John Kato Review of The Breezes Resort & Spa
My Wife and I spent 8 glorious days at Breezes fro...
My Wife and I spent 8 glorious days at Breezes from 8 Dec-15 Dec (2018). I am normally very critical of "all-inclusives" - there is, in my experience, a wide spectrum of quality in this category.
Breezes, while not a 5-Star Resort, comes in at a 3.5 in my books. To start, we went during "low season", so resort maintenance staff were literally undergoing upgrading construction around us. And, I mean LITERALLY around us! The entire hallway that we stayed at had wide-open doors, displaying the busying work of painters and other craftspersons. At times, the smell of fresh paint was overwhelming -- but this was a very brief sensation and none filtered into our suite. We had a Deluxe Patio Gardenview room and there was a (mostly) private patio with table, chairs and hammock for our exclusive use!
The bathroom of our room was most definitely recently re-done and very modern and spacious. The suction on the toilet was very impressive and quite powerful!
That said, the balance of our room was quite dated and certainly ready for a serious touch-up. The large, oversized bed's mattress was exceptionally comfortable. Most importantly, the room's air conditioner was most adequate and silent.
The resort is quite vast and there is, in my opinion, a lot of wasted space with multiple empty areas. Unfortunately, one must pass through these areas to gain access to the dining area. Remember, we were there in the off-season, so, possibly these empty areas are actually used during prime time.
Now, onto what defines an all-inclusive: the food. All three meals can be adequately serviced via the main buffet dining area. Surprisingly, while the actual count of dishes is relatively small, there is an exceptional effort on rotating the variety of dishes that one doesn't tire of the buffet that regularly occurs at most all-inclusives.
There are also three separate restaurants at the resort that offer an upgraded experience. To note, all three of these additional eateries are included in your accommodation.
The first, an Italian restaurant, is my personal favourite. Staffed by well-trained wait-staff, the service here is spectacular! Better yet, the caliber of food is absolutely heavenly. A tip: have the steak -- it will be cooked to your taste and you will not regret the decision. That said, the appetiser, a self-serve style antepasto selection was far too oily for my refined palate. Other than that, the balance of the meal was spectacular.
Next, we tried the Garden of Eden. This, clearly, was designed for romantic couples, as each "secluded" booth was for two. Unfortunately, you sit on a regular couch and the distance to the dining table is extremely disproportionate. I had to sit on a couple of sturdy cushions to come close to the table. The atmosphere and service was very pretentious. The food was adequate, although, I must admit, that the large serving of fish was perfectly cooked. Beyond that, our neighbours clearly had plenty to drink that day and the gentleman was loud and constantly referred to scatilogical terms - not endearing in my books.
The final separate restaurant is only open one day a week and was a Japanese-fusion menu. I mention "fusion" because none of the selections were solely Japanese in the culinary sense of the notion.
Now... what many crave: the bar(s). Most of my experience was the pool deck bar which is open until 1800. There were always more bartenders than patrons, but many of those staff were quite complacent and slow to want to serve. That said, when I found a couple of my favourite bartenders, the relationship was quite spiritual. A couple of tips when dealing with the bars at this resort: (1) bring your own tumbler or insulated large mug. They only supply tiny plastic cups that serve perhaps 3 or 4 mouthfuls. So, having your own 22oz+ vessel will most assuredly please you. (2) ask for whatever you're drinking as "strong" -- they will fill your tumbler with extra, extra liqueur (sometimes as much as 50% of the cup). Otherwise, you'll get one simple ounce of the hard stuff.
Comments: