The Minister of Tourism, Transportation and Labour and the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association presented the Shoco National Tourism Awards of Excellence 2011, this past Friday, at the end of the first Tourism Summit, in a festive gathering at the Renaissance Convention Center.
The gala evening celebrated recognitions of outstanding achievements in tourism, awarding Melvin Tromp, a Renaissance Island attendant, the coveted Employee of the Year, SHOCO National Award of Tourism 2011.
While in past years the Shoco recognitions were bestowed by the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association, this year the awards were taken over by the Ministry of Tourism, Transportation and Labour, lending the program extra stature which accompanies official government citations. AHATA however remained as one of the proud main sponsors in conjunction with Digicel and Caribbean Mercantile Bank.
In his nomination of Melvin Tromp as Employee of the Year, General Manager Paul Gielen explained that Melvin’s work ethic is exceptional and that he has been nominated for the Resort’s Team of the Quarter a record five times since he joined the popular hotel chain in 1995, and won the coveted Employee of the Quarter award once, at the end of 2007.
But Melvin’s contributions to Renaissance Island cannot just be measured by awards, Gielen states. The Renaissance Island, formerly known as Sonesta Island, is an integral element in the attractiveness and success of the Renaissance Resort. In countless guest comments and online reviews, this extraordinarily beautiful piece of Aruba is mentioned as THE reason guests return to the property and/or as the highlight of their trip. The pristine beaches and beautiful palm trees of Renaissance Island complement manicured landscapes and turquoise waters, but the jewels of the crown are the smiling faces of the people who make the island so successful, its staff members!
Melvin Tromp is the most dedicated hard-working and loyal smiling face on the Renaissance Island team. Melvin has carefully taken care of the Island through the best of times including countless group events, a huge celebrity wedding, day-to-day nurturing of plants, flamingoes and waterways, and the more challenging moments as well, with Hurricane Lenny, and more recently Tropical Storms Omar and Tomas, just to name a few. Melvin’s keenness to ensure that the Island remains consistently in top shape is unfailing. His determination to receive guests like royalty every morning is unsurpassed.
Melvin is quick to assist guests with their towels, lounge chairs and hammocks, he is a great team player, and is well-respected by his colleagues. As someone who leads by example, he can always be counted on to either start early or work late, as his near perfect attendance record attests.
Melvin’s invaluable contributions to the success of the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino and his warm representation of Aruban hospitality to guests, deserve recognition as the SHOCO National Award of Tourism 2011, Employee of the Year, Gielen concludes.
Pictured here Melvin Tromp receiving his award from the CEO of the Aruba Tourism Authority, Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes, on stage at the Renaissance Convention Center. He is also pictured here with fellow-award winners among them Manager of the Year, a Renaissance colleague, Jhoanel Caraballo.
