Historic Photo Competition Concludes at the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort Casino

PALM BEACH, ARUBA — The Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino, announced a historic photo competition mid-February in an effort to uncover images of the hotel in the early days, anything dated before the Millennium, to be digitalized, and then artfully and proudly displayed throughout the property.

The response by guests, locals and visitors was enthusiastic, as many individuals came forward to share their treasured memories. The Aruba National Archives and the Biblioteca Arubiana Caribbiana also welcomed resort representatives who went through their archival materials in search of interesting finds.

A committee set up at the resort picked the winning images in several categories. Among committee members: Owners’ representative Rene Kan, General Manager Olivier Maumaire, Director of Sales and Marketing Arianne Valentino, Director of HR Glenn Farro, and PR & Marketing Manager Nunette Maduro.

The competition was open to both amateur and professional photography and uncovered more than 350 images. Winners on the list below are kindly requested to contact Nunette Maduro for their prize, dinner for two at the Sunset Grille or Sunday Champagne Brunch for two at Laguna. Nancy Maceachen is the winner of a weekend’s stay.

Competition winners are:

In the Historic category: Belinda de Veer, for her photograph of an original detail of the famous Delft Blue lobby wall. The detail of the wall depicts the First Salute to the United States of America, by the Netherlands. Made in Delft, for Jeffrey De Veer, the company’s president at the time, the artwork was designed to show him in the form of a maquette, what the commissioned mural at the Aruba Caribbean Hotel would look like. The maquette is a family heirloom piece at the de Veers.

In the People category: Vivian Wever, for the lovely photograph of herself as a child, playing in the surf, circa 1958. The photo was taken by Vivian’s father Lucio R Wever and is part of his slide collection which was digitalized in 2014.

In the Advertising category: Bibi Bikker, Archivo National. Bibi for uncovering several official pictures of the resort taken by professional photographers for postcards and brochures.

In the Professional category: Jossy Lacle for uncovering the collection of albums made by historian Dr. J. Hartog, in 1962. The albums are safeguarded at the Biblioteca Arubiana Caribbiana.

In the Architecture category: Ruben Boekhoudt for delivering a spectacular image of the Aruba Caribbean lobby, with columns in blue. Ruben worked at the hotel for many years – until 2008, when he retired. He brought about 50 images of the resort as Aruba Caribbean, the Golden Tulip and the Radisson, to the competition.

In the Deeper Meaning category: Frank Thieleman for finding an image of his mother and grandmother, sitting in a period car with the family dog’s head sticking out the window. The resort can be seen beyond a cactus fence, and the photo brings together nicely those two worlds, the hotel and the locals. Thieleman’s parents moved to Aruba in 1952. His father joined the Camera Club of Aruba in 1953. The slides shared by Thieleman in the competition were taken after the opening of the hotel in 1959.

In the Nature category: Mario Ridderstap for submitting a breathtaking image of the pristine coast line of Palm Beach, with very few swimmers/sunbathers.

In the Moving category: Arlette Oduber for submitting a picture of her parents and their friends lounging on the beach of the resort, looking young and gorgeous, reflecting a popular activity at the time: Relaxing at the Carib.

In the Event category: Evert Bongers, a tourism historian, for submitting a picture of Princess Beatrix, admiring the model of the future hotel, during her historic visit to the island. Evert also submitted an original sketch by architect Morris Lapidus, and an aerial shot of the Aruba Caribbean.

In the Editorial category: Jocky Tromp a former bell man & Pedro Henriquez, a former bellman and engineer for submitting images of themselves standing next to the Goddess of Seven Pleasures, a sculpture at the Bali Bar and next to the Logo of the Hotel, against the cut stone wall at the entrance to the lobby. The pictures tell the story, of how proud the islanders were of their first upscale hotel.

In the Social category: Nancy Maceachen, for submitting a great number of pictures and documents, having worked at the hotel as director of marketing for five years. Her image of Carnival at the Klompen Club reflects her dedication to the resort, organizing and promoting the new property, the first one to open in Aruba. During the sixties, Nancy went to Venezuela and Puerto Rico to promote the resort. She later also became the reservations manager.

In the Retro Chic category: Karin Swiers, for she submitting an image of Belva Henriquez & Nancy Maceachern, two fashionable and elegant locals, in period swim suits and beach wear, against the backdrop of the beach and the resort. The picture is hanging in Belva’s house in Savaneta.

In the Most Fun category: Bert Hagelen, for submitting the picture of the San Fernando brothers playing steel pans at the Aruba Caribbean Hotel in 1963.

In the most Nostalgic category: Watty Heyliger for submitting a group picture of himself with colleague waiters, in the dining room on Christmas 1962.

About Hilton Hotels & Resorts

For nearly a century, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has been proudly welcoming the world’s travelers. With more than 550 hotels across six continents, Hilton Hotels & Resorts provides the foundation for memorable travel experiences and values every guest who walks through its doors. As the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide, Hilton Hotels & Resorts continues to set the standard for hospitality, providing new product innovations and services to meet guests’ evolving needs. Hilton Hotels & Resorts is a part of the award-winning Hilton HHonors program. Hilton HHonors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to benefits including free standard Wi-Fi, as well as digital amenities that are available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton HHonors app. Access the latest news at news.hilton.com and begin your journey at www.hilton.com or www.hilton.com/offers for the latest hotel specials.

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April 11, 2016
Rona Coster