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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Gert van Dijken, Editor |
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COZUMEL, Mexico (March 7, 2003) – Americans are traveling closer
to home, and Cozumel, the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean,
proves to be the ideal “close to home” international fit,
according to 100 Carlson Wagonlit travel agents nationwide.
Cozumel ranked second when Carlson Wagonlit agents listed
the top five international destinations they are booking for families.
In another survey, Cozumel earned sixth place when agents rated their
most popular international travel destinations overall, according to
bookings in 2003.
“Isla Cozumel’s tropical climate, vibrant
culture and island lifestyle make it the perfect destination for
Americans looking to travel just beyond the border,“ said Gaston
Cantarell Diaz, president of the Isla Cozumel Hotel Association and
private sector representative for the tourism foundation. “We
are thrilled to see that Carlson Wagonlit travel agents–and
their customers—agree.”
In 2003, Cozumel estimates an increased number of visitors
vacationing on island. By air alone, Cozumel anticipates
approximately 165,000 arrivals, an increase of 15 percent from 2002.
“Mexico is clearly more popular than ever,”
said Roger E. Block, executive vice president, Carlson Wagonlit
Travel’s Associate Division. “In fact, 34 percent of our
agents told us bookings to Mexico have increased over the past few
years.”
Carlson Travel Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based
Carlson Companies, Inc. Brands include: Carlson Wagonlit Travel,
Cruise Holidays, Results Travel, Carlson Leisure Travel Services and
Carlson Destination Marketing Services. In
2003, for the seventh consecutive year, the Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Associate program was named the top travel business franchise by
Entrepreneur's Franchise 500(R); Franchise Times ranked the program as
the 3rd top franchise overall in 2001 and 2002.
Named "Cuzamil" by the Maya who inhabited it more than
2,000 years ago, Isla Cozumel or "land of the swallows" is located in
the state of Quintana Roo, east of the Yucatan Peninsula. Cozumel,
approximately 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, has an international
snorkeling and diving reputation with the world's second-largest reef
network featuring limestone caves, tunnels and rare black coral.
Cozumel Reefs National Park, a protected 30,000-acre national area
covering 85 percent of the island’s dive sites and embracing the
southern section of Cozumel, was created in 1996 for the purpose of
conserving, monitoring and researching the reef formation and its
natural habitat. In 2002 a U.S. News & World Report Travel Agent
Survey recognized Isla Cozumel as the North American/Caribbean
destination offering the best vacation value. Visit Cozumel on the
World Wide Web at www.islacozumel.com.mx.
COZUMEL, Mexico (March 11, 2003) . Four hotels and resorts located on Isla Cozumel, the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean, have announced packages for 2003 that encourage travelers to stay and play the island.s first ever golf course. Since its opening in November 2001, Cozumel Country Club continues to experience great success with its Nicklaus-design 18 holes of championship golf. Melia Cozumel All-Inclusive Golf & Beach Resort features a variety of packages for golfers, including a three night/two days of golf package starting at $419, a four night/three days of golf package starting at $572, and a seven night/five days of golf package at $970. Rates are valid until Dec. 19, 2003 and are per golfer based on double occupancy. This all-inclusive, unlimited golf package incorporates all meals, select activities, airport transfers, and all tips and taxes. For more information and reservations, call 1-800-33-MELIA or visit www.solmelia.com. Playa Azul Golf & Beach Hotel offers a four day/three night golf package, starting at $327 that can be tailored to meet guests. needs. Packages include unlimited rounds of golf and preferential tee times. Guests will also receive an ocean view room with balcony, welcome drinks, full breakfasts, a golf souvenir and late checkout. All taxes and gratuities are included. Packages are valid until Dec. 20, 2003. For information and reservations, please call 011-52-987-87-20199, visit www.playa-azul.com or send inquiries to playazul@playa-azul.com. Presidente Inter-Continental Resort Cozumel offers three, four or seven nights of golf packages starting at $405. The Eagle package starts at $405 and includes an ocean view room with upgrade to deluxe available, a daily breakfast buffet, a welcome drink and welcome golf amenities. The Eagle package is available for three nights and one round of golf or for four nights and two rounds of golf. The Hole in One package starts at $2,195 including five nights of deluxe accommodations, a welcome drink and golf amenities, one complimentary round of golf per