We have benefited form those who have posted trip reports in the past and from the people who share their knowledge on the boards and hopefully someone else will benefit from this report. Firstly, we are a married couple in our mid thirties and have
traveled to Jamaica twice prior most recently having stayed at Grand Lido Negril in February, 1998. We have also been to Breezes in the Bahamas in the past year. We both enjoy the all inclusive concept and have become fans of SuperClubs. We are not Travel Agents and therefore do not have any vested interest in making a good report. We enjoy the Jamaican people who are some of the most friendly in the world in our opinion. We travel frequently and have grown to appreciate excellent service in various areas of the world. We have found none better than in Jamaica. We offer a description of our trip:We arrived at Indianapolis International Airport for our early morning flight to Charlotte on US Airways where we were to take a connecting flight directly to Montego Bay. With the extreme winter weather in full force we waited 45 minutes for our plane to be deiced. What followed was the absolutely roughest flight of our lives. We kept telling ourselves that in just a matter of hours we would be in Paradise. After barely making our connection in Charlotte we arrived in Montego Bay on time at 2:00 Island Time. Luckily we didn't check any luggage and we were through customs and immigration in no time and after stopping by the SuperClubs and island Rental Car Desk we were out the door and into our car headed for Braco. We had booked the trip through Lance at Go Classy Tours (who did a great job by the way) and he suggested a private car from Island Rentals. The cost is $28 plus tip each way and worth every penny. We arrived in Braco in 50 minutes with light traffic.
Glenroy met the car, helped with our bags and directed us to registration. He proceeded to give us a cool washcloth and a glass of champagne. In less than 10 minutes we were headed toward our room following Glenroy. He is a very outgoing and personable young man who proceeded to give us a quick explanation of the resorts amenities and our room amenities. We had booked a Jr. Suite Au Natural but upon arrival had been upgraded to a Full Suite on the Au Natural Side of the First Floor. We were welcomed to the room by a bottle of champagne on ice and a nice seafood appetizer tray on the table. We unpacked and open the bubbly and enjoyed the appetizers before heading back to the town square area to look around.
The suite we were given had two rooms, a bath and a half, a king bed, refrigerator with soft drinks, beer and champagne and two TVs and CD players. The full bath has a standard tub/shower unit and hair dryer (not very efficient) and a dispenser with get, shampoo and soap. They also have bar soap in the shower. The hot water was very inconsistent and sometimes cold but otherwise our room was very nice. Compared to out suite at Negril, we through Braco was a little nicer and certainly larger. There was twice a day maid service and they do an outstanding job of taking care of the room and replacing towels as needed. Out the front was the walk way to the Au Natural Pool and Bar and out the back through a double French patio door was the Au Natural Beach. The rooms are a little farther away from the ocean than at Negril, so the first floor view is not as good, but it's still very nice. When we return we will request a second floor room for the view. The balconies are much larger than Negril.
Better than go day by day as most trip reports tend to do, we thought we would highlight the trip and amenities that we had the opportunity to experience. Room Service is exceptional and we rarely waited over 10 minutes for anything. The Lamb Chops are a must and every bit as good as at Negril. The Potato skins are somewhat different and not as good as Negril. The Continental Breakfast served by room service is very good with fresh fruits and breads and that great Blue Mountain Coffee.
We also dined at Victoria's market for breakfast and it was also good with traditional breakfast foods together with several island breakfast selections. This restaurant is open air directly on the ocean front with outstanding views and a constant light breeze to cool you down. Piacere, the French Restaurant is nicer, if possible than at Negril and the food is just as good. Service was outstanding and they had a strolling violin and cello while we dined. A very romantic and nice touch to the evening. Manna Hauna, the Tepanyaki Japanese Restaurant was very nice also. The service was good, the food tasty and the show acceptable considering the fact that the cooks are Jamaican rather than Japanese. If you like sake you must ask as they did not offer it to us at the table. The sushi was good and mild and we actually ate most of it, a first for us. Nanny's Jerk Pit for lunch is a must. The food is fresh and excellent and a bit on the hot and spicy side. Wonderful flavors and variation by the day. Don't miss the soup at Nanny's.
