June 2018 | Divi Resorts

Aruba, divi, Divi Dutch, Divi Village, Resorts

Team Member Spotlight: Aruba Pool Team

June 22, 2018 Divi Resorts

If you’ve ever visited Divi Dutch Village Beach Resort or Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort, you’ve seen the work of our incredible
pool team. They handle seven major pools across the two resorts, as well as two large 25-person Jacuzzis and 55 smaller six- person Jacuzzis. They make sure that the decks and the water are kept fresh and that everything meets Divi’s high standards. They also look after the water feature at the Divi Village Clubhouse and the beach area in front of Divi Village.

“We’d be absolutely lost without the hard work of our great pool team,” says Rene Genser, chief engineer at Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort. “When you go on vacation, more often than not, the first thing you do is head to the pool. Our pools are one of the most important features of our resorts, andour team always keeps them sparkling while staying friendly and upbeat.”

Thanks to the Divi Dutch Village/Divi Village Golf pool team for all they do! Each supports the team in their own way, although Rene mentioned two of them by name. “I’d like to recognize Heberto Romero, the pool supervisor, who won Divi Supervisor of the Year in 2016,” Rene says. “His excellent management skills keep everyone working together as a team. I’dalso like to thank Jesus Lobo for his fantastic customer service. He always gets great reviews on TripAdvisor, and guests praise him to management all the time.”

Next time you see one of our friendly pool team members on Aruba, be sure to stop and say hello!

Aruba Pool Team Rockstars: Heberto Romero, pool supervisor and 2016 Divi Supervisor of the Year; Markendy Piere Luis, pool attendant; Jorden Rico, pool attendant; Jesus Lobo, beach attendant; Jonathan Lobo, pool attendant; Rene Dominique, pool attendant; Juan Carlos Ramirez, pool attendant; Nerky Vallejo, pool attendant; Richard Negretti, pool attendant; Rocio Velez, towel hut attendant; Seneck Elionard, pool attendant (not pictured)

Activities, Caribbean, Divi Little Bay, St. Maarten

Taste of the Islands: MUSSELS & CLAMS MARINARA

June 15, 2018 Divi Resorts

We asked Executive Chef Iwan Hokahin of pureocean at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort on St. Maarten to share one of his restaurant’s most popular recipes with us. He immediately pointed us to this method of preparing Mussels and Clams Marinara. “Our guests love this dish, and it’s one of my favorites too,” Chef Iwan says. “The Italian-inspired flavors, combined with our fresh seafood, are a real crowd-pleaser, especially when you’re sitting right on the beach.” Grazie, Chef Iwan!

MUSSELS & CLAMS MARINARA

2 lbs. clams (scrubbed clean)
2 lbs. mussels (scrubbed clean) Angelhair pasta
1 quart prepared marinara sauce Garlic (as much as you want) 1/4 cup parsley
1/2 cup clam juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Sautee garlic in olive oil in a large pot, until lightly browned. Add clam juice. When the mixture comes to a boil, add marinara sauce. Add clams and mussels, then cover pot and cook until the shells open (about 5-10 minutes).

Once all the shells have opened, and you’ve discarded any shells that stayed closed, pour the mixture over cooked pasta (or just dip garlic bread straight into the mixture). Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Tip from Chef Iwan: If a shell doesn’t open, don’t eat it! Throw it away! It’s very common to find a few unopened shells after cooking, but these are not safe to eat.

Activities, Caribbean, St. Maarten

Island Adventurer: St. Maarten

June 8, 2018 Divi Resorts

Gourmands often call St. Maarten ”the culinary capital of the Caribbean.“ French and Dutch influences merge with Caribbean flavor to create a cuisine unlike any other. Chefs and foodies flock to the small island to taste the amazing variety to be had within its 34 square miles.

We sent Kara Phelps, the communications specialist for Divi Resorts, to Divi Little Bay Beach Resort to report back on St. Maarten’s unique food culture. Here’s what she found:

Hi there! St. Maarten is world-famous for its consistently high level of cuisine. Visiting the island without eating your way around it would be a grave mistake, if you ask me. If you have just a few hours to burn—or if you’re looking to add some excitement to a leisurely vacation—I recommend taking a culinary tour with Flavors of St. Martin Food Tours. They’re one of the best ways to experience the full range of what St. Maarten has to offer, since their signature 4.5-hour tour takes you through the French side as well as the Dutch side of the island.

