More Beach yet?

[waltersharvey]

Just wondering if they have expanded the beach? It is very crowded! I myself travel with 3 other people and we have a 2 bedroom, { could probably have 6 to 8 people fit if i so choose, but i do not, I am on vacation not in college},but i know people who stuff5 to 8 people in 1 bed rooms and even studios which makes it even more crowded. Not to be offensive but we pay lots of money to own here and are growing frustrated with "freeloaders" who pack their tiny room with loads of people who pay nothing but they reap more of the benefits than my family and I because they get to the bech at 3 am and reserve every spot to be had. Sorry for venting but i Love Aruba but HATE the fact that i feel like i have to get up 3 hours after i go to sleep to tie a towel around a tree. MORE BEACH PLEASE

[droykelly]

This isn't a problem we've ever encountered. What week(s) are you there?

All the units have a maximum occupancy. Are you saying people are exceeding that? If they are, I'd make sure management was made aware of the abuse!

[dwippies]

walter, this is a problem on most beaches. a 2 bedroom is supposed to have no more than 6 people and a one bedroom maxes out at 4. however, people do break rules. i know at costa linda, housekeeping must report if more than the max are staying in a room. also, the rule there is one palapa per room. a complaint to the office or security guard gets people to share nicely like grown ups, lol. however, there are two problems. not one single hotel or timeshare has enough palapas for each room, understandably so, and at the moment, many of the hotels and timeshares hare missing palapas that were knocked down or floated away in the horrific weather that took place on the island.

your first step is to find out what the rule is at the phoenix. i seem to remember signs there that you only get one palapa. check with management. email them so that when you get to aruba you get no surprises. if the rule isn't in place, show up at an owners meeting or get in touch with someone who does. get active enough to make the rules work for the owners.

i am sure at costa linda, that there is a minor problem in the winter (although more than a dozen of our huts were knocked down in december so quarters are cramped right now) but in april thru december there are always huts available. they may not be the first row, but they are available. i have never had a problem finding one and i don't go down to the beach until 9 or 10 am. they do have the one hut rule and two hours without occupancy and your possessions are moved if the hut is needed.

Originally Posted by waltersharvey

Just wondering if they have expanded the beach? It is very crowded! I myself travel with 3 other people and we have a 2 bedroom, { could probably have 6 to 8 people fit if i so choose, but i do not, I am on vacation not in college},but i know people who stuff5 to 8 people in 1 bed rooms and even studios which makes it even more crowded. Not to be offensive but we pay lots of money to own here and are growing frustrated with "freeloaders" who pack their tiny room with loads of people who pay nothing but they reap more of the benefits than my family and I because they get to the bech at 3 am and reserve every spot to be had. Sorry for venting but i Love Aruba but HATE the fact that i feel like i have to get up 3 hours after i go to sleep to tie a towel around a tree. MORE BEACH PLEASE

[waltersharvey]

I own weeks 6 and 7. I understand they are very busy weeks, This year due to the holiday week being week 8 we are staying weeks 7 and 8. Just a dream not to have to get up soooo early to get a spot on the beach. Not just the front row any row. Whatever the case it will still be better than being in NY! Another storm lastnight. This time it was ice and freezing rain.

[dwippies]

last year it was our turn to be the worst state for snow. we woke up this morning expecting a lot of ice which was predicted. instead, we had rain. total shock. sorry that when it passed us by you got stuck with it. at least you have aruba to look forward to. have a blast!

Originally Posted by waltersharvey

I own weeks 6 and 7. I understand they are very busy weeks, This year due to the holiday week being week 8 we are staying weeks 7 and 8. Just a dream not to have to get up soooo early to get a spot on the beach. Not just the front row any row. Whatever the case it will still be better than being in NY! Another storm lastnight. This time it was ice and freezing rain.

[PirateKing]

There's no more beach, though during week 3 they were demolishing some of the greenery just south of Sunset Beach Bistro and trucking in and spreading sand there, so it will probably be a place for new palapas (though not close to the better swimming area between the jetties).

We had no problem getting a palapa at a decent hour, though there was a cadre of codgers (followers of the "except for me" corollary to every prohibition) who had apparently worked out a deal with the pool and chair guys to set them up on the point near the south jetty (where there area about 7 new palapas where there used to be sea grape and places for lizards and birds). security never removed the towels they left there overnight. Must have been a good bribe!

