Sandals Resorts International (SRI) is getting ready to open a new property in Curacao this June, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t planning more resorts elsewhere in the Caribbean. Sandals owns and operates three luxury all-inclusive resorts in St. Lucia, including Sandals Halcyon Beach, Sandals Regency La Toc and Sandals Grande St. Lucian, as well as the Greg Norman-designed Sandals St. Lucia Golf & Country Club at Cap Estate. And now it’s offering a glimpse of its St. Lucia investment strategy. Those plans, which will be unveiled in 2023, will mark Sandals’ 40th Anniversary and 30th year of operation in St. Lucia.
According to SRI Executive Chairman Adam Stewart, Sandals Halcyon will add 25 new rooms in February 2023. The new development consists of 20 beachfront two-story villa rooms featuring large balconies and five Rondoval suites, the signature Sandals category featuring high conical ceilings, expansive bathrooms and private water features.
An even more ambitious expansion will take place at Sandals Regency La Toc, where first phase plans call for the introduction of a new Sandals innovation—a village comprised entirely of 20 Rondoval suites with seven of them offering open air rooftop decks. Set to open in 2023, the village is a “resort within a resort” concept of the highest category Rondoval suites built adjacent to the golf course, each with their own golf cart for navigating the course as well as the larger property. They also will feature luxury amenities including Sandals’ butler service, as well as dining and entertainment options designed for guests of the village. Later phases will include additional spa facilities, new suite categories and a reimagination of the current golf course offerings.
“Since opening our first property, Sandals Regency La Toc, nearly three decades ago, our commitment to working alongside government to make real the promise of tourism in St. Lucia has been unwavering,” says Stewart. “My father loved St. Lucia and, like so many, was originally captivated by its beauty. But he quickly came to understand that the real treasure of St. Lucia are its people—friendly, hardworking and industrious. People are the inspiration and the source that make investment possible, and the reason Sandals Resorts will continue to grow here.”
Sandals Resorts International first planted its flag in St. Lucia in 1993 with the introduction of Sandals Regency La Toc. Since then, SRI has introduced two more luxury-included resorts, Sandals Grande St. Lucian, located on its own peninsula, and Sandals Halcyon. Guests can enjoy Sandals’ exclusive “Stay at One, Play at Three” program, which provides complimentary exchange privileges and transportation between all three resorts, giving guests a myriad of choices.
Sandals’ planned projects in St. Lucia alone will add over 350 construction and tradesman jobs into the local workforce. The addition of these high-end room categories into the Sandals resorts inventory also means the creation of 120 butler positions in the St. Lucia system, with training by the Guild of Professional English Butlers.
Stewart points out the impact room category has on local economies and the ability to raise the standard of living. “As we expand, we will grow from the top down,” he says. “That means we lead with the development of suites, and here Sandals is by far and away the most innovative resort company. Concepts such as our signature Skypool Suites, with their infinity plunge pools that seem to blend in with the horizon, Over the Water Bungalows with their incredible views and glass floors, and our Rondovals, are suite categories that drive demand and generate the longest stays. That is good news for St. Lucia and good news for team members who train and earn the butler role,” said Stewart.
SRI operates 24 properties throughout the Caribbean under four separate brands including: Sandals Resorts, the Luxury Included brand for adult couples with locations in Jamaica, Antigua, the Bahamas, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia and a resort opening in Curaçao; Beaches Resorts, the Luxury Included concept designed for everyone but especially families, with properties in Turks & Caicos and Jamaica, and another opening in St. Vincent and the Grenadines; the private island Fowl Cay Resort; and private homes of Your Jamaican Villas.