Travel
dates October 28 - November 8
We
originally planned to spend 12 days at Hedo III but 2 weeks prior to departure
we decided to divide the trip between Hedo III and Hedo II.
So we stayed at Hedo III for 5 nights and then traveled to Hedo II, as
second time visitors, where we stayed 6 nights departing November 8th.
We
traveled via Superclubs shuttle bus to both resorts reconnecting at the
Montego Bay airport for our return to Hedo II.
Both resorts are approximately an hour and a half from the airport.
The bus ride is rather fast on narrow roads and commonly referred to as
the ride from hell, however, my wife looked at me and said "honey,
after riding with you for 10 years this is just another Sunday drive for ice
cream." Not to bore
you with travel details lets talk about the resorts.
(Day
1 - October 28th)
Check
in at Hedo III was a hassle. We
arrived at 2:00 p.m. and were told that check-in was not until 3:00 p.m.
I really didn't understand the problem since the resort was at most 50%
full. We were told that the clean
room reports from the maids had not been received by the front desk and
therefore we were going to have to wait for an hour until the appropriate
check in time. We finally got a
room at 3:30 and decided to pop in a CD and listen to some music while we
waited for our bags to arrive, however, the CD player didn't work.
When our bags arrived 30-45 minutes later, we asked the bellman if he
could replace the CD. No problem
mon - he took the CD that was in the room and we never saw him or a CD player
again. We were informed that hair dryers would be furnished in the
rooms - not true - bring your own - luckily we did.
But who cares about CD players, minor delays or a few inconveniences
anyway, we were in the right frame of mind to have a good time so we promptly
stripped and headed for the hot tub.
There were about 5 people in the entire nude area.
One of the guests informed us that it had been raining almost
constantly for about a week. The
rain persisted for about the first hour we were there.
After that the weather was beautiful the whole time.
When
you go for that first cocktail it becomes very apparent that the design for
the nude area is lousy. In order
to get a drink from the hot tub you had two choices.
(1) Take the 4 foot plunge
into the cool swimming pool and proceed shivering to the swim up bar, or (2)
Climb (and I do mean climb) out of the hot tub and walk to the bar.
If you choose option #2 when you arrive at the bar it is difficult to
get a drink since the bar is recessed about 5 - 6 feet below you.
There is no way around this, its a hassle and in my opinion truly
sucks. Unlike Hedo II where you get out of the hot tub, walk to the
bar and you can greet the bartenders eye to eye.
At Hedo III the heads of the bartenders are below your feet unless you
get into the cold water of the pool which is completely different in
temperature from the hot tub. Then,
to make matters worse, the booze tasted mysterious the whole time at Hedo III
- I couldn't decipher what the dilemma was exactly, it was like the
carbonation for the mix was flat or something along those lines. We tried different brands, mixtures, everything but the
enigma persisted. Other
guests also noticed the unpleasant taste - oh well
- I guess we will have to settle for martinis.
The
theme for the evening was toga. The
party was mediocre because most people just didn't dress as risqu as was the
routine at Hedo II. Everyone
wanted to break loose but the energy was absent.
In our opinion we felt that the entertainment was lame - way too many
"Let me hear you say" and the pace was way too leisurely - too much
vocalizing by the entertainment staff - they need to preface the activity and
move on with the show. People
have a tendency to loose interest if there is a 15 minute monotonous
introduction to every activity.
The entertainment staff was cordial and nice and they worked their
butts off, but . . .
After
we finished dinner and watched some of the entertainment, auctions, etc. we
were usually walking around until about 8:30 looking for something to do until
the disco opened. We went
to the piano bar which was okay but also a place where we didn't really wish
to spend several hours. Each
evening the disco opened at 11:00 p.m. - much too late,
people become wearied, start to fade and loose interest..
Toga night and Halloween were the most active and would have been even
better had the disco opened sooner.
