Aguiton had passion for photography, hospitality

WALKING through the halls of the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann's, you can see photographs of local flowers on the walls. Some were taken by William “Bill” Aguiton, a man who dedicated his life to perfection in hospitality and photography.

Aguiton died of heart failure at 81 on June 12. He is survived by his wife, ceramic designer Vicky Aguiton. His funeral was on June 17 at St Mary’s Church, St James.

As a boy, Aguiton lived in St Augustine. His parents were George Toussaint and Emily Aguiton. He was one of seven siblings: Sydney, Robert, Patsy, Norma, Shirley, William and Alfred.

He attended Fatima College from 1952-1956, participating in Sea Scouts. All the Aguiton brothers attended Fatima. Sydney and Robert were among the first cohort of boys to attend the school in 1946.

His lifelong passion for photography began when he was a teen. His father introduced Aguiton to photography. He befriended Gary and Ian Chan, brothers whose father had a photography studio. Chan’s, opposite what is now the Hall of Justice on Duke Street, Port of Spain, was one of the few photo studios in the 1950s and 1960s.

It wasn’t unusual for the budding photographer to lock himself in the family’s bathroom for hours, converting the space into a darkroom – sometimes to the dismay of his six siblings.

He later befriended acclaimed photographer Noel Norton, who mentored Aguiton in photography.

Two months after the country became independent, in August 1962, the Hilton opened its doors for the first time. Aguiton was among its inaugural staff. He worked in the accounts department, and later became the beverage manager.

He travelled through Latin America and the Caribbean, working in a variety of Hilton hotels. He was a specialist in Hilton Caracas, Venezuela. In the 1970s he was a visiting instructor at the Hilton Career Development Institute in Montreal. He became the general manager of Curacao Hilton and Cartagem Brasilton in Brazil before becoming the general manager of the Hilton Trinidad in 1987 – the first citizen to hold that position.

Aguiton was known as a stickler. If he spotted anything out of place, he would find the closest phone and ask staff to deal with it immediately.

Aguiton retired in 1999 after 12 years as the GM of Hilton Trinidad and 37 years overall.

He was on the board of the Caribbean Hotel Association for 20 years, and was named Hotelier of the Year in 1999.

In 2000 he was awarded the Hummingbird Medal Gold for his devotion to the hospitality and tourism industry.

He served on the board of the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) TT from its inception in 1993 until he retired in 1999, and allowed Amcham to have its first office in Hilton before it got a permanent space.

He spent five years on the board of directors for the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce. He was the vice-chairman of the Tourism Development Authority. He was also a director of Republic Bank and Berger Paints.

Between 1991 and 1999 he was the director and president of the TT Hotel and Tourism Association (TTHTA) which subsequently became the Trinidad Hotel, Restaurants and Tourism Association (THRTA). Aguiton believed in growing and developing the hospitality industry and was instrumental in the reformation of the TT Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI).

The TT Hotel School was established in 1972 in partnership with the Canadian Government and the Ryerson Technical Institute. In 1975 the government took over the school.

In 1996 Aguiton, as president of the Hotel Association, led negotiations with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for US$2 million to help reform the Hotel School into TTHTI. The association now runs and manages the TTHTI.

Hassel Thom, president of the association, GM of Cara Suites Hotel and Conference Centre told Newsday Aguiton’s leadership and commitment to training people in the hospitality industry was a determining factor in the IDB's granting funds for the private sector to take over the school.

Aguiton was the chairman of the board of governors of TTHTI and worked closely with Thom from 2012-2014 when the management arrangements between the association and TTHTI were being restructured.

“He was never shy to share his opinion on something. Anything that’s being discussed, in all his attempts he tried to be impartial in his contribution,” Thom said.

Aguiton used to speak with the students before graduation when they finished their first phase of training. He wanted to inspire them and motivate them to strive for a level of excellence that put the guests first.

TTHTI is now known as one of the leading hospitality schools in the region.

He gradually started to step back from work in the TTHTI and the association after 2014 to care for his health. He retired in 2016.

“A lot of us, we look at a career to develop ourselves and our family and less and less these days do you find people who are willing to develop the industry so it can have continuity…

“He was one of those people who did a lot of charity in that way. He earned success and he wanted to encourage and assist others in making a success of themselves. In that regard, Bill has done quite well,” Thom said.

At its inaugural Tourism Awards ceremony in 2014, the association presented Aguiton with a lifetime achievement award for his dedication and professionalism to the development of tourism in the country.

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation also awarded Aguiton a gold medal on its 50th anniversary.

Aguiton is described as an amateur photographer because he did not make his living from his work, but his photography was sought after by many. His keen eye for detail made many respect him as a photographer. He shot landscapes, seas, Carnival scenes, women, children and more.

Lonsdale Saatchi and Saatchi commissioned him to take pictures of women for Carib Brewery’s calendar. He worked a lot with the Orchid Society for free.

His brother Alfred Aguiton said he shot weddings, family portraits and individual shots, mostly for no charge.

“I keep on hearing stories of the work he’s done with people who still have his pictures when their kids have grown up and he didn’t charge. He wanted to develop his own skills,” Alfred said.

In his 50s, Aguiton participated in a specialist photography training workshop by Kodak in the US.

He set up a studio in an abandoned warehouse at the Hilton. Aguiton later had a private studio from 2001-2016 on Cipriani Boulevard, Port of Spain, strictly for his hobby.

In 2017 the Hilton, in partnership with Horizon Art Gallery held a retrospective show of his life in photographs.

He donated pictures of flowers to Caura Hospital’s palliative care unit to brighten up the walls and spirits of the patients.

Miss World 1986, Giselle Laronde-West, was one of Aguiton’s many photographic subjects.

“He was very specific about the little things, like how to turn your head…no big set of movements. He knew there were certain things that would show up your personality within a shot,” Laronde-West said.

Aguiton gave the former beauty queen her first job at the Hilton and was a friend and mentor for the nine years she worked at the Hilton.

“He knew a lot about the hospitality industry, a lot about customers and that kind of experience. He was extremely good when it came to customer service...We learned a lot from him.”

Garth Murrell, owner of Pips (Personal Image Photo Studio), said in the 1990s Aguiton was instrumental in promoting the art of photography. He was on the board of the now defunct Photographic Industries Association of TT.

Aguiton went to Murrell to print his flower photos on special paper. He was so fastidious that when Murrell delivered his photos for the first time, Aguiton excused himself, donned white gloves and came back to touch the photos.

As Aguiton travelled, he would take photos on his trips, documenting the flora and fauna of the places he saw.

“William was the life of the party. It was a pleasure to be in his company. He always had stories to tell about his many travels around the world…He was always ready to laugh, ready to have a good time, really the life of the party. Always a joy to be around,” Murrell said.

While he was the GM of Hilton Trinidad, he got approval from the international head office to decorate the halls with his pictures.

Aguiton’s framed photos are hung on the corridor walls of each guest room floor, a lasting legacy to two important parts of his life.