Just came back from Curacao....things have changed since I have been there 4 years ago. There is alot of property being brought up...especially in the prestigious Jan Thiel area...lot's of big beautiful houses perched on top of hills and mountains. We stayed at the Kura Hulanda. They have a website...look for it on google.com WOW !!! It was everything we had dreamed of and MORE ! We really wanted a smaller, more lush and quite resort and thats what we got. We visited the Hilton a day earlier and the Marriot. They were PACKED with people...especially around the pool area....not a vacant lounging seat around. We returned to Kura Hulanda that same day...there were only TWO people next to the pool. The other pool they have on the property was EMPTY ! It was amazing..we felt like we had it all to ourselves. I know why people stay at the Hilton and the Marriot more...first, it's a brand name. Second, they have beaches. What most tourists don't know is that while the beaches are nice, the really nice beaches don't have a hotel near them....they have to be driven to in the western part of the island. So we did not mind that the Kura Hulanda didnt have a beach (although they have free transportation to a nearby one if you deem necessary). The Rock grotto pool made up for it...we felt like we were in Kauai's waterfalls all over again (went there for out honeymoon in October). If you have kids...I would not recommend the Kura Hulanda because it's more of an adult oriented relaxation retreat. If you want commotion and lots of people watching, I dont recommend it either. If you want an ultra luxurious botique style hotel...similar to the smaller ones in Palm Springs, CA....then Kura Hulanda is for you. And you cant beat the price right now ! We got our room at Expedia.com for under 125.00 Oh yeah...forgot to mention...the popular TV series BlindDate was filming there...it will air in February and there is shot of them swimming in the pool at night...the room in the background to the right was ours...room # 157. They went to Mamo Beach club at night too and filmed AND we saw them in Punda..it was as if though they were following us...lol. ONE MORE THING....anyone going to Curacao needs to eat at HOUSE OF RIBS FACTORY.....AMAZING !! The best ribs I have tasten in my life...the food was excellent ! AND THE BEST NACHOS....the meat in the nachos was incredible as was the real Dutch cheese. OH YEAH...and go to PIzza hut and order the CURACAO SPECIAL.....amazing too ! HAVE FUN ! CURACAO IS AWESOME !
CURACAO WAS AWESOME !
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Hi, sounds like you had a great time, we are going there on September 18th, my wife would like to know if topless was prevelant on the beaches as the island is very European, she does not want to pack her tops if she doesnt have to!
Hmmmmmmm... never been to Curacao. Is the island arid like Aruba or more lush like St. John? Do you have any recommendations for places to stay/things to do with children there?
My wife went topless without any problems. It's no big deal on the public beaches and at Kura Hulanda which caters to Dutch tourists. I would not have her go topless at the Marriot or the Hilton though..there are too many Americans there and too many kids nearby in the kiddie pools. Kennedy....there are great things to do there on the island for kids. Hato Caves it very interesting and you might see some bats ! We went to the Curacao Zoo...what a LOVELY PLACE. It is an open courtyard type zoo where you can get really close to the animals compared to the zoos in American (in Miami at least) Plus, they have animals I have never seen here in the U.S....exotic species. I really enjoyed it as did my wife. The trick though is to get there EARLY...when it opens around 8 or 9......that way it doesnt get too hot. Your kids would also enjoy the Ostrich farm where they would feed the ostrichs' and pet baby one's. The SeaQuarium is also nice...they have a holding tank where you can hold starfishes and other small sea animals. Couple this with all the snorkeling they can do at the beaches and I think your kids will have a great time. Hilton I think caters to kids VERY well. Enjoy !
NORM
Hi,
Was the Kura walking distance to restaurants and shops?? Did you have to rely on taxis to eat out??
Also, are the standard rooms big?
Thanks in advance
Kura Hulanda is walking distance to all the shops and restaurants in Willemstad. I have not stayed at this hotel, but have visited Curacao many times. There is a floating bridge connecting that part of town to the main part of Willemstad, and this is opened when cruise ships and tankers come in (quite a sight to see!). There is a small ferry when the bridge is not there.
FirstinLastOut: I'm looking for an inexpensive weekend getaway and this looks like just the right fit. I noticed the prices are still around $125 (now up to $133 for a standard room). Thanks for the tip. The rates posted on Expedia are much better than the ones posted on the hotel website.
Would you (or anyone) mind commenting more on the beach used by Kura Hulanda? It doesn't bother me that the hotel doesn't have its own beach but was curious if it was worth spending an afternoon on the one to which the hotel provided transportation?
Also, I like the idea of being within walking distance of town. Did you feel safe walking into town in the evening or would it be more wise to take a cab?