Service at the Center Beachfront Honeymoon Butler Room with Private Pool Sanctuary at Sandals Halcyon Beach (left); Sunset Loft Suites at Sandals Negril (above); An Interview with Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Over the Water Private Island Butler Villa with Infinity Pool Chairman, Sandals Resorts International at Sandals Royal Caribbean (opposite page) EDITORS’ NOTE “Butch” Stewart 14,000 employees and more than 40 A6, Mercedes Benz E class sedans, Volkswagen founded Sandals Resorts in 1981 different nationalities, we are the Transporters, or for the bigger groups, a private and Beaches Resorts in 1997. He largest private sector employer in the luxury coach bus. was born in Kingston and educated Caribbean. We are nothing without The most recent renovations at Sandals in Jamaica and England. our team. Montego Bay will offer guests our highest stan- The quality of our product is only dard of luxury and unprecedented services, COMPANY BRIEF Sandals Resorts getting better and we intend to keep providing them with the best possible vacation International (sandals.com), founded it that way. We offer more quality in- experience. Our flagship resort now boasts in 1981, is based in Montego Bay, clusions than any other resort on the a completely new lobby and beachfront bar, Jamaica and owns and operates 15 planet. Scuba diving, for instance, is and has undergone a property wide renova- couples-only, Luxury Included® resort included. Our boats are manned with tion of rooms. Among these new and updated hotels in the Caribbean. The resorts are captains and crews that are trained to rooms are the luxurious Beachfront Millionaire located in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Gordon “Butch” Stewart the point where the PADI organiza- One-Bedroom Butler Villa Suites with Outdoor Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, and The tion recently recognized Sandals as Tranquility Tubs and Beachfront Romeo & Bahamas and offer upscale amenities such as gour- one of five best scuba operators in the world. Juliet One-Bedroom Butler Villa Suites with met à la carte dining and activities including scuba The Aqua Center at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort Outdoor Tranquility Tub. diving and golf. The company also owns three re- was recently named the first facility in Wellness and spa is a huge part of today’s sorts under the Beaches brand name in Negril and Jamaica and the third in the entire Caribbean to industry. Based on the tremendous popularity Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and in Providenciales, Turks & be designated as a Career Development Centre of our spa program, we continue to make major Caicos. Beaches Resorts caters to families with Kids (CDC) by the Professional Association of Diving investments in spa expansion. With the addition Camp programs, Xbox® 360 video game centers, Instructors (PADI). of every new resort, our spas only continue to water theme parks, and nanny services. Beaches Our 5 Star Global Gourmet™ dining pro- get better. In fact, the Red Lane® Spa at Sandals is also home to the Beaches Resorts Caribbean gram offers guests up to 21 dining options in- Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas has been voted Adventure with Sesame Street, which brings kids’ cluding Surf & Turf at Butch’s Chophouse, or by readers of Condé Nast Traveler as a “Top characters Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, Zoe, Lobster Butter Masala at our first-ever Indian Caribbean Spa Resort” and the first of three re- Abby Cadabby, Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, and restaurant, Bombay. sorts to be recognized as a “Top Spa Resort.” Bert and Ernie to the resorts year-round for daily We are constantly raising the bar and have It doesn’t stop there; we are also making in- activities and special stage shows. no intentions of stopping anytime soon. I of- novations and updates across the brand. Earlier ten say that I have never worked a day in my this year we added three new dining options What has made Sandals the industry leader life and that is true. I love what I do, I get the to Sandals Grande St. Lucian and even more year after year in the all-inclusive segment? chance to share what we have built, it is truly recently we added an Over the Water Wedding Sandals Resorts is the industry leader year a great thing. Chapel, the first in the Caribbean. after year in the all-inclusive segment because How important has it been to stay in- Our newest and perhaps most exciting ad- of one simple ethos: to give the customer more novative and to continue to evolve your ser- ditions to the Sandals brands is the Caribbean’s than they expect. vice offerings at the properties? first of its kind Over the Water Villas making their Service is paramount and reflective of the In today’s world, innovation is key. We in- debut at Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego warm, friendly hospitality tradition of the troduced the Luxury Included® concept in 2007 Bay, Jamaica this past November. Those rooms Caribbean region and its people. When our and since then we have created waves in the came in at over $1.5 million a key. We didn’t cut guests arrive at Sandals, we want them to feel industry and continue to do so with our newest corners. We pay attention to detail and continue like they are home. Service is at the center of additions and renovations. We are constantly in- to invest in our product in order to exceed our everything we do. novating the Luxury Included® experience. For guests’ expectations. With service at the center, it is the Sandals example, we do not only have unlimited scuba Is there an effective understanding that team members that make that possible each day diving, but we have sailing and water-skiing. for Sandals, all-inclusive comes with the for guests. They too share the passion that we We do not only have beachfront butler suites, highest levels of service and standards? feel. We invest in our team. Team members re- but butler suites with skypools, as well. For decades, the all-inclusive sector has ceive rigorous training in concert with Sandals The Gold Standard services starts from the suffered from the perception of midnight buffets Corporate University, which is committed to moment our guests touch down, where they are with no à la carte service or fine dining. We at their professional development in partnership greeted by the largest fleet of transportation Sandals do not believe in that type of experi- with 13 top-ranking accredited institutions of options offered among any other hotel in the ence. It is easy to claim to be all-inclusive, but higher learning. English-speaking Caribbean. While we do of- not every all-inclusive resort is the same. There We believe in training and giving people fer private transportation for all of our guests, is such thing as the Sandals Difference and we opportunity. It is incredible to see how much our visitors may also choose to book a Private distinguish ourselves every day on things that more sophisticated the training has become Luxury Transfer via Island Routes Caribbean matter to our guests: location, luxury accommo- and how comprehensive it is. With more than Adventures. Guests can chose between an Audi dations, dining and beverages, water and land 100 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2017 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 40, NUMBER 1 sports, golf, live entertainment, and the overall We continue to evolve through innovation of our DNA since we opened our first Sandals quality of their vacation. and are committed to providing the best and resort in 1981. It was something that was very We believe in genuine international five- most comprehensive Luxury Included® family important to me and I encouraged all of our star standards in an environment where every- vacation in the world. team members to follow and lead by exam- thing is premium and part of our all-inclusive Sandals places a major emphasis on ple – not just helping those in need but play- setting. This vision has proved to be very suc- the quality of its people. How important ing an active part in uplifting our region and cessful for us and we continue to improve. We is the investment in training and the fam- our home to greater heights. For more than have customers who have grown up with us ily culture that Sandals is known for to the three decades, we have been doing what we and are fully aware of who we are and what we strength of the brand? can toward playing a meaningful role in the do. At the same time, we have the younger gen- Our employees are Sandals Resorts’ ambas- lives of the communities where we operate eration who may not fully understand just yet, sadors. They are who our guests interact with across the Caribbean. but can go to Trip Advisor and see that though on a daily basis. Training our staff in the Sandals In 2009, we took that commitment to the we are the most expensive all-inclusive resort, Resorts service philosophy and equipping them next level and formed a formal 501(c)(3) as a one gets exactly what they pay for – and that with the skill set they need to deliver quality way to include more people – our customers, will always be a memorable Luxury Included® service has always been a priority. One of our our travel agents, tour operators and whole- vacation. key operating principles is to elevate service salers, industry partners such as airlines and Do you see opportunities for continued standards on a daily basis. tourist boards, and, of course, our 14,000 team expansion for the brand? In order to do so, we created what is members who serve as our ambassadors on the There is always room for growth and ex- known as the Sandals Corporate University – ground to help get the word out, fund-raise for pansion.