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ON ISLAND TIME NEWS & VIEWS FROM UNDER THE DIVI TREE RESORTS REOPENING SINT MAARTEN - JULY 1 ARUBA - JULY 10 FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Have you heard the exciting news? We’re thrilled to announce the reopening of Divi Little Bay Beach Resort on St. Maarten July 1 and Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort, Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort and Divi Dutch Village Beach Resort on Aruba July 10! Our staff members are excited to welcome you back, so when you’re ready to book your dream Caribbean vacation, you can count on us! To learn more about how you can book with confidence, visit www.diviresorts.com/book-with-confidence.htm. For information on our Clean Check Program, visit www.diviresorts.com/clean-check.htm. To make your decision to travel in 2020 even easier, we’re currently offering a 30% discount on room only and all-inclusive stays, plus our popular Kid’s Stay Free program. Visit www.diviresorts.com to learn more about this sale. If you’re a Timeshare Vacation owner, check out our Club Escapes offer, which is posted on your owner portal. If you have a current reservation, please be sure to review new island protocols before you travel. Don’t forget to nominate your Everyday Hero to help them win a complimentary 5-night Caribbean vacation! Our first winner will be picked June 30, so make sure to get your entries in today! In this week’s issue, you’ll meet Jamaal Solomon, our exceptional Landscape & Golf Course Superintendent who looks after The Links at Divi Aruba golf course at Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort. He also traveled to Divi Little Bay following Hurricane Irma in 2017 to assist with landscaping and beautifying the resort. If anyone has visited St. Maarten since the hurricane, I think you’ll agree that it’s looking better than ever. Now he’s hard at work helping our team on St. Croix with the landscaping for Divi Carina Bay All-Inclusive Beach Resort & Casino. Plus, we’re back with another tasty recipe, this time for breakfast! Pan Bati di Maishi Rabo is a famous Aruban breakfast dish, and now you have the opportunity to make it yourself. Check out the recipe and let us know what you think. For this week’s fun and entertainment, we’ve got another island crossword puzzle for you to complete. Try your luck and see if you can finish it! As always, little Miss Gizmo has found a new hiding spot in this issue. Can you find our Divi diva? Tell us where she’s located at [email protected]. Bonus points if you send us a photo of you and your family finding Gizmo. Enjoy this issue and stay healthy! Marco Galaverna President & COO STAY IN TOUCH While our owners, members and guests are away, we’re sharing our favorite Divi memories of the islands and providing a bit of fun for the whole family on social media and online at www.diviresorts.com/divibreak.htm. Plus, be sure to check in daily for our soothing “Divi Break” videos and share your vacation memories with us at [email protected]. CHECK OUT OUR GIVEAWAYS! @DIVIRESORTS | #DISCOVERDIVI | #DIVIRESORTS GET SOCIAL WITH US! On St. Maarten, Divi Little Bay Beach Resort is reopening July 1. On Aruba, Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort, Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort and Divi Dutch Village Beach Resort are reopening July 10. Before you visit these islands, please make sure to read the new travel protocols: Aruba: www.aruba.com/us/traveler-health-requirements St. Maarten: stmaartenupdates.com It is essential that every incoming guest review new travel requirements and comply with all mandatory protocols prior to arrival and upon entry to the island. WELCOME BACK WE ARE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THE REOPENING OF ARUBA & ST. MAARTEN! Our Resorts Are Ready! At of all our resorts, there’s plenty of room to spread out on our white sand beaches and sparkling pools. You’ll find all areas of the resort are less crowded with social distancing between chairs and tables. Our restaurants and bars provide both open-air and indoor dining, as well as takeout and delivery to your room. Our exhilarating activities, amenities and island experiences will round off your memorable vacation. Our Clean Check Program is designed to prioritize the health and safety of our guests and staff. These new safety measures follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). For more information, visit www.diviresorts.com/clean-check.htm. Aruba Health & Happiness Code On Aruba, all of our resorts have passed and meet the standards for the island’s new ‘Aruba Health & Happiness Code’ program created by Aruba’s Department of Public Health and the Aruba Tourism Authority to ensure travelers that the island upholds the highest health and safety protocols throughout their entire stay. Ingredients: 2 ears of corn 2-3 tsp. baking powder 1 cup yellow cornmeal cup milk 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 shallot, diced 2 green onions, chopped Instructions: Blend corn and milk in a blender and transfer to a mixing bowl. Stir in cornmeal, eggs, sugar, baking powder, shallots, and green onions. Spoon batter onto a buttered pan or griddle over medium- high heat to form small pancakes. Cook until the bottom is lightly browned then flip. Serve with your choice of toppings. We recommend fresh snapper or grouper, mango salsa, and a bit of cream reduction. FEATURED RECIPE PAN BATI DI MAISHI RABO Pan bati is a savory, bread-like Aruban dish that looks like a pancake but is less sweet. This traditional dish is very simple to make and it’s a great alternative to typical American pancakes. Mix up your own batch and send a picture of your plated dish to [email protected]. NOMINATE AN EVERYDAY HERO Tell us about the EVERYDAY HERO in your life to help them win a complimentary 5-night/6-day vacation for up to two adults and two kids in a one-bedroom suite with daily breakfast on Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire or St. Maarten that can be used anytime before December 31, 2021. Submit why you think your hero deserves this vacation to [email protected]. We’ll pick one winner each month for six months, starting June 30 and ending December 31, 2020. What do you love about your job? I have been with Divi for about eleven years now, and I am always fascinated by the fact that Divi continues to evolve and push the proverbial envelope of quality by trendsetting and making strides in the tourism industry. Plus, being able to work outside with nature every day while doing something you love is pretty amazing. What are your main responsibilities? I oversee the total care and maintenance of turf, ornamental plants, shrub and trees, and I direct and assist