was more than just another hotel debut; for many travelers and even travel advisors, the arrival of the 301-room all-inclusive on the island of St. Vincent also served as an introduction to a destination many may not have even heard of, and even fewer have visited.

The 50-acre resort on Buccament Bay is the first “name brand” property to open on St. Vincent, which is the largest island in the Grenadines and home to the archipelago’s capital city, Kingstown. The annual Vincy Mas carnival draws some visitors to St. Vincent, but otherwise the island has been overshadowed by others in the eastern Caribbean country, such as Bequia, Canouan, and Mustique.

That’s about to change in a big way. “Sandals Saint Vincent unveils a little-known wonder we are proud to bring forward, not only for its show-stopping beauty but for the warmth and grace of its people,” said Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International.

The 18th all-inclusive resort in the Sandals chain largely follows the model that the company has successfully deployed in the past, offering travelers multiple options of accommodations, dining, and activities. The adults-only resort, situated between mountains, the Buccament River, and the Caribbean Sea, is centered on a 300-foot linear pool.

“One of the things that struck me most when I first visited was the view,” said Garth Laird, vice president of trade sales at Unique Vacations, the marketing affiliate of Sandals. “The resort sits in a valley facing the ocean, so when you look back from the beach you’re seeing the mountains. It’s such a unique feeling. The location is the best on the island.”
The Sandals location was formerly the site of the Buccament Bay Resort, a luxury resort that closed in 2016, buried under a mountain of debt and scandal. However, Laird said the entire Sandals resort is new from the ground up other than utilizing some landscaping from the former property.

The Experience
Highlighting the Sandals St. Vincent and the Grenadines room categories are a collection of Vincy Overwater Two-Story Villas, the first two-story overwater accommodations at any Sandals resorts. The resort also has an assortment of beachfront villas, and the main hotel building includes swim-out suites on the ground floor.

“I was extremely impressed with the spaciousness of the rooms, which are among the largest in the Sandals chain,” said Laird.
Local flavors abound in Buccan, one of the 11 culinary offerings and five bars at the new resort, five of which are brand new in the Sandals portfolio. The open-air restaurant Buccan incorporates locally grown produce and Vincentian recipes, with food prepared in local clay ‘yabba’ pots. The Scrimshaw seafood is another new concept debuting in St. Vincent, along with the Parisol beach club restaurant, the Imoro grab-and-go eatery, and the Three Jewels rum bar.

The on-site activities are pretty standard for Sandals resorts: there’s a PADI-certified dive shop, Hobie Cats, paddle boards, and kayaks available for guest use, tennis, a fitness center, and of course daily and evening entertainment. But even repeat Sandals guests should be wowed by the off-site tours and activities on St. Vincent.

Island Routes, the Sandals-affiliated tour company, is still putting some itineraries together, but guests can already join guided kayak tours to the Buccament Bat Caves, and other popular St. Vincent attractions include the Botanical Garden in Kingston, the shoreline Falls of Baleine (accessible only by boat), the spectacular Dark View Falls, the still-smoldering La Soufrière volcano, and serene Wallilabou Bay, where the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie was filmed.

Select travel advisors will get the chance for an up-close look at Sandals St. Vincent and the Grenadines in May, when the resort will host Sandals’ annual STAR Awards, which honor top-selling travel agents from around the world.

“We’ve never done this so early before,” said Laird, noting the small gap in time between the resort’s March 27 debut and the May 13-18 event. “Because this is a new destination, we know many travel advisors have never been here before.”

Getting to St. Vincent will be easier than ever now that American Airlines has increased its fall schedule between Miami and Kingstown to six weekly flights — a move largely prompted by the Sandals opening. Other flight options include Air Canada out of Toronto, and Caribbean Airlines from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Once landed in St. Vincent, Sandals guests can expect a 45-minute drive from the airport to the resort.

In addition to couples, Sandals St. Vincent should appeal to travelers interested in sailing down the Grenadines island chain and exploring the Tobago Cays.
“A lot of travel advisors have clients who are looking for what’s new and different,” said Laird. “St. Vincent has white and black sand beaches; it’s a laid-back destination that moves at a true Caribbean pace. We recognize that when a Sandals goes in, that piques people’s interest. I don’t think there’s any limit on who will be attracted to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We’re very bullish that this resort will be incredibly successful.”
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