First, let me say that we have been to Grand Lido Negril, three times and have been to Orient Beach, St. Martin at least eight times, over the past ten years. I include this information only to establish that this trip was not our first, to a resort of this type.

I’ll start by saying that we thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Any detraction that I mention is only meant to inform and not to complain needlessly about this or that.

We flew in on Jamaica Air, from Orlando, on 1/20. We arrived in Orlando on the afternoon of the 19th.and checked into an area hotel, which is across Route 528 from the main entrance to MCO. We live about 2 hrs. away from MCO and wanted to spend the night there, rather than an extra early departure from home. There is also an added benefit by doing this. We left our car at the hotel’s parking lot, during our stay, free of charge. We took their shuttle to the airport and used it upon our return. The car was in a busy well-lit parking lot, for seven days and was still there when we returned.

The flight was about 2 hrs, and was very good. They actually served a full breakfast on Jamaican Air. Getting into the country was a breeze and we were on our shuttle to Braco within half an hour. We made the obligatory en-route stop at a “rest area”, but were at GLB and checking in, in about an hour +. Check-in was easy and we had our room by 1:00 PM. We were given room 3033, which is in the second building on the A/N side. Our room was located directly across from the A/N clubhouse. This, I thought was an added convenience. Our room was a one-bedroom suite with living room, and 1 ½ baths, on the ground floor. We had easy access to the beach and the pool area. Also, morning coffee was just a walk across the sidewalk, in the morning.

The room was adequate. By this I mean that it suited our needs but was a little run down.. Minor things, like needing painting, here and there and a noisy AC unit in the living room were noted but decidedly not an issue. The maid service was excellent.

After getting settled we went immediately to the pool. We grabbed some lounges and had lunch. The pool area is wonderful. By this, I mean that it is beautifully designed. The pool is very large and its free-formed edge allows for more people to be comfortable at poolside than a standard rectangle one.

We had made dinner reservations, via e-mail, prior to our arrival. For our first night, we ate in the Japanese Restaurant. We had a wonderful meal and were entertained at the same time. After dinner we made it back to our room, and got into our togas. The material they supplied was a satin-like material and they were generous with it. We went to our room and got togaized. The party was fairly well attended and we had fun. The girl who won the best toga, tied some thin strips of fabric onto her body, which covered a few strategic places, although I could not see the knot. Soon after the best toga was announced, the party broke up.

The next and succeeding days were pretty much the same. Pool or beach during the day and dinner and some sort of party afterward. The restaurants changed, each night, and I still maintain that the Japanese one was the best. Overall, I thought that the food at GLB was adequate. I didn’t think the French restaurant was as good as the one in GLN and a far cry from any French restaurant in St. Martin. However, we didn’t go to GLB for the cuisine. If I want great food, any large city will provide a host of restaurants to suit our needs. We wanted a nude beach, on a tropical island with a safe and fun environment and GLB fulfilled this.
I had read several reports on this and other boards, regarding several disappointments at GLB. I even contacted our travel agent and express my concerns. I was advised that the resort was in great shape and I was not to worry. Does the resort need some work? Yes. The pool area most noticeably needs attention. The pool surface itself needs refinishing and so does the pool deck. Did it affect our vacation? No. As I mentioned before, the rooms could benefit from some updating, mostly re-painting and bathroom up-grading. Other than that they were fine. I look at it this way, I’m here on vacation, and I’m not looking to buy the place.

The food, as I stated earlier, was adequate. I’ll explain. The breakfasts, at Victoria’s Market, were fine. The food was plentiful and varied. The lunches at the A/N bar were less appealing, after a few days. The lunch was always similar to the previous days, in that it was comprised of roasted chicken, roasted pork and beans with rice. The chicken and the pork were usually dry and overcooked. I found that the best bet was the lamb chops, which were cooked on a grill right at the A/N bar. Just watch those flying embers, at a nude pool. The dinners were disappointing at the French restaurant and the pasta place. When I have to put on a jacket to go to a restaurant, in the Caribbean, I expect great food and service. The service was great but the food arrived barely warm and was unimpressive.

The most impressive thing, for me, was the people at the resort. As I said, I have been to Jamaica on prior trips. Maybe it’s the Negril area or me. I detected a surly attitude from most of the help at Negril. There is no such animal at GLB. Each and every person that I encountered was most pleasant and even genuinely nice. Everyone from the management personnel to the busboys and everyone in-between, were great.

The end result was that we enjoyed our stay at GLB and we will return again.