The first wave of tourism in Aruba started with the construction of the first hotel, Aruba Caribbean Hotel & Casino (this building is operated by Radisson Aruba now), almost 50 years ago. The second wave was the introduction of timeshare units in the early 90’s and now the latest one is the construction of condominiums.

In recent posts I wrote about the rise of these new condo’s. I expressed specific criticism about the size of certain projects, the lack of information and planning by officials. I do want corner the tone in this post by commenting on the positive.

In my opinion the project that separate themselves from the competition is Oceania Residences Aruba at Eagle Beach. Architecturally and esthetically this project is sound. They capture the essence of what needs to be captured. A building that has 5 storey’s offers a more relaxed environment then a high rise, add some nice landscaping to create a Caribbean atmosphere by the beach and you’re in business. It’s like an oasis in the desert.

Currently Oceania has two phases almost finished and started with the other three phases. Sales of the condo’s seems to be going well too for a sum starting just over $300,000 for the smallest units. The first two phases are (almost) sold out and from what I could count on their website, phases 3, 4 and 5 are nearly 85% sold.

Not many buyers are using the place yet, it is still very quiet there. The pool area and the beach seems to be empty every time I pass by the building. I’m going to request a tour there soon to have a better look on things and be able to comment about it more intelligently. Maybe I could get some insider to share with you.