Hedonism II is an adults-only vacation resort in Jamaica known for its sexually liberal culture. It occupies at the northern end of Negril beach and has 280 rooms in two-story buildings. There was never a Hedonism I. Hedonism III opened in 1999 and closed in 2010.
History Hedonism II was opened as Negril Beach Village in 1976.Negril is Jamaican Jewel, Boca Raton News, 5 February 1978 page 23 Owned by SuperClubs, a resort company founded by businessman John Issa, it was renamed Hedonism II in 1981.Handley, J. (13 October 1985). Catering to the Thirsty Hedonists: [Final Edition, C]. Chicago Tribune (Pre-1997 Fulltext) (via ProQuest) On 26 February 2013, it was sold to Marshmallow Ltd., headed by financier Harry Lange. The Issa family and Kevin Levee, a 28-year employee of SuperClubs, held minority stakes.
Hedonism III opened in 1999 in Runaway Bay, constructed on 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, catering to a wider market through additional tour operators. However, the establishment entered receivership in March 2011 and closed in June.Former Hedonism III hotel is up for sale, Jamaica Gleaner, 11 March 2011 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, whileRacy Resort Faces Dearth of Hedonists, The Wall Street Journal, 19 May 2010 page C8 the hotel's first-ranked secured lenders were Caribbean Development Bank, PanCaribbean, and the Development Bank of Jamaica itself.
In July 2020, a cannabis dispensary, Hedo Weedo, was opened inside Hedonism II as the first such legal and regulated establishment in Jamaica.
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.
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. According to Levee, the process to acquire licensing had begun five years before the opening.
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". 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. 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. Films loosely based on Hedonism resorts include Hangin' in Hedo (2008), starring Sherman Hemsley, and The Swing of Things (2020).
See also List of hotels in Jamaica Love hotel
References
External links
Aerial view of Hedonism II Aerial view of Hedonism III Superclubs' Hedonism Resorts website Hedo Weedo on Leafly