For New Yorkers Edward and Paula Baldrian, their happy place is somewhere in the Caribbean, under the roof of a Sandals Resort and amongst the staff members who they call family.

Their trip planned for March 2020 was significant for them as they wanted to come to Sandals Negril to celebrate their 44th anniversary and their biggest travel milestone yet – 1,000 paid vacation nights with Sandals. A total of almost three full years’ worth of vacation time at Sandals and Beaches resorts in Jamaica, St Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, Turks and Caicos, and The Bahamas.

Spending 1,000 nights at Sandals would make the Baldrians the second returning guests to ever achieve this major milestone. So in love are they with the hotel chain that they are two of only 55 returning guests invited to the highest and most exclusive Ambassadors Club as part of the Sandals Select Rewards programme. This programme boasts more than one million members worldwide.

One can imagine how disappointed they were when making their usual trip to their happy place was brought to an abrupt halt as the coronavirus pandemic came with stringent travel restrictions.

“We were pretty sad that we couldn’t be here with our Sandals Negril family. The uncertainty surrounding the travel industry affected us. But, we had a discussion and decided that we were going to travel once the restrictions lifted,” shared one of the Baldrians.

It’s now November and Paula and Ed are back to their happy place on a three-week vacation. “We were apprehensive right up until travel day, but now, we are totally relaxed and enjoying our time. The protocols in Jamaica make us feel way safer than back home. The Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness take the pressure off, and we are able to completely relax knowing that we are safe here,” continued a member of the husband and wife team.

Their 1,000 nights celebration took on a whole new level of appreciation as the resort team held special events in the Baldrians’ honour.

The couple was hosted to a General Managers’ Luncheon at the resort’s Caribbean themed Sundowner Restaurant with the general managers from Sandals Negril, Beaches Negril and Sandals Montego Bay.

They were also conferred with their 1,000th night achievement at the resort’s Sandals Select Dinner along with a Brunch ‘n’ Cruise with resort employees and close friends, a cocktail celebration and a private candlelight dinner to celebrate their belated 44th wedding anniversary.

“We really want to highlight the fact that the two couples or persons ever to attain 1,000 nights with Sandals both chose to do so in Jamaica. This is a true testament to the Jamaican hospitality. We have been to a lot of Caribbean Islands and other countries to vacation and Jamaica is easily the best we have visited. Sandals Negril is also our absolute favourite,” they shared. The couple has a total of five trips already booked to Sandals for 2021 and are looking forward to seeing all the familiar faces they’ve come to know and love at their favourite resorts across the Caribbean.