After vacationing at H2 the past 2 years, my wife and I decided to try out H3 this year. We stayed on the nude side for all visits to H2 and H3. We’ve been to a number of nudists clubs/resorts across the US over the last 15 years, plus Club Orient on St Martin.
We arrived at H3 around 12:30pm April 21 after a non-eventful bus ride that took about 1:20 of actual ride time. We stopped off for a pee break and Red Stripes about ¾ of the way through the ride. We dropped off some folks at Breezes and then rode the next mile or so to H3. The road conditions and ride to H3 is better than the road to Negril.
Hedo 3 is as advertised. The resort is new, clean, bright and, as billed, a "water world". Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by some of the staff and they offered us drinks as we waited for the desk to call us for our room. One of the entertainment staff came back with Red Stripes soon. We did have a 2 hour wait to get into our room because the key to our room had been lost and the door had to be rekeyed. Once we found out about delay, we left our bags up front and we explored the acreage. The other folks on the bus ride in were able to check in almost immediately. Just us.
As you walk through the open lobby, the patio opens up to a large main pool of irregular shape that meanders around and is the focal point of this particular area. A large square shaped bar is on the left, with one end as a swim up section. The main dining area is further to the left beyond the bar.
As you leave the lobby and before the main bar, the Japanese restuarant is on the right and Pastafari’s is on the left. We entered the dining area and had lunch. The food here is similar to H2, but with more and better selections of meat, fish, poultry, pasta, veggies, fruit and desert bars. A separate pasta bar with chef will allow you to design whatever pasta dish you’d like. No real complaints about the main dining food. Good and plenty of it.
The tables and chairs are comfortable, and if you’ve visited H2, you will be happy that the chairs are not so low that your chin hits the table top when you open your mouth to insert food. Thanks to whoever selected the chairs!
The dining area is smaller than H2’s dining area, about 1/2 the size, and the tables/chairs squeezed a little tighter, with about a dozen or so on the patio and not under the roof for additional seating. A couple times a week the staff moves all the chairs out onto the tiled patio around the pool, and the food line is served outside. Nice way to eat under the stars.
The food bars are proportionally shorter as well. Our only real complaint about the dining area was the lighting. In the high open ceiling above the dance floor/stage, several long fluroescent lights "up in the rafters" gave a very eery light — not too romantic. Around the perimeter of the stage/dance floor area, the ceiling is lower with some chandeliers that provided minimal light. They need a better lighting scheme in the main dining room.
The entire area around the main pool is covered with 1x1 ft tiles that are very slippery with wet feet. They have applied a gritty coating, but still be careful. Also make sure you don’t walk out the end of the dining area and into the pool. And there is a slight step from the main dining area to the pool tiled area — be careful and watch your step!
The main pool (4’ deep) contains a pool (billards) table, Jacuzzi for 25 or so folks, a stone grotto with waterfall and if you look up will see through the glass bottom of the Jaccuzi directly above you, a bubbling area, and arms of the pool that give the impression of streams leading away from the pool. A couple of foot bridges cross the pool, and it is enjoyable to swim around and explore the pool’s ins and outs and the extremes of the arms of the pool.
Looking across the pool from the dining area you will see the "prude" beach area to the left with tapeze and water sports building. It has several planted palm trees about 12 feet tall — give them a few years. The beach is adaquate in size, but most folks stay on the large tiled area around the pool while sunbathing. The beach is formed as a crescent, from a manmade barrier toward the ocean that the boats are tied up to. Real swimming would be difficult, but if wading is all you are after, it’s fine. We didn’t see many people in the sea water. Most were in the pool. The beach at H2 is somewhat larger. The pool is the central interest here, and swimming around the irregular pool, sliding down the water slide, playing water volleyball, and other activities, is more enjoyable than the beach area.
Watersports had a couple catamarans, 3-4 Sunfishes, sailboards, snorkle equipment and other similar equipment that H2 has. The equipment is newer, of course, but it is still best to check it out before leaving the desk. I had to try two snorkling masks to find one that did not leak. Simply put the mask on and suck air through your nose to find the leaks. They will not allow you to take the Hobie Cats out alone. But a simple request of a water sports staff member will take you out for a 20-30 min ride. They do allow you to take the Sunfish out, but only just beyond the manmade jetty and in the shallow water where the waves are minimal. A good place to learn or refresh your sailing skills. Still, we saw a few people tip because of the wind in April.
