Business View Caribbean - March 2016 37
waterfront dining and sunset cocktails. All villas are
air conditioned with fully equipped kitchens and flat-
screen satellite TV and wireless internet service. Snor-
keling gear and kayaks are available at no charge for
members and AquaChi Yoga, an exclusive and original
activity, was recently created for the resort’s members
and guests.
The Ocean Encounters Dive Center is just across the
bridge from the resort and the island’s pristine wa-
ters are home to the world-famous Curacao Under-
water Marine Park. The island’s capital, Willemstad, a
UNESCO - World Heritage City, is just ten minutes away
via the resort’s free shuttle service, and the Curacao
International Airport, with service to the Caribbean,
South America, North America, and Europe, is within
a 30-minute drive.
But, perhaps most important to the resort’s success
and a major contributor to its 85 percent occupancy
rate, is the fact that the Sea Aquarium Resort hews to
the same company culture that imbues all of the ho-
tels and resorts in the Royal Resort family: “Our guests
are number one, our employees are number two, and
the company is in third place,” Villanueva states.
Guest Services and Reception Supervisor, Alejandra
Gonzalez, agrees. “There are two main aspects that
we focus on,” she says. “We treat our guests with re-
spect and create a bond with them; this is their home
away from home. And we have built a relationship of
openness, trust, and honesty with our team.” Regard-
ing their guests, Gonzalez explains that several weeks
prior to their arrival, they are contacted in order to
find out if they have any special requests, or if they
are on their honeymoon, or celebrating a birthday or
other special occasion. “Then we make sure we create
an agenda for them,” she says. Regarding the resort
staff, Gonzalez says that many of its 25 employees
have been on board for many years.
The Royal Sea Aquarium Resort was recognized in
2013 and 2014, by Expedia’s Insiders’ Select rank-
ings as consistently delivering superior services and
value and was one of only 650 winners, worldwide. As
in previous years, in 2015, it was awarded the TripAd-
visor Certificate of Excellence, honoring its consistent
praise and recognition by travelers. Gonzalez sums up
the experience of staying at the Royal Sea Aquarium
Resort in one concise statement: “This is a piece of
paradise,” she exclaims.
