Tony and his fab wife Jeanne Watson. - Contributed
The Couples Resort brand is nothing, but a fine and shining example of what continental style is all about!
And the feeling of intimacy does not stop with the genuine warmth and hospitality that is the trademark of the brand. There is no escaping the fact that once inside the portals of any of the properties, one is in an establishment of haute style punctuated by the holistic approach is that which is employed in the decor and styling.
For their 11th anniversary celebrations hosted just two weekends ago, Couples Swept Away held its annual do, dubbed Eco-Elegance on its luxurious beach and decks. What a treat! Dears, general manager Ricardo Bowleg does know how to throw a darn fine party, and Eco-Elegance was everything its name intimated!
No dampening of spirits
We are talking a lavish cocktail party to kick off the weekend's festivities that was all that. And then there was a dinner and cabaret performance on the beach and pumpkins, despite an earlier steady downpour, there was no dampening the spirits of guests out for the occasion. And there was equally no dampening of spirits of those charged with entertaining!
It was a night to remember, as the fare and entertainment were flawlessly spot on. The evening began in true island style with the talented Howard 'Djani' Sinclair performing the more popular of the late king of reggae's hits, and dears, we are talking heartfelt renditions that saw the jam-packed party area rushing to applaud the spectacular performance.
That act was followed by the illustrious Dr Robert 'Elvis' DeMercado, a dental surgeon who gave a moving impersonation of Elvis Presley. Dears, he had the audience lapping up his every word and move!
And the mega-talented Linford 'Maurisko' McIntosh took to the stage and gave a simply stunning performance in the vein of the late Michael Jackson. We are talking brilliant! It was a simply grand showcase and memories still stir the dancing soul. But Friday night belonged to Bowleg as he made it his own and then some!
Saturday night belonged to the general manager Couples Negril, Karen Lanigan, as it was her night to wine, dine and entertain the hundreds of multi-repeat guests who jetted in for the annual celebrations. A number of locals also joined in.
Couples Negril, simply put, is a fabulous resort! Its entrance and foyer is built in the tradition of great houses of yesteryear and regally so! For the night's function, the colour theme was blue and white, and from the crystal-like white of the giant ice sculptors gracing the foyer, to the streaming bamboo lanterns in blue, it was quite grand. The nattily attired guests poured into the lobby for the occasion, despite persistent downpour.
Dears, the question on everyone's minds anniversary at Couples Swept Away, was just what and how sister property, Couples Negril, would top it. Well, those in the know will say there is really no competition between both resorts. It is a believable scenario as over the years, both have complemented each other as against seeking to upstage and that was the case once again two weekends ago!
Think art, think charm, think upper-crust style and mode! Think wickedly delicious and then you will know how the west was won by Lanigan and her staff. There was no scrimping here! Recession? Not here dears, just the fab high life for the seasoned holiday-maker wanting more than some sun, sea and rum. This was a do with a fare that reeked of fabulousness and was style purr-fect! It was a feast fit for kings and queens!
Oriente Isaa
Among those out were chairman of Couples Resorts, Lee Issa and his wife, Jane, the interior expert and Couples in-house decorating maven; his twin sibling, the lovely Suzanne Issa; their younger brother, Paul, and his wife, the charmingly beautiful Oriente; family friends Anthony and Jeanne Watson; chief executive officer, Couples Resorts, Glenn Lawrence; Couples Senior vice-president, marketing, Randy Russell, and wife, Deborah; vice-president operations, Gary Stephens; Tom McNamara, director of group promotions, representative for Couples Resorts in Europe, United Kingdom and Asia.
We saw Couples Group public relations director, the lovely Alexandra Ghisays; multi-repeat guests Roger and Ann Dixon; the eminent Pat McGann; Busha Clarke; hotelier Kevin Levee and his wife, Cecile; Maryann Parrish; Richard Sinclair; the lovely Jackie Byrd; Andrew Fazio; John Babcook; Karen Chung; Gerald and Judith Wight; Yvonne Wilks; Errol Bennett; Jan and Grant Pisko; Raymond and Michelle Campbell; Bertram Saulter; Joy Clark; Jan Polack; Leo Moncrieffe; Jennifer Cape; Digicel's Niall Sheehy and his lovely wife, Sasha; the charming Petrona Brooks; international travel reps Tom and Nancy Finn, plus a number of others!
( L - R ) Lee Issa, Paul Issa