Where to stay
Where we stay
Our hotels first, then the rest of our map.
Our picks in Pietermaai and beyond
Art Hotel Curaçao Top pick
Pietermaai & Punda · hotel
An adults-only boutique hotel on the Pietermaai oceanfront with interiors by Studio Piet Boon, per the hotel.
View on Google MapsOfficial siteCheck rates (paid link)
Avila Beach Hotel Top pick
Pietermaai & Punda · hotel
A beachfront hotel in the Pietermaai District that describes itself as centrally located, near Mambo Beach and walkable to downtown Willemstad.
View on Google MapsOfficial siteCheck rates (paid link)
BijBlauw Boutique Hotel Top pick
Pietermaai & Punda · hotel
A small boutique hotel in monumental buildings in Pietermaai, with an all-day oceanview restaurant, per its own site.
View on Google MapsOfficial siteCheck rates (paid link)
Scuba Lodge & Ocean Suites Top pick
Pietermaai & Punda · hotel
An oceanfront boutique hotel in restored 19th-century buildings in Pietermaai, with an ocean-view pool, the La Reina coffee shop and a dive center on site, per the hotel. We stay here.
View on Google MapsOfficial siteCheck rates (paid link)
Baoase Luxury Resort Luxury
Willemstad (outer) & center · hotel
When the trip calls for something special, this is where we would go: private villas and suites with five-star service, in a setting the resort itself calls 'luxury goes barefoot'. Formerly Baoase Luxury Resort.
View on Google MapsOfficial siteCheck rates (paid link)
Renaissance Wind Creek Curacao Resort
Otrobanda · hotel
A hotel in Otrobanda on our map. Use the links for rooms and current offers.
View on Google MapsOfficial siteCheck rates (paid link)
Staying in a hotel or an Airbnb?
Stock your fridge
Our first stop after the airport is Mangusa Hypermarket on Cas Coraweg for groceries, drinks and alcohol. We also shop at Esperamos (Hato and Jan Thiel), Goisco, Vreugdenhil and Van den Tweel, which carries Albert Heijn products. And don't skip Brasa, the premium lager conceived on the island.
Esperamos (Hato)
Hato & airport · supermarket
A supermarket in Hato & airport on our map, useful for supplies during a stay.
Esperamos (Jan Thiel)
Jan Thiel · supermarket
A supermarket in Jan Thiel on our map, useful for supplies during a stay.
Goisco
Hato & airport · supermarket
A supermarket in Hato & airport on our map, useful for supplies during a stay.
Mangusa Hypermarket
Willemstad (outer) & center · supermarket
A supermarket in Willemstad (outer) & center on our map, useful for supplies during a stay.
Van den Tweel (Albert Heijn)
Zeelandia · supermarket
A supermarket in Zeelandia on our map, useful for supplies during a stay.
Vreugdenhil
Mambo Beach / Bapor Kibra · supermarket
A supermarket in Mambo Beach / Bapor Kibra on our map, useful for supplies during a stay.
Points stays
Hotels in the big loyalty programs
Only hotels the chain's own site lists in its program. We don't show points prices; check award rates on the chain's site.
Marriott Bonvoy
The Pyrmont Curaçao, an Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort – Adults Only
Adults-only, all-inclusive, on Penstraat in Pietermaai. Marriott describes it as newly opened, with some restaurants opening in 2027. We think it will be a big one for Bonvoy members.
Chain pageCheck rates (paid link)
Curacao Marriott Beach Resort
Beachfront on Piscadera Bay, per Marriott.
Chain pageCheck rates (paid link)
Renaissance Wind Creek Curacao Resort
Downtown Willemstad with a private elevated beach and casino, per Marriott.
Chain pageCheck rates (paid link)
Hilton Honors
Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton
All-inclusive on Pater Euwensweg, Willemstad, per Hilton.
Chain pageCheck rates (paid link)
The Rif at Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive, Curio by Hilton
Listed on Hilton's all-inclusive page.
Chain pageCheck rates (paid link)
World of Hyatt
Dreams Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino
Piscadera Bay, per Hyatt Inclusive Collection.
Chain pageCheck rates (paid link)
Sunscape Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino
Listed by Hyatt Inclusive Collection.
Chain pageCheck rates (paid link)
Zoëtry Curaçao Resort & Spa
All-suite boutique resort; its page lists World of Hyatt benefits.
Chain pageCheck rates (paid link)
Wyndham Rewards
Kunuku Resort All Inclusive Curacao, Trademark by Wyndham
All-inclusive in the center of the island, per Wyndham.
