Sandals Resorts International recently opened its 16th Sandals Resort — Sandals Royal Curaçao. While the resort is the company’s first in the Dutch Caribbean, what truly sets it apart is a series of what the company calls “Firsts.”
What’s unique about these “Firsts” is that some of them are focused on enabling guests to enjoy the all-inclusive resort while also exploring the island, which reinforces the company’s “island-first approach to tourism and its impact on the local ecosystem,” Sandals Resorts explains. For instance, “Island Inclusive” dining allows guests to take their all-inclusive dining credits off-resort and onto the island to eat at and support local restaurants across Curaçao.
“Our vision for the Sandals Royal Curaçao experience was inspired just as much by the island’s natural beauty and colorful culture, as it was by our guests and the many ways they can engage with this amazing destination,” Adam Stewart, Sandals Resorts’ executive chairman, said in a statement. “This resort — a true labor of love years in the making with my father and our late founder, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, at the helm — is a testament to the transformative power of tourism via next-generation experiences that not only up the ante on all-inclusive vacations, but celebrate the local people, flavors, and terrains every step of the way.”
In case your geography is a bit fuzzy, Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea and a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is roughly 37 miles north of Venezuela’s coast. Sandals Royal Curaçao is set on 44 acres within the 3,000-acre Santa Barbara estate on Curaçao.
How Island Inclusive Dining Works
As you would expect, Sandals Royal Curaçao has a number of on-property dining choices, including eight restaurants, three beachside gourmet food trucks serving traditional Curaçao fare, and 13 bars.
The other option is Island Inclusive dining, intended to give guests the opportunity to support local businesses while visiting the Caribbean, as well as gain a truly authentic experience.
Here’s how it works.
Island Inclusive dining expands the all-inclusive dining options to eight partner restaurants around the resort. Guests who are staying at least seven nights and are booked in Butler suites, or those who are Sandals Select Reward Members, will receive one $250 voucher to dine out at one of eight partner restaurants. Roundtrip transportation is included. Those restaurants range from chic gastro-bars to international fusion restaurants, as well as classic establishments with ocean views, Sandals Resorts explains.
Other “Firsts”
In another move that encourages guests to “see, taste, and feel Curaçao beyond the property,” guests staying in top-level suites are invited to use a complimentary convertible Mini Cooper to drive around the island and even visit local businesses and restaurants.
Another “First,” which doesn’t encourage guests to leave the resort, is the two-level Dos Awa Infinity Pool, the first of its kind at Sandals Resorts. The upper and lower decks both offer views overlooking the Spanish water and the nearby rugged mountain landscape.
The Accommodations
Sandals Royal Curaçao, which is 15 miles from the Curaçao International Airport, faces west so guests can enjoy spectacular sunsets. The resort has 351 rooms and suites, including the Melemele Walkout Suites, Sunchi Beachfront Suites, Kurason Island Poolside Butler Bungalows, and Awa Seaside Butler Bungalows.
You can learn more about Sandals Royal Curaçao, and even book reservations here.
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