How’s this for a pitch: Aruba has an average temperature of 82 degrees, receives minimal rain, sits outside of the hurricane belt, is remarkably safe, English is spoken, U.S. dollars are accepted, and is a four-hour flight from New York (and even offers U.S. customs pre-clearance). Not to mention there is championship golf, excellent shopping (including an Apple store as of last October), tremendous wreck-diving, luxury spas and casinos, and nice people.
Oh, you needed to work while visiting? Meeting expenses are tax-deductible, following elevation to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s “White List” in 2009, and nine properties on the island target the meetings and incentives markets, many of which received major investments in the form of renovations and upgrades over the past few years.
The island also offers support in the form of the Aruba Convention Bureau (ACB), which Jerusha Rasmijn, conferences and events manager with ACB, stresses is ready and willing to help planners coordinate events of any size, and on any budget. ACB will help with organizing site visits, selecting destination management companies, distributing RFPs, and making presentations to key decision makers within your organization, as well as assist with shipping, customs, tax guidelines, and airline group fares. The ACB also appointed a new Florida-based North American sales manager in an effort to attract more business and better serve the U.S. and Canadian markets.
Choose Your Size
Although Rasmijn says typical group sizes in Aruba run between 200 and 400 attendees, the hotel community also hosts larger groups in a sort of island-wide format, while smaller groups pair well with the island’s boutique properties.
The Occidental Grand Aruba, a 398-room all-inclusive resort, has six restaurants, five bars, and an on-site casino to tempt guests, as well as a 9,330-square-foot ballroom, among other spaces, to keep them focused.
The Riu Palace Aruba has 450 guest rooms, four restaurants, an on-site casino, and meeting and function space to accommodate up to 325 guests for a cocktail reception.
For larger groups, the 481-room Westin Aruba can host up to 890 attendees for a reception, and the property also offers eight restaurants and lounges, a spa, and an on-site casino, which recently received a $1.5-million update.
The 413-room Aruba Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino can also host upwards of 800 guests, and the property has a total of 11,600 square feet of meeting space, including a grand ballroom, six additional meeting rooms, and outdoor venues for up to 480 people. It is also home to the new H2 Oasis adults-only pool, which opened as part of the last phase of a $48-million renovation project.
And the recently renovated Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa is worth a look for larger groups. The hotel has 355 rooms in three towers, sits on 15 acres of gardens and beaches, and is fresh off a $30-million renovation, which included upgrades to the guest rooms and public spaces, including the Sunset Grille. The Radisson has 24,000 square feet of outdoor function space and eight meeting rooms with a maximum capacity of over 900 guests. Visitors will also enjoy the casino, 13,000-square-foot oceanfront spa, and complimentary Internet access.
If even that won’t cut it, look to the Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino, which can host up to 1,600 guests. The Renaissance has a total of 22,000 square feet of meeting space, seven breakout rooms, and an adults-only lodging option, as well as a 40-acre private beach, a casino, and seven dining outlets. As part of a renovation, the Marina Hotel is being refreshed, 82 new slot machines are coming to the casino, and a covered stage for daily outdoor entertainment will open in the Renaissance Marketplace.
The Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Casino & Spa opened the 5,200-square-foot ZoiA Spa last month. The name means “balance” or “poise” in Papiamento, the language of Aruba, and the spa aims to maintain a strong tie to the island’s heritage using four Caribbean elements—sun, sand, sea, and love—and the colors of the Aruban flag—yellow (representing the brightening and revitalizing of the skin), white (for purity), blue (for detoxification), and red (representing devotion and commitment)—as its backbone. The spa has eight treatment rooms and was built using sustainable materials and products, including cork, recycled glass tiles, and stone made from seashells but which has a granite-like look.
The 357-room property, which sits on 12 beachfront acres, has also renovated its Shoco Market and Balashi Bar and Grill, among other projects. The Hyatt Regency has 9,245 square feet of meeting space and 8,629 square feet of outdoor function space.
An alternative option is the Divi Resorts collection of five properties. The Divi Village and Golf Resort is wrapping up a renovation of its 132 suites, and the company’s casino and retail complex is receiving a $6-million update, which includes the 4,000-square-foot Alhambra meeting room that opened in the Alhambra Casino in November.