Troy & Olive - February, 2010
I hope folks find this report beneficial. To add perspective,
Olive and I are 38 and 41 respectively and this was our 10th or
11th trip to HII depending who you ask. We've also been to
Couples, Desire, and Grand Lido Braco.
General (Feb 28-March 6)
In short I'll say that the trip was perfect in almost every way.
We only stayed 6 nights this time but managed to wear ourselves
out anyway. With regard to the things that Hedo controls, Olive
and I both felt that the trip measured up to any previous visit,
in some ways a step up.
Nude Beach and Pool Area
The week we were there was directly following the Fluffernutters
stay. There were some stragglers from that week but the resort
was clearly not at full capacity. Towels and chairs were
plentiful. Temperature was great in the hot tub, a little cold
in the pool. This was the first time we've ever been to Negril
were there were even small waves. Maybe due to the Chile
earthquake?
Service at the pool bar was good. Delroy and Scumba remembered
us well, sometimes we were served out of turn. Guess thats the
upside of coming back. We miss Robert at the grill but the
replacement was very friendly and prompt. A few new items to
choose from, grilled fish. Small little salad bar to the side
(no dressing). Jerk chicken available all the time.
Socially, this area is the reason that we go to Hedo. It was
lively, we met great folks from all walks of life. And everyone
is naked! One of the unfounded concerns that I've stumbled
across on the message board is regarding PDA's and Ganja,
suffice it to say that neither was scarce. The music was decent
for the most part, I prefer the local stuff. My only complaint
here was the daily playing of a Bon Jovi CD. As a musician with
pretty diverse tastes, I have never been able to understand how
his music is tolerable. I digress. Overall, if this is your
favorite area, the one that defines your Hedo experience, you'll
be pleased. Oh, the few singles that I met were very well
behaved.
Dining (Main area and Restaurants)
I'll contrast here with the other resorts that I've visited
where I've met some folks who haven't gone to HedoII because of
a perceived difference in quality. I've never had complaints
about Hedo's dining choices/quality but I have even noticed
improvements. Compared to Grand Lido Braco and Desire, both of
which can be priced significantly higher than Hedo, Hedo's
breakfast is better than both, frankly its not even fair to make
a comparison. For all the attention that Grand Lido gets about
their food, their breakfast selection is embarrassing. HedoII
has numerous selection of fresh fruits, great eggs to order
station (its all to order now), waffle, french toast and fruit
smoothie stations. BTW, don't do to Lido for the Room Service,
anything brought to your room will be a step down from premade
sandwiches at 7 Eleven.
Dining in the main area is one of the things that I think makes
HII more fun by multitudes over Desire and Lido. The smallest
table is for four, many are for six or eight. Folks mingle,
stand at the bar, bounce around from table to table visiting.
This is where the band is.
Munasan (Japanese) was better than ever. The food is as tasty as
it always was but I must say that in the words of some of the
other service folks..."the funniest man on the island" was our
chef. I wish I could remember his name. Ask about him before you
make your reservations as I understand that the other chef is
less gregarious.
Martina's (Pastafari) was solid. I ordered a pasta dish and a
steak. Both were excellent. Service was much faster than in the
past. I used to not look forward to this night because I felt
that I consumed two hours while folks were having more fun in
the main area.
This brings me to another concept about how to choose the right
resort for your vacation. If you like to go to a place where you
get doted on or where you can display your economic means either
through attire, tipping or selection of premium offerings Hedo
isn't the place. Hedo is the place where at its best you can
leave all of your work conversations and status behind. If you
get a big rush out of going to a five star restaurant, dressed
up and keeping your waiter busy, then HII will either be a break
from that or a disappointment. Desire and Grand Lido do a better
job of addressing that part of the experience. I'll note, my
experience is that its not related to a differential in food
quality. In the case of Grand Lido, the rooms are indeed nicer,
though no mirrors on the ceilings. :)
Entertainment and Nightlife
Again, for what Hedo controlled this was excellent. The
coordinators were great. The piano bar seemed to enjoy more
visitors than the disco. The resort was not operating at a high
guest volume so the disco was pretty quiet as was some
participation in the main stage dining activities. If you are
more of an evening rather than morning/day person make sure you
go when the resort is full with the understanding that lounge
chair, dining reservations availability might be the price.
Overall Hedo II is still the best at what it does.
Feel free to email with questions.
Olive and Troy (rastamojo7@hotmail.com)