[waltersharvey]

Maybe thats where they plan on expanding the beach since the last of the new buildings casts a shadow on the Pure Beach side. Either way I plan on enjoying the sun and beach with my wife and son! Feb. 12th can't come fast enough!!

[PhoenixGirl]

I know that on weekends, the Phoenix rents out vacancies to locals who arrive with loads of people who may not sleep there, but they are "guests" of the renters and crowd the beach and pool areas. On Mondays, everything goes back to normal.

[droykelly]

Originally Posted by PhoenixGirl

I know that on weekends, the Phoenix rents out vacancies to locals who arrive with loads of people who may not sleep there, but they are "guests" of the renters and crowd the beach and pool areas. On Mondays, everything goes back to normal.

We're there weeks 45 & 46 & have not seen anything like this. Are you there during a very slow period or is this something that started since the new buildings opened?

I truly believe they made a big mistake by overbuilding & they've ruined what was once the best place on Palm Beach.

[PhoenixGirl]

This happened both weekends we were there in October, Weeks 41 and 42. If the Phoenix had vacant rooms, locals rented and brought all their friends for parties. The Pure Beach pool and beach were only crowded on Saturday and Sunday.

[droykelly]

41 & 42 were our original weeks but we changed several years ago & haven't been there those weeks since 2004. There was a company picnic type thing one day of the weekend that severely impacted use of the beach & closed the restaurant. Are they still holding that?

They seemed to always have units available to rent but with the new buildings, there are probably more renters than owners most of the time.

[PhoenixGirl]

I haven't seen any company picnics or closed restaurants, but for a one night rental, the locals fill the pool on Saturdays and Sundays. I can't believe the Phoenix would only rent out vacant rooms on the weekends I'm there.

I'm going next Saturday (Feb. 12-19) and will see if it happens again. Maybe in the winter season, tourists rent full weeks and not just an overnight. I don't mind them renting out vacant rooms. What I do mind is locals inviting all their aunts, uncles & cousins to be their "guests" for an entire weekend just because they paid for one night in a vacant studio.

[explorer21]

Can someone post any pics of the new beach setup?

[PhoenixGirl]

Good news. They fixed the sidewalk that had buckled when the storms came last October. There are no more palapas on the beachfront at Pure Beach. The beach and new pool were really crowded today until it started to rain this afternoon.

[explorer21]

thanks, enjoy your stay. when we were there in october the new palapas were down in front of pure beach. the beach in front of the "old" tower was fine but i heard they were going to extend the beach down past the jetty in front of sunset bistro.

[mark]

Here are some pictures of the beach taken this morning, February 15th. Hope they help you get an impression of what the beach looks like now







More pictures can be found in the album, click on the link below:

Divi Phoenix Beach Pictures - February 15 and 17 2011

[explorer21]

thanks for the pics mark. sure wish i was there right now. looks like they added some palapas down near the bistro since i was there

[mark]

No problem! Yes there are quite a few there. This was around 7:30am and a lot of them were taken of course. Some gutsy people were already on the beach probably had been there since the wee hours I guess its the old supply vs. demand thing again.

Also, they have extended the beach out right in front of the outdoor gym thingy that they have there, but no palapas on it yet, its virgin I'll get a pic of that eventually.

[lemarier]

Thanks so much for posting - when we were there in Sept/Oct they were just beginning to lose the sidwalk and new beach area in front of the new buildings. I am sure by the time we return this September things will be back to normal.

[mark]

No problem. I just added a couple to the album and am also posting them below. This is the part of the beach just in front of the outdoor gym that's palapa-free right now. Also a busy soul was up early cleaning up the seaweed that washes on shore, so I posted a couple of pictures of the guy doing his best to make it nice and clean Here we go:

[explorer21]

nice work mark! thanks for the pics

[mark]

You're welcome!

What do you all think of the new wing? Is it a big improvement on the tower in terms of rooms?

[explorer21]

I've never seen the rooms in the tower. We have a 2 bdrm penthouse on the end bldg and just love it.

[PhoenixGirl]

The new beach villas are very very nice. We own Week 41 in the tower, but have also used RCI points to spend winter weeks in the new section. Of course everything is much newer. The bathrooms are much nicer. the kitchen has a dishwasher and more counter space. There are two full baths in the one bedroom. Very nice views of the big new pool, Pure Beach and the ocean. The elevators are much better than the tower.