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Category Archives: Aruba

Aruba, Caribbean, Divi Village

Divi Owners: Lorna and Bob Pecora

I should get in touch with MasterCard and suggest that Lorna and Bob Pecora do a commercial for them.  When the Pecoras talk about their annual vacations in Aruba, they describe the people of the island and the friends they have made as “priceless.”

When Lorna married Bob, he was already an Aruba lover and a Divi owner.  He bought a two-bedroom pre-construction after one visit to the island.  It wasn’t hard for Lorna to fall under the same spell.  She adores the island and its people.  For two weeks every fall, now going on 27 years, they can’t remember anything, but wonderful vacations while in residence at Divi. The island is beautiful.  There is no language barrier to overcome.  It’s safe and the food is great. While there, it’s mostly about relaxation, some reading, and a little bike riding.  They also take advantage of the Links at Divi.

Aruba is their home away from home, which during the other fifty weeks of the year is in Illinois.  When they get to the island, they like to mix it up a bit.  The first week is always at Divi Village.  The second week, they spend at the Golf Villas, which overlook the manicured greens, the shimmering lagoons and the blue Caribbean Sea just beyond.  Other than that, they’re pretty committed to certain institutions on the island:  Jimmy’s for happy hour and Mulligan’s for dinner.

They have made countless friends with their fellow fall travelers and count the days until the meet up again at Divi. The Pecoras witnessed friends get engaged at sunset on the beach at Divi, which was a romantic moment for them just watching it happen.  (It’s not unusual to see such bliss while at Divi; Divi likes to make romance happen.) For their own private romance, the Pecoras dine on the beach under the stars at Flying Fishbones.

Activities, Aruba, Caribbean, Divi Aruba Phoenix, Divi Dutch, Divi Village, To Do

Aruba & Jazz; What Could Be Better?

Many of the songs made famous by George Benson seem like they were written for Aruba. “Breezin’,” his signature jazz guitar hit could be the national anthem. If you’re creating a playlist for your Aruba vacation, there’s plenty of George Benson to suit any vacation mood. No matter how good your headphones, seeing the master, the legend, the jazz icon in person – in Aruba is better.  Benson is headlining the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival there, October 4th and 5th.

Benson’s fluid guitar work, masterful arrangements and velvet voice have created a string of timeless hits and made him a jazz favorite for over forty years. “Breezin’,” released in 1976 and a multiple Grammy winner, soared to the top of the charts.  All three:  pop, jazz and R&B. It is a standard on smooth jazz radio still.

Come to think of all the George Benson songs, I can’t imagine a better soundtrack for an Aruba honeymoon.  “Give Me the Night,” “Turn Your Love Around,” “Kisses in the Moonlight,” “Lady Love Me (One More Time).” If the spirit and the songs move you, there are wedding and honeymoon specials on the Divi Resorts website.

Divi Dutch and Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort put you closest to the George Benson concert venue on Saturday, October 5th.  Then, you can easily get breezin’ on back to the resort.  Or keep breezin’ on down the road to the Phoenix.

If you want a little musical preview of the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival, you can listen to George.

Activities, Aruba, Caribbean, Divi Aruba Phoenix, Divi Dutch, Divi Village, To Do

Who’s Up For Some Beach Tennis?

It was so much fun, Divi decided to do it again!  This year, from November 12 through the 17th, there will be another big International beach tennis tournament in Aruba.  Called the Divi Resorts Aruba International Beach Tennis Event, it is already one of the most popular tournaments on the calendar of the ITF, the International Tennis Federation, which happens to be the same governing body of tennis, as most of us know it.  You might think beach tennis sounds a bit crazy, but this combination of tennis and volleyball is indeed an official sport and coming on strong all over the world.

There will be more than 1000 players serving, volleying, acing, spiking and diving in the sand of Eagle Beach come November.  The number of participants, a combination of professionals and amateurs, is an increase over last year’s event.  Players hail from Aruba, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Columbia, France, Germany, Italy, St. Martin, Martinique, Mexico, The Netherlands, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the US.  The prize money is $25,000, another indicator that the sport is growing.

Beach Tennis Aruba, the local organizer of the event, promises a festival of fun.  As the host, Divi Resorts promises lots of excitement and special rates at three different Divi hotels:  Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach, Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort and Divi Dutch Village. All resorts are within walking distance of the event venue.

Beach tennis combines the fun and social nature of volleyball with the fast pace of tennis, according to Beach Tennis USA.  Check out their website for more background on the sport. By the way, Beach Tennis USA is working closely with the ITF to get beach tennis into the Olympics.   So, you might say you saw it first in Aruba.

Aruba, Caribbean, Divi Aruba Phoenix

Divi Owners Charles and Marilyn Flynn

This month, we shine our Owner Spotlight on Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort owners Charles and Marilyn Flynn.

Soon we will see the Flynn’s around Aruba. When they’re in residence on the island, they are out and about day and night, enjoying all that Aruba has to offer from jet skiing on the Caribbean Sea to world-class restaurants and golf.  It is no surprise they describe themselves as “up for anything.”

