Hedonism Resorts
Encyclopedia
Hedonism II and Hedonism III are vacation resorts in Jamaica
, operated by SuperClubs. SuperClubs is the operating name of Village Resorts Ltd. The stock holders of Village Resorts Ltd. are John Issa, Hugh Hart (the former Jamaican government minister), Cargill Brown, Anthony Ferrari, David Rantz, Frank Hall, and Middle East Ventures, a Cayman company, which is the major stock holder and may (or may not) be owned by Aida Issa the wife of John Issa. Both resorts have areas reserved for naturism/nudism
and are known for liberal sexual, drug, and alcohol attitudes; no children are allowed. There is no Hedonism I.
Hedonism II opened in 1976 as "Negril Beach Village" and took its current name in 1982. The resort was built by the Government of Jamaica at a cost of $10 million. It is on 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) at the northern end of Negril
beach and has 280 rooms (2-story buildings). A fifty percent (50%) interest in the hotel was taken by the SuperClubs in 1989. The SuperClubs purchased the remaining fifty percent (50%) of the resort in 1999 from the Financial Sector Adjustment Company Limited (FINSAC), a unit of the Government of Jamaica, for $12.25 million.
Hedonism III
Hedonism III followed in 1999 in Runaway Bay
. The resort was built on 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) and contained 225 rooms (3-story buildings). On May 12, 2010, it was announced that Hedonism III would close in August 2010 to allow for the resort to be remodeled. The resort re-opened on October 14, 2010, as SuperFun Beach Resort and Spa catering to a wider market through additional tour operators. SuperFun Beach Resort entered receivership in March 2011 and closed in June 2011. While an adult only resort, SuperFun did not allow topless or nude sunbathing but did charge for premium liquor and motorized water sports. The property was leased to SuperClubs by the Development Bank of Jamaica. The hotels first-ranked secured lenders are Caribbean DevelopmentBank, PanCaribbean, and Development Bank of Jamaica.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, operated by SuperClubs. SuperClubs is the operating name of Village Resorts Ltd. The stock holders of Village Resorts Ltd. are John Issa, Hugh Hart (the former Jamaican government minister), Cargill Brown, Anthony Ferrari, David Rantz, Frank Hall, and Middle East Ventures, a Cayman company, which is the major stock holder and may (or may not) be owned by Aida Issa the wife of John Issa. Both resorts have areas reserved for naturism/nudism
Naturism
Naturism or nudism is a cultural and political movement practising, advocating and defending social nudity in private and in public. It may also refer to a lifestyle based on personal, family and/or social nudism....
and are known for liberal sexual, drug, and alcohol attitudes; no children are allowed. There is no Hedonism I.
History
Hedonism IIHedonism II opened in 1976 as "Negril Beach Village" and took its current name in 1982. The resort was built by the Government of Jamaica at a cost of $10 million. It is on 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) at the northern end of Negril
Negril
Negril is a small but widely dispersed beach resort town located across parts of two Jamaican parishes of Westmoreland and Hanover. Westmoreland is the westernmost parish in Jamaica, located on the south side of the island...
beach and has 280 rooms (2-story buildings). A fifty percent (50%) interest in the hotel was taken by the SuperClubs in 1989. The SuperClubs purchased the remaining fifty percent (50%) of the resort in 1999 from the Financial Sector Adjustment Company Limited (FINSAC), a unit of the Government of Jamaica, for $12.25 million.
Hedonism III
Hedonism III followed in 1999 in Runaway Bay
Runaway Bay, Jamaica
Runaway Bay is a town in Saint Ann Parish on the northern coast of Jamaica. Runaway Bay is a notable tourist destination located 16 km west of Ocho Ríos, and slightly east of Discovery Bay. It is also the location of the Hedonism III nudist resort. Ocean View Beach is a private beach situated at...
