Secrets Capri vs. Excellence

[JackieMRP]

No, it's probably not obvious to most !! Au Natural (nude)/Clothing Optional !! The Lidos have both a textile side (w/ beach area & pool) AND an AN (GLB) or CO (GLN). We've only used the AN/CO facilities during the day at the Lidos, but at night the restaurants are all on the textile side. I think that of the 2, GL Negril is more relaxing & elegant (& it's a bit more expensive too). Overall, we thought the food was a little bit better at GLN & the rooms are a little nicer (more recently redone) at GLN.

My friends joke that I should quit my job & become a travel agent, but it probably wouldn't be fun anymore if I HAD to look into all this & especially if I had to do it for OTHER ppl besides myself !! (Plus, I'd lose my 4 weeks paid vacation & then how would I be able to go to all these places !! )

Last time we were at SEPC, we walked down to the Sirenis a few times & that was a really nice walk. However, you mentioned the dirty "f" word (Family resort) !! YIKES !!!!

[tancouple1]

how did braco compare to the mexico secrets

[nhplgrm]

Well that's a new one for me.....textile resort vs. a clothing optional...WOW...and I thought I was fairly "hip"...guess I'm not...LOL have to share that one with my marketing class! Thanks so much for the info. jackie. I don't think we'd be comfortable there! No one would want to see us prancing around in our all together...kind of makes me laugh thinking of us lilly white new englanders prancing around in our birthday suit. YOWSA! guess I'll keep to Secrets...with my bathing suit on.

Yeah..it is a "dirty word" but we braved the Iberostar in LaRomana last year and it was ok...actually the kids were better behaved than some of the rowdy adults! WE met more people too...so I'd say there are ups and downs to both. Would like to hear what you thought of the resort itself though...as the pics. look very nice and it's only a stone's throw away from sister property Secrets. Wonder which way it is north or south along the beach....hmmmm

[JackieMRP]

tancouple,

It's really kind of hard to compare GLB w/ SC & SERC.

Jamaica & Mexico are so different (we love both, though). The workers in Mexico (& the DR too) can run circles around the Jamaican workers !! It is such a slower pace in Jamaica, but you just have to slow yourself down & adjust to that.

We thought that the food at SC was better than any resort we've ever been to; but we like the Grand Lido food better than SERC. The beaches at SC & SERC are nicer in that you can walk a long ways in either direction. At GLB you can't take those long beach walks. All 3 resorts have 24 hour room service. The Grand Lidos both have a few club houses on the property that are also open 24 hours (w/ bar service & food service--same as room service menu).

Very generally speaking, we've noticed that you tend to get a little bit different type of crowd at Lido vs. Secrets, probably due to the higher Lido price tag. We also notice more honeymooners at the Secrets resorts than at the Lidos, once again, possibly due to the cost.

OK, that's all I can come up w/ for now. Feel free to ask more !!

Jackie

Originally Posted by tancouple1

how did braco compare to the mexico secrets

[JackieMRP]

ngplgrm,
I think that you may have misunderstood me... The Grand Lido resorts have 2 separate sides to them as far as beach/pool areas. Both GL Negril & GL Braco have a textile pool/beach area AND a nude pool/beach area. You could actually go to either resort & never even know that there is a nude side at all, since all the restaurants, shops, reception.... are on the textile side. Especially at GLB, where the nude facilities are tucked away on one side of the resort. I also thought I wouldn't be comfortable in that setting, but I was surprised at how quickly I did become comfortable w/ that !! And how quickly you realize that no one cares how you look !! You actually don't see many under-40 couples (at 35, we're one of the younger crowd !! ).

One of our few non-Adults Only resorts was actually an Iberostar !! IB* Tucan/Quetzal in Playacar. That was a beautiful resort w/ a neat jungle-like setting. We lucked out and only saw a few kids (probably due to the time of year we went -- early May), who were pretty well behaved. We've just gotten so used to Adults Only that it would be hard to not do that. Unfortunately, our A.O. options are rather limited, so we may have to break down one of these trips !!

I'll try to walk down & see the new Sunscape in May (I'll try to remember to bring my good ole camera w/ me too !! ). When we were there in Jan 2004 & driving down the road on the way to Secrets, you could see the new construction on the Sunscape (south of Secrets).

