Arriba Aruba

 Hotel: Renaissance Marina (a Marriott property)

Aruba is a great place to travel to in the Carribbean because it has beautiful weather, lovely places to visit, clear blue water, and a great mixture of cultures, so you can experience many different things in just a few days. The island is about 20 miles away from Venezuela so there are many people who have moved to Aruba from South America so that latin flare is definitely felt all around. The language, called Papiamento, is a mixture of Dutch, Spanish, English, Portuguese, and African. Most of the hotels are located in the capital, Oranjastaad, which is where we stayed.
 
Our hotel was nice because it was in the middle of the city within walking distance to most of the nightclubs, restuarants, and shopping. The Renaissance mall is actually in our hotel and that is where all of the high end stores are located, such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Ferragamo, Carolina Herrera, Ralph Lauren, etc…
 
The hotel lobby was asthetically pleasing, as was the bar. The pool is rather small, probably because most people go to the private island that the Renaissance owns. Boats come into the hotel lobby every 15-20 minutes to pick guests up and take them over to the private island, which is really nice. It is about a 15 minute ride to the island, and the ride is enjoyable for the most part unless the water is choppy and you get splashed, which happened to a few people…
 
The private island is only for Renaissance Marina and Ocean Suite guests which is nice. The island has a beach that is for adults only and another for families. The family friendly beach is called “Iguana Beach” because there are amazing iguanas of all sizes living on the island. They are very docile creatures and are used to seeing and interacting with the people who come to the island every day. The other side of the island which has the adult only beach, called “Flamingo Beach”, has a beautiful flock of flamingoes that just hang out on the beach…
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Puerto Rico

Check out our video for inspiration on a Puerto Rican getaway!

What Happens in Vegas…

From relaxing in the spa to eating at some of the best restaurants and staying in some of the most interesting hotels in the world…Its all available in Vegas! This city in the desert is much more than just a destination for gambling and buffets. In this month’s destination highlight we show you the many sides of Sin City and give you ideas to plan a unique getaway.

Destination Highlights…

• Recently Renovated is a Relative Term - See our review of the Luxor
• The Relaxing Side of Vegas - From spa services, midnight mani/pedi’s and poolside cabana rentals we tell you how to see another side of Vegas other than gambling, clubs and nightlife.
• Boutique at the Palms - See a review of the newest Palms property by our partners at TheBlackTraveler.com
• Photo Gallery - Photos from Vegas including hotel, restaurant and other sites