Hedo II's double celebration

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

Luvs, there's no doubt about it - there are resorts and then there are hotels! What sets them apart is that resorts are fun places to vacation, visit or simply lunch, while hotels are about as exciting as semi-retirement homes. And dears, when it comes to resorts, there is none like Hedonism II, located near Negril, along the famous seven-mile stretch of white sand beach!

Dears, it was 30 years ago that the very enterprising and innovative businessman, the esteemed and illustrious John Issa ventured into the resort and hospitality industry. His flagship resort - Hedonism II, a new concept, representing a fantasy playground where fine foods, premium libations and friendly staff provided excellent service in an atmosphere that was as laid-back and as easy as Sunday morning made for a most relaxing resort. It was that much more appealing due to its non-traditional approach to in-house entertainment and the novel all-inclusive concept.

Today, Negril is all the more famous because of Hedonism II which is arguably the most successful resort brand in the island. Its multi-repeat guest roster makes it the envy of many hoteliers'; the brand loyalty and ability to stimulate cottage industries and in support of the brand are nothing short of phenomenal!

Rush for rooms

So while Hedonism II enjoys some of the very best occupancy levels year round, when it comes to Halloween and its anniversary celebrations running back to back, on the first of November, dearhearts the rush for rooms is like a stampede!

With this year being the 30th anniversary of the resort, the rush to secure reservations for the Romanesque anniversary and the Halloween parties made destination Negril, Jamaica, simply the hottest place in the world of hospitality and entertainment.

Now, for the many onlookers to wonderment and amazement at the success of the resort, will see that success lies primarily with the support of its guests. It's not unusual to find multi-repeat guests, who have vacationed scores of times, at the place.

But perhaps the absolute charm of the resort's allure lies in the familial approach guests take in their vacationing. It is not unusual for guests to meet for the very first time at the resort and then form groups that return each year and sometimes quarterly in celebration of friendship and the lifestyle!

These vacationing groups include the Bubbly Bares; PinPals; Fluffer-Nutters; Love-Voodoo; Wild-Women Vacations; Bare-Bottom-Bunch; Mos Magazine Men of Dreams and Men of Steele; Hedo Kamasutra; March Madness; Castways; Dream Pleasures; Exotic Madness; Kittens and Angels; Hedo-Mojos; Sensual Yoga; and Bare Buccaneers. They all plan their annual and or biannual or quarterly treks to the resort and party hearty for the duration.

Anyway, my darlings, this year, there was no room to be found at the fab resort for the annual Halloween fest and 30th anniversary celebrations, but revellers would not be denied. This saw a massive spillover with guests checking into neighbouring resorts but partying at Hedo II. As they say, "There's no party like a Hedo party", so no surprises here that guests travelling from around the world would much rather stay in a neighbouring resort, with the ability to join their friends for the revelry and celebrations as against missing out altogether!

Well, my dears, this being the 30th anniversary celebration, nothing less than a fabulous spectacle would do, and so it was, a week-long event that kicked off on Monday the 31st, with the resort's Halloween celebration and luvs, y'all know that we are talking one fabulous celebration. The advertising marquee in New York's Times Square ran as its lead Halloween promo - 'Hedonism II Throws Sexy Hedo Horror-ween Spook-tacular in Jamaica!'

Luvs, with such publicity and an already full house, you know we are talking one almighty shindig and nothing but!

Well my dears, for this year's celebrations, the predominant group in the resort was the Bubbly Bares and, dears, when it comes to partying, this group takes it to another level.

And here we are talking a costume party of the finest horror order, with guests dressing to the hilt for the occasion. They came in character too making the event an absolute masterpiece!

Dears, ghouls and goblins, pirates and wenches, witches and warlocks, devils and angels, cherubs, celeb lookalikes, priests and nuns, demons, vampires, cartoon and movie characters, movie stars, sporting stars, the British royal family, world leaders and personalities, slaves and masters, dominatrix, the homeless; gender-bending-cross-dressers - you name it, dears, there was a representation from all walks of life.

Now imagine the fabulous amphitheatre like dining and entertainment area of the resort as one giant playground hosting the mother of all costume balls and pumpkins, throw in some fabulous music; an after-party celebration in the piano bar/disco and you know we are talking one cauldron of hotness and nothing but here!

Then move forward to the November 1 and the 30th anniversary celebration, with the talented Althea Hewitt and the Natty Bald Heads band, rocking the house; the resorts resident band, Roots Explosion and the Hedo II Razzle-Dazzle entertainment crew in rock concert and a Lady Gaga lookalike, who was simply awesome.

There was continental fare and cultural culinary fusion embracing Asian, Jamaican, French, French-Creole, and traditional , premium libations and desserts that were just so brutally decadent dietary caution was thrown to the wind. It was an amazing anniversary celebration. And it ended with an after-party in the courtyard that saw amateur hour moving to new heights as guests made it one hot jazz-jam session of the finest musical order!