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A continued legacy of purpose-driven hospitality rooted in care for Aruba’s people, nature, and identity
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort is honored to have received two 2025 AHATA Impact Awards for the categories Championing Cultural Heritage and Environmental Conservation, a meaningful acknowledgment of the resort’s ongoing commitment to Aruba’s people, planet, and place. Presented annually by the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA), the awards celebrate the tourism industry’s most impactful contributions to the island’s future. As a local, family-owned resort rooted in purpose, Bucuti & Tara continues to welcome guests who seek more than a picturesque escape. Its enduring appeal lies in offering experiences that are sustainable, authentic, and meaningful.
This year’s winners were selected by an independent panel including Daniel Tecklenborg (CEDE), Edjean Semeleer (GoCultura), Francielle Lacle and Rosabelle Illes (University of Aruba), and Jan Noordzij (Advance HR). This dual win marks a heartfelt milestone in what has already been an exceptional year for Bucuti & Tara and serves as a source of immense pride for the entire team.
Bucuti & Tara’s recognition in the Environmental Conservation category is especially meaningful, having previously received the inaugural AHATA Impact Award for Environmental Protection in 2023. Rather than resting on that milestone, the resort’s latest submission focused on how it has continued to evolve as a local and global leader, moving beyond carbon neutrality toward becoming Net Zero in Scopes 1 and 2.
Unlike many organizations that rely heavily on carbon credits, Bucuti & Tara has prioritized eliminating emissions at the source. Through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and operational innovation, the resort continues to reduce its carbon footprint in measurable ways, an approach that the United Nations has coined as “highly replicable and scalable” for the global hospitality industry.
Since becoming the Caribbean’s first certified carbon-neutral hotel in 2018, Bucuti & Tara has steadily advanced its environmental program. The resort has transitioned to a fully electric, fossil-fuel-free kitchen, upgraded to energy-efficient VRF air-conditioning, applied MIG insulating coatings to reduce energy use, and replaced its entire fleet with electric vehicles. It also became the first in Aruba to replace LPG water heaters with heat pump systems that use ambient heat instead of gas. Additionally, in food & beverage operations, the resort implemented a zero-waste system, ensuring nothing is sent to the landfill.
The resort also introduced Green Loans for its Associates, offering financial support to invest in solar panels, inverter systems, electric vehicles, insulating coating, or other sustainable solutions. This initiative underscores our commitment to protecting the environment not only within our resort, but throughout our community by empowering our team to lead sustainable lives at home.
Alongside these achievements, Bucuti & Tara remains the only certified CarbonNeutral® in the Caribbean and the eco-certified hotel, holding certifications for Green Globe Platinum, Travelife Gold, and LEED Gold. In 2024, it became the first hotel in the world to earn two consecutive perfect 100% audit scores from Green Globe, a rare feat, with the global average at just 63%.
“My grandfather started our environmental journey already in the early 1990s. From the very beginning, it has been more than a principle. It has been a promise to care for the island that is our home and to protect it for those who come after us,” shares Crescenzia Biemans, Chief Corporate Officer. “I am honored to carry this legacy forward and to help demonstrate that when a business is rooted in purpose, it has the power to enrich lives and endure through generations.”
Bucuti & Tara’s recognition in the Championing Cultural Heritage category reflects a deep, ongoing commitment to honoring Aruba’s identity, not just through curated moments, but through daily choices that protect and preserve what is truly Aruban.
Culture comes to life through meaningful guest experiences like the bold, expressive works of Artist-in-Residence Elisa LeJuez, the weekly local artisan market, and the design of Elements Restaurant and Tara Lounge, which draws inspiration from ancient petroglyphs and showcases handcrafted local details. Every piece of art at Bucuti & Tara is locally made, deepening the connection between guests and Aruba’s creative spirit. Beyond the resort, Bucuti’s concierge team carefully curates a selection of authentic experiences, from guided mural tours in San Nicolas to private hikes through Parke Nacional Arikok, where guests learn about Aruba’s history, landscapes, and native biodiversity.
But culture is also rooted in the land itself. At the resort-founded 130,000 sqm Bucuti Tara – GMC Nature Preserve, the resort is working together with Ban Lanta y Planta to reforest a once-threatened landscape, planting authentic Aruban flora and creating a safe haven for species like the prikichi, shoco, coneu, and lagadishi — all quietly vanishing under the weight of unchecked development. This effort is more than conservation; it’s cultural preservation, because to protect Aruba’s true identity, we must safeguard not only its stories and traditions, but also the living, breathing nature that has shaped them for generations.
This dual recognition comes during a milestone year for Bucuti & Tara. Recently named the #1 Hotel in the Caribbean and #5 Hotel in the World on Tripadvisor, the resort continues to demonstrate that when a business is built on purpose, success naturally follows. With 97% year-round occupancy, Bucuti & Tara consistently attracts travelers who seek more than luxury; they come for meaning, authenticity, and a deeper connection to place.
“We believe in doing the right thing because it is who we are every single day throughout all of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort,” shares Rik van der Berg, Resort Manager. “This recognition reflects the heart of Bucuti & Tara, our Bucuti Associates who make this place so special, and we are endlessly grateful to our guests who embrace our mission and our beautiful island.”
The 2025 AHATA Impact Awards affirm that Bucuti & Tara’s steady reverence for people, place, and planet continues to resonate, and that purpose-led hospitality has a powerful place in shaping the future.