Cathy's Grand Lido Braco Trip Report - 03/98

I just returned from seven days at Grand Lido Braco. Seven days of total relaxation, sun and hedonism in a more subdued manner. We arrived in the mid-afternoon to a relaxed , laid-back atmosphere, greeted with champagne and wet facecloths. We never touched our luggage from the moment we claimed it until we reached our room. Stress was a thing of the past. For a few minutes, we felt "new", but the feeling passed quickly. At Braco, there is as much privacy as one needs; party time for those who want it; quiet beaches for those who want it. The population there seemed to be 30's to 50's with other age ranges represented to some extent. There is no feeling of being "out of it", which was wonderful.

We spent the first few days on the prude side. Everyone was great! The service was excellent; the food was wonderful, and the pool was better than the ocean (my only regret - very rocky ocean floor, and really too shallow to swim in) There was entertainment - music trivia, volleyball, etc. - and you could watch or participate as you chose. The area was large enough that you could lounge in or out of the other side of the pool and not be part of anything. The beach chairs were abundant, and clean towels were always available. I was amazed at how few people were in the pool. (The same is true of the beach - it was almost deserted.) The pool was very clean and the staff was diligent in removing leaves blown in by the constant breeze.

The food was plentiful. We went to the buffet breakfast each morning. Among the offerings were eggs benedict, pancakes, omelets, waffles, sausage, an assortment of pastries, fruits and cheeses. I was a little disappointed that the most exotic fruit available here was papaya, however. Service at breakfast was quite good; our coffee cups and juice and water goblets were always full. For lunch, we opted for Nanny's Jerk Pit most days (the curried goat was excellent, and I loved the coco bread) It was conveniently located near the pool. We also had our share of the lamb chops at the beach bar or via room service. Although the French restaurant was not requiring jackets (we have a "no jackets/ties" policy when we go on vacation), we ate at the main, outdoor restaurant (Victoria Market) nightly. The food was very good, and elegantly plated. Appetizers were especially interesting. There was a choice of about five entrees, which changed nightly. In my opinion, the beef dishes were a better choice than seafood. Desserts looked sinful but I never had room! Musicians provided soft music, from classical to reggae, played nightly. A photographer took photos, available for sale the next day. A wine steward was always nearby to fill our glasses. (The Japanese restaurant was STILL under construction, and we saw very little of that going on!)

The hotel portion of the resort was more like an elegant townhouse complex. We had a first floor garden view room; it was wonderful to open the French doors at sunrise, walk out on the patio, inhale the island floral aromas, listen to the birds and hear the ocean in the distance. The room was very comfortable and clean. Even with the doors open, we had only one or two mosquitoes in the room. There was enough hot water for two showers. Linens were fresh-smelling and pure white. Flowers and other exotic foliage were everywhere. The grounds were meticulously maintained daily by a hard-working staff. I took a walk around the grounds and was amazed at the beauty at every turn.

We went to the au-naturel side after a few days of the main area. This portion of the resort is just beautiful, although not yet as well-foliated. The pool was immense. The most amazing part was that often I was the only one in the water. We also had the entire deck area almost to ourselves. Restrooms here were roomier than the main pool area. The bar service was very good as well. We eventually went into the hot tub and met some very lovely people. Of course, they kidded me about my tan lines, but it was a lot of fun. One gentleman wrangled two mangoes from the Fruit Lady (who seemed to linger over here much longer, singing to anyone who would listen), and had the bartender make us all mango daiquiris! We even stayed through a short but heavy rain shower. (We tried the smaller Jacuzzi the next day but it was way too hot!) The only disconcerting part of this section was the maintenance crew, who seemed to linger way too long cleaning the pool, mid-afternoon, no less. I felt somewhat uncomfortable, especially when my male companion left for drinks or the restroom. The rest of the staff could not have been more gracious and friendly. The beach here was excellent, with an abundance of lounge chairs and tiki roofs for shade. Unfortunately, it got quite windy, and we had to retreat to the pool area. All in all, Braco was a wonderful place I would definitely return to. The only negatives of the entire trip were the very slippery cobblestones after a rain (I know - I fell on my #$%!), the 2 1/2 hour delay leaving on Air Jamaica, due to some foliage that had blown into the runway - apparently it was being swept off "Jamaican Time" - and the fact that we had to leave at all!

I will be happy to answer any questions anyone may have about Grand Lido Braco. For those on their way - have a wonderful trip, and say hello to Garfield.

Cathy

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Many thanks to Cathy for her fine trip report - Denny.