35 Years of Creating Positive Headlines for Aruba, Bucuti & Tara’s Anniversary Celebration

Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort is celebrating its 35th anniversary by reflecting on its place in Aruba’s rich history, reveling as Caribbean hotel success story, and sharing a renewable gift with its island home. What started as a hotelier’s dream almost four decades ago, has become one of the Top 25 Hotels in the World according to Tripadvisor, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Forbes. Simultaneously, it became the first certified carbon-neutral hotel in the Caribbean.

Tourism, a natural choice for Aruba

In 1985, as Aruba’s Lago oil refinery shuttered, coveted jobs were lost and the island’s leaders sought new opportunities for the community to prosper. The sunny, arid island was not suitable for agricultural exports or manufacturing, and the days of mass technology were yet to be. Aruba’s budding tourism industry, however, was tried and tested and became the focus of growth for the government. Hotelier Ewald Biemans, already a proven leader in the island’s tourism sector, answered the call to invest. He was all-in for the community he loved, well before the arrival of off-island chain properties. With Biemans’ commitment to Aruba, Bucuti Beach Hotel was born.

Triumph despite an ominous start

Black Monday, Oct. 19, 1987, was the day the stock market crashed, however, for Bucuti Beach Resort, that day marked its grand opening – 11 days ahead of schedule. From the day it opened, prosperity prevailed for this special Eagle Beach hotel. Inspired by the friendly, bright people making up the island community, Biemans incorporated the best of Aruba into Bucuti. He has cared for the local community and its natural beauty as much as for the resort’s guests.

Innovation, adaption and the best workforce

Biemans’ community involvement and continual reinvestment in the resort and staff since opening have long been what fuels Bucuti & Tara’s success. Being a pioneer and an early adopter while maintaining the resort’s core identity has been key to thriving in the global hospitality environment. The implementation of advanced technologies and innovations to create an efficient, desirable and well-organized workplace has been ongoing. Earning iconic industry awards and accolades have helped attract Aruba’s most ambitious and talented hospitality professionals. Beyond training that positions them as world class, the

resort cares for Bucuti Associates just as it does guests including continued employment even when the pandemic closed the borders for four months, educational opportunities, safe working conditions, healthy food, and even savings and creating green loans.

“We are in the nature business”

As Biemans has long said, “we are not in the tourism business, we are in the nature business. People come from all over the world to experience the natural beauty of Aruba, especially our powdery white sand beaches, turquoise clear water, delicate coral reefs and cacti forests.” Protecting Aruba’s nature has been paramount to Biemans’ and Bucuti & Tara’s core values in protecting it for future generations.

While Bucuti’s success in providing an exceptional vacation experience took off, the framework for sustainability soon followed. Biemans was compelled to protect the treasure that is Aruba and Bucuti Beach Hotel, soon to be Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort. He led the effort so the property methodically began earning the world’s top eco-certifications of Green Globe, Travelife Gold, ISO 9001 and 14001, LEED Gold v4.1. Ultimately in Aug. 2018, Bucuti & Tara became the Caribbean’s first certified carbon-neutral hotel. In 2020, the United Nations honored Bucuti & Tara with a coveted Global UN Climate Action Award proclaiming the resort’s sustainability program “highly replicable and scalable” for hotels of the world to follow. For Biemans’, this starts at home, and local students and the government have long been invited to see the resort’s program in person and take their learnings to develop in their own special part of Aruba.

Local success, global stage

International media recognition has flowed with every award, accolade and certification throughout the years. This has and continues to keep Aruba in the spotlight highlighting its beauty, culture, people and quality of experience as a premier Caribbean destination.

A lifetime of ‘firsts’

For 35 years, Bucuti & Tara looked forward, breaking through the shackles of normalcy to incorporate new and more efficient ways to operate. No stranger to defying the norm, one thing Bucuti & Tara will not defy is its community. Launching beach clean-ups more than 30 years ago, the property still maintains this monthly commitment shared by guests and staff. An early adopter of technology, Bucuti & Tara had the first webcams and was called upon by Setar for Wifi testing as it worked to establish its system.

As Aruba’s pet overpopulation continued to grow, the property launched Stimami Sterilisami, a nonprofit organization to subsidize spay and neutering of local dogs and cats. Since 2016, as of Aug. 2022, more than 30,000 pets have been registered. Loyal and continual support of Turtugaruba, the Donkey Sanctuary and Pack for a Purpose (benefiting Imeldahof Children’s Home) have been a priority. Its Tara Eco warehouse even streamlines procurement of environmentally friendly supplies other island hotels and restaurants utilize as a dependable, economic, and sustainable solution.

That the future may learn from the past

As Bucuti & Tara eyes the years to come, it is focused on continuing to elevate its high-quality offerings and relationships to benefit Aruba. The hotel property’s next major goal is to achieve carbon negativity in 2023. Bucuti & Tara continues to freely share its initiatives to help others start their own sustainability journey or propel them along the path. Whether residents or other business people, students at the University of Aruba or grade school children in Aruba’s EcoKids learning sustainability andentrepreneurship, Bucuti & Tara continues its pledge to invest in Aruba.

Coming soon: A fitting 35-year anniversary celebration rooted in the tradition of community service

Biemans and lifelong friend and colleague Greta Marie Cohen recently donated over 12 hectares (30 acres) of land soon to be transformed into a nature preserve in Noord. Next month on a date to be determined, a celebratory 35 trees will be planted to line a walking/running trail on this newly protected tract for the community to enjoy. To learn more, visit Bucuti.com.

About Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort

Declared the first CarbonNeutral®/net zero hotel in the Caribbean in August 2018, Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort is one of the Top 10 Hotels for Romance in the World (fourth straight year), No. 1 Hotel for Romance in the Caribbean (seventh straight year) and No. 3 Hotel for Service in the Caribbean. Aruba’s premier adults-only boutique resort is led by celebrated hotelier and environmentalist, Ewald Biemans, named by Caribbean Journal as the 2017 Caribbean Hotelier of the Year. The resort is nestled on the powdery white sands of Eagle Beach, home to protected sea turtles and named one of the “Dream Beaches of the World.”

Now home to the Caribbean’s Safest, Healthiest Vacation Experience thanks to its physician-developed COVID-19 safety protocols and Aruba’s Health & Happiness Code seal, Bucuti has 104 well-appointed guestrooms, suites and penthouses. It offers sunbeds and shade for every guest; freshwater infinity pool; spa; WiFi; and complimentary iPad with Skype for use during stay. Award-winning healthy dining is enjoyed at oceanfront Elements, Tara Lounge and private beach dining. Reserved exclusively for guests and their friends, the newly renovated open-air SandBar offers top-shelf cocktails and live music daily along with the Caribbean’s first Healthy Hour. The resort is TAG Approved® as a LGBTQ-friendly hotel. Bucuti, a worldwide sustainable tourism leader, holds eco-certifications of LEED Gold, Green Globe Platinum and Travelife Gold and was named the World’s Most Sustainable Hotel/Resort in 2016 by Green Globe.