TERENCE VAN DER VALK RUNS A TROPICAL PARADISE ON CURAÇAO

Those who recognize the surname may think Terence was always destined for a career in hospitality. As the fifth generation of the Van der Valk family to work in the eponymous hotel chain, he is following in the footsteps of his parents, who moved to Curaçao to open a beach resort in 1989. Terence grew up on the island and from the age of 12 started helping out in the family business on a regular basis. “Any time things got busy, I was expected to lend a hand. Conversations at home tended to revolve around the hotel, so I just naturally learnt all about improving the guest experience, service and quality.”

But Terence never assumed he would take the Van der Valk road. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to follow the pattern or maybe do something radically different”, he explains. Wanting to keep his options open, Terence studied hospitality business and management at De Rooi Pannen school in Breda, while also working at Van der Valk in Nuland on the side to learn the ropes of the family business. After graduating, he did a six-month traineeship at Renaissance in Amsterdam and then went backpacking in Australia for three months.

What changed everything was a telephone call Terence got from his father on his return. “He wanted to know ‘Are you ever coming back to Curaçao?’

My dad thought it was time I got a job. He was in the process of establishing a Van der Valk location on Bonaire and needed me to come over for two months to support the team.” Terence agreed. “I had the advantage of having grown up in the Caribbean, speaking the language and understanding the culture. But I was still young, and suddenly there I was, heading up 200 people. It was a massive challenge, but also an excellent education.” Two months wound up stretching into two years on Bonaire. Terence spent a few more months working at Van der Valk in Hoorn before returning to his own home island in 2013.

Terence’s parents had long owned two places on Curaçao: the Plaza Hotel and Kontiki Beach Club. After selling the hotel in 2006 they shifted focus to the beach club, growing it into a full-fledged resort that embodied the tropical island vibe within a luxurious setting. “We wanted to create a tropical paradise. That shaped the whole interior layout and styling, from the limestone floors and salt water swimming pools to the tropical gardens and design of the timber cottages.”

Also part of Kontiki Beach Resort are Cabana Beach and Mood Beach, two lively beach clubs just a stone’s throw from the guest lodges. The resort’s most recent addition is the Luxury Suites, just finished in December. “Unique features of our Luxury Suites are the spacious rooms, plunge pool and view of the Caribbean. Whether you’re in the shower, cleaning your teeth or lounging on the sofa, you can dream away with a view of the sea.”

With the splashy new suites completed, it’s time to tackle the rest of the resort. The next step is upgrading the existing rooms and merging all the catering facilities.

“We expect more demand for all-inclusive holidays in future and are gearing the resort towards that goal. We also want to extend the elegant feel of the Luxury Suites to the rest of the resort.”

These days, Terence runs Kontiki Beach Resort with his brother and sister. “We each have our own responsibilities and respect each other’s territory. Working with family is nice”, Terence confirms, “because you can lean on and trust each other, though I’m also less inclined to mince words with them than with the rest of the team. The hospitality world can be fierce, after all, but all in all we have a blast together.” Kontiki