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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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Trip May 1998 Arrival. Outside the airport, cabs were not eager to transport us. We actually had to wait in a short line to get a cab as the dispatcher slowly allocated cabs that were loaded one at a time. It took about 30 minutes by taxi to arrive at the resort. When we arrived, there was no lobby or reception desk. Just a tiny room with a handful of sofa chairs and a small table. Behind the small table a reception person greeted us, took our name, informed us that our room was not ready (2:15p), took a credit card imprint, and directed us to the bar to wait for our room. While at the bar, I noticed food in the next door attached dining area. Since I was hungry, I asked what time lunch ended and was told that it ended in 5 minutes. So, I grabbed a plate, filled it with a few items, and sat up at the bar to eat it. I was immediately told I could not eat at the bar so I had to carry it back to the dining room where I spent about 3 minutes eating what little I had on the plate. Our room was ready now so we went back to the small reception room and followed the bell person to our room. We were informed that orientation would take place in the bar lounge near the pool at 10:00am the next day. The Room. Our room had cost us US$250 per person, per night (middle of May). The room was as beach view room on the second floor. It was equipped like any standard hotel room with a couple exceptions. The TV was about 12 inches, quite tiny for a hotel room. Two people could not pass between the bed and any wall at the same time. The bathroom had only a shower and toilet and was so small that one could not shut the door unless standing in the shower or sitting down on the toilet. It was quite cramped. The single sink was outside the bathroom in front of a large wall mirror and it had an automatic drip coffee maker sitting on it. The bed was hard and the pillows were inconsistent. One was lumpy like it had been a feather pillow dipped in water and then allowed to dry in clumps while the other two were like cheap foam pillows. The air conditioner, even though it was on full blast our entire stay, never cooled the room below 78.5 degrees, which I knew because my clock also contained a digital thermometer. The air conditioner also filled the balcony with warm air because the back of it hung out onto the balcony. The view from the room was nice as it directly overlooked the beach, all 10 feet of it. The room had a balcony just large enough to accommodate a resin table and chairs. There was nowhere in the room to keep drinks cold, no mini- bar, no ice, no water pitcher, no snacks, or any other luxury amenity. The Pool. The pool was broken up into a 2 leaf clover design so that when in any leaf, you were completely separated from the other leaves, so you might as well have been in a separate pool. To go from one leaf to the other would require exiting the pool and walking around. Each leaf was very small. With about 8 people in the pool, it felt quite crowded. There were about 10 pool floats for use by the resort guests, and they went quick, leaving everybody else, floatless. The beach chairs around the pool went fast too. All pool furniture was made of plastic resin and were hard to lay on. The chairs were the same kind you might buy for US$4 at the local K- Mart. There were 3 umbrellas for shade for the entire resort around the pools. The pool was about 3 1/2 feet deep and the entire pool area was sadly inadequate. The Beach. The beach consisted of an area about 40 feet wide in front of the dining area that narrowed to about 10 feet wide across the rest of the property. At the foot of the beach were huge rocks that separated the beach from the water so that you could not walk from the beach to the water without locating one of the 3 stair cases that took you down to the water. The sand was a brownish sand, but not uncomfortable. The swim area was pitifully small and filled with tiny stones. Outside the swim area were more huge boulders in random locations that came nearly to the surface in some areas but the water shot to about 15 feet deep in the first 25 feet or so as one entered the water. This made for great snorkeling right off the beach but poor if you idea was to lounge around in the water or swim. There was a ship wreck about 100 yards out in about 30 feet of water that you could swim to. The water was mostly crystal clear and very warm. To the side of the resort and about 50 feet away was a wide open and wonderful beach with a light surf breaking on it. Water Sports. Water sports at the Almond Beach Club were extremely limited. Water skiing was awful because their boat was not powerful enough to bring a slalom water skier up to speed, even though they had a whaler sporting a 100hp motor. Also, even when the water is smooth, there are swells, making decent skiing impossible. Never the less, I skied all 3 days we were there. That in and of itself is a story. When I asked to water ski, I was told that the boat was booked for the rest of the day (about 2:40p). So, I just shrugged and went back to the pool. But, I kept watch and nobody was taking the boat out. At 3:00p, I went back and suggested that whoever had the boat booked had apparently not shown up, and asked if I could go water skiing. They told me the boat was "in for the day". I asked why and said that water skiing is supposed to be available until 5:00. He just repeated that it was in for the day. So I got louder and asked my question again. He did not answer me. I got louder and madder and asked it again. I was drawing attention and another staff member asked what was up. He told the guy, "he wants to ski". So they took me skiing for 15 minutes. I found that throughout my stay, that same attitude existed in just about every staff member throughout the resort. On my last day, I had a reservation to ski at 3:45p. When I showed up for my reservation, it took a good 5 minutes of arguing. They claimed the water was too rough. I has assured them that I was a good skier, had learned to ski in much rougher waters of Lake Erie, and that I had my own equipment. They made sarcastic comments but I eventually ended up going and without a fall, even though on the first pull they couldn't even get the boat going fast enough to pull me out of the water and I still had the handle in my hand when the boat stopped to see what was wrong. Dining. Our first night, we tried to make reservations to eat at Enids, the only other restaurant on the property, but it was booked. So, we opted to eat in the main dining room. We arrived to find a line of people. They did not have room for everybody and the bar next door was filled with people waiting for tables. We waited about 1/2 hour for a table. Once seated, service was essentially non-existent after our initial drink order. The food was fair at best and selection was extremely small. It was also very hot as it was outside and the ceiling fans did little to help. Our second night, we tried to make reservations to eat at the Italian restaurant at the Almond Beach Village, which was included, but we needed to travel to the other resort. It was completely booked so we opted to eat at Enids, which serves Bajan cuisine (the local food of Barbados). We were able to get a reservation at Enids for the second night. This was the only other dining option at the property. Again, on arrival, even though we had a reservation, we were told to wait in the bar. We waited about 10 minutes and then were seated. The food served the same tiny stale rolls as the main dining room and the food was fair at best. Service was better than in the main dining room but not substantially. It was also hotter because it was in an enclosed room without air conditioning. The other dining options were to take a shuttle or cab to the Almond Beach Village. On our third and last day, I had attempted to make a reservation first thing in the morning for the Italian restaurant at the Almond Beach Village, but the only time available was at 6:30p and I was told that the only shuttle that could get me there in time left at 5:00p. That would have meant getting ready for dinner at 4:00p which was way too early. So, we kept the reservation and paid for a cab. Here, dinner was served in an air conditioned room. The food was excellent and so was the service. While at the Almond Beach Village, we walked around a bit. We were pretty upset our travel agent hadn't booked us there after we saw the place. It was huge. You could actually go for a walk at this resort. They had a massive beach, lots of huge free-form pools, and it seemed quite a bit nicer. This was more what we had in mind for our vacation but since we didn't want to be around a bunch of kids, and the Almond Beach Club was adult only, we had been booked at the club. It was a big mistake. Compared to the Village, the Club seemed like some half-baked after thought as to somehow make use of some tiny patch of waterfront land. What we found out too was that at least one of the giant free-form pools at the Village was dedicated adult only. If we ever go back, we'd stay at the Village. I must comment that the temperature and humidity was unbearable at the Village the night we at there (about 95F) and was about 10 degrees hotter than the Club, which we immediately felt some relief when we arrived back at the Club. This was strange because the Club was only about 4 miles down the road. I attributed it to all the concrete at the Village emitting all the heat stored from the day, combined with the fact that it had just rained at the Village while the Club didn't get any rain that night. Note that when we left our dinner at the Italian restaurant at the club, there was a line of about 40 people waiting to be seated in the main dining room of the Village. Night life. There was none. All the bars except the piano bar closed at 11:00pm. For an all-adult place, this was not good. We went to the piano bar, which was tiny. It could hold about 20 people, and with 30 people inside, it was elbow to elbow, standing room only, and very cramped. So uncomfortable that my girlfriend asked to leave immediately. Bars. Bar service was uniformly under staffed, usually with a single bar tender. It was frequently difficult to get a drink as 20 or more people were simultaneously leaning over the bar waiting to ask for a drink at a single bar tender. The bar tenders did move fast though. The resort did not have any of the makings of a tropical resort. There were very few palm trees and none of the typical island fruits available like mango, papaya, etc. Just watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe, and banana. Breakfast. The wait at