Caribbean Resorts Can't Build This Room Type Fast Enough — and Wait Lists Top 15 Months
Overwater bungalows at Caribbean all-inclusive resorts are booking up over a year in advance, with Sandals and Royalton scrambling to add more inventory.
Overwater bungalows have become the most sought-after accommodation type in the Caribbean, and the all-inclusive brands building them say they simply cannot keep up with demand.
When Sandals Resorts debuted its first five overwater units at Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in late 2016, the wait list jumped to 15 months almost immediately. The brand built 12 more at the property within a year. Today, Sandals has nearly 50 overwater units across several properties, including Sandals South Coast in Jamaica, Sandals Grande St. Lucian in St. Lucia, and Sandals Saint Vincent in St. Vincent. Demand still outpaces supply.
"With an overwater villa, the fact that you're looking out over the water with only the sky up above adds a whole different feel to the holiday experience," said Jeremy Jones, Sandals' regional managing director for Jamaica. "We can't build and open them fast enough."
Royalton has seen similar results. The brand's overwater accommodations at Royalton Antigua and Royalton CHIC Antigua run at roughly 95 percent occupancy year-round, with typical booking windows exceeding 120 days.
Rates reflect the premium. Sandals' overwater villas start at $1,325 per person, per night, climbing to $2,532 for its top-tier units at Sandals Royal Caribbean. Royalton's bungalows in Antigua start around $1,400 per night.
The pipeline is expanding. IHG's Six Senses brand is building the first overwater resort in the Americas on a private island off the coast of Belize, with 40 bungalow suites expected by 2028. But construction in the Caribbean comes with challenges that the Maldives doesn't face: hurricane-resistant foundations, coral relocation requirements, and permitting processes that can stretch beyond 18 months.
Sandals is currently in the permitting process for additional overwater units, with Jamaica high on the agenda. Jones predicted the category will follow the trajectory of swim-up rooms — once a novelty, now standard at many all-inclusive properties across Mexico and the Caribbean.
