Start-of-Summer Sweeps: Enter to Win a Getaway at the Radisson Blu Aruba (+ More)

There are two kinds of people at the start of summer: those who refresh airline websites looking for flight deals, and those who casually enter a sweepstakes and somehow end up sipping a piña colada in Aruba for free. The Start-of-Summer Sweeps from Remodelista, featuring a dream getaway to the Radisson Blu Aruba, is firmly in the second categoryand it’s the kind of giveaway that makes you immediately check where your passport is.

In this guide, we’ll break down what the sweepstakes is all about, why the Radisson Blu Aruba is such a coveted prize, what the “+ more” usually includes, and how to approach travel sweepstakes smartly and strategically. Think of it as your combination trip inspiration, sweepstakes explainer, and Aruba daydream, all rolled into one sunny article.

What Is the Start-of-Summer Sweeps?

Remodelista regularly partners with design-forward brands and travel partners for giveaways that feel a lot more curated than your average “win a random gift basket” promo. In this particular case, the headline prize is a multi-night stay at the Radisson Blu Aruba, a modern resort at the north end of the Palm Beach strip, plus some very stylish extras for design and book lovers.

Typically, these sweepstakes are open to U.S. residents of a certain age (often 18 or 21+), require a quick online entry form, and pick winners at random. Behind the scenes, sweepstakes like this help brands build email lists, grow social media followings, and drive site trafficone of the reasons they’ve become a staple tactic in modern marketing.

For entrants, though, the appeal is simple: a few minutes of your time in exchange for the chance to trade your office chair for a rooftop infinity pool in the Caribbean. That’s an ROI most people can get behind.

Inside the Grand Prize: The Radisson Blu Aruba Experience

The star of the Start-of-Summer Sweeps is the grand prize: a stay at the Radisson Blu Aruba, one of the island’s newer resorts, located a short stroll (or quick shuttle ride) from Aruba’s famous Palm Beach.

A Modern Take on Island Luxury

Unlike older, sprawling beachside properties, Radisson Blu Aruba feels sleek and contemporary. Reviews highlight spacious multi-bedroom suites with full kitchens, balconies, and plenty of room to spread outgreat whether you’re traveling as a couple or bringing friends along.

Key features that make this resort sweepstakes-worthy include:

• Three pools, including an expansive family pool and a standout adults-only rooftop infinity pool with sweeping ocean views.
• Proximity to Palm Beach, with a complimentary shuttle or golf cart service to reserved loungers on the sand.
• On-site dining, including a rooftop bistro where sunset views compete with the menu for your attention.
• Spacious suites that feel more like stylish apartments than standard hotel rooms, complete with living areas and kitchens.

Travel writers and guests often describe the resort as “quiet luxury”close enough to Aruba’s nightlife and shopping to join the fun, but just removed enough that you can actually sleep, hear the trade winds, and not someone else’s Bluetooth speaker.

What a Typical Prize Package Looks Like

While each promotion has its own official rules, the Radisson Blu Aruba sweepstakes promoted by Remodelista and its partners has featured packages along the lines of:

• Four-night stay for two in a one-bedroom ocean-view suite at Radisson Blu Aruba.
• Daily breakfast for two at the resort.
• Round-trip airport transfers between the hotel and Queen Beatrix International Airport.
• Additional partner prizes like book bundles, gift cards, and memberships.

Altogether, previous prize bundles have carried an approximate retail value of around $4,000so yes, this is more than just a token giveaway. It’s essentially a fully formed vacation that shows up in your inbox with a subject line like, “Congratulations, you’re going to Aruba.”

What’s Included in the “+ More”

The title hints at extras beyond the resort stay, and those are part of what makes this sweepstakes so fun. Past prize lists have included things like:

• Remodelista and Gardenista memberships plus a Visa gift carda combination of design inspiration and flexible spending money.
• A curated book bundle from Reese’s Book Club, ideal for poolside reading marathons.
• Gift cards and products from brands like TOMS and Gloria, adding fashion and lifestyle perks to your trip.

These extras turn the sweepstakes from “a free trip” into “a whole summer reset kit.” You aren’t just flying to Aruba; you’re showing up with new books, travel-friendly shoes, and maybe a little prepaid card to cover island snacks and souvenirs.

Why Aruba Is the Perfect Start-of-Summer Escape

So why Aruba, specifically? For starters, the island sits well south in the Caribbean, outside the typical hurricane belt. That means relatively stable weather, plenty of sunshine, and far fewer storm-related disruptions than many other beach destinations.

