Sandals takes Beaches to St Vincent
Published:Monday | July 27, 2020 | 12:19 AMJanet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Four years after being courted by the St Vincent and the Grenadines government, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) will operate its first Beaches Resorts in that island, having acquired the former five-star Buccament Bay Spa Resort.
St Vincent is the Jamaican hotel chain’s eighth island in the Caribbean, and the brand’s newest destination.
SRI acquired the facility which has been closed since 2016, as a result of a failed development; and will completely transform the resort as part of its award-winning family-friendly Beaches brand in Jamaica and Turks and Caicos, said a press release from the hotel chain.
In an Instagram post on the weekend, Sandals deputy chairman, Adam Stewart, said in 2016 he was invited to St Vincent and the Grenadines on a fact-finding mission by Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves, who at the time of the invitation was minister of economic planning.
Ecstatic
“I am ecstatic about what’s ahead between this beautiful chain of islands, its people and our great company,” he announced to his close to 49,000 followers on the social media platform.
His father, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, founder and chairman of the brand that has been the leading luxury all-inclusive resort throughout the region, described the investment in St Vincent and its captivating people as not only compelling, but a natural next step for continued expansion within the Eastern Caribbean.
Sandals has already stamped its mark in the islands of Barbados, Grenada and St Lucia. “We are champions of growth for the Eastern Caribbean, and it has remained at the forefront of our expansion strategy,” said Stewart.
“Expanding into a brand new destination ushers in the tremendous opportunity for new and existing team members to experience a whole new way of life and professional growth path. The minute our customers land in St Vincent, they will be enchanted with its magnificence. The resort hugs the Caribbean Sea and is nestled within a lush mountain range and neighbouring rainforest. Best of all, it’s only a short drive from the newly constructed Argyle International Airport.”
The agreement, which has been in the works for nearly a year, will bring Beaches Resorts to the archipelago chain known as the ‘Jewels of the Caribbean.’ “The resort will undergo extensive reimagination and renovations,” stated Adam Stewart.
He added that each time SRI expands, they bring the full potential of 40 years in hospitality, the creation of new jobs and skill sets through their Corporate University; the on-the-ground work of Sandals Foundation, dedicated airlift and comprehensive global marketing campaigns that always follow.
“As we look to the future, this growth stands for tremendous possibility,” he assured.