Beaches project still set to become a reality

Sandals Beaches is still on the cards for Barbados.

Exactly as to just when this will become a reality however, remains unknown.

With the expansion of the all-inclusive Sandals Barbados in St. Lawrence Gap turning into the creation of another resort – Sandals Royal, some concern was raised as to whether the family-oriented Beaches, would still be finding a place on these shores.

Just last month, Chairman of Sandals Resorts International Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart was reported in the media as saying that “if Sandals say they are going to do something they are going to do it”, insisting that the project slated for Heywoods in St. Peter was still on the table.

In an interview with The Barbados Advocate earlier this week, Sandals representatives highlighted that just last week yet another visit had been made to the site of the former Almond Resorts to discuss the future plant.

However, work will not start on this Sandals in the north, until the company’s newest addition is up and running.

“We have just spent US$170 million on the new Sandals Royal, and we want to make sure that this settles in and generates some business there before we move forward and discuss and explore the Beaches project,” stated Public Relations Director for Sandals Eastern Caribbean Sunil Ramdeen, who insisted that such investment indicated the company’s belief in the island.

“We have full confidence in Barbados and full confidence that the country will be able to weather this storm,” Ramdeen added.

Meanwhile, Sandals Barbados continues to run at almost full occupancy, with bookings remaining constant since its 2015 opening, even recording a slight increase this year over that of 2016.

“The reason why we are doing Sandals Royal is because how well Sandals Barbados is doing ... and people wanted more. It was the tremendous response to the first hotel that the Chairman decided ‘the people want more so let’s give them more’,” Sandals Barbados Public Relations Manager David Hinds stated.