If there’s just one message Sandals Resorts International Executive Chairman Adam Stewart wants to relay to travel advisors in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, it is this: Sandals properties — and Jamaica itself — will fully recover and come back stronger than ever.
Stewart, who made an unexpected appearance at Northstar Travel Group's CruiseWorld event in Fort Lauderdale, said he has personally driven throughout Jamaica to assess the damage.
“I’m a sixth-generation Jamaican,” he said. “I live in Jamaica. I work out of Jamaica, and I’m proud of my country — I have never seen more unity ever.”
Sandals properties in Ocho Rios were not impacted by the storm. “If you visited there, you would not have known that there was a storm,” he said, adding that Montego Bay and the South Coast unfortunately took a direct hit.
Five of the company’s eight Jamaican resorts are slated to reopen in Ocho Rios and Negril — are slated to reopen on Dec. 6, 2025.
The three remaining properties — Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals South Coast — are set to begin welcoming guests again on May 30, 2026.
“As my father [Sandals Founder “Butch” Gordon Stewart] said, ‘never waste a good crisis,’” Stewart said.
The resorts that were hit hard “will be completely transformed to the next level when they reopen,” he said, noting that the company will provide its travel advisor partners with enhanced product offerings once they are back in business.
Stewart also reiterated the company’s longstanding commitment to its travel advisor partners and provided agents with complimentary stays at Sandals’ resorts at the end of his presentation.
“My father used to say it’s been a long-time love affair, and I want to thank you for your service and commitment to Sandals,” he said. “Keep sending us your business.”
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