Luxury resort company Sandals Resorts International (SRI) has announced that they will add three new hotels to its Jamaica roster. The move stems from the company’s ‘ongoing confidence’ in the destination.
Currently, Sandals Resorts International operates nine resorts in Jamaica which includes three private villas. According to SRI Executive Chairman Adam Stewart, Sandals Resorts will transform the former Jewel Dunn’s River Beach Resort & Spa in Ocho Rios, the Jewel Runaway Bay Beach Resort & Waterpark, and a section of beachfront land close to the Ocho Rios resort into three new experiences under the Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts brands. The properties were acquired this past year.
The expansion plans also include the return of the popular resort, the Sandals Dunn’s River property in Ocho Rios. It will receive a ‘top-to-bottom renovation’ with the adjacent oceanfront land transformed into a new resort called the Sandals Royal Dunn’s River. The modern luxury resort will also include 250 renovated rooms and suites.
“Sandals Dunn’s River holds special meaning to our family because its history is the story of Jamaica’s evolution as a travel powerhouse” said Stewart. “My father grew up on the beach in Ocho Rios and this hotel, the first of its kind when it was built in the 1950s, captured the era’s glamour and sparked his imagination. When it became available, we jumped at the chance to bring the hotel back into the Sandals fold.”
Much like their Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados branches, these two new sister resorts will offer ‘generous exchange privileges’ between the two, giving guests more options to dine and explore.
As for the Runaway Bay resort, the building will undergo extensive renovations and redevelopment to become the Beaches Runaway Bay Resort. It will be the third family-friendly Beaches Resort in Jamaica. This location will feature 400 rooms with one, two, three and four-bedroom suites. Designed for extended families, this resort will include access to the Runaway Bay Golf Club and its 18-hole championship golf course.
“Jamaica will always play a critical part in our plans to grow and innovate Caribbean hospitality. There is tremendous opportunity here and a ripe moment, as leisure travelers are choosing to return to the places and brands that they know and trust,” said Stewart.