Divi Aruba Phoenix

[Theiggy]

Has anyone experienced a mold/mildew smell here? I’ve seen several trip advisor reviews saying the bathroom and/or room smelled. How long ago were units renovated?

I saw this resort in Interval. I called and they said it could be traded there. Has anyone deposited or traded for a week through II? Or any sightings?



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[richontug]

We trade through RCI - never a smell! See my comments in Resort Reviews section of TUG.

 

[Theiggy]

We trade through RCI - never a smell! See my comments in Resort Reviews section of TUG.

Thank you for your reply. I have read your review, glad there was no smell!


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[Theiggy]

Has anyone ever traded or deposited Divi Phoenix in II?


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[Theousaf]

We own four properties at the Div Phoenix and have never experienced a mold issue. That being said, there are two phases: phase 1 is the original tower, which is older and I have heard of mold issues there. Phase 2 are the four newer units which is where we own and mold has never been an issue; at least that I've heard of.

 

[Tamaradarann]

We own four properties at the Div Phoenix and have never experienced a mold issue. That being said, there are two phases: phase 1 is the original tower, which is older and I have heard of mold issues there. Phase 2 are the four newer units which is where we own and mold has never been an issue; at least that I've heard of.

What has been the experience of others about mold in Phase I, the older section, of Divi Phoenix, versus Phase II, the newer section?

 

[Theousaf]

What has been the experience of others about mold in Phase I, the older section, of Divi Phoenix, versus Phase II, the newer section?

Nothing first hand, just things I've heard from friends and different Aruba sites.

 

[LisaRex]

Just got back from our stay at Divi Phoenix Aruba. Rented directly from an owner via Redweek. Despite having an RCI confirmation for the Beach Villas, we were assigned a 7th floor 2 bdrm/3 bath penthouse in Building 8, which is marked as the towers. There was so much good about the place, including a stellar location on Palm Beach, but I'm afraid to report that our room definitely smelled musty. The bathrooms are not well ventilated, I'm afraid, and they used small tiles in the bathrooms. For the life of me, I don't know why they use smaller tiles in hotels on the water. All that grout is a black mold magnet.

 

[Theiggy]

Just got back from our stay at Divi Phoenix Aruba. Rented directly from an owner via Redweek. Despite having an RCI confirmation for the Beach Villas, we were assigned a 7th floor 2 bdrm/3 bath penthouse in Building 8, which is marked as the towers. There was so much good about the place, including a stellar location on Palm Beach, but I'm afraid to report that our room definitely smelled musty. The bathrooms are not well ventilated, I'm afraid, and they used small tiles in the bathrooms. For the life of me, I don't know why they use smaller tiles in hotels on the water. All that grout is a black mold magnet.

Thank you for the info. Aren’t people prohibited from renting RCI exchanges? Or am I misunderstanding your post. I’m glad it worked out for you.


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[LisaRex]

Theiggy, I know that she was an owner but I don't know the specifics. I know that she was able to change the week when I got ill, for a $400 change fee. I assumed that RCI handled the reservations on Divi's behalf, but I could be wrong on that.

 

[stmartinfan]

Divi has its own exchange program which allows for trades within its properties for fees that vary depending upon season, unit size, etc., so it's likely the unit was acquired that way.

 

[Tamaradarann]

Just got back from our stay at Divi Phoenix Aruba. Rented directly from an owner via Redweek. Despite having an RCI confirmation for the Beach Villas, we were assigned a 7th floor 2 bdrm/3 bath penthouse in Building 8, which is marked as the towers. There was so much good about the place, including a stellar location on Palm Beach, but I'm afraid to report that our room definitely smelled musty. The bathrooms are not well ventilated, I'm afraid, and they used small tiles in the bathrooms. For the life of me, I don't know why they use smaller tiles in hotels on the water. All that grout is a black mold magnet.

Ok, so you had a reservation at the Beach Villas. Are they the low rise newer buildings You were assigned a unit in Building 8 which is in the towers. Are they the older buildings? Reservations in the newer buildings require about 20,000 more RCI points than the older building for a 1 BR unit. I don't know what the point value for larger units is. Is seems to me that people have complained about the mold problem when assigned the older buildings and may have been reassigned to the the newer buildings. You were then assigned a unit in the older buildings since the unit that you were originally assign by RCI was filled. I have been looking at reserving a 1 BR in that resort for next year. The points required for the old buildings make them more attractive This mold problem is making me rethink toward booking the never buildings. However, if they can reassign you to an older building, I would have paid premium and got the lower unit assignment.

 

[LisaRex]

Tamarandarann,

Below are shots of both the RCI confirmation that indicates that I was booked into the Beach Villas and the Divi Aruba Phoenix map, which indicates that the Villas were supposed to be the newer section. I was put into room 874, which was in the Curacao Tower, Building 8. It's funny because I was putting a review on TripAdvisor, and there was a reviewer who'd just posted a story about how Divi didn't have their 2nd reservation for a 1 bdrm, and the remedy was to put them into a penthouse in the Villas. I'm wondering if they got the villa I was supposed to be assigned to! Squeaky wheel gets oiled, I guess.

In any event, I'd think that if it costs 20k more points to book in the newer building, then if they placed you in older building, you'd have cause to ask that the 20k be returned to your account. I'm wondering if I should contact the owner and tell her that they put me in the older building to see if they'll reimburse her some of her points.

That all being said, despite the smell of mold, I don't want to give any indication that I didn't enjoy my stay. Despite issues, it still was very enjoyable. After having cancer, I'm learning to distinguish between the big stuff and the small stuff. And this is, at the end of the day, small stuff.

