A Day At A Swinger Resort
What to expect on a typical day at the infamous clothing-optional Hedonism II in Jamaica
I wake to the sound of waves crashing on the shore and a woman moaning. Naked, I grab a bottle of water and open the patio door. Between our private jacuzzi and the shoreline, there are two women having sex while several men watch. There’s a large strap-on involved, and one man is filming the pretty scene. I hop in the jacuzzi to enjoy the view—just another day in paradise.
It’s our second trip to Hedonism in Negril, Jamaica, and I’m glad we splurged on the hot tub room on the “nude” side of the resort. Hedonism is one of the most popular clothing-optional resorts in the world. It has a reputation as a lifestyle resort where swingers can frolic and play. However, one of the owners says of the visitors to the 280-room resort, about 1/3 are lifestyle, 1/3 are exhibitionists or voyeurs, and 1/3 are nudists. We’re visiting during Young Swinger’s Week, so the population is skewed toward couples who are consensually nonmonogamous.
When the girls finish, I don workout clothes and head to the gym while my husband sleeps off the night before. The fitness center is full of men and women sweating out the all-inclusive alcohol and late-night pizza from the cafe at the nude pool. I wink at a man doing bicep curls. He smiles at me, but I don’t think he remembers flirting with me in the pool the day before. After working out, I wake my husband. We need to put clothes on for breakfast, so I throw on a tiny sundress. The dress is see-through, and I’m wearing neither bra nor panties, but it’s enough to meet the dining room dress code. When we arrive, I am wearing more fabric than 80% of the women in the dining room.
The breakfast buffet, at least pre-COVID, was well-appointed. On top of the food, fruit, juice, coffee, and open bar, there is an espresso bar where you can pay for upgraded coffee drinks. Premium bottles of liquor and tokens for the espresso bar are a couple of the perks of a jacuzzi room. Around the group dining tables, I watch the different behaviors of couples. Some are hungover and not speaking to anyone, some are having an intimate moment of reconnection, and most are having boisterous gatherings with couples they only met in the last few days, retelling stories from the night before.
After breakfast, the travel group often puts on programming— Q&A sessions, couples’ speed dating, BDSM demonstrations, or other events. Usually, couples head back to their rooms to get ready for an afternoon at the nude pool. Some days there are other daytime events, like naked goat races or volleyball tournaments. If you’ve never seen a naked person tied behind a running goat, it’s probably worth your time.
There are two sides to the resort: Nude & Prude. You can keep clothes on at the prude side of the resort, but you can go naked if you’re comfortable. When you reach the boundaries of the nude portion of the resort, a security guard calls for you to disrobe. Nude side means nudity only. This actually serves to offer comfort that no clothed looky-loos are sneaking onto the resort to watch without participating. Hedo is made for voyeurs, but only those who have purchased admission and are willing to put skin in the game.
The Hedo nude pool is a marvel of the modern world. With a big pool, giant hot tub, waterfall grotto, swim-up bar, and lounge chairs around the deck, it is the center of the action. It’s also the only pool where public displays of…let’s call it “affection”…are allowed. Hundreds of naked bodies are in and around the pool at peak hours. The music is loud, the drinks are flowing, and there are usually men sitting on the side of the pool getting a little oral attention from a friend. One of my highlights from our last trip was getting a little poolside oral attention of my own from a woman with a husky voice and a skilled tongue.
The nude pool is the site of such party games as Car Wash, Golden Shower, Twerk Contest, Naked Twister, and Snake Charming. I’ll let your imagination run with those. There are cabanas near the pool and floating platforms in the ocean just a few steps away; both are used for impromptu play. Something magical happens in the nude pool around three or four o'clock. All the flirting and drinking from the day culminates in what a friend of mine calls a “porgy,” short for pool orgy. Half the things I know about sex I learned during a Hedo porgy.
After people sneak off to their rooms with new friends or exhaust themselves, the nude pool gets quiet. People fuck, nap, and shower before dinner. Every night at Hedo has a different theme, and people usually dress (or undress) to the nines. Pasties and mesh count as coverage for the dining room, so dinner at the Hedo buffet is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. After dinner, the stellar Hedo entertainment staff puts on a show. Then, it’s party time.
Sometimes the party is on the main pool deck, and sometimes it’s in the disco, but it usually involves music, dancing, and the kind of flirting that leads to late-night playtime. If people don’t head off to the multi-room Hedo playroom with their newfound partners, they may head to the hot tub to seal the deal or find a couple willing to go for round two. Between midnight and three a.m., the line for pizza gets long as everyone refuels from a long day of dancing, drinking, and sex.
If you’re at Hedo for a week, that pattern repeats every day. Most people head home having lost their voice and with their flesh tender from overuse. We have met couples who go to Hedo upwards of five times a year, and I’m always impressed by their stamina. The day of departure, when you must wrap yourself in the constrictive fabric of socially required clothing and rejoin polite society, is a sad one indeed.
There are other activities on offer to break up the repetitive bacchanal: scuba diving, snorkeling, catamaran trips, watercraft to rent, or other excursions off of the resort. The evening entertainment is varied as well — don’t miss the fetish night show from the Hedo entertainment staff. The sexy milk bath scene still plays in my dreams. There are three restaurants on-site you can visit for dinner as an alternative to the buffet. The food is good, but no one is visiting Hedo for its culinary prowess. At least one day out of the week, I try to get some quiet time just reading by the ocean. The other introverts and I sit quietly and nod to each other as we hear the pool party kick into gear.
The Hedo staff is amazing — warm, friendly, and committed to ensuring their guests have a fun, safe experience. They are respectful and generally unbothered by the lewd atmosphere. Security guards are quick to jump on violations of the rules, such as unauthorized cameras or unsafe behavior. The resort is clean, and most rooms have been renovated in recent years. The guest population at the resort varies with the time of year. If you’re interested in a particular vibe, make sure to check out the Hedo group schedule. Traveling with a group allows you to know who is going, what activities are planned, and often, the opportunity to connect with other visitors before you go. In my experience, the other guests are polite and consent-focused. If you don’t want to participate, you don’t have to. If a couple asks if you’re interested in playing with them, it only takes one “no” to divert their attention elsewhere. Hedo does allow single men and day passes during most weeks.
My husband and I have traveled often in our years together. We prefer lifestyle resorts because the other guests are so friendly and welcoming, and no one bats an eye if we want to have sex on a beach chair.
If you’ve considered a lifestyle resort but haven’t pulled the trigger, consider this your sign to check it out. In addition to Hedo, other all-inclusive, clothing-optional resorts and vacations that cater to the lifestyle are:
- Desire Pearl and Desire Riviera Maya in Mexico
- Temptation Resort in Mexico (topless only, this is considered more of a lifestyle-adjacent, adult spring break resort by many of our friends)
- Bliss Cruise
- If you want to stay stateside, check out Secrets Hideaway in Florida
Where’s your favorite lifestyle travel destination?