Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa and Beach Resort officially reopened two weeks ago. So far, it’s going well, with happy satisfied guests, including over two dozen couples who have wed at the resort, and Sandals team members who are grateful to be back at work. However, the journey to recovery has not been easy, as was explained at a special ‘Eat Local Lunch’ to thank interested stakeholders, held on Friday July 24 in the resort’s newly refurbished William Jefferson Clinton Ballroom.
Public Relations Manager Judy Deterville acted as compère. She admitted that combatting COVID-19 reminded her of a battlefield and had brought to mind the words of Winston Churchill: “We shall fight on the beaches . . . we shall not surrender.” For nearly 40 years Sandals Resorts has prioritised health and safety so, in this new world of tourism, its weapon has been to introduce the Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness, for which no expense or effort has been spared. These protocols have been designed to safeguard guests, from arrival to departure, as well as over 500 Sandals team members who have undergone robust training, online and at the resort.
Managing Director Winston Anderson stressed, “We are all in this crisis together,” but that with perseverance, it can be overcome. “The journey to recovery requires all of us. For us to succeed, it will need all of us working together, all of us caring for each other and, very importantly, all of us supporting each other,” he remarked.
Mr. Anderson offered praise for those with whom Sandals Resorts has worked. He commended the Chief Medical Officer and health officials; the Ministry of Tourism; farmers (who received special mention for growing every item featured on the lunch menu); taxi operators; entertainers and border control agencies including the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA), customs and immigration. He commented on the importance of regular communication with managers of the other resorts in Saint Lucia which have reopened their doors, namely Ladera, Sugar Beach, Stonefield and Bay Gardens Beach Resort, and spoke of the strict certification process that each had gone through in order to welcome back guests.
“This crisis has brought us all closer together and, in fact, I think out of this we will become stronger. And I know that, going forward, the industry will be better for this,” said Mr. Anderson. He concluded: “Our journey to recovery must include all sectors, must include everyone; a united effort for the safety of everyone, to get people’s livelihoods back and to showcase our beautiful island as safe, as the friendliest and as truly The Helen of the West.”
Other speakers at the event were Donalyn Vittet, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism; Mr Philip, President of Southern Taxi Association; musician Ronald “Boo’ Hinkson; Christian Gandara, Manager of Ladera Resort; Mrs Parkinson of SLASPA, and Mr Noorani Azeez, CEO of the Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLHTA).
