A Health Vacay, The Vegan Way
A healthy lifestyle. Attention for wellness. Selfcare and mindfulness. Without wanting to sound like a guru of some sort, or a page from a recent self-help book or trendy lifestyle magazine, the focus on our overall wellbeing and health is everywhere. And rightfully so, we might add. There’s enough going on to make your head spin and your mind go mad, so at our boutique hotel we’ve made it a central focus, since opening our doors really, to remain a calm, private haven where barefoot luxury and healthy options go hand in hand.
The Coco Café is vegan certified
Long before the vegan lifestyle became a trending topic Boardwalk warmly embraced the wishes and needs of our vegan guests. We teamed up with a local partner offering vegan and healthy food and drink items, and some years later, vegan top chef Griet Vanbrabant was hired to help develop vegan dishes on the menu of our onsite restaurant and bar, The Coco Café, which opened in 2023. And only a year after its opening, The Coco Café was vegan certified by Vegan Hospitality & Tourism Worldwide Inc. (VHTW), an international organization providing vegan guest services planning, training and certification.
Committed to quality experiences for all guests
What this vegan certification comes down to is that our restaurant staff is well trained and knowledgeable of a vegan lifestyle and complies with the global standards for quality service to vegan guests. Most importantly: we commit to offering the same quality experience to vegan guests and non-vegan guests. Which at our restaurant and bar translates to offering plenty of options for both vegan and non-vegan guests. Some 32% of all menu items at The Coco Café are either vegan or can be prepared vegan. And our daily poolside Happy Hour offers vegan and non-vegan cocktails that are equally appealing and delicious.
Catering to all diets and restrictions
Besides catering to the needs and wishes of vegan guests with plant based menu-items, The Coco Café also reckons with all other types of dietary wishes, restrictions and sensitivities. On our menu you will find indicators for dishes that are either vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free, and plates that can be consumed by guests that are lactose-intolerant. Non-vegan guests, carnivores, pizza and pasta lovers and guests appreciating a fresh catch of the day do not have to worry either. Freshly prepared with utmost care and healthy, locally sourced ingredients, hearty bites and all-time favorites of the regular menu are also widely available.
Healthy options a must-have
Boardwalk Boutique Hotel has long embrased the healthy lifestyle, focusing on the overall wellness, wellbeing and healthy choices for our guests and team members. When expanding our property in 2018 adding a yoga deck, gym and spa facilities, a second pool and plenty of lounge areas and private nooks for calming bliss and relaxation were more of a must-have than a ‘nice to add’. And as the global pandemic hit in 2020 Boardwalk was the first to respond with complimentary healthy booster shots to boost the immune system, a vitamine-packed free perk we continued till this day. Yes, that’s the little tumeric/ginger juice you’ll be offered upon check-in and will find by the Front Desk as your daily dose of liquid health and happiness to kick-start your day.
Vegan Spa products
Our onsite Spa partner Aruba Wellness Therapies, locally owned and operated, offers vegan Spa products by local brand Mafela, based on organic and natural ingredients. These vegan products are used during facials, scrubs and massage treatments, and are for sale as well in the store in our hotel lobby. Boardwalk’s future goal is to offer an exclusive vegan room for hotel guests who prefer to stay in a room with vegan furniture and textiles, cleaned with vegan and plant-based cleaning products.
Boardwalk one of the first hotels in Aruba to be vegan certified
As you’re now reaching the end of this read, it will come as no surprise that Boardwalk Boutique Hotel was one of the first hotels in Aruba to become vegan hospitality certified by Vegan Hospitality & Tourism Worldwide Inc. in 2024. We’re dedicated to providing all of our guests, both vegan and non-vegan, with the highest quality services and healthy choices to improve the overall happiness, wellness and wellbeing, and deliver meaningful and memorable vacation experiences in Aruba. Always have been, and always will. It’s part of our DNA and our mission, and key to your happy, healthy vacay