Every fall for the last six years, they have left Massachusetts and traveled to Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort, their home away from home. Even though their stay is only two weeks, Charles and Marilyn make the most of 14 days.

They relax by sitting on the beach with their toes in the soft white sand reading a good book.   Their idea of a good time is playing golf at the Links at Divi Village and dining out.  They love the restaurants on Aruba, including Windows on Aruba and dining under the stars at Pure Ocean. Charles enjoys the romantic outings and dinners with his wife, but the smile on his wife’s face vacationing in Aruba is yet the most romantic thing he recalls.

When they’re on Aruba, they feel the warmth of the local people welcoming them back year after year.  Plus, they always feel very safe. They offer high praise for the efficiency and friendliness of the staff at the hotel and the cleanliness of the resort. Over at the Links at Divi, “The golf staff, plus everyone in the Pro Shop are the best,” Charles said.

Thank you, Charles and Marilyn for being loyal Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort owners. We wish you many years of vacations in paradise.

 

Aruba, Caribbean, Divi Dutch, Resorts

One Happy Island, One Happy Couple

Divi Owner Spotlight

We hope that you will enjoy a new monthly feature highlighting the story of a Divi Resorts owner.   Each month we will spotlight a different owner and tell their story of vacations on the islands.

We are pleased to announce that our first spotlight is a long time Divi Dutch Village Beach Resort owners Eugene and Patricia Connors.

Gene and Pat are a fun loving, retired couple with close ties to family and friends and many stories to tell.  The couple is originally from New York and for years searched for warm vacation spots in the south to escape the cold northern winters.  After a few disappointing vacations, they told their travel agent they wanted a place with guaranteed great weather.  She suggested Aruba.  “Where is Aruba?” they asked.  The couple fell in love with the island during their first trip in 1979 and bought their first time share unit at the Divi Dutch Village in 1988, because they preferred the low rise resort.  Today they own several weeks and spend much of the winter on the tropical island.  Gene has observed that there are many more people traveling to Aruba than when they first started vacationing there.  The Connors’ believe they are partly responsible for that because they tell everyone they meet that Aruba is the only place to vacation.

While visiting Aruba, Gene and Pat can often be seen lounging on the beach and swimming in the blue tranquil ocean.  Afterward they head to one of their favorite spots Bunker Bar.  Located at the Divi Tamarijn, just steps away from their vacation home, Bunker Bar offers beautiful sunset views and a chance to catch up with friends.   They also enjoy the romance of dining on the beach surrounded by soft white sand, palm trees swaying in a gentle breeze and water lapping on the shore.   If asked, Gene and Pat would recommend a sailing excursion, snorkeling or dining at Madame Jeanette’s.

The Connors’ will tell you that family and friends are important in their lives.  After more than thirty years of traveling to Aruba, many of their fellow travelers as well as the native Arubans they see every year have become very close friends – part of their Divi family.  That is why in 2008, a surprise 50th wedding anniversary party thrown by fellow owners and Divi staff was extra special.  The couple later celebrated on their actual anniversary day at Chalet Suisse, which they do every year, where they are always taken care of by Benny, the manager.

Thank you, Gene and, Pat for being loyal Divi Dutch Village owners.  We wish you many more years of vacations in paradise.

Activities, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Caribbean, Divi Aruba Phoenix, Divi Dutch, Divi Flamingo, Divi Little Bay, Divi Southwinds, Divi Village, Resorts, St. Maarten

Divi Does More for Kids!

Divi Resorts is expanding its children’s activities at six of its Caribbean resorts starting July 22nd.  The weekly schedule of free family events, called Treasures of the Caribbean, includes a treasure hunt, sandcastle building and movie night.

Every Monday morning starting July 22nd, children and their parents will follow clues (and the resort’s activities staff) around the Divi Resort property to amass a stash of keepsakes.  The real treasure at the end is a T-shirt, one that does special things:  It turns every kid into a member of Divi’s Pirate Crew.  And those crewmembers enjoy free refreshments – beverages and ice cream – throughout their stay at Divi.  It also earns them a salute from Divi staff each and every time they wear the shirt.

On Wednesdays, the big event is sandcastle building; souvenir bucket, shovel and great sand and ocean are supplied.

To kick-off the new Treasures of the Caribbean program Divi is hosting a contest to decide who can build the best sandcastle this summer at a Divi resort.  Pictures of the sandcastles will be showcased on Divi’s Facebook page (Divi does the posting and all the picture taking) and Divi will invite its Facebook followers to decide the best one.  The winning family gets another vacation, but this time it’s a FREE one.  (The contest gives new meaning to the term “vacation home,” wouldn’t you say?)    The winner can select any of the participating resorts for their free stay.

So let the fun begin! Join Divi’s Pirate Crew.  Hunt for treasure.  Build a castle.  Enjoy a movie on Friday night.

Need a little inspiration for the sandcastle you’re going to build?  Redbook Magazine gives a step-by-step on the basics.

Want to step up your game a bit?  Check out these architecturally awesome sandcastles collected by the folks at Popular Mechanics.

Get more details about the Treasures of the Caribbean, including participating Divi resorts, complimentary family photos, contest deadline and more here!

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