Beaches Turks & Caicos No Longer Closing Doors

Beaches Turks & Caicos will no longer be closing for the foreseeable future, in spite of announcements to the contrary made earlier this year. Sandals Resorts International said the Beaches property will still close for a six-week period this coming Fall (Sept. 3-Oct. 14, 2019) for refurbishment and “beautification programs,” but the company has decided it will not close again in 2020 or 2021 as previously announced.

Sandals’ original decision to close was related to a tax dispute the company had with the Caribbean island’s government. The tax matter is yet unsettled and is still an active court proceeding.

In the meantime, the general manager told Travel Market Report last week that they are very happy to be operating as usual. And Gary Sadler, senior vice president of sales at Unique Vacations, Inc., offered the following explanation for the temporary Fall closure: “We’ll use this time to embark on beautification programs, without compromising the guest vacation experience. With regard to the improvements, some of these include various larger scale landscaping projects, back-of-house equipment upgrades, and fresh painting around the resort. We look forward to showcasing these many new enhancements in next to no time.”

Travel advisors were thrilled to hear the news, given the popularity of the resort. Sue Burns, branch manager of Wings Travel Group, in Marmora, New Jersey, said she was beyond excited that the property was no longer closing. “I quickly called my clients and shared the good news. Beaches has a significant impact on the island and it’s such a fantastic resort for everyone. I couldn’t imagine it not being there anymore!”