Turn Up the Music, Gamble Like a High Roller and Sleep in the Lap of Luxury with the Renaissance Rock Star Package

Who doesn’t want to party like a rock star?

To celebrate Aruba’s many upcoming music festivals, Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino is offering its guests the chance to experience first-hand the rock star lifestyle.

Don’t live vicariously through the talent. Instead, jump right into the action and enjoy luxurious accommodations, access to the only private beaches on Aruba, 24-hour gambling, breakfast in bed, massages and much more. The package – valid with a stay of five consecutive nights on specific dates between May and October 2008 – includes:

- Accommodations at the adult-exclusive Renaissance Marina Hotel starting at $1,176 (based on two guests who are at least 18 years old and a five-night stay)
- A $50 casino credit
- A $200 hotel beverage credit
- Late-night dining at The Lounge, Midnight Grill
- Hangover breakfast in bed
- Morning-after massage

“Renaissance Rock Star” is available to coincide with the 2008 Soul Beach Music Festival (May 21-26 – featuring Erykah Badu, Brandon T. Jackson, Sinbad and Wyclef Jean), the Second Annual Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival 2008 (Sept. 6-7) and the 7th Annual Aruba Music Festival (Oct. 10-11).

Renaissance Aruba is the only resort on the island to offer a blend of adult-exclusive and family-friendly options on one property and is home to the only private beaches on the island – Iguana Beach for families and the top-optional Flamingo Beach for adults only.

To book the Renaissance Rock Star package, please visit www.renaissancearuba.com.

For more information about Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino, visit www.renaissancecaribbeanmediacenter.com.

Renaissance Rock Star 2008 Special Package Rates:

- Resort Room – $1,176 for a five-night stay based on two adults per room
- Island King – $1,244 for a five-night stay based on two adults per room

Validity dates for Renaissance Rock Star: May 16-31, Sept. 1-14 and Oct. 3-19. Rates do not include 21 percent service charge and taxes

While your man is glued to the couch, wrapped up in March Madness, fall football, the World Series or whatever sport might be on television, grab the girls and escape to a world all your own.Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino’s “Sports Widow Weekend” affords anti-sport wives the opportunity to make a fast break for the surf and sun and enjoy a weekend getaway with her nearest and dearest girlfriends. The package – valid through Dec. 21, 2008, with a minimum stay of three consecutive nights – features:

- All-inclusive accommodations at the adult-exclusive Marina Hotel (based on two adults 18 years or older)
- Manis and Pedis at the Okeanos Spa
- “Flirtinis” at BLUE
- Kukoo Kanuku party bus to enjoy a night on the town
- A VIP card that provides 10 percent off all shopping at the Renaissance Marketplace and Mall, featuring upscale stores such as Louis Vuitton

Renaissance Aruba is the only resort on the island to offer separate adult-exclusive and family-friendly options on one property and is home to the only private beaches on the island – Iguana Beach for families and the top-optional Flamingo Beach for adults only.

To book the Sports Widow Weekend package, please visit www.renaissancearuba.com.

For more information about Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino, visit www.renaissancecaribbeanmediacenter.com.

Sports Widow Weekend 2008 Special Package Rates:

- March 24 – April 12
- Resort Room – $413/night based on two adults per room
- Island King – $428/night based on two adults per room
- April 13 – Dec. 21
- Resort Room – $304/night based on two adults per room
- Island King – $312/night based on two adults per room

Rates do not include 21 percent service charge and taxes.

Aruba is thrilled to announce that the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) has selected the island paradise as the host country for the 2009 International Conference, set for December 3-6. The event will bring together the top minds in incentive travel, a multi-billion dollar global industry, to one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated destinations. Aruba promises to be the “host with the most” as it welcomes hundreds of delegates from around the world for three days of educational sessions, vendor showcases, roundtables, networking events, gala dinners and much more. The 2009 International Conference will be held at the two official host hotels, The Westin Aruba Resort and the Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa.

