Sandals Royal Curacao Review – A Concierge 29 Point Detailed Review by Expert Travelers

Sandals invested 72 million dollars into the Sandals Royal Curaçao to create a stunning and modern resort. Only the initial Sandals Curacao reviews have been mixed, so we’re offering our detailed 29-point review as expert travelers.

We’ll tell you straight-up what we saw, what we liked, and what they could have done better so you can decide if Sandals Royal Curaçao is for you.

Why You Need an Expert Review of Sandals Curaçao

A 72-million-dollar facelift goes a long way, and every photo you’ll see from Sandals Curaçao looks amazing. One of the most popular mentions from TripAdvisor reviews is “beautiful resort.” However, “growing pains” and “supply chain” are also on that list. It turns out that refurbishing and opening a resort during a pandemic isn’t easy.

Another thing that isn’t easy is changing a long-standing egalitarian culture where no one is better than anyone else, including the customer. As Americans, we expect the customer to have a temporary higher “status” over the service provider when engaging in business. That is to say, the customer is always right, which doesn’t always fly in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Caitriona Rush of I Am Expat presents a compelling explanation of this phenomenon in her article – Dutch Customer Service. What Customer Service?

I’ve been a travel writer for almost a decade. Before that, I was a five-star trainer for Ritz Carlton, concierge at a luxury hotel, and spa lead at the Southwest’s highest Condé Nast-rated spa. I know customer service, and even though Sandals hosted me, they paid for my time, not my opinion.

One of the most important aspects of Sandals Royal Curaçao reviews is when they were written. The resort opened in June 2022. We visited in August of 2023. So, it’s worthwhile to compare our review to older reviews you might find to see if the things you care about have changed over time.

Resort Location

Sandal’s Royal Curaçao is located in a private gated community about 30 minutes east of Willemstad. There are pluses and minuses to this. Since transportation to and from the airport is included with the stay, you don’t have to worry about the logistics; however, you’ll need a plan if you’re trying to get into town, which we’ll get into later in this review.

The aspect of the location is that you’re on the mouth of the Spanish Waters Bay. It’s an excellent location for scuba and snorkel trips, and the beach is very sheltered. On the downside, the beach is very sheltered, and there is a fair amount of boat traffic in and out of the bay, so you can’t take Sandals’ personal watercraft out of the protected marina.

One final element of the Sandals’ layout is that the bay entrance provides a beautiful backdrop for sunsets over the water – something to remember for weddings and resort photography.

Adult-Only Property

All Sandals are adult-only properties, including Curaçao. This is something we love about the brand, and if you don’t like it, there’s always Beaches for family-forward fun. We love that there’s a place for adults to be grown up without caterwauling of children and little-uns underfoot.

All Inclusive

We love that Sandals is all-inclusive, including drinks and activities. It helps you relax and not worry about being nickeled and dimed throughout your vacation. This includes diving and gear rental.

A few add-ons aren’t included, like butler tips, spa services, and off-property excursions. They are very clear about what’s included and what isn’t, and you can have a fantastic vacation without getting any of the add-ons.

Room Categories

There are 24 room categories at Sandals Curaçao, ranging from ocean bungalows with private pools to garden-view rooms with private balconies divided across three room categories (2023 pricing PP/PN):

• Butler Elite: 10 rooms ranging from $1675 – $546
• Club Sandals: 11 rooms ranging from $426 – $318
• Sandals Luxury: 3 rooms ranging from $329 – $304

The highest level of Butler Elite rooms are: (Rates for reference only from October 2023)

• Awa Seaside Butler Bungalow with Private Pool ($1675)
• Kurason Island Poolside Butler Bungalow with Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub ($1,123)
• Amante One Bedroom Oceanview Swim-up Butler Grande Suite with Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub ($831)
• Carisia One Bedroom Swim-up Butler Suite with Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub ($762).

What this means to the consumer is that the top-tier rooms are stand-alone bungalows. After that, you pay a premium for butler service, ocean views, and semi-private swim-up pools. You don’t get certain amenities like the signature soaking tub or suites in the lowest-tier rooms.