player per stay, two 30-minute relaxing massages per person per stay, a daily breakfast buffet, roundtrip airport transfer and a Jeep included during the entire stay. The Birdie package starts at $2,925 and includes five nights of beachfront accommodations with direct access to the beach, a welcome drink and amenities upon arrival, daily breakfast buffet, one round of golf per day, per player, one 45 minute massage per person and one gourmet dinner at Arrecife restaurant. For more information and reservations, visit www.cozumel.intercontinental.com or call 1-800-327-0200. Reef Club Isla Cozumel Beach Resort presents three, five and seven-night packages including a selected number of rounds of golf based on length of stay. All packages feature all-inclusive accommodations and car rental per day per room. Three nights/two rounds of golf start at $420 per golfer, five nights/three rounds of golf start at $660 per golfer and seven nights/five rounds of golf start at $985 per golfer. Rates are valid until Dec. 22, 2003 and are based on double occupancy. Packages also include taxes and tips. For more information and reservations, call 1-888-773-4349 or visit www.reefclubcozumel.com. Named "Cuzamil" by the Maya who inhabited it more than 2,000 years ago, Isla Cozumel or "land of the swallows" is located in the state of Quintana Roo, east of the Yucatan Peninsula. Cozumel, approximately 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, has an international snorkeling and diving reputation with the world's second-largest reef network featuring limestone caves, tunnels and rare black coral. Cozumel Reefs National Park, a protected 30,000-acre national area covering 85 percent of the island.s dive sites and embracing the southern section of Cozumel, was created in 1996 for the purpose of conserving, monitoring and researching the reef formation and its natural habitat. In 2002 a U.S. News & World Report Travel Agent Survey recognized Isla Cozumel as the North American/Caribbean destination offering the best vacation value. Visit Cozumel on the World Wide Web at www.islacozumel.com.mx.
MIAMI (March 14, 2003) -- Meliá Cozumel Resort^Òs latest golf package is a big win for groups. Guests pay greens fees only at the adjacent Cozumel Country Club. In return, they get a room, meals, beverages and entertainment at the Caribbean Mexican resort ^Ö all for free. For a limited time, the greens fees, including cart and taxes, are just $112 U.S. dollars per golfer, down from $149. That^Òs a 25 percent discount. Plus, groups get one complimentary greens fee for every 25 rounds they book. The package applies to groups booking before May 31, 2003, for arrival now through Dec. 21, 2004. ^ÓI know of no other package like this anywhere,^Ô says Emanuel Schreibmaier, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Sol Meliá Americas Division. Meliá Cozumel^Òs ^Ógreens-fee/room-free^Ô package includes: an overnight stay at the All-Inclusive resort, room based on double occupancy, welcome cocktail, meeting facilities for up to 100 people, activities program and nightly entertainment plus the golf ^Ö all for $112. The package is applicable to groups booking ten rooms or more on double occupancy with a minimum purchase of two greens fees per person. It is not valid Dec. 26, 2003, through Jan. 3, 2004. The 147-room Meliá Cozumel All-Inclusive Golf & Beach Resort combines European elegance with the magnificence of Mayan architecture on a tropical island overlooking the Caribbean Sea known for its world-class diving. The resort is ideal for incentive groups, diving and golf excursions, offering 88 deluxe garden view rooms, 46 junior suites with ocean views, 12 oceanfront honeymoon suites and one presidential suite. Meliá Cozumel features more than 2,100 square feet of meeting space, accommodating up to 200 people. The space converts to cocktail, classroom, banquet or theatre settings. Laptop projector, screen, VCR, microphones and overhead projector are available upon request. The resort^Òs championship 18-hole, par 72, golf course is designed by Steve Nicklaus, Nicklaus Design Group, and managed by Club Corp. International. As Cozumel^Òs first golf course, it incorporates the natural habitats of the island into its design and construction. Fairways are built around Cozumel^Òs trees, mangroves and wetlands to preserve ecologically-sensitive areas. Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts is one of the world^Òs most successful hotel companies with its four brands ^Ö Meliá Hotels, Tryp Hotels, Sol Hotels and Paradisus Resorts ^Ö with more than 350 hotels in more than 30 countries worldwide. Sol Meliá^Òs 2002/2003 expansion plans include new properties in Brazil, Peru, Puerto Rico, Mexico and throughout Asia Pacific and Europe. Group reservations can be made through a professional meeting and incentive planner or through Sol Meliá^Òs group desk (CIMAS) by calling toll free 1-888-33MELIA or via e-mail: Cimas@sol-group.com. Hotel information can also be obtained by accessing Sol Meliá at www.solmelia.com.
