Ep. 40: Hotel Takeovers 101

Transcript

the following podcast contains adult content including adult language i talk openly about sex and other adult topics if you are under the age of 18 or are uncomfortable listening to sexually explicit narratives please listen no further i am not a professional therapist counselor or doctor i'm just an average guy in the swinger lifestyle who likes to share his experiences. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Please seek a professional if you are in need of guidance or care as it relates to sexual health or alternative lifestyles. Hi, everyone.

Welcome to Evan Swings, a podcast about the swinger lifestyle from a male perspective. Mine. I'm Evan. I am half of a lifestyle couple. The other half is my lovely wife, Eva. We have been in the lifestyle for approximately three and a half years at the time of this recording. We are both in our late 40s, but we are having more fun than we've had in our 20s and 30s combined. It has been an incredible journey full of excitement, enjoyment, but also some hurt and some disappointment here and there.

um and that's what this podcast is all about, telling you our stories for your entertainment, but also for your information. Returning listeners, as always, thank you so much for joining me again, and if you are a first-time listener, welcome. If you'd like to hear about Eva and I, how we got into the lifestyle, please feel free to check out some of my earliest episodes, but always remember, I am not an expert. We are not experts. I'm just an average guy, and point home, I'm, I'm just sitting here in my home office with a hundred dollar microphone from Amazon sitting right in front of me.

I don't have a studio. I don't have fancy equipment. I'm just doing this with, uh, just free downloadable software. And as I sit here, there's a microwave in my kitchen that i'm using defrosting some meat for dinner so you'll probably hear that beep in a few minutes i'm just an average guy and today i have a little bit of a different episode for you i call it hotel takeovers 101. Eva and I have been to somewhere between 7 and 10 hotel takeovers. If I look back, I can probably get the exact number, but just for the purpose of this episode, just somewhere between 7 and 10.

We've experienced fun and we've experienced disappointment. If you have not already done so, please feel free to check out what we think is a very entertaining episode, episode 10. That's our famous episode about the sensitive nurses, which Eva joined me as a co-host for. And it's, I would say it's one of our three most famous stories. And it involves a hotel takeover. Episode three is also about a hotel takeover that was our third ever full swap experienceap experience. And then episode 22 and episode 30, those all involve tales of hotel takeover experiences. But what is a hotel takeover?

What happens during a hotel takeover? What if you're a couple like us? A little shy, a little reserved about talking to new people? How do you navigate a hotel takeover experience? Well, the answers to all this and more in this episode of Evan Swings. I guess I will start with kind of a definition. What exactly is a hotel takeover? And I'm doing this because I have had people ask me what goes on at a hotel takeover. Like, what is it? Like, people that I've connected with on some of the lifestyle sites who have never been to one. So that's why I'm going to kind of define it for you.

If you don't know already, and I'm assuming most of you do, if you're listening to this podcast, a hotel takeover is when a lifestyle company or a group, or maybe even a wealthy person hosts a weekend event Let's get started. A lifestyle company, or a group, or maybe even a wealthy person, hosts a weekend event at a hotel. The hotel is closed to the general public. All guests staying at the hotel that weekend are admission-paying attendants to the event.

That means, in essence, every guest in that hotel that weekend is a swinger, or at least involved in the lifestyle in some way, shape or form now play champagne is the only company's hotel takeovers that Eva and I have ever gone to but we assume most hotel takeovers are pretty similar in what they offer and include for attendance play champagne is an absolutely fantastic company and so we we think that theirs are probably a little bit more elaborate and upscale but we could be wrong we have been to two different venues for hotel takeovers in our three and a half years in the lifestyle the venue we prefer is a hotel in the cincinnati area again play champagne the host company uh hosted all these events and they do an incredible job in cincy they transform transform the atrium of the hotel into a huge dance floor and party area.

There's a DJ or a band on stage and they have lights and lasers and fog machines and all kinds of decorations. I would describe it as a nightclub setting just not at a nightclub. We've also been to one of their takeovers in Indianapolis that hotel was smaller and the dance floor and party area was held in one of the ballrooms at that particular hotel. Although some guests begin arriving on Thursday, the event doesn't begin until early Friday evening when you are allowed to check in.

By Sunday morning, everything is over, and when you start heading out the door after breakfast the cleanup crew is hard at work transforming the nightclub back into a regular hotel setting i can't remember the exact times but i believe 8 p.m is when the music starts and everyone starts filtering into the area where the dance floor is. During the day, PlayChampagne has set up seminars, contests, games, things to keep you busy and allow you the opportunity to mingle with other guests. Being honest here, we have only ever participated in one of those events. It was Eva, actually.