breakfast for a table was not as bad but there still was a wait. Breakfast was a buffet that I found similar to most other Caribbean resorts only on a much smaller scale and with fewer selections. The orange juice was from concentrate and tasted old. It tasted bad enough that we chose not to drink it after our first sampling. Snorkeling. I did some of the better snorkeling I've done in the Caribbean right off the shores of the hotel. The water was very clear and a huge abundance of fish in the 12 - 18 inch range. At one point, immediately after some guy had been throwing food in the water and then left, I was the only swimmer left out there and I was so surrounded by fish, I couldn't see. The fish were looking to me for more food and I didn't have any. They formed a solid wall of fish about 30 feet thick in all directions. It was incredible. I kicked at them to try to get some space but they just followed me around for about the next 5 minutes. I dove down to the wreck with my snorkel (about 30 feet down) but the wreck could be seen easily from the surface. On the bad advice from some other hotel guests, I had taken a cab one morning to a place called FolkStone, where I was supposedly going to be able to snorkel amongst much larger fish. I went, and when I arrived, I asked the lifeguard there where the good snorkeling was. I swam out and basically snorkeled the entire area. While there was plenty of reef but the fish were no better than in front of the hotel and I got all stung up as the place was loaded with jelly fish. Ultimately, as I was walking along the beach, a local asked if I wanted to go do some REAL good snorkeling. He took me on a jet ski, and guess where? Right in front of the hotel where I was staying! Departure. Checkout was uneventful and speedy. Our flight departed at 2:30p and they wanted us in the departure area of the hotel at 11:15a to get the hotel provided transportation to the airport. We thought that to be much too early so we decided to arrange our own ride. We left the hotel at 12:45 and ended up getting a very slow cab back to the airport. It took about 45 minutes. Our driver refused to drive any faster even after I asked him to. Instead, he stopped for gas. Traffic was terrible. It seems that during the day, there is an endless stream of traffic that passes along the road behind the hotel and since it is only one lane in each direction, a single car making a turn across traffic brings huge lines of traffic to a halt. The airport departure was fine and uneventful. Summary. Overall, we were very disappointed in the resort and will never go back or recommend it. If they had been charging about US$85 per person per night, it would have been reasonable. The other places that I have been in the Caribbean such as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic were clearly superior to this place. It was a horrible value and far from paradise. Perhaps we would have enjoyed the Almond Beach Village but since all we had was a brief tour, I can't say for sure. The resort was small, crowded, offered poor service, unfriendly staff, limited facilities, closed early, few dining options, basic food, cheap furniture, tiny rooms, and just wasn't what I'd expect in a US$500 a night Caribbean resort.
(Received 17 July 98 at the CTR.)
Below are the last two formal updates I have provided interested guests. We have about 350 interested guests on our mailing list and the numbers continue to grow. Regretfully we are experiencing what I would call a "Dominican Standoff". Neither side is giving an inch. As I indicate below, the Eden Bay Homeowners' Association has given the Association Board three directives - one which specifically forbids any further dealings with Jim Robinson, the other which demands the Resort be nude/clothing-optional throughout and the third that it be a mutually profitable venture for both the Resort & the unit owners. I just got off the phone with our Board Chairman, Bill Coakley, who verified that so far every deal that Jim Robinson has negotiated to try to get the Resort open as a textile Resort has failed (mostly because of the debt and high costs associated with re-opening). There is only one party out there who is interested and has the cash to buy out the General and re-open the Resort, but the General has been convinced by Robinson that his property is worth much more than what the interested party has offered. Eventually we feel that this party will succeed and his plans are to improve the property adding a Health Spa, adding more hotel rooms, marketing packages that include golf at the nearby golf course, marketing to his horse riding aficionados (he raises pasafinos) and allowing some nudity. This last point is where I and my friends come in. Our thought is that during the time this party expands the facility, he would be silly to turn away paying customers and if those customers were nudist/clothing-optional guests, he would be somewhat forced to expand the areas where nudity is permitted to accommodate them. As I mentioned earlier, my compadres & I have a network of sympathetic nudists that could be rallied to the call and make reservations, spread the word about the re-opening and in essence comparitively flood the Resort with guests who want to get naked. There may be a break in the "standoff" by August. Wish us luck and thanks for the publicity. Tom Fernstrom Eden Bay Homeowners' Association Notice sent out April 21, 1998 Dear Interested Party, Well, it's hard to believe that the last real update I submitted on Eden Bay Resort in the Dominican Republic was sent last December. How time flies when your getting jacked around. If you will recall from my last update, we the Homeowners' Association, had hoped to have a better handle on the Resort re-opening potential by the middle of February or the end of March at the latest. At that time Mr. Jim Robinson (JR) was to have surrendered control of the Resort back to the other two partner entities, Mr. Jim Beirnes (JB) and Evergreen (LLC) - a consortium of unit owner investors. If that were to have occurred, it was presumed the partners JB & LLC might then be able to dictate terms and conditions for the re-opening of the Resort and secure financing from an number of "friendly" investors that we had been courting. The financing we were seeking would have been sufficient to purchase the holdings of the Resort's landlord, General Beauschamp, liquidate the Resort's past debts, cover the infrastructure expenses of re-opening and fund proper management & marketing . That having been said, you should have been able to guess by now that JR has instead partnered with the General in a new venture to operate the Resort as a textiled "turismo de masa". (That's when the tour operators, the hotels, and the department of Tourism, spend all their efforts to attract great quantities of tourists who spend little compared with the more affluent individual tourists.) We, the Association, know all too well that our 126 units cannot be marketed profitably in this fashion. What does JR hope to accomplish by this tactic? No amount of speculation can explain. We, the Association currently have a list of over 325 e-mail & snail mail addresses from interested parties who have expressed an interest in being kept abreast of the Resort developments. I have received 77 responses so far to a request for input message I sent out asking for statements I could share with the "powers that be" with regards to the preference of the Resort staying nudist/clothing-optional. All 77 had indicated that they would have no desire to visit the Resort if it were not so. There are too many other destinations and Resorts that are available for the textile market. I still continue to receive, on the average, one new request a day for information about the Resort's location, rates, availability, etc. To me this is amazing since people must be desperate enough to find alternatives to Club Orient or the Jamaican Resorts to hunt down my e-mail address. Well, you might ask, what are we going to do? The Association is calling a General Assembly Meeting in May to address a number of issues and obligations that the Resort has with us that is mandated by our Association Rules. It is hoped that some strategy might be developed prior to or at that meeting to address the situation and resolve it to the liking of our owners and potential guests. While all this has been occurring, the Association has continued to proceed with the plans to isolate our condo units from the utilities of the Resort by planning and purchasing our own facilities. This was and still is perceived to be a necessity so that our owners can once again use their units and it also serves as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with the Resort entity. We have also been maintaining the condo properties through our Association dues such that we will be ready with rental units as soon as there is a Resort entity in place. In fact I created a homepage at: http://members.aol.com/tfernstrom/main.html (since the Association's WebSite has been closed) so I could share trip reports and pictures of the Resort's grounds with my other owners. Feel free to visit the site and if you haven't had a chance to send me your opinion about how you would like the Resort to re-open, please address me an e-mail and do so. Keep your fingers crossed for us and we will try to have a wonderful destination available for your next vacation. I also want to thank you all for the many encouraging e-mails I have received and I have been able to share a number of them with my fellow owners to bolster their spirits. Thanks again, Tom Fernstrom Tfernstrom@aol.com Eden Bay Homeowners' Association *********************** Notice sent out May 18, 1998 Dear Interested Parties, As I indicated in my last Status Update distributed in April, There was a formal Eden Bay Homeowner’s Association Assembly held on May 16, 1998. There were 86 owners represented either by proxy or in person. In a nutshell a motion was made to begin foreclosure against delinquent owners. (25 unsold units and 8 delinquent individually owned units). The motion passed unanimously with no nay votes. After the formal meeting agenda was accomplished, Chairman Bill Coakley advised of a verbal rental arrangement offer that he had received from the General’s son offering $8 per night to owners. As previously stated, this rental arrangement was being offered in the hopes of re-opening the Resort as a textile Resort with possibly part- nude/part-prude areas and marketed as the large Resorts do through heavily discounted tour operator arrangements and extremely thin profit margins. (The Tourismo de Masa way) A straw vote at the Town Hall portion of the meeting rejected the offer unanimously. A mandate was then reaffirmed: The