Elite Butler Service

What is Sandals butler service, and do you really need it? Elite butler service perks start before you even arrive on-property because you can book dining at Butch’s or Vincent’s ahead of time. You get private airport transportation, expedited check-in, a welcome glass of champagne in your room, and the all-important butler phone.

After you settle in, your butler is just a call away for anything reasonable, moral, and legal. We loved having our butler claim a palapa on the beach for us with a cooler filled with our favorite drinks. Having a lazy morning breakfast brought to our room and drinks delivered poolside was pretty lovely, too. They also brought us rubbing alcohol to try and resurrect a water-logged dive light that was above and beyond the call of duty. If your love language is acts of service, butler service could be for you.

There wasn’t anything “wrong” with butler service, but we didn’t need a specialty bottle of liquor brought to our room or midafternoon snacks at an all-inclusive resort. Plus, having your butler walk you to dinner added an extra layer of complexity to mealtime, even though it was essential to coordinate the activities for the next day. We didn’t fully utilize the service as experienced travelers with a diving-centric itinerary. However, if we had more beach/pool days, I could see how it would be a fantastic amenity.

Pools

There are two primary general access pool areas. Dos Awa Infinity Pool is a twin-level infinity pool with all kinds of energy, including a swim-up bar and rocking midday entertainment. Cabanas and shade are available around the pool, and an oversized whirlpool on the pool deck.

If you want a more relaxed fresh-water experience, there’s a second “quiet pool.” It has a poolside bar and an optional private cabana service. It’s harder to find midday shade at the quiet pool, but by late afternoon, it’s in the shadow of the main building. A couple of smaller whirlpools are also available between the pools and the beach.

Beaches

There are two distinctly different beach experiences at Sandals. The rocky beach that opens to the ocean is where you’ll find the beach bar, private cabanas, and beachfront dining experiences. Notice a theme here? You’re not getting in the water.

Sandals also has private access to Santa Barbara Beach just inside the channel to Spanish Waters. The sand is soft, the water is quiet, and it’s easy to find some shade. Combine all that with the floating platforms; this is the perfect place for an adult beach day.

Restaurants

There are eight different restaurants to choose from and three food trucks. That’s enough variety, so you don’t have to repeat on a week-long visit. We agree with reviews that said that dinner service could have been faster and the food sat too long before reaching your table. This may be because we always scheduled dinner after sunset at the end of service.

We had a friend who said he booked as soon as the restaurants opened and thought that Curacao had the best dining of the dozen or so Sandals he had been to. I could see this as being another example of growing pains with the resort where the kitchen gets backed up, or the servers lose track of orders, so keep looking at the reviews to see if this situation improves, or maybe just plan an early dinner and have plenty of time to catch the sunset with a cocktail and to grab a good seat for the shows.

Below are thoughts on each of the Sandals Curacao restaurants we ate at:

• Butch’s – Sandals’ iconic white glove chop house. Word to the wise, book your dinner at Butch’s when you check-in. (Resort Evening Attire Mandatory)
• Vincent – We actually like Vincent better than Butch’s for white-glove dining (again, make your reservations early). The mushroom bisque was phenomenal, and the steaks stack up to Butch’s. (Resort Evening Attire Mandatory)
• Zuka – A Latin fusion restaurant with yummy drinks and fun, festive atmosphere.
• Strand – Beachside dining that’s perfect after a morning of diving.
• Kannal – We started every morning with a vanilla latte from Kannal (and many evenings with a Baileys latte)
• Aolos – The Mediterranean menu and open-air restaurant with coastal views made this a favorite for sunset dining. They were also our favorite for breakfast with a delicious a la carte menu.
• Gatsu Gatsu – One of our surprise favorite restaurants. We loved the variety of fresh sushi and exotic menu choices like Ishiyaki hot rock cooking at your table.
• Pietra – Pietra has a centrally located breakfast and lunch buffet with an Italian menu for dinner. The buffets had plenty of choices, but don’t overlook the fresh tropical fruit for breakfast and oven-fired pizza for lunch.

