Sonesta Resorts St Maarten and Sunwing Travel Group jointly announce employee assistance program in wake of Hurricane Irma

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - Sunwing Travel Group, the largest vertically integrated travel group in North America, recently purchased the 257 room Great Bay Beach Resort Casino & Spa from The Maho Group with intent to assume operations as of November 1st, 2017.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, the resort is now inoperable and will remain closed for the winter season.

The Maho Group and Sunwing Travel Group have jointly decided to extend a three day paid work week to employees impacted by the closures of Great Bay as well as Maho Beach, Ocean Point, and Royal Islander Club.  While the majority of staff will not have to report to work on a daily basis to receive this pay, some will be called upon to provide assistance in the coming weeks and will be entitled to full payment for any additional hours worked beyond the three paid days per week.

"Sunwing has been an incredibly generous company throughout the aftermath of Hurricane Irma; their devotion to the destination and its residents is genuine and authentic," said Saro Spadaro, President & CEO of The Maho Group.  "Under the tragic current circumstances, aligning ourselves with a company like Sunwing is especially important. They have strong resources including an airline, making them an ideal partner for this transaction."

"In light of the passing of Hurricane Irma, and while this is a dire time for the entire destination, we respect the property's incredibly passionate employees", said Stephen Hunter, CEO of Sunwing Travel Group, adding that "despite the damage, we are committed to the redevelopment of the resort and look forward to contributing meaningfully to the Island's economy."

Mr. Hunter and Mr. Spadaro have agreed to work closely together toward the reconstruction of all of the properties owned by their respective companies on the island. All of the resorts remain closed following the passing of Hurricane Irma.

About Sunwing Travel Group
The largest integrated travel company in North America, Sunwing Travel Group is comprised of Sunwing Vacations and Signature Vacations, two of the leading leisure tour operators in Canada; Sunwing Airlines, Canada's premier leisure airline; and Vacation Express, a growing tour operator in the United States together with the Group's own travel retail businesses SellOffVacations.com and Luxe Destination Weddings. Blue Diamond Resorts is the Group's hotel management company, an innovative organization that operates popular resort brands including Royalton Luxury Resorts, Memories Resorts & Spa and Starfish Hotels & Resorts across the Caribbean and Mexico; while NexusTours provides destination management services to both direct to consumers and in partnership to tour operators.

About Sonesta Resorts St Maarten
The limitless all-inclusive Sonesta Sint Maarten Resorts include the all-suites, adults-only Sonesta Ocean Point Resort and the family-friendly 395 room Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino. Each caters to a variety of clientele, from the chic luxury design of Sonesta Ocean Point's rooftop bars and swim-out suites to Sonesta Maho Beach Resort's kid-friendly activities and easy access to the lively Maho Village and Casino Royale; there's something for everyone.

About The Maho Group
Headquartered on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten, The Maho Group has earned worldwide acclaim for the design, development, marketing, and management of its collection. Key to the company's success has been its ability to mark its projects with its own definition of international lifestyle, one that works in complete harmony with its surroundings and in support of the local communities in which they are located. The group's product portfolio includes Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino, Sonesta Ocean Point Resort, Casino Royale, Golden Casino, Diamond Casino, Aquamarina, BlueMarine Residences, BlueMarine Villas, The Residences at Great Bay, Maho Village and Royal Islander Club La Plage and La Terrasse.

SOURCE Sunwing Travel Group

For all media enquiries, please contact: Rachel Goldrick, Senior Corporate Communications Manager, Sunwing Vacations, 1-800-387-5602 | [email protected]; For more information on The Maho Group and Sonesta Resorts St. Maarten: AMPR, Andria Mitsakos, Mob: [phone], [email protected]