Located on 10 tropical acres of oceanfront property in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, Hedonism III has been the synonymous with the word “Swingers” since it first opened its doors in 1999. I sat down with Kevin Levee, the resort’s General Manager, to find out the story behind this Mecca for the sexually liberated.

KASIDIE: Anyone who is in the swinging lifestyle has heard of Hedonism II and Hedonism III. So I’m going to ask the obvious question that many people are wondering… Where’s Hedonism I?

KEVIN LEVEE: The original Hedonism Resort opened in 1976 in Negril. It was actually called Negril Beach Village, not Hedonism. But their slogan was, “Come and experience Hedonism at Negril Beach Village.” In 1981 the resort changed management. They wanted to keep a connection to the past while doing something new. So they changed the name to Hedonism II. They wanted people to know that it was the same property but a change of management.

KASIDIE: So Hedonism II was technically the first and second Hedonism resort?

KEVIN LEVEE: Exactly.

KASIDIE: Were the Hedonism resorts originally built to be a ‘lifestyle friendly’ resorts or did they start as simply nudist resorts?

KEVIN LEVEE: The whole Hedonism concept and experience has very much been an evolution. It didn’t start as a nude beach, it just evolved. Very much it started in the 70s, right after the 60’s and free love. Negril used to be a place where a lot of the hippies used to come and hang out. Negril is like ‘Jamaica’s California.’ Back then there was probably two hotels on the seven mile stretch and Hedonism II was on the very end, so people just started going topless and eventually nude. At first the hotel would just bring a cooler with some beers for the guests. Then after a few years that evolved into a little beach bar. Then in the early 90’s they added an au natural pool and nude bar.

KASIDIE: Was it mostly couples or singles who came?

KEVIN LEVEE: I started working there in 1984 and at that time it was 70% singles 30% couples. But that began to change.

KASIDIE: What changed it?

KEVIN LEVEE: Hedonism is really a barometer of human behavior. You could see people coming from that free love era, they had no fear. Then came the big AIDS scare and things changed tremendously from about the mid 80’s to the early 90’s. People changed and it toned down tremendously. During that time that the demographic changed from singles into couples. Back then the lifestyle was taboo. These were the folks who used to have the parties in the basements. This was before the days of lifestyle clubs or websites. The one convention at that time was the Lifestyles Convention. Hedo 2 was the only resort they could find that said, “Yes we want your business, we embrace your customers.” Now our relationship with the lifestyle community is over 20 years old. There is no resort that has the knowledge and experience that we have.

KASIDIE: You say that Hedonism becoming a “swinger friendly” was a natural evolution, but it still had to be a natural evolution that someone allowed to happen. A lot of resorts allow nudity or toplessness, but if anything sexual starts to happen in public they’d put a stop to it. How was tit decided that Hedo would be okay with that?

KEVIN LEVEE: The whole concept of Hedonism has always been that we have one basic rule: You can do whatever you want as long as you don’t interfere with somebody else’s vacation. So it has always been kind of self balancing. We’ve always said that …extreme sexual activity, if we walk by and we see it, we will stop it. It’s a balance. If I walk past the nude pool at three in the afternoon and I see a sexual activity going on, I’ll probably say something. If I walk past at 3 in the morning, I’ll probably leave it alone.

KASIDIE: What changes have you witnessed in the lifestyle over the years that you’ve been around it?

KEVIN LEVEE: The biggest change that I’ve seen is back in those days women had to travel far far away if they wanted to have fun because there were these morals and values. They were looked down upon if they expressed themselves sexually. You don’t have to do that so much anymore. The age range has change a great deal too. Twenty years ago most of the guests were older, nowadays with conventions and events you’ll see people in their early 20’s.

KASIDIE: why do you think that is?

KEVIN LEVEE: Again, its just a way society has changed. It’s not such a big thing anymore. You turn on the TV and you see Girls Gone Wild. That behavior is not as taboo as it was twenty years ago.

KASIDIE: You said you started working at Hedonism II in 1984. What brought you there?

KEVIN LEVEE: I was in my early 20’s. I finished school. I am Jamaican, born in Jamaica, went to high school in Jamaica, went abroad to a college in Florida for a few years. I then went up to New York and worked there for a year. I decided I wanted to come back home. So I came back home and got a job at Hedonism II.

KASIDIE: What did you think when you first got to Hedonism? Was it a shock to you?

KEVIN LEVEE: I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.

[Everyone Laughs]

KEVIN LEVEE: I’d tell people all the time. All you have to do is feed me and give me somewhere to sleep and I’ll be fine. I was the water sports manager… And if it wasn’t for people in Superclubs promoting me, I would still be a water sports manager. It was the best job I ever had in my life. Being on the beach in Negril surrounded by nude ladies, I mean life doesn’t get any better! Then I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to move up the ranks at Hedo and Superclubs and I eventually became the general manager at Hedonism II in 1995. I was the manager until 1999 when I came over here and opened this property.

KASIDIE: Now what was the impetus to open Hedonism III? Was Hedo 2 doing so well that they saw the need to expand to another resort?