COZUMEL, Mexico (March 31, 2003) – Tourism to Isla Cozumel, the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean, is up 15 percent from 2002, based on hotel occupancy figures, according to the Cozumel Tourist Promotion Board and Hotel Association, who unveiled the findings during the 28th annual Tianguis Túristico, Mexico’s largest travel trade show. “Cozumel’s increasing hotel occupancy thus far 2003 is positive development during a period when the tourism industry is eager for good news. We feel the increase is due in part by American travelers’ interest in seeking a tranquil, tropical island vacation while remaining close to home,” said Gaston Cantarell Diaz, president of the Isla Cozumel Hotel Association and private sector representative for the tourism foundation. “Isla Cozumel is very pleased to play a meaningful role in 2003 at Tianguis Turistico, which is a key gathering that focuses our entire nation’s efforts to increase tourism to Mexico.” Isla Cozumel is represented at Tianguis Turistico by Mayor Carlos Hernandez Blanco and Municipal Director of Tourism Raul Marrufo, who will join Cozumel’s Tourist Promotion Board and Hotel Association in promoting tourism to the island. Earlier in 2003 Cozumel was honored as one of the top overall vacation destinations by leading Carlson Wagonlit travel agents. An ideal family getaway, Cozumel was named second by Carlson Wagonlit’s agents on their list of international travel destinations being booked for families. Isla Cozumel’s continuing popularity can in part be attributed to the dedication of professional writers and photographers who cover the destination. Isla Cozumel will announce in coming weeks the first-ever recipient of the Golondrina recognition award. Named "Cuzamil" by the Maya who inhabited it more than 2,000 years ago, Isla Cozumel or "land of the swallows" is located in the state of Quintana Roo, east of the Yucatan Peninsula. Cozumel, approximately 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, has an international snorkeling and diving reputation with the world's second-largest reef network featuring limestone caves, tunnels and rare black coral. Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park, a protected 30,000-acre national area covering 85 percent of the island’s dive sites and embracing the southern section of Cozumel, was created in 1996 for the purpose of conserving, monitoring and researching the reef formation and its natural habitat. Visit Cozumel on the World Wide Web at www.islacozumel.com.mx.
