sixmonkeyes>
Wow.. Great report. I went to Desire Pearl a couple months back and I was at Hedonism a few years ago. And even though I had seen that there were posts comparing the two, I didn't read them before I went to Desire because I wanted to form my own opinion. I intended to write my own opinion when I came back, but now after reading yours, I don't think I need to. I agree with 95% or more of what you put. I think you were very objective. Here are a few opinions of mine though (not all are contradictory):
- I think I would like to stress that (at least for me) what makes or breaks these kinds of resorts are the people. Cool people make the vacation fun. And in that respect both places are equal. I wouldn't say the crowd was very different at either resort and both made both trips very memorable. So, even though it is true that Desire has some things that are better than Hedo, I wouldn't let it rule out Hedo if you are interested in going there.
- As far as the service aspect. The one thing that I _LOVE LOVE LOVE_ about Hedo is there is no tipping. The staff is not allowed to accept tips. Now, it isn't because I'm a cheapskate or anything like that, but where the heck are you supposed to put money when you're naked?
So, I had to go back to where I dropped my stuff and get money periodically to give to the bartenders. I know I could give them a big tip up front, but I feel like they don't always remember that and then they think you aren't a tipper later on. Now, that being said. Hedo people do accept tips if you do it slyly. But since it took some extra effort, I only really went out of my way to tip the people that really seemed to put effort in.
- One minor plus to Hedo is if you are into weed, it is plentiful there. I'm not a huge weed guy, but I like to smoke some maybe half a dozen times a year and vacation is one place I like to. Mexico is strict about their drug laws, so I never even considered seeking it out at Desire. Not a huge deal, but a bit of a nicety to me. Although for anyone that doesn't know, weed is still technically illegal in Jamaica, but unless you blow smoke in the face of a cop, you are unlikely to get arrested for it on a resort.
- Public Sex: For anyone who doesn't know, it is technically against the rules at Hedo. So, if you have sex during daylight hours you generally need to be discrete. If nothing else, just out of consideration for others around you. However, at night around the hot tub, it was wild. One time when we were in the hot tub and I did a 360 look around, I estimated that there was maybe a dozen couples (or groups) having sex. In general, the sex at Hedo seemed a little bit wilder at Hedo and a little more sensual and passionate at Pearl. But that is very subjective and I'm sure it changes week to week (if not day to day).
- Bartenders: I must give my 'vote' for the bartenders at Hedo. Bartenders at both Hedo and Desire hustled plenty. But one thing that I liked is that the bartenders at Hedo were more 'inventive'. I do not have a set drink I like or even a set few drinks. So, I often go up to the bar and say something like: "I feel like a drink with some dark rum (for instance) in it. Do you have any ideas or favorites for me to try?" It seemed like every bartender at Hedo would come up with something, but the majority of the bartenders at Desire had nothing. Or if they did, they would be the most generic of drinks. The one exception to it is Fabian at Desire Pearl. He might be my favorite bartender of all-time. He was very personable, knew his liquor, and could come up with all kinds of ideas on the spot.
- Restaurants: My wife and I loved, loved, loved the Pearl restaurant. There is nothing close to it at Hedo. We are foodies and to have a 4 or 5 course meal was great. Also, to have the cuisine continually changing was great too. We ate at the Pearl every night but 1.
- Minor gripe about the pool at Pearl: It would be difficult to address this, but the Pool at Pearl is completely in the sun for most of the day. There is virtually no shade except a little under the bar. I felt like I was getting cooked a bit, but it wasn't too big of a deal.
- Nude/Prude at Hedo: Another plus at Hedo is that there is a separate pool/hot tub/grounds/beach for the non-nude (nicknamed 'prude') people. So, even though it is not strictly enforced, everyone on the nude side is expected to be nude. Not a huge deal, but it gives the group a feeling of 'togetherness' in my opinion.
- Condition: Nearly everything at Pearl is in better condition than at Hedo (although, I thought I heard/read that there was some renovation going on at Hedo. Not sure if it is true or not).
So, I guess that will do as my 'extension' on the review. Much like sixmonkeyes said, Desire is nicer hands down. But Hedo has its pluses too. If I was to go back to one, I would choose Desire though.