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Couples Negril, Swept Away celebrate 20 years

Published:Monday | October 8, 2018 | 12:00 AMJanet Silvera
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Janet Silvera
Rob Christman (left) and Jeff Litwin partied like rock stars.
Janet Silvera
From left: Kedean Clarke, Sous Chef; Karen Lanigan, general manager, Couples Swept Away, and Mimi Crawford, gift shop manager, Couples Swept Away.
Janet Silvera
Abigail Rothery (left) and Shanice Plummer took the dance floor at the 20th anniversary for Couples Swept Away.
Janet Silvera
From left: Lee Issa, chairman of Couples Resorts, shares lens with Paula Orzech and her husband John.
Janet Silvera
Glenn Lawrence (left), CEO of Couples Resorts and Michael Lake, financial controller at Couples Swept Way, sharing in a laugh.
Janet Silvera
Susan White shares lens with husband Richard.
Janet Silvera
From left: Matthew Forbes , Kimmodi Wright and Densville Lawson parted the dance floor to show off their moves at Couples Swept Away on Friday night.
Janet Silvera
From left: Brenda Christoforatos poses with Tyrone Aguillard and Jaci Bennett.
Janet Silvera
Beth Wachter and George Moseley share a romantic moment at Couples Swept Away on Friday night.
Janet Silvera
Abraham Issa, COO, Couples Resorts, is sandwiched between wife Francesca (left) and Sharon Wallace.
Janet Silvera
Yia and Mary Yang take a quick pose for our camera.
Janet Silvera
Christian Cavalcante shares lens with wife Larin.
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Negril-based sister hotels Couples Negril and Couples Swept Away celebrated their 20th anniversary in true Jamaican style last weekend.

The resorts, which are renowned for their ecological prowess, their huge percentage of repeat guests, and humanitarian work in Negril, ramped up the ante.

Friday night at Swept Away was the more relaxed of the nights, with elegant dining and soft music. But Saturday night's open-air affair, was destined for much frolic, with an acrobatic show, led by Negril group Soul Dynamics; the big highlight being the pouring of champagne from bottles held aloft by female acrobats who swung from beams and crossbars above.

Those activities were cut short when the heavens opened and the showers poured. As guests scurried out of the rain to the dining room, the Jamaica Philharmonic Orchestra put on a show which made everyone forget the raindrops bearing down outside.

Operator of Couples Resorts Lee Issa and his wife, Jane, were their usual relaxed self, and prior to the downpour, mingled among celebrants who offered their well wishes. Issa said the longevity of the two hotels says a lot about the calibre and worth of Jamaican hotel brands to the nation's tourism industry and other sectors in the tourism value chain.

"As a Jamaican-owned and operated resort group, we are still around and we cannot afford to sell out our patrimony to all these overseas international corporations. So we are here for the long haul and this is our 20st anniversary and we hope to be here on our 40th anniversary," he said.

He said the resorts' authenticity extends throughout the properties, from the furniture and bedroom accessories to the gift shops, where items made in Jamaica by local artisans abound.

"My wife tends to like to deal with the local artisans and to use as much local products in the final design of our resorts. In short, we are a Jamaican family-owned and operated all-inclusive resort for couples, and we want to give people an authentic experience when they come to our resorts - that they feel they are in Jamaica enjoying the food, the culture and the architecture, and also the furniture and the interior look," he explained.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com