Sandals Dunn’s River and Beaches St. Vincent among developments opening soon

2023 is set to be another big year for Sandals Resorts International with booming occupancy rates and many projects in the pipeline. Notably, Sandals Dunn’s River — a property that used to be part of its portfolio decades ago — is on track for a grand opening on May 24 as a completely new concept with innovative features and amenities. 

“It’s going to be spectacular. For those who remember what it used to look like, you’ll see elements of it that you’ll understand because the buildings are still the buildings, but they don’t look the same, the features and amenities, every restaurant concept is brand new,” Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International, told Travel Courier. “It has one of the biggest, most sophisticated spas we’ve ever built. We built our first SkyPool suites in Jamaica at Dunn’s River.”

Another new addition is the brand’s first-ever BLŪM café — “an acronym of bloom and Blue Mountain” — serving up coffee from the region, along with Japanese-style and nitro cold brews. Sustainability wise, all of the water coming into the property is mineral water from Dunn’s River.

“Everything is curated, high touch. It will be a signal of the next generation of what’s coming from Sandals. [Sandals Dunn’s River] is very personal to those of us who worked with my dad for years because this was his last project,” he shared about the late Gordon “Butch” Stewart, the founder of Sandals Resorts International. “When he couldn’t walk hotels and run around in hotels in 2020 [because of the pandemic], he was sitting in a room playing with drawings and we took all of his mastery and advance and made it even more aggressive in his style.”

Meanwhile, new villa products are coming soon to Beaches Negril in Jamaica, offering a range of three and four bedroom family accommodations with 3,700 square feet. 

“They have private chefs (available upon request), private butlers, private management teams like boutique resorts in the resort,” he said. “It’s the first of its kind for the brand — private pools, terraces on the top floor, telescopes overlooking Seven Mile Beach in Negril. It is an unmatched product, frankly anywhere in the Caribbean but certainly for Jamaica.”

The new Firesky Reserve Villas and Eventide Penthouse Collection are set to open on April 6 for a total of 12 expansive butler suites. 

Also in Jamaica, the French Village at Sandals South Coast is undergoing a transformation. 

Another major project in the works is Beaches St. Vincent, located on the main island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, offering both black and white sand beaches. 

“We haven’t announced a date yet but it will likely be Q4, 2024. That is a magical, magical piece of real estate,” he said. “It’s set on 50 acres, has a river on it to put our over-the-water bungalows. It will be the biggest rooms we’ve ever built by size across the board. And it has more standalone villas than any other hotel we’ve ever developed.” 

As for bookings, Stewart said the travel agent distribution channel represents 60% of its business in Canada.

“Travel agents are booming. It is the fastest growth channel for us as a brand,” he shared. “Travel agents for us have had the fastest recovery and growth is huge — double digits. In 2022, we were up over 50% in travel agent business over 2019 and 2023 is pacing about 25% over that already.” 

Specifically for the Canadian market, travel agent business in Canada is up 42% from last year and tracking upwards of 30% this year. 

“We had our best year in occupancy and daily rates in 2022. On record, 2019 was our best year on record, and we surpassed 2019 in 2022,” he added. 

Stewart said one of the experiences that’s resonating well with Canadians is the opportunity to dine offsite at local restaurants during a stay at Sandals Royal Curaçao for no additional cost in certain room categories as part of its Island Inclusive concept. 

“It’s now rolling in the Bahamas and it’s going to be rolling out on other islands,” he said. “That’s like the next generation of inclusivity and engagement in the community. It’s a different level of experience and immersion.”  

Looking to the future, Stewart said travel advisors can expect lots of exciting announcements. 

“We’re always hunting for new destinations but in the drawing books right now we’re working quietly on seven, maybe eight hotels, that we haven’t announced when they’re going to come and what they’re going to be, but they’re actively being worked on. You’re going to see back-to-back, over the next five years, new Sandals and Beaches products coming on. Quite a bit more over-the-water product coming in multiple jurisdictions, in different forms than we’re doing today.”