Son of Gordon Leslie Stewart and Jean Patricia (née Townend), Butch Stewart was born in Kingston, Jamaica on July 6, 1941. He grew up along Jamaica's North Coast, a tropical paradise that now boasts several of his Luxury Included® Sandals and Beaches Resorts. His boyhood was spiked with its fair share of mischief and love of adventure; a creative energy that now finds expression in one business success after another and an ample dose of sea life and dominoes.

After completing his secondary education in England, he returned to Jamaica and in short order established himself as a master salesman. This impressive start lit a torch and unleashed a burgeoning entrepreneurial zeal in young Stewart. In 1968, he resigned his post as a sales manager with the Dutch-owned Curacao Trading Company to start Appliance Traders Ltd., then a service and distribution company for Fedders air conditioners. The company grew meteorically but by 1981, Stewart was ready to conquer new horizons and thus began the story of Sandals Resorts.

Despite no hotel experience, Stewart bought a rundown hotel on a magnificent beach in Montego Bay as a real estate investment, approaching this business with the same simple philosophy he articulated many times: “Find out what people want, give it to them and in doing so - exceed their expectations.”

Seven months and $4 million in renovations later, Sandals Montego Bay opened as the flagship of what is today, the most popular award-winning, all-inclusive resort chain in the world. Stewart has never laid claim to starting the all-inclusive concept, couples-only format but he is recognized worldwide for the consistent innovation and unsurpassed level of luxury he has brought to the all-inclusive experience.

Where other so-called “all-inclusives” offered meals and rooms at a set rate, Sandals Resorts’ prices covered dining options, premium brand drinks, gratuities, airport transfers, taxes and all land and watersport activities. The competition meals were buffet-style, so Stewart created the on-property specialty restaurants with high culinary standards and white-glove service. Sandals Resorts also was the first Caribbean hotel company to offer whirlpools and satellite television service, the first with swim-up pool bars and the first to guarantee that every room is fitted with a king-size bed and a hair dryer. The Sandals Resort International’s Luxury- Included® experience features a signature spa concept – Red Lane® Spa, signature luxury suites designed for privacy and ultimate pampering, signature partnerships with iconic organizations such as Microsoft Xbox® Play Lounge, Sesame Workshop, PADI and Robert Mondavi Wines . More recent innovations include the addition of Over-the-Water Villas and Bungalows concept, Over-the-Water bars in Jamaica, and Over-the-Water wedding chapels to a number of its properties in Jamaica and St. Lucia.

By steadfastly adhering to the “We can do it better” principle of pleasing his guests, Stewart has fostered a company free to imagine and free to consistently raise the bar. This has earned him the title of “King of All-Inclusives,” changing the face of the all-inclusive format and establishing Sandals Resorts as the most successful brand in the category – boasting year-round occupancy levels of more than 85 percent, an unequaled repeat guest factor of 40 percent and demand that has led to unprecedented expansion including the creation of additional concepts such as Beaches Resorts, now the industry standard for excellence in family beach vacations.

Today, Sandals Resorts International operates nine resorts and three private villas in Jamaica, three resorts in Saint Lucia, three in The Bahamas, one in Antigua, one in Grenada, two in Barbados and one in The Turks & Caicos Islands – and is poised for continued growth with a Sandals Resorts to open on the island of Curaçao and a Beaches Resorts to open in St. Vincent & The Grenadines. For 25 years in a row, Sandals Resorts International has been named the World’s Leading All-Inclusive Company at the prestigious World Travel Awards and has been recognized by the industry and consumers for excellence worldwide including the following organizations in the United States:

• Agent At Home
• AAA
• About.com
• American Academy of Hospitality Sciences
• American Express
• Apple Vacations
• Brides Magazine
• Budget Travel Magazine
• The Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS)
• Classic Vacations
• Condé Nast Traveler Annual Readers’ Choice Poll- Best in the World
• Condé Nast Traveler's Annual Spa Poll "Top 270 Spas"
• Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Award
• Corporate Meetings & Incentives
• DestinationWeddings.com
• Fodor's
• Flight Centre
• GOGO Vacations
• Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
• Islands
• Meetings & Conventions
• MLT Vacations
• Ocean Style Magazine
• Oyster
• PADI
• Performance Media Group
• PR Daily
• Porthole Cruise Magazine
• Recommend
• Travel + Leisure
• Travalliance
• Travel Weekly
• TravelAge West
• TripAdvisor®
• USA Today
• US News & World Report
• Vacation Agent
• Women's Choice Awards

His leadership and pioneering role helped resurrect Jamaica’s travel industry and earned the respect of his peers and the admiration of his countrymen. He was elected President of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica in 1989 and was inducted in its "Hall of Fame" in 1995. He served as a Director of the Jamaica Tourist Board for a decade and as President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association from 1984 -1988. In this capacity, he ably balanced government and private sector priorities, reconciling the concerns of large and small Jamaican hotels and raising public understanding of the tourism industry. In 1994, Stewart led a group of investors to take leadership of Air Jamaica, the Caribbean’s largest regionally based carrier. It was a daunting task -planes were dirty, service was indifferent and on-time schedules were rarely met, causing market share to plummet along with revenues.