individual unit owners will only accept: 1. Total nudity 2. No dealings with Mr. Robinson and 3. That any offer must be financially viable This message will be conveyed back to the General’s son by our Chairman and we, the Association, will continue to dig our heels in and go forward with providing our condo units with independent power, water and sewage. It is our collected opinion that this will convince the General that the business arrangement that he was pursuing with Mr. Robinson will fail before it even gets off the ground. It should also impress him that a standing purchase offer that has been made for his interests is really his best bet for realizing a decent rate of return. I must say the solidarity of the meeting participants and the proxies they represented was again amazing. I want to thank all of you who have responded to my request for input and indicated that you would have no interest at all in visiting a Resort that was not fully nude/clothing-optional. This made the owners’ decision to hold fast all the easier knowing that what we owners wanted has the support of our potential guests. In conclusion, all necessary steps have been taken by the Association and the ball is back in our opponent’s court. What they do with it will determine our next direction. Please continue to support our efforts because video evidence provided by our Association’s Secretary from a recent visit indicates our units are ready to be rented and that barring any major unforeseen amenity infrastructure problem, whomever re-opens the Resort should be able to do so in a relatively quick manner. Also please be assured that any attempt to re-open the Resort will be under the Association’s scrutiny. Many of our owners have indicated that they should be the "guinea pigs" to test the Resort’s ability to deliver a quality vacation experience. I for one would insist on it!! Tom Fernstrom Eden Bay Homeowner’s Association
This year was our fifteenth trip into the Caribbean. Just when you think it could get no better, surprise it does! We spent ten wonderful days. Seven on our favorite Isle Petit St. Vincent in the Grenadines and three on the Island of Barbados. We had planned and booked this trip for just about a year. We had originally planned a nine day trip but thanks to American Airlines the trip became ten. Our travel plans normally start in Orlando however due to schedule changes on American the connections no longer worked. After motoring to Miami, we caught an early afternoon flight on BWIA to Barbados. Talk about service! The BWIA service was superb from start to finish. At check in the attendant talked us into checking bags that we would normally carry. She stated, "do not worry they will go Priority Baggage." She then went on to give us a pass to a first class lounge. We spent our time waiting for the flight sipping free drinks and nibbling several different kinds of snacks. The lounge was appointed very nicely. It had phone service, desks, TV's, conference room, and superb rest rooms. Once in flight, we had a gourmet meal. Yes, it was truly gourmet. Upon arrival we found out about Priority Baggage. All the Priority Baggage was the first off the plane. This is what we call service! We spent one night on Barbados before continuing on to the Grenadines. We chose Glitter Bay because it was part of American Express Rewards Program. Why not, we said, it's Free!! Watch, we have been on the phone with American Express on numerous occasion trying to get a $235.00 room charge removed from our bill. We also had several minor problems before leaving with Princess Hotels. It took two calls to Barbados to book the room. New York reservations stated, that the only accommodations available were suites. Odd, for mid May! Barbados reservations, said they had many deluxe rooms available. We finally secured a deluxe room. We faxed to reconfirm and never did hear from the hotel. We had to call again, this time they told us the person in charge on reservation was very busy. The accommodations at Glitter Bay were very lovely and the staff was very warm and friendly. Our deluxe room was very well appointed. We had a balcony overlooking the sea. The room's configurations are tight and if they would have been full we could see where noise and privacy could be a problem. You can see from one balcony to another. The grounds are lovely with great facilities for children. They have a children's pool, and playground. There were many families on holiday The restaurant at Glitter Bay is very informal. We choose to have dinner at the Palm Terrace in the Royal Pavilion. We had a nice dinner but it was not outstanding. While we did not see the interior of the rooms at the Royal Pavillon, we were very disappointed in its outside appearance. From the sea side, it looks like a mid rise hotel with a balcony off the room. The building appears to be in need of repair. The beach is virtually non existent directly in back of resort. Just for information, Sandy Lane is indeed closed. We were told the new owners are putting mega dollars into the resort. It is supposed to reopen late '98 or early '99 as a super luxury hotel. At noon the next day, we left for the second leg of our journey. Back at the airport we boarded our shared charter on Mustique Airlines proceeding onward to the Grenadines and Petit St. Vincent (PSV). We arrived on PSV at 5:00PM. They met us and two other couples at the dock with our rum punch. We were immediately whisked off to Cottage #18.(our favorite) Afternoon tea, chilled champagne and wonderful chocolates plus bathrobes, awaited our arrival. This trip was our third trip to PSV and next year we hope will be our fourth. We have often thought about spending a week at another resort, but we do not know how you could ever replace this bit of heaven. The accommodations are wonderful, the privacy is great and the food was better than ever. You never have to worry about safety or where the room key is located. There are no keys! The beach is beautiful and isolated. We spent each morning this year at the west end beach with faithful dog Hera. PSV thinks of it all, how about free cold bottles of water awaiting your arrival at the beach. It never ceases to amaze us just when you think that PSV has thought of everything Haze and Lynn Richardson find something to add to make your stay even better. The staff are always warm and friendly and make sure you get all of your wants and wishes fulfilled. We spent our days on the beach, on the deck, reading, walking, swimming, snorkeling, and just relaxing. In the evening, going up the hill to the dining room is a treat. We never have dinner in our cottage only breakfast and afternoon tea, but you can have all your meals in your home away from home. We love cottage #18 many asked why? We can see the sunrise, the sunset, we can go down the steps to the beach and sea, and we can watch the activities in the bay. We can do all of this without losing any of our privacy. All the cottages our wonderful. They truly look like the brochure. If we could not get #18, we would probably select #10, or #4. Seven nights just seem to fly by. We always have tears in our eyes when it is time to leave. We must say it is not for every one- you must be content with each other and want to just get away from the hectic world. PSV is just special!!!!!!!! After leaving PSV, we headed back to Barbados for the last two nights of our vacation. This time we headed to the North end of the island near Speighstown. We had chosen to end our vacation at Cobblers Cove in the Colleton Suite. What a finale this was! It was fabulous. Our mouths dropped wide open when they opened the door of this fabulous suite. It is difficult to find words to describe this superb accommodation. It must be at least 1000sq ft. All the floors are marble. The furnishing and window covering are awesome. The bath room sports his and her sinks and shower, bidet and Jacuzzi tub. How about a dressing room with his and her closets complete with electric valet! The French doors of the living room open to a hugh terrace with it own 4ft plunge pool. Talk about never wanting to leave a room. We hated that we had made dinner reservations. However, once we got to the dining room, we were happy we went. The food and service were wonderful, and served in an enchanting sea side atmosphere. We chose the modified American plan. They do offer a dine around privilege but we were content and happy to stay on the property for all of our meals. Afternoon tea was at 4:00 each day with sweets and tea sandwiches. The manager Hamish Watson welcomed us upon arrival and bid us farewell. This was a very nice touch. Even if you can not stay in one of the two special suites at Cobblers Cove, the other accommodations are lovely. All the accommodations are suites with air conditioning in the bedrooms. We would choose the rooms closest to the sea and on the second floor. The rooms in the back have no view but they do have lovely tropical landscaping. This tropical landscaping affords the ground floor accommodation's privacy. We were lucky enough to see the Camelot Suite. It is also wonderful but we prefer the Colleton. The hotel grounds truly emulate a tropical garden. There is very little beach in front of the hotel but on the North side is a very lovely beach area. We had such a great time at Cobblers Cove in the Colleton Suite that we want to repeat our itinary next year plus hopefully add one more day. It was tough going back to the real world after spending ten nights in heaven. Reality hit us very quickly. We took American Eagle service from Barbados to San Juan. We have to tell you, we will not do this again if possible. The plane was noisy, dirty and had lost its navigational equipment. We flew visual. It was a long flight to San Juan. When we got to San Juan at 4:00pm, we were soon to discover that American had problems with our plane. We were delayed in San Juan for over three hours. The terminal was freezing cold and everyone was complaining. They finally brought some blankets. After a time, we were given a food voucher of $7.50 each. The $15.00 bought a bowl of soup, one piece of chicken, pint of milk, and two packages of cold French fires. None of which we would give our dog. Great services for passengers like us who were flying on full price business class tickets!!! We finally arrived in Orlando after midnight. Oh well! We made it home safely. What a sad way to end a fabulous vacation. We will definitely try to take BWIA or Air Jamaica next year both directions. At least if we are delayed, we will be delayed in style. We can't wait to return to Paradise in 1999. Seven nights in Cottage #18 at PSV and three in the Colleton Suite at Cobblers Cove. We don't know how it could get any better! Two very special places in paradise.
