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Pasco's Caliente Resorts Splits From National Nudist Group

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By GEOFF FOX

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 15, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - In the midst of an investigation into its involvement with a swingers organization, Caliente Resorts has given up its membership in the American Association for Nude Recreation.

The luxurious clothing-optional resort off U.S. 41 in central Pasco County had its charter temporarily suspended by the association in late May after rumors circulated about sex parties at the resort. It parted ways with the organization Friday.

Caliente officials notified AANR they were withdrawing from the association after the group sent a letter reminding its about 260 member clubs of the organization's "principles and standards," said Erich Schuttauf, AANR's executive director.

During the investigation, Schuttauf said, AANR's board of trustees found it "very troubling" that Angye Fox, Caliente's public relations director, is scheduled to speak at Swingfest 2008, an adult trade show starting this month in Hollywood, Fla. She is scheduled to lead a workshop promoting the co-existence of swingers and nudists.

"We're a family-oriented association," Schuttauf said. "That's very important, and we've been saying that for 75 years. There isn't an awful lot of room for co-existence."

Fox questioned the extent of AANR's investigation, saying the association didn't request any information from Caliente. She said the national group was "taking sides with a small number of our homeowners."

Schuttauf said AANR's principles are more important to the trustees than how many homeowners complain about sex-themed parties.

Doug Butler, president of Caliente's about 350-member homeowners association, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

The loss of the charter, something AANR says has happened to only two other resorts in the past decade, will cost Caliente considerable marketing and lobbying muscle, according to the association.

"They will no longer be advertised on our correspondence or Web site," said Carolyn Hawkins, AANR's public relations coordinator. "We have a list of member clubs that goes out to thousands of people. When someone calls wanting information, they get that list of clubs, and they could be calling from California or anywhere in the country."

Fox said losing the charter won't harm the resort's advertising and marketing efforts.

"We've helped them, frankly," she said of AANR. "They haven't changed with the times. We're taking advantage of educating the next generation, the 20- and 30-somethings on social nudism. AANR hasn't done a good job of targeting those folks."

Recently, Caliente, whose membership hit 1,800 in December, has been aggressively pursuing younger demographics through advertisements in Creative Loafing, a local alternative newspaper, and on a local sports talk radio station, where Fox and events and entertainment director Deb Bowen are occasional on-air guests.

The resort also e-mails a weekly newsletter and connects with the younger crowd on MySpace, the popular social networking site, and is creating national and international media kits with photos, videos and podcasts that people can download and listen to on their computers or iPods.

What draws many younger people to Caliente is its theme parties, such as last month's "Arabian Nights" event, where guests dressed as genies, kings or queens, or this month's "Eyes Wide Shut" event, an homage to the 1999 Stanley Kubrick film with Tom Cruise. Attendees are encouraged to wear masks.

Those parties are thrown by the Aahz Party Lifestyle Group. On its Web site, Aahz touts "an explosive sexual atmosphere" at its parties, some of which are advertised as swingers' events.

"Theme parties are fun and sexy parties," Fox said. "They wear masks and elegant clothing. It's hot and attractive, and there's no pressure for anybody to have any sexual relations. What they do in the privacy of their own room or home is up to them."

Caliente's policies forbid public displays of affection in common areas, and single men are not allowed unless they are association members. Even then, they must pass a background check.

The resort's marketing efforts seem to be working. Last year, Caliente reported a 120 percent increase in revenue over the previous year.

Whether Caliente's marketing efforts are more effective than AANR's isn't the point, Schuttauf said.

"We have 75 years of success, and we have trust in the community, and that's not easily earned," he said. "To some degree, we have to do what we feel our principles and standards would dictate. Our reputation and credibility is extremely important to us.

"We've worked hard to earn Pasco County's trust, and we want to keep it that way."

Reporter Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 779-4613 or gfox@tampatrib.com.

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