Sandals temporarily suspends Grande Riviera arrivals

Following substantial landscaping damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in the past 24 hours, Sandals Resorts International has announced the temporary suspension of new arrivals to Sandals Grande Riviera Beach & Villa Golf Resort in Ocho Rios until Nov. 2 in order to undertake an extensive clean-up program. New arrivals will be offered the chance to stay at one of the group’s resorts in Montego Bay, or on Jamaica’s south coast at Sandals Whitehouse, which were unaffected by the storm, or rebook after Sandals Grande Riviera’s reopening, subject to availability. Guests currently in-house will be given the opportunity of continuing their vacation at the resort or being relocated to the Montego Bay properties or Sandals Whitehouse. All booked guests who have been affected by the hurricane closure will be fully reimbursed with credit nights for the disrupted portion of their stay. In addition, Beaches Ocho Rios has announced that it will be delaying its reopening until Nov. 15 after Hurricane Sandy caused significant landscaping and beach damage and the temporary suspension of renovation work at the property. The resort was scheduled to reopen on Nov. 1 following a planned closure in order to complete its US$18 million enhancement program. Butch Stewart, chairman of Sandals Resorts International commented, “We have just invested US$60 million and US$18 million respectively in Sandals Grande Riviera and Beaches Ocho Rios, turning them into the most sought-after resorts in the entire region with luxurious accommodations, up to 15 fantastic restaurants, gardens and beaches. However, the damage caused by this storm, while completely out of our control, has meant we are simply unable to offer the same high standard of vacation that our guests expect. Therefore it is only correct that we take this step to allow us time to put things right.”