Consistently Sunny Weather

Aruba is often described as having “endless summer” weatherdaytime temperatures around the low to mid-80s Fahrenheit, low rainfall, and steady trade winds that keep the heat from feeling oppressive. Early summer can fall just after peak season, offering a nice balance of good weather and slightly calmer crowds or better value, especially in May and June.

Beaches Built for Relaxation

Palm Beach, near Radisson Blu Aruba, is known for calm, swimmable waters and soft white sandgreat for floating, paddle-boarding, or simply pretending you live there now and will never check your email again. Guests appreciate that the resort’s reserved beach area offers shade, loungers, and easy access to beach bars without feeling overcrowded.

Plenty to Do Beyond the Pool

Aruba is small but packed with things to do: snorkeling at Boca Catalina, exploring Arikok National Park, sailing on sunset cruises, or trying wind and kite surfing where the trade winds are strongest.

The beauty of a sweepstakes trip is that your lodging budget is already handled, so you can decide whether to keep it simplebeach, book, nap, repeator splurge on a few memorable excursions.

How Sweepstakes Like This Work (and Why Brands Love Them)

From the brand perspective, a sweepstakes is more than a feel-good giveawayit’s a strategic marketing tool. Agencies that specialize in promotions can tell you that a well-executed sweepstakes can significantly increase web traffic, social engagement, and email subscribers in a short period of time.

Common goals behind campaigns like the Start-of-Summer Sweeps include:

• Growing an email list of people who actually care about travel, design, or lifestyle content.
• Boosting social media presence through optional follows, shares, or tagged friends.
• Highlighting brand partners (like the resort, book club, or footwear brand) in a way that feels aspirational instead of salesy.
• Gathering insights about what prizes and content resonate most with their audience.

This is also why you’ll often see multiple brands co-sponsoring one prize packageit allows several companies to share costs, tap into each other’s audiences, and create a more impressive prize pool.

Smart Ways to Enter Travel Sweepstakes

If a trip to Aruba sounds tempting (and how could it not), a few smart habits will help you enjoy sweepstakes campaigns like this without feeling overwhelmed.

1. Use a Dedicated Email Folder

Since the whole point of a sweepstakes is usually to connect via email, expect to receive newsletters and brand updates after entering. Instead of letting those flood your main inbox, set up a filter or folder specifically for “Contests & Giveaways.” That way you can:

• Spot winner notifications quickly.
• Skim brand content when you’re in the mood for it.
• Unsubscribe later if it’s not your style.

2. Always Read the Official Rules (Really!)

It’s not glamorous, but it’s necessary. The rules usually spell out eligibility (for example, “void in Alaska, Hawaii, and Rhode Island”), entry limits (such as “one entry per person”), prize details, black-out dates, and tax obligations for larger prizes.

Two things to watch in particular:

• Travel windows – Make sure you can actually travel during the time frame required.
• What’s not included – Some sweepstakes cover flights, some don’t; most don’t cover incidentals or taxes.

3. Be Scam-Savvy

Legitimate sweepstakes will never ask you to pay a fee to claim a prize. If you get a message claiming you’ve won but it comes from a sketchy email address or social media account that doesn’t match the official sponsor, treat it with suspicion. Look for verification on the sponsor’s official website or social channels before responding.

Making the Most of a Radisson Blu Aruba Getaway

Whether you eventually win a trip or book one yourself, it helps to arrive with a game plan that balances relaxation with a little adventure.

Plan Around the Rooftop Pool

The resort’s adults-only rooftop infinity pool is a major highlight. With nearly 3,000 square feet of water and panoramic views of the Caribbean, it’s designed for lingeringthink late-afternoon swims, tapas at the rooftop bistro, and watching the sky turn shades of pink and gold.

Pro tip: schedule at least one “no plans” day where your only agenda is rooftop pool, good book, and maybe a nap.

Balance Pool Days with Beach Time

One common theme in guest reviews is how easy it is to switch between pool time and beach time. You can be floating in the resort’s curving main pool one hour and lounging on Palm Beach the next, with the hotel’s shuttle or golf cart handling the logisticsand yes, that matters when it’s hot, sunny, and you’re carrying a beach bag large enough to qualify as checked luggage.

Eat, Explore, Repeat

Because your accommodations are covered if you’re a sweepstakes winner, you have more flexibility with food and excursions. Mix it up with:

• Casual meals at the pool bar or rooftop restaurant.
• Exploring local spots around Palm Beach and downtown Oranjestad.
• Booking one or two signature experiences, like a snorkeling catamaran or off-road tour.

Imagining the First 24 Hours of Your Aruba Win

Let’s fast-forward and pretend the best-case scenario happened: your name was drawn. What does the first day of a Start-of-Summer Sweeps win actually feel like?