We are avid snorkelers and Bonaire is an island we have been reading about for years. We always hesitated about going there before though because we heard it was dry and not tropical. We did some research on Bonairetalk.com website and decided so many people go back there each year that we must see what all this enthusiasm is all about. We apent 11 days in a small house right on the water called Ultimo Cas. The entire island is surrounded by a coral reef and snorkelling is everywhere. The biggest challenge is to find a sandy entry through this reef to get out into the water. Once you are in the water, you can follow this reef for hours (miles) along the edge and the fish life here is the most amazing. Huge parrot fish, the blue ones are rolling around on top of the water everywhere. We saw a small octopus, tons of French angel fish, so much colorful coral, elkhorn and staghorn and the colored ones (red and blue) everywhere. The abundance of fish was the most amazing thing. We have been to St. John USVI many times and the fish were so much more plentiful here on Bonaire. My husband went diving twice, I tried it and chickened out. Our favorite days were spent by taking a water taxi ($36 round trip for 2) over to the uninhabited island called Klein Bonaire. It has a beautiful white sand beach with no people. This water taxi will take your stuff over to the beach, he puts out a ramp, you walk down onto the sand and leave your ice chest, books etc on this beach then get back on the boat for a drift snorkel. He takes you down to the far end of the island and drops you off right in the water at the edge of the reef. It's a long snorkel, about 1 1/2 hours but so worth it. So many fish, we saw turtles and the coral is so colorful there. We will return to Bonaire someday, but we missed the tropical beaches of St. John so we have to return there for a visit first. Bonaire is a friendly island, very Not busy and easy to get around on. Email is available everywhere, but phones are too expensive to cal the US. If you are thinking about going to Bonaire and you are a diver or snorkeler, please email me and I will try to answer your questions: Renee97038@aol.com
This year Sunquest Vacations introduced package vacations from Toronto so we chose a trip to the Sheraton.The five-hour flight from Toronto direct to Curacao was smooth but a bit cramped. Curacao is part of the Netherland Antilles and the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao). Physically, it's similar to Aruba with its scrub vegetation, culture and climate. Some people describe Curacao as a low-key Aruba but it is really a lot more than that. It has a life of its own beyond the tourists and a dynamic vibe. The Hotel: The Sheraton is a great resort hotel. It is located five minutes outside of Willemstad on Piscadera Bay. The Marriott, Floris Suites Hotel and a couple of other small hotels are in the same area. The Sheraton has a lovely pool area and a two small cove-like beaches. The rooms are typical hotel style and a bit outdated but are clean, comfortable and functional. There's also a casino, a beach bar/restaurant, lobby bar and main restaurant. A small mall and spa are also on the premises. The hotel offers two daily shuttles into the town. The staff people are friendly if a bit muddled sometimes. They are very genuine. The guests were a mixture from Holland, Canada, U.S. and South America. There is a children's pool but that never seemed to be used. The Island Curacao is the largest of the ABC islands. It also has a large town (by Caribbean standards). Willemstad is the capital, divided into two main areas by the harbour and inner channel (but united by two bridges: a motorvehicle bridge and a floating pedestrian bridge. Some people say it looks like Amsterdam. There are a variety of restaurants, shops, museums and hotels in the city. The rest of the island is scrub, cacti, reminiscent of Aruba but without the long white beaches. The beaches are small, cove-like and unmanicured. Food Definitely, there is no lack of choice of in terms of dining options. All kinds of cuisine are available. We had good dinners at Blues Restaurant at the Avila Beach Hotel, Forte Nassau, Hook's Hut, Jaanchie's, The Grill King and Surfside Café. Sights Outside of Willemstad, there are not a lot of sights. We rented a small jeep and drove to the North and West Part of the island. We drove through Christoffel National Park and visited some of the more obscure beaches. Caveat: You do have to pay to park (for access) at some of these beaches. Playa Kalki, Knip Bay and Cas Abou are very pretty beaches. In General: The island is fairly safe. We were never approached once to buy anything. It has a cosmopolitan flair and it certainly lives up to its slogan of being "Real. Different". It's not just a laid-back, low-key Aruba. It is a tropical island with a rich culture, interesting topography, great climate and interesting people.
Situated far back from the beautiful beach its a run down lack of a Hotel. English is rare among staff or they think they know it. The food was medium to bad. There is no juice for cocktails at the bars besides some red premixed punch crap. The disco is a multi service room. Day lunch room, night a fine dining room, later the disco. I do not think the floor was ever scrubbed. The beach side bathrooms were disgusting. The plastic chairs of this area are opened to the public so there is not enough. Men were unrespectful to females that were alone. I have never seen it like that in the caribbean. Safe but don't go.