Eva went to a women's-only seminar about sex toys one time and really enjoyed it. But other than that, Eva actually prefers to take advantage of a quiet hotel room with no kids away from the stress of jobs and other things in our vanilla lives. Although I would prefer to explore, I mostly go along with Eva's desire for peace and quiet, and I don't force her to engage in any of that other stuff. I do frequently explore on my own.

I'll walk around, and I'll take in the scenery, but I have to be honest, I feel a bit out of place because then I'm just really a single guy walking around a swingers event. And even if I had the balls to do it, I would feel weird walking up to strangers and introducing myself and saying, you'll have to meet my wife Eva later some people I'm sure don't feel awkward about that at all but I would I'm just not comfortable doing it without Eva who I've said many times is she's my rock another thing you'll find are vendors. They have vendors set up in booths usually in a centralized location.

Some have been in the atrium area some have been in the the side conference room area and Eva and i we've we've made several purchases at these vendors over the years they have everything from sex toys to crops to whips uh sexy outfits signs tumblers all kinds of other novelties uh games and gifts pineapple earrings earrings, shirts, coasters. I'm just trying to think of all these things that I've seen. Hustler Hollywood usually has a booth there too. But there are also plenty of small business type vendors as well. Then you have the themes. Let's talk about themes here.

Usually, well, at least all the hotel takeovers we have ever been to, they all have a theme. For example, we have been to a St. Patrick's theme in March. There was a glow-up theme we went to. There was obviously a Halloween theme around October. One was a masquerade ball. The most recent one we went to was split into two nights. One was Neon Cowboy Night. And the other, if I remember correctly, was simply a country-western theme. Dressing up to fit the theme is completely optional, but it seems like most people do. Eva and I find it a lot of fun to participate in the weekend's themes.

It just kind of adds a little special element to it. Makes it more fun, if you ask us. If you don't participate in the theme, you are just asked to wear what they call club attire. And really just means be classy you know now i will say that once you are checked in i don't think much of a fuss is made over what you are wearing we have seen lots of people who break the dress code but thankfully nobody nobody seems to mind We're going to just having a good time, and we all paid good money to be there. And I think that sentiment is respected by everyone, including the staff.

i i assume i would i would assume they would they would probably they would probably enforce uh a dress code violation if someone really abused it and i'm sure people have but but ev Eva and I haven't really seen that. Let me get back to the schedule here. As I mentioned earlier, the music and dancing begins around 8 p.m. And again, I'm going by memory, and I have a horrible memory, but I think it was around 8 p.m. And about an hour after that, it really starts to pick up. By around 10 p.m., you have the full-fledged party going.

Now, things have evolved over the years with the hotel takeovers that we have gone to. It used to be that the music stopped at midnight.

Then, the party and the music moved upstairs to the top floor at that point people would well especially the women people would change out of change out of what they were wearing into more sexy scantily clad attire even I have enjoyed that part of the evening immensely especially when we didn't have anyone to play with we enjoyed walking around and just doing people watching they also have a snack table and people could enjoy you know, enjoy those treats while they danced and mingled with others. But as I said, things have changed and evolved over the years.

I believe the after party was changed to no longer be on the top floor, but instead one of the side ballrooms at our last takeover. We didn't attend because we had other plans at that last takeover. But that's what I remember seeing. In any event, I'm not sure what time everything closed down, but I believe the party kept going to the wee hours of the morning. Maybe 2 or 3 a.m., but I can't really be sure. There have also been some designated playroom areas. One time there was a conference room just filled with beds. There had to be at least a dozen beds.

And there were a lot of people having sex in there and a lot of people watching as well. One time there was even something called a dark room. Eva and I were not interested in that, but it apparently was a room kept super dark, so you couldn't completely see who you were with. Who you were touching. Who was with you. It provided an element of mystery, if that's your thing, not our thing. Let's see what else. A hotel takeover is BYOB, but you can't just walk around the hotel with a bottle of beer or a bottle of Fireball. Now, you are required to keep your alcohol in a cup.

We suggest a tumbler with a lid that can, that could be easily identified as your own. I mean, if there's a thousand people there, that means they're going to be close to a thousand cups and tumblers. So you want to make sure that you can identify yours. In the past, Eva and I have had a little fun with ours. We've taken some time and decorated our tumblers a little bit, you know, added some pineapple stickers, just kind of made it more our own. And again, made it easily to identify if we set it on a table somewhere.

What I would like to do next is talk about the pros and the cons of hotel takeovers. Admittedly, I believe there are more pros than cons. Eva and I absolutely love them. Not only for the lifestyle aspect of it, but because we have to admit it's a nice two-night getaway from our vanilla life. Kind of like a quick mini vacation where we can let loose our wild side, but also have time to relax in a quiet hotel suite. Let's start with the pros. The atmosphere. The atmosphere is amazing. You have a nightclub environment where everyone there is in the lifestyle.

