SANDALS RESORTS ANNOUNCES EXPANSION IN CURAÇAO
The hotel group adds a 16th Sandals Resort to its portfolio, acquiring Curaçao’s most sought-after address – The future site of the new, luxurious Sandals Curaçao
Sandals Resorts International (SRI), the world leader in upscale all-inclusive resorts, has announced the signing of an agreement that will bring Sandals® Resorts to a brand-new destination, the Santa Barbara Resort on the island of Curaçao.
This will be the brand’s ninth island destination in the Caribbean region. The new Sandals Curaçao will initially comprise 350 luxurious rooms and suites spread along Spanish Water Bay and the Caribbean Sea, with further expansion planned over the coming years. Formerly the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, part of a larger development of over 1,200 hectares, the resort will be fully transformed into the Sandals Hotel, a process scheduled to begin in 2021.
Sandals Curaçao will bring the latest hotel innovations to the island, a symbol of the world-renowned Sandals Resorts brand throughout the region. The hotel’s conceptual plans include the addition of key elements to the Sandals experience, including new pools, a variety of restaurants from the 5-star Global Gourmet™ program and luxurious accommodations, including the magnificent River Suites. Guests will also have access to the Pete Dye-designed 18-hole golf course, two marinas and more than 3,500 m² of indoor and outdoor meeting space, the largest on the island.
World-famous for its vibrant culture, pristine beaches and coves, Curaçao also boasts spectacular diving sites and unique marine ecosystems. With an average year-round temperature of 26.5°C, it’s considered the ideal place to get away from it all. The resort will have an immediate and long-term positive impact on the island and the people of Curaçao. In its first year alone, it is expected to have an economic footprint of over 40 million USD and an impressive track record of job creation. The facility alone will add more than 1,200 local jobs, including 800 new Sandals team members and 400 local artisans and merchants. The result will be a positive economic ripple effect for the island, extending to local cabs and transport, as well as wider business sectors, agriculture, increased air travel and more tourists per year, particularly from the major US and European tourist markets.
Roald Smeets, director of Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, said: “We have a unique opportunity to attract a world-renowned hotel operator, owner and investor such as Sandals Resorts, which will bring an unprecedented boon to Curaçao’s tourism industry and local economy. Its position as both a hotel operator and owner, with the ability to attract scheduled airlines from North America, sets it apart from other hotel groups. We found particularly compelling its ambitious plans for the site and its commitment to making Curaçao a world-renowned tourist destination. Its future investment will reinvigorate the tourism market, secure the livelihoods of hundreds of families and benefit every individual on the island by growing the local economy. Curaçao has an extraordinary future ahead of it, thanks to this visionary venture, which will truly place the island on the world stage”.
Adam Stewart added: “Every time we expand, we bring with us the full potential of our 40 years’ experience in the hotel business. The new Sandals Curaçao embodies our philosophy of innovation and fresh thinking. It’s a promise not only to our guests, but also to our team members, to keep innovating. Curaçao is a place to discover, and we are so proud today to be part of this community.”
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