We just returned from spending a week (February 1 . February 8, 2003) in Jamaica at Couples Ocho Rios. This was our ninth trip to Jamaica and our second to Couples Ocho Rios. We were at Couples Ocho Rios in late February/early March of 1992 and spent 2 weeks there on that visit. We are .experienced. sun travelers as we have been going to the Caribbean, Mexico and South America for the past 25 years, sometimes twice per year. We appreciate .good/fine. dinning, so when we travel, food and service are our top priorities and to a lesser extent the rooms of the resort as we like to spend our time enjoying the beach and what the resort/island has to offer. We booked this vacation with Air Canada Vacations out of Winnipeg. This was a direct flight on a .real. airplane. What I mean by .real. airplane is that this plane is used regularly on scheduled flights, so the seats have lots of legroom. We purchased the .Executive Class. seats ($199 each, return) at the front of the plane. One thing that we did notice was that this was the first time in a number of years that there was an .open. bar for all travelers on the plane which was a nice touch. We arrived in Montego Bay at about 6:15PM and it took about 15 minutes to clear customs and get to the Couples desk for the bus ride. We did carry-on luggage, which allowed us to clear customs very quickly. There were 3 other couples on our plane that were going to Couples as well, so it took about another 30 minutes before we were off on the 2 hour + ride to the resort. As returning guests, we were entitled to a free flight to the resort but because of the lack of runway lights at Ocho Rios, we were told that Couples would fly us back to Montego Bay for our return flight. I told the bus driver that we were all Canadians and that he should stop somewhere for cheap beers as our dollar is only worth about .66US. We made the Red Stripe stop after about 10 minutes from the airport and this time we stopped at a gasoline convenience store (Esso, around the Holiday Inn) and the beers were the cheapest that we have ever paid. The beers were $1US as opposed to the usual $2-$3US at some bar along the way. We arrived at the resort at about 9:30PM and were greeted by the staff with cold towels and champagne. In about 15 minutes we were off to our room. As we have said, we look for service and food quality from our vacations so that is where we will concentrate on describing Couples Ocho Rios. Staff and Service We found the staff at Couples Ocho Rios to be very friendly and polite and very willing to help out in any way they could. The service industry in Jamaica is no different than that in North America in that we noticed that NO ONE that we met from our previous visit was still at Couples OR. One thing that we have noticed in our travels in Jamaica is that a polite .please. and the use of the servers name goes a long way in getting the best possible service. Service throughout the resort was consistently good. The best service from a restaurant perspective was at Le Gourmet with The Veranda and Bayside coming in a close second. The Patio for breakfast and lunch was a little slow and inconsistent and could use a little improvement. Drink service was the best at the Piano Bar. At the main bar at the Patio, service was a little lacking. At the Patio bar at night time there were up to 5 bartenders and other times only one which made getting your drinks a little frustrating. Overall the service was good. Food and Beverage Selection Food The food at Couples OR is some of the best we have had at any .all-inclusive. resort in the Caribbean. We stayed at Grand Lido Braco in December 2002 (about 7 weeks prior to our trip) and we can honestly say that the food quality was as good or slightly better than Grand Lido Braco EXCEPT for Braco.s Piacere restaurant. The pastry Chef at Couples should receive a medal. The desserts were the best that we have had in any resort including the Grand Lido properties. Le Gourmet Le Gourmet is the only restaurant that required advance reservations. They can be made up to 2 days in advance at the Guest Services desk in the Lobby. You have a choice of 3 seating: 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30. The 7:30 seating fills up fast, so book early or expect to eat at 6:30 or 8:30.Preparation and service was great and the food quality superb. We ate here twice. The first time we had the Rack of Lamb and the Salmon (Atlantic) in phyllo pastry as entrees. They were great. Please take note that the Salmon is cooked just until it is done! What I mean by that is that it is almost like