The Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino welcomes Marielle Smeets to its team

Born in the Netherlands, Marielle has enjoyed a solid hospitality career on Aruba for the past nine years. The dynamic hotelier by profession has just recently been recruited by the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino as the Pool & Beach manager and as such she is responsible for guests’ daytime experience at the resort’s famous waterfront.

Supported by a cadre of sixteen, Marielle’s crew services the beach palapas and pool cabanas, making sure guests can relax and unwind as they please.

Her department also offers a daily schedule of recreational activities, available to guests at no charge. The activities target all ages and preferences, and promise a fun mix of culture, sports and leisure, helping guests make the most of all aspects of the resort, local community and the island.

Among activities offered, those focused on Health and Wellness including Pool Volleyball, Stand Up Paddle Board Tours, Aquacise, Beach Tennis, Pilates, Yoga, Meditation and Breathing.

For those who wish to play and remain active Marielle keeps a Pool Bingo schedule, and stages Salsa & Meringue Workshops, as well as Bird Interactions in the resort’s bird garden. A number of popular activities take guests outside the resort with the Cycling Tour to the California lighthouse among the most popular. Organized trips to the Butterfly Farm round up the family fun.

“We go the extra mile to delight guests, at all hours of the day” reveals Marielle who regularly invites her team members to make the pool rounds with cool fresh towels, and tropical fruit skewers, for extra pampering, in the afternoon.

Kids who vacation with parents at the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino flock to ShocoLand, the kids’ club which hosts a variety of activities ages 4 to 12. Shocoland is open 7 days a week, and features a nicely appointed, recently renovated supervised space with toys and games.   

The heart of the resort, the mid-pool-deck Activities’ Center, is a hub of excitement. It provides guests with towels and information and recently introduced a special new service, the Beach Concierges, who make restaurant reservations for guests, without ever leaving the beach.

Marielle reports being in love with her job and with her 6 months old baby, Mason. Check in with her anytime during the day, there is always something new happening in her department.