BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Sadira Baetens director of catering and convention services for Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, the Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property located on the island of Curaçao. Rob de Bekker, Benchmark's general manager at the resort, made the announcement.
Benchmark Hospitality International has named Darren Law general manager for Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort. Todd Felsen, senior vice president overseeing the property, which is a Benchmark Resort located oceanside on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, made the announcement. Darren Law’s new position represents a return to the Caribbean for him. Though Mr. Law most recently served as group general manager for Nofa Equestrian Resort, located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, prior to this he was group general manager for Amber Dune Resort & Spa, located in the Dominican Republic. He held the same position for The Regent Palms Resort and The Sands Resort of Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies. Mr. Law is a graduate of Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, located in Canada, where he received his Bachelor’s Diploma. He and his family are relocating to Curaçao.
Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR) announced today plans to open the first Courtyard by Marriott brand hotel in Curaçao in the city of Willemstad. The project will be developed by CMC Real Estate N.V.
Industry veteran Flor van der Vaart has been named the new general manager of Hyatt Regency Curaçao Golf Resort, Spa and Marina. Van der Vaart will oversee the entire operation of the 350-room resort located on Santa Barbara Plantation. Van der Vaart joins the Hyatt Regency Curaçao team with a career that began 20 years ago with the Hyatt Resort family. A native of Aruba, van der Vaart started with Hyatt in 1991 and has since worked at Hyatt properties in Aruba, Cambridge and Puerto Rico. Van der Vaart left the company for several years and has recently worked with Marriott properties in Aruba, both Aruba Ocean and Surf Club and St. Kitts as the general manager. “I’m very pleased to continue my career with Hyatt and especially as general manager of the Hyatt Regency Curaçao,” said van der Vaart. “I look forward to our continued success and taking our exceptional guest services to the next level together with our dedicated team of associates who are the cornerstone of our success in Curaçao. In addition, we continue our support of the destination and remain involved with efforts in the development of tourism in this fantastic destination.”
Diego Concha joins Hyatt Regency Curaçao with a career that spans more than two decades with the Hyatt resort family. A native of Colombia, Concha’s two decade career with Hyatt started in 1988 as the assistant food and beverage director at the former Hyatt Regency Cerromar Resort & Spa. During his successful career with Hyatt, Diego has taken the opportunity to sharpen his skills in various hospitality positions having served as food and beverage director, director of operations and most recently, hotel manager at Hyatt Regency Trinidad. Set along 1,500 acres of the Santa Barbara Plantation, a multi-faceted luxury resort community, the Hyatt Regency Curaçao, which will open mid-January 2010, is the centerpiece of the grand master development designed for vacationing and year-round living.