Zoetry Is Exactly What Aruba Needs

Initial artist rendering of Zoetry Isla Di Oro Aruba

Lets get this out of the way right off the bat: I get a little gushy when talking about AMResorts’ Zoetry Wellness and Spa Resorts brand.

After all, my favorite hotel of all time is still Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita in the Rivera Maya, Mexico, which blends colonial Mexico with all the modern chic touches an affluent traveler might expect. 

It was basically an all-inclusive I had never seen before at the time. It was a true five-star experience with gourmet food and top-notch service and no cash needed. This was not one of the bargain bin all-inclusives of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. This was something new. This was an all-inclusive with zero luxury compromised. 

It may have been rare then. But it is expected now.

Whether it be Azul Sensatori Jamaica in Negril or at Sandals LaSource Grenada, all-inclusives are proving they are much more than just an easy way to settle the bill.

"Hotels are becoming niche markets," Federico Moreno-Nickerson, director of product development for the Caribbean and Mexico for Classic Vacations, told Travel Agent during our recent on-site coverage of the Tianguis Turistico trade show in Acapulco. "All-inclusives aren't just free meals anymore. It's not just Kids Clubs, they have toddler programs now too. They are a very complimentary experience, especially with culinary, to the cruisers. The product here has evolved to levels of speciality and sophistication that you've never seen in Mexico."

Aruba is no stranger to all-inclusives, but it’s mostly of the three- to four-star variety, and there is still a huge market for that. But Aruba still needed that trophy all-inclusive to prove that its product is evolving with the time. And that’s why recent news that the island will soon welcome a new Zoetry resort was something Travel Agent was pretty excited about.  

Earlier this week, Apple Leisure Group's subsidiary, AMResorts, announced its fifth hotel in the first quarter of 2015 with the signing of Zoetry Isla Di Oro Aruba.

The contract brings AMResorts’ award-winning Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts brand to Aruba for the first time and expands Apple Leisure Group’s rapidly growing footprint to its eighth country.

The resort will be one of the first properties in the Caribbean featuring overwater bungalow-style accommodations, offering a unique experience to guests visiting the region.  

The 126 suites will overlook a secluded inlet featuring magnificent views of the water and surrounding tropical landscape. The resort, owned by developer/hotelier, Franz Sydow, and an international investment group, will start construction in 2015 and welcome guests in the summer of 2018.

Upon opening in the Isla Di Oro area, this will be the fifth property for the luxury boutique hotel brand Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts.

We should note that Zoetry Isla Di Oro Aruba will not be the only top-notch all-inclusive opening shop in Aruba in the near future, as Grupo Pinero announced last year that it will take a new leap forward in expanding its hotel business by building an establishment in Aruba.

The Palma de Mallorca-based company's new hotel is expected to open its doors in the summer of 2016, and will comply with the chain's highest standards of luxury and exclusivity under the Luxury Bahia Principe Don Pablo Collection brand.

Visit www.appleleisuregroup.com. Follow Travel Agent’s Joe Pike on Twitter @TravelPike.