sushi but cooked, so if you don.t like Salmon Sushi, don.t order the Salmon. For appetizers, we had the escargot which was to die for and a shrimp, scallop and mussel combination in a red sauce that was excellent as well. They had the usual soups and salads as well as desserts that were so decadent. The second time that we ate here was the returning guests dinner and the entrie served was .Blackened. Cajun chicken with similarly done shrimp. This is an excellent restaurant. Beach Party & Gala/Pool Buffet We did not get to attend the Saturday night Pool side Gala dinner buffet as we didn.t arrive at the resort until about 9:30PM on Saturday. Couples Ocho Rios also does a Beach Party on Wednesdays which was the same night as the returning guests dinner, so we missed the Beach Party as well. We didn.t lose any sleep by missing these 2 events as we prefer a la carte dinning for our evening meal and that is one of the mandatory features of any resort that we look for when planning our vacation. We can tolerate a couple of Gala/Beach evenings if done properly. The best that we have experienced in our travels has been at Grand Lido Sans Souci. Now they know how to do a Beach Party (Buffet) and a Gala (Buffet) evening! The Veranda This is the main continental restaurant located opposite to Le Gourmet inside a set of double doors just off the main lobby. The menu changed daily and the selection was very good. We ate here 3 times and our conclusion about this restaurant was that the food quality/presentation was as good as Le Gourmet with slightly less attentive service. The choice of entrees that we had over the 3 visits ranged from an excellent top sirloin steak (in a pepper sauce) with a lobster tail, Rack of Lamb, Lamb chops, a Turkey breast parmigan that you could cut with your fork to an excellent leek and mushroom pie (vegetarian). The desserts were excellent and one night I had one of their flaming coffees which was also very good. The presentation and quality was very good and if we were staying any more than the 7 days, we would probably end up eating here most of the time. Calabash (The Patio) This is the area where breakfasts and lunches are served buffet style and then in the evening, it converts into the Calabash Jamaican restaurant. The breakfasts were the usual buffet fare with an omelet station with the normal fixings includes crab and other more exotic fixings a couple of days. There was a .smoothy. station where they would make fruit shakes out of whatever fruits you wanted. The chocolate croissants were out of this world. For lunch, the usual stuff was there with salads and different meats, pizzas and a sandwich area where they would make custom sandwiches. There was always freshly grilled fish, usually snapper, which was consistently excellent. For both breakfast and lunch, this was the first resort that we can remember, that always had some real Jamaican food available. It.s nice to have that option as we have been to many Jamaican resorts and you seldom see authentic Jamaican food being served. In the evenings the Calabash serves Jamaican fare from stews to shrimp, to beef, chicken, and fish dishes. We never made it to this restaurant for dinner. Bayside This is Couple.s Italian restaurant that sits out on the ocean. There is full served menu with a dessert self serve bar. We ate here once. They normally have a special pasta sauce offered daily and when we were there it was smoked chicken with artichoke hearts. We both had that sauce with different pasta. The appetizers that we had were a shrimp in a puntanesca sauce which was not that spicey. Overall it was an excellent meal and one of the waiters, Everton, sang for our table. This is a very romantic setting for a restaurant. The Beach Grill This is the grill on the lower level of the Patio (water.s edge) that serves a very limited menu of cheese burgers (very good, I think I ate about 10 of them over the course of the week), vegetarian pizzas, Jerk chicken and pork, grilled chicken sandwiches, self serve Nachos (Lays brand) with cheese or salsa and of course, French fries. The grill opens at 11AM and is open until breakfast is served the next morning. For all you fast food .junkies., this is more than passable for that time when you need a .FIX.. Beverages The beverage selection was pretty much the same as most high end .all-inclusive. resorts. They had all different kinds of Scotch (Chivas, JW Black), Crown Royal, VO, Canadian Club, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Tanqueray and Beefeater Gins, Smirnoff and Absolute vodkas, Dubonnet, etc and most liqueurs