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WORLDWIDE TRAVEL AND CRUISE is pleased to announce our newest
marketing partner - GRAND LIDO and BREEZES resorts. As with our other
Marketing Partners Worldwide will be able to offer you these fine
resort Properties at NO Charge or Fee as well as continue to assist
you with all the operational details of your program (should you so
wish).
The following is an honest appraisal of the properties we visited
viewed from our perspective (using them for corporate programs).
GRAND LIDO NEGRIL
Upon arrival at the Montego Bay International Airport we immediately
embarked on an Air Jamaica Commuter flight for Negril (a nice option
for VIPS as normal transfers are provided by coach and included in the
rates) and the Grand Lido Negril Resort. This quaint and friendly
airport is within walking distance of the resort and tells you
automatically you have come some place special.
After transferring to the resort we where greeted by the staff with
ice cold towels, champagne and mimosas on silver trays and whisked
away to the piano bar for a very civilized check into our suites (this
property is ALL SUITES). The entire check in process was handled with
the utmost courtesy and efficiency.
Grand Lido Negril is a world class Four Star Plus resort on a
fantastic seven mile white sand beach in Negril. The resort itself has
200 suites and really deluxe suites and apartments and will appeal to
any upscale incentive and meeting participant.
We
mention meetings because Jamaica enjoys
the same tax deductibility as any US property!
We
found this aspect most interesting as now you can take your clients to
a foreign Caribbean destination and still get to write it off just as
though the program were operating in the US.
Upon arrival one of the first orders of business might be signing up
for a manicure and pedicure, scuba diving, tennis or golf and the list
goes on and on because they are ALL COMPLIMENTARY AND ALL INCLUDED IN
YOUR ROOM RATE. We elected to take advantage of a sunset cocktail
cruise on the properties very own private 148' yacht.
The yacht is available to your groups for private functions and for a
slight additional charge can pick-up up to 80 guests from the airport
in Montego Bay and cruise to the resort, now that's a REAL deluxe
transfer. Settling into your suite you will find a large bedroom and
sitting room area with balcony or patio over looking the ocean or the
lush gardens.
Having been on so many cruises becomes used to swan decorations on
your bed but at the Lido resorts this is taken to a new heights. Every
day your bed will have a new presentation as well as fresh bathroom
towels, tissues, amenity baskets and toilet paper rolls and then all
decorated in local flowers. The presentation is great and the perfume
of fresh flowers delightful.
With lunch time rolling around we go to the lobby bar to wait for our
escort for lunch. Thinking that we're in for our first of many buffets
(if you've cruised with us you know we are not a big fan of buffets)
we decided to have a cold drink. Our first F&B surprise!
We
look at the bar and their pouring top shelf brands! The back bar is
loaded with top shelf scotches, cognacs and premium liquors. To early
for one of these but a cold Red Stripe either in a bottle or on tap
works. At this bar, as with all that we experienced at the Grand
Lido's, the bar tenders must have been trained that a half empty glass
or bottle means offer you the next one. The service we found at all of
the Lido properties is extremely friendly, efficient and NOT like most
Caribbean islands we are all familiar with!
Well off we go to our buffet lunch. Wrong! How about a nice Italian
lunch at La Pasta? This is a great Italian ala carte cafe open for
lunch and dinner. The menu is interesting and the food lives up to
it's billing. Our waiter brings us a basket with a selection of four
wines after he has presented a home made bread selection. Once again
we find that a half empty glass must mean offer you the next glass of
wine. Last but not least is a white chocolate tiramisu. One could get
use to this REAL quick!
The Grand Lido Negril currently has four different ala carte dining
options. The Italian La Pasta, Cafe Lido offering continental cuisine
in a casual atmosphere, Piacere's presents nouvelle French cuisine in
a more formal setting and a Jamaica themed dining area. In the near
future a Japanese venue will be added as well. Additionally the
property offers three 24 hr food and beverage outlets located
throughout the property each with a Jacuzzi. Room service is
complementary and offered 24 hrs a day.
While the day time activities center around the beaches, the pools,
golf and tennis or optional island shore excursions there's plenty to
do at night. The piano bar is a great place pre or post dinner and for
the late night crowd the disco is very lively. Monday night is a
Caribbean Beach Carnival Night with Show and Cabaret. We were lucky
enough to see the Gala Night on Friday. This was our one and only
buffet at a Lido property, and it was great. You name it they had it!
What was more amazing was the entertainment that followed dinner. A
fantastic 6 piece show band with a HOT singer!
This wasn't an act it was a show, and it was GOOD. They charge $75.00
per person for people not staying at the resort to have dinner, see
the show and be able to use the disco and believe me plenty of people
did just that and it was worth every penny. This property, as with all
Grand Lidos, offers spa facilities (at additional charge - except at
the San Souci property), a very well equipped gym, hair salon and
meeting and banquet facilities. There are beach bars with wait staff
service working the beach. All Lido properties are for adults only.