Chain pageCheck rates (paid link)
Read the full guide
How to choose your area
The first decision on Curaçao isn't the hotel. It's beach or city. The island's best sand is away from Willemstad, and the best streets and restaurants are away from the sand. We've stayed on both sides, and here's how we'd pick:
- Want to walk to dinner? Stay in Willemstad (Pietermaai, Punda or Otrobanda). The coast there is mostly rock, so beach days are drives.
- Want a beach out front and restaurants nearby? Jan Thiel or Mambo.
- Want an all-inclusive between the airport and town? Piscadera Bay.
- Want quiet and the best snorkeling? The west end. You'll want a car.
- Adults only? There are fewer options than the marketing suggests. See the flags below.
Facts behind the intro (curacaoplaybook.com): - The beach-or-city trade-off. - Pietermaai's coastline is "largely rocky limestone." - Piscadera is "a resort pocket." - Jan Thiel/Mambo is the "beach-club corridor." - The west end means "driving."
Two facts worth knowing before booking: - Only five resorts on Curaçao are genuinely all-inclusive today: Sandals Royal Curaçao, Dreams Curaçao, Zoëtry Curaçao, Sunscape Curaçao, and Mangrove Beach Corendon. Two more are opening in November 2026: TUI Blue Curaçao and The Pyrmont (curacaoplaybook.com, all-inclusive guide). - Only two are enforceably adults-only: Sandals Royal Curaçao (18+) and Art Hotel Curaçao. The Pyrmont, when it opens, also describes itself as adults-only (curacaoplaybook.com).
Not sure? Tell us your trip and we'll suggest a few. Dates, who's coming, and beach or city. We'll reply with two or three places that fit, and why.
Punda & Pietermaai (with Scharloo)
Walkable old town: dinner, Thursday nights in Punda and rooftop bars on foot. The water is rocky, not sandy.
| Hotel | Type | Suits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avila Beach Hotel | Historic beach hotel | Couples and families who want a beach and the city | Built around an 18th-century governor's mansion. One of very few private beaches near the city. Room wings vary. Adults-only applies only to the Oceanfront Blues category (curacaoplaybook.com). The hotel describes three wings and two private beaches (avilabeachhotel.com, via search) |
| Scuba Lodge & Ocean Suites | Boutique, oceanfront | Divers and couples | 28 rooms and 11 suites, pools, a restaurant, and Dive Center Pietermaai on site (scubalodge.com via search; divecenterpietermaai.com) |
| BijBlauw | Boutique | Couples | 13 rooms and apartments, ocean views, an all-day oceanfront restaurant (bijblauw.com via search) |
| Art Hotel Curaçao | Boutique, adults-only | Design-minded couples | 30 rooms, Piet Boon interiors, new in 2025. States it doesn't accommodate children (curacaoplaybook.com; pietboon.com) |
| Saint Tropez Ocean Club | Boutique | Couples, small groups | 24 rooms, suites and apartments, infinity pool, oceanfront bar and restaurant (sainttropezcuracao.com via search) |
| Pietermaai Boutique Hotel | Boutique | Couples, city-first trips | 36 individually designed rooms in historic villas (chata.org) |
Otrobanda & the Rif coast
The cruise-pier side of the bay, a walk over the Queen Emma Bridge to Punda. Home to Kurá Hulanda and the big Rif resorts.
| Hotel | Type | Suits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renaissance Wind Creek Curaçao Resort | Resort with casino | City-first trips, cruise pre/post nights | On the waterfront at the Rif Fort, a walk to Punda. "No real ocean beach at the hotel itself" (curacaoplaybook.com) |
| Mangrove Beach Corendon Curaçao, Curio Collection by Hilton | All-inclusive, family | Families, mixed groups | The largest on the island: 399 rooms plus the 384-room Rif wing, 4 pools, an aqua park with 6 slides, about 10 restaurants and bars. Beach near the harbor approach (curacaoplaybook.com) |
| Courtyard by Marriott Curaçao | City hotel | Short stays, cruise pre/post | On the Rif coast road at Otrobanda, no beach (curacaoplaybook.com) |
Piscadera Bay
The resort bay between the airport and town. All-inclusive country, and dinner out means a drive.
