From a young age, Francceska "Cheska" Vieira felt a deep passion and desire to explore the world. This desire led her to travel to no less than 58 of the 195 countries that exist around the globe. Her adventures across four continents gave her a unique perspective on the diversity of service and innovation in the tourism industry.

From hostels to luxury hotels and boutique hotels, she has learned and expanded her understanding and appreciation for the hospitality industry. Now, at 33, she's back in her home of Aruba with a desire to share all that she's learned from her travels. What better way to start another unique journey for her than by opening a unique concept called Aruba Boutique Art Hotel. "The vision is to create a fun, interactive, and unique concept for our guests, and at the same time, provide a platform of opportunities for our local artists in our tourism market. We're very excited!"

“I feel very blessed to be part of opening a hotel, in this case, my second one, and as the GM. Since I am still young, I have a lot to learn. Opening a hotel is all about making things happen. You are creating, from the beginning. This is my second time in an opening team, but my first time as the GM.”

Francceska's journey from Aruba to the Netherlands, South Africa, and back to Aruba, where today she manages Aruba's first and only boutique art hotel, has taught her valuable lessons. "I've always had a 'burning passion' for travel and anthropology. I just wanted to know our world," says Francceska." While I've always worked in luxury & upper upscale hotels, during my free time, I would 'backpack solo' and stay in various types of lodging, from hostels, Airbnb's to boutique hotels, to further broaden my knowledge. In my entire career, whether abroad or in Aruba, I can say there are three areas that have captivated me: luxury, sustainability, and leadership. Today, we place a lot of emphasis on our corporate culture, because it impacts the productivity of our team and "the vibe." It's very important for us as leaders to have a strong corporate culture and know how to achieve the objectives of each department. As leaders, we definitely 'set the tone.'"

"Providing personalized service and creating a memorable experience for our guests. How? By being attentive and noticing the little details and acting on them. I always try to create space and facilitate opportunities for my team to realize this and make them feel comfortable and encourage them to voice their ideas. The best outcomes come from mutual ideas."

"The first time my horizon was opened to this topic was during my studies in the Netherlands. I noticed the importance of the social & environmental impact we have as an organization on our clients, employees, and the environment. Since 2015, this has been translated into the 17 SDGs (Social Development Goals). I try to implement as many SDG goals as I can."

"My experience at Hotel Okura, a luxury Japanese Hotel, had a beautiful balance between luxury and sustainability - lean management. We always tried as a full hotel to continuously come up with ideas to make our processes more efficient. There you see that often the changes that you might think are insignificant can indeed have a large impact. Often, the best ideas or suggestions come from employees who execute the processes daily."

"Although I have my education, it's always what I did in my free time, such as extracurricular activities, that helped me grow and gave me the practice and knowledge that opened doors to opportunities. Also, after my first pre-opening hotel experience, I observed an opportunity to further develop myself. I achieved my certification in ISO Quality, Environmental, and Safety & Health, and also my certification as an internal (organizational) auditor. This helps me intensify my ability to create, restructure, or improve organizations, which opened a door for me to be part of the beautiful project of Aruba Quality Seal together with ATA and Mr. Zalewski of QESH services."

Managing a team of 25 at her relatively young age, Francceska keeps her focus on personal and professional growth, always inspiring others to reach their full potential. "Wake up every day positive, full of energy and with a grateful heart. And for the days that are less positive or have less energy, just drink one or two coffees, a matcha latte, or ginger tea. The point is to 'show up,' no matter how you feel. It's important as a leader to inspire the people around you. This will make others be the best version of themselves and grow as individuals. But at the same time, you must be firm on procedures to maintain structure and order, while also being empathetic."

"The world of hospitality and tourism is filled with incredible opportunities. It's up to you to explore and dominate them. Travel if you can, learn about the world, and form your own thoughts. Keep an open mind but at the same time, stand firm in your virtues, because that will be the compass that guides you."