The company will transform two all-inclusive resorts acquired last year – the former Jewel Dunn’s River Beach Resort & Spa in Ocho Rios and Jewel Runaway Bay Beach Resort & Waterpark, plus a parcel of beachfront land adjacent to the Ocho Rios resort, into “three distinct experiences under the Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts brands”.

“Sandals Dunn’s River holds special meaning to our family because its history is the story of Jamaica’s evolution as a travel powerhouse,” said executive chairman Adam Stewart.

“My father grew up on the beach in Ocho Rios and this hotel, the first of its kind when it was built in the 1950s, captured the era’s glamour and sparked his imagination. 

“When it became available, we jumped at the chance to bring the hotel back into the Sandals fold.”

The new Sandals Dunn’s River will receive a “top-to-bottom renovation” with the adjacent ocean-front land transformed into an additional brand-new resort: Sandals Royal Dunn’s River, featuring 250 rooms and suites. 

The sister hotels will operate very much like the concept SRI developed between Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados, offering exchange privileges between the two.

The Runaway Bay resort will also undergo extensive redevelopment to become Beaches Runaway Bay Resort, the third family-friendly Beaches Resort in Jamaica. 

At its completion, the hotel will feature an estimated 400 one, two, three and four-bedroom suites, designed with extended families in mind. 

Guests of Beaches Runaway Bay also have access to Runaway Bay Golf Club and its par-72, 18-hole championship golf course.

“There is tremendous opportunity here and a ripe moment, as leisure travellers are choosing to return to the places and brands that they know and trust,” said Stewart.