Club Arias Pools, Aruba

There’s a theme going strong here at The Bent Page: panoramas and swimming pools. Some friends and I stopped in for a visit to Club Arias, a bed and breakfast operation located in Savaneta, Aruba. This is far from the other hotels and offers an alternative for people looking to get away from the bustle of the major chains. There are beautiful pools if you like to swim or just sit in the water with a cold beverage. The first pool is deep enough for diving or a fun ride down the slide. Click on the photo below to get the full view:

Plenty of room in there for you and your family and/or friends. Just off to the right, you’ll find cold soft drinks like iced tea and lemonade on tap throughout the day. Perfect refreshment without the hassle of ordering at a bar. Then there is a second pool where the water is just deep enough to keep you wet while you’re in the lounger. To go with it is a swim-up bar separated by a rock feature. Again, click on the photo to get the full view.

You can see the doors to some of the rooms in the background. Talk about convenient! Three steps and you’re in the water. I’m still having fun with this panorama feature on the new camera. It will wear off. In the mean time, enjoy the photos. Bon dia.

Published in: on November 10, 2010 at 9:50 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Ritz Construction, Aruba

Ritz Carlton is constructing a new hotel in Aruba. It is located just north of the Marriott complex. At the time of this writing, the main road leading to Malmok has been diverted around the site, leaving the bridge to Bakval impassable as you can see in this first photo.

The building site itself shows signs of foundation work, which is evident in this next photo. (The Marriott hotel can be seen in the right corner.)

And here is another view from the other direction.

The reinforcing rods sticking up from the ground will probably tie the building into the pilings on which the structure will stand. It was difficult to get a good angle for photographing the site because there is an eight foot fence around it. Probably wise to keep gawkers like me away. At any rate, there is the update on the Ritz construction.

Bon dia.

Published in: on August 29, 2010 at 11:48 am  Leave a Comment  
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Club Arias, Aruba

In Savaneta, Aruba, you’ll find a bed and breakfast type of establishment called Club Arias. It’s easy to find. If you’re headed south from the airport, continue on the main road until you see this faux stone wall.

There’s room to park there. Then, after passing into the compound you’ll come upon a pleasant recreation area with a pool table as seen here.

While a game of billiards with your friends may be fun. May I suggest a dip in the pool? There are two. A large, deeper one…

…and a shallow one…

That’s a float up bar at the far end. Don’t want to be thirsty out there in the Aruban sunshine. The rooms are arranged around these pools giving you direct and immediate access to the water. A typical room features a nice bedroom like this…

…and a sitting area with micro-kitchenette like this…

The kitchenette area is off to the right, out of the frame. Then, Chef Gabby will be making you breakfast and snacks, served in the dining area. Around those pools you’ll find coolers dispensing lemonade and iced-tea at no extra charge, which is a nice bonus.

There’s a lending library here with books and games. Also available are various all terrain vehicles for exploring remote parts of the island, and there are a few worth finding. Club Arias provides an alternative to the big hotels. It is a place away from the bustle of the main tourist center. Here you can kick back in a casual fashion, do your own thing, and not have to worry about the crowds or the exorbitant prices that can sting your budget. Check it out.

Published in: on July 17, 2010 at 9:57 am  Leave a Comment  
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Aruba Beach Chalets, photos!

Aruba Beach Chalets are a great place to stay in Aruba and this photo essay will show you a few of the reasons why. In the first place, this unassuming string of 6 units is in Savaneta, my favorite neighborhood on the island. Savaneta was the original capital of the island way back when. It’s a sleepy place now with 2 fantastic restaurants, a number of local quick snack joints, and Zeerovers, a fisherman’s wharf where you can dance and shoot pool. Back to Aruba Beach Chalets. There are a few off-street parking spots inside the compound just off the frame showing the entrance to Number 1 below:

Number 1 unit is basically twice the size of the Numbers 3-5. It also has a private pool of it’s own, as does Number 6, but we’ll get to that later. Let’s go inside a regular unit, in this case, Number 3:

This is the ground level, where you can see there is a little kitchen space, TV, sitting area, and just off to the right a convenient powder room. Looking out that sliding door at the far end of the photo, you’ll notice a covered porch that fronts the Caribbean.

That’s just a tease. More to follow. First, let’s go upstairs and have a look at the bedrooms. On the island side of the building, you’ll find a two-bed room like this:

That’s a cozy space with a bathroom of it’s own. Showers only, by the way, no tub. (Who needs that anyway?) The other bedroom is a queen bed, and this one has a mosquito netting just in case you want to sleep with the windows open. Check it out:

The reason you may want to leave the windows open, or rather the sliding door, is because this is your view:

Nice, eh? Well, going back downstairs, take a gander at the pool for Number 1 unit:

Very convenient, no? Well, stepping back a few feet, you can see how you could in the pool, a drink in your hand, looking out over the Caribbean Sea where the pelicans are fishing for lunch. Don’t believe me? Here it is.

That’s the view basically looking to the south, southeast. Turning around 180 degrees, you see this:

You can see the row of units, each with it’s own sitting area, the little beach, and how it all fronts the water. Number 6 has its own pool, too, and this unit rents on a longer term basis. Check with the owners through the website: www.aruba-beach-chalets.com. You can click right there and be transported to it, just the website, not the actual place here in Aruba. Sorry.

At any rate, if you’re looking for a place away from it all, give this one a try. I stayed here many times until I bought a shack. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t bought the shack and just rented there. It’s hard to beat.

Bon dia.

Published in: on December 1, 2009 at 8:29 pm  Leave a Comment  
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