“Sandals will continue to be Sandals”: Team talks Royal Caribbean deal, Jamaica comeback

BY SABRINA PIRILLO

With its landmark partnership with Royal Caribbean Group now public, Unique Vacations Canada – the sales and marketing arm of Sandals and Beaches Resorts – brought a palpable sense of excitement to an industry gathering at The Vue Event Venue last Thursday (Sept. 24).

The event, which welcomed MICE planners, travel advisors, media and industry partners, including Air Canada Vacations and the Jamaica Tourist Board, came one day after Sandals announced a $3 billion agreement under which Royal Caribbean Group will acquire a 50 per cent equity stake in the resort operator.

The joint venture represents a significant expansion by the cruise company into the land-based all-inclusive resort sector and adds a new dimension to the evolving relationship between the cruise and resort industries.

“It’s a super exciting time for us as we celebrate this incredible milestone and new chapter for Sandals and Beaches Resorts,” remarks Omar Josephs, senior manager, groups and events at Unique Vacations Canada. 

“This new partnership with Royal Caribbean Group gives us a greater capacity to grow while staying true to what has always made our brands so special.”

Josephs went on to stress that the partnership doesn’t change the identity of either brand.

“Our Executive Chairman Adam Stewart has been very clear with our teams and travel advisor partners – and this is a really important point – Sandals will continue to be Sandals and Beaches will continue to be Beaches,” said Josephs.

Meanwhile, at Unique Vacations Canada, it’s business as usual.

“All current reservations, rates and contracted agreements remain in place, and all clients and groups can look forward to the same incredible Sandals and Beaches experience that they’ve planned for,” he said.

Final stage of hurricane recovery

The big news comes as Sandals enters the final stage of its recovery from Hurricane Melissa last October, undertaking a major transformation of Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Caribbean Cay and Sandals South Coast, using the opportunity to rebuild and enhance the resorts, including the addition of 10 two-queen-bed Junior Suites in the Club category.

“In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa created significant devastation on the island of Jamaica,’ said CJ Smith, director sales for Canada, at the event. 

“What was even more incredible was the recovery. Jamaica is incredibly resilient. From October to December, we regained about 75 per cent of what was lost.”

The newly-renovated resorts are scheduled to debut in phases beginning November 2026.

Airlift & recovery updates

Air Canada Vacations’ new winter season, supported by Air Canada, expands nonstop access to Jamaica, with service to Montego Bay from Halifax, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton, alongside its existing Toronto and Montréal routes. 

Toronto also offers nonstop service to Kingston.

Jamaica is set to be even more accessible to Canadian travellers this winter.

Porter launches direct flights to Montego Bay from Toronto, Hamilton, London and Ottawa, while Flair, Air Transat and WestJet also service the island destination.

Dunn's River leads the MICE push

Sandals is also turning its attention to what comes next: showcasing its evolving resort experience, updating Canadian travel industry partners on Jamaica’s recovery and highlighting the airlift that will help bring travellers back to the island this winter.

A major focus at the event was on Sandals Dunn’s River in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, which has emerged as a flagship property for the brand’s new concept.

Reintroduced to the Sandals portfolio in 2023 following the company's acquisition of the resort, Dunn's River features 260 rooms and suites, 12 dining options and nine bars, along with elevated accommodations and experiences.

Carnell Smith, director of sales groups and conventions at the re-imagined Sandals Dunn’s River, spoke about next level offerings.

Among them are the Sky Villa Rondoval featuring a sky terrace with a telescope and astronomy experiences, as well as butler and club-level accommodations with room service.

“Similar to club level accommodations, the run of house category also comes with room service, only at Sandals Dunn’s River,” said Smith.

The resort has introduced Blum Coffee, as well as the Dunn’s River Rum Club, which features more than 30 Caribbean-inspired rums.

They also offer rollaway beds and a Dine Around program that allows groups to reserve dining slots in advance, eliminating the need to wait for availability.

These group services are available across all Sandals properties.

For the MICE market, the Louis Grand Conference Centre officially opened on December 18, 2025, adding 8,000 square feet of dedicated meeting and event space. 

The facility can accommodate up to 360 guests in a banquet-style setup and approximately 600 guests in a theatre-style configuration.

“This positions us perfectly not only for the MICE market, but weddings and social groups,” said Carnell Smith.

“With incentive groups of 10 or more, you're guaranteed to have access to a brand-new facility with state-of-the-art technology and all the basic needs for your meetings are included.”

Three resorts, three experiences

The $200 million investment was designed to give advisors distinct selling propositions across the three renovated resorts.

