XpBonaire IslandLife Feature Story
Many new businesses have opened their doors recently and it's sometimes hard to keep up with all the introductions, but Belnem House Bonaire sticks out for one reason. It became the first resort to be off the power grid.
Belnem House Bonaire opened its doors to its owners in February 2023. Later, in April 2023, the boutique resort officially opened to the public and all vacationers. The owners can use the boutique resort and their accommodations for 5 weeks each year. The rest of the year, the accommodations are available for vacation rental.
Britt
Operation Manager Britt Thomassen is excited about the small-scale resort with its personal touch. Britt came to Bonaire 5 ½ years ago when she was taking a break from Hurricane Irma which had destroyed St Martin. Working at her uncle and aunt's dive shop, she only came to take a short break from all the destruction she had witnessed, but she never left.
Britt was born in a small village in the Netherlands. She had two dreams when she was little, becoming a vet in Australia and cooking the most delicious food. Her father, a cook, took Britt to work when she was young and she watched, learned and sometimes helped him to cook the dishes herself at home later.
When she finished her hospitality studies as a cook, she travelled to Australia to work and see the world. Coming back to her old surroundings in the Netherlands felt like home and comfortable, but when the travel bug bites you, it’s hard to sit still. That is when Britt decided to work with her family on St Martin at the dive shop and what finally led her to our island, Bonaire.
Very quickly she had her first job at Dive Friends as a dive instructor and shortly thereafter as an assistant location manager. But her past as an experienced cook got the best of her, and she became Chef at The Beach and later Executive Chef at La Balandra, Harbour Village. Even though she enjoyed her work and the stunning location, she couldn’t refuse the offer to become Operation Manager at the new Belnem House Bonaire.
Belnem House Bonaire
This is a new challenge for Britt, but in a familiar field and utilizes her best talents, interacting with guests and being a natural organizer and problem solver. She was made for this job. Britt became involved with the project in July 2022. Due to many circumstances, such as the pandemic and bad weather conditions, the project, like many others on the island, was delayed, and set to finally open in February 2023.
Belnem House Bonaire is located near the center of Kralendijk, in the villa district of Belnem. The exclusive and small-scale resort consists of 31 luxury suites, apartments and penthouses surrounding a tropical courtyard garden with pool bar, grill and swimming pool.
The penthouses boast a beautiful view of the sea and the coastline of Bonaire. Just steps away are the public beaches and the restaurant, The Beach. Wannadive Dive Center is nearby, within walking distance. Wannadive provides professional PADI diving courses and fantastic diving trips in the Caribbean Sea.
Sustainable & off-grid
The resort was built with sustainability in mind and with a minimal ecological footprint for the environment. The resort is almost completely energy self-sufficient. A series of solar panels on the rooftop with on location batteries provides and stores the energy needs for the comfortable apartments and suites during the day as well as at night, allowing all comfort facilities to be available in each of the accommodations.
Personal service
Personal service is what Britt and her small team stand for. The small scale of the resort makes it possible to offer very personal service, customized to everyone’s individual needs in a casual atmosphere that suits a Caribbean vacation. Any car rental, airport transfer, restaurant reservations, tour bookings and any advice requested can be taken care of.
15% or 20% introduction discount
The grand opening of Belnem House Bonaire is being celebrated with a special introductory discount.
Guests now benefit from a 15% extra discount on a stay in a suite and 20% extra discount on a stay in an apartment or penthouse for arrivals until 07-07-2023.
INFO
Belnem House Bonaire
7 EEG Boulevard, Kralendijk,
+599 700 0256
Facebook & IG Belnem House Bonaire
info@belnemhousebonaire.com
