When Sandals South Coast reopens, guests will be “blown away,” says GM during T.O. visit

When Sandals South Coast reopens, “people are going to be blown away,” said O’Brian Heron, the resort’s general manager, visiting Toronto this week.

Updates on the transformation of the all-inclusive property—closed since Hurricane Melissa swept through parts of Jamaica last October—into an elevated “Sandals 2.0” experience were shared Wednesday night (March 11) at an industry mixer hosted by the team at Unique Vacations Canada (the sales and marketing arm for Sandals and Beaches Resorts).

Sandals South Coast, a favourite among Canadians, was among three Sandals properties damaged extensively by Melissa, a Category 5 storm that struck Jamaica’s southwestern coast on Oct. 28 last year. 

Speak to PAX at last night’s gathering at the Clubhouse Eventspace at Royal Woodbine Golf Club, Heron offered a firsthand account of the extent of the damage.

“We lost quite a bit of landscaping, but the physical structure of our buildings remains fully intact,” said Heron. “What’s amazing is that our overwater bungalows, which we remodelled last year, are still standing.

“We have some interior work that we need to do, but the resort stands firm.”

READ MORE: Savings of up to $1,000 on new Sandals/Beaches, ACV bookings

Other external spaces that were damaged include the property’s chapel, and some walkways, which “we can recover quickly,” he said.

If anything, the post-hurricane repairs have accelerated a number of projects that were slated for Sandals South Coast in the coming years.

“A lot of what you've seen at newer resorts, from a food and beverage and amenity perspective, will be implemented,” said Heron, who’s also first vice president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association.

In other words, the property will embody a “Sandals 2.0” standard, the company’s term for next-generation resorts, unveiling redesigned rooms, upgraded dining, reworked public spaces and a renewed commitment to sustainability.

“We’re going to elevate the experience and make Sandals South Coast the 2.0 that it deserves to be,” Heron said.

Following post-storm assessments after Hurricane Melissa, Sandals Resorts International began welcoming guests back to several of its Jamaican properties in December.

But Sandals South Coast—as well as Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean—remained closed for cleanup and repairs.

All three properties are now scheduled to reopen on May 30.

As for specific upgrades that guests look forward to at South Coast, those details remain under wraps, Heron said.

But travel advisors should stay tuned, because a “major announcement” is coming soon, he said.

“Open for business”

It’s the latest update to come out of post-hurricane Jamaica, a large and diverse island, where regions experienced the storm in different ways.

“There's a common misconception that the entire island has been shut down,” Heron told PAX.

The impact zone of Melissa included Montego Bay, parts of Trelawny Parish, and the southern coast, where Heron’s resort is located.

“The rest of the island is open for business and recovering nicely,” he said. “In fact, when I drove around three weeks after Melissa, there were many parishes that seemed untouched by the storm.”

Heron emphasized to guests last night that the quality of hospitality in Jamaica has not been affected following the hurricane.

“There’s a lot of normalcy,” he told PAX. “No open hotel is experiencing difficulties with food and beverage service. Restaurants are fully operational.”

It’s an important message that hoteliers in Jamaica, like Sandals, want to get out.

“Our local economy heavily relies on tourism,” Heron said. “We're ready for business. We want guests to return to the island.”

Promising signs

The upcoming winter 2026-27 season shows promising signs for a recovery as airlines ramp up capacity.

“Winter 2026-27 will be bigger and better than last year,” Angella Bennett, regional director for Canada at the Jamaica Tourist Board, told PAX at a JTB-produced event in Toronto last month.

She said Jamaica is expected to regain nearly all the flights, and seats, it lost following the hurricane.

READ MORE: “Nearly every flight will return”: Jamaica gears up for “bigger & better” winter in 2026-27

Additionally, 97 per cent of Jamaica’s hotel inventory should be back online by year’s end, she said.

Meanwhile, on the ground at Sandals South Coast, the mood is optimistic.  

“Jamaicans are very resilient. The spirit is extremely strong,” Heron said. “Within the South Coast belt, there’s a high sense of hope throughout the communities.”

Sandals’ dedication to its workers has also helped soften the blow of Hurricane Melissa.

The company kept everyone on the payroll during the shutdown and provided care packages to those affected by the storm.

Additionally, building materials were supplied to support the rebuilding of local infrastructure, Heron said.

“Everybody is excited that we’re getting ready to reopen,” he said.

Next winter, when Canadians start planning vacations to warmer climates, will be the true test.

But Heron is optimistic.

“We're anticipating quite a number of guests,” he said. “Especially since people have not been able to see the resort for a long time.”

“We’re in a positive place”

Last night’s event, featuring a curated guest list and passed snacks inspired by Sandals’ food truck menu—such as jerk chicken and deep-fried mac and cheese—kicked off a series of smaller, intimate gatherings that Sandals will host for Canadian travel advisors in the coming months.

In addition to travel advisors and their customers, the night also welcomed representatives from industry partners like Air Canada Vacations and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB).

Speaking with PAX, Maureen Barnes-Smith, vice president of sales and marketing at Unique Vacations Canada, said Sandals is “trying to push Jamaica as much as possible.”

“We want people to understand that we are coming back,” she said. “The recovery is imminent. Jamaica is here, Jamaica is strong. And Sandals is strong.”

Despite being down three hotels in Jamaica, Sandals’ winter business was still decent, Barnes-Smith went on to say.

“Sandals South Coast is a Canadian favourite, so that automatically impacted the winter season,” she said.

But the forward bookings are coming in. “We're not pacing down as much as the inventory that we lost,” she said. “We’re in a positive place.”

Especially as Sandals properties in other regions of the Caribbean, such as in Turks and Caicos, Curacao, and Barbados, continue to do "very well.”

Ownership matters

Sandals’ status as a privately-held company has enabled the brand to pivot effectively in the aftermath of Melissa, Barnes-Smith went on to say.  

“Ownership 100 per cent matters,” she said. “We’re private, so if something happens, we can turn on a dime. We don't have to go through 15 different layers of approvals.”

Travel advisors will regain confidence to sell Jamaica—especially Sandals—once they see the properties firsthand, she said.

Sandals, in partnership with the JTB, starting flying agents down to Jamaica last December to see and experience the island’s recovery.

It’s an initiative that will continue this year through ongoing FAMs, said Barnes-Smith.

“Once agents see that the airport is open, that transfers are working, that they're getting food and drinks at hotels, that the service has not been compromised, it’ll speak volumes,” she said.

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