Sandals Resorts International (SRI) on Tuesday announced that it will begin welcoming guests back to Jamaica on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at its resorts in Ocho Rios and Negril after ensuring its team members have the time to recharge and care for their families and communities before returning to work.

“Our team members have shown extraordinary commitment, and their spirit is indomitable. We will do everything we can to ensure those who were impacted by the storm build back stronger,” said SRI Executive Chairman Adam Stewart.

The company explained that the reopening follows a comprehensive post-storm assessment of each of the company’s eight resorts across Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa.

“After the clearing of debris and completion of landscaping and repair work at each location, Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Ocho Rios, Sandals Negril, and Beaches Negril will open their doors with all facilities and amenities available to guests,” the company said in a news release.

It said its three other remaining resorts in Jamaica — Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean, and Sandals South Coast — will have a more extended timeline for improvements and will open May 30, 2026.

“Jamaica is a large and diverse island, and each region has experienced the storm differently,” the release quotes Stewart, who is also executive chairman of the Jamaica Observer.

“In Ocho Rios, which is in the parish of St Ann, our resorts were largely unaffected by the most severe impacts. We have meticulously surveyed each resort, and all systems and amenities will be fully operational to welcome guests with confidence once again,” he added.

Stewart, who was recently appointed by Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett to serve on the country’s Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force, and who also serves as a special investment envoy for tourism, emphasised the importance of returning visitors to Jamaica’s recovery.

“Tourism is a vital part of Jamaica’s national recovery, and guests can feel confident that the best way to support the region is by visiting and returning to the island they love,” said Stewart. “And if there’s one thing I can tell you: at Sandals, when we come back, we always come back bigger, stronger and better than before.”

In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of SRI, is leading relief efforts to support affected communities across Jamaica.

Established in 2009, the foundation drives the company’s commitment to the Caribbean through programmes in education, community development, and environmental protection. One hundred per cent of every donation goes directly to funding relief and rebuilding initiatives.

STEWART… our team members have shown extraordinary commitment, and their spirit is indomitable. We will do everything we can to ensure those who were impacted by the storm build back stronger