OCHO RIOS — Bookings have opened for the fully renovated Sandals Dunn’s River in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Opening for arrivals beginning May 24, 2023, the 260-room resort, which first joined Sandals’ portfolio in 1991, will return next year as a brand new property following a top-to-bottom restoration inspired by Jamaica’s curving rivers, lush forests and majestic banyan trees.

According to Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), opening reservations on July 6 was intentional as it also coincides with the birthday of his late father and company founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart.

Coyaba Rondoval Village at Sandals Dunn’s River; Coyaba

“This was an extraordinary project and the last I worked on with him as his final masterpiece,” said Stewart. “Ocho Rios is the place where my father grew up, where he first learned to fish and felt the breeze blow along the West-facing beach. He handpicked this location more than three decades ago for its white-sand coastline, cool breeze, azure waters and its close proximity to the destination’s archetypical falls.

“Here along Jamaica’s North Coast, he witnessed a blossoming tourism industry and became aware of how to please and serve a new Caribbean customer. Every touchpoint at the new Sandals Dunn’s River is designed to do that and more.”

ACCOMMODATIONS

Expanded suite concepts at the resort include brand new Tufa SkyPool Butler Suites, which will feature glass panels spanning the length of oceanfront balconies.

At the Coyaba Swim-Up Rondoval Butler Suites with Private Pools, Sandals’ iconic standalone villas have been reimagined with vast open-air rooftops featuring private soaking tubs, sun-lounging areas and views of the surrounding flora.

Mammee Bay Beachfront Butler Suites will be equipped with spacious balconies directly overlooking the ocean, with gold fixtures and green accents throughout the resort’s various accommodations for a ‘nature-meets-luxury’ effect.

DINING

Culinary offerings at Sandals Dunn’s River will now include 12 Global Gourmet restaurants, 10 of which are entirely new to Sandals. Options include: L’Amande for French and Jamaican fare in a chic setting; Edessa, a Greek concept named for the ancient city of abundant waters; Banyu, offering Asian-fusion delicacies; Zuka for Central and South American flavours; and the rustic yet soulful Jerk Shack.

A total of nine bars, each with a distinct identity, include the sophisticated Dunn’s Rum Club where guests can enjoy authentic Jamaican craft cocktails while trying their hand at a game of Jamaican-rules dominoes. There’s also the Laughing Waters beach bar featuring bed-style seating, the rooftop bar Ocarina, a ‘Sandals First’ in Jamaica, and Lapidus Lounge, which pays homage to renowned architect Morris Lapidus who designed the resort when it was first built as the Arawak Hotel in the 1950s.

And inspired by Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, BLŪM café is where to go for a fresh cup of pour-over coffee and Japanese-style and nitro cold brew.

REST & RELAXATION

Cascading waters collected from Dunn’s River Falls will greet guests upon arrival, with all water features sourced from the natural reserves of local rivers. Jamaica’s largest pool makes its way back into the Sandals Resorts fold, featuring a glass panel edge that creates a water-meets-sand-meets-ocean effect. It is one of five pools available at the resort.

The Red Land Spa at Sandals Dunn’s River, meanwhile, will debut as one of the most luxurious for the brand, with the sound of flowing water from Dunn’s River and Roaring Waters River cascading into the spa’s pools.

STAY AT ONE, PLAY AT ALL

Sandals’ ‘Stay at One, Play at All’ exchange program will allow guests to check out additional Sandals Resorts in the area, with complimentary transfers to Sandals Ochi Beach Resort located nearby. In addition, guests can land in Ocho Rios with American Airlines’ new service from Miami, which launches Nov. 5, 2022, featuring more convenient processing times and private transfers before and after their vacation.

SPECIAL SAVINGS

Guests who book a stay at Sandals Dunn’s River now through Aug. 31, 2022 will receive a special Grand Opening Offer with instant credit savings of up to US$605 off on stays of seven paid nights or longer. The offer is combinable with other Sandals’ saving promotions, for travel May 24, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2025. Returning guests who are Sandals Select Reward Members will enjoy a complimentary Dunn’s River Catamaran Cruise for two.

For more information, visit https://www.sandals.com/dunns-river/.

To hear more about the new Sandals Dunn’s River directly from Sandals Resorts’ Executive Chairman Adam Stewart, check out the Sandals Palmcast.