This is the view from our room:

 

[Tamaradarann]

Great views, you can't complain about that. I totally agree that this is small stuff as you said. The most important thing is that you enjoyed your well deserved vacation even if you stayed in a Studio with no view that had the smell of mold. Also, since you are not the owner or the person who made the RCI reservation you are not in a position to deal with this issue with the resort.

However, As I mentioned we are contemplating booking this resort next year, and while I don't want to expend additional points I do want a Gold Crown quality resort. Furthermore, if I do spend the extra 20,000 points I do expect the newer buildings, and not to be placed in the older high rises that "may" have a mold issue. Perhaps I need to do a little investigation with RCI on my rights on this issue before I make a booking there.

 

[LisaRex]

I think that that's a wise course of action. Hopefully, at some point, they'll begin permanently addressing this problem because it's beginning to affect their rating and reputation. I know that they're trying to help by keeping the a/c on all the time (and, of course, charging you for it). Many resorts install a/c units that will turn off if the door to the lanai is open. In Las Vegas, my mother stayed in a room that installed motion detectors that caused the a/c to kick out after not sensing activity after x minutes, which made for a miserable night's sleep.

While I appreciate trying to control costs and saving the environment, I think Divi has realized that the savings was mitigated by the mold issue that arose. Air conditioning also serves as a dehumidifier, which is essential in tropical destinations if you want to avoid mold.

Best of luck to you, and happy travels!

 

[Tamaradarann]

I think that that's a wise course of action. Hopefully, at some point, they'll begin permanently addressing this problem because it's beginning to affect their rating and reputation. I know that they're trying to help by keeping the a/c on all the time (and, of course, charging you for it). Many resorts install a/c units that will turn off if the door to the lanai is open. In Las Vegas, my mother stayed in a room that installed motion detectors that caused the a/c to kick out after not sensing activity after x minutes, which made for a miserable night's sleep.

While I appreciate trying to control costs and saving the environment, I think Divi has realized that the savings was mitigated by the mold issue that arose. Air conditioning also serves as a dehumidifier, which is essential in tropical destinations if you want to avoid mold.

Best of luck to you, and happy travels!

The blame of the A/C being off and keeping the doors open is interesting. In my work career I had been a Buildings Operations Director and have dealt with mold problems and smells in buildings before. First of all if I understand it correctly Aruba, while tropical, is very dry. In dry climates you shouldn't need A/C to dehumidify, only to cool. Also, Keeping the doors open with the A/C off is the most energy efficient and probably healthiest ways to stay. We stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for extended periods of time in the winter leaving the windows and doors open with no A/C and no mold problems; Honolulu is probably more humid than Aruba. However, keeping the doors/windows open with the A/C on is the most energy inefficient and ridiculous. Also, opening the doors/windows if there is a significant amount of humidity after having them closed for a period of time with the A/C on could possible create a mold problem since you are introducing warm moist air to surfaces made cold by the air conditioning.

However, since you specifically mentioned mold problems in the bathroom I would focus the source of the mold problem in the bathroom exhaust system. At the Hilton Hawaiian Village I have found the grill of the bathroom exhaust covered in dust making the exhaust system not function. In other buildings by placing a piece of toilet paper up to the bathroom exhaust grill I would check to see if the bathroom exhaust system on the roof was working. If it wasn't it would cause all the bathroom exhausts in that stack to not function. The amount of humidity that is being placed in the air from the showers is significant and without bathroom exhausts stays in the condo.

I am still

 

[LisaRex]

Interesting. I can't find the specific thread where I read it, but I do remember reading that in the past they were turning off the A/C if the room was empty or if the lanai door was open. They decided to keep it on to keep the dehumidifier going. Of course, they've had mold issues for many years, so whatever they're doing apparently isn't working.

The worst place I've ever experienced mold was at Westin St. John, Virgin Grande section. None of the bathrooms had windows and ventilation was poor. There was black mold everywhere in the shower. It's a very humid location, much more humid than Aruba. Even if the exhaust worked really well, unless they educated people to leave the fans on after showering, I'm not sure if they'd ever be able to get on top of the mold problem. Hopefully they'll do something now that they have to rebuild after the hurricane, because it was bad (see below).

I noticed that in many Hawaiian resorts, they have a window leading from the bedroom into the en-suite bathroom, which I always thought was an awkward design because I'm not always traveling with someone who I'd want to see nekkid. In retrospect, perhaps the window is there in order to help disperse all that water.

 

[Tamaradarann]

That picture was disgusting. I don't know if I could stay there

You bring up some good points in your response. You mention leaving the A/C on when the room in empty. Well if you close the windows and the doors to the Lanai and turn off the A/C there is little or no ventilation in the room and it will become stuffy as well as possibly contribute to the mold. It is the same with coming home from a long vacation with a closed up house.

As far as the Toilet exhaust being turned off, in the buildings that I worked in and the Studios of the Lagoon Tower Hilton Hawaiian the bathroom exhausts are NEVER turned off. I am not sure about other rooms or buildings since we usually stay in a Studios. You do make a good point about bathrooms with a switch to turn off the toilet exhaust. It does save energy, however, does it contribute to mold in the bathrooms.

Another issue to keep in mind with air-conditioning is that the air that goes through the air conditioning is lowered in temperature to reach the dew point that is why you are dehumidifying the air. If it stays cold and does not get warmer it is air that is filled with moisture. It needs to warm up to make it not oversaturated with moisture ready to hit a surface and make it wet.