Sandals faces accusation of prioritising US customers over Britons after the last-minute closure of one of its biggest resorts in the Caribbean, throwing hundreds of holidays into doubt.
Sandals Resorts International last week confirmed the temporary closure of Sandals Grande Antigua from September 20 for “important maintenance projects”.
British holidaymakers, including many wedding parties, have reportedly struggled to get hold of the company to make alternative arrangements, The Times reports.
Mark Ingram, from Basingstoke, who paid £6,000 for a package to get married at the resort in September, was reported as saying: “Yesterday my travel agent told me the delay is because Sandals is dealing with American customers first.”
Agent Blue Bay, which has five wedding parties booked at the resort over the three month closure period, told the newspaper: “We are currently in the process of liaising with Sandals to try to get resolution for our customers. That is all we can say for now.”
Sandals Resorts International insists the closure is being made for refurbishment work to be carried out.
But Antigua prime minister Gaston Browne is reported to have described the situation as an act of hostility and accused the company of using the closure, which will affect 700 local workers, as a strategy to win tax breaks.
“It is clearly an act of sabotage and I am saying that no investor should be able to treat our people in this way.”
Unique Caribbean Holidays, the Sandals tour operator in the UK, said: “We and our trade partners are doing everything possible to re-protect customers and have a generous policy in place, which is applicable to customers, wherever they are located.”
Sandals said in a statement that a letter of intention to close was shared with government officials late the previous week.
“Original estimates suggested that the work would take five months to complete, but after a full and detailed assessment and a new project plan that condenses work flow, SRI officials confirm that the resort will reopen 17 December 2017,” the company said.
“This is the first time Sandals Grande Antigua, the only flagged Sandals Resort in this destination, has closed since opening in 1992.”
Sandals chairman Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart added: “There is no convenient time to inconvenience people, and while many hotels in Antigua have traditionally closed on an annual basis, we have not and recognise the dramatic consequences this action has on our staff, industry and destination partners, vendors and of course, guests.
“We humbly and sincerely apologise and promise, Sandals will take care of you. Our team is committed to handling this period in the most professional and practical way possible.”
Stewart appointed Sandal Resorts International chief operations officer Shawn DaCosta “to take all necessary steps to engage with affected staff, union representatives and government officials in Antigua.
“Shawn will drive our compressed schedule to ensure that this maintenance work commences and completes on time. The local economy is tied to ours and we sincerely hope our effort to shorten the closure period is helpful to them,” said Stewart.
Tammy Gonzalez, chief executive of Unique Vacations, an affiliate of Unique Travel Corporation, worldwide representatives of Sandals Resorts, is working closely with impacted clients including travel agents, tour operators and guests.
Clients impacted by the closure of Sandals Grande Antigua may choose to return to the resort within one year of their original travel date and Sandals Resorts will honour the original rate and pay any airline change fees or penalties.
Or they may choose to travel on their original dates but switch to a different Sandals Resorts or Beaches Resorts and again, the air fare will be covered.
Travel in either case must be completed by December 15, 2018.
Additionally, Sandals Resorts will also offer impacted clients credit nights – depending on length of stay – as a gesture of goodwill.
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