Sandals Resorts International will be seeking to take its service equalty to new heights when its newest acquisition, Sandals Emerald Bay in The Bahamas, opens its doors January 22 next year.

Sandals Chief Executive Officer Adam Stewart said with the former Four Seasons property now under the Sandals umbrella, his organisation would show the world that Sandals could achieve the highest possible standards of service.

Speaking to reporters in St Ann on Sunday after the resort's annual sports day in Discovery Bay, Stewart said the all-inclusive resort chain was proud to have been able to acquire the property and indicated that service would determine its ultimate success.

Incredible

"It's going to be an incredible hotel and we're running it to a whole new standard within Sandals. We're rewriting all of our operating procedures, we're going to show the world that Sandals can achieve any standard," Stewart said.

The six-year-old Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma, situated on a 500-acre property in Emerald Bay in The Bahamas, was forced to close in May, citing low occupancy levels and a projected loss of some US$5 million this year.

The property, developed at a cost of over US$300 million, was placed in receivership in 2007 after the owners defaulted on a loan.

Since then, the receivers were unable to find a buyer until an agreement was struck with Sandals for the Jamaica-based company to purchase the property for an undisclosed sum.

Sandals is expected to spend some US$12 million on upgrading work.

Stewart said the upgrade will include three additional restaurants and a pizzeria.

The property boasts 200 suites with butler service, a Greg Norman-designed 18-hole golf course and a 133-slip marina.

Meanwhile, Stewart disclosed that Sandals was weathering the effects of the global recession.

"I think we're in a very, very good position," Stewart said.

The Sandals CEO said the all-inclusive chain had a repeat guest rate of more than 40 per cent.