Bucuti's Green Team proudly displays ISO 9001 and 14001 certificates

This 14001 standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to:  implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system; assure itself of its conformance with its own stated environmental policy; demonstrate conformance and make a self-determination of conformance; ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulation; seek certification of its environmental management system by an external third party organization

The Bucuti ‘Green Team’ is composed of the hotel’s department heads who maintain certification standards by setting and implementing environmental policy with extensive training programs for the members of their departments, year round. They also meet with each other in monthly ‘Green Team’ meetings to coordinate on a property level.

Environmental preservation is a strong aspect of the Bucuti Beach Resort’s company culture and every associate takes part in the company’s initiative.    Further, Bucuti regularly gives tours to students, colleagues, service groups and others from Aruba as well as countries who have heard of the success of the environmental program and wish to learn how to implement environmental initiatives themselves..  Tours of the property assist visitors about how they can achieve their own success and certifications. 

Bucuti is the recipient of numerous environmental awards and accolades over the past decade the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA) based in Paris, France, Green Globe, American Express, the Caribbean Hotel Association, the Aruba Hotel Association, Island’s Magazine, National Geographic Magazine and others.  

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Ewald Biemans honored by Minister of Tourism Edison Briesen and Director of Tourism, Myrna Jansen

All of us at Bucuti are very proud of our Ewald Biemans who was recognized during a gala event last week, produced by the Aruba Tourism Authority and the Radisson Resort Aruba where leaders of our community honored a handful of visionaries responsible for building Aruba as a tourism destination over the past 40 years.

Inaugurated by the island’s interim governor Mrs. Ella Yarzagaray, the exposition began with hundreds of historical photographs and finally a theatre type presentation detailing the history of dedication, hard work and achievements of those whose believed in the force of the island’s hospitality and the richness of its history, culture and perfect beaches.  At the heart of the evening were sixteen recognitions given to key personalities, individuals whose vision and creativity quantum-leaped Aruba from a sleepy island mid 50s, to a well-defined international vacation brand.

Born in Brixen, Austria, Ewald Biemans moved to Aruba from Venezuela, where he had been working with Intercontinental and Hilton hotels, to continue his career in hospitality management in the early 1970’s.  

His early career in Aruba brought renown success to the Talk of the Town Restaurant & Hotel, Calloway Corporation Airline Catering, and Manchebo Beach Resort before he developed and managed his own resort, Aruba Bucuti Beach Resort in 1987.   Even with the addition our Tara Beach Suites in 2005, the resort has always maintained average year round occupancies above 90% since opening.   Awards and accolades for Ewald’s resorts include the Trip Advisor’s ‘Traveler’s Choice Award” for one of the most romantic resorts in the World, National Geographic Traveler’s “Stay List”, Fodor’s “choice’, Frommer’s “find”, Island’s magazine ‘Blue List”, Bride’s hot 100 honeymoon resorts, and Expedia’s Select list..among others.

In addition to the unprecedented, consistent success in the businesses he managed as well as his own resorts, Ewald earned community respect and leadership with his passion for protecting the environment.   After creating the Environmental Committee within the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association he went on to develop programs such as ’sponsor a mile’ whereby members maintain their mile of clean roadside or beach.  One of the earliest adopters of environmental protection in the region, he was the first to research certification programs, get certified and facilitate his colleagues in becoming certified.  Bucuti was the first resort in the America’s to achieve ISO 14001 certification and in the first group of resorts to become Green Globe 21.  Since then Ewald has brought a variety of experts on the environment to Aruba to educate tourism and other sectors on sustainable best practices.   His dedication to protecting the earth in creative and practical ways have earned awards and recognition by Green Globe, American Express, the Aruba Hotel Association, the Caribbean Hotel Association, Aruba’s Ministry and the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (based in Paris) for his successful environmental program and stewardship.  He is often asked to speak about his acheivements by tourism entities world wide.   In 2002 the Caribbean Hotel Association named Ewald their Hotelier of the Year, with more than 1000 hoteliers to choose from.

 We are very proud and honored to be part of Ewald Biemans’ winning Bucuti team and elated for his well deserved recognition.

 Thank you to Rona Coster of Island Temptations Magazine for her contribution of the photograph and information about the awards event for this blog.

