A Lifetime of Impact Recognized: Bucuti & Tara’s Ewald Biemans Awarded Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau
On the pristine shores of Aruba’s award-winning Eagle Beach, Ewald Biemans, founder and owner of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, has built a globally recognized legacy of sustainable luxury hospitality, purpose-driven tourism and environmental leadership, a lifelong commitment that has now earned one of the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ highest civilian honors while further elevating Aruba’s position as a world leader in sustainable travel and luxury Caribbean tourism.
On April 24, 2026, Ewald Biemans was named Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau, a prestigious royal distinction conferred by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander during the Netherlands’ annual King’s Day celebrations and “Ribbon Rain” ceremony.
For more than five decades, Ewald has helped shape Aruba into one of the world’s leading destinations for sustainable tourism, luxury wellness travel and meaningful hospitality experiences. His leadership transformed Bucuti & Tara into a globally recognized model for eco-conscious luxury, while simultaneously elevating Aruba’s reputation on the world stage.
This recognition honors both a remarkable career and a philosophy that continues influencing the future of travel worldwide.
What Is the Order of Orange-Nassau?
The Order of Orange-Nassau recognizes individuals whose work creates lasting societal impact through public service, humanitarian leadership, innovation and dedication to community.
For Ewald, this distinction reflects decades of measurable contributions spanning:
- Sustainable tourism leadership
- Climate action innovation
- Environmental conservation
- Community development
- Animal welfare advocacy
- Employee wellness initiatives
- Aruba’s economic advancement
His work demonstrates how hospitality can become a force for positive global change while remaining deeply rooted in local culture and community.
From Aruba’s Economic Uncertainty to a Global Hospitality Icon
When Ewald founded Bucuti Beach Resort in 1987, Aruba faced economic instability following the closure of the island’s refinery, which left thousands unemployed. Opening day coincided with Black Monday 1987, one of the largest stock market crashes in history.
Despite global uncertainty, Ewald remained committed to building something different.
He envisioned a resort where laidback luxury hospitality, environmental responsibility and genuine human connection could coexist seamlessly. That vision evolved into today’s Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated adults-only luxury resorts and a global leader in sustainable travel.
The addition of Tara Suites in 2004 further strengthened the resort’s reputation for intimate hospitality, wellness-focused experiences and environmentally responsible luxury.
Today, Bucuti & Tara consistently ranks among the world’s best hotels for romance, wellness and sustainability.
Leading Sustainable Tourism Long Before It Became Mainstream
Long before sustainability became an industry trend, Ewald Biemans viewed environmental stewardship as essential to hospitality.
His philosophy remains simple yet powerful, “We are not in the tourism business, we are in the nature business.”
That belief became the foundation for Bucuti & Tara’s internationally acclaimed sustainability program.
In 2018, Bucuti & Tara became the Caribbean’s first and still its only Certified CarbonNeutral® hotel, achieving what many believed impossible for a luxury beachfront resort.
Then, in 2020, the United Nations awarded Bucuti & Tara the prestigious Global UN Climate Action Award, making it the first and only hotel in the world to receive this distinction. The UN recognized the resort’s sustainability framework as “highly replicable and scalable,” encouraging hotels globally to adopt similar practices. Over the years, he’s built the resort’s sustainability program into more than 400 initiatives based on the framework created by certifications for Travelife Gold, Green Globe Platinum, LEED Gold, CarbonNeutral® and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Under Ewald’s leadership, the resort has become a benchmark for:
- Carbon neutrality
- Renewable energy integration
- Water conservation
- Waste reduction
- Sustainable procurement
- Biodiversity preservation
- Wellness-centered travel experiences
Bucuti & Tara is now in the final stages of becoming Net Zero in Scopes 1 and 2.
His expertise has led to invitations to present at major global climate forums including COP26 and COP28, where he shared Aruba-based sustainability solutions with world leaders and industry experts. Simultaneously, the resort routinely hosts sustainability tours for guests, foreign delegations, researchers and students, and has routinely been the topic of case studies and textbook chapters.
How Bucuti & Tara Helped Redefine Luxury Travel
At Bucuti & Tara, luxury is measured not by excess, but by meaningful experiences, wellness, tranquility and connection.
