Archive for September, 2010

First Aruba in Style Event to Take Place in Fall of 2011.

G Fashion and the Aruba Tourism Authority, along with its partner the Aruba Fashion Group, announced today a three year partnership for IMG to consult on the creation and execution of Aruba in Style – a yearly fashion, entertainment and lifestyle event to take place on the island of Aruba beginning in the Fall of 2011.

“Aruba already offers some of the best designer retail offerings in the Caribbean, and we feel strongly that this new partnership with IMG and the launch of the Aruba in Style event will help to elevate the island’s reputation as a mecca for fashion and style,” said Mr. Otmar Oduber, Aruba’s Minister of Tourism, Transportation and Labor Affairs. “One of our top goals in increasing tourism to Aruba is to bring more high-profile events to the island, such as Aruba in Style, which will generate increased awareness of Aruba as a chic and sophisticated vacation destination.”

Aruba in Style will be a mix of fashion shows, parties, presentations and shopping at one of the Caribbean’s most exciting destinations. Taking place in various locations around the island, the event will bring together designers, celebrities, models, fashionable consumers and the media to experience in-season resort, ready to wear and bridal collections in distinct, intimate parties as well as over the top extravaganzas. Activities will include unique in store shopping experiences, open to the public events and exclusive invitation-only soirees.

Aruba hosts one of the region’s best retail mixes along with unique destination hotels and resorts and, of course, some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. Its unique topography, fantastic restaurants and friendly, diverse population add to its charm and sophistication.

“On behalf of Aruba Fashion Group we are excited to be working together with IMG and our principal sponsor, the Government of Aruba and the Aruba Tourism Authority,” said Damilice Mansur, Principal of the Aruba Fashion Group along with Ronchi de Cuba and Evelin Weaver. “We are sure we will build, with these partners, what will become the most fashionable event in the region highlighting Aruba as the leading fashion and entertainment destination in the Caribbean.”

IMG, a leader in the management, production and creation of global fashion platforms, will bring its expertise in establishing an events global presence as well as industry and designer contacts to the event.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us,” said Peter Levy, SVP and Managing Director, IMG Fashion Worldwide. “We have often looked towards this region as a place where a strong, global fashion event could take place and were lucky enough to find creative thinkers in the Aruba Tourism Authority and Aruba Fashion Group who shared our vision for something both sophisticated, cool, and distinctly Aruban.”

Details on the event, including participating designers, models and celebrities, will be announced in the coming year.

Now is a great time to invest!

While the world is recovering from the recent economic decline, Aruba’s real estate market continues to offer great investment opportunities to those prepared to take the plunge, and go ahead and live their dreams.

One of the newest, most exciting projects is Tuscany Residence Aruba, which recently captured headlines as it announced construction of a low-density gated community just across the island’s much-anticipated Ritz Carlton, now under construction.

The sizeable property destined to become Tuscany Residence Aruba was just recently razed and is presently being nicely fenced in preparation for a model-home construction, scheduled to start in November, to conclude in the summer of 2011.

Tuscany Residence Aruba is the initiative of a Dutch group of investors, Esprit Project Development, in collaboration with the local Toscana Development NV.

The partnership produced an impressive design for a master-planned community with free-standing homes, stylish condos and tasteful townhouses sharing upscale, fully landscaped community pools and tropical gardens, a fitness center, a chic club-house, a gourmet restaurant, bar and ample parking, in a secure, exclusive, family friendly enclave.

Director of Sales Erick Munnikhuis is especially proud of the new technology which will be introduced here for the first time at Tuscany Residence Aruba. All homes, he explains, will be equipped with superb, digitally controlled, energy efficient air-conditioning units. Tuscany Residence Aruba will keep its energy consumption down by virtue of the double glazing on its glass windows and doors, and further keep the temperatures low via misting systems, installed on all terraces. The complex will be keyless, Munnikhuis states, relying on a secure, smart, entry system. And all materials used in building construction and interior decor will adhere to strict European standards, and to consistent quality controls.

Munnikhuis is no stranger to Aruba. Over the past decade the dynamic hotelier has enjoyed two successful stints on the island, first as sales executive and later as sales manager for the Marriott Vacation Club overseeing the sales of the Surf Club in its start-up days and returning later to the project to finish it up.

Throughout his career, Munnikhuis who was trained as a fighter pilot in the Dutch air-force, contributed to the development of successful projects for the prestigious Marriott Vacation Club concept in Marbella, Spain, London, England, Paris, France and Phuket, Thailand. In his capacity as director for Sol Melia he orchestrated projects in the Canary Islands and the Dominican Republic. His life reads like a story book, but he confidently declares that Aruba with its clever blend of American, European and Latin cultures is among the best places on earth, providing an excellent quality of life to residents and visitors, and true to his philosophy Munnikhuis proudly points out the exact location of his dream-house, to be constructed within the boundaries of Tuscany Residence Aruba, in 2011.

