VIDEO: Five new Beaches & expansion in St. Vincent? One-on-one with Sandals’ Adam Stewart in NYC

This story was updated on Wednesday, March 12 at 12:32 p.m. EST 

It was the ultimate Sandals and Beaches update, delivered in a New York minute.

PAX joined an A-List crowd of travel and tourism professionals, celebrities and media in a digital art space in New York City Tuesday night (March 11) where Sandals Resorts International hosted a launch party for its global brand campaign, “Made of Caribbean.”

The multi-media ad spot, first announced late last year, embraces a direction of “pure Caribbean expression,” says Sandals, unveiling an evolved visual identity that aims to inspire travellers through authenticity and a genuine connection to the Caribbean islands.

To capture that mood, Tuesday night’s lively event transformed historical Hall des Lumières into a Caribbean dreamscape with palm tree, ocean and Sandals property projections, and live Carnival dancers.

Spotted on the scene was a glowing Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International, who, in between snapping pictures with guests on a leafy step and repeat, spoke to PAX one-on-one about new hotels developments and his vision for the all-inclusive brand that was founded by his late father, Gordon "Butch" Stewart in 1981 (the same year Adam was born). 

Five projects at Beaches

The night, primarily, was about announcing (and celebrating) the expansion of Beaches Resorts, a brand for families that currently operates two properties in Jamaica (Negril and Ocho Rios), as well as in Turks and Caicos.

Beaches is certainly having a moment as Sandals Resorts International plans to invest nearly US$1 billion in the expansion of its all-inclusive family vacation brand, doubling its footprint within the next five years.

The big story, as reported yesterday, is the addition of a new Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort.

Now accepting reservations for Spring 2026 arrivals, guests can choose from 101 multi-bedroom concierge and butler suites, including two, three and four-bedroom luxury accommodations.

The US$150 million-dollar expansion, spanning 100 acres of beachfront, aims to elevate Beaches’ overall key count to 858 and marks the sixth village addition to the Beaches Turks and Caicos property. See details here.

Beaches is also coming to Barbados. The 600-room property on the island’s west coast will “be the best of what we’ve ever done,” Stewart told PAX.

Designed in "Bajan Style," a luxurious take on Caribbean Georgian Style, the resort’s standout feature will include a dedicated ‘Main Street’ – a winding resort centre featuring dining and shopping opportunities, as well as high-energy family zones from outdoor performance stages to a modern sports bar and arcade.  

This project, located in Saint Peter parish, is expected to take about two and a half years to complete, marking Sandals’ third hotel resort in Barbados.

Then over to Jamaica, where there will be two projects –a Beaches at Runway Bay, as well as an expansion at Beaches Negril, Stewart said.

Beaches Runaway Bay will feature an estimated 400 expansive one, two, three and four-bedroom suites and villas, designed with extended families in mind. 

Guests can also expect dedicated wellness areas and new activities such as skateboarding, bike trails, a climbable treehouse and access to Runaway Bay Golf Club and its par-72, 18-hole championship golf course, plus organic farm-to-table dining. 

Beaches Negril is where the new three-story Firesky Reserve Villas will welcome families of up to 10, complete with four bedrooms, living areas, a private pool and more – all steps from the sand. Along with the Eventide Penthouse Collection, welcoming up to 16 guests with access to a rooftop terrace. 

And then finally, Beaches Exuma in the Bahamas, a project set upon 500 acres (and a takeover of Sandals Emerald Bay) that is set to open in late 2025.

The transformation into Beaches Exuma will reconfigure the property’s 249 keys into a mix of accommodations, including multi-bedroom villa suites. The new resort will feature 12 restaurants, a Kids Camp, signature splash park, full-service Red Lane Spa, and the brand’s partnership with Sesame Street. 

Guests can also enjoy complimentary green fees at the Greg Norman-designed 18-hole Emerald Bay Golf Course.

The brand's expansion projects may not end there – on top of these five projects, the company is looking at adding “a couple more” Beaches in the future, Stewart told PAX.

Sandals – not just romance 

As for the adults-only Sandals brand, visitors can expect a growing offering of new activities (like newly-added pickleball courts) and accommodations, modernized for today’s vacation market.

“The brand grew up on romance and we’re still heavy into honeymoons,” Stewart said. “But when you factor it all in, it’s really a very small part of our business.”

He said the most important thing for Sandals is staying relevant to today’s consumers, ensuring things like multi-generational options, evolved gastronomy and premium accommodations, like “Sky Pool” and over-the-water suites and new-generation Rondoval villas.

With the average all-inclusive hotel holding 1,000 to 1,500 rooms, Sandals is “more than happy” to sit at the 250-room mark, on the “boutique side” of all-inclusives, Stewart said.

A second Sandals in St. Vincent?

Stewart also took a moment to address a rumour that’s been floating around, and that is the addition of a second property in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines opened on the largely-untouched Eastern Caribbean island of Saint Vincent last year, and local reports, citing hints and clues, have suggested that a second property may be coming.

“You’ll have to wait and see,” Stewart told PAX. “Sometimes the rumours are true.”

What Stewart did say was that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has been “an unbelievable investment,” praising the country’s locals and natural beauty.

“We couldn’t be happier with what we built there.”

Praise for Canadian travel advisors

Finally, Stewart acknowledged the role Canada has had in Sandals and Beaches’ success, calling the country “the backbone of our business.”

He thanked Canadian travel advisors, in particular, saying how the trade has “never been more relevant” as Sandals becomes even more premium and sophisticated.

“Travel advisors from Canada are loyal, they’re hard-working, they focus on our business, and we continue to expand the base of our Canadian travel advisor community. We love you!” he said.

Nino Montagnese, vice-president at Air Canada Vacations, and Maureen Barnes-Smith, vice-president of sales and marketing at Unique Vacations Inc., the sales and marketing arm of Sandals and Beaches – who were both spotted at the event (the two brands are strong partners) – echoed that sentiment.

“The bulk of Air Canada Vacations’ business comes from our travel partners. Every decision we make revolves around our travel consultants,” Montagnese told PAX. “Travel advisors mean everything.”  

Barnes-Smith added that travel advisors are the “backbone of our company.”

“They always have been, since day one,” she said, noting the time and effort Sandals invests in making sure the trade has sales support across the country. “We recognize the value of our travel advisors”

Watch PAX’s one-on-one interview with Adam Stewart in New York City here!

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