This philosophy has helped define a new category of travel where romance, sustainability and personal well-being exist together naturally.
Joining other promises in Bucuti & Tara’s popular “What We Are Not” commitment, the resort intentionally remains free from:
- Large groups and conventions
- Family-oriented crowds
- Motorized watersports
- Environmentally harmful excursions
Instead, guests discover space to reconnect, recharge and experience Aruba authentically.
This distinctive approach continues attracting travelers seeking:
- Adults-only luxury in Aruba
- Sustainable Caribbean resorts
- Wellness-focused vacations
- Eco-friendly honeymoon destinations
- Romantic beachfront escapes
The results speak for themselves.
Bucuti & Tara has earned global recognition from Tripadvisor, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler and Forbes, including:
- Tripadvisor’s No. 5 Hotel in the World
- Tripadvisor’s No. 1 Hotel in the Caribbean
- Elements Restaurant ranked No. 1 Fine Dining Restaurant in the Caribbean
- Condé Nast Traveler - Top 40 Resorts in the Caribbean Islands
- Travel + Leisure - World's Best Awards and T+L 500 Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Recommended
In 2025, the opening of Terra by Jeremy Ford further elevated the resort’s culinary offerings, bringing Michelin-star and Michelin Green-star philosophy to Aruba’s dining scene. Terra is described by Forbes as “the most coveted reservation to score.”
A Lasting Commitment to Aruba’s Environment and Community
Ewald Biemans’ impact extends far beyond hospitality.
For decades, he has championed conservation and community initiatives across Aruba, including:
- Sea turtle protection efforts including the annual Sea Turtle Calendar for potentially witnessing hatchlings
- Island-wide beach cleanup programs
- Reforestation projects throughout the island
- Animal welfare advocacy
- Sustainable business development including Tara Eco Supplies, connecting Aruba’s hospitality entities with sustainable supplies to help protect the island’s environment and community
More than 40 years ago, he founded Aruba’s first hotel-led cleanup initiative, helping unite the tourism industry around environmental stewardship. Today, Bucuti & Tara’s monthly beach cleanups remove approximately 1,500 pounds of debris annually while bringing together staff, guests and community volunteers.
Together with Yesenia Arends, Biemans also co-founded Stimami Sterilisami, the nonprofit organization responsible for supporting spay and neuter procedures for more than 47,000 dogs and cats throughout Aruba.
In 2022, Bucuti & Tara established The Bucuti Tara - GMC Nature Preserve, a protected 32-acre conservation area in Noord dedicated to biodiversity restoration, climate resilience and native reforestation. More than 1,200 indigenous trees have already been planted through the collaborative efforts of guests, staff and community members. Doubling as a carbon sink, at full reforestation of up to 15,000 trees, the nature preserve will draw down 375 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.
The preserve also allows guests to participate in the resort’s “Plant a Tree of Love” initiative, creating a living symbol of connection and sustainability that grows over time.
A Leadership Legacy Rooted in Values
Those who know Ewald Biemans best consistently describe his leadership as humble, purposeful and deeply values-driven.
Susan Logan, a longtime Bucuti & Tara executive and friend, shared, “Ewald’s life reflects a simple truth, that character is defined by what one does when no one is watching.”
That philosophy continues shaping the future of Bucuti & Tara through the next generation of leadership. His proud granddaughter, Crescenzia Biemans, serves as Managing Director while also leading Tara Eco Supplies and contributing to numerous environmental and tourism initiatives across Aruba and throughout the Caribbean.
Together, they continue advancing a vision where hospitality strengthens communities, protects natural ecosystems and creates meaningful experiences for travelers from around the world.
Ewald Biemans Reflects on the Honor
Upon receiving the royal distinction, Biemans shared, “I am deeply honored and grateful to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, and to those who put my name forward for this recognition as part of the Order of Orange-Nassau. This honor reflects the dedication of our team, the support of our community and the trust of guests from around the world who choose to experience Aruba with us.”
He continued, “I believe each one of us can change the world right where we are standing, and this recognition affirms that belief.”
On behalf of all of us at Bucuti & Tara, "Masha pabien," Mr. Biemans!