Almost every evening at Hedo III was a little weak - insufficient
energy. The disco literally
pounds until 5:00 a.m. On several
occassions I would cruise to the disco about 2:00 or 3:00 a.m., bearing in
mind that the noise prevented me from falling to sleep, but no one was there
except for 15-20 of the locals. I
wish they would open the disco earlier say 8:30 or 9:00 and close at 2:00 a.m.
Hedo III needs to develop a recipe to keep people moving and active.
Two to three hours of down time and people get tired start watching TV
and never return even though their intentions may have been altered.
I comprehend that there are many people that believe that the TV is an
added attraction - I think it is detrimental.
Day
2 - Friday (October 29)
International
night - rather uneventful - we basically hung with a few other couples that we
had meet and at times I began to wonder if anyone else was at the resort -
again energy was lacking.
We
ended up going to the "party munching" at the main dining room
(bread, pastries, and other munchies) which is open from 12:00 - 3:00 a.m.
This is a delightful feature at the resort.
But most of the time the pool, hot tubs. disco and other areas were
vacant except for a few brief spurts. We
prevailed till 3:30 with one other couple and visited every area of the resort
- there was extinction throughout the compound.
Day
3 - Saturday Night
The
lifestyles group has arrived and now the resort started to appear alive.
Substantially enhanced sexual activity in the nude area, to everyones
enjoyment, and the women dressed much more risqu, also to everyones
enjoyment. Too bad the theme for
the evening was '70s night - masquerade, lingerie, bare as you dare, p.j.,
undies, etc. would have been a tremendous improvement and thus many people did
not attend and only a few were dressed in accordance with the theme, others
dressed is shorts and tee shirts and a few with lifestyles in sexy lingerie.
We actually stayed out till 6:30 a.m. due to the increase in activity
and excitement. This was a
festive, refreshing evening.
Day
4 - Sunday (Halloween)
We
had to get some rest so we stayed in bed till noon. This was probably the most gratifying day at Hedo III.
Sexual activity was high and people were having a good time.
It was hard finding a chair on the nude side which was a real switch.
Many
of the guests wore costumes or masks and stayed out later than usual.
The piano bar, water slide and disco were much more active than usual.
The lifestyles group attended the disco totally nude. They would dance together in a circle with there hands in the
air for a song or two and then disappear to another part of the resort.
Then they would show up a little later, dance for a song or two and
retreat. It was cool and they
were a fun group to be around.
Day
5 - Monday (Our last day at Hedo III)
Although
this was our last day at Hedo III I had mixed emotions about leaving for Hedo
II. It had been 2 years since our
last visit to Hedo II. We loved
it the first time so my wife insisted we return and stick to our agenda.
We met some wonderful people at Hedo III and with all the new arrivals,
the resort was starting to pick up and come alive.
That night the theme at the disco p.j. night.
My wife wore a one piece see through crotchless number, very sensual,
revealing and tasteful. She
received many compliments. I had
silk leopard skin shorts held together with velcro on the sides.
I received one compliment but that's okay as most eyes were focused on
my wife as I would have expected. Again,
however, very few guests dressed the part.
A majority had shorts and shirts or thong swim suits or the like -
boring considering where we were. Like
other nights, this night was no contrast - the attendance and activity was
impotent.
A
real damper to the evening came when we were having dinner.
I excused myself and was headed for the rest room.
I noticed that the bartenders had poured some sort of alcohol on the
counter top at the main bar and lite it on fire.
Blue flames covered around a 5 foot section of the bar.
As I was rounding the end of the bar one of the bartenders apparently
blew the liquid. He was probably
trying to extend the flames farther down the bar but blew the liquid fire onto
two girls sitting at the bar. One
stood and started to run, her back and clothes were engulfed in flames.
I grabbed her and tried to smoother the flames with my body at he same
time I rolled her to the ground and extinguished the remaining flames with my
hands. Immediately after that a
guest doctor arrived and administered first aid.
I was pretty shook up after that.
I felt so sorry for her - she apparently had arrived alone, this was
her first day and now had suffered first and second degree burns.
