Sandals Dunn’s River Celebrates Grand Opening

Dignitaries and distinguished visitors gathered for an exhilarating occasion honoring previous legends whereas celebrating future Jamaica tourism.

Under the transformational gentle of a brand new moon, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) unveiled its newest resort, the all-new 260-room Sandals Dunn’s River, with a celebration befitting its legendary lore in Jamaica’s tourism historical past. The night time introduced collectively leaders within the Caribbean, valued members of the Sandals Resorts household, and Jamaica’s most quintessential performers – together with GRAMMY-Award successful artist Shaggy and The Voice winner Tessanne Chin – to commemorate the subsequent chapter within the new resort’s storied historical past.

“This is the place where everything began for Sandals Resorts, and from where we stand, it’s a stunning representation of where we’re headed,” stated Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts. “Sandals Dunn’s River is the continuation of my father’s journey to better. It is a hero’s tale about an ambitious boy who began selling fish to local resorts and how he went on to change how people prefer to vacation, making Jamaica and the Caribbean the centerpiece of his efforts. It is an epic story about an incredible person who continues to inspire us to dream bigger, do more, be better. It is the stuff of legends and that is what this evening is all about,” stated Stewart.

Prime Ministers, together with The Most Honorable Andrew Michael Holness of Jamaica and The Honorable Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Ministers of Government together with Minister of Tourism of Jamaica The Honorable Edmund Bartlett; and native dignitaries from throughout the Caribbean area, in addition to different distinguished visitors, joined along with Stewart, SRI CEO Gebhard Rainer and different members of the Sandals Resorts workforce for an official invocation of the resort and a momentous ribbon slicing ceremony, toasting to the way forward for luxurious tourism in Ocho Rios.

Prime Minister Holness in his predominant tackle recalled his dialog with the late Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart about buying the property.

“It is such an impressive thing to see a dream come to reality and if there is one thing you could say about Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, it’s that he was a dreamer.”

“He was also a doer that will bring that dream to fruition, a man who will always get the job done. We are standing here literally living in ‘Butch’ Stewart’s dream,” he stated.

A Tribute to a Legendary Past, A Celebration of the Future

Surrounded by the sounds of flowing water and tropical birds and below a cover of thatched branches invoking the plush Jamaican rainforest, visitors had been met with cocktails expertly crafted with native substances paired with an array of cuisines from the resort’s eating places, together with ideas totally new to the Sandals model. The night was a nod to the resort’s earlier days because the Arawak Hotel, inbuilt 1957, and initially designed by visionary architect Morris Lapidus, whose joyful, flamboyant designs outlined the epitome of Fifties and Nineteen Sixties Caribbean stylish. The occasion themed the “Return of a Legend,” featured an expertise and vibe artfully recreated for the occasion. The  out of doors areas of the luxurious all-inclusive resort had been remodeled right into a retro supper membership, full with lounge music, glittering gold accents, vibrant inexperienced palms and SWAG servers – a brand new tackle the ‘cigarette servers’ from many years previous. Melodies from a 40-member choir from the University of the West Indies, the Edna Manley College and the Ashe Company, featured a spanning tribute to Sandals late founder, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, honoring a life effectively lived, a dream realized, and a legacy that may by no means be forgotten.

Echoing the Heartbeat of Jamaica

Like the resort itself, whose design inspiration is pulled from the flowing water of the close by Dunn’s River Falls, the occasion infused and celebrated the soul of Jamaica all through the festivities. Guests had been handled to the sounds of a steel-drum band; ribbon dancers; aerial performances, with costumes matching the vibrancy of the island’s tradition, in entrance of a state-of-the-art video mapping of the Falls; in addition to native musicians such because the Jamaican instrumental trio, Touch of Elegance. Mimicking the pathway of the flowing water from Dunn’s River Falls, entertainers additionally carried out throughout the pool, floating on unique bamboo rafts customized made by Jamaican artisans. An electrifying efficiency from the famend solid of STOMP, contemporary off their Broadway run, introduced the ‘beat’ of Jamaica to the stage with a wordless percussion spectacle.

A Star-Studded Beginning

The celebration culminated in awe with a crowd rousing efficiency from the ever-iconic Mr. Boombastic himself, Shaggy. Capping off the night, a powerful fireworks show lit up the Ocho Rios sky, and – moved by the momentum – a lunar after-party continued with a seashore bash below a brand new moon, signaling one more section within the story of Sandals Dunn’s River.

“Now, with the future before us, we stand on solid ground, committed as ever to celebrating our Caribbean heritage and delivering to the next generations of Sandals customers the unsurpassed level of innovation, excitement and unparalleled service they have come to expect and that they so well deserve.”

Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman, Sandals Resorts

For extra details about the all-new Sandals Dunn’s River, go to https://www.sandals.com/dunns-river/.

About Sandals® Resorts

Sandals® Resorts affords two folks in love the convenience and refinement of the most-awarded luxurious all-inclusive trip expertise within the Caribbean. With 17 beachfront settings in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, and Curaçao, every resort displays the design, delicacies, and distinctive essence of its island dwelling. From butler service and gourmand eating to top-shelf liquor and opulent suites, together with the Caribbean’s first Over-the-Water Villas and Bungalows, Sandals Resorts creates the time and moments mandatory for {couples} to reconnect and concentrate on what issues most: one another. Notorious for pioneering improvements that consistently evolve and elevate the all-inclusive trip expertise, Sandals Resorts has just lately launched contemporary ideas such because the model’s first-ever double infinity pool and an off-site Island Inclusive eating program, whereas staying true to its Caribbean roots and showcasing the transformative hyperlink between tourism and its energy to remodel lives by its philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation. Sandals Resorts is a part of family-owned Sandals Resorts International (SRI) which incorporates family-friendly Beaches Resorts, and is the Caribbean’s main all-inclusive resort firm. For extra details about the Sandals Resorts Luxury Included® distinction, go to www.sandals.com.