GRAND OPENING OF SANDALS GRANDE ANTIGUA NEW MEDITERRANEAN VILLLAGE

SANDALS RESORTS ANNOUNCES LUXURY INCLUDED™ CAMPAIGN AT ~MIAMI (October 15, 2007) – At this month’s grand opening of the all-suite Mediterranean Village at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, chairman and founder of Sandals Resorts, announced that the resort company had moved beyond the all-inclusive label.  Citing an evolution of the product over its 26 -year history, Stewart formally announced the Caribbean resort company’s new Luxury Included™ campaign.

“This is a defining moment for Sandals Resorts. We have moved beyond the all-inclusive category and the often maligned all-inclusive connotation,” Stewart said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The opening of the Mediterranean Village signifies and celebrates a new direction for our 26-year-old company. We are a resort company dedicated to choice, style, service and uncompromising standards.  No other Caribbean resort transforms vacation fantasies into memorable realities better than we do. We are the Luxury Included™ vacation.” 

Known for their leadership in Caribbean travel, Sandals Resorts once again raised the bar among resort destinations with the introduction of the Luxury Included™ vacation.  Available at all resort properties in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia and The Bahamas, the new luxury experience at Sandals Resorts includes private plunge pools and Jacuzzis, exclusive dining options and celebrated partnerships with celebrity designers Preston Bailey and Sylvia Weinstock; Rolls Royce; the London-based Guild of Professional English Butlers; Beringer Wines; Waterford Crystal and Red Lane® Spa.

“Our guests are living very well at home and expect - at the very least -  the same comforts in the hotels and resorts where they choose to vacation,” Stewart added. “We’ve watched the trend very carefully and have transformed the Sandals Resorts experience - investing more than $200 million in the last three years alone – to meet these demands.” 

The three-day grand opening celebration for the Mediterranean Village kicked off on October 4, 2007 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Stewart, followed by performances by Grammy-award winning artists, Shaggy and Sean Paul. Celebrity guests such as Kimora Lee Simmons, Djimon Hounsou, Brooke Burke & David Charvet, Stacy Keibler & Geoff Stults, Blake Lively, Rumer Willis, Teri Polo, Melissa Rivers, Stephen Colletti, Maria Menounos and Kelly Killoren Bensimon were in attendance to experience the unprecedented services and amenities that form the new Sandals Resorts Luxury Included™ vacation.  For the grand finale, guests danced to the beats of one of Hollywood’s hottest entertainers, DJ Splyce, as a heart-stopping fireworks display illuminated the sky.

Perched on a west facing hilltop overlooking the sea in Antigua, Sandals Resorts’ new Mediterranean Village features 180 spacious suites in six room categories, all boasting spectacular ocean views and a Mediterranean flair. The luxury experience begins upon arrival as guests enter through an open-air lobby featuring vaulted ceilings adorned with European stone and wood, designed to evoke the look and feel of a Mediterranean palazzo.  This private check-in area is the first step in the intimate service guests experience throughout their stay.  Suites feature palatial marble bathrooms with his-and-hers vanities and mosaic tiling, Jacuzzi tubs built for two, separate shower areas that feature overhead rain showers, oversized beds with luxurious bedding, additional living areas and 42” plasma televisions.

With rates beginning at $1,300 per couple, per night, the Mediterranean Village also offers all guests a sixth freshwater pool, the largest in the Eastern Caribbean, complete with a signature Sandals Resorts pool tower and swim-up bar, and the Eastern Caribbean’s largest whirlpool.  One of the highlights of this new water retreat are the chic poolside cabanas that flank the deck.  These luxurious hideaways for couples come complete with wireless Internet access to allow guests to relax in privacy.

Sandals Resorts:

Sandals Resorts has earned a worldwide reputation for providing two people in love with the most romantic vacation experience in the Caribbean. Currently, there are 12 Sandals properties located in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia and The Bahamas. Each offers stunning beachfront locations; a choice of à la carte restaurants, from white-glove dining to barefoot elegance; all premium brand wine and spirits, including an exclusive partnership with California's legendary Beringer Vineyards; luxurious accommodations in a range of categories; unrivaled watersports including the Caribbean's largest PADI certification program; Butler Service for truly indulgent pampering; Preston Bailey Signature WeddingMoons® and signature Red Lane® Spas, with services and treatments inspired by the region.  In July 2007, the five-star, all suite Mediterranean Village debuted at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa, offering two people in love the ultimate romantic getaway.

Sandals Resorts has set the industry standard for the luxury included vacation and has been voted the World's Best at the World Travel Awards for 13 years in a row.  For more information, call your local travel agent or 1-800-Sandals (1-800-726-3257) or visit www.sandals.com[Back to Press Releases Main]