The luxury all-inclusive landscape may be rapidly evolving, but Sandals Resorts International remains committed to one of the cornerstones of its long-term success: travel advisors.
gary sadler
“We are in the travel advisor business,” said Gary Sadler, executive vice president of sales and industry relations for Unique Vacations, the sales and marketing arm of Sandals. And it's the key to our future.” “I often joke and say, 'We are committed to protecting Travel Advisors from all enemies, foreign and domestic.' [but] If you truly believe in travel advisors, you must take every aspect of their business very seriously. ”
At the heart of Sandals Resorts' advisor-centric approach is its close relationship with ASTA and its promise to pay higher-than-average fees, he said. And in all of Sandals Resorts' marketing materials, the company encourages customers to “Call a Travel Advisor.” ”
“our [strong bond] Working with travel advisors is certainly something we protect and we will always keep it at the forefront of what we do,” Sadler added.
Strong advisor relationships are especially important when addressing industry-wide challenges, he said. Demand for sandals hasn't slowed down yet this year, but the company is keeping an eye on a possible rebound in 2024.
“Every election year [in the U.S.]it creates a sense of insecurity,” Sadler said.
The advisors are also helping to protect Sandals from fallout related to the U.S. State Department's decision to reissue Level 3 and Level 2 travel advisories for Jamaica and the Bahamas, respectively, in late January. Adam Stewart, chairman of Sandals Resorts International, said in an interview with Travel Weekly in early February that cancellations spiked immediately after the advisory was reissued, but that travel advisors' efforts to maintain bookings were slow. Thanks to that, the situation stabilized quickly, he said.
Stewart called advisers “our biggest advocates,” a sentiment echoed by Sadler.
“Every time there is some form of global crisis, [or] Travel advisors are the only group that can consistently sustain our business through this challenge,” Sadler said.
Coming soon from Sandals
Sandals will open its first facility this month in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, its ninth destination in the Caribbean.
Debuting March 27, the 301-room Sandals St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be the adults-only Sandals brand's 18th resort. The opening comes on the heels of Sandals Dunn's River's debut in Jamaica last May, and marks the return to the Ocho Rios property that once housed Sandals Resort.
Mr Sadler said accommodation innovation was a priority, including the resort's first two-storey overwater villa in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, each with a rooftop with an outdoor lounge.
The signature swim-up suite bedroom at Sandals St. Vincent and the Grenadines.Photo courtesy of Sandals Resorts International
Sandals is also updating some of its existing resorts with new accommodations, such as Beaches Negril, and last year added six 3,700-square-foot, three-story FireSki Reserve villas that each sleep up to 10 people .
“We can no longer offer just one room to a guest,” Sadler said. “Now we need to come up with a unique suite.”
Sandals also respond to changing culinary tastes. In 2022, Sandals debuted its Island Inclusive off-premises dining concept at Sandals Royal Curacao, offering high-end guests a $250 coupon to dine at one of its partner restaurants. Guests staying in Butler Suites are eligible for Island Inclusive, as are senior Sandals Select Rewards members who stay seven nights or more.
The Island Inclusive platform was so well received that Sandals expanded it to Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau late last year.
“A lot of times people rest on their laurels,” Sadler said. “We've never done anything like that, and that makes our demands as strong as they are today.”
