Sandals Resorts International (SRI) is adding three new resorts to its Jamaica roster.
The resort giant will rebrand two Jamaica properties it acquired last year, and develop a parcel of beachfront land, adding three distinct properties to its Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts brands.
The two all-inclusive resorts Sandals acquired last year include the former Jewel Dunn’s River Beach Resort & Spa in Ocho Rios and Jewel Runaway Bay Beach Resort & Waterpark. The parcel of land is just adjacent to the Ocho Rios resort.
The expansion plans will return the Dunn’s River property in Ocho Rios back to the Sandals family. The resort will be renamed Sandals Dunn’s River, the same moniker as when it was originally added to the portfolio in 1990.
“Sandals Dunn’s River holds special meaning to our family because its history is the story of Jamaica’s evolution as a travel powerhouse. 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,” said SRI executive chairman, Adam Stewart.
Stewart said the new Sandals Dunn’s River will receive a top-to-bottom renovation with the adjacent ocean-front land transformed into an additional brand-new resort: Sandals Royal Dunn’s River, a modern luxurious escape featuring approximately 250 rooms and suites. The sister hotels will operate very much like the concept SRI developed between Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados, offering exchange privileges between the two all-inclusive resorts.
The Runaway Bay resort, a renowned Jamaican property hotel located midway between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, will also undergo extensive redevelopment to become Beaches Runaway Bay Resort, the third family-friendly Beaches Resort in Jamaica. At its completion, the hotel will feature an estimated 400 one, two, three and four-bedroom suites, designed with extended families in mind. Guests of Beaches Runaway Bay also have access to Runaway Bay Golf Club and its par-72, 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 travellers are choosing to return to the places and brands that they know and trust,” said Stewart.
SRI currently operates six adult-only Sandals resorts in Jamaica:
- Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay
- Sandals Negril
- Sandals Ochi and Sandals Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios
- Sandals South Coast in Whitehouse
Family-friendly Beaches Resorts in Jamaica include the Beaches Negril and Beaches Ocho Rios.