..and loyal guests of our resort have been watching our extreme makeover for the past few years as we invested and evolved into a sophisticated boutique resort exclusively for couples.

On occasion we have been asked if we will promote our new upscale product with an updated logo which would better reflect what Bucuti has become. In consideration of this feedback we have experimented with some new designs and the perception of a new branding for the resort.

We post a draft of a potential new logos next to our current logo for your comments and feedback and hope you will help us decide if a new brand/logo is a good move, in your opinion.

Do you think Bucuti should change/upgrade its logo? If so, do you like the designs shown here? Does it achieve our goal of reflecting a more sophisticated and upscale look to match our upgrades?
A logo change is a serious undertaking for any business, especially in our present economic condition and we appreciate your open and candid feedback to assist us to know how you perceive our logo and a possible update. You may respond here, or send me an email: susan@bucuti.com THANK YOU!

Current Logo

Logo Option A

Updated Bucuti logo in Blue

Last hatchling from a Bucuti nest

For those of you who have been our guests in the past, you have seen how strong our company culture is with regard to the importance of sustainable practices.  Within our company and through stewardship, we do our utmost to promote awareness of our environment and how to protect it.   Therefore as you can imagine, Earth Day is a big day for us.  Below are our April 22, 2009 Earth Day activities.  We hope you will participate if you will be our guest this week!

8.30am: Beach Clean up

Bucuti’s owner, Ewald Biemans is the founder of the Aruba “Sponsor A Mile” program.  Once a month our Bucuti associates gather in the morning and beginning at our resort on the beach, they head north, armed with garbage bags and clean up our mile of road and beach area.  When we first started the sponsor a mile, our guests consistently expressed interest to join and ultimately we decided to inform them when it was happening, with an open invitation to participate.  Some days our guests out-number our associates and we are so proud to have such socially conscience guests!  For Earthday this year, let our concierge team know if you wish to join our beach clean up before 5pm April 21st.  They will equip you with a free Bucuti Beach Resort T-shirt.  concierge@bucuti.com

9am: Nature Sensitive Hike

Rangers from the Arikok National Park will take Bucuti guests on a special hiking tour in our beautiful park.  Guests will see a variety of indiginous life…cacti, lizards, birds, wild donkeys and wild goats and more… The friendly and professional rangers will explain all about our native flora and fauna as well as interesting information on our country’s history.

The tour is from 9am till 12 pm. US $ 25 per person. Transportation and refreshments are included. Space is limited.  Please sign up with the concierge; concierge@bucuti.com to reserve a spot.

11:30am: Hotel Tour by Bucuti’s Green Team Members

Over the past decade, Bucuti has won a multitude of environmental awards and accolades for our extensive efforts to protect the environment.  We invite you to go with our Green Team Members behind the scenes, into the ‘back of the house’ as we call it,  and learn about Bucuti’s extensive infrastructure designed to keep you, our associates and the environment safe. The Tour starts at 11.30am in our main Bucuti lobby. Please sign up by April 21st at our concierge desk.

1pm: Turtle Lecture by Yvonne van der Putten-Brinkman

Mrs. Yvonne van der Putten-Brinkman from the Turtugaruba foundation was invited by the management and associates of Bucuti for our annual update and education about our local sea turtles. These gentle giant turtles nest on Bucuti’s and other Aruban beaches at this time of the year and we conduct a refresher course for our associates to protect and care for the Turtles properly when they appear on our beach to further future generations.  Please join us! We welcome you on this day from 1pm – 2pm in the Tara Lounge.

3pm: Recycled Crafts Contest at the Pirates’ Nest.

Join us in the Pirates’ Nest Restaurant for our recycled crafts exhibition and contest with our associates. Associates will show off their art pieces created from recycled materials. The recycled crafts contest will start at 3pm and we need your help to be a judge!  You can participation by voting for your favorite recycled craft.  Winning selections will be entered in the 8^th Annual Island-wide Recycling competition at the Library in Oranjestad held on Monday the 4^th of May.

3pm: Meet owner Ewald Biemans at the Pirates’ Nest during our Recycle Contest

Ewald Biemans is known as the island’s foremost tourism industry activist for Environmental protection over the past 3 decades. Meet him at the Pirates’ Nest after the recycling contest to ask questions about how you can protect the environment at home by reducing, reusing and recycling.

