WPIC “Breezes” Through Jamaica

by Denise Georgiou of WeDDings Jubilee in Toronto

Wow! What an amazing FAM (familiarization) trip to Jamaica visiting the Superclubs resorts. From the minute we got off the plane, we felt at home.  Jamaicans are incredibly friendly to begin with, but the staff at the comfortable and cool SuperClubs Lounge at the airport, to the Staff at the resorts, it was like arriving home.  We visited the Breezes Grand Resort and Spa, Breezes Trelawny, Breezes Runaway Bay and Breezes Rio Bueno. We even stopped in at the more risquà© Hedonism II.

Escorted by the ever-so-gracious Superclubs Sales Manager for Groups, Steve Koth, and lead by WPIC Director, Lindsay Mogford; Renee Richards, Sandy Stirling, Natalie Faria, Lindsay Laur and myself, began our 5 days of site visits of the gorgeous Breezes Resorts.

We started our journey off with a 2-hour bus ride to the Breezes Grand Resort and Spa, which felt more like 1 hour thanks to the beautiful Caribbean Coast we drove along and lovely townships we passed through.  Our bus driver, which was the norm with all our bus drivers, was amazing and we quickly learned that the term “Ya Mon”, was going to be imprinted in our vocabulary for days to come.

Upon arriving at each of the resorts, we were welcomed by refreshing cool towelettes and wonderful Fruity cocktail’s. The resorts were impeccably clean and ALL the staff greeted us, as we would pass them.  That truly made the biggest difference. There is nothing like great service to take the experience to the next level.  

The first two nights we stayed at the Breezes Grand Resort & Spa in Negril, and were we ever treated like Stars. We not only were surprised with a Chilling Bottle of Champagne and Delicious homemade Chocolate Truffles in our Suites the first evening, but they had also reserved their best tables for us for our dinners and arranged a Glass Bottom boat tour for us on Day 2. We all made a point of enjoying the Beach at least a couple of times during our visit and enjoyed the glistening fluffy sand and the warmest, bluest and cleanest water I’ve seen. Director of Sales, Kenroy Calame, was by our sides’ day in and day out making sure we had everything we needed and that all our questions were answered.

The site visits were always detailed and thorough at all the resorts and covered everything we could think of to make our clients Weddings sheer perfection.

As we toured the gorgeous suites, we first noticed the wonderful designs of the towels on the bed, from swans and hearts to sea fans and conch shells. All were adorned with tropical flowers – truly an art form.  Each resort had it’s own ‘theme’ and uniqueness. Breezes Grand Spa & Resort had Hot Tub Suites while Runaway Bay had Plunge Pools.

All the resorts we viewed had many stunning ceremony sites that were set-up for us and even got to ‘witness’ a couple of ‘real’ weddings. The dà©cor set-ups from Ceremony, Reception, Cake Tables and hors d'oeuvres & Champagne Stations were gorgeous. It was easy to see that Breezes takes great pride in what they do and go out of their way to ensure that their Couples get exactly what they envision. The possibilities are endless.

During one of our site visits, we met a young woman whose sister had just gotten married at the Breezes Grand Resort and Spa. She could not stop raving about the experience and how organized the Staff was to make the wedding flawless; but what truly stood out to her were the Photographer and the Photos. She told us that the pictures were immaculate and unique. I should mention that all the Photographers for Superclubs are fully trained and extremely talented individuals, however, if you still have a preference of bringing your own photographer, you are welcome to, at a surcharge. 

The Reception Facilities throughout the resorts were great and capable of accommodating anywhere from a small intimate party of two to a large group upwards of a couple hundred. The dining options and menus are extensive and almost everything can be customized, not to mention that the reception can be held anywhere on the resort be it Beachfront, Poolside, Oceanside or elsewhere. If you can imagine it, I guarantee the Breezes Staff will do anything and everything in their power to make it happen and then some.

We were lucky enough to experience the cuisine at all the restaurants, from the casual Reggae Cafà©, Gran Terraza and Victoria Market Buffets, casual elegance at Munasan Japanese to the upscale Italian: Pastafari (or La Pasta) and French: Piacere. ALL the food was mouth-watering. My personal favorites were the Italian and French; although being a Paris and Venice die-hard makes me biased.

Every evening, we would meet our hosts at the Piano Bar for Cocktails and conversation. The entertainment varied nightly at each resort. At Breezes Grand Resort and Spa we enjoyed watching a fire-eater & a man who could balance absolutely anything on his head, including a beach lounger. Needless to say we left in awe. Hedonism II had us singing Sweet Caroline and Red Red Wine for days on end; The incredible dinner and conversation at Runaway Bay with Franklyn Eaton – General Manager, Amoi Leon – Director of Sales, Shane Beeker – Sales Coordinator and Patricia Clarke – Wedding Coordinator, stimulated our senses. So much so that we completely forgot about going out to catch the shows and dancing that even the locals come over to enjoy. Rio Bueno had us singing and dancing all night with Tamika Higgins – Director of Sales and Sheryl McKoy Thompson – Wedding Coordinator, followed by a Pajama Party and late night Pizza to keep us smiling. However, the ultimate entertainment came the first night in Negril when our very own, Renee Richards won the grand prize by going through a series of challenges dreamt up by the hilarious MC.  

 The ultimate fulfillment came to us in the form of children the day before we left. Organized by Breezes Rio Bueno’s Public Relations Director, Burchell Henry, we took a bus to one of the Early Childhood Education Schools, where we met some of the sweetest and most beautiful children. We were honoured to gift the children new Books, Candy, Clothing and school items like Playdoh, Stickers and Pencils, and they showered us with big smiles, laughter and many, many hugs.  Jamaica, although a beautiful Island, has pockets of poverty.   Superclubs have put their humanitarian foot forward to help the less fortunate. Burchell Henry has made it his mission to help provide to Nursing Homes, Pediatric Hospital units and Schools. I can speak for the whole WPIC group in saying it was the most humbling experience we’ve ever had.

Overall, our five days of truly getting to know the resorts, their staff, each other and having an amazing leader in Steve Koth direct our visit, was nothing short of fabulous. From the remarkable beaches at Breezes Grand Resort and Spa in Negril, the All Ages fun-filled resort at Breezes Trelawny complete with a Circus School and Waterpark; the Awesome infinity pool, 18-hole Golf Course and Plunge Pools at Runaway Bay; the  9-Whole Golf Course, beautiful Oceanside Pool, and Plantation themed Breezes Rio Bueno; and the Blue Mahoe Spa and 24-hour Gym facilities at all the properties; I would not only recommend Superclubs, I am already planning my own vacation.