Q&A with Industry Expert Gary Sadler – Unique Vacations

Gary C. Sadler, Senior Vice President of Sales for Unique Vacations, Inc. (UVI), an affiliate of Unique Travel Corp., the worldwide representative of Sandals® Resorts and Beaches® Resorts.

 

 

What first attracted you to the travel and tourism industry?

 

Growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, my impression of the tourism industry was that it never stops. This notion of constant evolution and change is what drew me in. I started at Sandals Resorts 25 years ago as a ‘playmaker,’ hosting activities and entertainment at Sandals Grande Riviera (now Sandals Ochi Beach Resort) in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. From there, I moved to Toronto, Canada, to begin working in sales for Unique Vacations, Inc. (UVI) and I’ve never looked back.

 

What’s your current role and day-to-day duties at UVI?

 

In a nutshell, my day-to-day function is to service travel agents. I’m always doing whatever it takes to ensure they’re well looked after. And working for a company like UVI, which believes in travel agents every step of the way, makes my job easier. My goal is to provide exceptional support and a level of attention that will help stimulate their business. To top it off, the chairman of Sandals Resorts International, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, is one of the most impressive human beings I’ve ever met. Going into the office every day isn’t work; you have fun, it’s exciting, and I’m constantly inspired to do more.

 

How exactly are you helping travel agents?

 

We do whatever it takes to make life easier for travel agents, by providing a quality product that earns them higher commissions and offering comprehensive programs to help them grow their business, including FAM trips, our Sell & Go! incentive, car wrap program and a user-friendly online marketing portal that we’ve designed for agents’ needs. We have the largest sales force in North America of any hotel chain, which is aimed to help build, grow and enhance their business. Additionally, Sandals and Beaches have invested millions of dollars in establishing brand recognition and securing brand identity, which makes a huge difference in the grand scheme of things.

 

What’s new for you in 2016?

 

There are a lot of new and exciting initiatives in place for 2016 to increase sales and play off our current drive to expand throughout the Caribbean. This year, we’ve introduced a variety of new, innovative accommodations in Jamaica, including spectacular Oceanfront Loft Suites with private outdoor Tranquility Soaking Tubs at Sandals Negril and romantic Romeo & Juliet Suites in Sandals Montego Bay. And, this November, guests will experience the Caribbean’s first Over-the-Water Villas at Sandals Royal Caribbean Spa Resort & Offshore Island. We also continue to raise the bar on luxury by investing in rejuvenating all our resorts by introducing chic, contemporary design and modern comforts. Overall, I foresee really positive things as the years go on. We’re always focused on how to grow and get stronger.

 

How are you adapting to the changing marketplace at the moment?

 

Today’s consumers are expecting five-star, and they’re looking for a vacation that’s worth the investment of their hard-earned dollars. We are redefining the all-inclusive vacation, which, at most resorts, is “one size fits all.” What Sandals and Beaches have are more quality inclusions and choices, so our guests can relax and enjoy the best money can buy without ever having to take out their wallets. We’re able to provide unparalleled amenities at no additional cost. Take for example our land and water sports program including scuba diving with expert instruction and equipment and golf at select resorts. We’ve added new global culinary concepts to our gourmet dining experience, including our first-ever Indian restaurant and an upscale New York-style steakhouse. Access to Wi-Fi was very important to our guests, so now we include it. We even take it one step further–every luxury is unlimited.

 

Where do you like to go on vacation?

 

My personal vacation favorite is staying at the Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa. It lies on Grace Bay–one of the most spectacular beaches in the world. I have two daughters who love going there. They enjoy everything from the food to the waterpark to the beach, and the fact they can be independent and do activities without me. I personally love the resort’s Key West Luxury Village. There, you feel like you’re staying in a private beach villa, and that feeling is simply priceless.

 

Take A Closer Look At The Luxury Included® Vacation 

 

Sandals® Resorts offers a true vacation with countless quality inclusions and zero surprise fees. This includes government taxes, round-trip airport transfers and service tips. When you take a closer look, only Sandals Resorts, the World’s Leading All-Inclusive for two people in love, gives you the best of the Caribbean with everything included.

