 10, as Bob and I considered it. So, we would definitely go back. We thought it was very nice.
"I mean, they put some extra fencing, that some of it doesn't look the best, because they put it so high, that the councilman said, 'A little higher.' And so they put something else up, to make it that much higher, and so they're going to fix it, you know, so it looks better. Well, just anywhere where you're walking that anybody can, you know, from another building anywhere around, see in. They just fixed it so it's pretty much that, at least, you know, somebody my height, you know, they wouldn't see. You couldn't see someone's tits, you know. Or, plus they wanted to make it so you can't just, like, if they have their sliding, their curtains open, that they can't see in because at this point there's, like there's the sliding glass doors, and about half way to your screen is a walk, I mean to there it's a walkway. And, in some of the areas they have that fencing that high, because of it's at the ends. In the middle, it's not like that.
"The rooms, well, our friends had one with a king sized bed and it was very nice. I mean, very comfortable. We had two double beds, and, because we just wanted a standard room, just staying one night. And the TV was nice, the bedrooms they were clean, fresh. The TV was a new TV, I think it was one of those flat screens, it was a nice TV. They fixed it up, it's very nice.
"Now, the cruise that we went on, because it was textile, we rated it a 5. It was textile, it wasn't that fun, the people weren't, you know, not as friendly. I mean, it was basically a two-night, two-day. You get on there at noon, and you get off at ten o'clock. It goes to the Bahamas, it's about time shares. The whole deal is about time shares. Well, I mean, the initial thing is to get you to want to go on this cruise, okay, then they want you to upgrade..."
[Many thanks to Bob and Carla for this great trip report for Fawlty Towers Hotel!]
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ah2benude
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Posted - 05/09/2012 : 2:25:19 PM
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I was thinking about geting a day pass and visit, but after seeing that they discriminate against single males I think I'll keep heading on 95 and go to the nude beach. We don't need another place that doesn't want single or solo males to participate.
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free2be
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Posted - 05/09/2012 : 7:22:00 PM
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Not that I'm going to be in the area to even check it out, but hopefully over time they can make it so that the "whole" hotel can be clothes free. Sounds like you would have to keep taking clothes off and then putting clothes on.
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EuroTim
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Posted - 05/11/2012 : 10:49:37 AM
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call ahead for pre approval is not discrimination towards single males, they are not unfairly judging anyone prematurely,
Yes they are, unless single women have to call ahead also!
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rabbitnbunny
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Posted - 05/14/2012 : 02:03:14 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by go n nude
This family oriented (resort)Motel has the right to do back ground checks on all visitors single and couples, as many resorts and clubs now require all members be screened for registered sex offenders ect., call ahead for pre approval is not discrimination towards single males, they are not unfairly judging anyone prematurely,they have safe guards in place for everyone's safety, including their business and reputation, many clubs have refused single males, due to problems and trouble caused by a few and suffered by many.Thats discrimination.
go n nude
They might have a right to do a background check, but if they are a commercial business, they might not have a right to refuse to rent a room to someone under the Fair Housing Act.
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go n nude
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Posted - 05/14/2012 : 6:12:15 PM
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rabbitnbunny,Eurotim,and Bob Knows, this resort/motel can and will operate it as they please, its theirs not mine, people have choices and options, they can visit or not and like it or not, resorts have rules, we may like their rules or not,and understand why rules and policies are theirs alone, they made them, and we have a choice and an opinion of this"Family Friendly"nudist resort, that they desire to be and hopefully stave off sinking out of business.
go n nude
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Country: Canada
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Bob Knows
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Posted - 05/14/2012 : 10:49:15 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by go n nude
rabbitnbunny,Eurotim,and Bob Knows, this resort/motel can and will operate it as they please, its theirs not mine, people have choices and options, they can visit or not and like it or not, resorts have rules, we may like their rules or not,and understand why rules and policies are theirs alone, they made them, and we have a choice and an opinion of this"Family Friendly"nudist resort, that they desire to be and hopefully stave off sinking out of business.
go n nude
Uh, no. Hotels, restaurants, and other public accommodations are not legally allowed to be racist or sexist in the US. Discrimination on the basis of sex in public accommodations (hotels) has been illegal in the US since 1964. This hotel's obviously discriminatory policy is illegal, offensive, and an open invitation to be sued.
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steady78
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Posted - 05/15/2012 : 12:44:23 AM
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Sorry guys, I'm gonna have to side with the owners on this one.
I've been the single guy (up until a few short years ago when I met and married Mrs steady) and it felt like I always had to go over board to prove I wasn't some perv.
It would've been great to be in an environment where the others in the resort already knew everybody including me was no threat.
Many times at CO beaches and resorts I've seen the pervs and creeps that women fear. The people who can easily give a beach or resort a bad reputation in short order.
My wife already, in her short naturist life has a couple bad experiences that have driven her away from a resort.
As I had nothing to hide I would have welcomed the chance to prove I wasn't one of the pervs.
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Balto Bob
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nudesunguy
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Posted - 07/07/2012 : 10:41:58 AM
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Nudism will bring in drugs and prostitution? HA! Shows you how little some people know.
Bob and Carla's report was, you know, like informative. But, I mean, do people like, you know, really write like that? (I know some talk like that). lol
As for you single guys, stop moaning and go out and find yourself a woman (or man). It is possible, you know. I recently saw a study showing that married men live longer and healthier lives, so you'll be doing yourself a big favor in more ways than one. Go Faulty Towers!
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TigerTiger
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Posted - 08/11/2012 : 7:34:27 PM
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The 1964 civil rights act applies to employees, but yes, Fawlty Towers and the well-known Cypress Cove resort do have sexist entry rules, to "keep gender ratio" they claim. It's a trade of your freedom for their security, although the extra step in fact does nothing but humor the ignorant.
Also, Fawlty Towers' website says 21 and over only, and looks to be made out to couples
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Fawlty Towers Motel in Cocoa Beach, FL
