Amigoe: Aruba Wyndham Hotel becomes Westin Resort

Amigoe; May 5, 2006: Wyndham Hotel becomes Westin Resort

ARUBA — The ownership of the Wyndham Hotel has been transferred to Belfonti Capital Partners LLC from the United States, who entered into a partnership with Starwood Vacation Club. The latter has the rights to build timeshare units on the property immediately next to the Wyndham Hotel. They have decided to start immediately with the build of the units.

It was rumored for weeks already that the hotel was going to be sold, but the involved parties didn’t want to give any comment as long as the acquisition was not really done. That was the case yesterday. They also announced that Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will exploit the hotel. Also the name Wyndham will disappear as per immediate. 20 Million dollars will be used to improve the surrounding buildings and properties before the end of this year. One of the reasons is that the new owner wants to turn the complex into a Westin Resort, one of the leading chains in the tourist industry. Meanwhile they will use the name Aruba Resort, Spa & Casino.

Manager Rob Smith is pleased with the investment. “The new owners are planning to convert the resort into one of the most prominent resorts in Aruba and a leader in the Caribbean”, says Smith. Alfonso Riveroll, top executive of Aruba Hotel Enterprises will keep his job.

Alfonso Riveroll, president of the Wyndham Aruba says, “This is a country without complexes. To serve is sometimes difficult. That’s what makes tourism bad in other countries. They feel that the other people feel that they are inferior because they’re making up the bed or something. That’s a complex. This is what doesn’t exist in this country. That makes every Aruban a very strong person with nothing to hide, they give their best.” The prime minister himself said, “we don’t have an inferiority complex.”