May 3-10, 1998 In preparing for our vacation to celebrate our 5th anniversary, my husband and I did a lot of research, mostly on the Internet, to select just the right place for us. The trip reports on Caribbean Travel Roundup were extremely helpful, so I thought it only right to return the favor to potential future travelers. I am happy to report that all of our research paid off in spades-- Swept Away, located in Negril, Jamaica, was exactly what we were looking for and more. I have arranged the trip report by topics: travel, food, entertainment, etc., rather than give a complete "play-by-play" of our entire trip. It was easier to write and hopefully is more informative and easier to read. Travel Starting from the beginning, we left our home in Northern Virginia (Washington, DC suburbs) at about 5:45 in the morning. We drove to BWI airport and caught Air Jamaica's daily non-stop flight to Jamaica that left at 8:30 am. I am pleased to report that the flight was great. We had heard some scary stories about Air Jamaica, but all went well. The flight was just half full, so we had plenty of room to stretch out on the A-320 plane and watch the movie, enjoy the meal, and begin getting into relaxation mode. We actually arrived in Montego Bay 15 minutes ahead of schedule at 10:45 (we lost an hour due to the time change). We got through immigration and customs fairly quickly and (with some difficulty due to lack of signs) made our way to the Air Jamaica Express counter for our connecting flight to Negril (we were taking advantage of Swept Away's special promotion that pays for the airfare between Mo Bay and Negril for guests staying 6 nights or more). This is where we first ran into some problems. We had a ticket for a 1:20 flight, but the clerk at the desk couldn't confirm whether or not that flight would actually occur. She told us to just wait (on some very uncomfortable plastic chairs) until the flight to Negril was called. Because there didn't seem to be any schedule to the flights, we were a little worried to even step away to use the restroom. However, about 11:45 the Negril flight was called and we went out and got in the very small (8 seater) plane. I was able to look in the back of the plane and was dismayed to see that our 3 pieces of luggage were not aboard. Both the pilot and luggage guy looked dismayed when we told them that our luggage had been checked through to Negril by the Air Jamaica representative in Baltimore. They told us that this was a mistake (one apparently made often in Baltimore) and that we had 2 options: (1) stay on the plane, give them the keys to our luggage in case customs wanted to check them, and they would send them on a later flight or (2) go back and claim! the luggage, go through customs again, and take the next flight a couple hours later. The pilot recommended the latter option, so we did that. We went back to luggage claim, found our bags, went through customs again, and then waited for the next flight. Those plastic seat really became uncomfortable! We finally got on the plane at around 2:30. The flight was scenic, but just as we got to Negril a thunderstorm rolled in. The pilot circled the air strip about 5 times before landing because he couldn't see the ground, let alone the air strip. It was a little scary, but the pilot didn't seem worried, so we tried to take it in stride. When we landed there was a couple of inches of water on the air strip--it was almost like landing a hydro-plane! Anyway, we were soon off to Swept Away. The Air Jamaica representative told us that Swept Away was sending a van for us, as well as another couple on our flight, and in just a few minutes it arrived. By the time we got to Swept Away, the rain had stopped and the sun was shining! We were greeted with OJ and champagne upon our arrival. Going home a week later, we took advantage of Air Jamaica's hotel check-in program, as suggested by Swept Away. We left the resort at 2:15 for a 2:45 flight to Montego Bay. The flight to Mo Bay was very quick (15 minutes) and scenic. Once in Mo Bay, we went to Air Jamaica's hotel check-in line. It was in this line that we paid the $15.00 per person departure tax. We waited just about 10 minutes--not too bad. Unfortunately this is where our vacation ended. Once we went to the gate, it was hot and there was very little seating. It seems that all of Air Jamaica's flights to the US leave within a half hour of each other, so the people are all packed in like sardines into a very small waiting area. To top it off, our flight was delayed by about an hour because the plane was having trouble. I guess they finally decided to pull in a charter to take us and we boarded an incredibly old 727 Pan-Am plane that was most recently charted to the Miami Heat basketball team. In comparison to the flight out, this just wasn't as nice. The seating was cramped, there wasn't a movie, and only half the crew was from Air Jamaica. The rest worked for Pan- Am. In addition, we both had serious worries about this old plane and we are seasoned flyers. In any case, we made it home safely--it was raining and 55 degrees when we landed. Apparently it rained the entire week we were gone, so we picked a great week to be in paradise! Rooms For the first time, the rooms actually looked like they do in the fancy brochures! We were placed in room 1219 (an upstairs room, as we had requested a week before our trip). We went to bed real early (9:30) the first night and were soon woken up by the band playing in the nearby dining room. It was extremely loud and not conducive to sleep or romance. In addition, the songs, Billie Jean by Michael Jackson as an example, were terrible. We called the front desk and asked for the manager. It took awhile, but we were soon connected to the manager who didn't sound too surprised to be getting such a complaint. He said he would put us down to be moved in the morning, but the music would continue to 11:00 or 11:30. It did eventually stop, after which we could hear the crickets! They are pretty loud, but we found them to be very soothing. Swept Away happily moved us the next day to room 2224. The room looked identical, but it was more to the center of the property and we even had a view of the beach, even though we were still in an atrium room! In this new room we could still hear the band somewhat, but it was so faint it never bothered us. In fact, many nights we were out until after the band finished playing so we just fell asleep to the crickets. As far as the rooms themselves, there is a tile floor and a king- sized bed. The room is all open with just screens for windows (no glass, except on the French doors going to the balcony/patio). For privacy, the louvers have to be closed. We rarely heard noise from other rooms or outside and what we did hear didn't bother us or keep us up. When you close all the louvers at night it gets quite cold with the air conditioning and ceiling fan running, so we had no trouble sleeping. In fact, we slept great all week (except for that first night of course)! There are no dressers, but there was sufficient shelving in the closets for all our non-hanging clothes. The lighting wasn't the best, but we didn't spend to much time in the room, so it didn't really matter. No problems with hot water and there is a hair dryer mounted in the bathroom. If you bring your own hair dryer or a curling iron or something, you have to get an adapter from the front desk. The balcony/patio was the best thing about the room by far. It was very private and had plenty of room for two to stretch out and read. It was fairly cool when you keep the ceiling fan running. In addition, we had our room service delivered breakfast out there most mornings. Beach Soon after arriving at Swept Away, we hit the beach and spent most of our vacation there. We were really looking for a relaxing vacation, so we did a lot of just bumming around, snoozing, and reading. Interestingly, Swept Away is really a place where you can "veg out" or be very active. No one pressures you either way--it's up to you to set the schedule and activity level. The beach is very clean. We never had any problem getting a chaise lounge, or even the hammock (there are two on the beach) for those lazy afternoons. Competing for the two shady "huts" on the beach (my husband got burnt pretty bad the first day, so he spent most of the time in the shade) was a little harder, but we prevailed on at least 3 days. We did hear that the resort was just 60% occupied, which contributed to no lines, no waiting, and no crowds for the entire week. Anyway, when we got hot we just pulled the pads off the chaise lounges and went into the water (they had a dual-use and could also be used as a "floatie"). The water was warm, but still very refreshing, incredibly clean, and a beautiful shade of blue. The beach bar, where Geoffrey works his magic, was always close by for drinks, as well as the veggie bar. There is no "cocktail waitress" service on the beach, although on two occasions over the course of the week, a cocktail waitress came around with pre-poured, non-alcoholic drinks, such as water, juice, and soda. About 20 percent of the women went topless, but most kept their tops on (including myself). As far as water sports, we took advantage of the snorkeling trip, offered twice daily. It was just an hour trip and offered a nice boat trip away from the resort. There were a lot of fish to see, but they weren't particularly colorful or unusual. We did see a stingray (we were the only ones on the boat to see it), which was exciting. We also took the Hobie Cat out twice. They taught us how to sail it and it was quite easy to manage. It was nice to be out on the water with no motor going and just under the power of the wind. My husband also rented a jet-ski off the resort (just to the south by 200 yards). It cost $35 for a half hour on weekdays and $40 on weekends. We also went tandem parasailing. Swept Away's tour desk took care of everything (Deanna was extremely helpful) and the "Air Time" shuttle boat picked us up right on the beach to take us to the bigger boat. It was a short trip--just 10 minutes in the air--but fun and worth the expense (we used our Swept Away dollars) of $60 per couple. The one thing we didn't participate in was the "booze cruise", which is a 3-hour catamaran cruise on Wednesdays and Fridays