Infini’s Menu 16, A Journey Through Time, a refined culinary interpretation of island favorites

Fans of chef Urvin Croes would be pleased to know that Infini’s menu #16, A Journey Through Time has just been introduced. It is a thoughtfully curated dining experience that brings together bold island flavors, refined techniques, and unexpected combinations. Each course served during the evening reflects a memorable island experience, a memory, a holiday, or a favorite food, interpreted through a contemporary lens. From the brightness of tropical fruits and flowers to the richness of slow cooked meats and the freshness of seafood, the menu explores contrast, balance, and storytelling through food.

Rooted in Caribbean identity and shaped by global influence, this experience highlights familiar ingredients presented in elevated and creative ways. Each course is designed to flow seamlessly into the next, creating a journey that is expressive, layered, and memorable.

The eight-course tasting, menu #16, A Journey Through Time, is priced at US$169, per person, with an optional wine pairing available for an additional US$110, per person.

More than a menu, Caribbean Impression #16 is an imaginative interpretation of the region, told through carefully composed flavor combinations, delivering history, heritage, and joy.

Under Chef Urvin’s leadership, Infini is just one of three successful food concepts making guests happy. They are Infini at Blue Condominium, and Poke Ono, with two distinct locations, one at Azul condominium and the other at Renaissance Marketplace. The most recent addition is Caya House on Palm Beach.

Last year Chef Urvin was selected as team mentor for the Aruba Culinary Team representing the island in the prestigious competition, “Taste of the Caribbean 2025,” organized by the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association which took place in Barbados.

Infini, into its seventh year of success, launches a different tasting menu every six months. It should be noted that Chef Urvin is a tireless mentor, and the young cooks apprenticing in his kitchen are enjoying careers in various local restaurants thanks to the good methodology and work habits instilled by him in his own kitchens. Infini’s chef’s table dining experience is limited to just 18 guests. Book your culinary journey with Infini by calling:

+1-305-420-6432 (USA)

+297-280-8869 or +297-699-3982 (Aruba)

Or send an email to reservations@infiniaruba.com

The full course lineup:

Aruba has no shortage of laws. The real challenge is getting them implemented.

A guest post by Tony van Veen as part of a series Aruba at a Tipping point

Last month I had the privilege of speaking at the Aruba Chamber of Commerce’s annual business event. The topic was overtourism and whether Aruba can move from a strategy focused on volume to one focused on value.

We talked about cruise ships, vacation rentals, housing, UTVs, economic diversification, and the environment. There was no shortage of ideas.

It was all quite inspiring until one panelist asked a question that brought everyone back to reality:

How will we implement any of these ideas if we’re not even enforcing the laws we already have?

It’s a fair question. Because the truth is Aruba has no shortage of laws, regulations, or policies. We have zoning laws. Environmental laws. Childcare safety laws. Rules governing everything from noise to construction to boat propeller cages to stray dogs and cats.

Yet everyone knows a lack of enforcement is the reason for a lack of implementation of all these laws (and more).

Why are we SO bad at enforcement?

If there’s any consolation in the answer it’s this: It’s not only Aruba that’s bad at enforcing laws, rules, and decisions that were agreed on. It’s a universal challenge. Frankly, I struggle with it myself at times, in my business.

However, after nearly 40 years leading businesses, I’ve come to the conclusion that more than anything else, lack of enforcement stems from a lack of leadership. Here’s why I think that, and what I’ve learned it takes to enforce decisions made – even hard ones.

Enforcement requires leadership

Writing a law is an event.

Enforcing it is a process.

Creating a new law or announcing a new initiative is exciting. Enforcement is not. Enforcement is the day-to-day unsexy work of inspections, follow-up, reporting, difficult conversations, and sometimes telling people things they don’t want to hear.

It’s the blocking and tackling that turns laws, rules, and decisions into desired results.

For the reasons I mentioned above, enforcement is hard. And in Aruba, enforcement is even harder because we’re a small community. The person violating the rules may be a friend, neighbor, cousin, customer, former classmate, or political supporter.

Which is precisely why leadership matters – both political and business leadership, formal and informal leadership.

Leaders cannot simply announce a policy and expect it to magically happen. They have to drive implementation. They have to stay engaged long after the press conference is over. Because the leader is ultimately responsible for the implementation of his or her plans.

Unfortunately, I believe that all too often poor leaders believe that implementation is the responsibility of those they ask to implement and enforce the rules. And, in a way, it is, of course. But without the leader’s active, ongoing engagement, enforcement just won’t happen. Because if leadership loses interest, everyone else eventually will too.

