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Couples celebrates

Published:Sunday | October 20, 2013 | 12:00 AM
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From left: Dr Heinz-Peter Becker, naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist, Gary Stephens, Couples Resorts' vice-president of operations, Karen Lanigan, general manager of Couples Swept Away, Alexandra Ghisays, Couples Resorts' group public relations director, and Kevin Levee, general manager of Hedonism II.
From left: Forty-seven-time repeat visitors to Couples Swept Away, Tom and Jane Sage from Tennessee, with Couples Resorts CEO, Glenn Lawrence.
From left: Lee Issa, chairman of Couples Resorts, with British repeat guests, Kevin and Becky Ticehurst (who dressed appropriately for the '80s theme), and Paul Issa.
Robert Cartade (left) and Suzanne Issa (right) with long-tme family friends, Jean Watson and her son, James, at the Couples Negril anniversary party.
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Negril was the island's social epicentre this weekend when two of Jamaica's premier all-inclusive hotels hosted back-to-back anniversary celebrations.

Couples Swept Away and Couples Negril showcased Jamaican hospitality at the highest level with parties fit for kings and queens. On Friday night, Couples Swept Away was the first to treat guests to a red-carpet experience. To mark its 15th anniversary, the beachfront luxury resort transformed its restaurants, theatre and pool decks into a magical underwater world. Oversize shells, fish and creatures of the deep were suspended from the ceilings and shimmering blue lighting gave the illusion of being beneath the waves of the ocean.

The evening began with a decadent cocktail party with champagne served alongside sushi and oysters. At the main buffet, guests could feast on lobster and snow crab claws, beautifully displayed among ornate marine-themed ice sculptures.

The hotel was at full capacity as guests from across the globe and Jamaica's A-listers had booked rooms months in advance to ensure they were at the lavish event.

Music was provided by the energetic Ashe from Kingston. The 16-strong group of musicians and dancers wowed the crowd with soul classics and rock-and-roll standards. The floor remained packed when Alecia Flemming-Shaw took to the stage. The powerful songstress from Montego Bay received rapturous applause for her versions of The Electric Slide and Bob Marley's Could You Be Love.

On Saturday, the action moved to Couples Negril where the hotel's 15th anniversary was marked by an '80s extravaganza. Giant Rubik's cubes, Pac-Man characters, cassette tapes, and other memorabilia from the decade decorated the resort.

Cabaret artiste Gem Myers sang a sensational mix of '80s pop songs, including Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston favourites, that roused the crowd to fever pitch, before Kevin Clark added some Jamaican flavour with reggae and soca numbers.

Couples' award-winning Corporate Executive Chef Stefan Spath crafted an international buffet that satisfied all the palates with a sumptuous array of dishes that included duck breast, satay chicken, Chinese box-roasted pig, leg of lamb, and beef strip loin.

Those with a sweet tooth were treated to a huge dessert station that entirely filled one of the resort's restaurants. Pistachio and raspberry French macaroons that melted in your mouth were a hit, as was a tempting chocolate fondue with marshmallows and fresh fruits for dipping. Liqueur coffees were on hand to give an energy boost for the Old Skool disco that followed, with dance floor classics keeping the joint jumping until the early hours.

The parties were hosted by the impeccably dressed Issa family, including Lee, Jane, and their son, Abe, Paul and Oriente, Suzanne, Carole Issa-Cartade, and her husband Robert.

The weekend ended on a slightly more serious note with the Seventh Annual Couples Resorts Negril Charity Golf Tournament. Held on Sunday at the Negril Hill's Golf Club, 42 players participated raising J$800,000 raised for the Clifton Boys' Home and the Green Island Primary School.

Contributed Photos