- Claudine Housen/Staff Photographer
The Issa family from left: Carole Issa-Cartade, Paul Issa, Suzanne Issa, Jackie Issa, Jane Issa (designer for Couples Resorts), and her hubby Lee Issa at Couples Negril's eighth anniversary celebration party, on Saturday October 7.

Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter

WESTERN BUREAU:

There was excitement and much fanfare in Negril last weekend as both Couples resorts tried to outdo each other with food and festivities in celebration of new milestones in the resort chain's history.

The weekend, which saw many of the Issa family members travelling to the capital of casual to partake in the celebrations, started off with a ribbon-cutting at Couples Swept Away Great House to officially open the hotel's latest extension.

The US$15M (J$1,005M), extension includes an 85,000 square foot establishment named 'The Great House', which houses a state-of-the-art conference room, discotheque, piano bar, three restaurants and a basement as well 172 new rooms bringing the room complement to 312.

With the formalities complete, the well-wishers then moved upstairs to enjoy cocktails, which included oysters prepared before your eyes. After sipping some bubbly and a meal in The Great House's fabulous new restaurant, the evening culminated in the new discotheque.

Before long it was Saturday and guests travelled to the nearby Couples Negril for cocktails and dinner to celebrate the hotel's eight years in operation.

Eclectic gathering

Guests enjoyed the smooth sounds of violinist José Salgara and an eclectic gathering of musicians before being ushered into the lobby where wine flutes shimmering with bubbly and an assortment of seafood delicacy waited.

Dinner came next and included some eight different stations from the simplest salad to Peking duck on dhal and lobster delicacies. And what is dinner without entertainment? Guests were treated to the internationally acclaimed L'Acadco Dance Troupe, which never failed to deliver beautifully choreographed dance works. Many guests took the dance floor to the sounds of Couples Negril's resident band, Tech Force. The ensemble had them grooving to the music until about midnight before moving the party into the hotel's disco for another two hours of sheer pleasure.

The impressive guest list included: Donahue Jarrett, Altamont Court Hotel; Richard Bourke, GM of Hedonism II; Cosmo Brown, Cosmo's Restaurant; Stephen and Linda Dear, Niall Dorian, Chief Operations Officer, Digicel Jamaica and his wife Caroline; Ralph and Donna Williams, Coyaba Restaurant & Hotel; George and Debbie Cumming, Century 21; Busha Clarke, Mathew Marzouca; Tabitha Athey, manager, Rick's Cafe; Karen Murray, Tensing Pen; Annabella and Peter Proudlock, Harmony Hall; Karen Lanigan, GM Couples Negril; Ricardo Bowleg, GM, Couples Swept Away; Pierre Battaglia, GM, Couples San Souci; Leonard Henry, GM, Couples Ocho Rios; Gary Stephens and Randy Russell.

Issa family members included: Lee Issa and wife Jane Issa, interior designer for the resorts; Paul Issa, Carole Issa-Cartade and sons, Sebastian and Oliver and Jackie and Suzanne Issa.