to see the sights of Negril, drink, dance, and get crazy. Those who did go said they had a good time, but they weren't convinced it was the "must do" event that the Swept Away tour desk billed it as. We didn't go because it was $80.00 per couple, which seemed a little steep, and heck we already had free booze and entertainment at the resort! Finally, we were also invited to go for a sail on the owner's (Lee Issa) catamaran sailboat which was anchored next to the swimming area all week. There is a fellow named Austin (a real Rastafarian by looking at him) who lives on it and takes folks out on rides when he is asked or when he feels like putting together an outing. Our "neighbors" went on a three hour trip with him and found it very relaxing. We didn't go because we had reservations for dinner over at Feathers that night and didn't know if we would make it back in time. One area of complaints from a variety of guests we talked to was the water sports hut. It is here that you have to exchange your two beach towels for new ones as you need them. There is a rather stern note in your room about keeping track of your towels and getting a towel receipt at the end of the week when you turn in your towels for the last time. Apparently without the receipt, you will be charged $15 per towel at check out. The first day we were there, I asked for two additional towels because one towel each only covers about half the chaise lounge you are laying on. I got a little hassle from the guy, but he gave me two more. However, after that we had to be careful because apparently having more than one towel per person is some sort of crime at Swept Away. When I went back to exchange my 4 towels the next day, the guy said something to the effect of "that better be for two couples" to which I replied "yes, it is" not wanting to have my two extra towels confiscated. After that I only exchanged 2 at a time. We heard worse stories from others. One guest had her towel taken by another guest, accidentally she presumed, from the pool area. The water sports hut guys gave her a big hassle and started yelling at her and telling her she needed to pay $15.00 to get another towel. It was eventually resolved in her favor, but it sure left a bad taste in her mouth. We heard similar stories from others as well. By the end of the week we were joking that Swept Away would feed you all you can eat, give you a whole bottle of booze if that's what you wanted, but don't you dare ask for another towel! Thank goodness this was the only area all week in which we got a hassle about wanting something. I suspect the problem is more rooted in the employees at the water sports hut than an overall policy of the resort. Of all the employees at the resort, the water sports hut guys were the least friendly and least helpful of all. They did their job, but begrudgingly, and without a smile. This was in sharp contrast to the vast majority of all the other employees, who were friendly, warm, and went out of their way to please you. Weather The weather was in the low 90's all week. It was somewhat humid, but it wasn't terrible. Just about every afternoon, a rainstorm rolled in for 15 minutes or so. After it rained it was cooler and sunny again. The rain never interfered with our vacation and in fact, it was a nice change of pace from the blazing sun. The rain did result in the cancellation (actually the moving indoors of) the two "eat on the beach" events--the Monday night Caribbean-style luau and an American- style BBQ lunch later in the week. While it would have been nice to eat on the beach, this wasn't really a big deal for us. Sports Complex/Massage Unfortunately all of the sports complex facilities I wanted to use (the aerobics studio, the cardio equipment, and the weights) are not air conditioned. I only used the sports complex facilities on one occasion and found it too unbearably hot, so I didn't go back. I am used to working out in an air conditioned gym, so 90+ degree temperatures were a little bit of a shock and I actually got a little queasy despite the fact I was drinking lots of water. I should note that the racquetball and squash courts were air conditioned, but that was it! I think this is real downside to the resort and one I hope that they rectify soon. We did partake in the massage--had to spend those 200 Swept Away dollars somehow. The massage huts are also not air conditioned, so we made appointments late in the day (4:00 or 5:00) after the afternoon rains had cooled things off a bit and it was perfectly comfortable. The massages were well done and the (all female) masseuses were well- trained and friendly. It was $50 for an hour and I'm not sure what it was for a half hour ($25 perhaps). Honeymooners got a free half hour massage as part of their package. Food The food was overall very good. Most of the time there were a few "healthy" selections available, so it was possible to eat well. Despite this fact, we still put on a few pounds over our week at Swept Away! For breakfast, you could either get room service or go to the buffet in the main dining room. We did both and found both very good, although the made to order omelettes in the main dining room were swimming in oil. For lunch, you could either snack at the Veggie Bar (the sweet potato chips and guacamole were awesome), eat at the Beach Grill (grilled chicken or red snapper sandwiches everyday), or go to the buffet in the main dining room (always an incredible spread). For dinner, you could either dine in the main dining room or across the street at Feathers, the fancy restaurant. You need reservations for Feathers and it is worth the trouble. We went twice and really enjoyed our meal and the attentive service. Just a quick note on attire for Feathers--Swept Away suggests that it be somewhat dressy (no shorts or t-shirts, etc.), but we saw people dressed a little too casually by Swept Away's standards and they got served. I wore a sleeveless dress and my husband more chinos and a polo shirt and that was fancy enough. Swept Away is particularly good about having a great spread of fresh fruit at every meal and the bread is always fresh baked. The dessert spreads at lunch and dinner were incredible. As far as drinks, I really became a fan of "mudslides" and "dirty bananas"--both were the equivalent of alcoholic milkshakes! Be sure to meet Devon, who is the dining room supervisor. He has been at Swept Away since the beginning and was a fantastic host, as well as storyteller. Activities/Entertainment The entertainment, mostly in the evenings after dinner, was pretty good. Sometimes it was a little too Americanized (like the very talented steel drum band playing 1980's American pop tunes), but all in all, it was good. At least there was something different every night, including some very good local dancers one night and a contortionist another night. The piano bar sing- along, which we did on two occasions, was also fun. The only other activity we did that I haven't mentioned previously was the bicycle trip into town. Every morning at 8:00 am, one of the entertainment types leads a bike tour into Negril. It is a very easy ride aerobically, but is very challenging mentally as you have to dodge rather large pot holes, while crazed drivers are honking at you and whizzing by at top speeds. We rode single file and no one got hit, but it was close a couple times. We rode to Xtabi (a hotel and restaurant on the cliffs of Negril), took a break to enjoy the view, and then we rode back to two stores where we did a little shopping. Anything we bought (coffee and rum) was delivered later to the resort and the prices were comparable to what we saw in the duty-free shop at the airport. We would recommend this trip, especially if Maria leads it--she was lots of fun. It was a great way to see at least some Negril and get some shopping done without paying for a taxi into town (which could run $20 on up per person, round trip). Other Guests Just a bit on the other guests. We are in our early 30's and seemed that most of the clientele were in the same age bracket (25-40). There were quite a few honeymooners and I can't imagine a better place to honeymoon. In addition to Americans, there were some Canadians, Italians, and Germans. There were some older folks, but not many. There seemed to be quite a few weddings at Swept Away while we were there. Considering the lush and tropical grounds, it would be a great place to get married. Because everyone was paired off in couples, there wasn't a great deal of socializing. However, it seemed that most couples found a few other couples they got along with and ate lunch or dinner together a few times. We hit it off with our "neighbors", Kirby and Susan from Atlanta, in 2223. This was their second trip to Swept Away and it was heartening to hear that the place was still as good as the first time they visited 2 years prior. Lessons Learned Considering what a great vacation we had, we really had just a few "lessons learned" for future travelers. They are: LESSON #1--Do not allow Air Jamaica to check your bags through to Negril, or any other location. You must claim them in Montego Bay, go through customs, and then re-check them for your connecting flight. LESSON #2--Upon check-in, or before, request a room beginning with 22. This will guarantee you an upstairs room away from the noise of the dining room. Also, if you are staying in the atrium section, we would suggest rooms 2223, 2224, 2225, or 2226. They are central to the property, so you are buffered from noise from (1) the dining room and (2) the resorts to the south. LESSON #3--Bring a large, insulated sipper bottle. We learned this one from our "neighbors" Kirby and Susan. The bartenders will fill it with whatever you want so you don't have to worry about constantly getting up to get a new drink. LESSON #4--Bring all your American money in small denominations--1's, 5's, and 10's. We actually did this, because we heard it from other Jamaican travelers on the Internet. We heard from others that they wished they had done the same. It worked out great. You can pay for everything, including the $15.00 per person departure tax, in exact change using U.S. dollars so you never have the hassle of getting change back in Jamaican dollars or have to change currencies. We took $350 in small bills and came back with about $100.
