POINCIANA – The plans at Cypress Cove in 2012, owner Ted Hadley admits, are mainly for some continued renovations and no expansions — as Hadley put it, “Nothing sexy.”
But that may not be the case on Dec. 30-Jan. 1, when Cypress Cove hosts its annual Nude Year’s Eve Weekend, with both a dinner party that costs less than $50 to get into, and a free gathering at the outdoor bar.
And since the establishment’s full title is the Cypress Cove Nudist Resort & Spa, it promises to be a very fun event, Hadley said, particularly since Alter Eagles — a tribute band that performs the songs of 1970s country-rock icons The Eagles — will be the main act.
The resort at 4425 Pleasant Hill Road in Poinciana, which first opened in 1964, is a place for naturalists and clothes free vacationers from around the world to gather on the nearly 300-acre facility that includes a 50-acre lake, 130 acres of protected wetlands, 20 acres of recreation and even a residential community. Accommodations include 84 villa hotel rooms and apartments, and a modern campground and RV park.
Anyone looking to relax and socialize in the nude is welcome here, and all members of the American Association for Nude Recreation or other nudist clubs or organizations are also welcome.
And, not surprisingly, it wouldn’t be Cypress Cove without a New Year’s Eve bash to offer guests and the general public alike.
“It’s our big New Year’s party,” Hadley said. “We actually have two parties going on that weekend.”
The venues are different. One is in the Lakeside Restaurant and Scuttlebutts Lounge, which offers daily specials and occasional buffets.
“The big party is the one in the Lakeside Restaurant,” Hadley said. “It costs $44 per person, and that includes your food and a champagne toast at midnight.”
Reservations, he noted, are going fast.
“We’ve got a fantastic Eagles tribute band that’s providing the music,” he said. “It’s really good entertainment, and that party is just about sold out. The seating capacity in the restaurant is about 300, and I’m expecting every bit of that to fill up.”
Then there’s another option over at the resort’s Cheeks Bar & Grill, located poolside, which offers food and drinks beginning at 11 a.m. every day, and is a good place to play darts, billiards, or listen to music on the jukebox – and to enjoy a cocktail.
“Over at Cheek, which is our pool bar and grill, we have a more informal party that’s free,” Hadley said. “You can just show up at the bar and order what you like. Those are good times.”
Cypress Cove has been celebrating the New Year in style – nude style, to be more accurate – since they first opened their doors, Hadley added.
“We’ve been doing this for a while,” he said. “We didn’t always have two parties, but it’s been big enough in the past.”
The Lakeside Restaurant bash, he added, is “a chance for people who want something more formal. They can go and have a nice dinner and listen to the band. We’ll do a champagne toast at midnight in the restaurant, and we have a ball drop and everybody gives each other hugs.”
Cypress Cove has other amenities for its guests to enjoy, including Nature Hair, a full service hair and nail salon; Silver Lining Massage, for a full body massage or body treatment; and the Fig Leaf Boutique, which has a selection of hundreds of sarongs, resort-wear and logo apparel for both men and women.
Next year, he said, there are no big changes on tap at Cypress Cove, outside of continued renovations.
“Right now we’re in the process of remodeling the bathhouses and things like that,” Hadley said. “We’ve kind of built out to capacity at this point, as far as the physical process goes, and now it’s back to remodeling, and we’ve done a lot of that in the last few years. We just remodeled the clubhouse and the Cheeks bar, and we’ve done nearly all of the bathhouses — I think there’s just one left.”
Hadley said 2011 was a decent year for the resort, although he had hoped for better attendance, since Central Florida’s tourism industry appears to be on the rebound following several painful years when the national recession started in 2008.
“We were late to have the recession affect us,” Hadley said. “We were kind of insulated from it for a while. But now that it has affected us, we’re still waiting for the big bounce back. Our occupancy for 2011 was below expectations.”
That’s why they hope to start off the New Year with a bang at Lakeside, he added.
“It’s going to be a sold out event for sure,” Hadley said.
To learn more, call 407-933-5870 or log on to cypresscoveresort.com.

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