Food Trucks

The Sandals food trucks were a pleasant surprise. They were really, really good, with an excellent view and service that was fast enough to make up for the walkover. If bikes are available, lunch is a no-brainer; grab some wheels and cruise to your meal.

We loved the char-grilled sirloin steak with chimichurri at Toteki and the chicken teriyaki bowl at Kishi. We didn’t try La Palma, but it looked excellent. Do yourself a favor and try the food trucks early and often.

Bars

With beach bars, pool bars, and in-room bars, it is easy to find a drink at Sandals. This section is really about unique places to wet your whistle throughout the day. We started all days with a vanilla latte from Kannal and had them add a shot of Bailey’s on non-diving days. We always wanted a “Dirty Monkey” (blended mudslide with banana) for pool and beach time. We made a point to try the drink of the day at least once and the specialty drink at each restaurant. Other drinking opportunities were the sunset toasts and karaoke in the lobby bar.

Island Inclusive Dining

Island Inclusive Dining is a program that’s currently only offered at Sandals Curacao; it’s a game changer. With a week’s stay or longer in qualifying rooms, you can get a $250 dining credit at some of the best restaurants in Curacao and transportation to and from the resort.

We chose to go to Kome for tapas night, and it was off the hook good! The truffled mac and cheese stole the show, but it was excellent from top to bottom. We planned Willemstad time into our trip, but I could imagine a way to combine the Island Inclusive Dining with a Willemstad fun trip for a great afternoon off-property.

Mini Cooper Experience

The Mini Cooper Experience is another perk that comes with qualified stays at higher room levels. Currently, that’s only the Awa Seaside Butler Bungalow and the Kurason Island Poolside Butler Bungalow. This is one experience that sounded better on paper.

The biggest reason is that you only get a 4-hour block. With logistics in the pick-up, driving, and adding some padding on the return, you only have 90 minutes or less to do something. That’s just not enough time and a jarring transition to a time-driven, self-directed adventure from an all-inclusive Sandals resort mindset.

If you’re in the room anyway, this could be a fun way to see Willemstad or Jan Thiel, but I wouldn’t book a room upgrade just for the Mini Cooper.

Scuba Diving

Curacao is renowned for having arguably some of the best reefs in the Caribbean, and scuba diving is included with your stay. That’s why our first dive experience was at Sandals over a decade ago and why many people come to Sandals year after year. What’s more, Sandals Royal Curaçao is the easternmost dive shop, giving it unparalleled access to some of the most pristine dive sites in Curacao.

There are some nuances about Sandals diving that you should know before you go. You want to ensure you have your medical papers secured, complete your checkout dive, and book your diving as soon as you get on the resort. The DMs will ask you to come up with a lot of air in your tank, which is excellent for newer divers. There are also many days with only a one-tank dive option and a maximum of three dives daily. Sandals still attracts lots of experienced divers who appreciate the resort options for their non-diving partner or to round out their stay.

Snorkeling

Sandals Curacao offers boat snorkeling trips to many excellent nearby sites, including Car Pile and Tug Boat. I wouldn’t opt for snorkeling over diving, but it’s an activity that requires no certification, so it’s accessible for most guests and highly recommended.

One thing to note is that, with its location in the channel and smooth water, snorkeling off the Sandals beach is remarkably good. There’s plenty of life around the dock pilings that surround the beach. Only you’ll have to either bring your own snorkel kit or buy one at the gift shop. The watersports station only lends out snorkeling gear for boat trips.

Water Sports

We love the Sandals all-inclusive model that includes water sports, so you don’t have to compromise between relaxation and recreation. The Sandals’ activity page says they offer kayaking, snorkeling, Hobie Cats, scuba diving, paddle boarding, and water trikes.

We’ve already covered how the diving was excellent, and snorkeling is a boat-only activity.

Kayaking and paddle boarding are confined to the area behind the docks, which takes about 15 minutes to paddle from end to end, so it’s something that beginners would enjoy. We also didn’t see any water trikes but imagined they’d be in the confined beach area.

