Sandals Resorts International has announced a new partnership with Marriott International to bring AC Hotels by Marriott to the Caribbean. 

This is the first partnership between the hospitality companies and the first time SRI will manage a brand it did not create. 

Construction for the new AC Hotel in Kingston, the partnership’s debut project, gets underway this month and is slated to open winter 2019.

According to Sandals chief executive Adam Stewart, the AC Kingston will offer 220 rooms, a 10,000 square foot conference centre and full service restaurant.
Parking, often a challenge in Jamaica’s capital, will be plentiful with both valet and self-serve options. 

Plans call for the AC Kingston to be the centrepiece of an expansive, mixed-use development, located on the last five acres of prime Kingston real estate in the prestigious Jamaica House neighbourhood, the official residence of the prime minister of Jamaica. 

It has been designed to attract both a local and international audience. 

“There is a renewed energy in Kingston and everywhere the city trembles with purpose and productivity,” added Stewart.

“We plan to capture this vitality, to create a destination within a destination, a place where world-class meetings and events happen alongside everyday occasions - from shopping and dining to salon services and cocktails with friends.

“With its emphasis on design and locally inspired experiences that elevate the guest’s stay, AC Hotels by Marriott is the right brand to bring our vision to life,” said Stewart.

In addition to the new AC Kingston, development plans call for a state of the art BMW showroom, beauty and wellness salon, car rental facility and “The Avenue,” a promenade of indoor and outdoor event space and retail and dining outlets including a fine-dining sushi and seafood restaurant and well-known coffee bar. 

“The Avenue” will begin at the entrance and carry straight through to the conference centre with staging areas along the way to accommodate planned and impromptu concerts, taking advantage of one of Jamaica’s most influential exports – music.

Added Stewart: “Kingston is quickly becoming a starting point for visitors who want to discover Jamaica beyond its beaches.

“From our rich musical tradition that begins here to the wonders of the Blue Mountains – a UNESCO world heritage site that just happens to produce the world’s best coffee, travellers will find much to capture their imagination here.”