Hedonism II

Description:

• Devoted to the pursuit of sophomoric pleasure -- and with less class than Couples Negril -- Hedonism II packs the works into a one-package deal, including all the drinks and partying anyone could want. The complex lies at the northeast end of Negril Beach, close to the town's only airport -- a small-scale affair that mostly accepts flights from within Jamaica. Of all the members of the SuperClubs chain, this is the most raucous. It's a meat market, deliberately inviting its mainly single guests to go wild for a week. One manager boasted that the resort holds the record for the most people in a Jacuzzi at once.

  The rooms are stacked in dull two-story clusters dotted around a sloping 9-hectare (22-acre) site about 3km (1 3/4 miles) east of the town center. When it was built, local architects cited it as a good example of an eco-sensitive resort whose highest point didn't surpass the height of the surrounding treetops. This is not a couples-only resort -- singles are both accepted and encouraged, and in some cases have included a startling (sometimes alarming) collection of horny single males from venues as diverse as rah-rah college fraternities and sports teams. The hotel will find you a roommate if you'd like to book on the double-occupancy rate. Staff members here might include some of the most jaded souls in Jamaica. For the record, they're nominally forbidden from participating in any of the on-site shenanigans, but behind closed doors, one will never know. Also for the record, most of the raucousness here is sheathed within mostly heterosexual venues, with same-sex couplings, when they occur at all, being relegated to venues that are much less blatant. How do the locals cope with all this? In the words of a local cab driver who has spent years maneuvering guests around Jamaica, "Hedonism begins in the space between your ears, then spills outward from there." We strongly advise you that no one should check into Hedonism who's unprepared for the venue and ambience. More than any other hotel in Jamaica, if you're uptight or tense about letting go, or if you prefer to let go in demure and discreet environments, this is not the place for you.

  Accommodations don't have balconies but are spacious. Each has a king-size or twin beds fitted with upscale linen and with mirrors hanging over the beds. Each bathroom has a shower/tub combination.

  On one section of this resort's beach, clothing is optional. It's called the "Nude" section; the other is known as "the Prude." The resort also maintains a secluded beach on nearby Booby Cay, where guests are occasionally taken for picnics.

  There's nightly entertainment, along with a live band, a high-energy disco, and a piano bar with karaoke facilities. International cuisine, a bit bland, is served as part of an ongoing series of daily buffets. In addition, there are three different specialty restaurants, one of which is focused exclusively on Japanese cuisine. There's also a clothing-optional bar, a prude bar, a grill, facilities for rock-climbing (climb at your own risk!), a lovely swim-up bar (on the "prude" side of the beach); and one of the best gyms of any in Negril.

  Facilities: 4 restaurants; 5 bars (1 swim-up); 2 outdoor pools; 6 tennis courts; 2 indoor squash courts; fitness center; spa; glass-bottom Jacuzzi; sauna; aerobics; badminton; basketball court; rock climbing; dive shop; glass-bottom boat rides; kayaking; sailing; scuba diving; snorkeling; water-skiing; windsurfing; airport transfers; Internet cafe; dance club; nonsmoking rooms; 1 room for those w/limited mobility.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010

Other features:

Ceiling fans, hairdryer, king-size or twin beds; ocean, garden, or clothing-optional beach view.