HM SPOTLIGHT

After cutting his teeth and being “properly Sandalized” at Sandals Royal Caribbean, James transferred to Sandals Ocho Rios to work under the wings of the formidable Brian Roper who was general manager at the time. He describes his tenure at Sandals Ocho Rios as being extremely important in his growth as Roper was a great teacher who pushed him to the limit, allowing him to see his true potential.

Being the director of guest services for such a large property allowed James to tackle a myriad of guest complaints and kudos, improving his hospitality and problem-solving skills. Ready for his next challenge, it was back to Montego Bay where the flagship property, Sandals Montego Bay, and its indefatigable leader Joseph Zellner beckoned. So impressive was his stint at the first-ever Sandals resort that he caught the eye of Sandals Resorts International and his nomadic journey continued as he was promoted to the post of Hotel Manager at the boutique property, Grand Pineapple.

Of his various postings within the company, James has this to say. “I really learned a lot from all those leaders mentioned during my formative years in Sandals and each in their own way helped tremendously with my growth and development.”

The value of spending time at a small boutique hotel is not lost on James. At Grand Pineapple, he had to be involved in every facet of the hotel’s operation which added to his management repertoire and prepared him for the rest of the journey that was to come. Now a seasoned campaigner, his next stop was a return to Sandals Royal Caribbean, but this time as a vastly experienced Executive Assistant Manager. This was where James really cemented himself as a prime-time hotelier, spending eleven years at the resort and leaving an indelible mark on the team.

James has established a reputation for being a team player, possessing an uncanny ability to bond with both managers and line team members alike. At Sandals Royal Caribbean, he had the awesome responsibility of overseeing the offshore island with its vaunted overwater suites and bungalows which boasted a much more demanding clientele that expected the highest level of hospitality. His work ethic and calm personality, even under difficult circumstances, endeared him to the team, and when his promotion to Hotel Manager was announced, it came with many bells and whistles.

November 2022 was a watershed period for James when he was promoted and packaged off to his current posting as Hotel Manager at

Sandals Royal Plantation, a smaller property but one with a world-class reputation for delivering a high level of hospitality to a loyal clientele.

“Sandals Royal Plantation is a fantastic boutique resort with amazing team members, and great leadership in the form of General Manager Arnold Nugent,” James says, taking a sip of water and issuing advice to a server. This man’s roving eyes never miss a beat as the happiness of his guests and staff is his primary motivation. “I just want to help add value to where I am at right now.”

James describes his Sandals journey as being “unbelievable”.

“We have amazing team members and what I look forward to in coming to work is seeing persons who started out in the Hospitality Training Programme now really blossoming into supervisory and management roles. Knowing that I have assisted in their growth and motivation gives me a special feeling.” He praises Sandals for having a programme that allows for growth and development among its cadre of employees.”

What is it that sets Sandals apart from the competition? “The approach to making the guests have an experience they will never forget and the innovation of always trying to give them more than they expect. It is creating these experiences that set us apart,” James observes.

Known to be a very private person, when he is not on the job James enjoys spending quality time with his family. His children, a son aged 18 and a daughter 10, keep him grounded and are the principal reasons why he pushes himself to the limit daily to succeed.

When not at work, James enjoys anything seafood or curried chicken with nan washed down with cold lemon beer. His other passion is music, and he listens to a wide variety of genres, ranging from conscious reggae and gospel to afro beats.

For Sheldon James, the sky is the limit and his life’s ambition is to continue shooting for the stars in the hospitality firmament and adhering to the Butch Stewart philosophy of “giving the guests more than he or she expects.”