Just like going to a club, just like going to a lifestyle club like Club Princeton, the one we like to go to in Columbus, Ohio. And it is a judgment-free environment. Nobody cares what you look like. You wear whatever you want. Nobody judges you. There are people of all different walks of life. There are people all different body shapes and sizes. Nobody judges you. We're all there for the same reasons. Most everyone we have ever interacted with at a hotel takeover has been just super nice. And again, you know, we're, we're all there for the same reasons. You can just be yourself.

Another thing that's great is that there is no need for a DD or an Uber. Now, I got to say, you can attend a takeover without staying at the host hotel overnight. In that case, you may need a DD or an Uber. But if you are staying at the host hotel, you have your own bedroom within walking distance of a dance floor. Eva and I find this to be incredibly convenient because we can both drink. Usually when we go to a club, she drinks and I stay completely sober.

so that I can drive us home or to a hotel or an Airbnb afterwards well there's no need for that if you're staying at the host hotel of a hotel takeover another great thing you have a private bathroom and again if you are in fact staying at the host hotel. You have your own room. You have a private bathroom. And again, if you are in fact staying at the host hotel, you have your own room. You have a private bathroom. I mean, it's a private, comfortable, changing area. At clubs, I'm not saying the clubs we've been to have been unclean, but it's basically a public bathroom.

Whereas if you have your own room at the host hotel, you have your own private bathroom with your own private supplies. Another great thing, comfortable playing areas. I mean, again, you have your own room and your own clean room, assuming that it's clean. And a comfortable hotel room, bed or beds. I am a bit of a germaphobe, and that is one thing that bothers me about play areas at clubs. Because I get to thinking, how clean are they?

You know, how well have they been sanitized well at a hotel one would assume the beds are generally pretty clean and sanitized and with the hotel takeovers that we have been to they are really nice hotels well taken care of so we have this belief that they are fairly clean. And at the hotel takeovers that we have been to in Cincinnati, all the rooms are suites. So you have a living room area with a couch as well. And that couch is also a fold-out bed. So technically, you have two private play areas available to you at all times. Now for the cons. I'm going to start with the biggest con for us.

This may not be a con to many people, but it is for us okay this may not be a con to many people but it is for us and that is the price oh my goodness the price of attending a hotel takeover at least through the ones we have been at least with the ones we've been to have become a little bit overwhelming for eva and myself I'm going to show become a little bit overwhelming for Eva and myself. Which is why we are actually currently taking a break from them. I want to do a little price breakdown for you. And I'm basing this on the last takeover we went to, which was August 2024.

The cost of admission for a couple for the weekend was $200. On top of that, you have to pay for your room at the hotel. That was a little more than $150 per night. So let's round that to $150 and say that it cost $300 to stay at the hotel. That is $500 right there, just to attend and stay for two nights. Then you have membership. In order to attend a Play Champagne event, and I'm assuming other companies have the same type of system, you have to be a member of the club. Membership is $100 per year per couple, which we paid. So now we are at $600. You are spending two nights there.

While breakfast was free, provided by the hotel, two dinners and lunch on Saturday are not. I like to eat snacks, so I also bought snacks to keep in our hotel room. So let's conservatively say that Eva and I spent $150 on food for the weekend. So now we're at $750. Drinks are not provided. Remember, I said it's BYOB. So you have to buy your own alcohol if you wish to drink and bring that with you. I spent about $50 on alcohol prior to the last takeover. So that brings us to $800. Unless you live in Cincinnati or live wherever the hotel takeover is being held, you had to drive to get there.

Gas is expensive. So there's the travel cost involved. If you want to participate in the theme, which I said we like to do, if you don't already have the outfits, you need to purchase the outfits. Amazon is your friend for that.

but that is another added cost eva likes to get a spray tan prior to events like this as well there's another cost there's some optional stuff too if you want to reserve a table or a sofa by the dance floor there is an added cost for that as well we have never shelled out the money for that so i'm not sure what the cost is but i'm going to guess anywhere from 50 bucks to 150 bucks for that there's usually a show show and dinner, like a dinner slash show offered to guests at these things, these takeovers. But of course, there's an extra cost for that as well.

I can't remember off the top of my head, but I want to say it was like $75 per couple if you wanted to go to that dinner and show. Plus, you have the vendors that I mentioned earlier. So there's an opportunity to spend more money there if you wish. It is not required, but it is nice, at least in our opinion, to tip the staff as well. So there's another $20 or $30, depending on how generous you are and how happy you are with their service.

