Sandals Resorts International will rebrand and transform the Grand Pineapple Beach Antigua into a Beaches resort.
Sandals did not immediately provide details about when the $125 million transformation would occur. It did say that the resort will have guestrooms and suites ranging in size from one to four bedrooms, up to 12 restaurants, conference facilities, a waterpark, a cinema, an Xbox Play Lounge and a BMX track.
“This particular deal has been a long time coming. We've been discussing it for three years, but it is well worth the wait," said Butch Stewart, Sandals chairman and founder.
Sandals Resorts International took over the Grand Pineapple Beach Resort in 2008, and positioned Grand Pineapple as its budget brand for all-inclusive resorts. At the time, it also rebranded the Negril Gardens as the Grand Pineapple Beach Negril in Jamaica.
The Beaches brand is in expansion mode. In May, Sandals opened the Key West Village addition to the Beaches Turks & Caicos. Ground will be broken on the Beaches Barbados in mid-2014, on the site of the former Almond Beach Village.
Follow Gay Nagle Myers on Twitter @gnmtravelweekly.