PALM BEACH - On Thursday evening, a pool deck cocktail reception was held at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort to welcome guests of Hyatt's annual Travel Agent Award Conference. The attendees represent the top-producing travel agents for the 18 North American resorts within the Hyatt Resorts division.
Hyatt prides itself on providing "Authentic Hospitality" and exceptional service to clients, and the agents attending the conference were invited as a show of appreciation for their partnership in achieving this goal. The conference in Aruba marks the first time it is hosted at an international destination. The entire team at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort is proud to showcase their brand of authentic island hospitality, and Thursday evening's event gave guests a taste of that with the exclusive "Authentic Island Chic" theme created in partnership with ECO Destination Management Services. The agents were able to explore the island right on the pool deck of the resort, with various food stations representing island highlights and dining experiences.
Stations like "Oranjestad" shared Holland's influence on cuisine with Dutch pea shooters, sweet and savory Dutch pancakes, croquettes, and assorted Dutch cheese and sausages. Walking over to the station representing the seaside town of Savaneta, seafood lovers enjoyed snapper and conch ceviches, grouper fingers, grilled wahoo, steamed shrimp, spicy tuna rolls, and the island's own Balashi Beer. A trip to the California Lighthouse station was a sweet treat with tropical temptations like mango tarts, coconut bars, as well as homemade cookies, espresso mousse, truffles, and more.
On Friday morning conference guests arose to a "Wake up in Paradise" breakfast at the resort's beachfront Palms restaurant, followed by a Hyatt Resorts tradeshow in the freshly-renovated ballroom and conference area. Afterwards, guests were able to partake in various island activities coordinated just for them, including a sunset sail. The event's farewell dinner and awards presentation was themed "Brushstrokes at Sunset," and was a toes-in-the-sand affair on the shores of the resort. A local 13-year old artist joined the group on the beach to paint the gorgeous Caribbean sunset, which was then awarded to the travel agent of the year by General Manager Susan Santiago.
The conference was a great success, with these valuable travel professionals now having first-hand knowledge and experiences of the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and the island of Aruba to share with and recommend to their clientele.
