Hedonism II Trip Report - John (Apr 2023)
April 16 – April 30, 2023
I arrived at Hedo on Sunday, April 16th to check in. This was my
48th trip.
Everything was in order and the check in process went very
smoothly. I received my Hedo water bottle and rubber wrist band/key and
proceeded to my room. It was a ground floor room on the clothing optional side
directly facing the beach. The location is close to the dining room and beach
but on some nights the music from the pool deck may be a bit loud at night. But
if you are tired you will fall asleep right away! Everything in the room worked
great which includes the A/C, hot water and wi-fi. I did not have to reconnect
my phone or tablet once during my two-week stay.
They continue to play bocce on the nude beach around 11:30am
every day. I enjoy playing and there are typically about 20-30 people that play
every day. They did add some new plastic bocce balls (they float, too!) but
they are very lightweight and bounce right off of the standard wooden balls but
they did allow more people to play which is good. The usual pool games then
followed bocce including Jamaican trivia.
The 2 bathrooms near “The Flame” restaurant have been redone
since last year. “The Flame” has reopened after the fire and is now larger. I
believe “The Flame” now opens at 6:30pm instead of 7:00pm. “The Flame” menu is
a lot different from last year. It actually added more selections but some old
favorites are gone like the beef tenderloin and 3 grilled shrimp. No more corn
on the cob either. As a result of these menu changes, I ate at Pastafari more
often. Note that the beef tenderloin at either “The Flame” or Pastafari were
more tender than last year and really excellent. They serve dessert there, too,
unlike Pastafari. Note that Pastafari now opens at 6:00pm and not 6:30pm like
last year. It seems that a lot of people did not know this so you get seated
right away at 6:00pm! As a result of this I never saw large lines waiting for
either restaurant. The menu at Pastafari also changed quite a bit, too. It
actually added more selections. I did try the new pork chop and while it was
very good, I enjoyed the beef tenderloin (filet mignon) even more. They also
have swordfish but the days I was there it was replaced with salmon.
I did not go into the Piano Bar or Disco this trip. Most
activities, including the repeat guest parties on Tuesdays, were held either in
the courtyard or the main pool deck areas. They just added new furniture in the
courtyard area, too.
As for improvements, they now added netting to the back of the
basketball court so the ball won’t land on the beach every time. They also
added a canvas roof over the entrance to Pastafari so you won’t get wet if it
is raining out.
The food selections available at the lunch buffets also changed
a bit. They seemed to always have a fish option, grilled, roasted and/or fried
chicken, smoked pork chops, and French fries available every day. They seem to
make smaller portions and cook more often to ensure the items are always hot. I
really enjoyed the lunch buffets more than last year.
The food selections available at the dinner buffets are now cuisine-based.
While I don’t recall all the cuisines and when they are available, I know they
still serve Jamaican food on Monday nights. Asian, Mediterranean and Southwestern
cuisine are also served and some nights I did not see the cuisine sign displayed.
Friday night is still the “gala buffet” when all other restaurants are closed. The
dessert selection is definitely less than prior years but the desserts they had
were excellent, especially the crème brulé. The soft serve ice cream is still
there but they still did not bring back the 3 topping dispensers they had a few
years back. I loved the caramel topping they had before!
I did not eat at the nude beach grill at all this trip.
They are still painting the wood trim in some buildings to the
newer gray/tan color but mostly in areas you can’t see right away (like the
underside flooring boards).
The price of a massage is still $132.00 for 50 minutes if you
have it done on the beach. That was for a Swedish massage. Other massages cost
even more. I believe if you have it done in the spa the price is a bit less.
The massage huts also have names now like “Sunset” which is the hut nearest to
Point Village.
The nightly shows were really excellent this year and I
especially enjoyed watching the talent show on Thursdays and the Rock Show on
Fridays. Some of the newer singers are truly excellent and Winston does a great
job coordinating all the shows. The Friday Rock Show was AWESOME!!!
The resident band “Roots Explosion” is truly excellent. As a
musician myself, these guys really play well together and are very talented.
They also have a casino night on Thursdays where craps, roulette
and black jack can be played. This was a popular event which I also enjoyed.
This year casino night was held in the courtyard but in the back section (near
the bathrooms) where there is a roof.
All-in-all I had a great time!
