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| 1981 - Once Upon a Time |
 An aging hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica is for sale. Most investors
see only a small, dilapidated property. But one young
entrepreneur sees something quite different – the
enormous potential of a property fronting Jamaica's
largest private white-sand beach. Gordon "Butch"
Stewart has no prior hotel experience: he purchases
the property, Bay Roc, as a real estate investment.
An expansion and an elaborate renovation take place.
King-size beds, clock-radios, and color satellite
televisions are placed in every room. The decision
is made to cater to couples only, and Sandals
Montego Bay opens for business. The all-inclusive vacation
concept, redefined and perfected, will never be the
same. |
| 1985 - In the Swim |
 Sandals
unveils its signature swim-up pool bar: Guests can
now float to a bar stool and order luscious libations,
all without leaving the comfort of the swimming pool.
The swim-up pool bar is just one of the many all-inclusive
innovations: first-rate fitness centers, scuba-diving with
top-of-the-line equipment, water skiing, piano bars,
and whirlpools. In addition, Sandals opens Carlyle
on the Bay in Montego Bay , now called Sandals
Inn;
it was acquired in 1982. Fine dining debuts as Sandals
Resorts set tables with white linens and introduce
a choice of indoor or outdoor dining with à la
carte dinner menus. |
| 1986 - The Royal Treatment |
| The "Stay at One, Play at Two" concept is launched
when Sandals Royal
Caribbean welcomes guests to the
only resort in Jamaica with its own private island.
A traditional Great House ambiance is effected: Breakfast
in bed and afternoon tea are served. |
| 1988 - A Seven-Mile Slice |
 Cuisine turns sophisticated – gourmet meals are artfully
prepared by international chefs and served "white-glove-style."
Sandals Negril on one of the Caribbean's most popular
stretches of beach in Negril, Jamaica, opens its doors.
Guests are wowed by smashing beachfront loft suites
and gorgeous sunsets. |
| 1989 - Homecoming |
| Sandals
Ocho Rios makes its debut, and a special
vibe permeates the 12-acre property. Perhaps that's
because this is where Sandals Chairman "Butch" Stewart
spent his carefree boyhood days; his greatest delight
was going fishing. Agua Azul, the name of the home
where "Butch" grew up, still stands on the property. |
| 1991 - The Big Bang |
Sandals grows exponentially in its tenth year. With
the grand opening of Sandals
Dunn's River in Ocho Rios,
Jamaica, the successful hotel chain becomes the largest
operator of all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean.
In July, Sandals spreads to the shores of Dickenson
Bay, Antigua – welcome to Sandals Antigua.
On the patriotic front, Gordon "Butch" Stewart donates
a million dollar's worth of vacations to military
personnel serving in the Gulf War. |
| 1993 - Putting the "Ultra" in All-Inclusive |
Thanks to a wide array of gourmet dining options,
a selection of premium accommodations, a variety
of land and water sports, an incredible staff, and
uncompromising service, Sandals is now "ultra
all-inclusive."
But wait, there's more! Sandals
St. Lucia debuts
in April. Island hopping is born in the Eastern Caribbean;
guests can now split their stay between Sandals
Antigua and the Sandals St. Lucia.
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| 1995 - Show us Your Teeth |
 Gordon "Butch" Stewart is in Manhattan's Plaza
Hotel and he's smiling. Why? For the second year
in a row at the World Travel Awards ceremony, travel
agents from around the globe have named Sandals Resorts
the World's Leading
All-Inclusives and Top
Caribbean Hotel Group.
 A
few months later in Negril, local VIP's are donning
hard hats and plunging metal shovels into the soil.
Butch is smiling again – it's the groundbreaking
of the first Beaches
Resort, Beaches
Negril, a new
part of the Sandals' family that caters to singles,
families and couples.
Learn more about Beaches Resorts
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| 1999 - Millennium Madness |
A Millennium madness sweeps the land, the Villas
on Sunset Bluff debuts at Sandals St. Lucia Golf
Resort & Spa, now Sandals Regency St. Lucia. Also
basking in stardom is Beaches
Turks & Caicos Resort
& Spa as it unveils its new addition to the resort
– the unique French Village. |
| 2002 - A Stellar Year |
 A new pair of properties from Sandals Resorts
makes tracks in the Caribbean in 2002: Sandals
Grande St. Lucian on the exquisite island of
St. Lucia and Beaches
Boscobel Resort & Golf
Club in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Within two months of
opening Sandals Grande St. Lucian receives three
Five Star Diamond Awards from the American Academy
of Hospitality Sciences; the academy also honors
Chairman Gordon "Butch" Stewart
with the Crystal Award, its highest honor for lifetime
achievement.
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| 2004 -
Moving' On Up! |
Sandals Ocho Rios doubles in size with the addition
of "The Villas of Eden" and Sandals
Whitehouse, on
the South coast of Jamaica.
In a world's first, Butler
service is introduced
to our top suite categories – you never imagined
so much pampering from an all-inclusive. |
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Referred by: TRAVEL BY DODIE
The curtain is raised to reveal Sandals' pièce
de résistance,