April 2018 Issue #6 Issue #6 April 2018 B4Y | Page 46

‘We had this bad taste in our mouths,’ says Sandy, over Skype from the South Cali-
fornia town now he calls home (both Jon and Sandy are originally from North Caroli-
na). ‘We’d previously moved to San Francisco to save this restaurant we’d invested
in.
‘We ended up there for 18 months. It was miserable. Running a restaurant is a hor-
rible business! When we came to purchase the hotel, there was this nagging doubt.’
‘We kept telling ourselves: “It’ll be different. We’ll be work-
ing primarily with gay men”‘
‘As it turns out, running a restaurant and a hotel are night and day. People in hotels
are on holiday, there for a good time. They’re patient. People in restaurants are im-
patient. They need problems fixed immediately. It’s high stress, high labour. We’re
fortunate at Inndulge: we’ve got a great group of guys working for us, great guests
from around the world. It’s fantastic. Hotels are the special exception to hospitality.’
Here, Jon reveals all about running a clothing-optional resort, from annoying bath-
house comparisons to the ‘organized chaos’ of 60 gay men when at full capacity…
Hi Jon! Firstly, had you been using clothing-optional resorts before
buying INNdulge?
Sure. I started coming to Palm Springs in 1988. I always stayed in the gay hotels.
They’re all clothing-optional. So yes, I’m very familiar with the concept!
I think I’d be too scared…
Don’t be afraid! That’s why it’s optional. That’s what people don’t understand. It’s
common we have a couple check in, and one can’t get their pants off fast enough,
and the other keeps his swimming trunks on the whole time.
There’s no judgement. Some won’t take their clothes off, some will skinny dip in the
hot tub at midnight when it’s dark. Some where it all comes off the minute they ar-
rive, and it stays off!
What’s your maximum capacity?
We can put two to a room, and we have a few rollaways. I’d say the most we’ve
ever had is about 60, as we welcome single travelers.
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