Sandals Looking at Purchasing Almond Resorts Barbados

Almond Resorts has been in financial crisis for a long while. They sold off their St. Lucia properties, and last week there was talk of Almond Resorts employees taking pay cuts or purchasing more shares in the company.

However, Butch Stewart, of the famed Jamaica-based Sandals Resorts, has just announced an interested in purchasing Almond Beach Village, located in the northern parish of St. Peter, Barbados, 40 minutes from Grantley Adams International Airport. Sandals has been trying to get into Barbados for years, and actually bought the old Paradise property here some years ago. However, for whatever reason, and people go back and forth between a few different reasons, that deal fell through. Sandals did announce last year that they were looking into purchasing property here and in Grenada, as I posted earlier. 

It is reported that Sandals' engineers are to be on property today at Almond Beach Village to do an evaluation of the property, while Almond Resorts execs will also meet this morning to discuss the fate of all three properties (Almond Beach Village - in St. Peter on the Northwest Coast; Almond Casuarina Beach - in Christ Church on the South Coast; and Almond Beach Club - in St. James on the famed West Coast, also called the Platinum Coast).

I do like the tranquility of Almond Beach Village, and being there is really like being on a quiet vacation, with a lovely beach as the icing on the cake. But if the property is for sale, why not a thriving company like Sandals Resorts or Beaches Resorts? From what I know about Sandals, it would definitely be transformed into a top notch 4-1/2 - 5-star resort. And from what I know about Butch, the man has a keen sense of business acumen and has transformed his company into a thriving enterprise. Also, Almond Resorts is a Trinidadian-owned company, so it would still not be a locally owned property if Sandals were to make that purchase. I do wish that there were a group of Barbadian businessmen with the wherewithal (and I know there are a good few) could get together and keep these properties, that are already on Barbados soil, Barbadian-owned. That does not look like it will happen.

Let's wait and see how things evolve after today's meetings.

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Sandals Resorts looking to expand

Sandals is once again looking at Barbados, but this time for a Beaches Resorts. They are also looking at Grenada for an intimate Sandals property. I was wondering where they'd put a Beaches in Barbados and figured it would have to be somewhere near the South or East Coast, the only areas where a property like a Beaches Resort would fit without knocking down a bunch of already existing buildings. One place I can think of is the Long Beach area near the airport. There was a hotel there that was for sale for quite some time, and is now demolished. I don't know what's become of it. I'll keep an ear out for further developments on Sandals and Beaches in Barbados and Grenada.

I Love the Caribbean!

I love the awesome Caribbean. I have been to South America and plan to get to Europe this year. But every time I decide to venture to other lands far away, I always end up back in the Caribbean. I love the color of the ocean, the color of the sky, the warmth of the sun, the sand in my toes, the accent of the people, and the taste of the delicious Caribbean food.

I'm from the Caribbean island of Barbados. So I guess that's where my love of the warm Caribbean comes from. Barbados is the eastern-most island in the chain of Caribbean islands. It sits off by itself, while the other islands are lined up in a "chain".

There is nothing better than seeing the island take shape as I fly over and get closer and closer, anticipating the hopefully smooth landing. Then walking outside across the tarmac and feeling the hot sun soak into my bones. Then I know I'm at home, or close to home if I've had the pleasure to land in a Caribbean island other than Barbados.

Contrary to what a lot of people think, all Caribbean islands are not the same. Some are huge, like Jamaica, some are small like Tobago. They all have different customs, variations in music, variations in food. One big difference is the difference in speech. Most people think all people from the Caribbean sound alike, or they cannot tell the difference. Trinidadians speak differently than Jamaicans, who speak differently than Barbadians, who speak differently than Grenadians. It's kind of like the difference between the North and the South (United States). However, we represent one West Indies, filling us with pride and love for our special Caribbean countries.

In 2012 I will venture off to another continent, but my first love will always be the Caribbean.

If it Kills Me!

It is a tough thing for an entrepreneur to know when to stop working. Travel agents are a rare breed of the classic workaholic entrepreneur.


There are tons of emails in my inbox. It's the life of a travel agent. Emails from suppliers, magazines, travel email marketing companies, hotels, cruise lines, travel sales reps, and the list goes on. It's how travel agents get our information. Sometimes it's necessary and requested, other times it's not needed at all and unsolicited. 


There are Web sites that need to be maintained with updates and fresh content to be added. Clients that need to be looked after, handheld at times, and those looking for a travel agent's expertise. 


As travel agents, we tend to sometimes work from dust till dawn. It is a never-ending cycle. When most people are off for the day or the evening, a travel agent has just one more thing to do. We relish in our work. We'd be crazy not to love it. Hard work won't kill us (I think), but my goal is to slow down, take it easy, enjoy life, and have a blast while still getting the job done.

What a problem to have!

Ok, so a travel agent has to keep learning in order to keep on top of all things travel. Well, at least a good travel agent does. Well, I've got problems. October and the fall are usually busy, busy times for seminars and agent learning trips. There is so much going on right now that I'm struggling to find the time to do one or the other or all. I can't do just one, because all are important. What's a girl to do? I know, I know...you're probably saying, "I wish I had that problem."

It ain't exactly a walk in the park. When we travel to seminars, learning conferences, or these educations trips, our day usually begins at 7:00 a.m. and goes through anywhere from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., depending on the schedule for that day. So it's a long day visiting hotels in the hot sun, walking until our feet hurt, dropping in the evening from sheer exhaustion, and getting up the next morning and doing it all over again.

These learning trips are necessary, but to choose which is most important when they're all important and happening all around the same time.... What's a girl to do? 

Happy Kadooment Day!

It's Grand Kadooment Day in Barbados. Kadooment Day is the grand finale to Crop Over Festival, our carnival. Crop Over Festival, started in the 1780's and revived in the 1940's, signifies the end of the sugar cane harvest, or the end of the crop season (crop is over). A kadooment is a big "to do", the last day of Crop Over Festival.

Crop Over Festival is normally five (that's f.i.v.e.!) weeks long from the first Monday in July to the first Monday in August. These days the festivities start in May! That, my friends, is about 14 (fourteen) weeks! That's a long festival season. But we like it. :) During Crop Over we have fairs, calypso/soca competitions, a kiddie costume parade, arts & crafts festivals, heritage festivals, outdoor markets, all kinds of shows, dances, and music everywhere.

Now for the big parade, in the rain (as usual, it seems). Today (Kadooment Day) you'll see lots of band members (paraders) in elaborate costumes jumping (parading) in big bands playing the latest music. It is a sight to see. You'll see people of every nationality, colour (I had to spell that the Bajan way), creed, belief, age, and even visitors from different countries jumping in a band.

I'll be there! Will you? You got your costume? Which band are you jumping in? :) Well, I'm not jumping this year. I did once and it was a great experience. No, I will not show you my picture in costume. Well, if you're not here this year, make sure you contact us at Bridgetown Travel for Crop Over Festival 2011. Plans are already underway, so call us so you don't let next year miss you! Wait...don't call today, though. ;)

Pictures later.

Goodbye 2009!

I was a little dissatisfied with 2009. A lot of things happened: some were in my control, and some were out of my control. I'm usually such a go-getter, but I finished December off in a funk (mood) for a lot of reasons, from which I'm slowly emerging, I'm happy to say. I'm looking forward to a better, well-structured 2010.