6pm - 10.30pm: The Pirates’ Nest restaurant will offer a special menu featuring Aruban Cuisine

Join the Pirates’ Nest tonight for an authentic Aruban cultural experience. The Chef has created a special Aruban traditional menu for you to taste the flavors of Aruba. Reservations are required, please see our concierge team for your reservation.

The price of the Aruban menu is $34.95 p.p. inclusive of service charge and government taxes.

8pm: Movie on the beach, underthe stars:  The Inconvenient Truth

The Inconvenient Truthis Al Gore’s movie which offers a passionate and inspirational look at one man’s fervent crusade to halt global warming’s deadly progress in its tracks by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it.  It is a controversial movie, whether you agree or not, we hope to inspire discussion and concern for the subject.

Write and tell us what you think of our Earth Day program.  We appreciate your feedback!

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Rafael enjoys a dance at the company Christmas party 2008

Bucuti

You may have already seen Nashette’s photo in advertisements within the New York Subway system, on aruba.com, on a billboard in a major US City, or maybe in the Real Simple Magazine, Islands, Bridal Guide, amongst many others.   

Nashette Wouters is Bucuti’s Wedding Planner and  local celebrity since her lovely face was tapped for the national advertising campaign called “90,000 Friends“.    Since the campaign was launched early this year, the modest Nashette has been inundated by calls from Brides, Grooms and families of past weddings she planned with excitement over the sightings of Nashette in advertisements seen in media all over the USA. 

Nashette is Aruba’s only USA certified and trained Wedding planner and over the past three years she has caringly planned and managed over 100 weddings for couples from around the world.  

We are very proud to have Nashette on our team and invite you to contact her (weddings@bucuti.com) if you are thinking of getting engaged, marrying or renewing your wedding vows at Bucuti, again awarded the TripAdvisors “Traveler’s Choice Award” for one of the top 10 most romantic resorts in the world!

Aruba is a wonderful place for romance and our ‘Dream Beach of the World’ is the ultimate location.  For more information about Bucuti Engagements and Weddings, visit Nashette’s website:  http://www.bucuti.com/en/weddings/

As the social networks continued to explode, I set up a series of accounts to research how best to go about integrating Bucuti and connecting us to the world…and in the process I became hooked on Facebook.   I found high school and college friends that were long lost in my travels,… family, friends and colleagues who share their family photos, hopes, dreams, causes,…as well as their daily activities.  Being able to connect to their world and know them better has been magic.

Now Bucuti has its own Facebook page and guests from all over the world connect there and have joined us as ‘Fans’.  They share their photos and experiences and receive updates from us about what is going on.  Bucuti fans can also tag themselves in Bucuti photos, reply to wall posts and view the blog, resort notes and the on-going discussion board. Guests can even write real reviews of the resort and staff.

Please check out Facebook, you’ll be glad you did, and in the process become a Bucuti fan!  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eagle-Beach-Aruba/Bucuti-Beach-Resort/33436324298

• Bucuti Beach Resort

Real Bucuti guests like you reviewed Bucuti on the popular travel site TripAdvisor, which recognized us as one of the top 10 most romantic resorts in the world. This is a true reflection of our wonderful staff and service since Bucuti was the only Aruba resort to make the worldwide romance list.

According to TripAdvisor, millions of real-world travelers identified the outstanding hotels and resorts based upon exceptional accommodations, service and value. We are proud to be voted among the best in romance.

Our associates are gifted with a sincere spirit of hospitality, and they pride themselves on developing personal connections with our guests and creating one-of-a-kind, individualized experiences. Because of this, all of our guests become part of the Bucuti family.

If you contributed to the TripAdvisor conversation with your Bucuti story – thanks. Positive feedback from the Bucuti family reenergizes our staff as we continue to provide exceptional service.

As the new year approaches we prepare to welcome all our old friends and look forward to meeting new ones.  Here is some of what is new at Bucuti that may be interesting & helpful for your upcoming visit.