We also had the opportunity to dine at the Beach Party on Wednesday and the Friday Night Street Party. Both were highlights of the trip. The food was plentiful and the shrimp at the Beach Party and the lobster at the street party were wonderful. Don't miss either if you have the chance. Both are very fun evenings.
Thursday night is the Dare to be Bare; PJ Party in the Disco at 10:30 or 11 (depends on Island Time). We attended and saw a variety of outfits from boxers to teddies to towels. The music was good and the drinks were flowing. We danced for a couple of hours and as the evening wore on the crowd did dare to be a little bare. It does get a little smoky and warm in the disco, but a fun evening.
We both took advantage of the complimentary manicure and pedicure and as was our experience at Negril found the salon in a state of turmoil and chaos. The attitude and service level at these salons are simply not up to par with the rest of the resort and hopefully will be addressed by SuperClubs in the near future.
The golf course on the resort is an added plus for avid golfers like us. It is a par 28 (8-par 3s and one short par 4) course that is decent in shape and layout. For those from cold weather states it is a nice bonus to get to swing the clubs in January. Club rental is $6 US and balls run $10 for 3. The clubs are decent (not Tommy Armour 845s but ok) and my suggestion would be to bring your own balls and tees with you to the resort. They have golf lessons daily for the novice and the experienced players. You may also go to Breezes Runaway Bay to play a more traditional style course. It's about 30 minutes away and Braco will provide transportation at 7 am and 10 am daily. Green fees are complimentary but you must pay for carts and caddies. While we didn't take the time to go over, those we spoke to said it was well worth the trip.
The remainder of the trip was spent on the Au Natural side at the pool,
beach,
clubhouse, and bars. These are the finest au natural facilities we have
ever seen or experienced. The pool is simply huge with separate
areas for pool volleyball and a swim up bar. The clubhouse has a bar inside and a pool
table and ping pong plus a patio with several tables for dining.
The full room service menu is available at the clubhouse which is
called Pebbles. The au natural bar is a square shaped bar with chairs and tables surrounding it. They had a cook daily doing jerk chicken, burgers and fries.
Plus Charmain and Denton do an excellent job of making their special island concoctions
always with a smile. We also were fortunate enough to be involved in a mixology class one
day at the swim up bar that was lots and lots of fun. Just to be sure to remember the word
RIM and the names of the activity directors to avoid some interesting penalties. The beach
was well attended during the day and was always freshly raked during the mornings and
clean. The water was clear and warm and the swimming area was free of vegetation. There
were plenty of chairs/loungers at both the pool and beach, some with cabana style shade.
The fruit lady makes her rounds each day offering various island fruit and singling along
the way. A very nice touch. There are two hot tubs; the main tub is a large one near the
pool area that would easily hold 20 couples plus. The water temperature was a bit
inconsistent ranging from too cool to much too hot, but we managed to spend most sunsets
and late evenings at this location. There is a smaller tub in the trees about 50 yards
from the pool that will hold 3-4 couples and is a little more private. It's operation was
on and off during our stay ... it was operating two of the four nights we were there.
The people we met at the resort ranged from late twenties to early sixties, but the majority of couples were between 35 and 45. We were fortunate to have a very fun, active, lively and friendly group during our stay. Certainly there are many activities for those who want to make an effort to participate of if you simply wish to read a good book and relax. We will most certainly consider this resort for our future trips. If there was any area of criticism it would be centered on the following: they need more towels on the au natural side, the hot tub temperature needs better regulation, the hot water in the rooms needs to be more consistent and the salons service quality needs improvement. Compliments center on: overall service quality is excellent (Glenroy, our luggage assistant called during our stay to see if we were enjoying our stay and if he could help in any way, a very nice touch). Food quality and the variety of eateries are excellent. The facilities on the au natural side are incredible, and the beach and street parties are not to be missed.
Finally, we would like to mention and thank a few members of the staff who made this trip most enjoyable: Glenroy, Denton, Charmain, Casey, Reynard and Mr. Sud, the General Manager. Also, the maids do a wonderful job of taking excellent care of the rooms. We look forward to seeing them all again in the upcoming year upon our return. A big thanks to Lance at Go Classy Tours who directed us to Braco this year. He handled our reservation efficiently and with professionalism.
If anyone has specific questions we would be happy to answer them.
Indianapolis, IN