She was wearing a shear nylon mesh blouse which ignited and burned
rapidly. I haven't heard how she is doing but we wish her all the best
and truly regret the ordeal that she endured.
Hedo
III summation:
Food:
(B+) Very good - some items better than others but all in all a very
good spread. If you cant find
several things to your liking during breakfast, lunch, or dinner than it's not
their fault. The pastries were
out of this world.
Staff:
(C-) Front desk - needs to
be more organized. It's evident that they are frustrated but I think they lack
the skills and tools to overcome their frustration.
Waiters
and Waitresses: (A+)
Outstanding couldn't have been more professional or well trained.
Bartenders,
Maids and all the other staff: (A)
Excellent - very courteous, friendly and willing to accommodate.
Air
Conditioning: The units worked
well however, the one in our room had a mechanical malfunction with the fan -
it made terrible screeching noises. I
didn't report the problem because we were seldom in our room during the day
and the noise from the disco was more annoying than the A/C.
Hot
Tubs: Grossly inadequate -
significantly too small on the nude side, poorly planned and the lay out is
absolutely absurd. The hot tub by
the swim up rooms is pleasant but seldom used.
The glass bottom hot tub is small but nice.
I
don't know why, but the pool staff can not seem to maintain the hot tub
temperatures. Several times the
hot tub for the nude area was either too cold or so hot that you couldn't stay
in over a few minutes. One
evening the hot tub on the nude side was so hot you couldnt enter so we
went over to the hot tub by the swim up rooms, that was offensively cold, so
we wandered over to the glass bottom hot tub, it was bearable but borderline
on the hot side. There were
constant complaints by the guests but the staff was either incompetent,
uncaring or unable to get it right. Albeit,
this wasn't the case all the time but half the time is too much -
circumstances such as this should not occur as frequently as it did.
Nude
Side Beach Area: It is too
diminutive, but taking into account the area in which the property is located,
I don't know what else they could have done to remedy the situation.
Prude
Side: Very expansive with a
colossal swimming pool and beach area. We
spent very little time at this region. You
do have to pass this area when attending the main dining room vicinity and
there never appeared to be many people in that section of the property.
Gift
Shop: Very small - just one of
the rooms that has been renovated with shelves, etc. Contains some of the necessities - sunscreen, toiletries,
minor medications, tea shirts, etc. Very
expensive - bring your own.
Sauna
and Steam Rooms: Non-operable
while we were there.
Nudity:
Accepted almost everywhere except the dining room area.
I believe the resort is trying to identify with itself and outlining
perimeters for accepted conduct and behavior.
At present it appears that anything goes.
It would be admirable if the swim up room area was designated as a part
of the nude area. The glass
bottom hot tub is close to the disco and originally part of the clothed area. This was never the case when we were there and should remain
that way.
Music:
This was apparently thrown together as hastily as possible for the
opening. A speaker here and a
speaker there. No true stereo
sound around the pool area or the other outside areas - very erratic,
inconsistent, inadequate and disappointing.
Workout
facilities: Well done and very
sufficient with treadmills, free weights, stair stepper, multiple stationed
muscle fitness machines, etc.
Overall
layout: Rooms are nice and the
complex has alot of potential. There
are several areas that are very dangerous and could be disastrous to the
health and well being of the guests. (1)
The tile around the main dining room and bar is extremely slippery.
I witnessed several people slip and fall and to my astonishment,
because they landed so violently, survived the ordeal.
(2) The ludicrous journey to the upstairs disco.
There are several unlit steep steps that must be negotiated prior to
entry. Women in high heals or
someone just casually walking along will not notice the virtual drop offs,
referred to as stairs, and tumble.
Liquor:
Tasted unnatural and needs to be rectified.
Suggestions
to improve Hedo III: Structure
the whole complex as a nude resort. To
coin the phrase be wicked for a week try stay a week at Hedo III the
wickedest resort. I personally
guarantee success. What a great
place for 90% of the guests like us that visit the Hedo resorts for the same
reason.