. The resort was built on 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) and contained 225 rooms (3-story buildings). On May 12, 2010, it was announced that Hedonism III would close in August 2010 to allow for the resort to be remodeled. The resort re-opened on October 14, 2010, as SuperFun Beach Resort and Spa catering to a wider market through additional tour operators. SuperFun Beach Resort entered receivership in March 2011 and closed in June 2011. While an adult only resort, SuperFun did not allow topless or nude sunbathing but did charge for premium liquor and motorized water sports. The property was leased to SuperClubs by the Development Bank of Jamaica. The hotels first-ranked secured lenders are Caribbean DevelopmentBank, PanCaribbean, and Development Bank of Jamaica.
Controversy
- 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 in Hedonism III caused protests by the government tourist office and radio talk showTalk radioTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
hosts, who called the event "improper and offensive." In February 2003 some of the 29 couples, all in the buff, were involved in another round of nude nuptials at the Hedonism III resort. - Hedonism resorts host nudist and swingersSwingingSwinging or partner swapping is a non-monogamous behavior, in which both partners in a committed relationship agree, as a couple, for both partners to engage in sexual activities with other couples as a recreational or social activity...
conventions. - It has been alleged by some that open sex is common at Hedonism Resorts including in the hot tubs at night. However, SuperClubs owner John Issa has stated that he is not aware of this. Mr. Issa has also declared that he was not running a "whorehouse" and that, to his knowledge, "whores are not working" in his Hedonism hotels as some have claimed. Mr. Issa has gone to court in Miami, Florida, against two employees of Unique Vacations over e-mails sent in 2007 and 2008 which he claims contain "defamatory statements" about activities at Hedonism Resorts. Mr. Issa is seeking compensatory damages of an unspecified amount for what he feels are false and malicious statements.
- Mr. Issa has stated that he feels satisfied with Hedonism's image of "decadence and debauchery". Issa has also stated that he is "satisfied" with the idea expressed on his web site 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".
- It has also been charged that John Issa has promoted bi-sexual activities at his Hedonism III resort.
- Not all guest visiting the resort go nude. There is a prude and nude side of the resort both with beaches and pools. All the restaurants except the nude grill have dress codes. There is nightly entertainment catering to a crowd that wants to party late into the evening. Swingers do go there in small numbers, except for several weeks during the year when they meet in large numbers. However, many guests visit the resort without going nude or swinging.
- In September 2009, Hedonism Resorts lost a WIPO trial against Relevansanalys related to the registration of the Internet domain name 'hedonismhotels.com'.
In popular culture
- In 2005, the first three episodes of National Lampoon'sNational Lampoon IncNational Lampoon, Incorporated is a company formed in 2002 in order to use the brand name "National Lampoon" in comedy and entertainment. In the words of its prospectus, the role of the company is to "develop, produce, provide creative services and distribute National Lampoon branded comedic...
Strip PokerStrip pokerStrip poker is a party game and a variation of the traditional poker where players remove clothing when they lose a round. Any form of poker can be adapted to a strip form; however, it is usually played with simple variants with few betting rounds, like five card draw...
were filmed at Hedonism II, the resort's reputation and characters serving as the backdrop. - In the "Dwight's SpeechDwight's Speech"Dwight's Speech" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's twenty-third episode overall. Written by Paul Lieberstein, and directed by Charles McDougall, the episode first aired in the United States on March 2, 2006 on NBC.In...
" episode of The OfficeThe Office (US TV series)The Office is an American comedy television series broadcast by NBC. An adaptation of the original BBC series of the same name, it depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company...
, KevinKevin MaloneKevin Jaye Malone is a character in the United States television series The Office. He is played by Brian Baumgartner. Kevin's counterpart in the UK series is Keith Bishop.-Biography:...
suggests that JimJim HalpertJames Duncan "Jim" Halpert is a fictional character in the United States version of the television sitcom The Office, played by John Krasinski. The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of The Office...
go to Hedonism for a vacation. He describes it as "like Club MedClub MedClub Méditerranée , commonly known as Club Med, is a French corporation of vacation resorts found in many parts of the world, usually in exotic locations. It is considered the original all-inclusive resort.-Foundation:...
, but everything is naked." - In the 2011 second season episode of Workaholics, the guys are looking forward to a Thanksgiving trip to Hedonism II rather than their families, but Blake needs to get a passport in six hours.