Two decades ago, the visionary Jamaican hotelier Butch Stewart brought the Sandals brand to The Bahamas and joined hands with us in building a leading tourism destination.

Today, as we mourn the passing of a global trailblazer in the hospitality industry, we are singularly proud and grateful for the legacy that Butch Stewart has bequeathed to us in The Bahamas. Butch impacted our national economy by directing the crafting of a signature vacation experience — the Sandals vacation — which has become an integral part of the tourism product of The Islands of The Bahamas.  

Butch Stewart’s contribution to The Bahamas over the past twenty years has been national in scope and deeply personal to the lives of thousands of our fellow Bahamians who, through employment with the Sandals brands, have built sustainable careers, homes and families. Sandals International continues to impact our local community through ongoing philanthropic outreach.    

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Butch Stewart, a key partner in our tourism enterprise who has left an indelible mark on the Bahamas’s hospitality sector. 

Butch’s vision for hospitality will live on to be enjoyed by future guests at Nassau’s Sandals® Royal Bahamian as well as Sandals® Emerald Bay and Fowl Cay Resort in Exuma,” said Minister of Tourism & Aviation, Dionisio D’Aguilar.

History will record Gordon “Butch” Stewart as a game changer in the delivery of the

globally coveted Caribbean vacation product, having elevated the all inclusive resort model to a five star, world class experience.  

The prayers of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation, our hospitality community and fellow Bahamians go out to Butch’s family and the extended Sandals family throughout the Caribbean.