Day
6 - Tuesday (Hedo II)
We
departed Hedo III at noon, said good-bye to some of our friends and arrived at
Hedo II around 3:30. Check in was
a breeze, everything was ready. Walking
to our room we immediately felt like
we had just taken our first breath of fresh air in over a week.
The surroundings with the lush plants and the well groomed extensive
beach area etc., made us feel at ease and comfortable.
We decided to go get some sun so we stripped and headed for the nude
area. Before we got there we could hear the music, screaming, and
laughing - we looked at each other and sighed - its good to be back.
I don't know why but the energy level seamed to peak the meter.
There were alot of people in the pool, hot tub and on the beach.
All types of activity was prevalent.
The center pool always had couples enjoying each other.
Often times groups would play games with each other, socialize and have
a blast. It was evident that
everyone was willing and unashamed to express their freedom.
If there were sex police present they were ghosts, nonexistent, and had
they been there it would have been extremely difficult for them to tell anyone
to quit whatever they were doing. It
was nice feeling like you belonged. When
you go to dinner or the disco and you want to wear something risqu or
revealing you fit in.
The
theme that evening was p.j. night - wow what a difference.
There were lots of people in attendance and anything goes.
My wife wore the same revealing number she had on the night before at
Hedo III - where she sort of stood out. At
Hedo II, although she looked great, she was one of many in a 4 ounce outfit. On the dance floor there were women dancing with women and
getting frisky. Couples touching
and feeling and doing whatever they desired.
This was a real switch for the better.
Later in the evening the hot tub and pool areas were active and fun.
As far as I could tell no one got out of line.
Everyone respects the feelings of others and you choose to participate
or refrain - just decide for yourself to do whatever floats your boat.
Im sure a number of couples probably do things that they have never
experienced before but they have the opportunity to explore their sexuality
and fantasies.
Day
7 (Hedo II - day 2)
We
spent the day floating around on inflatable floats in the ocean or laying
around the nude pool. Late in the
afternoon just before dusk we jumped in the hot tub as did about 40-50 others.
After awhile I got a little warm and sat on the side with only my feet
in the water. My wife started to
give me a blow job and all of a sudden all hell broke loose.
One woman approached us and said now look what you guys have
started. Two guys sat on the
edge of the hot tub next to us and she proceeded to blow them both while her
husband watched. The next time I
looked around all of the men were getting blow jobs.
There must have been 20-25 couples participating.
There were your usual 4-5 vinnies.
This must have been the closest thing to heaven for them.
This little episode was referred to as the great blow job festival
of 1999.
Days
8, 9, 10 and 11 (Day 3-6 at Hedo II)
I
cant remember! Actually the
rest of the time was a nudity sexual blur.
It really didnt matter what day it was or what the theme was for
evening the energy was high and lots of people participated. Lifestyles or no lifestyles - new arrivals got right into the
rhythm and had a blast. The booze
was great and Delroy and Simba were fantastic - they know how to fix drinks
and keep things going. The
entertainment staff personnel were doers not talkers.
They got things going by initiating the activites themselves with one
or two couples and then others would join in.
At Hedo III they blew these annoying referee whistles and tried to talk
large groups of people into doing some activity. They tried and a little polish and experience will pay off in
dividends. The food was great and
the grill at the nude area deserves an award according to my wife.
Sometimes you just dont want to leave the area because your afraid
you may miss something.
We
heard over and over that Hedo III is different from Hedo II and shouldnt be
compared. In my opinion, if they
truly wanted to keep both separate, dont give them the same name Hedonism
. It is only natural for people
to expect the same type of atmosphere at both - if this doesnt occur the
guests will leave disappointed and upset.
Hedo
II is getting a little run down and could use a face lift.
Both resorts have there own ambiance however, Hedo II was our favorite
of the two. We will give Hedo III
one final chance again next year but as before we will also visit Hedo II.
Im
not sure if I can answer any of your questions but feel free to ask any
questions you have regarding either of the resorts.