The Jamaican-based Sandals hotel chain is committing to doing more for the countries in which it operates, sharing insights on developments in Caribbean tourism.

The commitment was given as the hotel chain recently hosted more than 1,000 travel advisors, industry partners at its Sandals Resorts’ Jamaica Love Showcase. The event was led by Sandals’ Executive Chairman Adam Stewart and featuring Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, where the commitment was made to give greater focus on sustainability initiatives, culinary developments, and operational changes.

Corporate Director of Sustainability for Sandals Resorts International, Kirstin McCarthy disclosed that Sandals’ sustainability efforts are shifting toward community enhancement, “rather than leaving a smaller footprint, we will be contributing more powerfully to the region”.

Some of these current initiatives include food waste recycling programmes with local farmers and renewable energy projects, including a new “Power of 15” initiative providing solar energy to school computer labs in Jamaica. In food and beverage, Sandals is expanding its Caribbean cuisine offerings.

Resorts’ enhancements and employee training

“Food is a lens into a culture, and we want our guests to experience more of the Caribbean than ever before,” explains Luke Mathot, vice president of product innovation, food and beverage. New dining concepts include BLUM, featuring Blue Mountain coffee, and Sweet Wood, a barbecue and jerk concept are planned for Sandals Ochi.

The resort company is also implementing new design elements across its properties in the region. At Sandals Dunn’s River, new villa suites include rooftop areas for stargazing with dedicated concierge service while at Sandals Royal Curacao, guests in top-tier suites receive complimentary Mini Coope vehicles for island exploration.

Employee training has expanded to include new technology. The company’s corporate university now offers over 10,000 online courses to staff members. This year, 500 chefs and 1,000 leaders participated in specialised training programmes. 

The company has also partnered with EON Reality to integrate augmented reality and artificial intelligence into training, using Oculus devices for virtual restaurant environment training. The Sandals Resorts’ Jamaica Love Showcase hosted more than 700 travel advisor partners, emphasizing the company’s focus on industry relationships.