Sandals Resorts

Properties

As of 2023, Sandals operated 18 resorts:

Jamaica

• Sandals Dunn’s River in Ocho Rios
• Sandals Montego Bay in Montego Bay
• Sandals Negril in Negril
• Sandals Ochi in Ocho Rios
• Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay
• Sandals Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios
• Sandals South Coast in White House

Saint Lucia

• Sandals Grande St. Lucian in Gros Islet
• Sandals Halcyon Beach in Castries
• Sandals Regency La Toc in Castries

Bahamas

• Sandals Emerald Bay in Great Exuma (Closed since August 15, 2024 to undergo renovations and rebranding)
• Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau

Barbados

• Sandals Barbados in Saint Lawrence Gap
• Sandals Royal Barbados in Saint Lawrence Gap

Antigua

• Sandals Grande Antigua in St. John's

Curaçao

• Sandals Royal Curaçao in Santa Barbara

Grenada

• Sandals Grenada in St. George's

Saint Vincent

• Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in Buccament near Kingstown

Leadership

Adam Stewart is the Executive Chairman of SRI. Stewart became Chairman upon the death of his father Gordon "Butch" Stewart, the founder of SRI, on January 4, 2021. Gebhard Rainer was the CEO of SRI till June 2024.

History

In 1981 Gordon "Butch" Stewart purchased an old hotel (the Bay Roc Hotel) on one of Montego Bay's largest beaches, despite having no hotel experience and opened it as Sandals Montego Bay. In 1984, Sandals launched the Caribbean's first swim-up bar at its Montego Bay Resort in Jamaica. In March 2009, Stewart launched The Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of SRI.

Sandals Corporate University (SCU) - a regional adult education program for the 10,000 employees of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts - was launched in March 2012. Through partnerships with internationally recognized universities, professional organizations, and local education institutions, SCU provides courses on skills such as customer service, leadership, the art of selling, and professional communications.

On December 1, 2016, Sandals opened Caribbean’s first overwater villas, at the Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay.

In 2025, Hurricane Melissa forced the closure of all of Sandals's hotels. Five, Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Negril, Sandals Ochi, Sandals Royal Plantation, and Beaches Negril, would reopen in December of that year.

Controversies

Policy on gay couples

Due to the laws in the countries in which they operate, the company had a policy dating from 1981 that could not allow same-sex couples into their "couples-only" resorts. The policy was variously stated by characterizing the accommodations as "resort for couples only." In various Caribbean islands, a couple is defined as "one female adult and one male adult", "policies require male/female couples only", or "couples of the same gender are not accepted." This policy received a great deal of publicity when stays at their resorts were offered as prizes in various promotions by companies such as Microsoft, Yahoo!, and US Airways in 1999. Later reports indicated that some resorts also made no accommodations for people with disabilities, prompting the ACLU to opine that companies offering Sandals stays as prizes, or otherwise doing business with Sandals resorts, might be the targets of lawsuits. The companies involved promptly severed their relationships with Sandals, stating they were unaware of its discriminatory practices. Adverts for the company were banned from the London Underground in 2003 after public objections were raised. One possible cause for this policy may have been that homosexuality was illegal in Jamaica. Sandals ended its policy of refusing service to gay couples in August 2004 after further protest.

Corruption allegation settlement

In January 2013, the government of Turks and Caicos Islands and Sandals agreed to a settlement of US$12 million around local corruption allegations, without admission of any liability.

References

References

1. "SANDALS® Caribbean Beach Resorts: Compare All Resorts".
2. (2021-05-26). "Sandals® Resorts International Unveils Plans For Three New Resorts In Jamaica".
3. Resource, Hotel News. "Sandals Resorts International Purchases Four Seasons In Great Exuma, Bahamas".
4. "Sandals Resorts Announces Expansion to Curaçao".
5. "What to Know About the New Dutch Caribbean All-Inclusive Resort Sandals Royal Curaçao".
6. (2020-07-22). "Sandals Is Opening a Beaches Resort in St Vincent".
7. Zellinski, Andrea. (June 12, 2024). "Gebhard Rainer is leaving Sandals to lead the HX expedition cruise line". Travel Weekly.
8. "History of Sandals Resorts International – FundingUniverse".
9. Claire Ballentine. (4 October 2019). "Love It or Hate It, the Swim-Up Bar Isn't Going Anywhere". Bloomberg.
10. Evans, Hope. "Sandals Foundation Now a Reality". Jamaica Gleaner.
11. Linda Hohnholz. (27 May 2020). "Sandals Corporate University: Higher Education with a Higher Purpose". eTurboNews.
12. (2017-01-11). "The Caribbean's First Overwater Bungalows Are Here—After 50 Years in the Making".
13. McCarthy, Daniel. (2025-12-07). "Sandals Reopens Five Jamaica Resorts Weeks After Hurricane Melissa".
14. "Gay rights travel flap snares Microsoft, Yahoo".
15. JA. "The Microsoft & US Airways Anti-Gay Sweepstakes Controversy - February 1999 - complete information, press releases, screen captures".
16. Muir, Hugh. (June 5, 2003). "Tube bans 'anti-gay' holiday firm adverts". The Guardian.
17. Zezima, Katie. (October 24, 2004). "TRAVEL ADVISORY; Sandals Resorts Ends Single-Sex Policy". The New York Times.
18. (23 January 2013). "US helps Turks and Caicos recoup millions from Sandals Resort". [[The Miami Herald]].
19. (22 May 2013). "BUTCH STEWART SPEAKS OUT". Turks & Caicos Sun.
20. (24 May 2013). "MAJOR CHANGES TO BEACHES DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT". [[Suntv]].