More rooms, more stunning beachfront views and more luxury are on the cards for Sandals properties in St Lucia in 2023. Those were some of the highlights Sandals Resorts International (SRI) provided during a recent glimpse into its forward-looking St Lucia investment strategy.
The 40-year-old company has been operating in St Lucia for 30 years. SRI owns and operates three of its luxury all-inclusive resorts in St Lucia — Sandals Halcyon Beach, Sandals Regency La Toc, and Sandals Grande St Lucian — as well as the Greg Norman-designed Sandals St Lucia Golf & Country Club at Cap Estate.
According to plans revealed by SRI Executive Chairman Adam Stewart, Sandals Halcyon will add 25 stunning new rooms in February 2023. The new development consists of 20 beachfront, two-story villa rooms featuring large balconies and five Rondoval™ suites, the signature Sandals category featuring soaring conical ceilings, expansive bathrooms and private water features.
An even more ambitious expansion will be underway at Sandals Regency La Toc where first phase plans call for the introduction of a new Sandals Resorts innovation, a village, comprised entirely of 20 Rondoval suites. Seven of them will offer open air rooftop decks. Set to open in 2023, the village is a “resort within a resort” concept of highest category Rondoval suites built adjacent to the golf course, each with their own golf cart for navigating the course as well as the larger property, and featuring luxury amenities including Sandals Resorts’ unprecedented butler service, and dining and entertainment options designed for guests of the village. Later phases will include additional spa facilities, new suite categories and a re-imagination of the current golf course offerings.
“Since opening our first property, Sandals Regency La Toc, nearly three decades ago, our commitment to working alongside government to make real the promise of tourism in St Lucia has been unwavering. My father loved St Lucia and, like so many, was originally captivated by its beauty. But he quickly came to understand that the real treasure of St Lucia is its people – friendly, hardworking, and industrious. People are the inspiration and the source that make investment possible, and the reason Sandals Resorts will continue to grow here,” said Stewart.
Sandals Resorts International first planted its flag in St Lucia in 1993 with the introduction of Sandals Regency La Toc. Since then, SRI has introduced two more luxury-included resorts, Sandals Grande St Lucian, located on its own peninsula, and Sandals Halcyon. Guests can enjoy Sandals’ exclusive “Stay at One, Play at Three” programme, which provides complimentary exchange privileges and transportation between all three resorts, giving guests a myriad of choices.
Why Expansion Matters
With new builds comes a thriving economy. These projects alone will add over 350 construction and tradesman jobs into the local workforce. The addition of these high-end room categories into the Sandals resorts inventory also means the creation of 120 illustrious butler positions in the St Lucia system, with training by the Guild of Professional English Butlers. Stewart is emphatic about the impact room category has on local economies and the ability to raise the standard of living.
“As we expand, we will grow from the top down. That means we lead with the development of suites, and here, Sandals is by far and away the most innovative resort company. Concepts such as our signature Skypool Suites, with their infinity plunge pools that seem to blend in with the horizon, Over the Water Bungalows with their incredible views and glass floors, and our Rondovals, are suite categories that drive demand and generate the longest stays. That is good news for St Lucia and good news for team members who train and earn the butler role,” said Stewart.
