Sandals Resorts Intercontinental (SRI)’s $230 million program to broaden its substantial all-inclusive vacation resort holdings throughout Jamaica, built formal in a May well 26 groundbreaking ceremony, represents a powerful vote of confidence for the state and Caribbean tourism following the pandemic-driven vacation shutdown.
Adam Stewart, SRI’s executive chairman, unveiled information of the system at the ceremony, at which he introduced the Sandals Dunn’s River task, which features the re-development of the Sandals Dunn’s River lodge house and the development of an adjacent Sandals Royal Dunn’s River vacation resort.
Advertising
Trending Now
Stewart explained SRI is also launching a $250 million renovation of its new Seashores Runaway Bay Resort in Ocho Rios. At the ceremony, he referred to as the sweeping vacation resort initiative a “commitment to [SRI’s] broader enlargement strategies in its household region.”
Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s tourism minister, additional SRI “has been one particular of the key players in Jamaica’s tourism sector for a lot of years, and we are pleased they will be expanding their existence in the location.”
Bartlett included, “The acquisition and growth of 3 new [SRI] attributes in Ocho Rios is but one more illustration of the substantial investments we are seeing in Jamaica that will enrich our tourism infrastructure, boost our offerings and eventually position prospects for our employees.”
Stewart said SRI officers banked on the Caribbean’s inherent organic magnificence and partaking cultures as a dependable attract for people coming out of the pandemic. He noted SRI never ever halted its countrywide television promoting as the pandemic progressed.
“This illustrates the self-confidence we have usually had as a family in the Caribbean,” he reported Wednesday in an interview with TravelPulse. “When Sandals exhibits that assurance it sends a really robust signal to buyers in the region.” He reported the Jamaica job will create 2,100 construction work at Sandals Dunn’s River and 1,300 lasting lodge positions.
“Sandals was the very first resort chain to re-open in Jamaica and inside of the Caribbean in almost each and every island we have resorts other than the Bahamas,” Stewart explained. “We’ve brought additional employees again to get the job done and far more vacationers back again to the Caribbean than any other vacation organization,” he explained.

“At Dunn’s River we purchased the resort for $30 million, and all-in there will be $230 million of development. That provides you an indicator of the sort of transformation we’re arranging,” Stewart reported. “With the Sandals Dunn’s River and Sandals Royal Dunn’s River facet by side, there will be practically nothing like it in Jamaica. We’re in the system again of using the company to the upcoming level.”
In the meantime, SRI is also expanding its footprint throughout Caribbean locations. “We are in the midst of a transformation at Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau, a $37 million renovation,” reported Stewart.
“We start out development in two months in Curacao for opening in 2022 and ideal behind that we begin building in St. Vincent for opening in Q1 2023,” Stewart explained. “So if you get the a few motels in Jamaica, the Royal Bahamian, Curacao and St. Vincent, the business is building six motels at the very same time.”
Stewart explained potential scheduling traits display that not only is 2022 hunting to be a powerful calendar year in terms of Caribbean customer expansion, but drop bookings, typically weak for generations, are more powerful for 2021 than at any time in his company’s heritage.

“We’ve developed up in a generation of folks that appreciate to travel,” Stewart stated. “There were several items to occur out of COVID very good and lousy, but 1 of the very good for positive is it reminded us how essential vacation is and leisure travel in specific.”
The loss of life previously this year of his revolutionary father has not halted the vision they shared, Stewart explained. “Even when my father was with us, we had been making final decision on shifting forward. Somewhat than likely into a lockdown, we utilized the time to seriously re-imagine anything and look at what the up coming generation of Sandals resorts would appear like.”
He additional, “My father would be smiling down right now simply because this was so substantially a section of the time we spent so all through the pandemic doing work collectively [and] wondering about this vacation resort and what we were likely to do.”
About the Author