including cognacs. The beer was Red Stripe and Red Stripe Lite on draft in the bars. There was Miller Lite and Coors Lite available at most bars in cans and you could get Red Stripe and Red Stripe Lite as well as Heineken in bottles in the Piano Bar. This was the first resort in Jamaica that had so much .Lite. beer offered! The wines available were adequate. They had 2 different Chardonnays: one from France (more oak taste) and one from Chile (less Oak). I preferred the one from Chile. They had a Cabernet from Chile, a Merlot from Chile and a Valpolicella 1998 from Italy. The Valpolicella was by far the best red and was only available at Bayside if you asked for it. The Chilean wines were Gato Negro which are low end but drinkable. You should be able to buy them at home for around $6 a bottle. All were very drinkable from a house wine perspective. At least there was no more Jamaican swill. For champagne, they had a low end French (Brut) which was drinkable. We saw no evidence that you could purchase any higher end wines but over the years we have learned that if the resort has additional wines available for purchase, you end of paying at least 3 times the price back home and the storage of the wines is questionable. The wines at Couples were definitely not as good as the wines available at any of the Grand Lido properties. Rooms All rooms at Couples Ocho Rios are in some state of being renovated. We stayed in room .220. which is in the oldest part of the hotel. For some mysterious reason, our room did not have a telephone in it. We found this to be rather humorous as every time that we told someone who worked at the resort, they couldn.t believe that there was not a phone in our room. A phone did arrive on our second last day. The view from our balcony (which was huge) was great, a picture perfect view of Tower Isle. The room looked like it had just been renovated and that we were the first persons to stay in it. There was a new tub and tile surround as well as a new vanity and sink. The furniture looked new, consisting of light wood dresser/tv stand, desk, and night table , two wicker chairs and yellow bedspread with yellow headboard and yellow window valance. The room was very attractive with a light airy feel. The room had a large walk-in closet and there was tile on all the floors. Having been to the Caribbean so many times, we prefer tiled floors as this cuts down on the .musty. smell which this room had none! The water pressure was a little erratic but we got used to it. The bed was very comfortable and the air-conditioning was very adequate. We found that we would run the air-conditioning during the day, then when we went to sleep, shut it off and just run the overhead ceiling fan. We slept very well as the sounds of the ocean were very soothing and the room was one of quietest that we have ever stayed in. Other rooms we saw in the resort did have carpeting and had dark wood furniture with four poster beds. We.re not sure if this is the .old. look of the resort or the new. Entertainment There was nightly entertainment in the Patio from 9:30 to 10:30, with a house band that played before and after ShowTime. Entertainment consisted usually of a cabaret style singer and dancers. We did not attend many of these shows as we were too busy socializing, but we did catch the traditional Staff/Guest talent show which was quite good. The sound system in the Patio was loud and .scratchy. sounding and this is one of the reasons we didn.t stay to listen to the entertainment. Fitness Centre The fitness center was air-conditioned and faced the beach, providing a great view while working out. It consisted of three treadmills, 2 stationary bikes, a couple of stair climbers, a number of weight machines, and free weights. More than adequate for us. Conclusion This was our ninth time to Jamaica and we were very pleased with this visit. This was the second time only that we have returned to the same resort twice. As a result of this, we probably will not return for a couple of years and that has nothing to do with Couples Ocho Rios. You only go around once in a lifetime, so there are many other places to experience in the world. I know there has been a lot of discussion on the numerous message boards concerning the age of Couples Ocho Rios compared to the newer Couples Negril. This property is very well maintained and it has a certain .character.. If you want new then maybe this resort is not for you but for us, the food and service is second to none which is what we look for when going on vacation.
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