It starts with buy-in

The biggest reason enforcement fails is that the people responsible for enforcing the rules often aren’t fully bought in.

Think about how many initiatives have come and gone over the years. A new policy is announced. A memo is issued. Expectations are communicated. Then implementation gets pushed down the organizational chart.

The people expected to carry it out are often already overloaded. They may not understand why the initiative matters. They may not agree with it. Or they may have seen similar initiatives quietly disappear in the past.

Eventually a mindset develops: “This too shall pass.”

In fact, I know there have been initiatives in Aruba where the people responsible for enforcement allow, or even encourage, non-enforcement. When the “Ley di cacho” governing stray dogs and cats was introduced, the police chief publicly stated that enforcement was not a priority.

The message was clear. People don’t enforce what they don’t believe in.

So, what does it take to make enforcement happen consistently? How do you get buy in for new initiatives?

Debate, feedback, and consistent messaging

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is assuming that merely announcing a policy will result in it getting implemented. It won’t.

The people who need to enforce that policy need to clearly understand:

At my company, when we’re rolling out a significant initiative, especially one that may encounter resistance, I don’t start by saying to my managers, “Here’s what you’re going to do.”

Instead, I ask: “How would you do it?”

That simple question completely changes the mindset of the people who will ultimately be responsible for implementation. Instead of focusing on why something won’t work, that question starts them thinking about how to make it work.

The goal is ownership. The people closest to the work usually know where the obstacles are. These obstacles will come up during planning discussions. But asking “how would you do it” forces a solutions-based approach to the issue at hand. Good leaders listen to those concerns, address them, and build commitment before expecting results.

Sending a memo about a new initiative to your team is not leadership.

Holding a press conference about a new law is not leadership.

Creating understanding and ownership throughout an organization is leadership.

And a big part of that leadership means personally doing the internal messaging required to get your team on board. Buy-in cascades downward. Three years ago, when my company wanted to launch a new book printing division, I first met with my senior leadership team, then with the full management team.

We modeled the revenue and profit opportunities, had spirited debates, and got the team bought in.

Some of it involved one-on-one meetings to get key managers on board.

I met with my whole company staff during a town hall meeting, to explain the plan to launch a new division, why we were doing it, and how we were going to launch. They got to ask me the questions they had.

And today, just two years after launch, that new division is already generating 25% of our company’s revenues. Because I did the work of getting buy in.

Accountability is key

Buy-in is important. But buy-in alone isn’t enough.

We have a saying: You have to inspect what you expect. In other words, what gets measured gets managed, and what doesn’t gets forgotten.

If a government department is responsible for enforcing a policy, there should be clear expectations, timelines, metrics, and reporting:

These reports must happen regularly – weekly, monthly, or quarterly, depending on the timeliness of the data. If progress isn’t being tracked, don’t be surprised when progress doesn’t happen.

And if commitments aren’t being met, leaders need to ask why. Are there resource constraints? Training issues? Conflicting priorities? Or is the initiative simply not being taken seriously?

Accountability isn’t about punishment. It’s about making sure the work actually gets done. And while a leader has to hold their people accountable, ultimately, it’s the leader who is accountable for delivering results, for making sure the law or policy gets implemented.

Enforcement must be funded

Enforcement costs money.

When new policies or laws are introduced, the first question usually is “How do we pay for this?” Because initiatives require personnel, vehicles, equipment, technology, training, legal support, and administrative resources.

Therefore, wherever possible, major initiatives should fund their own enforcement.

If UTV activity creates environmental impacts, then riders should pay an environmental impact tax that will fund enforcement, environmental restoration, and preservation.

If vacation rentals generate tourism income (and pressure), a system that prevents avoidance of hospitality levies and income taxes should fund enforcement.

If we want stronger enforcement of certain activities, we need to be honest about what that costs and how we’ll pay for it.

Lack of funds is often listed as a reason why programs aren’t enforced. Any leader who launches a program, announces a policy, or writes a law without answering the funding question is setting it up to fail.

How to make enforcement happen

Enforcement is simple, but it takes real effort. To be successful, enforcement requires:

Aruba does not have an idea problem. We have plenty of ideas, studies, reports, consultants, strategic plans, policies, and laws. The difference between successful countries and unsuccessful ones is rarely the quality of their ideas.

Our execution is poor because leadership has not consistently prioritized implementation.

Aruba’s future will not be determined by the next law or policy our ministers write. We have plenty of laws already. The fate of our island will be determined by whether we finally enforce the ones we already have.

If we can’t do that, why should anyone believe the next initiative will be different?

