From selling ACs to becoming the tourism king of Jamaica

TL;DR

Gordon “Butch” Stewart started by selling air conditioners door-to-door in Jamaica, then bought a rundown hotel in Montego Bay and built Sandals Resorts into a multi-billion-dollar business through speed, service, and a couples-only positioning.

Key insights

• Butch differentiated his AC business by promising installation within eight hours and free, fast repairs—something larger competitors like GE would not dare offer.
• He rebranded his first resort from Bay Rock to Sandals, positioning it as a couples-only, all-inclusive luxury vacation, which was radical at the time.
• He employed a “shameless copycat” strategy: he studied competitors like Club Med and imported the best specific features (e.g., champagne service, whirlpools) into his own resorts.