RSSRitz Carlton to Aruba … No Incentives … No Deal. Who Calls the shots in Aruba?
Something seems very fishy is Aruba. Check out why The Ritz Carlton claims they are going back on their deal. They claim the Aruban government made promises and are not keeping them. Import duty exemptions. This shocks who?
The Ritz Carlton has informed the Aruban government that they are going back to their original plan for a high rise resort. The Ritz Carlton stated that the Aruban government has promised them incentives in granting them an exemption in paying import duties on building materials for the project. The Aruban government states that such an incentive is not legally possible because such a law was abolished in 2003.
Who promised who what? Just remember Aruba, internet search engines can be very interesting.
(AM Digital, click on article to enlarge)
A couple questions come to mind when reading this story between The Ritz Carlton and the Aruban Government.
1. Who runs the show in Aruba as to what is and is not allowed to be built on the island? It would almost appear that the developers and foreign entity have more power to dictate what is built, when, where and how.
2. If a law was abolished in 2003 to provide incentives to developers in waiving import taxes, how could anything have been promised to The Ritz Carlton? Or is this a convenient way for the Ritz Carlton to back out of a previously existing deal and for the Aruban government to save face for what might be the real reason?
Could it be that the Ritz see the present tourism trend in Aruba and is not willing to commit the funds that they stated they would. They claimed they would opt away from the high-rise so not to interfere with wind patters for wind surfing. So much for that idea.Of course why would the Ritz hold to a deal, especially since import taxes have been increased by the Aruban government that would eat into the Ritz’ bottom line.
Take a good look at this post from Aruba.com forum from November 2005 . Google can be so unforgiving. This post of a newspaper article clearly states the deal has been made and tax incentives have been granted by the Aruban government. So who is not telling the truth? It would appear that Aruba did offer exemptions to the Ritz Carlton to make the deal. So who is fibbing?
ORANJESTAD-It is official and approved, Ritz Carlton will be operational in Aruba in 2008. This comes after 3 years of negotiations between Bazarian International Financial Associates the representatives of Ritz Carlton and the government of Aruba. The government of Aruba granted Ritz Carlton attractive incentives that include exemption of import duties.
I guess the Ritz is rethinking that “most expensiveproject” in its history that was entered into back in November 2005 when the Aruban tourism was in full spin mode regarding its tourism numbers. Who in their right mind would invest this type of money into the teeth of a dwindling Aruban economy, coupled with an increased import tax? It is obvious that a tax incentive deal was made and someone wanted out of it.
Ritz Carlton will construct a 200 million US dollar hotel in Aruba in what is the most expensive project in the history of the luxury hotel chain. The Ritz property will be low-rise and consists out of 250 rooms.
On an even more bizarre note, check out the area where the Ritz Carlton was going to build. Look familiar? Right next door to the Marriott Hotel where Joran Van der Sloot claimed he and Natalee Holloway got out of the car and walked up the beach to the Fisherman’s Huts.
What are the odds that this would be the same place? One just can’t make this stuff up. This is also the area of the infamous white bag from the Aru-bay videos. Maybe while excavating on this footprint they will find Joran’s shoes … or Natalee Holloway.
Compare this area to this link which shows the road traveled by the red pickup from the Aru-bay videos.
Below is the area to the left of the Marriott facing it from the ocean where Joran Van der Sloot claims he was dropped off with Natalee Holloway. The future site of the Ritz Carlton.
Now compare the map to one where all of the above information fits into play.
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Posted July 11, 2006 by Scared Monkeys Aruba, boycott, Business, Economy, Joran Van der Sloot, Natalee Holloway, Travel | 2 comments |
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2 Responses to “Ritz Carlton to Aruba … No Incentives … No Deal. Who Calls the shots in Aruba?”
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well i love Aruba but hate Rits Carlton for what they are going to do. Aruba is a beautiful island i should know i live here. and it is true we are very nice and polite people. But we are not happy that rits carlten is coming here please read it and u would understand why we are not happy.
where do i start 1) here in Aruba we have a place we can kite surf and wind surf.Aruba is known for that ,people all over the world come here to wind and kite surf. the best wind surfer in the world trains here( Shara Quita ) the place we wind and kite surf happens to be one of natures gift because we have a natural wind that can make it happen. but because of where rits carlten is going to be located the will block are natural wind. there for are wind and kite surf company is going to have to close. hope your happy
2)there ,where the new hotel happens to be located also happens to be where the fishermenshut is and the “ranchos” (ranchos=where the fishermen stay to sell fish and clean the fish and make it all ) .
at that beach is all so where they leave there boat and and when they go fishing at night it is easier for them. and now the are going to tear the “rancho’s” down and the fishermen are forced to leave that beach and take there boat elsewher.
that “rancho” has been in my family for a long time my fathers great grandpa used to fish there and stay at the “rancho” my WHOLE family and I have been camping there for a lot of years every summer . my father even tells me stories from when he used to camp there when he was little. and because the “rancho” is separated in tree areas other family’s just like mine has also been camping there for a long time. and i wish that my children childrens would one day camp there. because i would want them to have a great childhood just like i had and a great deal of my child hood memory’s are there at that “rancho”. so not only are the destroying memories. but there take the place of the fishermens,THE FEW FISHERMEN WE HAPPEN TO HAVE LEFT. hope your happy
3)more than 70 % of Aruba’s beaches are not even ours there are for the tourist and hotels. and they are taking one of the few local beaches we still have.hope your happy.
4) WE DON’T NEED MORE HOTELS WE BURLY FILL ALL THE ONES WE HAVE NOW.hope your happy
5)the contract they sign allows them to bring 700 immigrants to come work here.Aruba is close to 150 square meters we have here on Aruba 100.000 people living witch close to 30% of them are immigrant . wish means 0.0015 square meter per person .and i am just wondering where the are planing to fit the 700 people.hope your happy.
6)they are going to have to tear down beautiful nature . The other hotels already took a lot and now more.hope your happy.
7)that beach is one of the beach most of the turtle come to distribute there eggs and they are goin to build a hotel there a Rits carlten there.hope your happy.
8) so i can go on and on why we would not like a rits carlten here.the government should of given a second thought before signing the papers.the only reason they sing it was because they want money because the “wanted it for Aruba”. whit out asking Aruba ,if they want it. Because the are selfish all they think about is money
in their pockets.
HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER
I am not completely against rits carlten coming here on Aruba but just think they have to search for an other location. or. one time Aruba had a Hotel called sonesta and it was not very fancy so they upgraded it changed the name to Renaissance renovated it and offered better service and raised the price.
so rits carlten can do that may be it will even be better if them do that.
so i hope u guy’s reconsider building it there on Aruba. i hope u see mi point of view i am only doing this for the best of the people an for the best for Aruba.
i am a 17 year old girl from colegio arubano.and i love Aruba.Bye, thank u for reading
HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER:
Blow it up! Just a suggestion.
Aruba is a chit tank.