Above: the Blue Residences

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Blue Residences condo resort project in Aruba has named Jan van Nes its general manager.

Van Nes has taken over effective immediately.

“We’re very fortunate to have Jan van Nes sign on as the general manager of Blue Residences,” said Herber Valkenberg, president of Icon Hotel Marketing, the North American representative for the resort. “We’re confident that his extensive experience and innovative ideas coupled with his knowledge of Aruba will be instrumental in making the property a success.”

The property, which is scheduled to open March 1, 2014, is the first luxury condo resort on Aruba’s Eagle Beach in two decades.

Van Nes had served for 13 years as the general manager of the Playa Linda Beach Resort in Aruba, and has held positions including director of tourism for the Aruba Tourism Authority and executive director of the Aruba Timeshare Association, among others.

“After dedicating 13-plus years to the Playa Linda, I was ready for a new challenge,” van Nes said in a release. “Blue Residences represented a unique opportunity to implement ideas I have had in mind for many years.”