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Beaches is booming: Sandals team unpacks bold expansion & Jamaica revival for advisors
Michael Pihach
Michael Pihach is an award-winning journalist with a keen interest in digital storytelling. In addition to PAX, Michael has also written for CBC Life, Ryerson University Magazine, IN Magazine, and DailyXtra.ca. Michael joins PAX after years of working at popular Canadian television shows, such as Steven and Chris, The Goods and The Marilyn Denis Show.
There may have been smoke in the air, but the message was crystal clear: Sandals and Beaches Resorts is heading into the winter season with bold plans and a wave of innovation.
Despite hazy conditions caused by wildfires in northwestern Ontario, the energy was high Thursday night (July 16) at Bronte Boathouse in Oakville, ON, where some 65 travel advisors (and a handful of clients) gathered with the team from Sandals and Beaches Resorts for the latest property updates, with a focus on Jamaica and its post-Hurricane Melissa recovery.
The lively mix-and-mingle, complete with cocktails, passed hors d'oeuvres, mini Jamaican flags and a host of booking incentives, marked a departure from the company's usual Toronto-based gatherings.
At the recommendation of Richard Todd, senior sales consultant for Unique Vacations Canada (the sales and marketing arm of Sandals and Beaches), the gathering headed west to better serve travel advisors across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.
A bold-faced lineup of partners was also on hand, including reps from long-standing Sandals supporters Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations, as well as Racquel Queensborough of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB).
And! A special guest presenter, from Jamaica: Mr. Lancelot Lebert, general manager of Beaches Negril, who took time to meet with advisors, face to face, and share property updates.
“Connecting with travel advisors is something I always look forward to,” Lebert told PAX, which was also on the scene last night. “They’re a big part of who we are, going back to when we started 45 years ago.”
"The reimagination of Jamaica"
So, what’s happening at adults-only Sandals and family-friendly Beaches? Well, a lot.
As has been well documented, the luxury all-inclusive brand is entering a new era of innovation, marked by upgraded accommodation and dining concepts as part of "Sandals 2.0,” a modernization strategy that’s reshaping the guest experience.
Making headlines, these days, is the reopening of three Sandals resorts in Jamaica that have been closed since Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, sliced through the island last October.
PHOTOS: First look at Sandals’ reimagined Montego Bay, Caribbean Cay & South Coast resorts
Maureen Barnes-Smith, vice president of sales and marketing at Unique Vacations Canada, wasted no time acknowledging the impact Melissa had – and continues to have – on Jamaica.
“It was a rough time, and continues to be for parts of the island – even though Jamaica is one of the most resilient countries in the world,” she said. “Things are fine, but not 100 per cent fine, as many properties in Jamaica are still closed.”
Still, there’s a lot of good news to talk about.
As PAX reported last December during a visit to Jamaica, many of the island's resorts have since returned to normal operations, without compromising any services.
The 2026 Global Peace Index also recently named Jamaica the most peaceful country in the Caribbean, recognizing what millions of visitors have long experienced.
As for post-hurricane recovery, Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Ochi, Sandals Negril and Beaches Negril all reopened in December, while three remaining resorts – Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals South Coast – stayed closed due to excessive damage and repair work.
Those three properties are now gearing up for a major comeback. A US$200 million reimagining, in fact.
“We’re calling it the reimagination of Jamaica,” Barnes-Smith told advisors last night while a video loop, showing renderings of the upgraded resorts, played in the background.
What to expect
As previously reported, Sandals Montego Bay is set to reopen December 18, 2026.
A transformed welcome experience will set the tone for what’s in store, with a lobby design framed by sweeping views of the Caribbean Sea.
A completely redesigned main pool will also serve as the social heart of the resort, complemented by new swim-up accommodations and spacious ocean-view suites designed to bring guests closer to the shoreline.
Culinary additions include the arrival of the guest-favourite Buccan in its first waterfront setting in Jamaica, serving island favourites cooked over an open flame, as well as Jamaica's first Scrimshaw seafood restaurant, offering wraparound sea views and a refined coastal dining experience.
Sandals Royal Caribbean, meanwhile, will return on December 18, 2026 as “Sandals Caribbean Cay.”
The transformation begins in the open-air lobby, where views of a long main pool and the Caribbean Sea beyond promise an immediate connection to the water.
Leading the culinary refresh is Suppa, a supper-style restaurant and ode to the tradition of gathering around the table for Sunday dinner.
The resort is also expanding with 84 new rooms, bringing the total room count to 291 contemporary Caribbean accommodations.
New room categories include Sandals’ signature SkyPool Suites overlooking the ocean, new Swim-up Suites and coming next June, new Oceanview Butler Suites.
Updates further extend to the resort's private island, Sandals Cay, where Parisol Beach Club creates a laid-back retreat accessible exclusively by boat.
The 380-room Sandals South Coast, a Canadian favourite, will reopen November 18, 2026.
Lush landscaping and lounge areas are being introduced, bringing more nature into what was previously a concrete-heavy environment.
The resort's Overwater Butler Villas return with refreshed interiors inspired by the Caribbean, joined by the brand's first-ever Beachfront Club Two Queen Junior Suites, ideal for groups travelling together.
New dining offerings begin at BLŪM, serving Jamaica's renowned Blue Mountain coffee alongside artisanal pastries and light bites.
Guests can gather at Butch's Island Chop House, making its debut on Jamaica's south coast with a dedicated martini bar.
Plans are also underway for a new rum bar, which will become the fourth in the island’s collection.
Click here for more detailed descriptions of all three of the reimagined properties.
