What's up with Sandals????
 

Booked a trip to the new Grande St. Lucian based on a great rate. Sandals reps insisted that it would be open August 15th. I happened to find a website for the St. Lucian newspaper that showed Butch Stewart of Sandals onsite in a hard hat. Quotes were that they would not even begin interviewing employees until september. Called Sandals and asked what's up with this. They continued to insist it would be open. Regardless, saw today that their website now says "opening soon". We are booked for early fall, sure makes you wonder.......

You know, even hotel chains with good reputations are virtually always behind schedule when opening new properties.....I can only guess (I'd bet my mortgage) Sandals will will fall well behind schedule.

I booked a trip there for Sept. 17-24 and Sandals recently contacted my travel agent stating that they would not be open until sometime in October. We were relocated to Halcyon and upgraded so I am not totally unhappy with the Grande St Lucian not opening.

You have to realize that things move sloooooow in the islands. We stayed at Sandals MoBay a few years ago and watched the landscape guys take 7 days to plant one bush. I kid you not. We still talk about that one.

I have a friend who worked for Sandals. He says Sandals is having one of its worst years since 1991. The chairman has said business is down 30%, even air travel on Air Jamaica.(of which he owns). Openings are being delayed (Dominican Rep) as is St. Lucia. Recent downturns in Sandals popularity and occupancy has caused for delays in openings and renovations. Travel bullentin boards have also come in to play. Negativity towards Sandals is at an all time high and personel associated with Sandals (employees, CSS, executives) are even REPLYING to the posts whenever a Sandals bashing starts! Am I the only one that could see this being true? Makes sense to me! The caribbean travel industry is a multi billion dollar conglomerate and when your business is considerably down I could see things like this hapening. I've never been a big fan of Sandals anyhow but interesting, huh?

Maybe they should lower their prices to those of comparable properties in the DR and Mayan Riviera if they want to boost business? Why go to Sandals when you can get the same experience at other all inclusives for a lot less?

If its any help to you, We were in St Lucia in early June and were told by our tour guide that the scheduled opening was October, Don't know what they were playing by accepting youy early bookings.<BR>Good Luck