KEVIN LEVEE: Hedonism II did exceptionally well all through those years. Originally another hotel developer had this property and they were going to make it into a completely different brand. That deal fell thru and this property became available. Superclubs had the opportunity to check out the property and they figured that a Hedonism resort would be the best fit for it. At the time Hedonism 2 was a 3 star property. It was more of a Club Med model. Not a lot of amenities, only 2 restaurants, no TVs in the room.

KASIDIE: Well, if you’re in your room watching TV while at Hedo, there’s something wrong with you.

KEVIN LEVEE: [Laughs] Right. We didn’t want to open a property that was going to split the business of Hedonism II. We wanted a property that was going to create a whole new market. A lot of the business partners that we did business with at Hedo 2, I purposefully did not go to them. I went to new people, such as Lifestyle Lounge. We created a whole new market. A more upscale property, more amenities, jacuzzis in the rooms, the 4 restaurants, the multiple pools. We wanted to take it up a notch when we opened this property. Hedonism III has a younger demographic. We don’t exclude anyone or target anyone but Lifestyle Lounge is more representative of the crowd you get here at Hedonism III than the crowd you get at Hedonism II. The people who do visit Hedonism II are very upscale. We’ve just got a younger crowd and our rooms our a little nicer, as this is a newer resort. Although since we’ve opened Hedonism II has added some other amenities and upgraded as well.

KASIDIE: How does Hedonism III compare to the other Superclubs resorts?

KEVIN LEVEE: Hedo 3 is an amazing property and the friendships and the unique connection formed between the guests and the staff is very different than it is at other hotels. Often people have a perception of Hedonism and say, “Oh that’s that place where all the people have sex.” We don’t deny that… But it’s much more than that. It’s and adult vacation for people who like to have fun.

KASIDIE: When we describe the lifestyle we tell people that: “Its not about the sex, its about the sexuality.” Our experiences don’t always involve sex. But we love the openness and sexuality charged atmosphere.

KEVIN LEVEE: That’s a perfect explanation. I tell people, “If seeing a naked person is going to upset you, then don’t come to Hedonism. I can’t guarantee you won’t see a naked person once you get here.”

KASIDIE: Are you kidding me? You can’t even guarantee that you won’t see naked people on the bus ride from the airport!

[Everyone Laughs]

KEVIN LEVEE: People just want to be in an atmosphere that’s erotically charged and sometimes things happen and sometimes they don’t.

KASIDIE: With some newer competing lifestyle resorts opening up, with perhaps more modern looking rooms and decor, what would you say Hedonism III has over these other places that would persuade guests to come here instead?

KEVIN LEVEE: Without question it’s the people who work here. You have your hardcore base. All your resorts and conventions have their hardcore base of loyal supporters. But there’s a much bigger mass out there that moves with whatever is perceived to be the heat of the moment. That’s fine…That’s competition. But what I don’t think anyone has been able to match anywhere is the people that work here. The team is very important and I see one of my important functions is to keep my team happy. If I keep my team happy, then they look after the guests and keep them happy.

KASIDIE: You mentioned your staff. Over everything else, the staff is the one thing that’s brought us back to Hedonism III time and time again. Guests here tend to remember certain Hedo staff members for years and want to come back to see them again and again. Especially the entertainment staff. The first thing people ask us when we’ve just visited Hedo is, “How is so-and-so doing?” and they of course are referring to their favorite Hedo staff member. Is there something in particular you look for when you hire staff?

KEVIN LEVEE: It’s really a common Jamaican personality trait. Jamaicans are very open very straight forward people. What you see is what you get. We have especially key areas such as entertainment. I always interview those people. I try to interview everyone who might possibly come to work at the hotel. But definitely in the entertainment coordinators, I look for a certain personality. I look for someone that has a natural energy. The guests who come here tend to be more open and more relaxed than at other resorts. Our whole entertainment program is designed to get people to interact. So the games that we play, the whole idea is to get people to break the barriers, get people to laugh at themselves a little bit. Once people do that, friendships form and the staff is very much a big part of that.

KASIDIE: I have heard that Jamaica is a very religious country. Is it ever hard for any of the staff who work here, coming into this environment and seeing some things get a little wild? Have you ever had a bartender tell you that they can’t be around this wild environment?

KEVIN LEVEE: Jamaica is a very conservative country. I think that we have the most churches and rum bars per capita. But when people come to work here, especially entertainment coordinators, we ask them if they are aware of the environment here. If someone has a problem with that, then we let them know that Hedo might not be a good fit. There’s nothing wrong with that. We also let them know that there is absolutely no expectations on their part other than coming here and doing their job. As a matter of fact, we have very strict fraternization policies.

KASIDIE: I’m sure that after a few drinks a lot of guests will often try and put those policies to the test!

KEVIN LEVEE: We have a zero tolerance policy. Also… It happens rarely but if a guest is abusive or coerces my staff I will ask that guest to leave the resort. The staff understands that all the management expects is for them to do their job and treat the guests with respect. But also we also expect our guests to be respectful of our staff.

