Resort Scurries To Capitalize On Florida's Fertile Turtles
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Let us just say this plainly: Marriott International thinks turtle mating season might put guests in the mood to make babies.
The company's resort in Marco Island, Fla., is offering a special package: the Fertile Turtle.
"As sea turtles are known as a symbol of fertility, lovebirds have the opportunity to watch sea turtles eggs hatch, right on the resort's very own three-mile stretch of beach, while trying to fertilize an egg of their own," said a news release announcing the package that must have made Bill Marriott blush.
The Fertile Turtle deal, for $419 a night, includes a couples massage with fertility-promoting aromatherapy, red clover and raspberry tea (billed as a pregnancy enhancer), an authentic Balinese photo album and a Gulf-view guestroom with king-size bed.
Bonus: If couples conceive on the trip and present a birth certificate dated within 8 to 10 months of their stay, they get a free three-night stay back at the resort. (After a few months with an infant, they will probably need it.)
Robert Pfeffer, the sales director at the resort, said the Fertile Turtle was Marriott's spin on a popular new getaway: the procreation vacation. The idea is to get couples away from their stressful lives -- stress can impede baby making -- and into more relaxing surroundings.
Pfeffer thinks the Fertile Turtle has a natural advantage over other procreation vacations because it is tied to the turtle mating season. Turtles lay eggs on the hotel's beach and when they hatch, the little ones can be seen tiptoeing to the water. Cue the music, if that's your thing.
The resort takes the turtle mating seriously: Because the babies sometimes mistake lights for the moon, confusing them about which way to hightail it for the water, guests must turn out their room lights or draw their shades by 9 p.m. sharp.
This is the second season the hotel is running the deal. Some of the revenue is donated to Sea Turtle Monitoring and Protection Project of the Conservancy for Southwest Florida.
"So far we haven't had anybody conceive," Pfeffer said, "but even just coming down here and going through it, the relaxation, the experience -- it's a really a unique vacation."
And yes, a do-not-disturb sign is included.
-- Michael S. Rosenwald