Ocean kayaking seemed difficult. Once you paddle outside the manmade jetty, the wind, current and waves are against you. Those who did paddle didn’t seem to venture too far. Besides, this is a vacation and paddling looks like too much work. But it’s there if you’d like to try it.
To the right of the pool while standing in the dining area is a 2-1/2 story building that houses and open area on one end for pool playing, ping-pong, large screen TV and board games. The enclosed area directly adjacent to it is the weight room with AC. Climbing up a spiral stair case takes you up to a heated Jacuzzi pool that seats about 10-12 people. It has a glass bottom that allows you to look down, or up, from the stone grotto below. Cross a small bridge and you are on a patio area just outside the disco. Back at ground level and a few steps away from the game area is a large mat that covers some of the tile area in front of building 9 for basketball. Personal opinion is why spend that much money and travel that far to shoot baskets. The court could be smaller and located somewhere else. It seemed out of place.
The disco has a large 20-25 ft aquarium spanning across the back of the bar. The disco is one room with bar angled at one corner. The room is brightly painted with sexy murals around the ceiling perimeter. It’s just a little smaller than the H2 disco. The clear sections of the water slide is about 15 feet long.
Back on the patio outside the disco, on top of the weight room, you climb a steel spiral staircase up to the landing where the water slide starts. The water slide is great fun. It’s the fastest I’ve ever been on and I’ve been on quite a few. A section that is clear as you start your way down goes through the roof of the disco. My only wish was that it were longer. My wife timed me and it takes only 5 seconds or so to emerge into the pool at the bottom after doing 540 degree (360+180) rotation. Be careful when sitting down at the top. Two large boxes contain water jets. If you don’t sit far enough forward, you’re gonna cream your ass when you sit on one of these. Ask my wife. Hold onto the top of the water slide pipe entrance as you step into the bath/water jet area. Sit down with your legs fully into the tube so your butt clears the jets. Taking the shape of a luge racer, legs tight together, toes pointed, arms by your side and head back as far as you can, will get you the best speed. About halfway down, your body exceeds the speed of the water and your legs kick up quite a spray into your face. The water slide is a must for everyone — at least once. We understand that after midnight, nudists go down the slide.
Facing the lobby from the driveway in, 2 tennis courts are on your right. We played a couple evenings as the sun went down. Well, it wasn’t really playing. It was trying to hit the balls and laughing a lot. But it was still fun and allowed you to view the mountains to the south.
There are 9 building with rooms. Five buildings line up roughly parallel to the shore line in a slight zig-zag shape, about 50-70 yards back from the shore. Building nine is adjacent to the prude beach and water sports. Building six is directly in front of the nude pool/beach. On the landward side of build 6, four other buildings form a square with courtyard/pool in the center. These are the swim up rooms. This is a great pool with many visual stimulating levels, pensinsulas, bar and hot tub. It was underused. We called it the Dead Zone. It goes nude after dusk and does get more active. Topless anytime, as anywhere else.
By the way, topless for women were seen on the prude beach and the tiled area around the main pool. We saw a number of woman in the main pool topless. We saw this more than one day, so for those woman who like being topless, don’t be shy. It’s OK anywhere and anytime. We saw many topless woman between 10AM and 5PM. We saw no one being asked by the staff to put their tops back on.
Each building has brightly painted trim and different colors. So if you forget where you live, you only need to remember the color. We were in room 716 which was great. Only steps from the nude beach. We either walked out our front door and around the building, or out our back door across the sand to the nude pool/bar. You could see the nude pool bar from inside our room. You could hear the bar and music, but it wasn’t loud enough to disturb with the room AC going. We did meet a couple staying in the swim up rooms, and they did complain of some people partying around their pool in the wee hours one night. Since the 4 buildings surround the pool, the noise just bounces around.
The rooms are very comfortable. Baths are nice and the water temp is controlable. Each room has a Jaccuzi with mirrored ceiling above. King sized bed with mirrored ceiling. AC is controlled by remote — nice when waking up and don’t want to crawl out from under the covers into a cool room. And the TV has several stations from the US and 2-3 from Jamaica. We watched NHL Stanley Cup playoffs several nights. It also has the famous Playboy channel 24 hours a day. Most people seemed to enjoy the Playboy channel since they didn’t have it at home. It helps get you in the mood. We toggled between ice hockey and Playboy.
In front of building 6 is the nude pool and swim up bar. The pool is about the same size as the one in H2, may be a little larger. It has a stone grotto with waterfall. The bar/grill combo is about the same size and Delroy’s at H2. The menu for bar and grill is the same as H2.
