I-Departure: Kimberly from Boardwalk Aruba
New, newer, newest and also damn fun, if we say so ourselves. Welcome to the latest section of Barts Boekje... I-leaving stories of catering professionals who have started a hotel or B&B abroad. The folks who dared to pack their suitcases and enter the familiar life Viva Hollandia to leave behind. Because let's be honest: isn't that what everyone is looking forward to right now? Inspiring stories of enterprising people, here you go.
Starting with the first I-Departure story, that of Kimberly, one of the owners of Boardwalk Aruba.
Start at the beginning because the story of Kimberly and her twin sister goes waaay back. It looks like a fairy tale, albeit the modern version. Kimberly and her father twin sister was born on Curacao but enjoyed island hopping. On the beach he 'found' Kimberly and Stephanie's mother, they settled in Aruba and that's where the twins were born. When 'those two' were a year old, the whole thing moved to Belgium, but every year the family returned to Aruba. Coming home a bit, so to speak. And ok, the white beaches, sun, and it relaxed lives also helped. The nice thing about those holidays was the mix between the 'normal' holiday and visiting friends again and again locals and famous places.
It is not surprising that Kimberly has always been attracted to the Latin American culture of Aruba. The vibe of the islands. After Kimberly completed her studies in Belgium, she packed her bags and left for Peru for a year-long exchange. Learning Spanish and that Latino culture (Salsa baby!) that Kimberly likes so much smitten is up, look it up. After Peru, Roffa came and after that she was really sure: Belgium and the Netherlands would not be it. And then? Something about timing, good luck, karma: “Boardwalk Aruba is for sale, shouldn't you do something with that?”
Kimberly and her family knew all the places on the island, but Boardwalk was a spontaneous discovery. A secret gem which the family discovered while looking for a tipped person surf shop. (Kite surfing Aruba is a dream, you should know. Hot water, island breezes and all year long temperatures you say you are against). That's how they discovered the Boardwalk area, which was then still a large, wild jungle. Long time ago it was an old plantation, but there was nothing left to see of it at that time. The family got one instant 'wow feeling'. Everything was green, with a small swimming pool in the middle of nature and all surrounded by several small houses. Magic.
After the call, the family gathered in Belgium, made an offer and less than three days later the offer was accepted. Stephanie, Kimberly's twin of course also 'in.' "Okay, my suitcase is ready, I'll come with you." And so it happened…
'It's just chill to wake up and think, gosh, what am I looking forward to today? Who should we call and ask to do something together?' Nothing has to be done, everything is possible and that spontaneity brings many fun moments. Then suddenly we're on the boat at 13:00 PM.'
When Boardwalk was sold, it turned out that there was an option to purchase the site behind the hotel in order to expand. After the original thirteen houses were renovated, the major expansion began in 2014. Those plans were completely completed five years later, in 2019: there are now 46 houses, that many!
Of course you need an x number of houses to keep things profitable. The houses have everything you need and that makes a stay at Boardwalk Aruba so nice. Outside your own BBQ and a hammock. Real life in Aruba. It's not a typical hotel. The local experience has been the starting point from moment 1. If we can give one tip, it is: choose a concept that suits you and go for it!
'From the beginning of our project, Boardwalk Aruba, we were forced to distinguish ourselves in the field of personal attention and the local experience and we have never let go of this concept since, it is and remains a common thread, this is what we are most proud of.'
Did Kimberly already have catering experience? 'No, hospitality whether it is in you or not, I don't think you necessarily need training for that. We learned it by doing it. Okay, and that Burgundian of Belgium is also in me.'
A disadvantage of living in Aruba is that there is little expertise is. An educational side effect of this, to put it bluntly, is that you learn to do everything yourself. Is a plumber needed? Then Kimberly and Stephanie ensure that they keep an eye on whether everything is happening properly. These women sink their teeth into the problem and ensure that it is solved. And that can sometimes be quite challenging in Aruba... You understand, tranquilo tranquilo. That is different in the Netherlands.
Mother of small children and owner of a hotel… How?, we hear you think. The women are the breadwinners here. In the beginning it took some getting used to and fortunately the men are completely okay with this. They work partly from home and they have a great babysitter for the kids.
Tip from Kimberly
Always follow you gut feeling in combination with common business scene.
'It is tiring to always feel like you have to be on top of everything, but this helps you develop knowledge about things you never thought you would ever need.'
'I miss friends and family the most, that remains. You build a circle of people here on the island, but many people come to Aruba for a period of a few years and then they leave again. That's a shame, but it's part of it.'
'When you are 26 and you come to live on an island like Aruba, you only realize how much freedom you have in Europe. You get on the train and you are in Paris. Do you feel like going to a festival? No problem. That is different in Aruba. Culturally, I really had to get used to the activities in the beginning.'
WellOnly now that she is a mother does Kimberly realize how free she is in Aruba. No mandatory numbers or birthdays needy aunts and grandmothers. 'In Aruba you don't live with an agenda, you look at what you feel like doing every day.'
OOM Insurances
When you leave, good insurance is a must. The best tip we recently received was: 'take a look OOM Insurances to look!' That is a small Dutch insurance company that insures where other insurers stop. That's not a piece of cake – we did research and it really is true. Read more here.
