by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 1:50 PM ET, Thu November 13, 2025
Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts, Adam Stewart, CD, provided an update on the status of Jamaican tourism and the brand’s resorts following the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa during an exclusive travel advisor town hall webinar on November 13.
Over 2,900 advisors and travel industry professionals in attendance.
“Thank you for always loving Jamaica the way you have,” Stewart told advisors. “Thank you for loving Sandals and Beaches Resorts. We know you have other products you can sell; we thank you for focusing on our product. We will stand by you, we will get your inventory back, better than it was before…”
He also thanked the countries of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom for their overwhelming support and relief aid following the hurricane.
He went on to provide an update on the status of Jamaica and Sandals Resorts.
Sandals Dunn's River near Ocho Rios. (Photo Credit: Theresa Norton)
Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Ocho Rios, Sandals Negril and Beaches Negril will reopen on Dec. 6, 2025, having experienced very little damage from the hurricane—largely to support the team members impacted by the hurricane.
Sandals South Coast, Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean did face damage from the hurricane, and they will face a longer time being closed due to needed repairs. They are expected to reopen May 30, 2026—with some exciting new renovations, of course.
Sandals Royal Caribbean’s new overwater bungalows remained intact, though they did experience interior damage. Sandals South Coast will receive a new roof and infrastructure repairs.
No team members or travelers were injured during Hurricane Melissa. Those who were previously booked at Sandals or Beaches properties in Jamaica prior to their reopening dates are currently being contacted and moved to other resorts across the Caribbean.
“I’m a sixth-generation Jamaican,” said Stewart at the CruiseWorld conference last week in Florida, which he echoed again in his update to travel advisors today. “I live in Jamaica. I work out of Jamaica, and I’m proud of my country — I have never seen more unity ever.”
The Sandals Foundation has given over $1 million in hurricane relief, and is coordinating relief efforts with governmental and non-governmental organizations for both short-term and long-term, including trying to find ways to rebuild schools so children in rural areas can return to school.
Stewart was optimistic about the strength of the Jamaican people, noting that the major airports were reopened, that cruise travel and many of the major attractions, including Dunn’s River Falls, were already open and welcoming tourists.
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