SANDALS and Beaches Resorts continued their dominance of the hospitality industry in the Caribbean winning a combined 21 awards for quality product and service from three separate programmes hosted by influential travel industry entities.

The Jamaica-based all-inclusive chain received nine prestigious Quality Assurance Awards from MLT Vacations, one of the USA’s largest tour operators, on October 2 in St Paul, Minnesota.

The awards recognise Sandals and Beaches Resorts for “outstanding customer service and product delivery ensuring… customers receive the best experience possible”, a news release from Sandals said.

MLT Vacations’ vice president for product development, Elizabeth Moriarty, said that Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts have demonstrated exemplary operational consistency and top-notch quality standards for MLT Vacations and its Delta Vacations, Continental Airlines Vacations, United Vacations and Worry-Free Vacations.

The MLT Quality Assurance Awards recognise an exclusive group of hotels and resorts that achieve a 99 per cent customer satisfaction score and a 99 per cent delivery of product performance.

The nine awards won by Sandals represent the highest number going to one organisation for 2011.

The Sandals properties which were recognised for outstanding service included Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort Villages and Spa; Sandals Grande Antigua; Sandals Halcyon and Sandals La Toc Golf Resort & Spa in St Lucia; Sandals Montego Bay; Sandals Negril Beach Resort; Sandals Whitehouse European Village and Spa; and Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort and Private Island in Jamaica.

In the second programme, the Flight Centre USA 2011 GoGo Awards, the resort chain received six awards in the categories:

* Best All Inclusive Hotel and Resort Company;

* Best Luxury Hotel;

* Best Travel Agency Training Programme;

* Best Honeymoon Hotel;

* Best Family Hotel; and

* Best Customer Service.

“Flight Centre USA is one of the world’s leading international travel consulting companies which also honours industry leaders each year,” the resort chain explained in a news release.

The third programme, the Travel Weekly Magellan Awards, saw the resort chain taking six awards:

* Gold in the Family Resort/Hotel category – Beaches Turks & Caicos resort Villages and Spa;

* Gold for the Beach Resort/Hotel category – Sandals Grande Riviera Beach and Villa Golf Resort;

* Gold for Golf Course Design – Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club;

* Silver for Eco-Friendly “green” Resort/Hotel – Sandals Negril Beach Resort and Spa;

* Silver for Luxury Hotel – Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, The Bahamas; and

* Silver for Golf Resort – Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, The Bahamas.

The 2011 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards receive entries from elite travel organisations and professionals worldwide, which have showcased outstanding work ranging from service to marketing and design.

Sandals and Beaches Resorts have consistently topped the major international awards for the hospitality industry. In 2010, the chain was named the World’s Leading All-Inclusive at the World Travel Awards for the 17th consecutive year.