The brand's Ocho Rios and Negril resorts will be first to re-open, following a comprehensive post-storm assessment of each of the company’s eight resorts on the island. After the clearing of debris and completion of landscaping and repair work at each location, Sandals Dunn's River, Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Ochi Beach, Sandals Negril, and Beaches Negril will open their doors with all facilities and amenities available to guests.
The company’s three other resorts in Jamaica — Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean, and Sandals South Coast — will have a more extended timeline for improvements and will open on 30 May 2026.
Travel agents with clients who are due to travel imminently to Jamaica with Unique Caribbean Holidays will be contacted by the operations team shortly.
Agents with clients who have bookings to Sandals or Beaches Resorts in Jamaica which have been made through another tour operator should contact them directly to discuss the booking.
“Jamaica is a large and diverse island, and each region has experienced the storm differently,” said Adam Stewart, executive chairman, Sandals Resorts International.
“In Ocho Rios, which is in the parish of St Ann, our resorts were largely unaffected by the most severe impacts. We have meticulously surveyed each resort, and all systems and amenities will be fully operational, to welcome guests with confidence once again.”
With restoration plans in place, the 6 December reopening date also ensures team members have the time to recharge and care for their families and communities before returning to work.
“Our team members have shown extraordinary commitment, and their spirit is indomitable,” added Stewart.
Stewart, who was recently appointed by Jamaica's Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett to serve on the country’s Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force, and who also serves as a special investment envoy for tourism, emphasised the importance of returning visitors to Jamaica’s recovery.
“Tourism is a vital part of Jamaica's national recovery, and guests can feel confident that the best way to support the region is by visiting and returning to the island they love,” said Stewart.
“And if there's one thing I can tell you: at Sandals, when we come back, we always come back bigger, stronger and better than before.”
The philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts, The Sandals Foundation, has activated its Hurricane Melissa Relief Mission with 100% of every pound donated going directly to the organisation’s emergency response efforts.
The team is working hand-in-hand with on-the-ground officials across Jamaica to help those most in need.
Created in 2009, The Sandals Foundation, a non-profit organisation, is dedicated to positively impacting lives and communities across the Caribbean, under three key pillars: the environment, community, and education.
Unique Caribbean Holidays will also be donating £10 to the Sandals Foundation’s Hurricane Melissa relief fund for every Sandals or Beaches Resorts booking made before 30 November.
All bookings made during this period will help to make a difference to the Caribbean communities who have been affected by the hurricane.
Last week, agent Tania Nash shared with TTG her experience sheltering from the storm at Sandals Ochi in Ocho Rios.
For more information on The Sandals Foundation's relief work, and to donate, visit sandalsfoundation.org
