Sandals Resorts International is bringing its Beaches family brand to the Bahamas, announcing plans to transform the Sandals Emerald Bay into the Beaches Exuma.
The oceanfront Sandals Emerald Bay will close on Aug. 15, and renovations are expected to begin this fall. Sandals did not say when the resort will reopen as a Beaches.
According to Sandals, guests with affected reservations at the Sandals Emerald Bay are in the process of being contacted. Impacted guests are being provided with options to rebook at another Sandals resort and will get "special benefits."
The Beaches Exuma will feature updated accommodations, including reconfigured multi-bedroom villas, suites and connecting rooms as well as upgraded food and beverage offerings. Family-oriented amenities like a new Kids Camp, splash deck and other play areas will be added. Sandals plans to retain its Red Lane Spa and Greg Norman-designed 18-hole golf course.
In a statement, Sandals Resorts International executive chairman Adam Stewart said that Exuma is "made for families," saying that the resort's 6,000 feet of shoreline is a "gateway to discovering the incomparable beauty of this part of the Bahamas."
The 500-acre Sandals Emerald Bay opened in 2010. Prior to Sandals acquiring the property, it had operated as a Four Seasons resort.
The Beaches Exuma will be the fourth all-inclusive in the Beaches portfolio, joining the Beaches Negril and Beaches Ocho Rios in Jamaica and the Beaches Turks & Caicos.