DESTINATIONS CURAÇAO | CARIBBEAN


CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Melemele One Bedroom Butler Walkout Suite, Sandals Royal Curaçao; Willemstad; Nultwintig restaurant PICTURES: Corey Hamilton; Shutterstock/Birdiegal; Bronwyn Knight


A PLACE TO EXPLORE While Curaçao is a favourite for the Dutch market (it’s still part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands), it’s little known as a tourist destination outside that. But by creating the resort, Stewart hopes to open up the destination more widely to tourism. “I think he’ll do it,” says Ryan Speakman of Got 2 Go Travel, one of Sandals’ top-selling UK travel agents. “He’s done it before – they did it in Turks and Caicos.” (Sandals opened a Beaches resort there in 2014.) Sandals Royal Curaçao will appeal to a slightly different type of client, says Speakman – the type of client who wants to explore. “When you go into the city you can walk around freely,” he says. “There’s so much you can do on your own – you don’t necessarily need an organised trip, you can just get a taxi into town. This is a massive selling point. It breaks that mould where people think you go to the Caribbean and stay in your hotel.” The island has a similar feel to Barbados and Grenada,


travelweekly.co.uk


33There’s so much you can do on your own – it breaks that mould where people think you go to the Caribbean and stay in your hotel


so Speakman recommends suggesting it to clients who visit those destinations regularly and are looking for something new. Willemstad, Curaçao’s capital, is known for its pastel-coloured colonial Dutch buildings, lining the waters of St Anna Bay, which splits the city into two parts: Punda and Otrobanda. While Punda is the more modern commercial side, Otrobanda is Willemstad’s vibrant historic district. On our walk around this compact, friendly island capital, everyone seems to know each other, with the standard Papamiento greeting ‘Kumba, dushi!’ (‘Hey, sweetie!’) something you’ll hear frequently on a visit. Through doorways that sit


between vibrant and at times quirky murals – from tropical flowers to beach-going flamingos – you’ll


find colourful cafes and bustling restaurants, all part of a thriving dining scene. At Nultwintig, a restaurant in a Dutch building with a sea-facing garden, you’ll find Curaçao cocktails as blue as the pool, best enjoyed while tucking into mountainous salads made with pea shoots, baby corn, fresh mango, and topped with the freshest ever-so-slightly pan-seared tuna steak. Nultwintig is one of eight


restaurants that form part of the resort’s island-inclusive dining programme. Couples staying in a butler suite receive a $250 voucher per seven-night stay to use in any of those restaurants on the island, encouraging people to get out and explore. Encouraging tourists out of the


SELLING TIPS


E Because Curaçao is located farther south than many other Caribbean destinations – and outside the hurricane belt – there’s no heavy rainy season. October to December are the wettest months but Curaçao generally experiences little rain.


EWhile there’s no direct flight from the UK, it’s an easy connection to get to Curaçao from Amsterdam. Highlight to clients living in the north of England or Scotland that a connecting flight from Manchester or Edinburgh is an easy option that’s not much different from travelling to London to fly long-haul.


resort and into local businesses ²


E Upsell to a butler suite, so clients can gain access to the resort’s fullest all-inclusive package. This includes free use of a Mini Cooper to explore the island and vouchers to use in some of its best restaurants.


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