Trip 5/98 The following is our report on the Grand Lido Braco resort, which we visited from May 3 through May 10, 1998. Getting there We took Delta to Atlanta and connected with Air Jamaica, arriving in Montego Bay about 10:30 a.m. Immigration and customs took awhile, since at least three flights arrived at MoBay about the same time. After clearing customs, Superclubs was on the ball and had us in a bus and on our way quickly. The bus trip to Braco isn’t bad - about an hour and 20 minutes, including a 25 minute beer stop along the way. On the return, we made it from Braco to the airport in under an hour. For those of you who are used to TimAir or Air Negril going from MoBay to Negril, there’s no corresponding service to the Braco area, unless you plan on using a parachute. With the bus ride time, you don’t need it anyway. Air Jamaica was fine, arriving and departing on time in all material respects on both ends of the trip. The aircraft were relatively new Airbus A310s. Service and cleanliness of the aircraft were as good as most of the domestic U.S. airlines. Check-in Since we arrived well before the 3:00 check-in time, our room wasn’t ready. This wasn’t a problem; we just went down to the clothing optional pool and found the two other couples we were meeting, and hung out at the pool. Take along a duffel bag with any essentials and you’ll be able to deal with a late check-in without any inconvenience. Resort overview The main Braco complex is a replica of an island village, with a number of one and two story buildings fronting on a main street running perpendicular to the ocean, which is bisected by two shorter streets, all of which are of pressed concrete resembling brick pavers. The various buildings house shops, the main lobby, disco, piano bar and most of the restaurants. At the intersection of the streets is a fountain, and at the far end of main street is the main “textile side” pool. Facing the ocean from the textile side pool, to the right are first the building housing the piano bar and Nanny’s Jerk Pit and then a number of buildings housing the textile side rooms (some ocean front, some not). To the left are the Victoria Market and Stir Crazy restaurants, the workout facilities and the clothing optional section of the resort. The c/o section of the resort is separated from the rest of the property by a kind of “no man’s land;” once past this Maginot Line, clothing optional is the rule in all areas of the c/o side. On the textile side, only about a third of the rooms (at a guess) front the ocean; the rest are what would probably be called garden view. On the c/o side, the buildings housing the rooms are between the ocean and the c/o pool, and all rooms are oceanfront. Unlike Grand Lido Negril, where “c/o” begins at the buildings facing the ocean, at Braco the whole west side of the resort is c/o, and one does not have to suit up when leaving the beach area. The landscaping throughout the resort is really outstanding, though on the c/o side a good bit of the plantings are rather young, particularly the palms between the buildings and the beach. Like GL Negril, there’s a small army of landscaping folks working on things just about all the time. There are a number of hammocks strung up between trees in the shade throughout the resort for those late afternoon naps. We’d guess the average age of guests at Braco is somewhat younger than at GL Negril. Not too many in their twenties, but lots and lots of thirty- and forty-somethings. And not an insignificant number of fifties and sixties. Like GL Negril, we found that the c/o side tended to attract the more outgoing, gregarious crowd. There was just a lot more interaction among guests who didn’t know each other on the c/o side than on the textile side, where it seemed people kept more to themselves. We met the two other couples with whom we visited Braco at GL Negril in November 1997, and have kept in touch. Brief words about the c/o side for those who’ve never been to a nude beach: try it, you’ll like it. No one will stare or gawk at you; more than likely, someone will offer to bring you a drink from the bar. Ladies, if you want to keep your bathing suit bottom on, that’s fine. No one cares. Expecting a crowd of hardbodies? You’ll maybe find a few, but most folks look just like the rest of us. Again, nobody cares. Rooms The rooms are similar in many respect to Grand Lido Negril, in that they feature twin double beds or king beds, tile floors, reasonably large baths, and sofas. CD players, satellite TV, ironing boards, irons, refrigerator (stocked with Red Stripe and soft drinks, but bring your own opener) and small wall safe (good for travel documents, wallets, jewelry, a small camera and such, but not much more) are standard. The rooms, at least on the c/o side, were in good repair and comfortable. On the c/o side, the downstairs rooms have French doors which open onto the beach, much like Grand Lido Negril. Unlike GL Negril, the upstairs rooms have balconies large enough that one can open the French doors without bumping into the balcony furniture. On the c/o side, there are at least two configurations of rooms: one arrangement which has just a single large room with a sofa, chair and coffee table nearest the French doors opening onto the beach, much like GL Negril; and a second configuration that is like an Embassy Suites, with a room away from the beach housing a sofa, chair, TV, CD player and refrigerator, with the bedroom (with TV and CD player duplicated) on the beach side. The latter configuration also has a half bath in addition to the full bath. We preferred the former configuration because the sofa and chair were situated such that one can view the beach and ocean. Restaurants Cafe Piacere is the French restaurant, and the only one at which long pants and jacket are required. Very nicely done, and should be taken in while at Braco. Make reservations at the beginning of your stay. Dinner only. Victoria Market is the main dining room, and is open air overlooking the main pool. The arrangement is much better than GL Negril, where the comparable area is sort of down in a hole and further from the beach. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style, and dinner is a la carte from the menu, which we thought had more than adequate variety. Victoria Market is closed some evenings when there is an “event” dinner being held, notably the Friday night street party. Dress is casual, meaning a minimum of bathing suit with cover up or t- shirt at breakfast and lunch, and shorts and polo shirt at night. Stir Crazy, the Japanese restaurant (with tables for six, each attended by a chef cooking on hot grill built into the table, just like Stateside), had recently opened (dinner only). The Japanese executive chef was imported from his most recent engagement in Toronto, and seemed to be getting things under control. Food was okay, but it has a way to go just to match typical U.S. chain fare. Nanny’s Jerk Pit is open from about 10:00 to about 6:00, and offers jerk chicken, pork and beef. It’s very good. La Pasta is open from midday to about 2:00 a.m. Offers mix and match pasta and sauce dishes (including chicken and escargot) as well as some really great pizza, made to order with your choice of toppings and cheese. Also features an antipasto bar, and a visit to the bakery next door will fix you up for dessert. Room service is similar to GL Negril, and offered from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., according to th posted hours, a continental breakfast can be ordered the night before for delivery to your room in the morning. Some sources reported 24 hour room service, and it may well be available 24 hours but, other than ordering up the continental breakfast every morning, we never tried between 6:00 and 11:00 a.m. The room service menu is much more extensive than GL Negril; for GL Negril fans, Braco *does* have the lamb chops and potato skins on the room service menu. Room service is also available served at the pool bars if you don’t care to head down to Victoria Market. Also available at the pool bar on the c/o side is jerk chicken cooked on a grill in the bar, which is a nice change from a buffet lunch and the same jerk chicken served at Nanny’s Jerk Pit. Food quality was generally very good. Only one lunch buffet was unremarkable, and we solved that problem by hopping down to La Pasta for a pizza. On balance, we thought the food at Braco was better than at GL Negril, and that’s saying something in light of the generally legendary reputation of GL Negril. Liquor is abundant as always, with most top shelf brands available. Remember to ask for what you want