Palm Beach
SUN, SAND AND SOLACE With stringent safety protocols in place, the Dutch island of Aruba and Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino make a "new normal" vacation possible. Written by Bridget Williams
There are approximately 45,0000 tropical islands (12-acres or larger) in the world, but only one—Aruba—lays claim to being "One Happy Island." Goodness knows I was in dire need of a dose of happiness as I set off for this tropical paradise amid a pandemic. While some raised their eyebrows in response to learning of my travel plans, others expressed their desire for "the good old days" that involved unfettered travel. At the time of my trip at the end of July, only 28 countries in the world were welcoming visitors bearing a United States passport. While I knew there were risks, I was confident in my ability to mitigate them, confidence further bolstered by Aruba's proactive efforts to keep COVID offshore. In the end, I decided that it was my responsibility as a journalist to experience international travel during a pandemic first-hand, as we all need to learn how to function as normally and as safely possible as we tiptoe around this invisible foe. Prior to arrival, we were required to complete an online Embarkation/Disembarkation Card that included, among other items, providing proof of a negative PCR COVID test taken within 72 hours of our arrival and purchase Aruba Visitors Insurance (for current regulations, visit aruba.com/us/ traveler-health-requirements). 34 slmag.net
Tourism as a major segment of Aruba's economy didn't take off until the 1950s when a large oil refinery that had been the island's main source of employment closed up shop. Aruba's first multi-story hotel, The Caribbean Hotel, opened with great fanfare in 1959. Designed by prolific architect Morris Lapidus, who defined the "Miami Modern" hotel era of the 1950s and 1960s and whose CV also includes the Fontainebleau, Americana, and Eden Roc hotels, the resort rises from what is arguably the choicest piece of beachfront real estate on the island—Palm Beach. The 357-room resort began flying the Hilton flag in 2016 and immediately set about a year-long multi-milliondollar renovation. Today, the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino continues to be Aruba's hospitality standard-bearer, which adds additional peace-of-mind in the COVID era. At the time of our visit, the hotel was operating at twenty-percent capacity. Aruba, which typically hosts fifty-thousand tourists on any given day in July, only had seven-thousand. Clearly, social distancing was never a problem. A sense of history at the Hilton Aruba pervades, from the vintage photographs scattered throughout to a surprisingly large number of employees who've worked at the resort for decades.
