Sandals Resorts International

What does Sandals Resorts International own?

SRI owns and operates Sandals couples resorts, Beaches family resorts, Fowl Cay private island, and related villa properties across nine Caribbean destinations.

Is Sandals Resorts International publicly traded?

No. The company is privately held by the Stewart family. Royal Caribbean agreed in September 2026 to buy a 50% stake, but no public shares exist.

Who founded Sandals?

Gordon "Butch" Stewart founded the company in 1981, opening Sandals Montego Bay as the first property.

Where is Sandals Resorts International headquartered?

The company is headquartered in Montego Bay, Saint James, Jamaica.

Who owns Sandals Resorts?

The Stewart family owns the company. Royal Caribbean Group agreed in September 2026 to acquire a 50% stake for approximately $3 billion, pending closing in early 2027.

Did Royal Caribbean buy Sandals?

Royal Caribbean agreed to buy 50% of Sandals Resorts International for approximately $3 billion in September 2026. The Stewart family retains the other 50%, and the deal had not closed as of October 1, 2026.

Butch Stewart bought the Bay Roc Hotel in Montego Bay in 1981 and reopened it as Sandals Montego Bay, the first couples-only all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean. The concept was radical at the time: a fixed price covering rooms, food, drink, and activities aimed at honeymooners.

The company expanded across Jamaica through the 1980s and 1990s, then into Saint Lucia, the Bahamas, Antigua, Grenada, Barbados, Curaçao, Turks and Caicos, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The 1996 launch of Beaches created a family counterpart to the couples brand.

Stewart built ancillary businesses around the resorts: Appliance Traders, ATL Automotive, and the Sandals Foundation, launched in 2009. When he died in January 2021, his son Adam Stewart became executive chairman after more than two decades working alongside his father.

The company marked its 40th anniversary in 2021 with new resort development and a hospitality school endowed at the University of the West Indies. In September 2026, Royal Caribbean Group agreed to buy a 50% stake for approximately $3 billion, a deal expected to close in early 2027.

The Sandals Foundation funds education, community, and environmental programs across the Caribbean. The company emphasizes local employment and sources regionally where possible. Climate resilience is a material operational issue, with hurricane exposure across its island properties.