If the sunny Dutch-Caribbean island of Curaçao has been on your list of places to visit (or revisit) this winter season, two major players in the all-inclusive resort realm—Sandals Resorts and AMR Collection—are about to expand the hospitality offerings on the island. In addition, several other properties have recently opened or completed multimillion-dollar renovations.
Here are six exciting reasons to place Curaçao at the top of your must-visit destinations in 2022.
3 New Resorts Make their Debut
The Place: Zoetry Curaçao Resort & Spa
Opening in December 2021, Zoetry Curaçao Resort & Spa is a 72-suite boutique all-inclusive property located between the island’s colorful capital, Willemstad, and the international airport. Guests at Zoetry, which is surrounded by nature but not oceanfront, will enjoy access to nearby Parassa Beach and the amenities at the larger Dreams Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino, both an an easy golf-cart ride away. (Dreams opened in December 2019, just a few months before the global pandemic.)
Known for its Endless Privileges concept—locally-inspired cuisine, top-shelf liquors, in-room amenities and included spa treatments—Zoetry Curaçao features natural, organic décor and two-person soaking tubs in its spacious 753-square-foot suites with pool or garden views. A palm-lined geometric pool, two restaurants and two bars, and a sanctuary-like spa create an intimate hideaway experience, with the option to also dine and play at the livelier Dreams property.
The Place: Sandals Royal Curaçao
Jamaica-based Sandals Resorts will add Curaçao to its mix of Caribbean properties when it opens Sandals Royal Curaçao in April 2022. The new Sandals (formerly the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort) is set on 44 acres within a 3,000-acre estate and is undergoing a renovation to include Sandals’ first two-level infinity pool. The property faces west for amazing sunsets and will feature 351 rooms and suites in 24 categories—from a garden-view Subi Premium room to the Awa Seaside Butler Bungalow with Private Pool—along with 12 restaurants, eight of them new concepts exclusive to Sandals Royal Curaçao, one of them the company’s first-ever floating restaurant, and three food trucks.
The property will also feature the Kanaal Café & Bar serving coffee and Dutch sweets such as Stroopwafels and Poffertjes, along with wine and Dutch cheeses. Guests will also be able to explore the entire 3,000-acre estate on Dutch bikes.
The Place: Mangrove Beach Corendon Curaçao All-Inclusive Resort
More all-inclusive ease awaits at the recently opened Mangrove Beach Corendon Curaçao All-Inclusive Resort, which in 2021 became one of Hilton’s Curio Collection properties. The resort, located beachfront amid a mangrove park in the capital Willemstad, is within walking distance of the Otrobanda historic district and offers an array of onsite activities and amenities: 10 restaurants and lounges, family and adult-only pools, watersports, an aquapark with water slides, a children’s playground, an art gallery, a cigar lounge and a dive center.
Guests can also enjoy curated daily adventure tours. A total of 399 rooms and suites feature modern décor and many offer ocean views.
3 Resorts Already Updated or Being Updated with Multimillion-Dollar Renovations
The Place: Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort
The 336-room Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort, which reopened just prior to the global pandemic in November 2019 after an extensive $40 million renovation, features a newly redesigned lobby, guest rooms, restaurants, pools, grounds and meeting/event space.
Located on six beachfront acres near Willemstad, the property has four restaurants, two pools (one adults-only and one family friendly), a kids club and an assortment of water activities/excursions and land-based active adventures. Guest rooms and suites all have bright white-and-blue beachy décor and private balconies or terraces.
The Place: Renaissance Wind Creek Curaçao Resort & Casino
Ideally located for travelers who want to enjoy walk-to access to the colorful and historic heart of Willemstad and the Rif Fort (all part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the 237-room Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino completed a $12 million redesign in January 2020 that included an updated lobby, new décor in 223 guestrooms, a renovation of the popular on-site Wind Creek Carnival Casino Curaçao and a refreshed Nautilus restaurant—all featuring a sleek modern design.
The resort offers a saltwater lagoon along with an elevated Infinity Beach Club as well as an enhanced Blue Bar specializing on creative takes on the Blue Curaçao cocktail.
The Place: Kunuku Aqua Resort
Part of the Trademark Collection by Wyndham’s portfolio of upper-mid-priced hotels that maintain their independent spirit and individuality since May 2021, Kunuku Aqua Resort is a family-friendly option that can be booked on an all-inclusive basis, although the 24 apartments all have a full kitchen and can sleep up to six.
There are also 189 rooms (some studios and others family rooms sleeping up to four) along with a colorful on-site water park with multiple pools and waterslides and a free shuttle allowing guests to explore the island’s beaches (the resort is not located on the beach) and capital city, Willemstad. Kunuku Aqua Resort is currently undergoing exterior and interior upgrades, including all rooms and apartments, set to be completed in 2022.
