What’s Happening At Couples Resorts
While its vacation time for many, all is still busy behind the scenes at Couples Resorts. There’s a lot going on this summer including continued preparations for our annual Tennis Fantasy Camp, our first trip to the Food & Wine Classic and our newest initiative, the Issa Trust Foundation. It’s all here, so read on.

Couples Swept Away Tennis Fantasy Camp
The planning continues for the 2nd Annual Tennis Fantasy Camp, which is set for October 6-9, 2005. There are limited spots for this three day tennis extravaganza, so book now to ensure you get a chance to play with the pros at Couples Swept Away. Luke and Murphy Jensen, Brenda Schultz-McCarthy and Lori McNeil will teach you the secrets to strengthening your serve and perfecting that backhand.

Click HERE for details and pictures from last year's event!

Contact C & H Events at 561-394-9190 for additional Tennis Fantasy Camp information and registration.


Food & Wine Classic in Aspen
Ulyses Davis, breakfast cook at Couples Ocho Rios’ and Randy Russell, Couples Resorts Chief Romance Officer and Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, represented Couples at the 23rd Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, June 10-12. Couples partnered with Grace Foods for a booth in the Grand Tasting Pavilion where Randy and Ulyses served 7,000 portions of authentic jerk chicken on hard dough bread, (courtesy of Royal Caribbean Bakery NYC) throughout five general tasting sessions and two private tasting sessions.

Every taster also received the secret recipe for jerk chicken, which we’ve now made available to you, our loyal guests, if you click on the ‘Cooking Corner’ link in the left hand column. Also, more information on Ulyses, who has been with us at COR for 20 years, is available in our new Staff Spotlight section of the newsletter.


Issa Trust Foundation
Couples Resorts has newly formed the Issa Trust Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to accept donations of cash, medical and educational supplies, to be distributed to various Jamaican hospitals, schools and associations.

All three Couples Resorts are heavily involved with charities on-island, and the Issa Trust Foundation will be the central donation point. The foundation has secured a Federal ID number that will enable all donations to be an approved federal tax deduction in the US. Cash donations as well as various medical machines, including an x-ray machine for the Port Maria Hospital, have already been obtained. Additionally, a partnership with Trans Iowa through Five Oaks Charters has been secured and one with UPS is currently under discussion.

Randy Russell is the foundation’s Chairman, Annette Cavanaugh as Vice-Chair, Diane Pollard as Vice President and Melissa Trench as Secretary, complete the current board of directors. For additional information or to make donations please contact Melissa Trench at 305.668.0008 x207 or Melissa@couples.com.


Personnel Announcements
At Couples Swept Away, Nadia Gibbs has been promoted to Executive Assistant Manager after almost five years at the resort as Sales Manager. She will now work directly with the General and Operations Manager to handle the daily operations of the resort while being directly responsible for the Sales & Public Relations Department, Entertainment/Guests Relations Department and Front Office & Reservations Department. She will also oversee the implementation of systems for improvement of service and product, maintaining standards and identification of needs for guests and team members’ comfort.

Finally, we’d like to officially welcome Specialty Chef Sathien Doungmanee
to Swept Away. Doungmanee hails all the way from Bangkok, Thailand and brings his authentic recipes and cooking expertise to Lemongrass, Couples Swept Away’s new Thai restaurant. Our guests can’t stop raving about this new culinary delight and the Pad Thai is not to be missed.



Bon apetit!