Holiday Resort For Plus-Sized People Only Is Open In The Bahamas

ITV

A hotel for people who weigh more than 20 stone opened in the Bahamas recently, and now the company behind it are looking for investment to open a second location.

The first hotel opened in the Bahamas last year, catering exclusively for plus-sized people, and features reinforced sun-loungers, which can hold up to 40 stone, as well as bigger chairs and reinforced beds.

There’s also a private five-mile beach for the guests’ privacy and a daily buffet where guests can eat whatever they wish.

The resort launched with an ITV documentary called My 18 to 30 Stone Holiday.

After the success of the first hotel, the business is now looking to open a new resort in the United States.

Writing on the Facebook page, they said:

We are looking for a partner / investor to help raise $3.4 million to open a second The Resort in the United States. Over 40% of the population is plus size looking for an opportunity to vacation someplace fun and safe designed to meet their needs.

The hotel is the brain child of James King, who owns the resort in the Bahamas. It was designed as a ‘safe haven’ for plus-sized holidaymakers who wish to feel comfortable when the try to catch some rays on the beach.

The resort is so dedicated to guests perceiving no judgement, they only take small groups of between two and 28.

Holly Macgillivray, a plus-size model from Denbighshire, visited The Resort in the Bahamas for the filming of the original documentary.

ITV

Holly, who is a size 20, first thought the idea was insulting, but after having seen the resort thinks the place is the ideal getaway spot for people who aren’t entirely comfortable with their size.

It’s understandable why someone who isn’t comfortable with their body might feel self conscious while on holiday – the purpose of this resort is to remove their lack of confidence.

Speaking to WalesOnline, Holly said:

I saw an advert in the newspaper for a TV show looking for British people over 18st.

They wanted people who were unhappy with how they looked, had broken sun loungers or couldn’t fit in plane seats and wouldn’t go on holiday because of their size.

I didn’t fit that mould. I go abroad all the time. I wear bikinis. I can fit in a plane seat.

But I wanted to show fat people are not all unattractive and smelly.

I was the smallest on the show. Some of the others had never been to the beach before.

ITV

Another guest at the resort was Mel Cohen, who was unsure at first as she didn’t have any issues with her body.

However, that changed when she saw guests who weren’t able to relax properly because of fear of ridicule.

She said:

That place is a necessity for those people over 22 stone. These people are missing out on so much.

Everyone over eats for a problem or a reason. If it was that easy to lose weight there would be no fat people in the world.

It’s hoped the resort and new hotel will help inspire others to love their bodies and feel more comfortable when on holiday.

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Charlie Cocksedge

Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.