Here are just a few things that you may not know about Sandals:

-Each and every resort employee must undergo 120 hours of training each and every year

-We do not have bartenders, we have “showtenders”

-When we open a “specialty” restaurant such as a Thai restaurant we actually bring in a chef from Thailand to stay and work on our property, did you know we have over 155 restaurants in our chain

-Our butlers have a maximum of 4-6 suites that they tend to – other hotels that offer butler service have their butlers tending to over 20 suites at a time

-Beaches Turks and Caicos has been given a 6 star rating

-We host over 13,000 destination weddings a year

-All of our resorts are Green Globe Certified

SANDALS RESORTS INTERNATIONAL PURCHASES FOUR SEASONS
IN GREAT EXUMA, BAHAMAS
~Sandals Resorts’ Luxury Included® Concept featuring 18-Hole Golf Course and Marina
Set to Debut in New Year~

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, August 20, 2009 – Sandals Resorts International (SRI), parent company of Sandals Resorts, Beaches Resorts, The Royal Plantation Collection and Grand Pineapple Beach Resorts, today announced the purchase of the recently shuttered Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma at Emerald Bay for an undisclosed sum. According to Sandals Resorts founder and chairman, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, the 500-acre property, which features a championship Greg Norman golf course and world-class marina, is set to become a Sandals Resort and will be called Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas. Following certain enhancements customary to the Sandals Resorts brand, including an expansive new pool complex and additional dining establishments, the resort will open January 22, 2010.

“This is a remarkable moment in the history of Sandals Resorts,” Stewart said. “We are acquiring one of the most spectacular pieces of real estate in the Caribbean, which was operated by one of the world’s most highly regarded hotel companies. This is a reflection of all that Sandals Resorts has accomplished and a tremendous opportunity to further demonstrate our commitment to providing the very best vacation in the Caribbean. We look forward to bringing our Luxury Included® experience to this special property, which has been kept to impeccable standards.”

Unfolding like a grand estate, Sandals Emerald Bay is set along a one-mile stretch of white sand beach on Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas. According to Stewart, the all-suite resort will offer a selection of 190 “magnificently-appointed” luxury accommodations with styles that range from beachfront villas to charming bay house settings – all oceanfront, all extremely spacious and all serviced by butlers trained by Sandals Resorts through the company’s exclusive partnership with the Guild of Professional English Butlers.

Other amenities include a fully-equipped tennis center featuring six Har-tru courts lit for night play with professional stadium seating fit for competition; a full-service Red Lane® Spa with 22 indoor treatment areas and six exotic outdoor sanctuaries; plus six gourmet restaurants including four new concepts introduced by Sandals Resorts, a fine-dining seafood restaurant, an authentic Italian brick-oven pizzeria, a French-style café and a traditional British pub complete with a pool and snooker room. To complement its sublime ocean views, the property will also debut three pools including a brand new freshwater pool. Encompassing over half an acre, this spectacular pool will entice guests with a Jacuzzi, swim-up pool bar and unique fire-pit seating area in the center. Flanking the pool will be misting columns and luxurious cabanas equipped with wireless Internet access. Whether poolside or on the beach, all guests will receive a full complement of butler services. In addition, the resort will cater to business and meetings customers, offering 13,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space. This includes three large ballrooms with separate event entrance that can be converted into smaller rooms, all with access to a dedicated conference facility kitchen and two meetings rooms, which are all supported by round-the-clock conference and technology services.

Unique to the Great Exuma property is a stunning 18-hole Greg Norman-designed championship golf course, reputed to be among the best in the Caribbean as well as a 17-acre, stand-alone Emerald Bay Marina by Sandals, the first-ever marina for any Sandals Resort. This fully-protected, deepwater marina offers 133 slips and is equipped to accommodate and service yachts up to 300 feet in length. Open to the public, the marina also features a welcoming clubhouse with a full-service restaurant including al fresco dining on a spectacular wraparound terrace, pool, a world-class Lane® Spa and facilities to accommodate families with children.

Continued Investment in the Caribbean
Sandals Emerald Bay is the fourteenth Sandals Resort in the Jamaican-based company’s portfolio and the third investment the company has made in The Bahamas, already home to Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island in Nassau and Royal Plantation Island at Fowl Cay in the Exumas. “We have deep roots in The Bahamas. We know the people and these islands well and it is our distinct pleasure and honor to further our partnership in tourism here,” Stewart said.

