Is a Sandals Dominican Republic Resort in the Cards?

Could Sandals be bringing its iconic brand to the Dominican Republic?

This week, members of the Sandals Resorts International Executive Committee, which includes executive chairperson Adam Stewart and CEO Gebhard Rainer, landed in the Dominican Republic for an “exploratory visit.”

The two-day visit came from a personal invitation from the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic in Jamaica, Her Excellency Angie Shakira Martinez Tejera, and marked the first official visit by the Sandals team to the Dominican Republic.

According to Sandals, the executive team visited locations around the Dominican Republic, including Punta Cana, Miches, and Las Terrenas in order to “discover tourism investment opportunities.”

Judging by recent news, Sandals has an appetite for a continued expansion—the brand is opening its newest resort, Sandals Royal Curacao, in June and has plans for even more, including three new properties in Jamaica.

The resort company has not yet committed to bringing a property to the Dominican Republic, one of the most iconic Caribbean tourism destinations,  but in a statement about the trip this week, Stewart called the destination “a like-minded partner.”

“We thoroughly enjoyed our brief but fruitful time in the Dominican Republic and wish to thank our hosts, especially President Abinader. When leadership at the highest levels makes time to discuss the power of tourism and investment opportunities that expand its reach, we know we’ve found a like-minded partner,” he said.

Ambassador Martinez, meanwhile, called it “a dream of ours” to have a Sandals brand in the Dominican Republic.”

“Like Jamaica, where Sandals hails from, the Dominican Republic is a revered Caribbean tourism destination and the [tourism] industry is critically important to our economy. It is a dream of ours to have the very prestigious Sandals brand president here,” Martinez said.