El Faro Resort Panama

Industry

Travel and hospitality 

Industry

Physical Environments, Visual Identity, Verbal Identity

In 1981, a hotel in Montego Bay caught the eye of Gordon “Butch” Stewart. A fifth-generation Jamaican with no interest in playing it safe in the hospitality business, Stewart reimagined the hotel as a love letter to the Caribbean. The result? Sandals Resorts. And later, Beaches, its family-friendly sister brand. Together, they redefined the all-inclusive category with something more intimate, electric, and rooted in a sense of place than anything else on the map.

Four decades later, the soul of these brands remains Caribbean-first and obsessed with hospitality as an art form. From the invention of the very first swim-up bar to the first hair dryers in guest rooms, Sandals has always led with heart and innovation to shape what island luxury feels like, one big idea at a time. That same forward momentum—now driven by Executive Chairman Adam Stewart, son of the late founder—sparked a bold exploration of what’s next, leading to in-depth research across guests, competitors, and every stage of the travel journey to evolve the future of Caribbean hospitality.