Bruce & Katrin - January, 2015

I haven't posted a trip report before but I'd like to tell people about some new changes that they may like, or dislike.  Last week was the 25th anniversary of my first trip to Hedo II.  There have been many changes over the years but the soul of the place seemed consistent.  This time, we feel that the soul of the place is changing, and we may not be coming back if this continues.  The infrastructure continues to improve under the new management.  They have really nice remodeled restrooms at the nude hot tub now. The courtyard is completely redone nicely, and with free wi-fi. Wait time for drinks at the nude bar are very short because they have 4-6 bartenders working plus the drink servers that come to your chair (we were rarely offered this service but I did see them around).  Plenty of hot water, A/C, refrigerators in rooms (though empty unless you pay an additional $15 per day to have it stocked with water), good maid service. 

Here's what I didn't like. 

First, they are now enforcing the "no public sex" on the beach, pool, and hot tub during the daytime.  Even the "Sandy and Charlie Show" were interrupted any time they tried to have a PDA.  No sex acts in the beach chairs around the pool and hot tub were allowed.  I spoke to the security person and was told that they are enforcing Jamaican Law on the public beach and that the management has chosen to also not allow public sex acts anywhere on the resort.  "Public sex" is defined as penetration, including oral sex.  Touching is OK.  The security person also said that enforcement of this rule is likely to be lax at night.  I asked the night time security person the same question regarding the rules.  She told me a very different story.  She said that there has been no change in enforcement regarding sex on the beach, and that it is still perfectly OK to have sex around the pool and hot tub.  Maybe this is just a lack of communication but it had very negative effects.  There was almost no public sex anywhere during the daytime, and when someone tried, they were promptly confronted.  There was almost no sex in the hot tub at night either, maybe because people didn't know they could get away with it then.  It very much changed the feel of the resort.

Second, the resort seems to be adopting a non-smoking stance. I don't consider myself a smoker but I do have an after-dinner cigar while on vacation.  I used to smoke that cigar and have a cocktail every evening just outside the piano bar.  It was probably the most social part of my day.  Most new friends that I met, I met there.  Now there are no-smoking signs everywhere around the nude pool, hot tub, and the courtyard, including outside the piano bar.  Anyone lighting up is quickly confronted.  Security personnel point out new Jamaican laws that restrict smoking. We looked up the law.  It states that smoking must be 5 meters (15 feet) from doors, windows, ventilation ducts of an enclosed space (such as bars, restaurants). It would be very easy for them to have a smoking area in the courtyard near the piano bar in compliance with the law.  They just don't want to.  Smoking outdoors around the pool and hot tub is certainly not a violation of Jamaican law.  There are designated smoking areas by the prude pool, tennis courts, and the mini golf course. These are dark areas where no one goes.  I just gave up my evening cigar instead of going there.  I spoke to the general manager, Kevin, and he was quite dismissive of our concerns saying "I get 100 thanks for every complaint".  Smoking is still permitted on the beach, as that is regulated by Jamaican law, not the resort. A lot of swingers are smokers, so it will be interesting to see how this affects their bottom line.

Third, the food is changing.  Many report that the food is getting better. It's true that overall the food is getting better if you're looking for American-type food. Be aware that the spicy Jamaican food is disappearing.  We love that food. We even started making curried goat, curried conch, and braised oxtail at home.  We stock up on spices every trip.  At hedo, the Jamaican food is rarely seen now and the spice level is almost non-existant.  Denva (manager of Pastafari) said that there were complaints that the food was too spicy so they toned it down in an effort to please everyone.  Rarely does a restaurant become great with that philosophy.  Again, the management has made decisions that change the resort. 

We travel a long way from California for Hedo's unique environment. If we wanted a milquetoast vacation, we could find easier alternatives.  We will go to Desire next time. At Desire there is absolutely no problem with sex in and around the hot tub.  They even provide beds and a sex playroom that's open every night. Hedo is still in transition so I haven't given up hope, but it was not a great vacation this time.

Bruce and Katrin