Beaches is having a moment
But the night also turned the spotlight over to Sandals’ luxury all-inclusive family brand: Beaches Resorts, which, in Barnes-Smith’s words, is “having a moment.”
“Every single expansion that has been announced over the next two to three years is a Beaches Resort,” she said.
PAX first got a glimpse of this ambitious growth strategy last year at a Sandals-hosted event in New York City, where Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International, unveiled his long-term expansion plans.
For years, Beaches, which turns 30 next year, remained a relatively small portfolio, with just three resorts: Beaches Negril and Beaches Ocho Rios in Jamaica (the latter closed in 2025), and Beaches Turks and Caicos.
Now, Beaches – which, by the way, has an exclusive partnership with Sesame Street where children can interact with walk-around characters, daily – is entering its most significant period of growth to date.
READ MORE: On Location: “Beaches is having a moment”: Treasure Beach Village opens in Turks and Caicos
Leading the way is Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks and Caicos, a US$150-million expansion spanning 100 acres along Grace Bay Beach.
The new oceanfront village, which opened this past spring, introduces 101 multi-bedroom suites and several new dining concepts, adding a fresh dimension to the resort experience.
Among its signature accommodations are the oceanfront CrystalSky 4-Bedroom Reserve Villas, which sit directly on the sand and offer more than 2,600 square feet of living space across three storeys.
The momentum continues with Beaches Exuma in The Bahamas, slated to open in 2027.
Taking over the former Sandals Emerald Bay property, it will become the brand's first resort in The Bahamas, featuring 12 restaurants and a Greg Norman-designed championship golf course.
Beaches Barbados will follow in 2028, marking the brand's debut on the island. Backed by a US$600-million investment, this resort will feature 600 rooms and introduce a vibrant "Main Street" district with shops, restaurants and outdoor entertainment spaces.
Also in the pipeline is Beaches Runaway Bay is expected to open in Jamaica in 2029.
Located on the island's north coast, this resort is being designed with active families in mind and will feature attractions such as skateboarding trails, a climbable treehouse and farm-to-table dining experiences.
Altogether, it represents “over a billion-dollar U.S. investment,” said Barnes-Smith, as well as “a new way of reimagining the inventory.”
In other words, Sandals 2.0 is going into overdrive.
“We’re not taking the old and slapping some paint on it, or changing the furniture from one colour to silver,” said Barnes-Smith, discussing the company’s modernization strategy in general.
“We’re going through every single room, taking all the furniture and replacing it with more modern, streamlined [options], keeping it with what’s on trend, but also elevating it to a Sandals level.”
That approach also extends to dining, which is also being enhanced, across the portfolio, with new restaurants and flexible options, like food trucks.
“We keep going ahead of the curve,” said Barnes-Smith. “We’re going to continue to elevate, innovate and deliver, as our chairman says, ‘more than your clients expect.’”
All eyes on Beaches Negril
Then there’s Beaches Negril, the first Beaches to open, in 1997, which is also having a moment of its own.
Set along Jamaica’s pristine Seven Mile Beach, the all-inclusive property, which has a waterpark, features the still-new Eventide Penthouse Collection suites and three-story Firesky Reserve Villas, which can accommodate a family of ten.
We’re talking 4,000 square feet, along with private butler service and a chef. The whole works.
The expansion comes as demand for multi-generational travel continues to surge, Lebert explained.
“You have three generations: the grandparents, the parents, the kids. Instead of renting four or five rooms, it's best to just book a villa so you can be close together,” he told PAX. “You’ll have everything at your beck and call.”
Beaches Negril also now has 13 dining options on site.
“We're the only one in the chain that has a Peruvian restaurant,” he said. “We’ve added a new Italian restaurant on the beach and food trucks, serving chicken sandwiches and tenders. We also have a salad truck, where you can create your own.”
Beaches Negril features a newly-expanded, state-of-the-art Kids Camp, designed for children from infants to teens.
And, perhaps most notably, Beaches is the first hospitality brand worldwide to achieve Advanced Certified Autism Centre (ACAC) designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).
What this means is that all front-of-house and Kids Camp staff undergo continuous training in sensory awareness, communication, and emotional regulation, ensuring that activities are inclusive for all.
“Every year we do our annual certification,” said Lebert. “I have about 700 employees and 80 per cent have to be certified every year.”
This results in curated experiences for all age groups, from zero to 12 months, two to four, five to seven, eight to 10, as well as 11 to 17.
“Whether it's baking with Cookie Monster, or storytelling, there are so many different activities,” said Lebert.
The secret sauce at Beaches Negril, however, is “the people,” said Lebert.
“The staff care about wanting to look after families,” he said. “We're a family resort, so that makes it extremely special.”
“We're a company that listens"
Beaches' expansion over the next several years has been shaped by feedback from guests and travel advisors, said Lebert.
“We're a company that listens, and guests were saying, ‘We need more Beaches, we need more islands to go to, we need to take the family.’ So that's what we're doing,’ he said.
As mentioned, Beaches Negril was among the first Sandals-owned resorts to reopen in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa, welcoming guests back in December.
Lebert noted how Negril escaped the worst of the storm, with the resort sustaining only minor roof and landscaping damage that was repaired within five weeks.
Living in the Caribbean, “hurricanes are part of our DNA,” he said.
“It’s like, when you live in Canada, you know you’re going to get snow.”
While Jamaica's tourism recovery from Hurricane Melissa is nearly complete, "We have to pick up the pieces and move on," he said.
“We’re fully open and ready to give families the time of their lives.”
Sandals and Beaches Resorts are currently running their annual "Black Friday in July" sale, with savings of up to 65 per cent off plus resort and air credits. For details, click here and here.
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