Herb & Debra - October, 2015
The Group can make or break a great vacation!
First let me say, the resort looks the best it ever has & we've been going there since 2003!! Management has done an excellent job on the lobby, main dining room & pool renovations! They actually finished this tremendous undertaking the 1st week of Oct on the day we got there, as scheduled! Amazing what some TLC, & a whole lot of $, from the new owners can do!! The food was very good, the rooms of course still need work, with the usual JA problems (bad cable, too hot/cold water, etc.) but overall, we were very impressed, including many TOP shelf liquors like Ciroc! We've never gone in Oct but it was my bday week so figured what the hell! The place was full to capacity (limited service, availability, etc. when this happens) as 5 groups were there at the same time. One was the ‘Young Swingers Group’ & they were the MOST unfriendly bunch of people we’ve ever meet, at Hedo or otherwise!!! All of them, even the ‘not-so-young-swingers’ who were in there late 40s-early 50’s but got in because their wife/GF was in her late 30s. When we checked out groups going that week in Oct, we clicked on their link & it says if you’re older than 40 this group is not for you. I understood they were trying to keep the ‘older swinger sharks’ away, so wasn’t too critical of that comment. But let me tell you, they out right SUCK in person!! Yeah, pretty much the WHOLE group!! NO EYE CONTACT OR SMILE WHATSOEVER!!!! Who does that at Hedo?!?! Just walking around you nod your head, smile, common courtesy stuff. Not this group!!! They were AWFUL!!! I've gotten more smiles & salutations on busy streets in Manhattan & that was the general consensus from others there!
When the bulk of the YSG left that Saturday, the Wicked Wild Cats group came in & that same night the younger people were smiling, saying Hello, coming over & engaging in conversation. It was a complete 180’ & it really sunk in how that Young Swingers Group divided the resort & alienated people. Here is the WWC description from the Hedo website: 'So come join the super friendly hosts RICK & SUZIE of the Wicked Wildcats. The Wicked Wildcats have no Mission except to have fun and make Lifelong Friends! For ten years, Rick and Suzie have had the friendliest and most inclusive group at Hedonism...' We could see this group was going to be a really fun, friendly bunch. Unfortunately, we only got to spend our last 2 nights with them out of 10 nights there but we met & conversed with way more people in those 2 days than the previous 8.
The trip was fun overall but it’s the people that make Hedo, otherwise it’s just an over-glorified nudist resort with base amenities & crappy/marginal rooms!! So, for this attractive 50-something couple, we'll definitely do our homework on the groups before booking next time! Lesson learned....