KASIDIE: Is working at Hedo considered a coveted job in Jamaica?

KEVIN LEVEE: Well its a double edge sword. People are always curious and excited. You walk into Hedonism and you know where you are. There’s an excitement and an energy and the guests you meet here are very different than other resort guests. The guests here are open, straightforward, and outgoing… So in a lot of ways is seen as being a “hotter” resort to work at. But at Hedonism there is no downtime, the action is constant day and night. The issues that the staff have to deal with is different than other resorts. So it goes both ways. Working at Hedo has its challenges. But overall, I wouldn’t change my job. I love my job.

KASIDIE: I’ve been coming here for four years and I’ve noticed a few new changes, such as the cabanas by the ocean. I heard thru the grapevine that some other big changes might also be happening soon. Can you give us the scoop on any future changes to Hedonism III?

KEVIN LEVEE: Well, when we opened Hedonism III we raised the bar for the lifestyle properties. At that time there was really only Hedo 2 and 3. Since then a lot of new players have come in. To be frank, they’ve done a good job. They have good products. That is what business is all about. Competition is good. It ultimately makes it better for the customers and the guests. We are aware that the market has changed tremendously over the last nine years and I have spoken to architects and designers. We are continuing to do enhancements to the property. Some of the projects on the front burner are upgrades to the nightclub and the Jamaican seaside restaurant. Our goal is to again revolutionize the lifestyle travel experience. What we come up with will be something great to take it to the next level.

KASIDIE: Well we’ll look forward to that… Wow, you got me all curious now. I want to find your top secret blueprints!

[Everyone Laughs]

KASIDIE: Do you have any stand-out moments from working here at Hedonism 3 or any proud moments that you’d like to share?

KEVIN LEVEE: We have a wet t-shirt contest every friday. I don’t think that Hugh Hefner has seen as many naked people as I have in my lifetime. I’ve seen a tremendous amount of naked people, so nakedness doesn’t have the same effect on me as on the majority of the population. One time there was this young lady from somewhere from the midwest. A fairly plain lady, you could tell she was the self conscious type. If you would have said to her a week earlier that she was going to be strutting buck naked in front of a bunch of strangers, she would have sworn on every female ancestor that you were lying. But somehow, somewhere, she gets the courage and she gets out there and does it. Often times what you find that with the wet t-shirt contest it is not the most beautiful woman that wins… Its the person who goes out there and captures the audience… And this girl went out there and did her dance and the whole place went crazy. Every single man was desiring her. Now that girl is changed for the rest of her life. That girl goes back home with confidence she never knew she had. She’s a brand new human being. I’ve seen that happen over and over at Hedonism.

KASIDIE: What about on the flip side? What has been the biggest challenge for you in running this resort? Have you ever had issues with the government in Jamaica?

KEVIN LEVEE: Sometimes you get a call and have to deliver some bad news. Because Jamaica is very conservative, I have always felt like a soldier and there’s a hundred snipers hiding out there just waiting for you to lift your head. So one of the things we’ve done is stayed under the radar. In Jamaica we keep a very low profile. We would really like to show what the resort is is like and take pictures of the activities and guests to put on our website… But we can’t. We have to protect people’s privacy. So that’s been a difficulty. I’ve always thought if we could just show what Hedonism was, we would be taking numbers. We’d be like Studio 54.

KASIDIE: So I take it you won’t be telling us about all the celebrities that have stayed here.

KEVIN LEVEE: We actually don’t get as many celebrities as the other resorts. When you’re at Hedo it doesn’t matter who you are at home. Other resorts will take that information, like who you are and what you do… But we don’t do that at Hedo. Everyone is equal here. There are people that I’ve seen visit the resort many many times and after several visits I discover their profession and say, “Oh that’s really what you do?” Their congressmen, or a doctors, or along those lines.

KASIDIE: Do you see a big difference between U.S. visitors and international visitors?

KEVIN LEVEE: Probably 80% of our business is from the USA. 10% Canadian, 4 or 5% European and the rest are Jamaican. 75% of our business is couples. In the winter there’s a much higher percentage of couples, and in the summer the singles percentage goes up. But mostly American couples. That goes for all Jamaica’s resorts, not just Hedonism’s guest breakdown.

KASIDIE: What would you want to tell someone who is considering coming to Hedonism III?

KEVIN LEVEE: I’d like them to know that there is no one type of Hedonism vacation. Hedo is what you make of it. If you want to come here and spend the week swinging on a hammock between the palm trees that’s fine. If you wanna come and bounce off the walls… We’ll scrape you off in the morning. That’s fine too. It’s whatever you want it to be. We don’t instigate we facilitate. We never tell you what you have to do on your vacation. It’s whatever you’re comfortable with.

KASIDIE: Thank you for talking with me. Before I go, I have one last extremely important question… What’s the next drink I should order at the bar?

KEVIN LEVEE: Hmm… Have you tried a Monkey Brain?

KASIDIE: Monkey Brain? I’ve been here four times and have never tried one of those… Monkey Brain, here I come!!!