Hedonism Resorts
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Hedonism II is an adults-only vacation resort in Jamaica, owned and operated by Marshmallow Ltd., headed by Harry Lange.<ref name="Swinger Resort Hedonism Sold to Swinger Group">Template:Cite web</ref> The resort has areas reserved for naturism, and it is known for its sexually liberal culture. Template:As of, only Hedonism II is in operation. There was never a Hedonism I, and Hedonism III closed in 2010.
History
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.<ref>Negril is Jamaican Jewel, Boca Raton News, 5 February 1978 page 23</ref> It occupies Template:Convert 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,<ref name="JAMAICA-GOVERNMENT-OF-Apr-2005-18-K">Template:Cite web</ref> a resort company owned by local businessman John Issa and his family, for $12.25 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Kevin Levee, a 28-year employee of SuperClubs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Hedonism III opened in 1999 in Runaway Bay, constructed on Template:Convert 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,<ref>[1] Template:Webarchive</ref> catering to a wider market through additional tour operators. However, the establishment entered receivership in March 2011 and closed in June.<ref name="ReferenceA">Former Hedonism III hotel is up for sale, Jamaica Gleaner, 11 March 2011</ref> 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<ref>Racy Resort Faces Dearth of Hedonists, The Wall Street Journal, 19 May 2010 page C8</ref> the hotel's first-ranked secured lenders were Caribbean Development Bank, PanCaribbean, and the Development Bank of Jamaica itself.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
In July 2020, a cannabis dispensary, Hedo Weedo, was opened inside Hedonism II as the first such legal and regulated establishment in Jamaica.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Controversies
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 venue;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hedonism resorts host nudist and swingers conventions; it has been alleged that open sex is common,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> including in hot tubs at night.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> SuperClubs owner John Issa has said that he was not aware of this.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Issa also said he was not running a "whorehouse" and that, to his knowledge, "whores are not working" in his Hedonism hotels.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Issa sued two employees of Unique Vacations in Miami, Florida, over emails sent in 2007 and 2008, which he said contained "defamatory statements" about activities at Hedonism Resorts, and he sought damages of an unspecified amount for what he claimed were false and malicious statements.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Issa has stated that he feels satisfied with Hedonism's image of "decadence and debauchery"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and 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".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Issa allegedly also promoted bisexual activities at Hedonism III.<ref name=Observer-WildWomen>Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 2009, Hedonism Resorts lost a WIPO trial against Relevansanalys,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> related to the registration of the internet domain name 'hedonismhotels.com'.
Hedo Weedo
Hedo Weedo is a cannabis shop located inside Hedonism II. It is known as the first legal and regulated cannabis dispensary in the country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Hedo Weedo was founded by Richard 'Kevin' Levee and Harry Lange and opened in July 2020, following the revival of the Jamaican tourism industry post-COVID-19.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to Levee, the process to acquire licensing had begun five years before the opening.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In popular culture
- In the 2006 "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".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- A travel/humor book about the resort, titled The Naked Truth About Hedonism II, by Chris Santilli, was published in its third edition in December 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Films loosely based on Hedonism resorts include Hangin' in Hedo<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (2008), starring Sherman Hemsley, and The Swing of Things (2020).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>