Plaza Hotel Curaçao

Plaza Hotel Curaçao
Plaza Hotel Curaçao (2020)
Plaza Hotel Curaçao is located in Curaçao
Plaza Hotel Curaçao
Alternative namesHotel Curacao Intercontinental
General information
AddressWaterfortstraat
Town or cityWillemstad
CountryCuraçao
Coordinates12°06′14″N 68°56′06″W / 12.10389°N 68.93500°W / 12.10389; -68.93500
Opened12 October 1957
Owner
Height50 m (160 ft)[1]
Technical details
Floor count14[1]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Joseph P. Salerno and Ben Smit[2]
Other information
Number of rooms258

Plaza Hotel Curaçao is a former hotel in Willemstad, Curaçao. It was constructed in the Waterfort, and opened on 12 October 1957 as Hotel Curaçao Intercontinental. It is the tallest building on the island. The hotel has changed ownership many times. In 2017, Plaza Hotel Management was declared bankrupt. The hotel is in a dilapidated state, and pieces have fallen off. Viva Construction had been hired to assess the building prior to the 2020 auction, and reported that demolition was the best option. At the auction, it was sold to Algemeen Pensionfonds Curaçao, a pension fund which planned to redevelop the site.[3]

History

[edit]

In 1953, the government of Curaçao was approached by the International Hotel Corporation who wanted to construct a large hotel on the island.[4] In 1955, a model of the hotel was submitted for approval.[5] A decision was reached to redevelop the area around the Waterfort, a fort constructed in 1634 and rebuilt in 1827.[6][7] In July 1955, El Curaçao N.V. was founded.[2] The site where the hotel would be built was occupied by the Netherlands Marine Corps who were relocated to Marinebasis Parera [nl] in late 1955.[7] The hotel was constructed in the old fort.[8]

Intercontinental

[edit]

On 12 October 1957, Hotel Curaçao InterContinental opened. At the opening ceremony KLM announced direct flights from New York City to Curaçao.[9] In 1968, an extension of the hotel was announced. A tower of 14 floors would be added to the hotel, and the total number of hotel rooms would be increased to 258.[10] The tower was finished in 1970, and was the tallest building in Curaçao; the second floor was dedicated to meetings, and the top floor contained a penthouse suite.[11] As of 2022, it still is the tallest building.[1][12] InterContinental decided to terminate the contract at the end of 1976, and negotiations with Canadian Pacific Hotels started.[13]

Canadian Pacific

[edit]

Canadian Pacific demanded loans and large investments of the island government.[13] On 2 September 1976, the hotel was purchased, and renamed Plaza Hotel Curaçao. The headquarters of Canadian Pacific for Latin America and the Caribbean were moved to Curaçao, and Air Canada announced that it would commence charter flights to Curaçao.[14] In 1981, large losses were reported, and the hotel only managed to keep afloat on the casino and subsidies from the island government.[15] In 1983, Canadian Pacific started negotiations with the Hart Hotel Group.[16]

Hart Group

[edit]

In June 1984, the hotel was sold to the Hart Group, a joint venture of Richard Hart and Ramada Hotels.[17] The hotel was renovated, and a discotheque was added. The renovated hotel reopened in December 1986, and Richard Hart expressed confidence that it would be profitable.[18] In January 1989, the island government, which had acquired a 32% share in the hotel in 1981,[15] announced its intention to sell its share.[19]

Van der Valk

[edit]

In March 1989, the hotel was sold to Van der Valk Hotels for US$3 million. The island government promised to spend US$150,000 annually on the promotion of the hotel,[20] and Richard Hart would remain president of the hotel. Van der Valk wanted to expand the hotel with an artificial beach,[21] however the negotiations with the island government were difficult, and environmental groups demonstrated against further destruction of the coral reef. Van der Valk complained that they were one of the few hotels on the island without a private beach.[22]

Barney Ivanovic

[edit]

In 2006, the Plaza Hotel was sold to Barney Ivanovic, a Yugoslavian-born American businessman. In 2008, a dispute arose between Ivanovic and his business partner Chester Peterson about the ownership of the hotel, and Ivanovic was forcibly removed from the hotel. A lengthy legal battle followed.[23] In 2011, Ivanovic sued Adèle van der Pluijm-Vrede, the notary at the time and acting Governor of the Netherlands Antilles, in a Florida court.[24] Van der Pluijm-Vrede refused to appear in court citing costs and no time.[25] The Florida judge dismissed the charges as not related to Florida.[26] Girobank was the mortgage holder of the hotel. By 2017, Plaza Hotel Management owed Girobank NAf 26 million (~US$14 million).[27] Girobank went to court, and Plaza Hotel Management was declared bankrupt.[28]

Aftermath

[edit]

