From Left to Right – Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), Peter Fraser, General Manager of Sandals LaSource Grenada, Joseph Cinque, President of the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (AAHS), Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Chairman of SRI, and Karen Lynn Dixon, International General Manager of AAHS;
PRESS RELEASE - With the sound of conch shell blowers calling revelers to the party, Sandals LaSource Grenada Resort & Spa marked its official grand opening at a lavish celebration last night.
The resort, which opened its doors to rave reviews December 21, 2013, is also the brand’s first on the island of Grenada.
“We are thrilled to celebrate all that we have accomplished in this marvelous destination,” said Gordon “Butch” Stewart, chairman of Sandals Resorts, speaking to an audience of government dignitaries, travel industry superstars and media from around the world. “The elevated level of luxury at Sandals LaSource Grenada has set the bar for what is possible to imagine among all hoteliers in the Caribbean. We are confident our work here will become one of the most compelling reasons to visit the Spice Island.”
Guests at the party were greeted with a grand spectacle based on Grenada’s traditional SpiceMas© Carnival, with vibrant costumes of extravagant headdresses and accompanied by the pulsating rhythms of Tivoli drummers. Sandals Resorts CEO, Adam Stewart hosted the celebration along with the Chairman and echoed the excitement of the evening.
“This is an exciting evening and an exciting time in the history of Sandals Resorts,” said Stewart. “Sandals LaSource offers guests the highest levels of personalized service and is the most contemporary and luxurious resort within our expanding portfolio. It exemplifies our commitment to excellence and to innovation.”
This sentiment was made real when Joseph D. Cinque, president and CEO of the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (AAHS) presented the Chairman and CEO with two Six Star Black Diamond Awards for overall excellence in hospitality for the new resort and Island Routes Caribbean Adventure Tours.
In addition, Cinque presented two Six Star Green Diamond Awards for forward thinking in environmental practices to the resort and its Red Lane® spa, as well as a Five Star Black Diamond Award for Butch’s Chophouse, the brand’s first premium steakhouse. The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences is renowned worldwide for rewarding excellence in the global travel and luxury services sector. Each year the AAHS bestows its coveted International Star Diamond Awards exclusively to establishments that are deemed to be of pinnacle quality. A delighted Butch Stewart accepted the awards thanking his team, his partners and, most importantly, his guests, who he said, “made this evening and celebration in the Sandals family possible.”
The evening continued with the arrival of Her Excellency Dr. Cecile La Grenade, the first-ever female Governor General of Grenada, and formal addresses by the Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr. The Right Hon. Keith Mitchell and the Hon. Alexandra Otway-Noel, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation & Culture, commenting on the arrival of the Sandals brand to Grenada and its impact on the destination’s rebranding initiatives. Following a blessing of the resort, Prime Minister Mitchell and Minister Otway-Noel joined both Stewarts, the resort’s general manager, Peter Fraser and the resort’s designer, for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The evening was capped with a fantastic display of fireworks that lit up the Grenadian sky and a performance by “America’s Got Talent” contestant William Close of The Earth Harp Collective.
Guests were invited to join an after party at The Living Room, the resort’s modern and sleek gathering space, featuring musical performances and a culinary display befitting the brand’s Discovery Dining experience.