Jackie

[nhplgrm]

ahhhhh...well that sounds alot less like a nudist colony; and more like what we saw in the DR. Yes; you're right we did get used to it quite quickly although...well let's just forget it...the visuals weren't always so great on the beach...LOL I guess we Americans are guilty of being a bit prude however it is nice to know before one vacations there.

I looked all through your pics of Grand Lido and for sure it looks very nice however I like your Secrets pics the best and boy they were great! I'd love to see your pics of Sunscape The Beach if you remember but walking that fantastic beach and noone around you might just forget "the ole" camera...I would understand. I remember a lone mule and two Dominican boys riding along the beach with great big smiles and an even bigger "hola" what a site it was! Can't wait to hear what you thought of the Sunscape...I think we are very much alike in taste.

I've heard the IBTucan/Quetzal is very nice....and have to say that the IB in LaRomana is also beautiful but a smaller property than the Quetzal.

Thank you again...
nhplgrm

p.s. have you heard anything about the Grand Palladium in Playa area...been looking at pics and doing research..they have an adults only section now...hmmmmmmmm

[JackieMRP]

nhplgrm,
No, I have not heard anything about the Grand Palladium; I know that I've seen posts about it, but I haven't read any of them.

Yeah, my pics of the Lidos just can't capture the atmosphere & feeling while we are there. SEPC has great photo ops w/ that fantastic beach & all those palm trees !!

I'll do my best to get pics of the Sunscape. Wow, such pressure on a vacation !!

Jackie

[JackieMRP]

Well, nhplgrm,if you're still out there reading this board, I'm going to have to disappoint you...... We never made it down the beach as far as the new Sunscape. We made it to just before the Sirenis so my husband & our friend could book their deep sea fishing trip. If it hadn't rained EVERY day (of the 9 days) we were there, we may have ventured over that way again, but, it's just no fun walking on the beach in the POURING rain !! Our shuttle back to the airport actually stopped at the new Sunscape to pick up some passengers & one couple took forever to get out to the shuttle, so I would have had plenty of time for some pics if I had known how long they were going to take (but, then again, it was of course pouring rain then so I couldn't have gotten any pool pics anyway !! ) Anyway, the lobby was absolutely HUGE & looked very nice !!

Jackie

[nhplgrm]

Hey there Jackie...I sure do appreciate your trying. At least you saw where Sunscape is located!....how far down the beach from Serinis do you figure it is?

I'm sorry that you had rain all 9 days...that's a bummer; however I'm sure you had FUN We have such great memories of our one trip to Secrets Excellence. A romantic and quiet property for some R&R at least I'm sure you had that!!!

Guess what? I booked Secrets Excellence Riviera Cancun...for August. The price went down with two free nights thrown in so how could I pass that up right??? My wife's birthday present...can't wait !!

Well thanks again for at least trying and even though you had rain I'm still envious of your 9days in paradise....

Any trip update to offer??? How was Secrets this time? Still good food and drink?

All the best...

John C.

[JackieMRP]

John,
Well, we liked SEPC about the same this time as last time. We still thought the food was pretty good, but never great (except the Chateaubriand, of course !! ). The frozen drinks were never actually frozen; they were all really liquidy. The service was still great & the workers were all friendly. This time is wasn't quite as quiet there (there was alot of yelling back & forth around the pool area) (there also seemed to be a younger crowd, maybe since it's wedding/honeymoon season).

Even w/ the rain we still managed to have fun. Luckily our friends were w/ us so we had someone to play euchre & pool... with. I really missed seeing that incredibly blue sky there. Oh well, now I'm really, really looking forward to our next vacation (to Jamaica in 11 weeks & 4 days, but who's counting !! ) !!

Gosh, I can't even guess how far past the Sirenis the Sunscape is -- I never saw it from the beach & we were talking on the van so I didn't pay attention to how past it was. I imagine that it can't be too far, though.

That's great that you're going to SERC !! That's a really nice b-day present for your wife !! Hope you enjoy it there as much as you enjoyed SEPC !!

Jackie