 

Stroll along the islands’ best beaches, sleep in luxurious accommodations, dine at up to 16 world-class restaurants per resort, plus enjoy your favorite premium spirits and Robert Mondavi Twin Oaks wines—all without ever reaching for your wallet. Day or night, Sandals will pick up your tab. This means, you’re free to indulge in all your favorite things such as a multitude of land and water sports, including golf* and scuba diving for certified divers, as well as ongoing entertainment and swim-up bars. It’s all part of the Luxury Included® difference.

 

With multiple resorts on 7 distinct Caribbean islands, there’s a perfect Sandals Resort for every lifestyle. While each property is different, they all share the brand’s renowned service and commitment to excellence—plus, they’re conveniently located only a short flight away. The question is which Sandals Resort is right for you?

 

SANDALS ROYAL BAHAMIAN 

 

Vacation like royalty at Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island, in beautiful Nassau, Bahamas. This alluring retreat was once a private club for 1940s high society including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Its European-style architecture is intertwined with the natural splendor of the Caribbean islands. Featuring new Crystal Lagoon Swim-up Suites, it also boasts an exclusive offshore island filled with world-class amenities and the region’s finest seafood restaurant.

 

SANDALS EMERALD BAY 

 

A golfer’s dream on the green, Sandals Emerald Bay Golf, Tennis & Spa Resort offers an indulging escape featuring a breathtaking 18-hole, par 72 championship course designed by legendary Greg Norman. A mere 45-minute flight from South Florida, the spectacular 500-acre, all-oceanfront resort is set along a pristine mile-long beach in exotic Great Exuma, Bahamas—proof that you don’t have to travel off the grid to vacation in paradise.

 

SANDALS GRANDE ANTIGUA 

 

Romance on your mind? Discover the Caribbean’s most romantic resort: Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa, which hugs the coastline of Dickenson Bay, Antigua’s premier beach. The spectacular property offers two extraordinary villages— the seductive Caribbean Beachfront Village and the Six-Star Diamond Award-winning Mediterranean Village. With lavish accommodations such as circular Rondoval Suites featuring 20-foot conical ceilings and private pool sanctuaries, Sandals Grande Antigua is a year-round paradise where love is all you need.

 

SANDALS BARBADOS 

 

To visit the newest resort in the Sandals collection, jetset to Sandals Barbados, a top Caribbean destination where exclusive is always inclusive. This property is situated on the pristine white sands of Dover Beach, near the spirited St. Lawrence Gap area. It offers undeniable luxury with innovative accommodations spanning three villages and world-class cuisine, including Bombay Club, Sandals first-ever Indian restaurant and the upscale New York-style steakhouse, Butch’s Chophouse.

 

SANDALS LASOURCE 

 

Located in the southeastern Caribbean, the gorgeous island of Grenada is home to the spectacular Luxury Included® Sandals LaSource Grenada Resort & Spa—an all-inclusive unlike any other. At the Six-Star Diamond Award-winning resort couples can indulge in a Caribbean hideaway with world-class amenities and exceptional accommodations. Its magnificent SkyPool Suites, for instance, showcase a jaw-dropping, infinity-edge, plunge pool in the bedroom that overlooks stunning ocean views.

 

SANDALS ROYAL PLANTATION 

 

Those who seek luxury will love Sandals Royal Plantation. Built in the 1950s, this historic gem is tucked within a magnificent coral bluff in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Elegant and intimate, the all-butler, all-suite boutique resort offers the utmost in exclusivity and indulgent pampering with luxurious suites, impeccable personalized service and retro-chic sophistication.

 

SANDALS OCHI 

 

Meanwhile, just a few minutes away, the completely redesigned Sandals Ochi Beach Resort is the place to be for those who enjoy a lively atmosphere but also desire privacy. The impressive resort recently debuted the all-new Ochi Beach Club, a tropical oasis for beach lovers. The resort now boasts 11 bars including the Caribbean’s first 1920s inspired speakeasy, 16 trendy restaurants plus lavish accommodations—many with exclusive Butler Elite service.

 

SANDALS NEGRIL 

 

If Negril’s famous Seven Mile Beach is on your bucket list, then a stay at Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa, on Jamaica’s west coast, is a must. The romantic resort features all new Sunset Loft Suites with chic contemporary furniture, lavish bathrooms, coral stone floors plus outdoor Tranquility Soaking TubsTM for two. Located along the newly redesigned Coconut block, these breathtaking suites are closer to the turquoise ocean than any other property in the region.