staff on the replacement, preparation, planting and arrangement of new vegetation, plus the spraying pruning and trimming of trees and shrubs. In addition, I supervise staff to ensure the safe operation and maintenance of mechanical and power equipment. I’m also responsible for budgets and expenses for the department and creating plans for future improvement projects. What other islands have you worked on? I have worked on almost all of the islands, except Barbados, assisting with landscape improvements and enhancements. I enjoy these projects because they are always a challenge and I especially like hearing positive feedback from our guests about the natural beauty my team creates. During these past few months, how have you managed landscaping duties? We have an incredibly strong leadership team, and throughout the unprecedented closure and now reopening of our resorts, it’s taken a closely supervised, calm and precise team effort amongst my staff to make sure that everything has been looked after. Now that we’re reopening, my main focus is getting everything ready to welcome back guests. How is your staff handling recent changes and preparing to return? My staff is definitely ready to get back to work! My team members are required to go through our CLEAN CHECK training program, as we work in close contact with each other. These new protocols ensure we do our job efficiently and safely. What’s your favorite Divi memory? My favorite memory is when we were working near the beach area early in the morning and out of nowhere, dozens of sea turtles hatchlings emerged. It was an amazing sight to behold, and something I’ve always wanted to witness. Jamaal Solomon works long hours behind the scenes making sure Divi’s turf and landscaping is in top-notch condition as the Landscape & Golf Course Superintendent on Aruba. From sod to sand, petunias to payroll and everything in-between, Jamaal oversees all things nature, creating a Caribbean-influenced ambiance around our resorts. We recently spoke with Jamaal, the man who says he hasn’t worked a day in his life, to catch up with how he’s been managing Divi’s landscaping during the shutdown and more. MEET JAMAAL SOLOMON THE MAN WHO PROVES THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON HIS SIDE We’re thrilled that a few of our islands are reopening and we can’t wait to welcome back our beloved guests, owners and members! DIVI DOSE OF VITAMIN SEA How do guests, owners, and members share Divi vacation photos and videos with you? I’m always on the hunt for new photos and videos and the first place I look is on social media, specifically Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The best way to get your vacation memories seen is to make sure you tag every post with #DiscoverDivi and #DiviResorts, and tag or “check-in” at the resort when you arrive on vacation. I love seeing your likes and reading and responding to your wonderful comments! How can I get my Divi vacation memories featured on Divi’s social media accounts? We love sharing your vacation memories on our social pages, so we encourage you to send us as many as you like. You can send your photos, videos and memories and captions anytime to [email protected]. Can I post my feedback on TripAdvisor? Absolutely! We happily welcome your reviews and feedback as we’re always looking for ways to improve and enhance our offerings! All of our destinations are on www.tripadvisor.com. To leave a review, simply search the name of the Divi Resorts destination you vacationed at and click on “Write a Review.” Sharing your comments on TripAdvisor also helps future guests decide where to travel and how to best plan their trip. It’s a win-win for all! How can I find out about Divi’s contests? We post our contests on www.diviresorts.com throughout the year, and we always share our latest contest on social media, so if you follow us, you’ll always be in the know. We’re always running contests to win free vacations, and it’s easy to enter. Plus, most of our contests allow you to receive extra entries just for following our social media accounts on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and sharing the contest with friends. What will I see on Divi’s social media pages? You’ll find white sand beaches, sparkling pools, delicious food, colorful cocktails, and the latest Divi Resorts news. Our photos and videos are taken by our talented owners, members and guests, as well as our marketing department and professional photographer. Follow us for a sunny slice of paradise served up every day. We hope our posts transport you to the islands, even if it’s just for a minute or two. We also love to share our special Divi Break videos and trivia questions. If there is something specific you would like to see, simply drop me a line at [email protected] or direct message me on our accounts. What’s your favorite island to feature and post? Honestly, I can’t choose just one! They all have great qualities that make them shine. Plus, each post is about our beautiful Caribbean resorts, so what’s not to love? Hi, I’m Alison Fay, the Digital Marketing Specialist here at Divi Resorts. I’m the social media maven that manages all of our accounts, working behind the scenes to make sure we stay connected with you, our valued owners, members and guests. Today, I’m sharing a few tips to help you “get social” with us and I’ll answer a few frequently asked questions. Time to get social! GET SOCIAL WITH ALISON ENJOY THIS CARIBBEAN CROSSWORD Aruba is famous for its beaches with this color sand You don’t need a passport to visit this island The only island with three Divi Resorts The Olympic sport you can do in a pool This island is famous for its world-class diving Name of Barbados’ Carnival festival Known as “The Friendly Island” Every evening we enjoy this natural display of colors in the sky Divi Little Bay’s resident parrot The only Divi Resort on the island of Bonaire Divi Aruba Phoenix is located on this famous beach (named after a tree) Stay safe and always wear a reef-safe version of this at the beach The island home of Divi Southwinds The only 18+ Divi Resorts destination that’s currently under renovation Name of the golf course at Divi Village Golf You might hang ten while you do this Your currency in the Divi Vacation Club Our resorts have many of these types of spaces to host weddings and meetings It’s not a beach without this! 2 5 6 10 12 14 16 17 1 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 13 15 ACROSS DOWN See all of the answers at the end of this newsletter. CROSSWORD ANSWERS 2. White 5. St. Croix 6. Aruba 10. Swim 1. Gizmo 3. Flamingo 4. Palm 5. Sunscreen 7. Barbados 8. Carina Bay 12. Bonaire 14. Crop Over 16. St. Maarten 17. Sunset 9. Links 10. Surf 11. Points 13. Event 15. Sand Across Down