The hot tub is sitting "inside" the pool, at least half of it is. It is round with a diameter of about 12 to 14 feet. Sometimes it was too warm, but we found the adjustment around the corner of the grotto, restrooms, showers. For whatever reason, they like to crank it up too hot. It could have been a little larger with an irregular shape to make it more interesting. It gets a little crowded because it’s about half the size of H2’s.
At the other end of the pool a 5 foot diameter tile table that has in-water seating around it is great for late afternoon drinking and sunning, as it faces nearly west. A water fountain sprays a 2" diameter column of water from the center of the table. Several woman found this interesting and to their liking. If the short PVC pipe that comes out of the table were modified with a smaller orifice, the column would shoot much higher. It seems like it needs to be finished with a statue, or some other fountain structure. Anyone with some PVC skills might enjoy doing that for them. It’s got plenty of pressure to easily shoot 10 or more feet into the air with correct orifice.
The people we met in the nude pool/hot tub area were very friendly and willing to strike up a conversation. Surprisingly, a number of those we talked with had never been the H2 nor been nude anywhere before. These folks included a couple of 20 year old woman from Tennessee. We first met them in the swim up pool (Dead Zone) and Jaccuzi fully covered in bathing suits one evening (we were nude, of course). A couple nights later they wound up in our nude area, naked as jaybirds and having a great time with their new nude friends. We also met several couples in their 30s and 40s who had never experienced anything like it, or even a nude vacation. Everyone asked us what H2 was like.
One woman said that she and her husband had been to Breezes last year and this was their first nude experience ever. She said that she’d met more friendly people the first couple of days around the Hedo nude pool, than all week at Breezes. She said she couldn’t believe how friendly and happy (nude) people were. Of course, all us nudists already know this.
We told her about the numerous clubs in the US, from rustic campgrounds to FL and CA clubs, like Club Paradise north of Tampa and Desert Shadows Inn in Palm Springs, and that we try and plan our vacations around visiting these clubs whenever possible. She and her husbands are nude coverts now and want to vacation nude whenever they can.
Continuing to the east beyond the pool is a transition area with lounge chairs under some trees, and then onto the nude beach and 2 piers perpendicular to the shore. Going down a short flight of stairs you reach a 2 tiered beach. Both tiers have lounge chairs. If you stand on the beach facing the water, a large stone barrier about 10 feet high is parallel to the beach and 75 yards out. On each side of the barrier, piers reach out from the shore and come within 15 feet or so of connecting to the barrier. The piers have plenty of chairs. Few people actually sun out there, but is is quiet and the view is great. And you do have a 50x75yd swimming area in the ocean. Mostly, the piers seemed more entertaining after nightfall.
There are 2 steam rooms and 2 saunas. Two for nude and 2 for prude. There are also a couple massage buildings. You can schedule massage, manicures, pedicures, etc in the office behind the tour desk.
Overall, the facility is very nice. The trees and bushes are still new and will grow over time, although we’re amazed they did as much planting as they did because it’s quite well landscaped. There are some maintenance issues that need to be resolved — paint, waterwheel, light fixtures, broken door on the nude steam room, chipping tiles in the pool. Due to contruction materials, design and architecture, H3 may be a high maintenance resort over time.
The real test of a vacation is asking the question, "Would you go back?" Yes, we would. Perhaps not next year, but I’d say we’d be back within 2-3 years.
That’s pretty much it for the layout. Now for tips and hints and other misc stuff:
The room keys are Vin cards — those plastic keys with holes in them. Be sure to take a ¼" diameter chain or nylon string, add a plastic or metal clip from your hardware store and you’ve got a way to keep track of the card. This necklace will work well for not losing your key.
Make sure you sign up at the front desk for your in-room safe key. There is no extra charge, and it gives you great peace of mind that your valuables are safe. It’s large enough for a SLR camera with zoom lens, wallets, keys, jewelry, etc. While one is large enough, ask for keys to both safes if you have extra stuff. Make sure you don’t lose the key, as we did when snorkling. A keyed bolt goes in the safe to lock it. There are no duplicate keys to that particular bolt. It’s $50 to get the safe opened. Either use the necklace or find an braclet or anklet stretch band to clip your key too. We like the way H2 does their key with a stretch band around your ankle, or some other appendage.
Dirty Bananas are great at all the bars. Seems that most all bartenders make them a little different. We started to call them "Ensure" as we always felt much better after having a few each day. It’s probably the same stuff they sell in the cans in the grocery stores in the US!!