When Stewart stepped in, he insisted on a passenger-friendly approach: on-time service, reduced waiting lines, increased training for all personnel, and signature free champagne on flights to accompany an emphasis on better food. He also opened new routes in the Caribbean, brought on new Airbus jets and established a Montego Bay hub for flights coming from and returning to the United States. Just as with ATL and Sandals Resorts, Stewart’s formula proved successful and in late 2004, Stewart gave the airline back to the government with an increase in revenue of over US$250 million.

Perhaps less well-known is the extent of his considerable philanthropy. Sandals Resorts International currently gives active support to almost 300 major projects in its host communities through its philanthropic arm, The Sandals Foundation. This support ranges from the building of schools and the paying of teachers, to providing hospitals with linens and bringing healthcare to the doorsteps of those who cannot afford it. Beyond the Foundation, in his homeland of Jamaica, Stewart stepped in to revive the economy by donating $1 million to stop inflation and adjust the exchange rate. During the Persian Gulf War, Stewart gave over $1 million in free vacations at Sandals Resorts to “Operation Desert Storm” veterans and their guests. After Operation Iraqi Freedom, he doubled the effort and donated $2 million in complimentary vacations to active members of the U.S. armed forces.

In 2012, Stewart founded the Sandals Corporate University, aimed at providing professional development for employees through reputable education and training programs. With access to more than 230 courses and external partnerships with 13 top-ranking local and international universities, every staff member has the opportunity to apply, broaden their knowledge and advance their career.

Stewart’s successes in business and in life have earned him more than 50 well-deserved local, regional and international accolades and awards including Jamaica’s highest national distinctions: The Order of Jamaica (O.J.), and Commander of the Order of Distinction (C.D.) He is the 2001 recipient of the Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) from the University of the West Indies and also the 2009 recipient from the University of Technology. In 1992, Stewart was presented with the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in recognition of his tireless efforts to advance humanity. Emst & Young voted him Master Entrepreneur of the decade of the 90s. Stewart is a Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International's highest award and highest award. At the 2000 World Travel Awards, he was voted “Travel Man of the Millennium” for his work in promoting Caribbean tourism. In 2011, The Caribbean American Foundation presented Stewart with the Golden Eagle Humanitarian Award in recognition of his philanthropic contributions to education and entrepreneurship in the Caribbean. In 2016 Stewart was honored with the Most Innovative All-Inclusive Resort Executive by the Travalliance Travvy Awards, Hotelier of the Year at the Cacique Award held by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and the Invest Caribbean Now Leadership Award presented at its global summit. Most recently, Stewart was awarded with the Chancellor’s Award on behalf of his company at the 10th Annual University of The West Indies (UWI) Toronto Benefit Gala in recognition of its extraordinary international success and positive contribution to the region.

He has earned Lifetime Achievement Awards from The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, Travel Weekly and Globe Travel Awards and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration from hospitality authority, Johnson & Wales University. He is one of Jamaica’s most visible and respected personalities, making him a formidable ambassador for brand Jamaica where since 2010 he has served as Chair of JAMPRO, the country's Investment and Promotions agency. He was honored with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS), hosted by the Burba Hotel Network, marking his significant contribution to the hospitality industry over his lifetime with great accomplishment.

Gordon “Butch” Stewart, one of the hospitality industry’s most vibrant personalities passed away at the age of 79 on January 4, 2021. The company Butch Stewart built remains wholly owned by the Stewart family, In honor of Mr. Stewart’s long-term succession plans, his son, Adam Stewart, has been named the new Chairman of Sandals Resorts International.

Gordon “Butch” Stewart is survived by his wife, Cheryl, children Brian, Bobby, Adam, Jaime, Sabrina, Gordon, and Kelly; grandchildren Aston, Sloane, Camden, Penelope-Sky, Isla, Finley, Max, Ben, Zak, Sophie, Annie and Emma; and great grandchildren Jackson, Riley, Emmy and Willow.

Butch Stewart was not only a respected hotelier, he was businessman, a marketer, innovator, philanthropist, family man and mentor. He left a lasting impression on anyone who crossed his path and left a legacy of love and passion within the travel industry.

In honor of his legacy, Sandals Resorts International has established two new programs to further his passion. Alongside the Sandals Corporate University, the new Gordon “Butch” Stewart Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship will benefit young professionals employed in the tourism sector across the Caribbean. Furthermore, the Sandals Foundation has developed a dedicated Marine Conservation effort in his name to protect the Caribbean Sea he loved.

A devoted father and grandfather, Gordon Butch Stewart made his life in the Caribbean and his legacy will last far beyond his own imagination.