Stay & Play

Aruba Ocean Villas
Savaneta’s Best Kept Secret

by Susan Campbell

Where Savaneta Meets The South Pacific

Truth be told, I must admit I’m a tad biased about this property, but more about that later. I stumbled upon these awesome villas last year when I went to Savaneta- a little fishing village on the south east coast of Aruba- to see whatever happened to one of my favorite restaurants called The Old Man and the Sea there. I’d heard it had closed. I made an appointment to meet with the owner Osyth Henriquez, and when I arrived, she told me she had a surprise to show me. What a surprise indeed! She had quietly closed the restaurant, and meanwhile had been busy creating this amazing oasis of special stays- some on the beach and some over the water Tahitian style- all dotted around a peaceful tropical oasis of sand and sea.

I marveled at the interior of each one- five in all at the time, bedecked with antique crystal chandeliers, warm rich natural wood, and chock full of one-of-a-kind objets d’art -either made by the owner artist herself, or curated from her world travels. They are exquisite and enchanting at every turn. The kitchen was still operational, but now with a private chef for guests, and your stay can also include all kinds of VIP personal concierge services. I was blown away. No one knew these existed in Aruba! As I left vowing to write about them, I jokingly said, “You must build me one of those.” And when I returned a few months later, I discovered… she did!

Dushi Sue Villa

Upon return, I immediately noticed a brand new overwater bungalow with a signpost marked “Dushi Sue” (dushi means “sweet” in Papiamento.) And apparently, I am the “Sue”! Inside, there are framed prints of my past writings (I have been writing about Aruba for decades,) and apparently, this was my thanks. I was overwhelmed with emotion.

The owner said she built it to reflect my favorite things. She added a huge wrap-around deck replete with an oversized hammock because she knows I love to be outside, and I adore my hammock time. And there are stairs into the water so I can easily go snorkeling, another one of my passions. Inside, there is air-conditioning right inside the big white-canopied bed (a marvel of technology), to hear the sea while sleeping and not worry about wasting energy, and there’s also a huge soaking tub and indoor rain shower, antique chairs and ottomans, and a large wooden table with a modern high-tech flat stove burner built right into it! But the piece de résistance is the chandelier. It is a divi-divi tree branch to go with an article I’d written about Aruba’s famous trees, and she bedecked it with crystal lights. Surreal.

I was almost tempted to keep this secret spot to myself in case it became so booked I’d never be able to stay in my namesake villa on return trips. But they are far too special not to share. So I guess I’ll just have to book ahead for my December birthday week each year, and I hope to see you there at the brand new tiki bar they are adding this year.

Visit: www.arubaoceanvillas.com