though: “gin and tonic” will get you some rotgut stuff, while “Tanqueray and tonic” will get you just that. To our surprise, Heineken was available in bottles in addition to the Red Stripe on tap or in bottles that is the mainstay most everywhere in Jamaica. We like Red Stripe, but it was nice to have an alternative now and then. Wine quality was truly abominable. Believe it or not, we longed for the Concha y Toro they often served at GL Negril! About all one can say for most of the Braco wines is that they were French. At all restaurants, tables for six are available; it would be wise to call ahead if there are more than six in your party so they can set up a table. In addition to the restaurants, there is room service available from two, what I think they call “club houses,” on the property, much like the “houses” at GL Negril. Each of the houses has a seating area if you want to eat there instead of in your room or at the pool. Unlike GL Negril, there are no hot tubs adjoining the houses. In addition to food service, the club houses have 24 hour a day bar service. Beaches and pools The c/o side beach is, in our opinion, better than Negril. While the resort faces the Caribbean Sea (unlike Negril, whose beach is on Bloody Bay), management has constructed a man-made reef around a swimming area on both the c/o and textile side of the resort. Unlike GL Negril, the water off the c/o beach is clear Caribbean Sea, not filled with plants. While the beach and ocean bottom at Braco are a bit rockier than Negril, we didn’t find that a problem and never broke out our surf shoes. The c/o side beach is much better than the textile beach. On the textile side there are many more large rocks on the ocean floor than on the c/o side, so if you stay on the textile side, those surf shoes might be a good idea. The main textile pool is large and features a swim up bar. On the c/o side is the largest pool we’ve ever encountered, also equipped with swim up bar and, at one end, a sloping entrance to the pool much like a concrete beach. Both pools featured lots of tables and chairs with umbrellas, especially on the c/o side. Both beaches and pools feature many new lounge chairs of aluminum frame and webbed fabric construction: much more comfortable than those heavy white plastic lounges at GL Negril, and no need to have one of those fancy pool/ocean floats in the chair to use as a cushion. One failure at Braco is the insufficient number of pool/ocean floats. Even the floats they have date from the pre- Superclubs days and are badly in need of replacement. There have been a number of posts and reports on the ‘Net and various proprietary service providers like AOL that the windy conditions make Braco undesirable. Braco is on the north coast of the island, unlike Negril on the west end, and there is definitely more wind at Braco than Negril. A couple of day during our trip the wind might have made sailing a Sunfish problematic for the uninitiated, but the wind was never a problem on the beach, in our opinion. In fact, the breeze kept things comfortable when temperatures rose to the high 80s and low 90s, and it would have been very uncomfortable with the generally still air of Negril. The breeze also seemed to keep the humidity lower than Negril. Service. On balance, we thought the food service staff was pretty good, but it ranged from indifferent to outstanding. In fairness, the good jobs far outnumbered the poor. One thing Braco really needs to work on is getting good cocktail service to the restaurant tables, particularly at dinner. Often, it took awhile to get in a cocktail order, and the cocktail waitresses had to be flagged down for another round. Management needs to work on training the staff to keep an eye on the tables, but this problem was more acute with the cocktail staff than the wait staff. Service at the “club house” on the c/o side was good to excellent. Bar service, except as noted regarding cocktail service at dinner above, was great everywhere, from the piano bar to the pool bars. The resort offers 48 hour laundry and dry cleaning service at no extra charge. Learning from our experience at GL Negril, we packed light and still didn’t have reason to use it. The pool guys did a great job keeping the hot tubs and pool in good shape throughout our visit. The large c/o side hot tub was unbearably hot one night, but that seemed to be an aberration. Activities and Nightlife Daytime activities (organized by the social directors or other “specialists,” such as aerobics instructors) include things like nature walks, water aerobics, reggae dancing lessons, trivia games, volleyball (in the pool or on the beach), tennis lessons, beer drinking contests, etc. The resort has a nine hole (I think) par 3 type golf course and at least four tennis courts (one of which is on the c/o side, where tennis *was* played on an *optional* basis). The tennis courts are hard courts, in very good condition. Regulation golf is available off site at, I think, Breezes Runaway Bay, without additional charge. I think it’s about a 45 minute bus ride to the course. Watersports are abundant, including water skiing, windsurfing, kayaks and Sunfish sailing. There’s also extensive scuba diving offered, included in the “all inclusive” rate except for night diving. A couple we traveled with reported that the scuba diving was at least as good as at GL Negril, and that they felt more comfortable with the dive masters at Braco than at GL Negril. There’s also a new workout area adjacent to Victoria Market, facing the ocean. New Cybex equipment and four very nice treadmills were being installed during our visit. Most of the “organized” daytime social activities centered on the textile side, in our around the main pool. There were also activities scheduled on the c/o side, but they were fewer in number since the c/o side has only about one-fourth of the rooms at Braco, and I guess the management feel (probably correctly) that it’s easier for the c/o guests to be comfortable going over to the textile side than vice versa (and this also avoids having the textiles on the c/o side). Activities outside the resort (but which can be arranged through Braco) included horseback riding (reported as a lot of fun by a couple we met) as well as a trip to Dunns River Falls. While not an official “activity,” we quickly found out that, at least in May, the sun sets over the water when viewed from the c/o beach. This was truly spectacular, and was attended most afternoons by a considerable number of folks, c/o and textile alike. Nightlife at Braco is rather thin. There’s a disco that opens most nights about 10:00 or 10:30, which attracted some folks, but not what I’d call a crowd. The Thursday night pajama party was very well attended, though, and the attire was considerably more revealing than at GL Negril. Lots of thongs, g- strings, etc., but with a mix of people in more traditional garb. Everybody got along fine, despite the disparity in dress. The Friday night street party, for which the resort sets up a pretty lavish buffet in the streets, together with tables, was the best attended event during our visit. There was reggae dancing for at least two hours for those who had the stamina; most people took a turn here and there, then made way for others. On most nights things pick up in the Piano Bar about 10:30 or so for the non-disco crowd. At least a few nights there were some people (local to Jamaica) jamming in, so to speak, with the official pianist. All of them were more than slightly talented, we thought. The hot tub on the c/o side, as expected, attracted a good crowd most every night, and sometimes late into the night. Late night activities weren’t the bother for people in their rooms trying to sleep since, unlike GL Negril, the hot tub is considerably farther (on the other side of the pool) from the buildings than at Negril. The c/o hot tub adjoining the pool is about four times as large as the one at GL Negril, and there’s a second, smaller hot tub set back among some trees not too far away. Summary On balance, our group liked Braco better than GL Negril. The one thing GL Negril still has going for it is that Hedo II is right across the street, and you can jump over there for an evening or two of more lively entertainment than you’ll find at Braco or GL Negril. The service at Braco is not yet to GL Negril standards but is getting there, and based on discussions with management at the cocktail hour for repeat GL guests, we think management is committed to making Braco the best resort in Jamaica. We’ll be back to Braco, and would recommend it for people who want a relaxed, classy vacation in Jamaica.
