( Picture of the new lodge at Paradise Valley in Dawsonville Georgia)
When I was asked by Joe, the owner of Paradise Valley to become the next General Manager of the Valley, I was not sure what to say. I am a massage therapist and I worked at the Valley last summer. Everyone at the pool looked like they were having a great time, but the mood was just not right.
I heard mixed comments. Some long time members were unhappy with the improvements, others were unhappy with the new "no cooler" policy. And others were visiting for the first time and felt they really had found paradise. The mix of energy levels at the resort was disturbing.
So when Joe asked me to be the next manager, I was not sure what to do. I love the concept of a clothing optional resort in the North Georgia Mountains, I loved the new improvements and I felt I could offer the resort and its members, stability and professionalism.
I knew I could do a good job for the owners, but I had my concerns, since I remember hearing comments poolside last summer. So I agreed to take the role of manager with one condition. My only demand was that we require everyone involved with the Valley to respect and honor my forward thinking policy Either you are part of the solution, or part of the problem.
As I was driving in to the resort on Wednesday, my first full day on the job, I started thinking about why guests and members visit Paradise Valley. What is the motivating factor?
First of all, there are several nudist / clothing optional choices in the area. Secondly, if clothing optional is not the major reason, there are over 50 lodging choices within 30 miles of Paradise Valley.
The obvious reason people come to Paradise Valley is the ability to swim and party in the nude. Most clothing optional resorts in America do not have the ability to sell liquor.
Guests are not traveling to Paradise Valley for the lodging accommodations, if that was the most important item on their travel plans, they would stay at the Ritz or the Four Seasons in downtown Atlanta.
Guests are not coming to Paradise Valley for fine dining with white linen table clothes. If that is what they are looking for, they would visit Atlanta and dine at one of the Buckhead Life Group Restaurants, like Blue Point.
It was clear to me that guests and members are coming to Paradise Valley to enjoy the sunshine in the nude, to swim in a large pool nude ( leave the swimsuit at home) , and to meet and party with like minded couples and singles.
So my first order of business is to focus on the members needs, including the pool-side activities and the evening parties. At the Valley, we are very lucky to have a couple who donates their time and energy, promoting the Valley and coordinating the entertainment. This couple writes a weekly newsletter for the Valley, so if you are interested in Paradise Valley and you are not receiving their newsletter, please let me know and I will be sure you are added to the list.
Ok, so my first day on the job, the water lines connected to the well broke. I had planned to meet with staff, work on the computer and learn the policies and procedures. Instead I had my first hands on experience at the Valley, fixing and repairing the water lines.
I enjoyed meeting so many members and residents. A special thanks to Claude for assisting in the water repair.
1 comment:
When my wife and I first visited Hidden Valley, we brought our own cooler with food and drink. Upon future visits, when it changed hands, we weren't allowed to bring our cooler with us. We noticed a significant drop off of visitors to the resort after that,which we feel was because you couldn't bring your snacks and drinks with you. We would visit 4-5 times a year in the past, but because of the policy there now we only visit once a year at the most. As you stated there are other nudist facilities in the area, so we tend to visit those. We enjoyed the facilities there at Paradise Valley, but because we travel quite a ways to get there, we couldn't justify the costs associated with the food and snacks we are obligated to buy.
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