Stewart credits receivers, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the government of The Bahamas on their efficiency in bringing this deal to a speedy conclusion. Stewart recognizes the impact the closing had on the local economy and is anxious to get people back to work. “We take enormous pride in our Caribbean legacy and specifically, our Jamaican heritage. Through job creation, real training and community involvement, spanning healthcare initiatives to education and the environment, we have worked hard to improve the countries where we operate and in turn, have become a better company and our employees, better citizens. Our commitment to the people of The Bahamas remains strong,” added Stewart.

Unwavering Confidence
“This resort has captured the imagination of trendsetters around the world, gracing the pages of influential magazines and welcoming some of the world’s wealthiest to its vast amenities. We will reignite this excitement because we know the Caribbean better than anyone and we know when we’ve found something extraordinary. This is that resort. We are incredibly proud to add Emerald Bay and are confident that our tradition of exceeding expectations through innovation and unwavering service, which is the hallmark of the Sandals Resorts brand, will continue to serve us well. We are eager to share the magic we found here with our guests,” Stewart concluded.

Important information about the TSA Secure Flight Program

On August 15, the Travel Security Administration (TSA) began phasing in a program to require your customers provide their full name, date of birth and gender when purchasing an airline ticket. Their goal is to be fully implemented in early 2010 for all domestic flights and the end of 2010 for all international flights.

Although this program is receiving a lot of publicity, it is important to know that it is a phased process and each airline will incorporate changes into their systems over the coming months as their capability to capture passenger data is integrated into their individual systems.

US Airways will launch nonstop service from Phoenix to Montego Bay, Jamaica, beginning Dec. 17. The service will offer connections from 28 West Coast cities to Jamaica. US Airways Flight 1620 will depart Montego Bay for Phoenix at 12:25 p.m. and arrive at 4:09 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. US Airways Flight 1619 will depart Phoenix for Montego Bay at 10 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday and arrive at 4:53 p.m. For more information call Penny (888) 336-8133 

JetBlue Airways unveiled the “Weather or Not Getaways Protection Policy,” designed to boost customer confidence in booking vacation packages to select hotels in Cancun; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Nassau, Bahamas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and St. Maarten this fall. In the event of a hurricane, if a customer chooses to cancel their reservation before departure or end their Getaways vacation early, JetBlue will provide full pre-departure refunds or post-departure hotel and flight credits.
“Similar to our Promise Program, we continue to look for ways to give customers the confidence to book travel plans without the worry,” said Robin Hayes, executive vice president and chief commercial officer for JetBlue. “According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this will be a near-normal hurricane season. It’s a beautiful time of year to travel and take advantage of some great vacation deals. Our new hurricane policy takes the concern out of the one thing that gives some customers reluctance to book travel to these popular tropical destinations during this time of year.”
Customers who have booked a JetBlue Getaways vacation package to participating hotels between Dec. 8, 2008, and Nov. 8, 2009, for travel between Sept. 1 and Nov. 13, 2009, and who are disrupted by the occurrence of a hurricane may be eligible for the “Weather or Not Getaways Protection Policy.” To celebrate, JetBlue is currently offering sale packages on Getaways vacations today through Aug. 14. To receive a full pre-departure refund without incurring cancellation fees, a customer must notify JetBlue within three days of the airline issuing a Hurricane Travel Alert for their vacation destination and prior to boarding the departure flight.
If a customer has already departed on their Getaways vacation at the time JetBlue issues a Hurricane Travel Alert for their destination, JetBlue will waive the change fees and move the customer to the next available departing flight. Travelers will receive a post-departure hotel credit for the number of nights that they did not use that can be applied to a future JetBlue Getaways vacation at the same hotel. Additionally, customers will receive a $100 flight credit per person to be applied to another JetBlue Getaways vacation to the same destination city within one year. The customer must change their reservation to an earlier return flight, subject to availability, and request a refund within 14 days of boarding the flight home.
A Hurricane Travel Alert is defined as a travel alert issued by JetBlue in the event a hurricane substantially impacts its flight operations to or from certain destinations. To determine whether a Hurricane Travel Alert is in effect, visit www.jetblue.com and, if a red link labeled “Travel Alert” appears at the top of the page, click on the link. This link will inform customers if the Travel Alert is a Hurricane Travel Alert, and what destinations the alert pertains to during that time.
All requests for a refund or credit for a JetBlue Getaways vacation package under the Weather or Not Getaways Protection Policy must be made by calling 800-JETBLUE (538-2583), and selecting option 3. In Mexico, call 800-861-3372; in St. Maarten, call 801-365-2583; in Bermuda, call 800-884-9616; and in Jamaica, call 800-963-3014. For more information or reservations, call 800-JET-BLUE or visit www.jetblue.com.