The Hobie Cat trips got rave reviews from everybody who tried them. Because they’re guided, the trip goes beyond the confines of the beach and into the unique Spanish Water Bay.

Off-Property Adventures / Island Routes

Sandals has done a phenomenal job integrating Island Routes into the resort experience. They have a kiosk in the lobby, and all trips depart from Sandals. These are integrated, seamless experiences for Willemstad tours, Westpunt beaches, Christoffel Mountain, and Klein Curacao.

We tried the boat trip to Klein Curacao that started with us walking the dock and getting premier boarding at the dock. In addition, Sandals’ all-inclusive amenities are extended there with complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for Sandals guests only at the host bar. The island features spectacular diving (extra), unique hikes, and some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. This trip was an add-on that we fully endorse, and we believe the other experience would be equally well executed.

Also, if you’re an avid diver, you owe it to yourself to dive Klein Curacao. This is also an opportunity to redo some of your medical paperwork that bit you at the Sandals. There are even massages available, which we heard from more than one Sandals guest was an even exchange for a non-diving partner.

Daytime Entertainment

It seemed like every afternoon, there were entertainers somewhere putting on a show. Some days, it was a saxophone player on the beach. On others, it was a mini-show by the pool. These shows didn’t have the production value of the night-time shows, but they were fun nonetheless. I wouldn’t book a trip to Sandals for the daytime shows, but it’s worth checking the daily activity board to see if you want to hang out by the pool or the beach.

Nightly Entertainment

The night-time entertainment was excellent and consistent. The singers could sing, the dancers could dance, and there was enough production value to put a bow on everything. There’s enough here to say it definitely adds value to the trip, and you owe it to yourself to plan these shows into your evening, even if you’re diving in the morning.

Red Lane Spa

Red Lane Spa is an add-on to your Sandals experience. We thought the Curacao spa was okay, with four treatment rooms and a heavy lean towards couples massage.

The knocks were that they offered corporate branded treatments lacking touches and products that speak to local scenography. Also, the treatment rooms were a little too close to the party pool, so you might want to schedule outside of peak pool time.

That being said, the services were consummate with the price point. You’ll be disappointed if you come in expecting a five-star resort spa. However, the price and facilities are consummate with a very nice day spa. We met many guests who said their massage was the highlight of their vacation and others who said the availability of the spa allowed them the freedom to dive while their spouse received a massage.

State-of-the-Art Weight Room

Sandals Curacao has an excellent weight room with everything from cardio machines to free weights. It’s a perfect space to continue your home workout or absolve some of that all-inclusive guilt. We didn’t see any group classes, like beach yoga. It takes a certain type of person to come to paradise and work out, and Sandals has you covered.

A Typical Day at Sandals Curacao

One of Sandals’ most underrated features is the lobby’s daily event board. Pro-tip: take a minute and photograph the board during check-in so you have a reference for your trip. Here are the Wednesday offerings from our visit –

• 0900 – Resort Orientation
• 11:00 – Couples Minute to Win It
• 11:00 – Beach Volleyball
• 13:00 – Beach Olympics
• 14:00 – Happenings
• 14:30 – Battle of the Sexes
• 15:00 – Couple Kalik Beer Race
• 15:00 – Saxophone Player and DJ
• 15:00 – Pool Volleyball
• 16:00 – Resort Orientation
• 18:00 – Piano and Vocalist
• 20:00 – Honeymooners Embrace
• 20:00 – Movie
• 21:00 – Fire Explosion Live Show
• 21:30 – Live DJ
• 22:00 – Piano & Vocalist
• 22:00 – Karaoke

Arrivals and Departures

We were at the Butler Elite Level on our Sandals Curacao stay with expedited check-in and check-out, and everything went smooth as silk. However, we read enough negative reviews about the arrivals and departures that we observed the process closely and spoke with friends from the trip about their experience.

First, you must understand the logistic challenge of processing a busload of passengers. Most of the time, the lobby was overstaffed, followed by brief moments of madness when the buses arrived. Given that, we thought Sandals did an excellent job. It was easy to find the loading at the airport, and they gave you a bottle of water at the airport and a welcome drink at the resort.

