Since 2013
Our Story
Six people. That is the name.
Translated into English, the family's name is Pillar. Robert is Dutch, Maile is from Hawaii, and they have four children: six pillars in all. That is where the name Six Pillars comes from.
How they got here
The last property they visited
Robert and Maile had lived in several European countries when Maile proposed opening a bed and breakfast. Robert agreed on one condition: good weather. They looked in Mozambique, in Brazil and in Belize. Maile found Bocas del Toro online, and this plot was the last one they saw. They decided on the spot. It was 2013.
What was there
Nothing, and hard clay
Local people did not want this land: it was hard clay where nothing grew. Robert and Maile said it could be changed, and they changed it. Today there is a tropical garden with flowers and fruit, a nursery of medicinal plants and a path through it.
Rodolfo, Carlos, Konrad and Joost
He came for one day
In 2014 Rodolfo came for a single day to clear the land, invited by his cousin. He offered to help with the woodwork and was told no. The next day it rained, nobody could work outside, and he was given a wall to panel. He finished it alone, measuring and cutting, and nobody could believe how fast. Soon after, Robert asked him for the main path, which was mud where people slipped. He finished that too, and never left.
Carlos came before Rodolfo. He has been here ever since, and today he is the head gardener.
Konrad, Maile's brother, joined the team ten years ago, and he is in charge of the place when Robert and Maile are away. With more than 30 years of experience, he was vital during the construction phase.
Joost, Robert's brother-in-law, was one of the first to invest in the project. Ever since, he has helped with IT and with valuable advice on every side of it.
The villages around us
Work, and houses
The resort tries to employ only people from the villages nearby, and offers them microcredit. The people who work here today own their homes because of it. It is not a certificate. It is what the place is made of.
From Robert and Maile
A family dream, built together
Six Pillars is more than a place: it is a dream shaped by family, love and a shared commitment to creating something extraordinary. Our children have been an important part of this journey, contributing their time, talents, ideas and hard work in ways that have helped shape the resort we are proud to share with the world.
Their support, dedication and individual contributions have enriched this project in countless ways, reminding us that the most meaningful achievements are rarely accomplished alone. Six Pillars carries a little of each of them within it, and we are deeply grateful to have them as part of this journey.
“Slow down, listen to the birds. Breathe in the jungle. This is your home for the next few days.”
Come and see it
Two overwater bungalows and two jungle lodges, on Isla Bastimentos.