Like H2, the nude hot tub/pool and bar can get frisky around dusk and around midnight. It was actually pretty quiet most of the week, but an energetic group livened things up the last night we were there. It all depends on the week and the folks that are there. If it bothers you, get up and go to one of the other pools/Jaccuzis.
The average age at the resort does seem a little older at both nude and prude ends. We believe that may be due to the higher price of staying at H3. For ourselves, staying 10 nights, it would have been $1000 cheaper for us at H2. It seemed that there were more couples at H3, BUT that may be due strictly to the week we were there — started the weekend of Easter. We’d recommend checking the other trip reports and reading the posts.
The Scotch Bonnet (named after a variety of Habanero peppers — the hottest in the world) is a great place for lunch or early dinner. It provides a little time out of the sun, while catching some nice Carribean breezes and great views west of the shoreline and sea. We ate lunch there nearly each day. Perched right at water’s edge, it has a great view towards the west. The Jerk pork, chicken is to die for. Even the Jerk burger is great. I loved the boiled dumplings (my wife couldn’t understand why) for their dense, doughy texture and peppery flavor. The soups offered each day are great, much to my surprise. You must go.
A bar on top of the Scotch Bonnet is a great place to get a drink, sit down for a while and look from a second story to the horizon. It’s a little warm during the mid part of the day, but it’s a great place for the sunset.
Our favorite restuarant was the Pastafari. We ate dinner there 5 nights. Food and service was excellent. A little more casual that Pastafari’s at H2, although some women really wore their Frederick’s of Hollywood outfits well and livened up the place. It also has a more open design and atmosphere. Our only complaint was it was noisy, and even more noisy when the house band or show started in the adjacent dining area.
The Japanese restaurant was very good. It was a fairly typical of sitting around a grill with chef preparing your food directly in front of you and talking to you as he does it. The food was very good and had a number of courses. We had the seafood entree, which had shrimp and fish. In season, they have lobster. We went there one night. We probably would have gone again, but we just couldn’t get enough of Pastafari’s. If you haven’t been to such a restaurant, it’s well worth going. Again, our only complaint was the noise level inside. The dining area music did not bother this place, but general conversation and chef working did generate some noise.
If you’re looking for ganja, it’s a little more difficult to find than at H2. You just have to ask around. Bartenders away from the busy main bar, or watersports folks. If you walk around the grounds and run into a gardener, ask him. Some people take cheap corncob pipes from home. Previously unused and left at Hedo will not get you into trouble coming home. And if you give away what you don’t use along with the pipe to a new friend before you leave for home, you will be thanked.
We went on 2 tours not included in the H3 all-inclusive vacation. A catamaran sunset cruise and Hightlight Trip to Ocho Rios, Dunns River Falls and a botanical garden (that I can’t recall the name of).
The cat sunset cruise originates from Breezes just around the cove. It’s a small cat with tampolin both fore and aft. No hard seating area. You will get wet! It’s a fun ride and they do provide beer. But due to the size of the vessel (about 22 feet long), you really can’t walk around, I could barely get onto my knees to raise my cup to be filled with more Red Stripe! The trip is not listed on the tour sheet you receive at check-in, so ask the tour desk. It’s an OK trip, but we don’t really care to do it again. For the US$45/person price, we could have done something else. If you have a group of friends with you, it’s more fun. On our trip, there were 4 couples, and only 2 couples knew each other. We did strike up a conversation from a woman from the Maritimes in Canada. First time they had been to a Hedo club. The sail is clothing optional, but no one did, although 3 of the 4 couples were at the nude pool most of the week. Once again, you will get wet!
A day trip called Highlights to Ocho Rios was good. If you don’t want to spend all day away from H3, this is a good trip. It gets you outside the H3 walls, allows you to see more of Jamaica and its people, stops in Ocho Rios for a bazzar shopping trip and then downtown to a jewelry, watches, and other stuff store. You also go up into the mountains to visit a large botanical garden, which we really enjoyed. And finally, a stop at famous Dunns River Falls to climb the falls. A nice refreshing way to cool off. They stop at the bottom of the hill to rent climbing shoes. Rumor had it that they would not let you climb without shoes. Once there, we found people climbing barefoot, in sandals, etc. The falls are not vertical. They are gently sloped with plenty of stepping stones. It has about 5-6 levels, which are flat areas between the next slope. It’s easy and anyone can do it. Don’t hesitate. And don’t rent the shoes. Just make sure you’re ready to get wet. From there, it’s back to H3 and you’re there around 2:30PM and lunch. The trip leaves H3 at 9AM, so be sure to eat a good breakfast before you go.