This is exactly the kind of news we love to share. Sandals Resorts has just confirmed an immediate **US$45 million investment** to expand Sandals Saint Vincent, with construction already underway and a much bigger Beaches St Vincent project on the horizon for 2028.
For an island nation of just over 100,000 people, a commitment of this scale is genuinely transformative — and the ripple effects will be felt from Kingstown all the way out to the Grenadines.
What's actually being built
- **Phase One — 22 Rondoval Villas.** Construction is happening right now on Sandals' signature thatched-roof villas, due for completion in **November 2026**.
- **Phase Two — 20 Hillside Sky Suites.** The trademark over-water-style suites perched into the hillside follow straight after.
- **Beaches St Vincent — 2028 groundbreaking.** A family-focused Beaches resort at the **Mount Wynne** site, with sustainability baked into the design from day one: protection of reef ecosystems, marine biodiversity and the sea turtle habitats that nest along that stretch of coast.
Altogether the developments will add **close to 400 new rooms** to St Vincent and the Grenadines' tourism inventory — a step-change in capacity for the country.
Why this matters beyond the resort gates
Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Godwin Friday put it well: this kind of partnership creates "opportunities for Vincentians, support[s] local businesses, generate[s] employment and contribute[s] to sustainable economic growth." Sandals' Chief Administrative Officer Jordan Samuda confirmed the expansion will create **hundreds of new jobs**.
More flights. More visitors discovering the Grenadines. More demand for local farmers, fishermen, taxi drivers, tour operators, distillers and craftspeople. That's how tourism investment compounds when it's done right.
A vote of confidence after a hard couple of years
It's been a tough run for the southern Grenadines since Hurricane Beryl tore through Union Island and Mayreau in July 2024 (we wrote about the rebuild [here](/blog/after-beryl-rebuilding-union-and-mayreau)). Seeing a global hospitality brand double down on St Vincent — and explicitly prioritise reef and turtle protection at Mount Wynne — is a powerful signal that the world hasn't forgotten these islands. Quite the opposite.
What it means for Nine Isles
Every new visitor who steps off a plane in Argyle is someone who might taste real Caribbean gin for the first time. We're cheering this on — and we'll be raising a Sorrel & Mulberry G&T to the Sandals, Beaches and Vincentian teams making it happen.
Welcome to the islands. We'll save you a seat at the bar.
*Source: [St Vincent Times](https://www.stvincenttimes.com/sandals-st-vincent-announces-immediate-us-45m-expansion/), 11 June 2026.*