ST LAWRENCE GAP, Barbados — Sandals Resorts International (SRI) yesterday opened its second resort here and gave its first couple — Shaunagh and Thomas Anderson — a warm welcome.

The all-suite Sandals Royal Barbados features 222 concierge and butler-level suites, including Sandals’ signature Rondoval, Millionaire Butler, Skypool and Crystal Lagoon Swim-Up suite concepts.

The resort also offers guests three new restaurants, the brand’s first rooftop infinity pool, gentlemen’s barbershop, and a four-lane bowling alley.

“Every new resort we develop stands on the shoulders of what came before. We keep getting better and better and for us, right now, Sandals Royal Barbados is a game-changer,” said SRI chairman and founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart, who also owns this newspaper.

According to Stewart, Sandals Royal Barbados was designed to complement the adjacent Sandals Barbados, with guests staying at either property having the opportunity to enjoy the amenities of both.

A news release from the company said that the three new Five-Star global gourmet signature restaurants are ‘American Tavern’, which offers casual dining in an industrial, modern setting; ‘Asian fusion Chi’, with design inspired by traditional tea rooms; and ‘Butch’s Steak and Seafood’, a traditional a la carte steak and seafood house.

“Along with Caribbean, Mediterranean and the French restaurants, Sandals Royal Barbados offers six new restaurants in total, bringing the number of unique dining options available for Sandals Resorts’ guests in Barbados to 17,” the company added.

The resort also features Sandals Resorts’ first rooftop entertainment complex. An oasis featuring stunning 360-degree ocean views, an infinity edge pool with chaise lounge seating, live music, French bistro fare and a cantilevered cocktail lounge aptly named ‘Raising the BARbados’.

According to Stewart, the expansive space “was designed to delight”.

In all, Sandals Royal Barbados features five bars, including the first beer garden, the Lovers’ Lane Bar which offers a selection of international, local and craft beers.

Other exclusive amenities on the property include a full-service 15,000 square-foot Red Lane Spa, and for guests in select top-category suites, the resort provides private chauffeured Rolls-Royce airport transfers.

The resort also features a Beach House Resort Shop, which Sandals describes as “a new retail brand curated to bring together the elements of the Caribbean featuring sophisticated resort wear, home goods, local craft, and provisions”.

The resort can also accommodate meetings, events and special celebrations as it offers extensive outdoor and indoor space including The Royal Lawn and a 6,000-square-foot conference facility with state-of-the-art technology and in-house catering and event-planning services.