This Family Resort Brand Is Building a Jamaica Waterpark 'Like You've Never Seen'

Beaches Resorts is returning to Jamaica with a new family all-inclusive, and the pitch centers on water. Executive Chairman Adam Stewart has teased a signature waterpark at the coming resort "like you have never seen" — a bold promise from a brand whose Beaches Turks & Caicos already runs one of the largest waterparks of any all-inclusive in the Caribbean.

The property, Beaches Runaway Bay, is rising on the site of the former Jewel Runaway Bay Beach & Golf Resort in St. Ann Parish, midway between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay on Jamaica's north coast. Stewart has pointed to a target of "the back end of 2026," though a late-2026-to-early-2027 window looks most realistic given the scope of the build.

Beyond the waterpark, the previewed amenity list leans into the outdoors in a way that stands out from the standard beach-and-buffet formula. Plans include a climbable treehouse, dedicated bike trails winding through the grounds, a skateboarding area, and organic farm-to-table dining, alongside the brand staples of a Kids Camp and the Pirates Island waterpark concept.

The resort is one piece of a larger expansion. Sandals Resorts International, which owns the Beaches brand, has committed close to a billion dollars to roughly double the Beaches footprint, with additional projects in the works in the Bahamas and Barbados. That makes Runaway Bay a test of how far the family-focused brand can push its signature attractions.

For families weighing an all-inclusive in the region, the return of Beaches to Jamaica adds a heavyweight option in a category where the brand has few direct rivals. The waterpark boast sets a high bar. Delivering on it, on a north-coast site that once housed a very different resort, is the challenge Beaches has set for itself.