You step off the plane into warm island air that smells faintly of salt and sunscreen. Instead of scrambling to find a taxi, you’re met by your pre-arranged airport transferalready included in the prize. Twenty minutes later, you’re pulling up to Radisson Blu Aruba, where glass, greenery, and clean lines make the whole place feel like a modern beach house with extra floors.

At check-in, you’re handed a welcome drink, along with room keys that unlock a spacious suite with a balcony. There’s a living area, a kitchen, and more closet space than you packed for. You drop your bags, slide open the balcony door, and let the trade winds rush in. For once, there’s nothing on your to-do list except “enjoy this.”

By late afternoon, you’re at the rooftop pool, toes in the water, watching the sun angle lower over Palm Beach. Someone at the bar is making frozen drinks. Your biggest decision is whether to have dinner upstairs at the bistro or wander down to the beach for seafood. You try to remember the last time you felt this relaxed, and honestly, you can’t.

That’s the real magic of a sweepstakes trip: it’s not just about the free price tag, but the mental permission to step out of your everyday responsibilities and into a completely different rhythm for a few days.

of Real-World Sweepstakes and Aruba Travel Experiences

While not everyone has (yet) won a Start-of-Summer Sweeps, there are plenty of stories from travelers who’ve either won similar campaigns or stayed at Radisson Blu Aruba on their own dimeand their experiences can help you picture what this kind of getaway is really like.

Many frequent sweepers (yes, that’s a thingpeople who treat entering contests as a hobby) describe a pattern: months of small or no wins, followed by the occasional big surprise. One traveler talked about setting aside 15–20 minutes a day to enter carefully vetted promotions, using autofill tools to save time and tracking entries in a simple spreadsheet. They didn’t win every week, but after a year, they had scored a couple of high-value prizes, including a beach vacation. The key, they say, is consistency and treating it like buying free lottery tickets with your time instead of your money.

Travelers who’ve actually stayed at Radisson Blu Aruba consistently mention a few highlights. First, the suites feel especially generous if you’re used to traditional hotel roomshaving a living room and kitchen changes the whole vibe. You can store groceries, reheat leftovers, or make simple breakfasts before heading out. Families like this flexibility, but even couples appreciate having separate spaces to relax.

Second, guests rave about the pool scene. Because the resort has multiple poolsincluding that famous rooftop infinity pool and a large lagoon-style main poolthere’s rarely a sense of overcrowding. People talk about always finding a lounger, even without playing the “towel game” at dawn. At night, the pools become quieter, and the lighting around the property makes it feel like a movie set designed specifically for “relaxing person floats happily into summer.”

Third, there’s the Aruba factor itself. Visitors often say they feel safe walking around the Palm Beach area, even after dark, and appreciate the friendly, laid-back attitude of locals. Many first-time visitors end up returning, pointing to the combination of stable weather, easy navigation, and a “just enough” scale: big enough to offer variety, small enough to feel manageable in a few days.

One traveler who booked a penthouse at Radisson Blu Aruba using hotel points wrote about how the resort’s layout encourages both togetherness and breathing room. Friends could hang out in the shared living area, then retreat to separate bedrooms. During the day, some people went to the beach, others stayed at the rooftop pool, and the group regrouped in the evening for dinner and sunset watching. That kind of flexibility is exactly what makes a prize trip here feel like a true vacation rather than a tightly scheduled itinerary.

Even if you don’t consider yourself “lucky,” it can be worth entering well-run sweepstakes like the Start-of-Summer Sweeps for the simple reason that someone has to winand the barrier to entry is usually minimal. You’re not paying for extra tickets or jumping through complicated hoops. You’re filling out an honest form, agreeing to receive some content you can later opt out of, and giving yourself a tiny, delightful chance that your summer plans may suddenly include a rooftop infinity pool in Aruba.

And if you do win? Take lots of photos, actually read one of those Reese’s Book Club novels by the pool, and enjoy the fact that for a few sweet days, your biggest decision might be whether to go for one more swim before sunset.

Conclusion

The Start-of-Summer Sweeps: Enter to Win a Getaway at the Radisson Blu Aruba (+ More) campaign is more than a catchy headline. It’s a well-designed sweepstakes that combines a highly desirable Caribbean escape with thoughtfully chosen extras, all wrapped in the tasteful, design-centric world of Remodelista and its partners.

For would-be travelers, it’s both a practical opportunity and a reminder that sometimes, yes, good things do land in your inbox. For brands, it’s proof that smart sweepstakes can create real buzz while offering participants something genuinely compelling. And for you? It’s a chance to start summer not just by flipping your calendar page, but by imagining yourself floating in a rooftop pool with Aruba’s coastline in front of youand by clicking “enter,” just in case.