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Butch Stewart Owner of Sandals and Beaches Resorts and Mitch of Island Cruises & Travel
2011 Chairman's Royal Club Award for Membership 2012 - Highest Award Given

2011 Sandals/Beaches STAR Awards-December 2011 - and the new Chairman's Royal Club Award and 2012 Membership

Posted: 12-25-11

Mitch Lange of Island Cruises & Travel Blog

I recently attended the Sandals and Beaches Resorts Star Awards at Sandals Grande Riviera Spa and Golf resort in Ocho Rios Jamaica on December 7th - 12th 2011.

It was the 3^rd year in a row I have achieved this recognition. This year was even more special because the owner Butch Steward added another level of awards called the Chairman’s Royal Club. The top agents in the US, Canada and Great Britain became members and I was included.

Along with the recognition many future perks were included. The real treat was an invitation for a special brunch to the Chairman’s private estate and villa called Rio Chico in Ocho Rios Jamaica.

When we arrived at Rio Chico, we were greeted by almost every General Manager of each Sandals and Beaches Resort. The property had bright pink and orange table decorations, had a live reggae band, and a large buffet for all of the Sandals Chairman's Royal Club members to enjoy.

The Chairman's Royal Club recognizes travel agencies that sell a significant amount of Sandals & Beaches Resorts and provide outstanding service to their clients. The members of the Chairman's Royal Club are recognized as the world's top sellers of Sandals and Beaches Resorts. To be a member of the Chairman's Royal Club is an honor.

The property overlooks the Caribbean ocean and words cannot come close to describing the breathtaking view of the turquoise waters of Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Large tropical flowers were strategically planted across the resort and used as beautiful center pieces for each guests table.

TV Master Chef Walter Steib was supervising the food preparations which included barbecued shrimp, steak and many other Caribbean treats.

Canadian singer Chantel Kreviazuk came around to each table giving us her recent CD and personally autographing it.

Many people spent time taking pictures of the villas and meeting with the Sandals and Beaches Chairman, Butch Stewart and the CEO of Sandals and Beaches Resort, Adam Stewart at each of our tables. We toured his entire home and property.

It concluded with the presentation of a beautiful engraved award with our name and date on it.

Stay tuned for more about Sandals Grande Riviera and our property tour with highlights of the new 60 million dollar renovations.

SANDALS WHITEHOUSE, Jamaica — Calling travel agents “our most important distribution partner for the past 30 years”, Sandals Resorts honored its Best of the Best this past weekend at the 2010 STAR (Sandals Travel Agency Recognition) Awards, including multiple Canadian winners Maritime Travel, Moncton and Kamloops Travel World.

“You come first in everything we do,” said chairman Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, addressing the over 600 Canadian and American travel agents at the Saturday night gala event under the stars at Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica. “As 2011 starts, make sure you sell up, and guide your destiny.”

Stewart’s son Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals Resorts International, told the crowd that 2011 “is the year of ‘more’.”

Among the winning agencies at the event included, for Top Travel Agency (Canada), Maritime Travel, Moncton (Eastern Region), My Travel Avion (Central Region) and Kamloops Travel World (Western Region).
(Central and South East Region) Island Cruises & Travel - Hoffman Estates, Illinois - 847-885-7540

The STAR Awards event took place over several days and included Saturday morning presentations by the Stewarts, Unique Vacations president Kevin Froemming, Island Routes’ Richard Moss and Gina Tsirmpas, national groups manager and based in Canada.

In August, Mitch from Island Cruise and Travel in Hoffman Estates IL pulled into the parking lot of his travel agency in his newly wrapped Sandals/Beaches car! Branded with his agency name, phone number and website, he's ready for the business to begin rolling in!

See pictures of Butch Stewarts Yacht Below ( Owner of Sandals/Beaches Resorts ) which sailed into Lake Michigan from Jamaica. Mitch of Island Cruises & Travel and his staff had dinner onboard while they sailed and had a beautiful view of Chicago's skyline.

Sandals Grande Riviera New 60 Million Dollar Renovations

Sandals Grande Riviera Enhanced to
the Tune of $60 Million
By Mark Rogers

Sandals Resorts International is in the midst of celebrating its 30th anniversary. Three decades ago the company took off like a shot and never looked back. As part of its anniversary celebration, Sandals undertook a $60 million development project at Sandals Grande Riviera Beach & Villa Golf Resort.

Named one of the top hotels in the Caribbean by Conde Nast Traveler’s annual 2010 Reader’s Choice Awards, Sandals Grande Riviera is set on over a hundred acres of rolling hillside and tropical gardens in Ocho Rios on the North Coast of Jamaica. This region of Jamaica has a special place in Sandals Chairman, Gordon “Butch” Stewart’s heart; he grew up on this coast, fishing and sailing its waters as a young boy. In fact, on the grounds of Sandals Grande Riviera, the piano bar is built where once stood Butch’s grandmother's home.

On the completion of the $60 million development, return guests will notice a real difference. Added features at the adult couples-only resort include an upgraded and renovated Riviera Seaside pool area that includes increased deck space for lounging and the addition of a new Jacuzzi. Additional cabanas will also be added to the Riviera Great House pool, complete with the service of a personal butler for guests in select suites.

Sandals Grande Riviera has premiered a boardwalk lounge at the Riviera Beach Club complete with stylish outdoor furniture and a chic-vibe. Flanked by the Caribbean Sea, the boardwalk area features a series of romantic fire pits, as well as an upgraded observation deck on the pier, perfect for couples to appreciate the view. For guests who prefer to spend their time at the beach, additional cabanas have been added to the Beach Club, with full-service butler service for guests in select suites providing fresh fruits, drinks and fulfilling requests from guests.

All suites within the resort’s exclusive Riviera Villas, found tucked into the lush mountainside, will now enjoy 24-hour room service. To complete the renovations within the Riviera Villas, the private pools which adorn many of the suites will also be updated and include new patio furniture. Rooms and suites within both the Riviera Villas and Riviera Seaside sides of the resort have also received new soft furnishings, mahogany furniture, upgraded bathroom fixtures, iPod docking stations and plasma TVs.

Guests at Sandals Grande Riviera presently enjoy 14 culinary options - more than any other resort in Jamaica. This also includes Soy, a brand-new sushi bar. There are also nine different bars scattered around the resort, from casual sports bars to elegant piano lounges.

Three Vacations in One Sandals Resorts

Gently nestled between the St. Ann’s mountains and the Caribbean Sea, Sandals Grande Riviera is designed to offer guests three distinct vacations in one. This trio of experiences is comprised of the elegant sophistication and vibrant beach culture of the Riviera Seaside, the plantation feel of the Riviera Great House and the exclusive and chic Riviera Villas nestled along the lush mountainside. The property has a natural spring that supplies the entire resort; secret gardens with hidden hammocks and private cabanas, and brooks and waterfalls that flow throughout.

The 529 rooms and suites resort has two full service Red Lane Spas offering natural and organic products, signature treatments, complimentary steam rooms and plunge pools. There is also a state-of-the-art fitness center with Lifefitness equipment.

Rounding out the features at the Sandals Grande Riviera are three white-sand beaches, seven main swimming pools, and nearby access to one of the Caribbean’s finest golf courses, Sandals Golf and Country Club, with green fees, unlimited rounds and transfers included.