Roger was born in Aruba in 1965 and throughout the earlier years of his life, he was involved in hospitality, as his parents owned and operated a guesthouse on the island. As Roger grew up, he was constantly interacting with his parents' guests, and he found he enjoyed meeting people from all over the world.

In 1987, he opened Roger's Windsurf Place which provided windsurf rentals and instruction complemented by accommodations at the guesthouse. By doing so, he became the first person to offer complete windsurf and accommodations packages in the Caribbean.

In 1992, Roger also represented Aruba at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

In 1997, Roger opened Bonaire Windsurf Place in conjunction with other local partners, as it was always his intention to do a similar structure on Bonaire by offering a small, intimate mini-resort with casual elegance in accommodations coupled with great windsurfing!

Jacqueline first came to Bonaire for a vacation in 2001 and enjoyed the pristine and quiet island so much that she decided to relocate.

In May, 2006, she and Roger began plans for the Sonrisa Rooms & Apartments, and she now is the friendly face that will greet you upon arrival.

Sonrisa means "smile" in both Papiamentu and Spanish, and Jacqueline and Roger hope that every guest who stays at Sonrisa leaves with a smile on their face, too!