Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
Michelle Laporte flanked by the handsome hunks who participated in the recently-held contest at the Hedonism III property.
MAKE THAT fabulous Hedonism II, in absolutely wonderful Negril!
My darlings, if y'all have never heard the slogan, "Get away from it all and be wicked for a week," now is most definitely the time to get acquainted with the sentiments associated with this expression, because children, it has never been more apt and/or more timely!
Sweet-things, I know if y'all have never heard the slogan, you've all heard of Hedonism II, that world class resort, nestled over there in fabulous Negril, near Cutlass Bay, on that Town's equally famous seven-mile white-sand beach.
Pumpkins, if y'all have never, then get a life. Or maybe, you are one of those who have not only heard of the fabulous resort, but like many others, are frequent visitors to the resort, but on the down-low and consequently, can never admit to knowing the place.
WORLD CLASS RESORT
Dearhearts, whatever your status, be it the ignorant, or the hypocrite, Hedonism II, over there in Negril, is simply a world class resort of the highest order, and one mighty fine adult playground, and then some!
My dears, it began almost some thirty years ago, under the name 'The Negril Beach Village'. Now, this was at a time when internal politics and posturing made Jamaica a kind of a pariah of a destination, as the politics of the day and attendant international ramifications made Destination Jamaica a very hard sell.
To escape the stigma, political, and otherwise, attached to Destination Jamaica, Negril was artfully marketed as a destination separate and apart from Jamaica, and voila, a successful destination was created, with The Negril Beach Village being its beacon.
Now, in 1981, Tourism mogul and pioneer, the Hon. John Issa, and his family acquired the Negril Beach Village, and re-branded the property Hedonism II an all-inclusive, adults-only resort, boasting Jamaica's first acknowledged nude-bathing beach, and honeychiles, a phenomenon was born in the world of international travel.
WILDFIRE
My dears, the place caught on like wildfire! Indeed, it was wildfire, and then some!
Dovecakes, definitely not a place for the faint of heart, or those aspiring to be sainted as indeed, Hedonism II, is the world's premier adult playground, creating a culture and lifestyle of good, clean adult oriented theme parties and celebrations, that has made the Hedonism brand the most recognised internationally, and way ahead of any of its competitors, in terms of its multi-repeat guests.
Now dears, little wonder here, if any at all, as indeed, when guests check into the resort they do so as strangers, and by the time they are ready to return home they have made fast friendships with fellow guests, who then go on to plan return visits to the resort.
Anyway, it's been 24 years, since Hedonism II opened its doors to the world its novel all-inclusive concept, friendly staffers and theme oriented packaged vacation becoming an instantaneous hit, fostering many a carbon copies, not just here, but across the globe.
Well, my darlings, to celebrate its 24th anniversary, the resort's owners and management threw a week-long party that was so hot, the clouds y'all see rising in the west is as a direct result of the celebrations, that GM Richard Bourke, his hotel manager Lorna Clarke and their cadre of fabulously competent staffers threw to mark the occasion.
Me daahlings, ah do swear, and declare, that we are talking the mother of all celebrations here, and fabulous like no other, as the week-long celebrations, not only included the anniversary celebrations, but in all probability, the greatest Halloween party thrown anywhere, in or out of the United States, and for my word, how!
Oh, my word, and a dozen Hail Marys, as this was definitely the way to burn! Oh fever, fever all over place!
Dovecakes, whoever it was who said, y'all can't teach an old dog new tricks needs to visit Hedonism II now, but only if they visited in an earlier dispensation, and are thus in a position to make a comparative analysis. But on the life of moi's Monte Blanc, precious angels, this here old dog has not only learnt a few new tricks, she is showcasing them like everybody's business, and with the passion of the religious zealot!
Now dears, in the past, the rooms of Hedonism II could be best described as pretty dull places, as indeed, excepting for the very basic amenities, there was not much else to commend these rooms to guests. Not that guests ever complained, as indeed, with a plethora of activities happening all over the resort's 24 acres and sprawling beaches, guests rarely spent time in their rooms, but were busy whooping it up. Now, all that has changed!
My dears, the place has been spruced up, and then some, its 280 rooms all done-up to reflect and include modern amenities and opulence. We are talking multi-headed showers; some upgraded suites boasting Roman baths; a meandering waterslide, emptying into the disco's en-suite swimming pool; and upgraded Jezebel Disco; a fabulous beach bar, an all new Jamaican Café; An Italian and Japanese restaurant, complementing the suite of restaurants already on hand; plus spa, water-sports and multi-shopping facilities all geared towards the perfect all-inclusive holiday.
