Sandals Resorts International is making the largest private tourism investment in Jamaica’s current recovery cycle, pouring $200 million into three of its original properties in Jamaica. All three are closing for a transformation and will return as substantially different resorts by the end of the year. The scope goes well beyond a refresh: new dining concepts, new room categories, a new property name and a ground-up rethinking of what luxury all-inclusive looks like in 2026.
Jamaica’s tourism sector has moved from recovery into genuine growth. From January through May, the island welcomed over 1.5 million stopover and cruise visitors and generated approximately $1.5 billion in foreign exchange earnings. About 80% of room inventory is back online following Hurricane Melissa, with full recovery projected by early 2027. Sandals isn’t waiting. It’s reinvesting now, with reopening dates timed to capture peak winter demand.
Sandals South Coast Opens November 18
The first of the three to reopen sits within a 500-acre nature preserve and has long drawn travelers looking for something quieter and more immersed in Jamaica’s landscape.
- The 12 Overwater Butler Villas return with refreshed interiors
- New Beachfront Club Two Queen Junior Suites, the brand’s first, are designed for groups traveling together
- The pool area has been redesigned to flow into the surrounding tropical landscape
- New dining includes BLŪM for Blue Mountain coffee and pastries and Butch’s Island Chop House with a dedicated martini bar
- A forthcoming rum bar will be the fourth in Sandals’ Jamaica collection
Sandals Montego Bay Opens December 18
The original flagship introduced the Caribbean’s first swim-up bar more than four decades ago. It’s returning as the brand’s most transformed property.
- Redesigned the main pool with new swim-up accommodations and oceanview suites
- The welcome experience has been rebuilt from the lobby outward with sweeping Caribbean Sea views
- Two new restaurants: Buccan for open-flame island cooking and Scrimshaw for refined coastal seafood
- Parisol Beach Club preserves the original swim-up bar, including bricks carved with guest names over decades
- Bay Roc Rum Club, named for the hotel’s origins as Bay Roc Hotel & Villas, adds Caribbean music and hand-painted murals
Sandals Caribbean Cay Opens December 18
Formerly Sandals Royal Caribbean, the property has a new name that puts its offshore private island front and center. It also adds 84 new rooms, bringing the total to 291.
- New SkyPool Suites, Swim-up Suites and Oceanview Butler Suites arriving next June
- Suppa brings Jamaican comfort food designed for sharing, with Keynote Rum Bar as its adjoining parlor
- Heart & Sol handles grab-and-go throughout the day
- Out on Sandals Cay, a new Parisol Beach Club adds a swim-up bar, full dining venue and Jerk Shack to the private island
- A new fitness center with panoramic ocean views rounds out the additions
With roughly 20% of Jamaica’s room inventory still offline, this winter arrives with demand outpacing available product. These three properties are positioned to meet that gap as fully upgraded flagships. If a trip to Jamaica is on your list, the question isn’t whether the island is ready. It’s which version of it you want to experience first.
Jennifer Allen is a retired chef turned traveler, cookbook author and nationally syndicated journalist; she’s also a co-founder of Food Drink Life, where she shares expert travel tips, cruise insights and luxury destination guides. A recognized cruise expert with a deep passion for high-end experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Jennifer explores the world with curiosity, depth and a storyteller’s perspective. Her articles are regularly featured on the Associated Press Wire, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, MSN and more.