Hedonism Resorts
| Hedonism II | |
|---|---|
  Location within Jamaica | |
| General information | |
| Location | Negril, Westmoreland, Jamaica |
| Coordinates | 18°20′17″N 78°20′27″W / 18.337957°N 78.3408558°W |
| Opening | 1976 |
| Management | Marshmallow Ltd |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 280 |
| Number of restaurants | 5 |
| Website | |
| hedonism | |
| Hedonism III | |
|---|---|
Location within Jamaica | |
| Alternative names | SuperFun Beach Resort |
| General information | |
| Location | Rutland Point, Westmoreland, Jamaica |
| Coordinates | 18°28′10″N 77°18′59″W / 18.469550°N 77.316365°W |
| Opening | 1999 |
| Closed | 2010 (SuperFun Beach Resort in 2011) |
| Owner | Harry W. Lange |
| Management | PB & J Resorts |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 280 |
| Number of suites | 15 |
| Parking | Yes |
Hedonism II is an adults-only vacation resort in Jamaica, owned and operated by Marshmallow Ltd., headed by Harry Lange.[1] The resort has areas reserved for naturism, and it is known for its sexually liberal culture. As of 2020[update], only Hedonism II is in operation. There was never a Hedonism I, and Hedonism III closed in 2010.
History
[edit]Hedonism II, built by the government of Jamaica at a cost of $10 million, opened in 1976 as Negril Beach Village and was renamed in 1981.[2] It occupies 22 acres (89,000 m2) at the northern end of Negril beach and has 280 rooms in two-story buildings. In 1989, a 50% interest in the hotel was bought by SuperClubs,[3] a resort company owned by local businessman John Issa and his family, for $12.25 million.[4] On 26 February 2013, the resort was sold to Marshmallow Ltd., headed by financier Harry Lange, with a minority stock held by the Issa family[5] and Kevin Levee, a 28-year employee of SuperClubs.[6]
Hedonism III opened in 1999 in Runaway Bay, constructed on 10 acres (40,000 m2) and containing 225 rooms in 3-story buildings. In August 2010, it was closed temporarily to allow for remodeling work. It reopened on 14 October 2010, as SuperFun Beach Resort and Spa,[7] catering to a wider market through additional tour operators. However, the establishment entered receivership in March 2011 and closed in June.[8] While it was an adult-only resort, SuperFun did not allow topless or nude sunbathing. The property was leased to SuperClubs by the Development Bank of Jamaica, while[9] the hotel's first-ranked secured lenders were Caribbean Development Bank, PanCaribbean, and the Development Bank of Jamaica itself.[8]
In July 2020, a cannabis dispensary, Hedo Weedo, was opened inside Hedonism II as the first such legal and regulated establishment in Jamaica.[10]
Controversies
[edit]Public nudity is illegal in Jamaica, but the laws are not enforced and may not apply inside the private resort. A nude wedding of eight couples in 2001 at Hedonism III caused protests by the government tourist office and radio talk show hosts, who called the event "improper and offensive." In February 2003, 29 couples were involved in another round of nude weddings at the Hedonism III;[11] Hedonism resorts host nudist and swingers conventions: it has been alleged that open sex is common,[12] including in the hot tubs at night.[13] SuperClubs owner John Issa said he was not aware of this.[14]
Issa also said he was not running a "whorehouse" and that, to his knowledge, "whores are not working" in his Hedonism hotels.[15] Issa sued two employees of Unique Vacations in Miami, Florida, over e-mails sent in 2007 and 2008 which he said contained "defamatory statements" about activities at Hedonism Resorts[16] and sought damages of an unspecified amount for what he said were false and malicious statements.