About the author: Tony van Veen is an entrepreneur, CEO, and self-described opinionated Aruban. After graduating from Colegio Arubano he spent nearly 40 years building businesses in the US while remaining closely connected to Aruba. In this occasional Bati Bleki guest column series Aruba at a Tipping Point he explores topics that will shape Aruba’s future.

One of my friends asked me how come FCCA, dedicated to building and managing affordable housing, an expert on the subject, is not involved in developing the Pos Chikito project. Why is the government not using its own system, why hire outside developers?

The Burubundu story reminds us of the Caribbean Town failure. Developed on land granted by the government, assigned to affordable housing. Because the private developer could not deliver reasonably priced apartments, the units were gobbled up by visitors. And the ugly buildings just stand there lifeless, designed with no commerce, no services, just unattractive ghetto-like blocks.

I called FCCA. They knew nothing about the Burubundu project. They are busy elsewhere, building almost 300 units. They are well organized with contracts, and rules. What they build will not turn up in the vacation rental market.

The Burubundu plan calls for 242 traditional small parcels to be granted as options by DIP to individuals on the waiting list. Then about 768 apartments are consigned to private sector developers, which we don’t know. I see a lot of room for speculation in this plan.

Do you?

Real estate is lucrative, and developers will find it irresistible to grab a plot and commit to build a multi-level residential building.  They will ask their clients to get mortgages and hand them the money. If the money runs out, the apartment would be sold at market value. Someone makes money. Not the poor fall-guy paying off the loan.

(On the published design on display, 242 homes and 768 apartments add up to 1,000 units. They cannot even count. My calculator says 1,010.)

The design on display reads that the total number of apartments will be decided at a later stage when multi-level residential units, apartment complexes, are built, depending on construction phases, architectural design, and technical requirements.

This is a huge project, with lots of moving parts. How will the government control it?

And the plan was probably designed inhouse at DIP. Taking up everybody’s time. No wonder my girlfriend has been waiting two years for a home plan approval. The inhouse crew is busy, moonlighting as urban planners.

Finally, I saw the interview of an Aruba Preservation Advocate, an architect by profession, and while he has no digital footprint, and is no famous expert his comments make sense.

He thought that there are several discrepancies in the proposed Burubundu development plan that the Aruba community should understand before evaluating the project. First, the document lacks transparency: It does not name the plan’s authors or who oversees the maps and technical drawings. Additionally, he sees three major areas where the plan appears insufficient—nature, traffic, and risk factors. More than HALF of Pos Chikito’s natural landscape lies within Burubundu, yet the design suggests up to 49% of this natural area could disappear, contradicting the document’s stated intention to preserve vegetation. Traffic congestion may worsen, with 1,000 new homes and apartments, in the area. Key studies about mobility, infrastructure and emergency access are absent. More risks include unclear wastewater management, technical challenges due to uneven terrain, rising construction costs, and the absence of a phased execution plan. Last but not least, there are already people living in the area, what is the plan for them? They have not heard anything.

A development of that size deserves transparent, sustainable, handling, aligned with long‑term environmental and community well‑being.

I ran the above commentary by one of the island’s premier architects. He agrees with the points raised and adds, that the plan presented inefficiently uses the giant terrain. The single homes are a waste of space and building two story structures makes better use of the space and could accommodate more people.

Members of the Aruba Timeshare Association (ATSA) recently gathered for their quarterly luncheon meeting at La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino, where industry leaders engaged in candid discussions on sector developments, public policy, sustainability initiatives, and resort investment projects.

The members meeting provided an opportunity for members to exchange updates on their respective properties, discuss issues of mutual concern, and reaffirm their collective commitment to advancing Aruba’s vacation ownership industry.

Members agreed that the Government’s much-publicized Social Dialogue initiative should be led by the directly involved stakeholders. In addition to discussions surrounding proposed increases to the minimum wage, participants emphasized that the agenda should also address matters of direct relevance to the industry, including suggested amendments to labor legislation.

Demonstrating its longstanding commitment to education and workforce development,

ATSA announced that it will once again host hospitality students for an interactive introduction to the world of vacation ownership. The expertly organized half-day immersive program is designed to create awareness of the many career and entrepreneurial opportunities available within Aruba’s timeshare sector.

ATSA is also working with its members to develop a comprehensive Code of Ethics handbook that will outline environmental goals, establish practical pathways toward sustainable operations, and promote responsible hospitality practices. The Association intends to invite the University of Aruba to assist in benchmarking successful strategies and international best practices.