We began our journey at the Amsterdam Cheese & Liquor Store in Philipsburg, a short taxi ride away from Divi Little Bay on the other side of Great Bay. The owners of the shop, two brothers from the Netherlands, treated our small group of five to a tasting of some of their finest cheeses. We sampled Gouda at various ages and paired it with a range of jellies and jams.

Then we piled into an air-conditioned bus with
our tour guide, Ankie, an outgoing local with an encyclopedic knowledge of the island and its food. She narrated our entire experience with warmth and a wry sense of humor.

In Philipsburg, we stopped at Antoine Restaurant— notable for being a French restaurant on the Dutch side of the island—and sampled classic French fare like escargots and vichyssoise. Then we walked a short distance to Ma Doudou Rum Shop and tasted St. Maarten’s famous guavaberry liqueur, an island staple. It’s the perfect addition to a sweet cocktail.

Soon it was time to get back in the bus and head
to the French side of the island. Ankie kept us entertained until we reached Grand Case, a beautiful town on the north shore. (One of the typical stops on the tour, the creperie Paradise View, was closed for the day.) We stopped near the famous “lolos” of Grand Case, a section of small beachfront shacks serving out-of-this-world food. We tasted island barbecue from a lolo called Sky’s the Limit, eating at picnic tables with the smell of smoked meat wafting through the air. For someone like myself with a great love for barbecue, it was a complete delight.

Another highlight of the tour was the Carousel Gelateria near Simpson Bay, back on the Dutch side of the island and finishing off the tour. The gelateria offers dozens of flavors of gelato from plain to exotic—including guavaberry. It also has, yes, a fully operational carousel. The owner of the gelateria, Diego from Italy, switched it on and we sat astride the colorful circus horses as we finished our gelato.

Aruba, Divi Aruba Phoenix, Resorts

Featured President’s Elite Member: Roseanne Lavalle

June 1, 2018 Divi Resorts

Meet our featured President’s Elite member for this issue, Roseanne Lavalle from Wilmington, North Carolina. During a vacation last April, Roseanne became a Member of the Divi Vacation Club, converting her traditional Divi vacation ownership weeks to Pure Points. She travels multiple times a year to Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort, most often bringing a group of friends along with her, so she was looking for more flexibility.

On one of Roseanne’s recent trips to the resort, we sat down with her to learn why she loves Divi Aruba Phoenix so much—and why the Divi Vacation Club fits her needs.

“Quite simply, I wanted more weeks and more flexibility,” Roseanne says. “ The points system lets me extend my vacation as long as I want. I can come back in different seasons as well as return for my home weeks.”

On this most recent trip, we found Roseanne traveling with her best friends, all hailing from the U.K. “With Pure Points, I can also adjust the size of my unit based on how many friends are joining me,” Roseanne says. “I usually travel with two or three friends, but this time I have eight people with me. I love showing them around!”

Roseanne first became a part of the Divi family after taking a presentation at Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort in 2014 with Francisco Tromp, one of the many professional membership executives at the resort. He continued to check in with her on each of her return trips to make sure she had everything she needed. “Listening and reviewing how Roseanne planned to use her ownership in the future helped me steer her towards a Divi Vacation Club membership,” explains Francisco. “The flexibility of traveling any time, mid-week or weekends, being able to add nights for a longer stay and varying the unit size she needed—as she likes to have guests—all fit in very well with her plans.”

Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort is Roseanne’s home away from home. “When I first came here about three years ago, it immediately felt like home. I can’t get enough of this place,” she says. “ The whole staff is so personable. They truly care about the owners, members and guests.” Whenever she’s on Aruba, she loves snorkeling, shopping and just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful ocean view at Divi Aruba Phoenix. “I can’t thank Francisco enough for helping me enjoy years of amazing vacation experiences.”

Monthly Archives: June 2018

Team Member Spotlight: Aruba Pool Team

Taste of the Islands: MUSSELS & CLAMS MARINARA

Island Adventurer: St. Maarten

Featured President’s Elite Member: Roseanne Lavalle

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