Royal Caribbean Group In Bid to Purchase Sandals Resorts

Over the past several years, Royal Caribbean Group has stopped positioning itself as a cruise company. “We are a vacation company” is an oft repeated phrase by senior executives.

Now, the company is putting real money behind its claim, nearing a deal that would see Royal Caribbean Group purchase a majority stake in Sandals Resorts International, one of the largest all-inclusive hospitality companies in the world.

The acquisition (valued at $6 billion), first reported by Financial Times, would be the largest in Royal Caribbean history, beating Royal’s 2020 acquisition of Silversea ($1 billion).

Sandals Resorts International operates 20 all-inclusive properties across the Caribbean under the Sandals and Beaches Resorts brand names. According to Financial Times, the company has been trying to find a buyer even before founder Gordon “Butch” Steward passed away in 2021.

Sandals was previously in talks over a sale in 2017 and 2019, according to reports, and the WSJ said last year that the resort company could sell for between $6 billion to $7 billion.

While the acquisition is not a done deal, Financial Times reported that an agreement could be reached in a matter of days.