I spent a week in July at Sandals Royal Curaçao, a beautiful all-inclusive luxury resort in The Caribbean. For the uninitiated, Sandals have a number of resorts throughout the Caribbean, and Curacao is their latest opening. Sandals Resorts have a fairly loyal customer base, most of which helm from the Southern States. However it was my first experience, so I had very little idea of what to expect. In fact, I've only done a handful of all-inclusive experiences in my life, so the whole thing was very new to me.
My partner and I spent the whole week exploring the resort, from dining throughout the 8 on-site restaurants, to trying the activities and venturing further afield into Curacao. I've put together this overview of the experience with my full Sandals Royal Curacao review.
Disclosure: I was hired and staying as a guest of the company to create content, however this review is written entirely of my own volition, with zero obligation to post. I genuinely just want to share my experience with you, in hopes that will help with your own trip planning.
The Sandals Royal Curacao Resort Overview
Sandals Royal Curacao is the company's first Curacao resort. It's all inclusive, and adults only. After a flight packed full of rowdy families on their Summer holidays, this was something I was very thankful for. There are no direct flights to Curacao from London, so we transited in Amsterdam. The resort is 15 miles (around 45 minutes by car) from the airport, located on the island's Santa Barbara estate.
The resort complex itself is beautiful. I tend to stay at smaller boutique hotels, and honestly had expected big box resorts to have a certain soulless, cookie cutter aspect to them. However there was so much attention to detail throughout the resort. The aesthetics were on point, such as the fun colourful food trucks, and the heart shaped beach chairs. Despite being so big, those little design details made it feel luxurious and give the resort a sense of "soul".
There are 3 main public pools, as well as smaller private ones dotted throughout. In terms of dining, you're spoilt for choice. There are 8 restaurants within the complex, as well as three further food trucks. If you're looking to get the most out of your all inclusive package, there are 13 bars on-site. Add that to the plethora of entertainment and activities, and the resort is packed with things to keep you occupied.
Curacao itself is equally beautiful. A South Caribbean Island, it's known for the picturesque coloured Dutch houses of the Capital Willemstad. I spent a morning exploring on an Island Routes walking tour organised through the hotel. We walked through Outrabanda and Punda, two of the main districts of the city, and learned about the history and street art on route. Though it can be tempting to never leave a resort with as much to do as Sandals, I'd definitely recommend heading into Willemstad to discover the unique culture of the island.
Rooms and Suites
During my stay I experienced two different rooms. The bulk of my trip was spent in a Sunchi Luxury Beachfront room. This is one of the more standard rooms in the property, starting at $329 a night. I say standard, but it was still fairly luxurious. It was very spacious, including a balcony and cosy sprawling bed. The only drawback was that the block we were in faced out onto the dance floor / entertainment area on the beach. This meant it could get quite noisy at night when the DJ started around 9pm. However this was only an issue as we were heading to bed early due to crack of dawn shoot starts. If you're looking to join the fun and make the most of the Sandals experience this shouldn't be a problem!
We also spent one night in a Kurason Island poolside bungalow (pictured). This is one of the resorts premium bungalows, nestled around a heart shaped pool only available for residents. The room itself isn't massively different to the Sunchi beach front room, however the main point of difference is the incredible terrace, complete with sun beds and an outdoor tub. Plus the pool, of course! It's also in a quieter, more secluded part of the resort. Though it's not entirely private as a number of bungalows back onto the pool, If you're looking for a more exclusive experience, it's a great option. It is however the second most expensive room category at $1,123+ a night, so definitely one for a special occasion or big blowout!
Facilities and Activities
If there's one standout reason to visit Sandals Royal Curacao, it's the sheer breadth of activities and things to keep you occupied. I stayed a whole week, and still barely scratched the surface! What I particularly like about Sandals compared to other supposedly "all inclusives" is that the vast majority of activities are at no extra cost. This includes things like kayaking, sailing a hobie cat, and snorkelling, to name just a few. I spent an afternoon kayaking, which is about the only water sport I can get down for. Admittedly you can't go particularly far as you're confined to the stretch of water parallel to the beach, but it's still a lot of fun.
If water sports aren't your thing, there's also a wealth of activities throughout the complex. You'll find plenty of games dotted around the resort, including table football, shuffleboard, and even pool volleyball. The staff are always on hand to get people involved and may well challenge you to a game or two! Personally I'm more of a "chill by the pool with a good book" sort of holidaymaker, but my partner got stuck in with pool basketball and volleyball, and had a great time.
For the gym bunnies amongst us, there's a compact but well equipped gym on site. I managed to make it to the gym a grand total of once! There's also a spa, though the facilities are at an extra cost. I never made it to the spa, so can't comment on it's services.
Of course, the real draw are the pools. The showstopper is the huge Dos Awa double infinity pool. It's perfectly positioned with a view out to the ocean, and equipped with a swim up bar. Unsurprisingly, it gets busy. Expect the prime sun beds to be reserved from the crack of dawn, and the swim up bar attracts a crowd throughout the day. It's definitely a party pool, with blasting music and occasional performances.