Sandals Montego Bay, the birthplace of the Sandals concept, received a substantial contemporary makeover.

The resort's multi-tiered pool area has been transformed to maximize ocean views, while its lobby and iconic swim-up pool bar have been refreshed and reimagined.

“The first swim up pool bar in the Caribbean in any resort in an all-inclusive was created right here in Sandals Montego Bay,” said Smith. Palm trees have also been added for more shade.

New dining options include Parisol Beach Club, Scrimshaw, Heart & Sol, Blum Coffee Bay Roc Rum Bar and Buccan, featuring an open kitchen concept.

New beachfront swim-ups and refreshed accommodations add further upgrade opportunities.

Located less than 15 minutes from Montego Bay's airport, the resort is positioned particularly for social groups, friend trips and higher-energy travellers.

Sandals Caribbean Cay, formerly Sandals Royal Caribbean, is undergoing what Smith describes as one of its most significant transformations.

“We moved away from the colonial and British influence to embrace the open, vibrant, welcoming light and airy atmosphere that is truly Jamaican in its layout and design,” said Smith.

Guests will continue to access the private island by water taxi, while the resort's overwater villas remain a major selling point. Jamaica’s only true overwater bungalows are the first in the Caribbean to feature glass floors and direct ocean access, offering an intimate, ultra-exclusive experience with a Maldives-inspired feel.

New dining concepts include Blum Coffee, Heart & Sol, Parisol Beach Club, Tesoro, The Strand, The Keynote Rum Bar and Suppa. New ocean view and beachfront categories, additional swim-up and sky-pool suites, and refreshed accommodations will create additional opportunities for advisors to upsell.

Sandals South Coast retains its appeal as the secluded option, set on a nature reserve along two miles of beach. The renovation adds greenery, refreshed accommodations and new guest spaces while preserving the resort's focus on nature and privacy.

“This gives me Morocco chic,” said Smith. “It’s timeless, light, airy and inviting.”

New offerings include Blum Coffee and Butch's Island Chop House, scheduled to open November 2026. The biggest addition is the introduction of two-queen-bed Junior Suites, double occupancy available in the Club category, providing additional flexibility for select group configurations.

A redesigned Club Sandals lounge and upgraded conference facilities are also part of the transformation.

The three resorts are scheduled to reopen on Nov 18, 2026, for Sandals South Coast, followed by Dec 18, 2026 for Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Caribbean Cay.

Additional developments

Several renovations and new developments are currently underway across the Sandals and Beaches portfolio.

In Turks & Caicos, Treasure Beach opened in March 2026 and currently offers 858 rooms and suites, with a particular focus on social and incentive groups.

“We plan to host one exclusive FAM trip next year. Dates have not yet been confirmed, but it would be a great opportunity to experience the product firsthand,” said Josephs.  

St. Vincent opened approximately two years ago and is performing well. At Sandals Grande St. Lucia, significant renovations are underway, while Sandals Antigua has already completed approximately 35 per cent of its inventory.

By December 2026, 55 per cent of the rooms at Sandals Antigua are expected to be brand new, with Phase Two of the renovations scheduled to continue through the end of 2027.

Sandals Exuma is being converted into a Beaches property, with the reopening date still to be confirmed.

Work is also well underway at Beaches Barbados, which will become the largest family resort in Barbados, with approximately 600 rooms. The resort will further strengthen the company’s family-focused offering in the Eastern Caribbean.

The third Beaches property currently in development is Beaches Runaway Bay.

With the company placing a strong emphasis on the family travel market, these new and expanded Beaches properties represent a significant part of the brand’s growth strategy over the next three years.

Group incentives

For groups of 10 rooms or more, with a minimum three-night stay, Sandals offers a range of group concessions, including a one-hour cocktail reception and a two-hour private dinner with open bar.

“Ten is the sweet spot for a group,” explained Josephs, noting that agents can qualify for concessions and commission of approximately 13 to 15 percent. Sandals also offers flexibility for smaller groups, with some opting to replace the private dinner with two cocktails.

From January to August for every 9 rooms booked double occupancy, the tenth is complimentary. September to December 20, for every 5 rooms booked, the 6th is complimentary, across all Sandals resorts.

Looking ahead to 2027, Sandals plans to host two exclusive FAM trips, with air and land included for qualifying travel advisors who showed up to the event.

“Jamaica is in business, we're open, we're ready, and we want to welcome all your groups. The experience that you'll have at Sandals, you'll not have it anywhere else, that much we can guarantee,” said Smith.

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