As Jamaican officials continue to assess the damage and look ahead to recovery following Hurricane Melissa's devastating landfall as a Category 5 storm this week, some of the island country's key tourism players are providing important updates.
Sandals Resorts recently took to Facebook to thankfully confirm that all of its guests and staff rode out the hurricane safely.
"Following Hurricane Melissa's landfall in Jamaica yesterday, we are grateful to share that all guests and team members staying at our resorts are safe," the all-inclusive resort giant confirmed on Wednesday. "The safety and well-being of our guests and team members remain our highest priority."
"Today, we continue to connect with team members across Jamaica and have begun comprehensive assessments of all resorts. We remain committed to keeping our guests, partners, and stakeholders informed and will provide updates as more information becomes available," Sandals added.
There are seven Sandals properties across the island, in addition to one family-friendly Beaches resort in Negril. Images posted to social media revealed significant debris and damage to some rooftops, but otherwise nothing catastrophic in terms of building structures.
"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the guests who joined our teams in careful preparation and followed every protocol in Jamaica. Your cooperation, compassion, and sense of community lifted spirits and brought comfort during a challenging time. We also express deep appreciation to our team members across Jamaica for their extraordinary commitment and care as they balanced their responsibilities to guests while their own families and communities were affected by the storm. And to those who shared well-wishes from around the world, from past guests, travel advisors, partners, and friends, your encouragement and support mean more than words can express."
The company went on to say that "we understand that many valued guests have had their travel plans disrupted by Hurricane Melissa, and we are committed to providing all possible support. Our customer service team is reviewing upcoming travel arrangements and offering flexible options to help guests who may need to reschedule their vacation plans. We will proactively contact guests with reservations in the next two weeks as a top priority."
Impacted guests can also reach out via 1-800-SANDALS for assistance, but should anticipate a slower response time given the higher volume of calls.
Travelers are also encouraged to assist in the hurricane recovery through the Sandals Foundation at sandalsfoundation.org.
Hurricane Melissa has lost some strength after moving over Cuba, the Bahamas and other parts of the Caribbean but remains a Category 2 storm as it gets set to pass over Bermuda on Thursday.
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