Sunwing’s ambitious hotel plans have taken another step forward.

Sunwing Travel Group has announced that the Group’s hotel division will begin operating six of Rex Resorts’ Caribbean hotels as part of a newly formed strategic alliance, effective Dec. 1, 2018. As part of this landmark agreement, Sunwing’s growing hotel division plans to make significant improvements to each of the resorts over the coming years.

“We are excited to be entering into this partnership which reflects our commitment to the CARICOM countries of the Lesser Antilles.” said Stephen Hunter, President & CEO of Sunwing Travel Group. “We look forward to increasing tourism in Grenada, Tobago and Barbados as we have recently done in St. Lucia and Antigua."

Alison Palin of Rex Resorts also welcomed the news, “This strategic alliance will enable us to rejuvenate and further enhance these popular resorts which are all situated in prime beach locations. Leveraging Sunwing’s distribution and scale will allow us to boost our occupancy and tighten our operational costs and ultimately position these properties to provide even more value to our guests. We look forward to the continued support of our valued employees, local suppliers and tour operators as we finalize this exciting and transformational agreement.”

The six Rex Resorts will be absorbed within two of the hotel division’s brands: the new luxury boutique hotel collection, Mystique Resorts and the popular mid-market chain, Starfish Resorts. Mystique Royal St. Lucia will be the second addition to the Mystique Resorts brand, with the first opening later this month in Holbox, Mexico. The Starfish Resorts brand will see five new additions: Starfish Discovery Bay Resort, Barbados; Starfish Halcyon Cove Resort, Antigua; Starfish St. Lucia Resort, St. Lucia; Starfish Grenada Resort, Grenada and Starfish Tobago Resort, Tobago.