Inside the world's first resort for obese holidaymakers
The Resort, on the Bahamas, claims to be the first in the world made with plus-size tourists in mind
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Holiday resorts are all about capturing a certain market. There are adults-only resorts, health retreats, spa hotels… and there’s also a Caribbean resort catering specifically to overweight people.
The Resort – which opened two years ago on Eleuthera in the Bahamas – has been built specifically with obesity in mind. Although at first glance it looks like any other beach resort, this is – or so the owner says – the only one around that’s been especially built for guests weighing over 30 stone.
Everything on the resort has been customised: doorways are wide, chairs are made from particularly sturdy wood, beds have been reinforced with two-inch steel bars, and metre-wide loungers can withstand up to 40 stone.
The buffet – open for breakfast, lunch and dinner – caters to those with fuller appetites. Owner James King calls it a “sanctuary”.
“It’s a place where you can come and have a good holiday without any judgement whatsoever,” he says.
King told The Independent that he got the idea for the resort about 14 years ago. "I was MD of a hotel in Grenada and saw a guest go through a beach chair," he said. "As per hotel policy, she was charged $150 for destruction of property."
But there’s a more serious side to The Resort, too. The activity programme includes group therapy, and activities have been chosen to “force the guests to re-evaluate their bodies.”
Privacy is guaranteed. The private beach is five miles long, and the resort is only open to private groups of up to 24 people.
The Resort features in ITV’s The 18-30 Stone Holiday, airing tonight, in which eight overweight members of the public were flown to the Bahamas.
Husband and wife Adam and Ami Flahery were part of the group. Ami, who weighs 24st, and says embarrassment about her weight ruined her honeymoon in Egypt, told The Sun: “I could jump in the pool and not worry about how big a splash I made. Or I could lie on a sun lounger which was made from strong Brazilian wood, so I didn’t have to worry about breaking it.
“In the past I’ve broken plastic loungers and although I’ve always laughed it off at the time, I was left mortified and wanted the world to swallow me up.
“But when you know a hotel has been specially made for plus-sized people, you don’t have to worry about breaking any furniture or not fitting into anything because you can relax and just go for it.”
Interested? You’ll need a heavy wallet, too. The flat rate is $16,400 for six days, although that includes all meals and airport transfers. The price includes up to 24 people.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments