15 February 2017
Chairman and Founder of Sandals Resorts to Receive Inaugural
CHRIS Lifetime Achievement Award
Hon. Gordon Arthur 'Butch' Stewart OJ, CD, Hon. LLD will be honored at the
2017 conference in Miami
Costa Mesa, California, USA - Burba Hotel Network (BHN), host of the upcoming Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) 2017, is pleased to announce that the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Hon. Gordon Arthur 'Butch' Stewart OJ, CD, Hon. LLD. This prominent award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the hospitality industry over his or her lifetime through their actions, deeds, and great accomplishments.
Butch Stewart has been called the "King of All-Inclusive Resorts," the "Cupid of the Caribbean," and the "Master of Marketing." While all descriptions are appropriate, none of them quite capture the full measure of Mr. Stewart, chairman and founder of Sandals Resorts International, parent company to Sandals Resorts, and Beaches Resorts. Today, he controls what analysts estimate to be a billion dollar, privately-owned Jamaican-based empire that includes 24 Caribbean resorts, Appliance Traders Ltd., and The Observer newspaper. All told, he spearheads two-dozen diverse companies that are collectively Jamaica's largest private sector group, the country's biggest foreign exchange earner, and its largest non-government employer.
Stewart's innovations changed the face of the all-inclusive format and established Sandals Resorts, and now Beaches Resorts, as one of the most successful brands in the category - boasting year round occupancy levels of more than 85 percent, an unequaled repeat guest factor of 40 percent and demand that has led to unprecedented expansion. By steadfastly adhering to the "We Can Do Better" principal of pleasing guests, Stewart has fostered a company free to imagine and free to consistently raise the bar. His continued expansion has brought a total of ten resorts and three private villas in Jamaica, three in Saint Lucia, three in The Bahamas, two in Antigua, one in Grenada, one in Barbados, and one in Turks & Caicos. Stewart's successes have garnered hundreds of personal and industry awards, but perhaps less well-known is the extent of his considerable philanthropy. Sandals Resorts International currently gives active support to more than 150 major projects in its host communities, through the company's philanthropic arm, The Sandals Foundation. This support ranges from the building of schools to the paying of teachers, to providing hospitals with linens, to bringing healthcare to the doorsteps of those who cannot afford it.
"We are very pleased to be able to present the inaugural CHRIS Lifetime Achievement Award to Hon. Gordon Arthur 'Butch' Stewart," said Jim Burba, President of BHN. "The success of Sandals has helped to power the growth of the tourism industry and the economies not only in Jamaica but throughout the Caribbean. The word 'icon' certainly applies to Butch Stewart and we are delighted to be honoring him with this Award," Burba added.
