Grande entrance: Sandals' third resort on St. Lucia bridges the gap between its other properties on the island. (Caribbean & Bahamas St. Lucia: Inspection Report).

Travel Agent, February, 2003 by Olearchik, James

When Sandals took over the Hyatt property on St. Lucia, it was hardly broken in. Only a few years old, the resort had a solid structure and the rooms were in good condition. In fact, Tony Cortizas, Sandals director of advertising, says most other companies would have just put the new flag on the property and opened for business. But not Sandals. Acknowledging the existing strengths of the resort, the company turned its attention to other areas of the property and pumped $10 million into the resort to bring it up to Sandals' high standards.

When Sandals Grande St. Lucian opened last September, the property had added three restaurants, bringing the total to five; expanded the spa to make it even more enjoyable for guests; renovated the lobby area to make it a...