Securing this significant conference comes at a perfect time for the destination as Aruba is enjoying increased interest from around the globe. Not only has the island recently undergone over $350 million in upgrades, expansions and renovations across all aspects of the tourism sector, but arrivals from the U.S. in 2007 were also up 3.27% over the previous year. While worldwide arrivals also saw a remarkable increase with an extraordinary 8.56% spike over 2006, with 753,816 visitors from around the world making Aruba their destination of choice in 2007.

“SITE’s membership is rich with innovators who greatly influence not only the evolution of the incentive industry, but also the business outcomes of client organizations,” said SITE President Padraic Gilligan. “The SITE International Conference is a superlative forum where professionals from around the world gather to share insights that help them achieve professional goals, surpass client expectations, and have a meaningful and positive impact on economies of destination cities around the world.”

“We were thrilled to hear of SITE’s decision to make Aruba its host location for the 2009 International Conference,” said Minister of Tourism and Transportation, Edison Briesen. “The incentive travel industry is an important one for our island and we are looking forward to showcasing the many things that sets Aruba apart from the rest of the Caribbean region throughout the conference. We are confident that SITE’s commitment to bringing together the most influential minds in this field, coupled with Aruba’s dedication to delivering an unmatched travel experience to all our guests, is a recipe for success.”

These principals of community, leadership and growth guide SITE’s vision — as well as its commitment to selecting distinct locales for its own events. Aruba, situated in the southern Caribbean, is a tropical paradise that enjoys year-round near perfect weather, less than 20 inches of rainfall annually, extraordinary hotels and resorts, over 200 incredible international restaurants, and an extremely rich heritage. Arubans, renowned for their warmth and hospitality and known as the friendliest in the Caribbean region, proudly showcase the island’s cultural and environmental diversity, and are equally devoted to respecting and preserving the island’s pristine marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

“Because Aruba is, without question, one of the top incentive travel destinations in the Caribbean, it is fitting that SITE, the foremost professional association devoted to the incentive travel market, would choose our island as the host for its 2009 International Conference,” said Myrna Jansen-Feliciano, managing director for the Aruba Tourism Authority. “The decision makers in the incentive travel industry will experience a successful event as a result of our strong public/private partnership that makes planning a meeting so much easier and Aruba’s well-known hospitality.”

“Aruba is ideal for SITE’s constituency,” said SITE CEO Brenda Anderson. “Sharing experiential knowledge is imperative for incentive and travel professionals who wish to enhance expertise and better understand this worldwide industry. Aruba offers a unique setting; it’s a model for promoting economic development with a keen eye toward cultural and environmental sensitivity — both of which are top-of-mind for SITE members and the organizations they work with to implement programs that drive business success.”

“I am really proud of the fact that our entire destination has gotten behind securing the SITE Conference for Aruba,” said Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association President and CEO, Rob Smith. “What could be a better investment than bringing the world’s professional meeting planners to one destination? Aruba has prepared for this for the last few years, undergoing a half a billion dollars of investment in its resort and meetings facilities and I am confident this will be our day in the sun.”

Headliners Include Four-Time Grammy Award Winner Erykah Badu, Wyclef Jean, Sean Kingston & Superstar Comedian Sinbad Bringing the Funk & Fun May 21 – 26, 2008

Aruba’s beaches just got a whole lot hotter!  Aruba is thrilled to announce the star-studded lineup for the Eighth Annual Soul Beach Music Festival featuring Grammy Award-winners Erykah Badu and Wyclef Jean along with R&B stars Sean Kingston, Ledisi, and Paige.  In addition, funnymen Sinbad and Brandon T. Jackson will keep sides splitting.  The festivities kick off this Memorial Day weekend, May 21 – 26, as Aruba’s white-sand shores are turned white hot from five days of unforgettable nights at some of the island’s hottest nightclubs, incredible beach parties, and, of course, the once-in-a-lifetime music and comedy concerts sure to pack a punch.  This year’s Soul Beach Music Festival is designed to keep R&B fans, comedy connoisseurs and sun and sand seekers exhilarated the entire time!

