Resort alone will add over 1,200 local jobs, comprised of 800 new team members, and 400 local tradesmen and craftsmen

Jamaica-based regional hotel chain Sandals Resorts International yesterday announced the signing of an agreement that will bring the hotel chain to the Caribbean island of Curaçao.

Sandals Resorts will be opening up a brand-new destination at the Santa Barbara Resort, which will mark the ninth island destination for the Jamaican hotel brand in the Caribbean region. The new Sandals Curaçao will initially include 350-luxurious rooms and suites stretched along the Spanish Water Bay and the Caribbean Sea with a further expansion planned in the coming years.

The location, which was formerly the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort is part of a broader 3,000-acre development. In a news release issued yesterday evening, the operators of Sandals say the resort will be completely “Sandalized”, a process set to begin in 2021.

Sandals Curaçao will bring the opulent resort innovations to Curaçao, which has become synonymous with the world-renowned Sandals Resorts brand across the region. Based on conceptual plans for the resort, it will have added several key elements for the signature Sandals experience.

These include new expansive pools, a variety of 5-Star Global Gourmet dining options and lavish accommodations, including magnificent newly constructed River Suites. Guests will also have access to the neighboring 18-hole Pete Dye championship golf course, two onsite marinas and 38,000-square-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, the largest on the island. 

World-famous for its vibrant culture, pristine beaches and coves, Curaçao also boasts spectacular dive sites and exotic marine ecosystems. With year-round temperatures of 80 degrees, Curaçao is touted as the perfect anytime-escape.

The new Sandals resort will have a positive, immediate and long-term impact on the island and the people of Curaçao. In year one alone, it is expected to have an over US$40 million economic footprint and an impressive track record on the creation of new employment.

The resort alone will add over 1,200 local jobs, comprised of 800 new team members, and 400 local tradesmen and craftsmen. This will be followed by a positive economic ripple-effect for the community extending to the local taxi and transportation sectors, wider supply chain, agriculture, increased airlift and increased yearly tourism numbers—especially with the key US tourism market.

Commenting on the announcement, Roald Smeets, Director of the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, declared that: “We have a unique opportunity to attract a globally-recognised hotel operator, owner and investor such as Sandals Resorts, which will bring an unprecedented boon to the Curaçao tourism industry and the local economy.

Its position as both a hotel operator and owner, with the ability to attract regularly scheduled airlines from North America, distinctly marks it out from other hotel groups. We found its impressive plans for the site and dedication to building the profile of Curaçao as a world-class tourism destination particularly compelling.

Its future investment into the community will reinvigorate the tourism market, secure the livelihoods of hundreds of families and benefit every individual on the island through rejuvenating the local economy. Curaçao has a tremendous future ahead, due to this exciting new venture, which will put Curacao truly on the global stage.” 

For his part, Sandals Resorts International founder and chairman, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, along with Deputy Chairman Adam Stewart, was elated at the Jamaican brand coming to Curaçao. “It has been our distinct pleasure to work alongside the government of Curacao and the Smeets family on this exciting new endeavour for the Sandals brand,” stated the elder Stewart.

According to the Sandals founder: “We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Roald Smeets, who has been instrumental to this process and absolutely delightful to work with. We plan to do more than our part to raise the world’s appreciation of this beautiful country.”

The younger Stewart explained that “the new Sandals Curaçao embodies our philosophy of forward-thinking and looking through a new lens. It is a promise not only to our guests but to our team members for continued innovation. Curacao is a place to be discovered, and we are so proud today to become part of this community.”