2008 was an award winning year for Bucuti!  Bucuti proudly received the National Geographic Magazine ‘Stay List” award in 2008. For the third consecutive year Bucuti won the TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s choice award and Expedia’s Insider’s Select List. Bucuti’s associates were celebrated with the winner of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association Employee of the Year Award for our housekeeper Bernice Dennis and first runner up Marguerita Doyley-Osbourne for the Supervisor of the Year. Apple Vacations awarded Bucuti with its 8th consecutive Golden Apple Award and the International Restaurant and Hotel Association Green Award.

Bucuti

Photo: Marguerita Doyley-Osbourne (Left) Bernice Dennis (right)

All guests of Bucuti and Tara Beach Resorts have full American Breakfast included each morning. Our chef is standing by to freshly prepare your eggs, pancakes, French toast, etc at the hearty and healthy buffet at the Pirates Nest where you can dine on the beach. Our Tara Lounge location offers, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage as well as pancakes, and your hot favorites are available at the Buffet.

New Pool!

Bucuti Welcomes the New Year in Style!

In 2008 the Aruba Bucuti Beach Resort realized the final stages of its complete renewal. After the addition of the award winning Tara Suites in 2005, the original Bucuti Wing rooms and public area interiors were completely rebuilt and stylized in 2006 and 2007 and this past year our fresh water pool was transformed into an elegant oceanfront oasis complete with Dedon and Kettal sunbeds, coral tile and hard wood decks.

SunSquares shade the new Pirates Nest Terrace

At Bucuti & Tara, you only pay 9% in addition to your room rate! By far the lowest tax/fee rate in Aruba.
Some resorts charge as much as 24% in addition to your room rate for taxes, service charges, resort fees, and other fees. At Bucuti we only charge 9% ! When comparing rates, consider that Bucuti & Tara include a hearty full American Breakfast Buffet (Value of $20 per person) plus the low 9% tax/fee rate. Add in all your charges before comparing rates!

Cashless System, you can leave your cash at home.

Our resort and restaurant will accept all major credit cards, debit cards and signing privileges to guest rooms as for all payments for rooms, food and beverage, incidentals, and all services within our resort.  We will stop accepting cash as payments for room and the restaurant beginning December 23, 2008.  While cash deposits will be accepted on behalf of third party vendors such as dive operators and tour companies at the concierge desk for deposits, the resort will not be receiving or dispensing cash unless arrangements are made in advance.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, do not hesitate to contact us.

New Streaming Video Web Cam at Bucuti
See live streaming video on http://www.bucuti.com/en/about_us/webcams.php of Bucuti’s dream beach of the world as it pans north to south all day long. Stream video of your wedding live to your family abroad, or witness the hatching of a giant sea turtle nest on Bucuti’s Beach. Stay Tuned ! 

On behalf of all of us at Bucuti, we wish you Happy Holidays and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you to Aruba soon!

He was a teacher in Pacific Grove, California and the high school football coach.    They called him “Pappy”. 

He loved the outdoors and fishing…and took my father and his brother every summer vacation to appreciate nature in our beautiful US National parks - Yosemite, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone…  Later, he travelled all over the globe with my Grandmother while teaching high school in American Schools in US Army bases. 

He was an artist, and crafted figures from wood and whatever was laying around in his renown woodshop.  As a child I remember my father showing me his collection of his whimsical human figures made from Brazil nuts, walnuts and pecans…

My mother smiled when recalling an early morning when I was two years old and she found my grandfather telling me a story while he was sewing up the holes in the toes of my pajamas.

My grandfather died in his 50’s, leaving a family who loved him dearly – as well as thousands of students who remembered and honored him for decades.

My Grandfather died of blood cancer, Leukemia. 

I have always wished I had the opportunity to know this man who was loved by so many…especially my granndmother Mildred who often told me about the love of her life.  She kept his memory alive and remained his loving wife until she died over 25 years later. 

I couldn’t know him but I now have the chance to honor him and to help future families have a chance to find a cure for this cruel disease.    I am training for and running the Miami marathon this January with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training.   Team in Training has raised millions of dollars over the past 20 years and has improved survival rates for victims of Leukemia through the research they have funded.  

I am very proud to be a part of their team and invite you to visit my Team in Training Website:  http://pages.teamintraining.org/sfl/miami09/sbiemans

Thanks to those who have become sponsors for this cause and supporters of our team!

If you happen to be in Miami this January, please come and cheer our team!

Thank you!  Susan Biemans