Having enjoyed reading the trip reports on Denny’s web site for several years we finally decided it was time to write our own. My wife Penny and I have been traveling to Jamaica in November for the past 6 years. We stayed at Hedonism II in 94 and 95, Grand Lido Negril in 96, Breezes Runaway Bay in 97 and Grand Lido Braco in 98. We spent Nov. 16-24 this year at Hedonism III. What follows are our reflections on aspects of this club in reference to our experiences at the other Super Clubs.
The Property: This is the smallest and most compact of the clubs we have visited. The layout however is extremely well done. The large meandering main pool and walkways make for a more expansive feeling. Despite its newness HIII is attractively landscaped and nicely detailed. The proximity of restaurants, beach, rooms and pools are all user friendly. The water slide is an excellent amenity and much faster if you are not wearing a suit!
The centrally located gym has 3 treadmills, 2 steppers and a Cybex 4 station modular unit with benches and dumbbells to 50 pounds. It is adequate to get in a workout but not as extensive as the equipment at HII. There is no water source in the gym.
The beach itself is the worst of all the clubs. The prude beach is a shallow backwater and the man-made nude beach is small and also not very inviting for swimming. Most of the activity each day is at the pools not at the beach. Reports were that occupancy varied between 50-80% during our stay. In light of this, the nude pool area will be too small during times of full occupancy. The nude beach and pool are more accurately described as clothing optional as during our stay several individuals would spent the entire day there in their suits. In our experience, this was never the case on the nude beaches/pools/hot-tubs at the other Super Clubs.
Despite the beach problems, we felt this rivaled Grand Lido Braco as an attractive resort. Wearing beach shoes, it is a nice walk west from HIII around the adjacent resort and point. It is then possible to walk the nice sand beach of Runaway Bay and enjoy some nice ocean swimming just east of Breezes.
Activities: On arrival, we were given a weekly list of activities. As is often the case in Jamaica these are best termed "potential" activities as they do not always take place. I would prefer a daily posting of activities that will be held rather than the list of activities that might be held. The entertainment team was large and enthusiastic but often met resistance in motivating participation. As always, the degree of participation and enthusiasm largely depends on the group at the resort. The efforts and ideas of the staff impressed us and this bodes well for HIII. This club is second only to HII for the quality and enthusiasm of a days events.
A real treat at HIII is the circus team. This is a crew that not only shows up on time but stays late teaching the trapeze and juggling. Martin, the team leader, is an outstanding instructor and no trip to HIII would be complete without a swing on his trapeze. The other crew members, Billy, Steve and Magwan were also fun and enthusiastic. By weeks end I am proud to report that I did the Hawksoff, catch and return (ask Martin-it’s a rush)! The circus show Wed. night was the best we have seen in Jamaica.
Water Sports: In my opinion the diving in Runaway Bay is the best we have experienced in Jamaica. This trip the visibility was poor initially thanks to the proximity of hurricane Lenny. The walls and canyons provide for an interesting environment. The HIII dive boat is superb- the best of any of the Super Clubs. Unfortunately, there is only one boat driver so on his days off you dive off the ski boat. The dive team was also an enthusiastic, friendly and helpful team. Any dive with Max, Duncan or AJ would be a treat.
Most of the days the bay was rough so we did not water-ski or windsurf. Runaway Bay is like most of Jamaica in our experience either too little wind or too much wind for intermediate windsurfers like us. The equipment was all new and in excellent condition for both these sports. The snorkeling boat goes out twice a day and was comparable to what you would find at any of the other resorts.
Food: I should probably preface these remarks by noting we come from rural Minnesota where a good 7-course meal is felt to be a burger and a six-pack. We have always enjoyed the Super Clubs food and until this trip felt that, with the exception of the French restaurants at the two Lido resorts, it was all pretty much the same. We found the breakfast and noon buffets at HIII to be better than what we have experienced at other Clubs in the past. This is largely a result of the variety and availability of fruits, veggies and salad bar. The daily seafood offerings were also uniformly outstanding. The Pastafari restaurant was also much better than the Italian restaurants at any of the other Clubs. We felt that the seafood on this menu rivaled what we had enjoyed at the Lido French restaurants. The wine however was mediocre and the desert was better at the buffet. The Japanese Restaurant was not yet open but appears identical to the one at Braco. This should offer another excellent dining opportunity at HIII.
Night Life: Again, this was second only to HII for both enthusiasm and action. The toga night and pajama party were toned down versions of what we experienced at HII but more fun than anything at the other clubs. Second hand reports indicated that the disco and hot-tubs were active and entertaining well after midnight and our bedtimes. The evening shows were typical for what we have seen at the other clubs.
Overall, we found HIII to be a very attractive resort with an excellent staff. Super Clubs can do several things to improve HIII. As noted, a daily listing of planned activities, a second dive boat driver and a source of water in the gym would be appreciated. Where will we go next year for Jamaica Adventure VII? This will of course depend on price and availability but we would not hesitate to return to HIII next year.