My personal favourite pool was a quieter one just off the main pool (pictured left). You could always grab a sun bed here, and it has it's own bar that you never had to queue too long at. It would get rowdier when a game of volleyball was on, but it was still quieter than the main pool!
If you really want to avoid the crowds, however, there is also a quiet pool tucked away in a far corner of the resort. I never spent any time here as it was the opposite end from my room, so can't comment too much on it.
My favourite place to hang out, however, was the beach. It's a fairly narrow stretch of sand, lined with deckchairs and equipped with a bar and seafood restaurant. You'll find water-sports activities here, as well as occasional entertainment such as bingo and a wonderfully talented violinist. I never had any problem finding a spot, and it was more low key than the buzz of activity at the pools. The water itself isn't great for swimming as it's blocked off by a jetty, so if that's a priority it's probably not ideal.
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Dining at Sandals Royal Curacao
There are a staggering 8 restaurants across Sandals Royal Curacao. Most are only open for dinner, however there are dining options throughout the day. There's pretty much always something to eat!
Pietra is the main restaurant, home to the buffet breakfast and all day dining. For dinner it serves up Italian cuisine, however I never made it so can't comment. We had the buffet breakfast a couple of times, which was pretty good - I'd recommend getting in line for the omelettes with all the fillings! Oh, and you could get mimosas, which for me is the ultimate sign of a good buffet breakfast!
We had a couple of breakfasts at A La Carte spot Butch's, the resort's resident steak restaurant. Personally I much preferred this, as they offer more interesting options such as french toast and steak hash. Again I never made it for dinner unfortunately, but I've heard good things!
There are several restaurants the require reservations for dinner. This includes the aforementioned Butch's, Vincent, and Zuka. Vincent is a chic, minimalist French fine dining spot. We tucked into crab salad and foie gras to start, both of which were excellent. For mains, we went for the pork and beef tenderloins. The latter was delicious, but the former a wee bit overdone for our tastes.
Zuka is the resort's Latin fusion restaurant (pictured above). This was probably my favourite based off aesthetics alone - I mean, look at it! I'd definitely recommend making a booking for a meal here, as it's a lovely experience and the food was really good.
Another favourite was sushi / Asian restaurant Gatsu Gatsu. The sushi selection is varied and premium, and the staff were a lot of fun. There's also Aolos, a Mediterranean restaurant, which unfortunately I didn't make it to.
For lunch, Pietra is open, or you can head out to the beach and eat at the Strand Seafood House (pictured above left). It serves a selection of small plates, including fish, burgers, and sandwiches. Honestly we found this fairly hit and miss - some dishes were delicious, others disappointing. But for a quick bite for lunch, it hits the spot.
Service was generally decent throughout, although in typical Caribbean style it can be quite leisurely. It's all part of the Island experience, so it's best to just lean into it!
There are also three food trucks on the complex (pictured above right). They served up Asian bowls, Spanish tapas, and local cuisine. There's also a bar attached, and plenty of seating. These were a great lunch option as they were quick and there was never any queue. Again the quality was quite hit and miss - some dishes were delicious, others were so so. Overall I think the best dishes we tried were from the Asian truck.
The Sandals Royal Curacao Review: Final Verdict
All in all, I really enjoyed my first taste of Sandals, and would definitely consider booking one of their other resorts. Whilst it's definitely more luxury than your average all inclusive, it doesn't have any of the pretension that word sometimes carries. The whole vibe is fun, down to earth, and easy going. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a sociable resort, and want to get stuck in with activities and entertainment. Though there are options for a quieter break, it's probably more fun if you get involved. It's perfect for a couples getaway, or with a group of friends.
Of course, no stay is perfect. If you're someone who expects efficient service, you may struggle with "Island Time". Things can be slow, and some staff won't exactly go out of their way to be helpful. However others, such as the entertainment team, are a lot of fun and great at looking after guests. For example when I couldn't get a beer at the nearest bar, one of the team went round the bars to hunt one down for me. Much appreciated on a hot day by the pool!
The food was also hit and miss - most meals were delicious, but the odd dish wasn't quite up to scratch. However, considering it's such a massive resort cooking meals in bulk, I'd be surprised to eat 3 meals a day for a week and have them all be 10/10!
The best things about Sandals for me was the sheer amount of choice. Whether that's which cocktail to have at which bar, to what activities and entertainment to get involved in, there's so much going on all the time. It's ideal if you're looking for an "easy" holiday, where everything is close at hand and there's plenty to do without ever leaving the resort.
It's on the pricier side, but you don't have to worry about money once you're there as everything is included - even tips. I also loved that it was truly all-inclusive, even down to the mini bar! I've experienced all-inclusives where the included alcohol is a dubious watered down concoction and the house wine tastes like vinegar, so actually having a good quality offering was a massive bonus.
If you've stayed at Sandals Royal Curacao, I'd love to know what your experience was! Alternatively, if you're looking to book a stay, feel free to leave a comment or drop me a DM with any questions.
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