Time flew by, she reports because she was cleaning and fixing. Managing an ocean front property means you are always fighting the elements, she adds. And being a woman and a detail-oriented one to boot her cleaning ran wide and her fixing reached deep.
As a good citizen of the island and an environmentalist she cleared the bush which threatened to take over the park adjacent to her property on the left. The beach vegetation got clipped enough to free the view yet still trap the sand and prevent it from blowing. The Divi Phoenix tower is now being painted on the outside. All windows will be resealed and treated once the paint is dry. Inside the rooms, most soft goods have been replaced, and the ceilings painted. The villas, the charming oceanfront rooms in the lower part of the resort feature unbelievable views and an amazing proximity to the pool and beach. They are very attractive and popular, and the maintenance projects in that area go on continuously while the multi-unit suites are occupied by guests.
Astrid walks her property each day, equipped with yellow stick-ons and a pen. She writes stuff down as she goes along. During one of her inspections she found some rusty wall ornaments in the shape of rosettes which she spray-painted patina green to look fabulous in the patio. She tiled an extra portion of the terrace to create a cocktail lounge and built a charming Balinese-style, band stand. Caribbean doodles, in primitive rock-painting flair where added to the columns in the pool area. With a state of the art gym, the fitness center also started offering reasonably priced, expert spa treatments. The seaside wedding area has been wrapped in lights to look gorgeous in the evening. More tables were added to the Sunset Bistro you-couldn’t-get-any-closer-to-the-water-without-getting-wet section. Those lucky 4 or 5 couples who make their reservations early get served dinner in a truly unique setting.
The resort of just 100 rooms enjoys a large beach with Adirondack chair, overlooking the shallow wadding water on the left and the good swimming crescent on the right. It’s picaresque and quiet. The beachfront area was recently booked by Aruba Bank for a family day which turned out to be a lot of fun. Resort Food & Beverage manager Marco de Zeeuw is currently working on the expansion of the catering business. The Divi Phoenix has nice anqueting facilities popular among locals for meetings, weddings and first communions and he is also aggressively pursuing his share of the booming Christmas party business.
As far as the hotel goes, it’s 100% timeshare with hardly any transient guests, Astrid explains. Our local business adds spice and income to the property. We’re always busy, and I already know the owners quite well, she adds. Of course, we didn’t expect any different from you!
