NEGRIL ACCOMMODATIONS Beaches Negril Hotel Features: beachfront, pool, watersports, restaurants The Caves Hotel Features: cliffside, restaurant, pool, spa Couples Negril Hotel Features: beachfront, all-inclusive, restaurants, watersports Grand Lido Negril Daily lessons are offered in snorkeling, scuba diving, and water skiing at Grand Lido, plus private tennis lessons. For something less strenuous, there's the white sand beach (plus a nude beach) for lazy sunbathing or satellite TV back in the room. For the ultimate in pampering, guests can indulge with a complimentary manicure or pedicure. Grand Lido faces the clear blue waters of Bloody Bay (named during the days when whalers cleaned their catch here), home of the M.-Y. Zein. This majestic 147-foot vessel was once owned by Aristotle Onassis, who gave the yacht to Princess Grace as a wedding present. Today Grand Lido guests enjoy cruises and even specially arranged parties and weddings aboard that honeymoon yacht. Hotel Features: beachfront, all inclusive, adults only, casual and fine dining, freshwater pool and hot tub, complete watersports facilities, nude beach Hedonism II Whatever the reason, folks are curious about this Negril all-inclusive. We were as well. We checked in. Things looked pretty normal. Nice grounds. Nice room. Then the maid knocked on the door and delivered white sheets. But these weren't for the bed. They were for us to wear to dinner that night. "No sheet, no eat" is the motto of the weekly toga party at this resort known for its adults-only atmosphere. Hedonism II attracts fun-loving couples and singles over age 18 who come to this westernmost point of Jamaica for a vacation of sun, sand, and something more. These guests come to leave their inhibitions behind, seeking pleasure in the form of festivities like Toga Night, buffets to tempt the most devoted calorie counters, bars that remain open until 5 a.m., and nonstop adult fun. On Toga Night, some guests fashion traditional modest Roman wraps, but variations abound, most revealing plenty of sunburned skin. Don't be surprised to see women lining up at the buffet wearing topless micro-togas or men leaning against the bar sporting getups rarely seen outside a sumo wrestling ring. Hedonism's credo is that "a vacation should be whatever you want it to be," and for some that means a break from the cares and even the clothes of the everyday world. Although some form of dress is required in the dining room (no need to worry about packing a dinner jacket for this resort), many guests wear only suntan oil and shades on the beach. The wide, white sand beach has room for everyone though, whether prude or nude. Half is "formal," with swimsuit required. The rest of the beach is reserved for those seeking the total tan. The nude beach also includes its own hot tub, bar and grill cabanas, volleyball and shuffleboard courts, and, soon, its own swimming pool. With its emphasis on unlimited pleasures, you might expect guests at Hedonism to be primarily college-aged. However, the average age here is 42. Over one-third of the guests are returnees, coming back year after year to partake of the food, fun and fantasy. Nightly shows are organized by the resort's entertainment crew. Guests and staff strut their stuff during talent night (which might include an amateur strip-tease), fly through the air during the circus show, or bend over backwards for the limbo contest. It's in these after-dark hours when the hedonists really get busy. Following the night's beach party, reggae dance, pajama party, or the ever-popular Toga Night, guests head to a disco that flashes with a $500,000 lighting system or to the nude hot tub for late night revelry. Others hang out at the bars, open until just before the Caribbean sun peaks over the horizon at 5 a.m. (If you're staying at another Negril resort and want to see Hedonism II for yourself, you can buy an evening pass.) Even members of the party-'til-you-drop crowd eventually head back to their rooms, which at Hedonism are comfortable but not luxurious. Twin and king size beds are available. Rooms do not have balconies or patios, although some rooms face the beach. In keeping with the adult atmosphere, there is one special feature in the rooms: mirrored ceilings above every bed. Hotel Features: beachfront, all-inclusive, adults only, freshwater pools, hot tubs, complete watersports facilities, nude beach Negril Cabins Resort During the study of the Morass, these researchers lived in cabins in Negril. Today, Negril Cabins utilizes those original structures plus several new buildings and operates as a resort for those want to combine the luxuries of a hotel with the natural experience of camping. Visitors enjoy Swiss Family Robinson-style accommodations in cabins perched on stilts. Lush grounds are filled with indigenous Jamaican flora and fauna and dotted with colorful hummingbirds. Negril Cabins offers tours to the Royal Palms Reserve, located directly behind the property. Inexpensive wedding packages are also available which include license, minister or justice of the peace, a best man and maid of honor if needed, a Jamaican wedding cake, flowers, champagne, and dinner. Hotel Features: across the street from beach, fine and casual dining, freshwater pool Rockhouse Hotel Features: cliffside, pool, restaurant Open box In every resort area, be prepared for numerous offers by higglers, Jamaica's word for peddlers. Also be prepared for offers of "something special." Ganja or marijuana is widespread, but purchase or use of the drug is strictly illegal. close box Sandals Negril Hotel Features: beachfront, all-inclusive, couples only, fine and casual dining, watersports, freshwater pool Couples Swept Away Located on Negril's famous Seven Mile Beach, Swept Away focuses on quiet relaxation for couples that are fitness and diet conscious. Sure, there are the requisite beach bars and buffets, but Swept Away also boasts a beachside veggie bar with pita sandwiches, grilled chicken, and pasta salads. Swept Away is known as one of the top sports destinations in the Caribbean. Courts for tennis, racquetball, squash, basketball, plus an Olympic-sized pool, a fully-equipped gym, and aerobics classes keep visitors busy. But all work and no play does not a vacationer make, so Swept Away also emphasizes romance. The 20-acre property offers plenty of room for private walks. Hotel Features: beachfront, all-inclusive, couples only, fine and casual dining, watersports, freshwater pool
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Lovetripper.com Romantic Travel Guide