Just a quick word about Negril itself. Evidently the hippies
discovered this place in the 60's and nothing much has changed since.
There are several very interesting places for off property events. The
small town is full of fun and funky bars and restaurants. The airport
reminds us of St Barts ten years ago. The water is crystal clear, the
beach is pure white and the people are as friendly as you can get.
This is great place to come to decompress and get the message across
to your participants.
GRAND LIDO BRACO
Saturday we found ourselves at the Grand Lido Braco with 216 rooms. We
had the mistaken idea that this would be the same thing but in a
different location. Wrong again! This property is about 45 minutes
east of the Montego Bay Airport. Again free transfers are provide and
by the way it is impossible to miss the guest booth at the airport to
get these arranged. Entering this property off the main highway is an
impressive statement in itself. You'll drive past a soccer field used
for practice by the National Team (give this one a try for a new team
building event) and the 9 hole executive golf course.
When you finally arrive at the entrance to the main property your
greeted by those cold towels and a glass of champagne once again. Here
you enter a Victorian West Indian Village with cobblestone streets,
this recreated town square is the center of the properties public
areas and it is charming. You'll find a busy area with two story
buildings housing side walk cafes, second story restaurants,
entertainment facilities, a huge pool, duty free shopping and much
more. This area is the heart and pulse of the property during the day
and particularly at night.
Braco is a more active property than Negril Lido. First of all, golf
until you drop, as this property offers the on-property 9 hole
executive course, nearby the 18 hole Runaway Bay Course is also owned
by SuperClubs (the Club House was voted the Best in the Caribbean in
2000 and deserves it) and 18 hole Ironshore Country Club which is also
owned by SuperClubs (both PGA quality). Again no charge except for
carts and or caddies and even the transportation to and from the Clubs
are provided at no charge.
Need to do a golf tournament NO PROBLEM! Need to do an awards
presentation with lunch at the Club House NO PROBLEM! Just remember
again these properties are treated tax wise the same as US properties
for deductions!
There is a low impact "cruise director" doing games in the pool and
other events if you want to participate. The gym and spa areas are in
a great ocean view location. Spa treatments are additional but you
still get the complimentary manicure and pedicure, same as Negril. The
beach isn't 7 miles long but more than long enough and again pure
white sand and crystal clear waters. Tennis for day and night play,
bicycles, windsurfing, water-skiing, sailing, all sorts of water
sports, scuba diving with a man made "most interesting trail" and
thankfully hammocks just to relax in. If you need some one to teach
you how to do diving resort courses are free as are tennis lessons and
help with any of the water toys, this is at all locations by the way.
All of the rooms are spacious with sitting areas and all of the
amenities you would expect. Got stay in touch? All properties offer
satellite TV with CNN. Internet access is available at all properties
and the phones work too. Again we found our rooms decorated with
folded towels and flowers. Hair dryers, CD players, robes, safes, iron
and ironing board, robes, slippers, premium bath room amentias, marble
bathroom counters and great service to back it all up. Braco has
garden view rooms, ocean view rooms and ocean front rooms all are very
acceptable.
When its time to eat you have to make choices again. Braco offers
Munahana for Japanese cuisine, Piacere for French cuisine (we had
dinner here and again it was excellent), Victoria Market is a
breakfast and lunch buffet outlet with numerous food stations and at
night it is an ala carte venue offering a combination traditional and
Caribbean menu, La Pasta is open late serving Italian fare both
indoors and outdoors, Nanny's Jerk Pit and Bar is a casual spot for
lunch and dinner serving Jamaican favorites (you have to try the
Jerk). Just like Negril the Club Houses are open 24 hrs with Jacuzzi
serving food and drink anytime. Lazy? Not to worry 24 hr room service
is available at no charge.
So
what happens at Braco after dark? Friday night is the Street Festival.
The Town Square has been decorated and a lavish buffet is presented
all around the square with entertainment. A FUN GALA evening. On
Saturday night we caught the show. This time it was a female trio ala
Tina Turner with a great band. Where do they find these acts? They
really are good. The piano bar is always available and late night out
comes the karaoke. The disco stays open until you say when. When you
are ready to call it a night stop by the Club House for some lamb
chops and a night cap, it never closes.
One final word about the service at both properties. Without exception
these people have been extremely well trained and seem to be genuinely
friendly. One final example is a lady at Braco who goes around the
property during the day serving you cold fruit. She will happily sing
you some of the best gospel songs you might ever hear. Tipping is not
allowed and not accepted so SuperClubs is really doing something right
with their staff.
The Grand Lido Brand currently consists of three properties Negril,
Braco and Sans Souci (which we have not yet experienced) all in
Jamaica, with properties under construction in St Kitts and St Lucia.
Each property has it's own personality offers something a bit
different. All properties are SUPER inclusive, even laundry and dry
cleaning are included. We would highly recommend you consider these
properties for a group or total resort "Charter". |
