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The water here has a particular Curaçao color, deep blue turning turquoise around the edges of Spanish Water. Beyond it are the island’s dry hills, cactus country and the unmistakable Dutch Caribbean landscape that makes Curaçao look so different from almost anywhere else in the region.
And then there is the pool.
At Sandals Royal Curaçao, the signature Dos Awa pool drops toward the water in two levels, with broad decks facing Spanish Water and the rugged southeastern corner of the island. It’s one of those resort pools designed around the view — and it tells you quite a bit about this adults-only all-inclusive.
This is Sandals, certainly. The restaurants, bars, unlimited drinks, included water sports and airport transfers are all here. But Sandals Royal Curaçao also feels particularly connected to the island around it, from Dutch bicycles for getting around the property to an unusual program that sends certain guests beyond the resort with a MINI Cooper and a credit for a local restaurant.
And Curaçao is precisely the kind of island worth leaving the resort to explore.
The Pool Above Spanish Water
The Dos Awa 2-Level Infinity Pool is the visual centerpiece, cascading across two decks toward Spanish Water. It gives the main pool area a dramatic sense of openness, particularly with the arid hills beyond the bay.
The setting is Santa Barbara, well away from the colorful streets of Willemstad and the busier hotel districts farther west. This side of Curaçao feels more remote, with hills, coves and broad expanses of blue water.
That geography gives the resort much of its personality. You can spend the day beside the pool, move down toward the beach or take a bicycle around the property. Then, if you want another version of Curaçao, Willemstad and the island’s western beaches are there to explore.
It makes the resort work especially well for couples who like an all-inclusive but don’t necessarily want their vacation to end at its gates.
The Seaside Bungalows
You can’t go wrong with any of the 351 rooms here. But some are even more special.
The room category to get? The Awa Seaside Butler Bungalow with Private Pool.
These waterfront bungalows put a private infinity pool directly outside the room, with uninterrupted views across Spanish Water. Inside are vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, a king bed and a large bathroom, while Butler Service, in-room drinks and a soaking tub are part of the experience. The category also comes with the use of a convertible MINI Cooper.
They’re some of the most distinctive accommodations in the Sandals portfolio, particularly because Curaçao gives them such a different backdrop. Instead of the lush mountains of Saint Lucia or the long white beaches of Jamaica, there are desert hills and the intense blues of the southern Caribbean.
There are other room styles across the property, including swim-up suites, private-pool suites, Rondoval villas and the Kurason Island Suites, which face a heart-shaped pool with a garden in the center.
The range means you can make the stay as private as you want. A swim-up suite changes the day entirely. A seaside bungalow can make leaving the room surprisingly difficult.
An All-Inclusive That Wants You to Explore
One of the smartest ideas at Sandals Royal Curaçao is something called the Island Inclusive Program.
Butler-level guests staying seven nights or longer receive a $250 credit to dine at a participating restaurant in Curaçao, along with the use of a MINI Cooper to head out and experience more of the island.
It’s a notable departure from the traditional all-inclusive formula.
Curaçao rewards wandering. Willemstad has the candy-colored Dutch facades of the Handelskade, cafés and bars in Pietermaai, the floating Queen Emma Bridge and some of the most interesting architecture in the Caribbean. Farther west, a chain of small coves gives you beaches such as Cas Abao, Grote Knip and Playa Lagun.
A car opens all of it up.
You might spend one day entirely at the resort and the next driving across the island, stopping at a beach, having lunch in Willemstad and returning to Santa Barbara later in the day.
The all-inclusive becomes a home base rather than the entirety of the vacation.
And if you’ve driven a MINI, you know how much fun it is.
The Food
The culinary offering is impressive here.
The resort has a broad restaurant collection along with three food trucks, an especially appealing addition when you want something quick near the beach or pool. The trucks bring Curaçao flavors, Spanish tapas and Asian fusion into the mix.
Among the principal restaurants is Butch’s Island Chop House, the Sandals steakhouse concept named for company founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart. Zuka focuses on South American cooking, while Strand is the seafood option and Aolos serves Mediterranean fare. There is also Kanaal, a Dutch-inspired café for coffee, sweets and snacks.
It gives you enough variety that a week here doesn’t require repeating the same experience every night.
And the dine-out credit adds an appealing extra layer: one evening can belong entirely to Curaçao.
What’s Included
The Sandals program is broad here. Certified divers can take advantage of included PADI scuba diving, while snorkeling equipment, kayaks, paddleboards and Hobie Cats are also included.
There’s beach volleyball, pickleball, a fitness center and entertainment across the day and evening. Drinks are included throughout the property, with 13 bars, including a swim-up bar, along with in-room minibars and house wines. Airport transfers, Wi-Fi, taxes and gratuities are included as well.
Curaçao also happens to be an excellent island for diving. The water is warm, visibility is frequently exceptional and reefs run along much of the island’s southern side.
You could easily come here and do very little. But the resort gives you quite a few reasons to get into the water.
Getting to Curaçao
Air service has made Curaçao significantly easier to reach from the United States. That’s been helped by the island’s recent tourism boom, one that continues to see more growth — and more all-inclusive options, too.
American Airlines flies to Curaçao International Airport from Miami and Charlotte, while JetBlue serves Curaçao from New York’s JFK, giving the island nonstop links from several major US gateways.
Once you arrive, round-trip airport transportation to the resort is included.
The drive also provides a useful introduction to Curaçao itself: dry hills, brightly painted houses and a landscape that immediately feels unlike the greener islands farther north.
Why Sandals Royal Curaçao Fits So Well
The best all-inclusives give you compelling reasons to stay on property. Sandals Royal Curaçao has plenty: the two-level infinity pool, the private-pool seaside bungalows, swim-up suites, the beach, scuba diving and a deep restaurant collection.
The more interesting part may be how easy it is to build the rest of Curaçao into the trip.
You can have the private pool. You can have the butler. You can spend an afternoon beside Spanish Water with everything already taken care of.
And then you can put the top down on a MINI Cooper and go see Curaçao.
On an island that begs to be explored, Sandals Royal Curacao is the best of both worlds.
What Does It Cost?
For an Awa Seaaside Bungalow right now, I found rates of about $1,841 per night per person, all-inclusive.
Another good option? The Subi Swim-Up Club Level n=junior suites, which run about $656 per person per night.
The post This Caribbean All-Inclusive Has Bungalows Right Next to the Water, a Two-Level Infinity Pool, and Swim-Up Suites appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