| Hotel | Type | Suits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dreams Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino | All-inclusive, family | Families. Adults can use the Il Mare section | Descends from the 1967 Curaçao Hilton. Casino. Il Mare is an adults-only Preferred Club section (52 bungalows) (curacaoplaybook.com) |
| Zoëtry Curaçao Resort & Spa | All-inclusive, adult-oriented (not adults-only) | Couples wanting quiet | 72 suites, formerly the Floris Suite Hotel. Guests use the Il Mare beach at Dreams by golf cart. Hyatt says children are permitted (curacaoplaybook.com) |
| Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort | Beach resort, all ages | Families, points travelers | Beachfront. The all-inclusive is an optional package (curacaoplaybook.com) |
Mambo Beach (Bapor Kibra) & Jan Thiel
The beach-club corridor southeast of town, with sand, restaurants and nightlife (Mambo is the lively end).
| Hotel | Type | Suits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baoase Luxury Resort | Luxury boutique, adult-oriented (not officially adults-only) | Couples, honeymoons | 23 beachfront suites and villas. No all-inclusive plan, limited kids' programming. "South coast just outside Willemstad" (curacaoplaybook.com). Villas and suites, many with private pools (baoase.com via search) |
| LionsDive Beach Resort | Beach resort, dive-focused | Divers, active couples | Private beach, 165 units, open since 1989, next to the Mambo strip (curacaoplaybook.com) |
| Sunscape Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino | All-inclusive, family | Families on a budget | 341 rooms, about 1,500 ft of beachfront by the underwater park, next to the Seaquarium (curacaoplaybook.com) |
| The Kontiki Beach Resort | Beach resort, room-only | Couples, groups | Beachfront near Mambo, smaller scale, in the busiest beach and nightlife zone (curacaoplaybook.com) |
| Papagayo Beach Hotel / Papagayo Beach Resort | Beach hotel + villas | Couples (hotel), families and groups (villas) | Sister properties at Jan Thiel (curacaoplaybook.com) |
| Livingstone Jan Thiel Resort (Sonesta) | Resort, villas and apartments | Families, longer stays | The Tourist Board puts it 30 min from the airport and 10 min from historic Willemstad (via visitcuracao365.com) |
| Chogogo Dive & Beach Resort | Dive resort | Divers | "A few steps from the beach through gated access," not directly on it (curacaoplaybook.com) |
| ACOYA Curaçao | Villas | Groups, divers | Villas near Mambo Beach with dive access (curacaoplaybook.com) |
Also in our pins in this area: Zanzibar Beach (Jan Thiel), Mambo Beach Boulevard, Jan Thiel Beach.
Spanish Water (Spaanse Water) & Santa Barbara
A calm inland bay where the boats leave. Quiet, and far from town.
| Hotel | Type | Suits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandals Royal Curaçao | All-inclusive, adults-only (18+), couples | Couples, honeymoons | About 350 rooms. Opened Apr 14, 2022 on the site of the former Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, which is closed. "A real drive from Willemstad" (curacaoplaybook.com) |
Blue Bay & Sint Michiel
Close to town but built around a golf course and a private beach.
| Hotel | Type | Suits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Bay Curaçao Golf & Beach Resort | Villas and apartments, family | Families, groups, golfers | Private beach and golf on site. No meal plan, and "a car is effectively required" (curacaoplaybook.com). A gated resort community with an 18-hole course (bluebayresortcuracao.com via search) |
The west end (Rif St. Marie to Westpunt)
The best beaches and shore diving, Christoffel and Shete Boka. You'll want a car.
| Hotel | Type | Suits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coral Estate Luxury Resort | Resort, dive-oriented | Divers, families, couples | At Rif St. Marie. All ages, with an adults-only section for Superior-room guests (coralestateluxuryresortcuracao.com via search; curacaoplaybook.com) |
| Habitat Curaçao | Dive resort | Divers | Rif St. Marie, dive-oriented (curacaoplaybook.com) |
| Kura Hulanda Lodge & Beach Club | Lodge with beach club | Divers, nature trips | Westpunt, 74 rooms, closest to Christoffel and the shore-entry dive sites (curacaoplaybook.com; kayak.com listing) |
Our pins by area
| Pinned | Area | Listed above |
|---|---|---|
| Avila Beach Hotel | Pietermaai side | ✓ |
| Scuba Lodge City Beach | Pietermaai | ✓ (as Scuba Lodge & Ocean Suites) |
| BijBlauw | Pietermaai | ✓ |
| Renaissance Wind Creek Curaçao Resort | Otrobanda | ✓ |
| Baoase Luxury Resort | South coast, Mambo side | ✓ |
| Santa Barbara | Spanish Water | ✓ as Sandals Royal Curaçao (the old resort is closed) |