With the Caribbean hurricane season underway, members also discussed a request from the Government’s Calamity Bureau: ATSA is to appoint a Crisis Leader from among its member resorts to represent the association within Cluster 8 of the national Crisis Team, supporting resource coordination during emergencies. Candidate nominations from member resorts will be submitted in the coming weeks.

The meeting further addressed the draft Tourism Calibration Framework, a 90-page policy white paper recently presented by the Minister of Tourism. Members welcomed the opportunity to contribute recommendations and expressed the desire to see several long-standing industry priorities incorporated into the framework. These include updating Aruba’s existing Beach Policy, improving visitor transportation options, including the introduction of a taxi app, regulating the vacation rental sector, addressing the frequency and economic yield of cruise ship arrivals, and examining the impact of cruise visitation on the beach experience and overall enjoyment of overnight visitors.

Members noted that while the document raises important topics, it still lacks concrete implementation plans and actionable measures. A third round of stakeholder meetings is pending, at which concrete dialogue on the action plan is expected. Additional discussions covered the proposed development of a new visitor beach in the Bushiri area and the need to replace the damaged palm trees along the scenic Eagle Beach Road.

Resorts also shared updates on ongoing investments and improvement projects. La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino recently completed its new pool deck, which has been enthusiastically received by guests. Casa del Mar Beach Resort is moving forward with renovation plans that continue to be shared with members during bi-monthly meetings. Playa Linda Beach Resort has received approval for a new gym and spa building, while Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort has completed its full renovation and is constructing a new back-of-house facility. Paradise Beach Villas will soon introduce a new food truck, renovate its pool restaurant, and undertake exterior enhancements, while Costa Linda Beach Resort continues to invest in improvements that further elevate guest services.

ATSA President Sulaika Kelly of Playa Linda Beach Resort introduced the Association’s latest newsletter, inviting members and the public alike to explore its stories, updates, and collaborative initiatives. The publication highlights the energy, innovation, and shared commitment that continue to shape Aruba’s vacation ownership industry and its contributions to the island’s tourism economy.

The meeting concluded with heartfelt congratulations to the member properties that earned the 2026 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, the RCI Gold Crown Award, and Interval International’s Elite, Premier, and Select distinctions. These recognitions reflect their exceptional hospitality and their contributions to Aruba’s popularity and reputation as a premier vacation destination.

As recent economic reports have reaffirmed, the Aruba Timeshare Association remains a major contributor to the island’s economy and an essential component of the success of One Happy Island.

ATSA was set up in 1994, and currently counts the active membership of the majority of vacation ownership properties in Aruba. The Association works on a local level and with other local organizations as well as Government entities. On a regional level, where Aruba continues to receive recognition as a model vacation ownership destination, ATSA has professional ties with ARDA, the American Resort Development Association.

The ATSA Board members: Sulaika Kelly, President, Rina Geerman, Secretary, Pedro Vargas, Board member, Jurgen van Schaijk, Treasurer and Luigi Heredia, Board member.

Aruba’s timeshare sector is once again shining on the global stage as Interval International announces its annual Resort Recognition Awards. This year, Aruba’s resorts have earned an impressive number of distinctions, reaffirming the island’s reputation for exceptional vacation ownership experiences.

Interval International, one of the world’s leading vacation exchange networks, connects timeshare owners to thousands of affiliated resorts across more than 80 countries. Members can trade their vacation weeks or points for stays around the globe and enjoy a wide range of travel benefits at both their home resort and other exciting destinations.

What the Awards Represent

The Interval International Resort Recognition Awards celebrate affiliated resorts that consistently deliver excellence in quality, guest service, housekeeping, maintenance, and overall vacation experience. Evaluations are based largely on guest satisfaction and strict performance standards.

For Aruba, these recognitions highlight the island’s unwavering commitment to high-quality vacation ownership. They also underscore the strong presence of the Aruba Timeshare Association (ATSA) within Interval International’s program, with Aruba resorts earning honors across all three tiers of the recognition system.

Aruba’s Award-Winning Resorts for 2026

The following ATSA member resorts have been recognized by Interval International for 2026, showcasing the island’s consistency and excellence in vacation ownership:

Both Marriott’s Aruba Ocean Club and Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club earned additional distinction as Elite Award winners — the highest tier of Interval International recognition.

Why This Matters for Aruba

These accolades reinforce Aruba’s position as a premier destination for vacation ownership. They also highlight the island’s broad and consistent excellence, with resorts recognized across all tiers of Interval International’s program. For travelers and owners alike, the awards serve as a testament to Aruba’s dedication to delivering world-class vacation experiences year after year.