Ed Malone celebrates a double digit anniversary at Gold Goast

While Gold Coast is Aruba’s freshest concept in tropical living and has only
been open for about a year, the man at the helm, General Manager Ed Malone
is celebrating a double digit anniversary in hospitality in Aruba this
month.

Ed recalls arriving here at the end of May 1987 as the designated new
General Manager of the just acquired, re-flagged and re-opened Americana
Aruba Beach Resort & Casino, working for RJS hospitality out of Houston,
Texas.

“I arrived in time for Aruba’s big tourism boom,” he says, “the island was
on the cusp of quantum-leaping from a sleepy Caribbean isle, to a branded,
upscale destination, and I have enjoyed a front-row seat to its performance
ever since. Aruba had me at hello,” he adds.

Having spent eleven years at the Americana, renovating the first tower and
building the second, along with Aruba’s first free-form swimming pool, Ed
also spent a good portion of his time in service of the industry here. He
joined the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association practically on the day he
arrived and assumed the reins as vice president for three years, as
president for six and as a board member for seven, actively contributing to
the decision making process, which made Aruba one of the most prosperous and
popular islands in the region, in the last two decades.

These years were also rewarding professionally as Ed won the coveted General
Manager of the year title twice in a row, in 1993 and 1994. In 1996 Ed
received the highest honor possible being named the Golden Conch Award
recipient, as the Caribbean Hotelier of the Year, an honor bestowed annually
to the ultimate leader of the industry by the Caribbean Hotel Association.

Typical of the end of the 90s, and the transient nature of the hotel
business, Ed’s resort was sold to a new operating company prompting him to
create his own consulting firm. As a hospitality consultant Ed worked with
Lionstone Hotels, and the Aruba Investment Banks on various hospitality
projects in the following years.

At the same time his long-term affiliation with the Caribbean Hotel
Association came to fruition. Having served as board member and vice
president of the organization throughout his career, in 1998 the CHA elected
him President of the association, which represents the entire spectrum of
hospitality including 36 national hotel associations across the Caribbean,
over 850 hotel members with about 125,500 rooms, and more than 600 supplier
companies represented as ‘Allied’ members of the association.

It was a giant undertaking and Ed enjoyed his time as President,
representing Aruba and traveling extensively through the region, the
Americas and Europe, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean’s most important
economic pillar and at the end of his term he naturally was asked to remain
as Chairman of the Board for the association for two more years.

Ed is today still  involved with the CHA an one of the association’s
Honorary Directors, contributing to the decision making process, which makes
the Caribbean one of the most prosperous and popular tourism destination on
the planet.

In April of 2008 Ed was recruited by the developers of Gold Coast, to
operate the growing and popular Resort Residential Community. The
hard-working and visionary Croes family conceived the Gold Coast community
so guests could enjoy true Aruban hospitality blended with comfort and
luxury and a sense of “being home.”

Ed always relates to friends that while the work-load is intense and the
hours long, the opportunity to work with brilliant people, driven and
ethical, is of great value to him and fuels his own motivation.

Located on Malmokweg, just across from the famed Tierra del Sol Resort,
Country Club & Spa, Gold Coast offers 2 and 3 bedroom town homes and villas,
tastefully furnished rooms and living areas, fully equipped kitchens,
private balconies and backyard terraces, brimming with ambiance, privacy and
style.

Gold Coast resort amenities within the community include two swimming pools,
children’s pool, barbecue grills, 24-hour gated security, and concierge
services.

A vacation rental program has recently been introduced and the inventory of
rental homes is expected to total up to 40 by the end of the year.

The rental program, Ed explains, offers a unique alternative vacation
product and provides an ideal opportunity for those looking to invest in an
island home to “sample” the island lifestyle experience offered to
homeowners, even before making the purchase. And the property and its
growing network of home owners, and visionary developers has Ed’s unwavering
commitment to beauty, quality, design, style, security, and the convenience
of the 26 acres of lush landscaping, picturesque plazas, fountains, and a
full service clubhouse & spa, making up the heart of Gold Coast.

In addition to his responsibilities at Gold Coast, Ed continues to also
pursue other tourism industry passions which include the development of
tourism education within the school curriculums and the promotion of Aruba
as a premier meetings, conventions and incentive destination.

Ed has consistently and actively supported interaction and involvement with
the vocational school EPI, and university hospitality students, and is also
currently serving as co-chairman of Aruba’s SITE Host Committee for the
upcoming Site International Conference, October 30th to November 2nd, with
members of the Society of Incentive & Travels Executives from all over the
world convening here for an important business forum, which will bring
together the top minds in incentive travel, a multi-billion dollar global
industry.

The visitors will enjoy three days of educational sessions, vendor
showcases, roundtables, networking events, gala dinners and much more, and
Ed shares a lot of the responsibility for making the mega event happen.

Have no fear, his experience as a hotelier and as the Aruba Hotel & Tourism
Association special project consultant taught him everything there is to
know about destination marketing, human resources, advocacy, special events,
sales and marketing for large groups, meetings and incentives, he is the
perfect man for the job, and he will get it done!

Ed’s reputation is well documented. This is a tourism and hospitality
professional who understands the significance of hard work and perseverance