On departure, there’s a lot of “hurry up and wait”, but they have continual interaction so you don’t get bored or lose your luggage. If waiting is too much, there’s always the lobby bar. It was super cute how the staff gathered for a short song and dance number to bid the guests a fond farewell. You’ll get to the airport plenty early, but the duty-free shopping is pretty good, and we utilized the Priority Pass Lounge.

Epix Resort Photos

We think the abundant on-staff resort photographers are one of the most overlooked features of Sandals. Firstly, kudos to the company for a great business plan for helping people create moments they want to share. Not only could you schedule a photo shoot, but it seemed like a photographer was always around when you approached a photo op. The packages are reasonable, starting at $10 a picture a la carte, which is much less than we charge…lol!

Sandals Weddings

We got married at Sandals and recommend Sandals weddings to everybody, even if they didn’t ask! You get a free wedding with an open bar if you stay three nights. Stay five nights, and you get the Bells and Whistle package and seven nights for the Premium Perks package. Our sources have informed us that Sandals is in the middle of revamping the destination wedding experience and our free wedding packages, so you’ll want to check the website before booking. Even the basic package is pretty awesome, with free wedding planners, a picturesque setting, and a honeymoon package with breakfast in bed and honeymoon dinner. The images below are from our wedding at Sandals Royal Bahamian in 2013, an amazing experience that we happily recommend to EVERYONE!!

The Curacao cliffside wedding venue is fabulous, and they have options for beachfront weddings too. With onsite photographers and beauticians at Red Door Spa, it’s foolproof. All you need to do is show up and smile. It’s a great business model because you have a sure follow-up for anniversaries and re-commitments by just returning to Sandals. There’s even a group booking office for your wedding party. The only tricky part is getting your guests to leave so you can start your honeymoon.

Sandals Select Rewards Program

Customer loyalty was front and center at Sandals Curacao. There was an onsite re-booking office with special discounts if you booked your next trip before leaving. Plus, the company has the Sandals Select Reward program, a tiered system that rewards repeat guests. It was a point of pride amongst the guests how many Sandals they visited. It’s heartening to see a company with that much brand loyalty

Sandals Foundation

The Sandals Foundation could be one of the reasons for brand loyalty. The website says – “The Sandals Foundation is a non-profit organization launched in March 2009 to help Sandals Resorts International continue to make a difference in the Caribbean. All costs associated with administration and management is supported by Sandals International so that 100% of every dollar donated goes directly towards funding impactful and meaningful initiatives within the key areas of Education, Community and Environment. ” 

We observed these principles in actions in Curacao. We spoke with several staff members who were overjoyed to be working at Sandals because of the high wages and good working conditions. Beyond the Sandals Foundation, we observed eco-initiatives like paper straws and recycling. There were also programs to get guests off-resort and spending money, like the Island Inclusive Dining program and Island Routes activities. From our observations, Sandals is coming to Curacao in good faith and actively working to improve the island.

Sundries

Our penultimate various and sundry point is the sundry shop itself. Even though we’re experienced travelers, we found ourselves popping into the shop for medication, sunglasses, and UV-resistant clothes because the prices were reasonable, with a decent selection. Many lobby stores feel like they’re exploiting a trapped audience (re: theme park pricing). We felt like the Sandals shop acted in good faith to provide the items you forgot or didn’t realize you needed on your trip. The souvenir selection wasn’t bad, either.

Sandals Curacao FAQ

Concluding Our Sandals Royal Curacao Review

Curaçao is one of the newer properties (opened June 1, 2022), and there are still a few bugs to work out (mostly with consistency), but we have every faith they are on their way to give some of Sandals’ top properties a run for their money. That being said, the facilities and island were beautiful, and the experience was consistently excellent.

Here are a few suggestions to make your stay at Sandals Curacao more enjoyable:

• Follow the review trends instead of focusing on a few negative reviews during startup.
• If you’re diving, complete your medical paperwork before your visit and your dive checkout as soon as you arrive on property.
• Plan an early dinner and enjoy the evening activities.
• Utilize Island Routes to explore Curacao.