TURKS & CAICOS — The ones who really know what they’re doing make it sound so simple.

Just ahead of the official grand opening for Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks & Caicos this past weekend, Travelweek asked Sandals Resorts International’s executive chairman, Adam Stewart, just how the company does what it does so well.

“It all starts with the best piece of real estate,” says Stewart. Especially the beach. “We never compromise on the beach,” he adds. “It’s all about location. We like west-facing. And we’re looking for a reef offshore to calm the waters.”

For step #1, Treasure Beach Village’s shoreline ticks all the boxes. After all, it shares the beautiful pale gold (and yes, west-facing) stretch of beach as its Beaches Turks & Caicos neighbours: Caribbean Village, French Village, Italian Village and Key West. No matter the village, the beach loungers and cabanas at Beaches Turks & Caicos are almost as coveted as those dotting the pool decks. And if you’ve seen the pools here, you know that’s saying something.

Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks & Caicos opened in March 2026, with a grand opening May 17

“ONCE YOU’VE GOT THE REAL ESTATE, IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU PUT ON IT”

With the location secured, it’s on to step #2: construction. “Once you’ve got the real estate, it’s all about what you put on it,” says Stewart. For Treasure Beach Village, the US$150 million build adds 101 suites, dining venues including Butch’s Island Chop House and Pinta’s Food Hall, the lovely 32-seat Starfish Cinema with fan-favourite films and, of course, the 15,000-square foot lagoon-style pool.

Step #3? The team at the resort. “Everyone says they have the best team in the Caribbean. We have the best team,” says Stewart. “All of our resorts are powered by the most amazing people. They’re the heart and soul of what we do.”

No wonder Stewart calls SRI’s US$1 billion Beaches investment, ‘Beaches 2.0’. That label is sure to bring a smile to the face of every travel industry professional who shared SRI’s journey with ‘Sandals 2.0.’

As Stewart told Travelweek, the new Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks & Caicos now sets the standard for all future Beaches Resorts developments – and there are many. The meteoric rise of multigenerational travel is spurring the demand for vacation experiences that cater not just to kids and parents but grandparents too (often footing the bill), and extended family as well.

Brilliant blues at Beaches Turks & Caicos

BEACHES RESORTS PIPELINE

While Treasure Beach Village is the first incarnation of Beaches 2.0, one after another, spaced out one year apart, the next wave of elevated family travel experiences is in the pipeline.

In the Bahamas, SRI is working hard on Beaches Exuma. As the first Beaches in The Bahamas, Beaches Exuma is taking over from Sandals Emerald Bay, which closed in 2024 to undergo its transformation. Originally developed as a family-oriented resort when it opened over two decades ago, the existing property maintains an ideal layout of beaches, pools and areas for families.

Beaches Exuma will include an evolved configuration of rooms with multi-bedroom villas, suites and connecting rooms, as well as restaurants and culinary offerings. New developments will include a Kids Camp and splash deck, complementing popular amenities like the Greg Norman-designed 18-hole Emerald Bay golf course.

Next up, there’s Beaches Barbados. The $600 million resort on the island’s famed Gold Coast will have 601 keys, 18 restaurants and more than 2,000 staff, all on 1.2 million square feet. There’s also Beaches Runaway Bay in Jamaica, with 450 rooms. “It will be very much like [Treasure Beach Village],” says Stewart. Finally, Beaches St. Vincent is on the way too, less than five kilometres away from Sandals St. Vincent.

“THE SIZE OF THE ROOMS, THE SIZE OF THE PATIOS”

As Stewart puts it, “Treasure Beach Village will be a reflection of everything to come for Beaches Resorts.”

What elements at Treasure Beach Village will be carried over to these next builds? “The size of the rooms, the size of the patios,” says Stewart. “Also the categories: Treasure Beach Village is all suites and villas, they’re all a minimum of two bedrooms. It’s all about families and multigenerational families. The four-bedroom villas here at Treasure Beach Village, they book up fast.”

Is there any booking hesitancy? Certainly the luxury market has so far proven indestructible. Treasure Beach Village has six CrystalSky Four-Bedroom Reserve Villas, each with more than 2,600 square feet across three storeys. There’s space for up to 10 guests, and there’s a dedicated butler, private transfers and more.

More options at the highest end include the Chairman’s Three-Bedroom Penthouse Suite and Oceanview Two-Story Three-Bedroom Butler Suites.

A special Beaches Caribbean Block Party at Beaches Turks & Caicos’ French Village

Families – from big multi-gen groups, to weary new parents treating themselves and their newborn to a first family trip – are everything for Beaches Resorts. “After COVID, travel saw a reset. We lost the freedom to travel and people realized what travel meant to them,” said Stewart. “The things we’re doing are designed to bring families together.”

At the Saturday night gala, Stewart sums it up this way, and gets a big cheer: “Our billion dollar investment in Beaches Resorts is a commitment to the ultimate family vacation in the Caribbean.”

He added: “My family and I want to share the four corners of the Caribbean with the world. I hope you like what you see tonight. I hope you have the time of your life. Put your seatbelts on, and watch the future.”

Click here for more from Travelweek’s interview with Stewart, plus plenty of pics, from Treasure Beach Village’s official debut at Beaches Turks & Caicos.

Lead image caption: Sandals Resorts International’s executive chairman, Adam Stewart, at the May 17 grand opening party for Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks & Caicos