Even though overdue, I thought I would share our observations of the new Breezes Rio Bueno (Grand Lido Braco) from our stay 29 May -1 Jun 10. This was just a quick trip as we transitioned to another resort following this stay. We have always enjoyed this resort for the enthusiastic and friendly employees, the outstanding lamb chops, and the premier au naturel facilities. We, as many of you, were concerned the rebranding would negatively affect the resort. This was our third trip to Braco so we did have two previous data points to compare and contrast.

We stayed on the au naturel side (Braco Village) and were surprised to see at check-in they provided bracelets for those guests booked in the village. They became the topic of conversation during our stay because it appeared the sole purpose of the bracelets were to identify you as a “nudie” to the other guests. Most residents of the Village elected not to wear their ID bracelets beyond the first 24 hours or after receiving quizzical looks from other guests at their first meal. It also appeared if you booked a suite on the textile side, you were allowed access to Braco Village as a perk.

Aesthetically, the resort is the same. The grounds are still beautiful. Multiple areas of the resort still require a facelift/paint. Wayne (au naturel bar) is still one of the most cheerful and outstanding bartenders on the island. He continually goes above and beyond to make your stay enjoyable and it was a treat when he and his staff appeared to be as happy to see us as we were to see them.

Okay, on to the review. First and most importantly, [color:"red"]THERE WERE NO LAMBCHOPS DURING OUR STAY.[/color] <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> It is really rather silly but they are ~20% of the reason we return. Other guests informed us they had not been available all week and the company line was the violence in Kingston had affected their ability to get supplies. We spoke to many employees and there was a rumor the low occupancy that week was a determinant on the Breezes choosing to purchase lamb chops for the week. You make the call…

Breezes has erected a silly security booth just past the gym to ensure unauthorized guests do not enter the village. This booth is manned 24/7 with security personnel. They may ask you if you are a resident of the village, but I did not see them deter anyone. Also, if you are familiar with the resort’s layout, you will know this booth is easily circumvented by simply walking along the ocean onto the au naturel beach. Many textile guests chose this approach in lieu of spending the ridiculous $85/day per person to enjoy the Braco Village facilities. We were also disappointed to see the “clothing police” were not as vigilant as we have observed in the past. There are many discussions about au naturel vs. clothing optional, regardless of your opinion, the facilities at Breezes are SUPPOSED to be au naturel. Throughout our stay we saw both men and women enjoying the beach in various stages of dress. This included board shorts for men, thongs for women, or a full bikini swimsuit for one lady. I recall our first visit to Braco, DW was not on the beach for more than 10 minutes before the clothing police “reminded” her of the rules, and asked her to comply or leave. This is an area, IMHO, Breezes must address.

Other quick hits.

Food was a C+. I had seafood pasta one evening and was dismayed to see imitation crab meat. I also now know why they call shrimp shrimp…

Bottled water is only available in Braco Village, not the Textile side.

As was rumored the complimentary spa services are a thing of the past.

The bar at the far end of the resort is no longer 24 hours and room service is handled out of the Braco Village kitchen.

A guest’s safe was breached during our stay. They were not overwhelmed with management’s handling of the situation…

Its 2010 people, do you really expect me to pay $20 a day for Wi-Fi in the lobby?!? Especially, at the rates Breezes charges to stay at Braco Village?!? Gimme a break.

Finally, and arguably this may be nitpicky but…Is it too much to ask for two-ply toilet paper at a “premium” resort? Obviously it is…

Overall, we did enjoy our stay. If you go, remember to bring Deet (bug spray) as the sand fleas ate DW alive. We had forgotten about this. We met some great folks (as always) and played some fun and spirited games of water volleyball. At this price point there are other attractive options to spend our vacation dollars. Will we return? Probably. We still have not found anywhere on the island that delivers the best of both worlds as Braco does. For the beach enthusiast, the expansive au naturel beach is tough to beat. For the more social or pool enthusiast, the large au naturel pool is the best I’ve seen on the Island.
Anything I missed, feel free to ask!

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