Munnikhuis recruited a strong and vibrant sales-team to help spread the word around that Tuscany Residence Aruba is about to capture the market, in the $310k to $750k range with a quality product that is unique and affordable.

Sales Executive Oscar Janga’s background is surprisingly similar to that of Munnikhuis having worked for the Marriott Vacation Club for six year, as well as for Costa Linda Beach Resort in its successful heyday. Oscar, a Flight Instructor by profession was trained in the USA, and was a proud pilot for Air Aruba when the fondly-remembered airline serviced Aruba’s many destinations in the 90s. Flying for Air Aruba for more than 7 years prepared Oscar for his Tuscany Residence Aruba assignment, appreciating the boutique feel and the intimate Mediterranean atmosphere offered by the development’s 153 homes, away from mass overcrowding, favoring the small to medium growth over dense expansion.

Sales Executive Marisol Quijada brings her quadric-lingual sales experience to work everyday. With an extensive sales and marketing background Marisol is in possession of an in-depth understanding of the local and Latin markets. She was recruited to the project by Munnikhuis who immediately recognized her excellent people skills and her quiet and assured presence.

Sales Executive Raquel Eman, a local entrepreneur is also a member of the sales team. She recently joined Tuscany Residence Aruba focusing on customer service and long-term relationships with prospective clients. While the sales gallery will remain at the South Beach Centre, she explains, clients will be able to tour the project, with members of the sales team, to observe construction progress and to keep up with new developments.

The welcome committee of Tuscany Residence Aruba is made up of two charming individuals, Carina Zimmerman and Adriani Moebin, fluent in multiple languages, and blessed with enthusiasm and rich and varied sales experience, in retail and in timeshare.

No wonder that Tuscany Residence Aruba has enjoyed an unprecedented reception, and indications are that this trend will continue through the sell-out phase of the project.

Erick, Marisol, Raquel, Carina & Adriani promise visitors the best coffee north of the equator as well as tireless efforts to help visitors choose the right home, and assist them with financing and paperwork to successfully bring the deal to the Notary’s office for signature, as there are not restrictions on real estate purchases in Aruba, and visitors do not need to become residents to own property here.

Story by Rona Coster

This is the fourth column about the Cas di Glas (House of Glass), an event that takes place from September 29 thru October 3 in the Renaissance Marketplace across from CILO City Lounge. It is a concept that, after its immense success in Holland, has been copied in various big cities in Europe. Its goal: to get a substantial amount of money for a good cause; on Aruba this will be the Koningin Wilhelmina Kankerfonds (KWF), the cancer foundation. But what is the Cas di Glas exactly and how does something like that come about? In the coming installments you will be able to follow the making of the Cas di Glas and we hope you will get as enthusiastic about this project as its team of organizers.

Quite a large number of hotels, businesses, stores and restaurants have been brought up-to-date about what Cas di Glas is all about, and what will be done with the money that the fundraising event will generate. And now the ball is in their court. Because the idea is that everyone will start their own private projects to raise money for a mobile breast screening unit for Aruba, the great goal of the happening. This may be done through donating part of the daily tip money, like what the staffers of CILO City Lounge are doing. From the beginning of this month, they have put AWG. 50,– into a special Cas di Glas container; on October 3rd, the final day of the Cas di Glas, the total will be donated. Another example is the hotel concierge, who has contacted the rental car companies that he works with, and he has asked them to donate one dollar a day per rented car. We have also heard about hotel employees who are organizing projects of their own. Super!

Setar and Digicel have jumped in full-heartedly: there is an SMS number (222 for Setar and 2222 for Digicel) that donates one florin per SMS to Cas di Glas and both companies have already promised an extra amount of money on top of that. Aruba Aloe will have its Aloe girls present during the sports demonstrations in the Arena on the Cas di Glas parking lot; the company is making use of the opportunity of lots of media coverage to introduce its 100-factor sunscreen lotion. KLM Martinair as well as American Airlines have donated tickets to fly international artists and deejays to Aruba and KLM Martinair stewardesses will come to help out on Kids’ Day; they will be wearing their uniforms! On the same day, Saturday, October 2, the fire brigade, the police will show their special equipment so that children may be able to take a close look at them; maybe they can even make a ride in them. Checkpoint color will be there to take photographs – these will be sold for the Cas di Glas project. And we have heard through the grapevine that Princess Maxima of the Netherlands might be able to close our Cas di Glas project via videoconferencing… Wow!

Time flies and there is still so much to do! Fortunately a lot has been crossed off as well: the Cas di Glas on the trailer is finished; it will be transported to the parking lot across from the Cinemas at the Renaissance Marketplace during the last week of September. Then the air conditioning will be installed. The artists and groups have been confirmed, the interviews have been scheduled, the information booths have been confirmed and the arena for the sports demonstrations with the boarding for the sponsor banners and boards is almost ready to be put in its eye-catching place. There is also a lot of enthusiasm for Zumba and the Kids’ Day. In short: the excitement is building!