Well, me daahlings, y'all can imagine that in this here environment of fabulousness, partying is indeed the order of the day. In fact, so it is, but even more so over the week-long anniversary and Halloween celebrations just concluded, and how!
Oh, we are talking fever here, and what a lovely way to burn, but where do we begin?
OLD SCHOOL PARTY
Well, pumpkins, let's begin with last Friday night, with the staging of the Old School Party! My dears, aam-a-telling-y'all, y'all have never seen anything like this! Dears, we are talking over 500 guests here, retro-fitted to reflect their school days, in uniforms that would make even the more open among us blush in polite amusement, by the daring and gutsiness, of the would-be schoolers. But these guests had travelled from far and wide and long and hard to party, and so they did.
Now, 'Elvis' was the featured performer here (Dr. Robert de Mercado) my dears, he came, he saw, he not only delivered, he conquered with a masterful blend of artistry and showmanship that had his every
member of the audience, not only partying a storm to his every delivery, the ate it up with style.
Now, Saturday-night, was a different matter altogether, as here the theme was International Night, and luvs, here there were no prisoners as guests went to town and then some in there ensemble to celebrate the theme. And here we are talking from the retro-fitted to the ultra-mod, even the extraterrestrial, but all in good fun and hot to trot.
But my dears, when show-time came around and the fabulous Georgia Henry, took the stage, believe you moi, when this here scribe writes ? she was as hot as any fireside ever lit! Doves, she hit the stage dancing, and nearly ninety minutes later, when she departed, there was nary a dry soul in the house as my dears, Miss Thing was belting out them oldies, and her audience was dancing up a glow, to her every hit.
Sunday night, my dears, belonged to the Pirates and Wenches, and dears, Captain Henry Morgan, would have been proud. But on Monday, the gates of Heaven and Hell were opened and the demons and angels and some minor deities battled it out for supremacy, as this was the celebration of Halloween, at its finest! And dears, the bewitching hour never looked sooo good! Oh, my word, the costumed madness! The absolute fabness of it all, made for the ultimate in masquerade ball and pumpkins, they all attended. From the ghouls to the goblins, warlocks and witches. The dwarfs, to the gnomes. Princes and Princesses. Kings and Queens, Godlings and Goddesses ? they were all out, partying up one almighty storm.
Then there was Tuesday ? The night of the anniversary. Well my daahlings, if y'all had ever told moi, that Byron Lee and his Dragonnaires, could give a two-hour long performance to a crowded house of mainly foreign nationals, and that they would be there a wining, shimming and prancing for the entire two hours, then this here scribe would have questioned your judgement. But pumpkins, this is exactly what The Dragon, did on Tuesday night as Hedonism 11, celebrated its 24th anniversary, in true and irreverent hedonistic style!
Dovecakes, it was like that ? bad to the bone, in what was a week-long celebration of fine food, premium liquor, and faultless company, (as here, even the Devils, were fab), and it made for the Mother-Of-All-Celebrations!
Fever! But what a lovely way to burn, as dears, each night, the partying climaxed in the resort's Jezebel Disco, and trust moi, dears, Jezebel in name and nature, and flawlessly so!
Fever!
Pumpkins, it was like that ? Cooking like a cauldron, and with some fabulous people in attendance over the weeklong event, as among those spotted, partying with the many multi-repeat guests in house, included Negril's luminaries: Superclubs VP Sam James, Sam James Jr. also out; VP Gary Williams, in from the Bahamas; Breezes Runaway GM Cheddi Parchment and his charming wife Ann; the lovely Carol Bourke, Hotel Manager Wyndham Rosehall, and wife of GM Richard Bourke; Senior Superintendent Jasmine Brown; Steve James; the lovely Alex Thompson-Ghisays; Errol 'Busha' Clarke; Prem Khiatani; Karen Lannigan Couples Negril; Ricardo Bowleg, of Couples Swept Away; Phillip and Patty Paxton; Scott Robins; Robert Haughton; the fabulous Jennifer Izzo; the lovely Patrice Scott; Jackie Norman; the charming Caroline Wright; Cosmo Brown; Rosa Young; Stuart Wayne Douglas; Glen Grey; the leggy Michelle LaPorte; Patrick Read; and the charming Rochelle Forbes; plus several scores others.