I'll try to keep this short but it will be difficult to make clear to you who read this post how my wife and I felt during our week at "Couples Resort" in Ocho Rios without going into some detail regarding our treatment by the staff at "Couples" during our stay. Let me preface my comments with a bit of background about my wife and myself. We are both 50 years old and overweight. I am a nudist and a member of The Naturist Society and Naturist Life International, however, my wife is not a nudist. You may be asking yourself at this point, "what does this have to do with "Couples Resort?" I hope by the time I am done relating the events of our week at Couples that it's relevance will become clear. My wife and I thought that we had done our best to research the Resort before booking the week of May 2 through May 9. We discussed what was important to us and what we expected from our choice. One of our compromises that we came up with was that my wife would be willing to spend time in a nudist environment if we could find a non- threatening environment were it wouldn't be mandatory for her to sunbathe nude. When we read about Couples we thought we had found exactly what we were looking for. All of the resources that we were able to find indicated that it had a wonderful island for au-natural sunbathing but there seemed to be some question about whether or not it was Clothing Optional. After much searching we did stumble across at least one web page that declared that it was "clothing optional." We still weren't convinced until our travel agent gave us a brochure from the Jamaica Tourist Board which encouraged "Adventurous twosomes sail off to the resort's Tower Island, a turreted islet for colthing- optional sunbathing." He also gave us a video tape produced by Couples for distribution to travel agents. The title of the tape was: "Couples: A SuperClubs All-Inclusive Resort" This tape clearly referred to "Tower Island" as Clothing Optional. This settled it for us. It sounded perfect so we spent three months excitedly looking forward to our week in paradise. We flew into Ocho Rios on Saturday, May 2 and spent the day getting acquainted with the layout of the resort and sat through orientation at which nothing was said about nudity being mandatory on "Tower Island." Sunday we sat for about an hour on the beach watching a young man in a bright yellow bathing suit clearly visible from the beach enjoying "Tower Island" with his female companion who I assume was nude but there was really no way to tell. This convinced us that we could go ahead and spend some time on the island without my wife being pressured to immediately doff her bathing suit. We spent several hours Sunday on "Tower Island" and had a wonderful time. I was nude my wife decided to try going topless. We left the island convinced that this was going to be a great vacation. Our next excursion to "Tower Island" was on Tuesday, May 5. My wife and I climbed into the boat that shuttled us to the island and the boatman asked "have you been to the island before?" We, of course, both replied "yes." We climbed out of the boat looking forward to another wonderful day of sun and relaxation. We sought out an out of the way location apart from the more active part of the island where my wife found a hammock and I found a lounge. She went topless, I again went nude. I walked to the bar and got a couple of drinks and we had just settled down to enjoying the sun and reading our books when the man from the boat comes up to my wife and tells her that she must be nude or we'd have to leave. I looked into my wives face and saw this look of incredulity that really touched my heart. Here she had worked up the courage to go topless and now this guy was expecting her to strip naked. I just couldn't expect her to do that under these conditions so we both agreed we'd leave rather than comply to this demand. The embarrassment of being evicted from the island in front of other guests was intolerable. The boatman informed us that "those were the rules." Rules? Some will maintain that we have no complaint because, after all, "rules are rules." Well, if that's the case then shouldn't the "rules" apply equally to everyone? A couple other "rules" we were told about were as follows: 1. Topless sunbathing by women was to be restricted to the end of the pier. (Compliance with this rule was nothing short of non-existent. As a matter of observation, it was far easier for the young, topless gals to get their drinks on the beach than it was for us older overweight folks. At one point we waited over an hour for our drinks only to be told that we were forgotten, which never seemed to be the case if one was young and beautiful.) 2. No cameras were to be used on "Tower Island". (I had asked if I could take a panoramic shot of the resort with my cardboard disposable camera from the top of the Tower and was told that I'd have to take it from the boat and not from the island, however, that same day as the Sunset Cruise got underway a man on the island stood in clear view of everybody with his very large 35 mm SLR and was shooting pictures of the catamaran "Cool Jazz" as it sailed by.) 3. "Tower Island" was considered the au-natural facility for the resort but I sat on the beach and watched a group of couples playing in the surf on the beach with the girls naked on their partner's shoulders. "Double standards," you say? Well, if you don't I will, and it didn't end there. The effect this incident had on our vacation is hard to explain. We started hearing hypocrisy and insincerity in nearly every "no problem mon," and "irie," that the staff uttered. Oh, there were some exceptions but we found many of the staff unwilling to return a smile or make eye contact. The cook at the beach grill was very unfriendly and the same goes for a certain gentleman desk clerk. At one point I decided I'd like to play a little volleyball only to be told by the staff member overseeing the game that I couldn't because I didn't have a partner (my wife has back problems) and I'd make the sides uneven. This objection was not shared by the guests who were playing who all made me feel more than welcome to join in. However, the girl from the staff continued to insist that I find a partner. Hello! This place is called "Couples." What did she expect me to do, go up to somebody and ask "pardon me, are you here alone?" Housekeeping was very lax. Frequently we had to call for towels and ask for our "complimentary" soap. The sheets were never changed once for the whole week that we were there and the floor in our room was never vacuumed. We completely missed out on the sunset cruise. The first time we tried to sign up on Tuesday we were to late and were told to come back early Thursday. I went to the desk at 7:00 AM and was told to come back at 8:00AM. Of course by this time the line to sign up extended half way down the verandah. We missed out again and this was our last opportunity. Don't you think the desk clerk could have extended some courtesy and told me that this might happen so we wouldn't miss out? We felt as if he couldn't care less. We were just another nuisance part of his job. We wondered, could the treatment we received have made us oversensitive or could it be that now we were able to see through the fog of our own naïve excitement over our dream vacation enabling us to look into the real face of Jamaica. Our impression of "Couples" is that they prefer to cater to the young. Us old folks aren't welcome at this resort "mon." This treatment cast a shadow over our whole vacation and we say to Couples, "Bad form. That's no way to treat a guest."
My husband and I were at Couples the first week of May, 1998. What a great time!!!! With the exception of the worst driver in the world on the way to the resort, it was truly fantastic!! For those who are scweamish?? beware.. one of the drivers doesn't care who's in his way and desires to make a quick trip to the resort. We were greeted with champagne and a damp towel, which was wonderful because we were a bit dazed after the drive... The grounds are everything you would expect and the Jamaicans are more.. Every day they would be walking around the grounds singing, and they all have beautiful voices. What a treat!! Our room had an awesome view of the ocean AND the island. The food and drinks were superb and plentiful. A vacation is always what you make it and I'm sure, if we would've decided to get picky like one of the reviews that I read, we could've found something wrong, but we just had fun instead... There are so many water and land sports to do like skiing, kayaking, snorkeling, sailing(two kinds), horseback riding, volleyball, huge chess game, etc. that I don't know how you can get bored. For those that desire something different, there's always the island.. You don't necessarily plan to go there, but something lures you there.. The next thing you know you're in the little boat saying "I can't believe I'm doing this??!!" I have to tell you, that is where we had the most fun!! The people are more open to life!! No one pays attention to the lack of clothing, nobody cares. They are just a more free spirited group of individuals.. We highly recommend the island experience.. If you dare.. Overall, Couples, Ocho Rios was an awesome experience and we will go back. We have been to Hedonism ll 2 years ago and had a blast but Couples is more classy and savvy. The food and grounds are definitely better. The atmosphere is more romantic, there were always couples walking around holding hands, strolling along the beach and kissing. What a way to spend our anniversary!!
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