 

SANDALS WHITEHOUSE 

 

Further south, Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa mesmerizes with an exotic fusion of Caribbean allure and European elegance. Here, guests enjoy Caribbean nights strolling along the resort’s piazza while listening to the ocean waves crash against the shore.

 

MONTEGO BAY: SANDALS MONTEGO BAY, SANDALS CARLYLE & SANDALS ROYAL CARIBBEAN 

 

For a mega-vacation at three resorts for the price of one, head to Montego Bay. When you stay at a Sandals Resort in Montego Bay, you also have full access to two other nearby Sandals properties. Your choices include: Sandals Montego Bay, home to Jamaica’s best private beach and the new elegant Palms building featuring island-inspired beachfront accommodations with grand master bedrooms, spa-style bathrooms, and oversized balconies featuring Tranquility Soaking Tubs for two. Sandals Carlyle, an authentically Caribbean resort with a distinctively laid-back atmosphere and; Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort & Private Island, complete with the all new Honeymoon and Romeo & Juliet Suites, a private offshore island, and the Caribbean’s most luxurious Over-the-Water Villas (grand opening November 2016). With Sandals Stay At One, Play At All program, you can maximize your Caribbean vacation with access to more restaurants, more experiences and more fun.

 

SAINT LUCIA: SANDALS REGENCY LA TOC, SANDALS GRANDE ST. LUCIAN & SANDALS HALCYON

 

Alternatively, if you visit exotic Saint Lucia, you also enjoy all three Sandals properties on the island, plus round-trip transportation between resorts. Set on a 210-acre estate in Castries, Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Resort & Spa features a challenging golf course as well as Sunset Bluff Village, comprised of bluff-top villas with private intimate pools and breathtaking vistas of a crescent shaped beach. A short distance away, Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort is home to a picturesque sheltered mile-long beach on a peninsula. Cradled to the west by Rodney Bay and to the east by the majestic Atlantic Ocean, this gorgeous resort offers picture-perfect moments. Also nearby, Sandals Halcyon Beach is a true Garden of Eden with Caribbean charm and island hospitality. The quaint beachfront resort offers an array of inviting settings including cozy firepits and intimate garden cabanas.

 

Undoubtedly, if you’re looking for a romantic getaway, nothing compares to Sandals Resorts. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t share the Luxury Included® vacation experience with your family and friends. For the greatest family vacation in paradise, visit Beaches® Resorts in Turks & Caicos and Jamaica—voted the World’s Leading Family All-Inclusive. From every land and water sport under the sun, to Pirates Island Waterparks, certified nannies, and kids camps, you’ll find more inclusions, more choices and more ways to enjoy your time together. Little ones will love entertaining shows like the exclusive Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street®, kids will get their game on at the Xbox Play Lounge and adults will enjoy gourmet dining at up to 21 specialty restaurants per resort and spacious family-friendly accommodations.

 

BEACHES TURKS & CAICOS

 

Dive into a one-of-a-kind, unbelievably exciting all-inclusive vacation at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa situated on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Its vast amenities include a 45,000 square-foot waterpark with thrilling waterslides, a surf simulator and lazy river; four magnificent villages, boasting the architecture and ambiance of Italy, France, the Caribbean and Key West; and a breathtaking beach lapped by clear turquoise waters. It’s the ultimate Caribbean getaway for all ages.

 

BEACHES NEGRIL 

 

In Jamaica, Beaches Negril Resort & Spa is located on the best stretch of Negril’s famed Seven Mile Beach. Everything you can possibly imagine is beachside—from refreshing pools to entertaining kids activities and delectable cuisine. Seek adventure, relax, or do both. At the casual and laid-back resort, it’s all about spending time with those you love.

 

BEACHES OCHO RIOS 

 

Similarly, tucked in the cliffs of the north coast of Jamaica, Beaches® Ocho Rios A Spa, Golf and Waterpark Resort is a best-kept secret. The upscale resort is an island escape with a white sand beach, lush gardens and endless fun for everyone. Here, even kids can play unlimited rounds of golf with their parents at the nearby Sandals Golf & Country Club.

 

Whether you’re planning a romantic escape with your loved one or have been thinking of a well-deserved family getaway, only a Luxury Included® vacation will let you enjoy every conceivable luxury without any hidden costs. At both Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, you’ll be free to leave your wallet behind, relax and enjoy quality time in paradise. Because when everything is included, you don’t have to worry about a thing.