Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino

A 357-room high-rise hotel set on Aruba’s famous Palm Beach, the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort is one of several Morris Lapidus-designed properties that PDSI has restored to world-class condition. In this case, hotel ownership was comprised of a handful of entities, representing a number of countries and cultures. While such diverse backgrounds led to differing points of view, PDSI was able to build confidence and map out a direction for the project through firm leadership and strategic vision.

Working in the Caribbean presents a unique set of challenges, which vary from availability of materials to locating skilled labor to shipping issues. PDSI’s experience with island projects, together with the agility of our team, gave us a distinct advantage. We anticipated issues that might arise and quickly found viable solutions. PDSI also found ways to to customize our approach to address unique needs. As one example, we identified and utilized both local and state-side resources, a hybrid approach that sustained momentum and controlled costs. The project came in 3% under budget and a week ahead of schedule.

At completion, the owners were united in their appreciation for our on-site presence, attention, commitment and guidance. In fact, Aruba Growth Fund was so happy with the results and cost savings that they engaged PDSI to manage a second redevelopment project. It goes to show that “great work begets more work.”