Ritz

[Randi]

Dannyo and others, the condition of the ocean floor is very good! We couldn't believe the difference from December. The ocean was free of debris and sea weed and the floor was great! Hard in most places only a very few (almost none) of the squishy parts. We couldn't believe how nice it was, really improved.
Dannyo, you were there in October so you will be so pleased. We were there in December so we have noticed the gradual progression.

Good job Marriott in getting Sea Solutions, worked wonders!!!

[Arubalisa]

http://www.blogs.marriott.com/default.asp?item=2337321

Interesting...Bill Marriott blogs about his visit to Aruba and mentions NOTHING about the Ritz agreement. Thinking out loud here, but you would certainly "think" that if the Ritz project was now going to proceed "full steam ahead" that Bill Marriott would be shouting it from the rooftops.

[Retagger]

There is no mention of it on their corporate website either. http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Locations/Upcoming.htm

The site does list all of their new and pending projects, but there is no mention of Aruba.

[Arubalisa]

Chamber of Commerce criticizes the build of new hotels
6 Maart, 2009, 16:00 (GMT -04:00)
http://www.amigoe.com/artman/publish/artikel_53615.php

ORANJESTAD -- During a recent press conference, Edwin Roos, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce lashed out at the government’s decision to enter contracts for the construction of new hotels on Aruba.

He wonders how this expansion would fit within the responsible policy in view of the serious questions that the island is going to cope with in the near future. “The KvK has already published a report in 2007, in which is clearly indicated that there won’t be enough local people to replace those that retire. The government does know this.” Roos points at an earlier appeal of KvK to focus more on activities that wouldn’t burden the infrastructure and the labour market so much and to hurry with the changing of the fiscal policy to make Aruba more attractive for local and international investments.


Hotel starts
KvK is not against attracting five-star hotels, even though it is now time to start maintaining an official criterion, so that everybody can understand what those five starts imply. “The problem starts when a number of contracts are signed, without considering the additional number of extra rooms and the economic and social problems that the island is going to cope with. The problem is not whether these projects are going to be implemented or not that with the current economic climate seems yet more uncertain, but more with the fact that this is going to imply an unnecessary new series of obligations for the Land Aruba and for no matter who is going to be in office after this.”


Roos points out the Mar Azul-project that is idle for quite some time already and the free recreation area at the beaches that becomes scarcer due to the attraction of these hotels.

Also the population growth needs to be considered and with the arrival of these projects, they will continue to grow to 144.000 inhabitants. All these people will need extra space for recreation. Just like each florin can be spent just once, each meter of our coast can only be given away once. To conclude he points out the moratorium on hotel rooms, timeshares, and condominiums that is currently in effect, but that the government has not given any clarity yet.

[lizzardo]

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