Issa said he feels satisfied with Hedonism's image of decadence and debauchery[17] and is satisfied with the idea, expressed on his website, that "When it's good it's oh so good and when it's bad it's even better and yes, everything you ever heard is true".[18] Issa allegedly promoted bisexual activities at Hedonism III.[19]
In September 2009, Hedonism Resorts lost a WIPO trial against Relevansanalys[20] related to the registration of the Internet domain name 'hedonismhotels.com'.
In popular culture
[edit]- A travel/humor book about the resort, titled "The Naked Truth About Hedonism II: A totally unauthorized naughty, but nice guide to Jamaica's very adult resort" by Chris Santilli, was released in its 3rd edition in December 2019.
- In the "Dwight's Speech" episode of The Office, Kevin Malone suggests that Jim Halpert go to Hedonism for a vacation. He describes it as "like Club Med, but everything is naked".[21]
- In 2010, comedian Daniel Tosh of Tosh.0 lampooned the antics of "Hedo Rick" in a viral video that featured an aging patron of Hedonism II parading in a speedo and promoting the wild women and sexual nature of the resort.[22]
- In season 2, episode 10 of the show Workaholics, the main characters scramble to have a fake passport made for Blake in an effort to spend their Thanksgiving at Hedonism II.
- Hedonism has appeared several times since 2014 in Naked News.
- There are two movies about Hedo - Hangin in Hedo Hangin in Hedo (2008) starring Sherman Hemsley . and The Swing of Things (2020) with an all star cast. The Swing of Things was filmed at the all inclusive adults only resort.
- News Anchor Tamron Hall has mentioned her experiences at Hedonism II in several interviews, stating that she loved the naked waterslide, and that seeing a naked man at the snack bar made her double think her vacation choice.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Hedonism II Resort in Jamaica – Review of Unique All-Inclusive Vacation Spot". Splash Magazine. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ^ Negril is Jamaican Jewel, Boca Raton News, 5 February 1978 page 23
- ^ "Jamaica government of, Form 18-K, Filing Date Apr 27, 2005". secdatabase.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- ^ "finsac news and releases". finsac.com. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ^ Collinder, Avia (9 November 2012). "SuperClubs selling Hedonism II hotel". The Gleaner. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
- ^ "Issa to sell Hedonism II". The Gleaner. 8 November 2012. Archived from the original on 25 October 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ [1] Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Former Hedonism III hotel is up for sale, Jamaica Gleaner, 11 March 2011
- ^ Racy Resort Faces Dearth of Hedonists, The Wall Street Journal, 19 May 2010 page C8
- ^ Ainsley Walters (24 March 2023). "Hedonism II's Hedo Weedo is smokin'". The Gleaner. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Mass Nude Wedding at Hedonism III". Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ "Oral sex, orgies at Hedonism II, guest tells travel site". Jamaica Observer. 8 March 2010.
- ^ "Issa lawsuit: Attorney alleges open sex in the hot tub every night". Jamaica Observer. 9 May 2010. Archived from the original on 11 May 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- ^ "Issa lawsuit: Attorney alleges open sex in the hot tub every night". Jamaica Observer. 1 November 2009. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ^ "I'm not running a whorehouse,' Issa tells court". Jamaica Observer. 11 October 2009. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ^ "Jamaica Gleaner News - Issa fights defamatory statements - Sunday | 16 November 2008". www.jamaica-gleaner.com. Archived from the original on 19 May 2010.
- ^ "Issa satisfied with Hedonism's image of decadence and debauchery". 10 April 2011. Archived from the original on 13 April 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
- ^ "Hedonism invites guests to be wicked for a week". 12 June 2011. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ "'Wild Women Vacation' promoted bisexual party at Hedonism". Jamaica Observer. 18 April 2011. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
- ^ Arbitration and Mediation Center (3 September 2009). "WIPO Domain Name Decision: D2009-0974". wipo.int. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
- ^ "The Office Quotes (NBC) - Season 2 - Dwight's Speech". theofficequotes.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ^ "SWINGER BLOG - Stories about sex and the swinger lifestyle". The Swingers Blog. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
External links
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