Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas—Welcome to a Whole New Level of Perfection

I’m really excited to officially announce—although most of you already have heard about it—our acquisition of a totally amazing vacation getaway destination in the Exumas, the soon-to-be-opened Sandals Emerald Bay resort. This former Four Seasons property is in impeccable shape. However, we’ll still be spending the next few months Sandalizing every aspect of the resort.

And, when we’re done, you’ll be thoroughly wowed by all the extra-special touches and luxurious amenities this place has to offer, such as a state-of-the-art, championship golf course, designed by world-famous PGA pro, Greg Norman; a 133-slip, full-service marina that can accommodate yachts of up to 300 feet; 24-hour room service for everyone; and our unparalleled English Guild Butler Service for each and every room. So, mark your calendars for January 22, 2010, when we’ll be celebrating the debut of Sandals Emerald Bay!

The location—on Georgetown, Great Exuma—is one of the reasons that makes this resort so special. Set one a one-mile stretch of the most beautiful beach you’ll ever see, Sandals Emerald Bay is surrounded by spectacular azure waters, with some of the best fishing and boating you’ll find anywhere on the planet. I am constantly amazed at the fact that, even though the island is just a short, easy flight away from the US, you still feel like you’ve found a real, secluded hideaway. Make no mistake about it, Great Exuma is a true out island with a touch of Old-World, British-Colonial charm and the simplicity and freshness of an untouched paradise mixed in with the sophistication of an exclusive destination that offers the very latest in modern pleasures and conveniences.

No matter how hard I try, it’s impossible to really describe this spot in a way that does it justice. To actually feel its impact you simply have to go there and surround yourself with all the sights and sounds of the Exumas and the resort. That’s why, last week, I took a group of executives down to the property to introduce them to this newest and most incredible Sandals. As you can imagine, everyone was absolutely blown away.

We swam, ate, boated, fished and checked out some neighboring island landmarks. We water-taxied across to the Chat ‘N’ Chill (http://www.chatnchill.com/about.html) where we spent the day chowing down on ribs at the beach, petting stingrays over by the conch shack and hanging out with the incredible owners, K.B. and Kwanza. We tried the special, secret cocktail concoctions that the bartender at the island’s first hotel, Peace and Plenty (http://www.peaceandplenty.com/en/resorts-club.html), has been whipping up for over three decades! And we ate what was, in my opinion, the best conch I have ever tasted at Big D’s (Phone #: 242-358-0059). Everywhere we went, we got to experience firsthand the friendliness and warmth of the people who live on these islands. And believe me they are all as excited and happy as we are that Sandals is coming to town!

Along with us for our grand tour of Great Exuma was the newly appointed General Manager of Sandals Emerald Bay, Teresa Alfonso, a highly recognized and industry-accomplished professional who we’re happy to have as Sandals’ newest Vice President.

I can’t wait until all of you can come down and see for yourselves the unmistakable awesomeness of Sandals Emerald Bay—a true gem that will take your breath away and announce, in no uncertain terms, that Sandals is determined to exceed even the most demanding expectations and define a whole new meaning to the word perfection.
 

The gang gets ready for a day of adventure in the Bahamas aboard the bus that will take them into Georgetown and all over the island of Great Exuma.

The team waits to sample some mouthwatering conch right on the beach.

Welcome to an afternoon meeting--Sandals style--on the beach at the Chat 'N' Chill, a local hangout spot over at a nearby island that we reached by water taxi. You can tell we're all in a good mood, especially the chairman waving at the camera. It doesn't get any better than this!

Miles away from reality and yet really close to home, these islands are the ultimate getaway just a short flight from the coast of the US. Check out the perspective from Chat 'N Chill Beach.

Sampling the specialties and having a cool drink at the Chat 'N Chill. They look pretty happy to me.

Watching the master at work at the Conch Bar on Chat 'N Chill Beach—two team members look on as the local expert chef prepares a fresh conch salad, a true Bahamian favorite.