TWO OF the SuperClubs Super Inclusive Resorts are celebrating similar awards this month. Grand Lido Braco in Trelawny and Grand Lido Negril have both received the American Automobile Association (AAA) Triple A 'Four Star Award' of excellence for 2002.
The awards, presented last month, are considered important accolades to be bestowed on any resort in the global travel and tourism business. Grand Lido Braco is winning the award for the first time. Its sister property in Negril, which is five years younger, is celebrating its fifth Triple A award in six years.
SuperClub's vice president for marketing, Zein Nakash, feels that these achievements send "a clear signal throughout the worldwide tourism destination marketplace that Jamaica remains a top-class place to vacation".
Resorts are presented with the award for "providing exceptional guest accommodation, excellent service and an elegant atmosphere".
SuperClubs was in the news again when two of its resorts were used as locations for filming episodes of 'Ship Mates'. The series is a 'blind date' show where couples meet each other for the first time on a cruise ship. However, SuperClubs contacted the producers and convinced them that the island would be ideal for the shoot. Hedonism III and Breezes Runaway Bay were two of the locations chosen and each episode is 30 minutes long.
The resort group's efforts have not gone without recognition. Aruba-based on-line columnist Rona Coster has lauded several of the island's leisure industry sites, including Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort. In her publishings, she describes Jamaica as "physically astounding". She praised the cuisine, including jerk chicken and curried goat and even bought a cook book to prepare the dishes
herself.
The challenge for Jamaica is to increase the number of repeat visitors. One way of doing that is to honour the ones that have. Garfield Collins, director of sales for SuperClubs' Grand Lido Braco, urged Jamaicans in this direction as there was an increase in the number of quality destinations worldwide. He was speaking at an awards banquet for over 70 repeat guests to Braco. He pointed out that some tourists visit the hotel twice every year. The banquet was part of the resort's plans to celebrate five years as a SuperClubs entity.
