Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino announced the appointment of a new director of beverage & food, Diego Lemasson. The announcement goes hand in hand with the relaunch of the resort’s Fresco restaurant, which officially reopened as an Italian restaurant today. Lemasson joins the Renaissance Aruba team by way of Renaissance Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where he led the resort’s food-and-beverage program since the opening in June 2015.
Lemasson received his MBA in hospitality and tourism management from the Ecole Superieure Internationale de Savignac in France, and began his career as the F&B supervisor at the Lace Market Hotel in Nottingham, UK. Since then, he has had a hand in culinary programs across a number of hotels and resorts in seven different countries throughout Europe, South America and the Caribbean. With over 10 years of experience working with Marriott International, Lemasson brings strong talent and leadership to Renaissance Aruba’s revamped gastronomy program.
“The resort has been heavily investing in updating its food and beverage program over the last year, and Fresco is the latest example of the quality service and gastronomy we are providing,” Lemasson said. “I’m excited to be joining this team of talented individuals as we work to bring our guests an elevated dining experience.”
The newly revamped Fresco will offer guests traditional Italian cuisine with an a la carte menu of pizzas, pastas, Italian pastries and desserts. Menu items include prosciutto di parma, lobster risotto and Bailey’s tiramisu. Featuring the best Italian beverage program found in Aruba, Fresco serves only the highest quality selection of Italian wines and cocktails, including classics such as amaretto sours, and Negronis. The restaurant also serves a sampling of homemade Italian liquors such as limoncello, mandarinecello and limecello. The space features a lively, open air dining area with an open kitchen and a special brick oven for making pizzas. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the outdoor space will allow guests to take in the sights of the island as they dine al fresco and is part of Renaissance Aruba’s all-inclusive option.
Fresco’s renovated space complements Renaissance Aruba’s six other F&B venues, the latest being the L.G. Smith's Steak & Chop House, which underwent a soft redo in June 2017.