Sandals & Beaches Resorts: Post-Hurricane Melissa Updates and Future Plans in Jamaica and Beyond
- Kira Solomon
- 2d
- 9 min read
Updated: 6h
Hurricane Melissa and Leading Up To It
It's been a little over a month now since Hurricane Melissa - the strongest hurricane on record - made a direct hit on the beautiful island of Jamaica. In her path, eight of the Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts properties and hundreds of guests stuck weathering the storm on the island. Jamaica is home to the resort chain, which started on the island in the 1980's and has now grown to eight islands in the Caribbean. A direct hit to this island would certainly be felt across their entire chain of resorts.
As a top selling travel partner for Sandals, I was constantly refreshing weather apps and compiling as much useful and truthful information as possible to share with my clients and followers on my travel Facebook group. With each update, I watched the storm, originally set to hit Kingston, start to track more West and the dread set in. By the time landfall came, the worst case scenario for Sandals and Beaches Resorts was happening - a direct hit to almost all of their properties on the island.
The aftermath was as stressful as the anticipation. Wifi and cell service was out across the island, meaning reports from guests and staff on the ground were incredibly limited. But my experience with the Sandals brand gave me faith that everything would be okay. With phone systems down - which we later found out were due to the call center in Montego Bay being completely destroyed - I advised my clients using that experience and expertise of the brand that I'd spent almost two decades building. In a short period of time all of my affected guests were easily moved to other resorts, different travel dates, or refunded without any issues. Some were even given incredible room upgrades with price protection on what they'd already spent. Sandals went above and beyond to accommodate anyone affected and I am incredibly grateful for it.
Sandals worked diligently to ensure all guests and staff affected were taken care of. For a company that was down three major resorts for the foreseeable future, they still showed up for their guests and staff. First, they waived all distress rates for everyone on resort from the time of the storm until they were able to safely return home. This was a huge weight lifted off of the shoulders of many guests. It is standard for any all-inclusive resort chains to charge distress rates in these situations. The cost is usually anywhere from $200-$500 per room, depending on the resort. I've been there when storms have hit and have experienced these myself. However, this storm was a unique situation, and while other resorts on the island maintained their fees, Sandals waived theirs, which was the right thing to do.
Guests at Sandals South Coast rode out the storm just three miles from the center of the eye of Melissa. The resort kept them safe, but the damage forced them to be moved elsewhere. All guests and staff at South Coast were moved to other Sandals properties on the island. From there, some guests were able to get flights out as soon as the airports opened that weekend. Others faced difficulties. What did Sandals do? They went above and beyond and chartered a Dreamliner to fly to Montego Bay and take the last of their stranded guests to Miami so they could get home.
It didn't take long for guests to take to social media explaining their experiences. They raved about how Sandals took care of them with hot meals the entire time, care packages of snacks, water and games delivered to their room before the storm, and everything they could possibly need throughout the whole ordeal.
In fact, at one point, Adam Stewart, the Executive Chairman of the brand, sent a guest back to Miami on the company jet because the guest had run out of medication and they couldn't get it for her on the island. He told this story to a room full of travel agents at a town hall today.
But the generosity didn't stop with the guests. The staff we all have come to love over the years were suffering. Homes, family and friends were lost and now they faced the prospect of losing their jobs with the inevitable closing of some of the resorts. Sandals quickly made the announcement that all staff in Jamaica would continue to get full pay, health benefits and pensions with no interruption. They also instructed The Sandals Foundation - the company's philanthropic arm that gives 100% of the donations it receives back to the community - to assist any and all staff who needed help after the storm.
Thee is a reason I'm sharing this all with you today. This is what we in the travel industry call "The Sandals Standard". When Sandals goes above and beyond for their guests or travel agents, it sets the bar. Everyone else falls short each time. There was a campaign once for travel agents where Sandals would say "Who Else Does?". I was reminded of that after Hurricane Melissa. Nobody else in the Caribbean does it like Sandals. This is why I've partnered with them as long as I have and recommend them first to all of my clients. It's not just a brand, it's a family, and when you're with them, you're family, too. I don't know about you, but that peace of mind is priceless when traveling, especially during hurricane season. And to put that peace in writing, Sandals has recently begun promoting their "Vacation Promise" which includes "all-in one pricing", "flex stays", and "weather protection". [See their website here for full details, terms and conditions.]
Closing & Reopening Of The Resorts
Once Sandals higher-ups were able to assess the damage, it was decided that all of the resorts on the island would close temporarily to allow staff some much needed time off. Despite five of the eight resorts being fully operational and able to remain open entirely, they knew it was the right thing to do for their staff, even if it was an inconvenience for guests set to arrive in November. This also allowed them time to brainstorm about their plans for Sandals Resorts after Hurricane Melissa.
Three of the properties- Sandals South Coast, Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean - sustained enough damage the resorts announced prolonged closures.