All in all, the cost of a hotel takeover, with all I just mentioned, is pushing $1,000 or more for two nights, depending on if you choose to pay for those extras. You are basically paying for one evening, Friday, and then one full day, Saturday, and then obviously Sunday morning. So you're paying $1,000 or more for one day and two nights. We're just your regular, everyday, middle-class couple. That price is a lot for us. Just being honest here. We are not broke by any means. We're just middle-class, and that price is a lot for us.

And this is the main reason why we decided to take a break from takeovers. We can have the same amount of fun going to a club like Club Princeton for about one-tenth of the price. Now granted, hotel takeovers are amazing. We love them. But right now, it's just not cost-effective for Eva and myself to attend a lot of them. Especially when we are on the shy side. You know, if we had a large number of lifestyle friends to hang out with or were, you know, we were more comfortable with approaching people to introduce ourselves, then it would be different.

We'd have a much higher incentive for attending right now if the incentive is a much higher incentive for attending. Right now, if the incentive is for Eva and I to dance together, we can do that at a club. The way we are, Eva and myself, unless we know others are attending a hotel takeover, there's a decent chance we'll end up just dancing with each other and not playing with anyone. We don't need a hotel takeover to do that.

we I would say we'd like to do them two or three times a year now we're scaling back and we'll we'll probably do them maybe once a year and give our give our wallets a break and instead we plan to go to clubs a little more often and spend our money there. Depending on the takeover, another con, okay, so all that, that was all about the price. So another con could be the number of people. Granted, I believe Champagne has updated their registration process since our last takeover.

But for the last several, you had to be on it at 9am on a Monday morning registration opened and boy, you had better hit that button at exactly 9am because the host hotel would sell out in minutes. I think the last one we went to sold out in four minutes. So that is a con to me. To me, that is not a good thing. Not because of the process, but just because there are so many people attending these events. August 2024 for had literally over 2,000 people. That is insane. So the dance floor was very, very crowded.

It's a good thing that there were so many people to meet and get to know, but it was just really, really crowded. And neither Eva nor myself really enjoy big crowds like that. My anxiety kicks in and then I just don't enjoy myself as much. I need my space. What can I say? It's just the way I am. But to other people, that may not be a con. That may be a pro. You may enjoy that many people there. You may be more of a social butterfly than we are. And you're able to reach out and branch out to other people and talk to everybody. We're not like that. We're more reserved. So for us, it's a con.

For you, it might be a pro. And one final con the music we have never been completely 100 thrilled with the music but i'm not sure that this is a fixable issue. There are just so many different people there who enjoy so many different genres of music. So many different ages who enjoy different eras of music. I understand it is difficult to please everyone. I just, I just wish they played Thank you very much. It is difficult to please everyone. I just wish they played more music geared for us older folks. I hate to call us older, but we are. We're 48 and pushing 49. Here's an example.

At the last takeover, I was so excited. Don't judge me because the DJ started playing party in the USA by Miley Cyrus. I have a little, a fun little dance I do that I made up for this. And people who see me do this dance, i'll admit they, they tend to laugh. They tend to laugh and enjoy it. And I enjoy making people laugh. So that, that's like my chance to, to show my sense of humor and perhaps maybe even attract someone.

The song started playing the first verse and and then right before the first time she she says the main verse like right before she says i put my hands up they're playing my song right before that the dj cuts off the song and switches it to something else I was. I was ready to make a fool out of myself with my little dance and hopefully gain some positive attention. And the DJ switched the song without even playing the main chorus a single time.

Things like that frustrated us about the music it was mostly bass pounding club music i again i understand okay there's so many people so many musical preferences i understand it is hard to please everyone but damn, at least play one main chorus of every song you play. So there you have it, everyone. That's about all I can think of to say about Hotel Takeovers. The second I publish this, there will probably be more that come to mind, but oh well. I hope this at least is some starter information. I hope it at least gives you a little insight to the way these things are run.

I highly recommend trying one at least once. It is an experience you will never forget. And see, that's something just came to mind. Something that just came to mind about hotel takeovers that I could have mentioned. We had our very first ever full swap experience at a hotel takeover. I just, for some reason, forgot to mention that. Yeah. So, like I said, it will be memorable. That's all for today's episode of Evan Swings. I am so glad you decided to join me and have hopefully stuck it out to this point. As always, please feel free to connect with me on Instagram at Evan Deenson.

E-V-A-N-D-E-A-N-S-O-N, Evan Deanson. Or you could email me, evandeanson at gmail.com, or find the Evan Swings page on Blue Sky. You can send me questions, suggestions naughty pics whatever you like i appreciate you listening to this episode and until my next one be safe be naughty bye for now