Sandals Resorts expands on grand design

“New look” interiors is the theme for 2007 with new River Suites in Jamaica, Rondovals in St Lucia and the all-suite Mediterranean Village in Antigua.

According to Chairman and Founder of Sandals and Beaches Resorts, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, guests of Sandals Resorts are more discriminating and more sophisticated than ever before when it comes to good design and home décor. The look and feel of the new resort expansions in Jamaica, St. Lucia and Antigua were developed with these design-savvy customers in mind.

“This year’s expansion projects are not about getting bigger, they’re about giving our customers more; incorporating all we have learned over the last twenty-five years to bring an enhanced experience to our guests,” says Stewart.  “It’s the wow factor.  The designs we’re unveiling are intended to showcase even more luxury and to exceed the expectations of all our guests.”

Jamaica – Sandals Negril and Sandals Royal Caribbean unveil River Suites 
Offering the ultimate in luxury, new River Suites are set to be unveiled at Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa and Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort & Private Island by summer 2007.  These new suites, featuring indulgent fabrics, hand-made furnishings and a high-end range of amenities, will open onto a relaxing lazy river and pool, and are the first of its kind to feature at Sandals Resorts. 

The ground floor of the River Suites at both resorts will feature a secluded patio surrounded by lush Caribbean vegetation that opens onto the resort’s lazy river where couples can dip their toes into the soothing waterway.  The patio will feature an outdoor dining area, as well as a love seat for the ultimate in relaxation Caribbean-style. At Sandals Negril, all suites will have stunning ocean views, and the 12 ground floor Ocean’s Edge One Bedroom River suites will have zero-entry access to the lazy river.  

At Sandals Royal Caribbean, the four ground floor St. James River Suites will have expanded patio areas with lush vegetation, with the lazy river just steps away.  The suites located on the second-floor of both resorts will offer guests the opportunity to enjoy the relaxing sounds of the trickling water from their private decks as well as the views of the gardens and lazy river below.  

Sandals Grande St. Lucian adds 18 Rondoval Suites
Following the success of the Rondoval Suites – expansive, circular cottages first introduced at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa – Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort unveiled an even more indulgent version of the highly sought-after suites.  Eighteen luxuorious Rondoval Suites made their debut at Sandals Grande St. Lucian at the end of 2006, and are available in two equally exceptional categories: the “Ultra Luxury Beach Rondoval Suite with Private Plunge Pool & Whirlpool” and the “Ultra Grande Luxe Beachfront Rondoval Suite with Private Plunge Pool & Whirlpool.”

Complimentary for Rondoval Suite guests is Sandals’ exclusive Butler Service, which not only ensures that guests will be completely pampered, but also promises that guests can enjoy Gordon’s, an exclusive dining experience on the pier, surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. This white-glove service restaurant features the freshest seafood, hand-selected steaks and a fine wine selection.

Sandals Regency St. Lucia: Sunset one-bedroom villa suites arrive
In late 2007, seven Sunset One Bedroom Villa Suites with private pool will become Sandals Resort’s most decadent and dramatic private villa suites, with three lavish levels of outdoor spaces.  These Mediterranean-style suites will offer 180 degree panoramic views of St. Lucia, the Caribbean Sea and the white sand beach below.

A $3 million expansion project, the seven suites will form part of Sandals Regency St. Lucia’s Ocean Bluff and will be perched high above the sea on a coral cliff directly above the existing bluff suites. 

Sandals Grande Antigua:  All-Suite Mediterranean Village Opens in Autumn 2007
In the Autumn of 2007, Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa will unveil a new, all-suite Mediterranean Village, a $70 million expansion to the resort’s existing 193-room Caribbean Village.  The Mediterranean Village will feature 180 spacious suites in six room categories, all boasting ocean views and a Mediterranean flair. Located on the longest stretch of Antigua’s famed Dickenson Bay beach, the brand new suites are designed to reflect the romantic air of the Mediterranean.  

The new eateries include a bright and airy buffet-style Italian restaurant, a traditional English pub, a wood-fired brick-oven pizzeria and a Barefoot by the Sea restaurant. A Village in the true sense of the word, a 3,200-square-foot shopping area will also be added. Lastly, a newly expanded, 7,500-square-foot Red Lane^® Spa, exclusive to Sandals Resorts, will feature two “couples sanctuary” rooms with large Jacuzzi tubs; two treatment rooms for couples; and six single treatment rooms plus a large lounge area, locker room facilities and a Tropical Nail Bar, a full-service beauty salon, to complete the pampering experience.

Sandals Resorts Partner with California’s legendary Beringer Vineyards
In November 2006, Sandals and Beaches Resorts became the first all-inclusive resort company to partner with California’s Beringer Vineyards, bringing wine country to the tropics.  Guests can now enjoy an expanded selection of five complimentary house wines, bottled exclusively for Sandals and Beaches by Beringer, including a Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and White Zinfandel.  Approachable and easy to drink, these wines were selected for their ability to pair well with island cuisine.  A Chairman’s Choice list of celebratory wines will offer the crème de la crème, including wines from some of Beringer’s most highly respected sister wine estates: Chateau St. Jean, Etude, Penfolds, and Stags’ Leap Winery. 

Sandals strengthens the butler team 
In 2005 Sandals and Beaches Resorts established an exclusive partnership with The Guild of Professional English Butlers and introduced the Butler Service across its resorts to provide a highly personalised experience to all guests booking accommodation in the resorts’ highest suite categories. 

Two years on and this initiative has proved so popular amongst the guests that there are now 130 Butlers working across 12 of the Sandals & Beaches Resorts. Each Butler undertakes rigourous training under the expert guidance of the Guild’s Director of Training, Robert Watson. 

As well as offering private in-room check in, each butler at Sandals and Beaches Resorts are on hand to assist with anything from unpacking guests suitcases to retrieving forgotten sunhats and glasses from guests’ Suites to arranging island excursions or setting up a Champagne picnic to enjoy on the beach at sunset.

Beaches Turks & Caicos expands with a 180 Suite Italian Village set to open in Autumn 2008
As the family product of the Sandals brand, Beaches Turks & Caicos has announced the development of a new Italian Village to compliment its existing French Village. This US$100 million expansion project will see 180 all suite rooms being added. The new Village will have its own lobby, check-in area, lavish family suites, new gourmet dining options and retail space.  The expansion project will also reveal a brand new waterpark, ten times the size of the original Pirates Island area and soon-to-be the largest in the Caribbean.  Not for the faint hearted, kids of all ages will splash about in the lazy river, get wild in the surf, or take the plunge down numerous twisting and turning waterslides.

Report by Chitra Mogul