[dropcap]B[/dropcap]arbados’ newest hotel opened under bright skies and brighter smiles as team members joined with management to form a guard of honour and welcome the first guests to Sandals Royal Barbados – the latest and most opulent resort in the Sandals Resorts International (SRI) chain.
It was a historic moment, filled with excitement, as the white Rolls Royce pulled up to the resort’s main lobby and butlers opened the door to greet Mr. Thomas Hare and Ms. Shaunagh Anderson of the United Kingdom.
The smiling couple was met by hotel General Manager Mr. Fernand Zievinger and Resort Manager Mr. Patrick Drake, then ushered through to the Butler Elite service for check in to begin their new Luxury Included® vacation.
Sandals Royal Barbados is the all-new, 222 room all-suite resort that, when adjoined with sister resort Sandals Barbados, brings the room count to 502, making Sandals the largest hotel operator on the island and providing employment for over 1,100 persons.
“Today went very well and was a proud moment not only for us [Sandals] but Barbados as a whole as we enter a new era on the island. The staff, I can’t thank them enough for making it all possible., There was so much team work behind the scenes to make today happen and deliver the Caribbean’s latest in luxury vacations with our new Sandals Royal Barbados,” said Mr. Zievinger.
Also in attendance on this special day was SRI Chief Operations Officer, Mr. Shawn DaCosta who welcomed the new team members and spoke of the joy of seeing Caribbean unity at its best in making a dream come true
“As a company we are proud to open our second resort in Barbados and we are very happy to have welcomed 600 new team members to the Sandals family.
“I would like to thank our opening team, which stands at over 100-strong, that came from our head office in Jamaica and our resorts throughout the Caribbean to infuse the Sandals culture into this new resort. This was done to ensure that we consistently deliver on our Chairman’s philosophy of giving the guest more than they expect,” said Mr. DaCosta.
The resort features a number of Sandals firsts including the first rooftop pool and bar (Sky Bar), the first 4-lane bowling alley (Lover’s Lane Bowling Alley), the first men’s only barbershop (Clip Yard) and two new restaurant concepts – American Tavern and Chi Asian Fusion. The resort also has signature accommodations including the magnificent Skypool Suites, Swim-up Suites, and Millionaire Suites, world-class international cuisine at six restaurants, and a 15,000-sq. ft. spa.
Stunning ocean views, an amazing glass-front infinity pool at the beach front, a rooftop infinity pool, Butler Elite service and exclusive exchange privileges with nearby Sandals Barbados define the new Luxury Included® experience at Sandals Royal Barbados.
Chairman of Sandals Resorts International, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart echoed congratulations to the Sandals Royal Barbados team and expressed his pleasure on the opening of this newest resort.
“There’s a saying about saving the best for last and this year, I think we truly have. Just in time for Christmas and New Year’s Eve and, as we promised, it’s my pleasure to announce the opening of the all-new, all-suite Sandals Royal Barbados.
At the start of this project, we promised a true game changer, designed to complement the adjacent Sandals Barbados, and we have done just that. I personally want to thank all the local contractors and tourism stakeholders who worked alongside us to make this project a success. To our employees, those who are just joining us and those who have been with us every step of the journey, thank you for your commitment and we look forward to more exciting times ahead,” said the Chairman.
—Sandals Resorts International