In June 2017, the Plaza Hotel was sold by auction to John W. Burcham of Waterfront Hotel Group for US$9 million who planned to open a Hilton DoubleTree hotel;[29][30] however, the money was never paid. In 2018, it was sold to Tom Bolera for NAf 13.5 million (~US$7.5 million), but he never paid either.[27] In September 2020, the hotel was sold to Algemeen Pensionfonds Curaçao, a pension fund, for NAf 6.3 million (~US$3.5 million).[3][31]

Years of neglect combined with vandalism have resulted in a dilapidated state. Concrete degradation has caused fallen debris, and experts have recommended that the building should be fenced off.[32] Viva Construction had been hired to assess the building prior to the 2020 auction, and reported that demolition was the best option.[33]

[edit]
  • Plaza Hotel at sunset
    Plaza Hotel at sunset
  • The fire escape (2020)
    The fire escape (2020)
  • Plaza Hotel on the Waterfort
    Plaza Hotel on the Waterfort
  • Inside the hotel (2020)
    Inside the hotel (2020)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Plaza Hotel Curaçao". Emporis. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ a b "Eerste phase tot stand koming hotel "El Curacao" afgesloten". Amigoe di Curacao (in Dutch). 6 May 1955. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Next phase Road to Plaza". Curaçao Chronicle. 17 December 2021. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Curacao wil kapitaal trekken". Het nieuws (in Dutch). 9 September 1953. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Maquette van Hotel dinsdag op Curacao". Amigoe di Curacao (in Dutch). 29 April 1955. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Waterfort Curaçao". Traces of War (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Nog dit jaar komt Waterfort vrij". Amigoe di Curacao (in Dutch). 1 December 1955. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  8. ^ Kateman, Thijs (2012). Curacao, Aruba en Bonaire / druk 1: Binaire en Aruba. ANWB Media – Boeken & Gidsen. p. 70. ISBN 978-90-18-02464-2. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Hotel Curacao officieel in gebruik". Amigoe di Curacao (in Dutch). 14 October 1957. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022. Opened Saturday
  10. ^ "Contact bouw toren getekend". Amigoe di Curacao (in Dutch). 11 October 1968. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Vlag in top bij nieuwbouw hotel InterContinental". Amigoe di Curacao (in Dutch). 29 April 1970. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  12. ^ "Increasing interest for Plaza Hotel". Curaçao Chronicle. 19 December 2016. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  13. ^ a b "BC vraagt grote bedragen voor sanering van hotels". Amigoe di Curacao (in Dutch). 12 June 1976. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Canadian Pacific vestigt hoofdkantoor op Curaçao". Amigoe di Curacao (in Dutch). 2 September 2022. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Curaçao kan niet meer investeren in Plaza Hotel". Amigoe (in Dutch). 12 October 1981. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Status quo bij Curacao Plaza gehandhaafd". Amigoe (in Dutch). 24 March 1983. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  17. ^ "Plaza hotel behoudt voorlopig oude naam". Amigoe (in Dutch). 1 June 1984. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Plaza Hotel moet nu met winst gaan draaien". Amigoe (in Dutch). 15 December 1969. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Verbouwing Plaza heeft 30 miljoen gekost". Amigoe (in Dutch). 16 January 1989. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  20. ^ "Plaza Hotel voor 3 miljoen dollar verkocht aan concern Van Der Valk". Amigoe (in Dutch). 7 March 1989. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  21. ^ "Van der Valk in Willemstad". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 4 July 1989. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  22. ^ "Curaçao". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 6 August 1994. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  23. ^ "'Speedy trok een pistool'". Antiliaans Dagblad via Knipselkrant Curaçao (in Dutch). 23 November 2010. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  24. ^ "Plaza Hotel Curacao – Crime scene story". Curaçao Chronicle. 10 December 2012. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  25. ^ "Van der Pluijm-Vrede negeert Amerikaanse dagvaarding". Radio Nederland Wereldomroep (in Dutch). 5 October 2011. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011.
  26. ^ "Case 11-80726-Civ-Ryskamp/Vitunac" (PDF). United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. 9 November 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  27. ^ a b "Weer nieuwe veiling van Plaza Hotel". Antiliaans Dagblad (in Dutch). 11 August 2022. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  28. ^ "Opheffing faillissement Plaza Hotel". Antiliaans Dagblad (in Dutch). 17 July 2020. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  29. ^ "Plaza Hotel & Casino in Curacao sold to only bidder in auction". Noticia Cla. 20 July 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  30. ^ "New owner wants to open Plaza Hotel as soon as possible". Curacao Chronicle. 24 July 2017. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  31. ^ "Nieuwe eigenaar APC in vergevorderd gesprek met Heritage Plaza Consortium". Antilliaans Dagblad (in Dutch). 22 September 2020. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  32. ^ "Leegstaande Plaza gevaar voor omgeving". Curaçao.nu (in Dutch). 16 October 2019. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  33. ^ "Plaza Hotel slopen". Curaçao.nu (in Dutch). 20 August 2020. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
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