Sandals Resorts International (SRI) has announced that bookings are now open for arrivals to the all-new Sandals Dunn’s River resort from 24^th May 2023.

Sandals Dunn’s River is to make its return to the Sandals portfolio next year, after a full redesign and renovation. The resort will feature first-of-its-kind suite designs, exclusive restaurant and bar concepts and will offer guests new ways to experience Jamaica’s natural wonders. Loved by couples since its initial addition to the all-inclusive resort Company’s portfolio in 1991, Sandals Dunn’s River will return as a brand-new resort, reclaiming its edge as the pinnacle of Sandals luxury.

The all-new 260-room Sandals Dunn’s River is undergoing a thorough restoration from top to bottom. Designed to embrace the essence of Jamaica and its winding rivers, lush forests, and majestic banyan trees, the resort is filled with innovative amenities, accommodations and culinary concepts.

“Today is marked with very special intention, as we accept bookings for Sandals Dunn’s River in honour of our founder and my late father, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, on his birthday – just a small homage to him that we know will make him smile,” said Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI).  

“This was an extraordinary project and the last I worked on with him as his final masterpiece. He handpicked this location more than three decades ago for its white-sand coastline, cool breeze, azure waters and its close proximity to the destination’s archetypical falls. It will not only serve to breathe new excitement into a corner of Jamaica loved and cherished by so many, but it will set a new standard of luxury for tourism right here in our backyard with a next-generation resort worthy of its nostalgic past.”

Accommodation Highlights: Taking Luxury to New Heights

The resort will showcase brand-new Tufa SkyPool Butler Suites, which will feature glass panels spanning the length of oceanfront balconies, for a cascading infinity effect clear to the Caribbean Sea.

At the Coyaba Swim-Up Rondoval Butler Suites with Private Pools, Sandals’ iconic, standalone villas are reimagined with vast open-air rooftops featuring private soaking tubs, sun-lounging areas and privileged views of the surrounding flora. Luxurious Mammee Bay Beachfront Butler Suites will be equipped with spacious balconies directly overlooking the ocean, with gold fixtures and green accents that are speckled throughout the resort’s unique accommodations for a nature-meets-luxury effect.

More on the Menu

Culinary offerings at Sandals Dunn’s River will include 12 Global Gourmet restaurants – with ten concepts entirely new to Sandals. Infused with the classic cooking techniques found in the finest establishments in France, L’Amande will serve an exquisite me?lange of French delicacy and Jamaican fare in a chic setting. A Greek concept, Edessa, is where the Caribbean and Aegean seas will meet, elegantly named for the ancient city of abundant waters.

From Thailand to Japan, the Asian-fusion menu at Banyu will offer a blend of cultures all in a single dish. Beloved staples, old and new, will satisfy cravings and please palates – from the Central and South American flavors at Zuka, debuted first at Sandals Royal Curaçao, to the rustic yet soulful Jerk Shack and its traditional sweet and peppery delights.

High spirits will long live at nine bars, each with a distinct identity. The hip and sophisticated Dunn’s Rum Club is where the island’s signature libation will be shaken and stirred into authentic Jamaican craft cocktails, expertly mixed with locally sourced ingredients like coconut and sorrel-smoked rum. A first-of-its-kind experience, guests will enjoy an expertly curated list of smooth rums while trying their hand at a game of Jamaican-rules dominoes, where the best out of six wins.

The Laughing Waters beach bar will offer bed-style seating for a truly effervescent experience on the sand, with a jovial name and sparkling champagne cocktails to match. A ‘Sandals First’ in Jamaica, the rooftop bar, Ocarina, will pair spirits with the gentle sea breeze, while the chic Lapidus Lounge pays homage to renowned architect Morris Lapidus, who designed the resort when it was first built as the Arawak Hotel in the 1950s.

Inspired by Jamaica’s quintessential Blue Mountains where the beans are harvested and roasted exclusively for the resort, guests can experience a fresh cup of pour-over coffee at BLUM café, along with Japanese-style and nitro cold brew which are best enjoyed with island inspired treats.

Where the Fresh Water Flows

Cascading waters collected from the depths of the Dunn’s River Falls will greet guests upon arrival, with all water features throughout the resort sourced from the natural reserves of the rivers. The resort boasts Jamaica’s largest pool – designed to mimic the flow of the river. Featuring a glass panel edge, the pool will be leveled to the sand for a water-meets-sand-meets-ocean effect. It is one of five refreshing pools where guests can bask under the warm Jamaican sun.

The Red Lane Spa at Sandals Dunn’s River will debut as one of the most luxurious for the brand, speaking to the heart of Jamaica, the land of wood and water, with the sound of flowing water from Dunn’s River and Roaring Waters River cascading into the spa’s pools, set against an ethereal backdrop.

“Ocho Rios is the place where my father grew up, where he first learned to fish and felt the breeze blow along the West-facing beach and where he first saw the pure joy of the island on the faces of visitors,” said Stewart. “Here along Jamaica’s North Coast, he witnessed a blossoming tourism industry and became aware of how to please and serve a new Caribbean customer. Every touchpoint at the new Sandals Dunn’s River is designed to do that and more.”

Experience All of Ocho Rios

Guests can get to know the other corners of Jamaica through the brand’s “Stay at One, Play at All” exchange programme and visit additional Sandals Resorts in the area, with complimentary transfers between the brand’s other resorts in Ocho Rios (excludes Sandals Royal Plantation). Moments away, at one of Jamaica’s natural wonders – Dunn’s River Falls – guests will form natural connections and bring the Sandals Dunn’s River experience full circle.