“This is the fourth time that Aruba has hosted the Soul Beach Music Festival and each year it seems to get better. We are thrilled that Arubans and visitors alike are getting the opportunity to enjoy this year’s impressive lineup of talent,” said Minister of Tourism and Transportation, Edison Briesen.  “Soul Beach has been a hit on Aruba from day one and we anticipate that with this year’s headliners, we will have another extremely successful festival on our hands.”

Singer and songwriter, Erykah Badu, is a musical force to be reckoned with.  In 1997, her highly acclaimed debut album, Baduizm, debuted at number two on the Billboard charts. The album eventually went triple platinum and won two Grammy Awards at the 1998 ceremonies.  Badu is renowned for her introspective lyrics and jazzy sound.  Her first live album, Live, reached number four on the Billboard charts, selling double platinum, and spawned another R&B hit single in “Tyrone.”  Badu is also a collaborator and her work with the Roots won her a third Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1999 for the song “You Got Me.”   In 2003, her work with artist, Common and their song, “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop),” hit number nine on the pop charts, topped R&B listings, and Badu was awarded her fourth Grammy Award.  Her latest album, New Amerykah, was released in February 2008 and part two is currently slated for July 2008 release.

In addition to once-in-a-lifetime concerts, Aruba’s Soul Beach Music Festival will feature the hilarity of sidesplitting comedian, Sinbad, sure to leave paradise seekers doubled over in laughter.  Sinbad is internationally known for his starring appearances in hit movies like “Jingle All the Way,” playing opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger; “Houseguest” co-starring the late Phil Hartman and his co-starring role in “Necessary Roughness.” He has starred in the televisions sitcom “A Different World” as well as his own series, “The Sinbad Show.” He has even written a self-help book entitled Sinbad’s Guide to Life: (Because I Know Everything). Sinbad has drawn legions of fans from his highly rated HBO comedy specials; “Brain Damaged” (1991), “Afros & Bellbottoms” (1993), “Son of a Preacher Man” (1996), and “Nuthin But The Funk” (1998).  His annual HBO music concert series “Sinbad’s 70’s Soul Music Festival” received the prestigious NAACP Image Award consecutively for two years as the “Most Outstanding Variety Series/Special.”

Back for a second year time due to popular demand is Grammy Award-winning musician/rapper/producer/social activist, Wyclef Jean.  As part of the dynamic trio, The Fugees, Jean’s album, “The Score,” produced three hit singles – “Fu-Gee-La,” “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “Ready or Not.”  Other smash singles include “Guantanamera” – which earned a Grammy nomination, “We Trying To Stay Alive” and “Gone Till November.”  As a talented producer and collaborator, Jean has produced a number of successful projects including “New Day” with Bono, Carlos Santana’s Grammy-winning “Supernatural,” and more.  Jean most recently topped charts with his Grammy-nominated duet with Shakira, “Hips Don’t Lie.”

2007 may have gone devoid of a summer anthem if not for then 17-year-old Sean Kingston and his prolific “Beautiful Girls,” which made history as one of the fastest ascents up the charts ever.  The now-legal singer/wrapper has since graced the airways with two more top ten hits “Me Love” and “Take You There.”  Kingston has sold more than three million digital singles as well as more than three million ringtones and has tours with artists like Gwen Stefani, Chris Brown and Kelly Clarkson under his belt.

Other performers include singer/songwriter, Ledisi and Paige, while comedy will come courtesy of Michigan-born Brandon T. Jackson.

“We are excited to return to Aruba, a destination that celebrates diversity in music, culture and people,” said Mark Adkins, producer of the Soul Beach Music Festival. “This years Soul Beach Music Festival promises undeniable talent, soulful-energy and heart-pumping entertainment.”

For more information on the eighth annual Soul Beach Music Festival, please visit www.soulbeach.net