As of today, these are the reopening dates for all of the resort properties in Jamaica:
Beaches Negril - Opens December 6th - Now Open
Sandals Negril - Opens December 6th - Now Open
Sandals Ochi - Opens December 6th - Now Open
Sandals Royal Plantation - Opens December 6th - Now Open
Sandals Dunn's River - Opens December 6th - Now Open
Sandals Montego Bay - Reopening May 31st, 2026
Sandals Royal Caribbean - Reopening May 31st, 2026
Sandals South Coast - Reopening May 31st, 2026
Plans For Sandals Resorts After Hurricane Melissa:
This past week I was invited to attend a exclusive "Back To Jamaica" event put together to welcome Sandals top travel partners back to the island before the official grand reopening of the resorts on December 6th. Due to a prior scheduling conflict, I had to decline the invitation, but I attended the open forum virtually on December 5th, and listened to Adam Stewart's presentation where he highlighted what is next for the brand.
Adam channeled his father, the late Hon. Gordon "Butch" Stewart, when he said "never waste a good crisis". He talked about how the brand had bought three properties during the 2020 shutdowns -- Sandals Dunn’s River, Beaches Runaway Bay, Sandals St Vincent and Sandals Royal Curacao. Three of them now fully open and operational with one on the way.
Melissa gave them an opportunity to do the renovations and upgrades needed at Sandals South Coast, Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean quickly and without interrupting guests. Adam announced that millions of dollars will be spent in the coming months to fix the storm damage while also bringing these resorts up to the "Sandals 2.0" standard. Adam did say that all expansions or updates for any properties that remain open will be happening in phases so only section at a time gets done in order to help keep disruptions down for guests.
Breakdown Of Updates At Sandals Resorts:
Sandals Montego Bay - All rooms damaged by the storm will be restored better than before. There will also be 100 new room added, including pool suites, a new village with rondovals, and over the water villas will be added (I've been informed of the plans for these prior to the storm and they are planning to be added down at the far right end of the property if facing the water).
Sandals Royal Caribbean - All rooms damaged by the storm will be resorted better than before. There will also be 100 more rooms added to this property. The overwater bungalows and villas are still structurally sound but will undergo interior refreshing.
Sandals South Coast - This resort suffered the most extensive damage. All rooms have now been renovated since 2020, but will work to restore the storm damaged rooms to better than they originally were. They will be opening up lobby to be open air. Getting rid of the pool tower. Adding new paint and furniture throughout. There will also be four new restaurants concepts when they reopen. They had just completed a $25m project to update the overwater bungalows at South Coast and they'd only been to open to guests for 90 days before the storm hit. All roofs and walls were structurally sound after the storm, just interior damage was done. This was a major testament to their quality as South Coast was the hardest hit and sustained maximum of 250mph wind gusts from the eye of the storm.
Sandals Dunn's River - The property next tot he resort on the right (when facing the ocean) will be built and branded "Sandals Royal Dunn's River" with a 260 bedroom resort design, including Overwater Bungalows.
Sandals Grande St Lucian - Though this property was not affected by the storm, as it's located in St. Lucia, Adam did announce that in 2026, this resort will be going through an expansion to the left of the property (when facing the water). This will bring new rooms and likely new restaurants, too.
Sandals Halcyon - This property is also located in St. Lucia, unaffected by the storm, but Adam announced that resort renovations will be starting in 2026, but Adam did not explain exactly what is to be expected. The resort recently added rooms and refreshed many of their current rooms within the last few years, so it's uncertain if there will be an expansion or additions of new amenities.
Plans For Beaches Resorts After Hurricane Melissa:
Beaches Turks & Caicos - The brand new Treasure Beach village will be opening March 1st. Adam said it is the most money ever spent in the Caribbean on a family hotel at ”$1.5m per key" (room).
Beaches Exuma - Adam said the resort chain and the Bahamian government finally reached a deal just last week and the first quarter of 2026 they will begin breaking ground. It will be a boutique resort at first with many two and three bedroom butler level suites. The focus will be on water activities to highlight the beauty of the water in the Exumas. The resort will continue to employ 700 people, of the 3000 people live on the island.
Beaches Runaway Bay - This resort will be located in Runaway Bay, Jamaica. They plan to break ground on the back end of 2026. It will be 450 rooms with a waterpark and an 18 hole Greg Norman golf course, among other things.
Beaches Barbados - construction has already started on this property located on the West side of the island - called the "Gold Coast". It will be a $600M hotel that is 1.2 million square feet in size. There will be 18 restaurants, a 15,000 square foot gym and a 20,000 square foot conference center. 2000 permanent staff. “There is nothing like this in the Eastern Caribbean. Ir will set the tone for the beaches brand and the future". All wrapped in Barbados stone “timeless elegance” it will end up on the cover of Architectural digest.
Beaches St. Vincent - 53 acres bought just 3 miles from the resort on Mount Wynne Beach. No word on the exact date of breaking ground yet. [Click here for more on this resort]
When Can You Book?
There is much more to come for Sandals and Beaches Resorts. Even the worst hurricane in Jamaica's history couldn't stop this resort chain from growing and thriving. I will continue to share updates as they come in. But at the present moment, only the new village at Beaches Turks & Caicos (Treasure Beach) is available for booking and is taking new guests on March 1st, 2026.
If you'd like updates when new properties become available, please email me at kira@myparadiseplanner.com to be added to my "First To Know" list or join our Facebook Travel Group for all the updates.
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