Curacao: Kura Hulanda (February 2005)

My spouse and I stayed at Kura Hulanda for 3 nights in late February 2005. (“Kura Hulanda” is Papiamentu [Curacao's native tongue] for “Dutch courtyard”.) This hotel offers a boutique village experience in the center of Willemstad, the island's capital. The hotel is located approximately 20 minutes from the airport and within walking distance to shops, restaurants, and nightlife. Spread over an eight-block area, the resort village includes two pools (one is a dark “Eco” pool), multiple restaurants and bars, shops, a world-acclaimed anthropological museum, spa, courtyards, and gardens. Cobblestone pathways wind through the meticulously restored buildings that showcase the intricate Dutch architecture of the 17th and 18th century. This Dutch Colonial historic district is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Museum Kurá Hulanda is an anthropological museum that focuses on the predominant cultures of Curacao. It offers a world-class chronicle of the Origin of Man, the African slave trade, West African Empires, Pre-Colombian gold, Mesopotamian relics and Antillean art.

Restaurants included Jacob’s Bar and Terrace, Jaipur, Astrolab Observatory, and the Museum Restaurant.

The hotel boasts 80 guest rooms and suites, no two of which are alike. Every accommodation features hand carved furnishings, antiques, and art, hand-painted walls, and luxurious linens, creating an international appeal.

Room types include Standard, Superior, Deluxe, Junior Suite, One-Bedroom Suite, Spa Loft Suite, Deluxe One-Bedroom Suite, Presidential Suite, and Indian Bridal Suite.

I stayed in a regular (deluxe) room, but I peeked into some FABULOUS rooms when the windows/shutters were open and no one appeared to be inside. Definitely upgrade if you can! I don't know what category of rooms I was looking at--but they were surely beautiful, and couldn't begin to compare with the room that I was staying in (which was quite nice for a standard room, by the way). The rooms that I saw had cathedral ceilings. We were hoping for a complimentary upgrade (as members of the Leading Hotels of the World), but no such luck, even though the hotel didn't seem to be completely full.

There is NO beach at the Hotel Kura Hulanda because it is in the city of Willemstad. The do provide a complimentary shuttle to a section of beach that they own between the Marriott and the Hilton. I don't remember it being particularly rocky, nor was it particularly memorable. But it is a beach, and you can pop over to either of the previously mentioned hotels for lunch or drinks. I think the shuttle took about 10-15 minutes. I'm a HUGE beach person, but I thought that the Hotel was so special and memorable that I was willing to give up direct access.

Kura Hulanda now operates a Lodge property as well, which is ON the beach on the northern end of the island (near Klein Knip). Some guests split their time between the Hotel and the Lodge to have both a city and a beach vacation.