Sandals Royal Curacao
The All-New Sandals Royal Curaçao will be opening in time for summer! The all-inclusive leader Sandals Resorts is putting the final touches on its all-new and highly-anticipated Sandals Royal Curaçao, opening on June 1, 2022. This will mark Sandals’ entry into its ninth destination in the Caribbean and its 16th property overall.
Set in one of Curaçao’s most spectacular locations, the brand-new resort occupies 44 oceanfront acres inside of the Santa Barbara private estate, an exclusive 3,000-acre protected preserve. A western-facing build, its design is intended to showcase the magnificent sight of one of the Caribbean’s most captivating sunsets.
READ the full Travel Pulse Press Release
Sandals Royal Curacao Employs 86% Locals
With 854 Curaçaoans employed by Sandals Royal resort, the majority of the staff is local. 86 percent to be exact. The Ministry of Social, Development, Labor and Welfare (SOAW) reports this in a press release.
The Minister of SOAW, Ruthmilda Larmonie-Cecilia, had recently met with the general manager of the luxury hotel located in Santa Barbara.
About 500 employees have previously gone to Jamaica for internal training. The hotel opens June 1, 2022 and the resort is expected to have an economic impact of approximately $16 million USD for Curaçao.
For more information and to book Sandals Royal Curaçao, CLICK HERE.
Curacao Dive Travel Guide
Previous Sandals Royal Curaçao Press Releases
Sandals Royal Curacao Delays Opening
The Sandals Royal Curaçao was scheduled to open on April 14, 2022 but has rescheduled the official opening to June 1st, 2022, constituting a delay of six and a half weeks.
Sandals, in a letter to travel advisors, said that while the resort is nearing completion, supply chain issues and shipping delays have required it to push back the delay to June.
“While we have done everything within our power to avoid this delay, what is in our control, is our response to this setback, and on this point, I speak on behalf of the entire Sandals leadership team when I say, we will make this right, protecting our valued partners and guests who choose to vacation with us,” the letter reads.
According to Sandals, they will allow those who have reservations impacted by the delay to move their booking to another Sandals resort free of charge or rebook at the Curacao resort at a later date. Sandals promised to cover all necessary airfare changes up to $600 per person in the same class of service.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE via Travel Market Report – February 22, 2022
Sandals Royal Curacao reveals new details and officially opens to start taking bookings
The Sandals Royal Curaçao has officially opened for booking today, August 4, and Sandals has unveiled new details about its sixteenth property, as well as an introductory Grand Opening Offer for guests to save up to $1,000 off their stays at the resort.
The resort is set in an exclusive 3,000-acre protected reserve, spread out along 44 acres. It provides a great location for its guests to explore everything the island has to offer, from its jungles, beaches and limestone caves to its UNESCO World Heritage Site of Willemstad, the island’s capital city.
The Sandals Royal Curaçao is expected to open April 14, 2022. It will offer 351 rooms and suites with 24 different room categories to fit any couple’s vacation style, including two new signature suite categories. The rooms and suites feature a modern design with pops of botanicals in blues and greens to reflect the island’s lush natural beauty.
The Awa Seaside Butler Bungalows and Kurason Island Poolside Butler Bungalows will feature butler service, soaking tubs, private pools and MINI Coopers to use while exploring the island. Both offer extra privacy and stunning views of the ocean.
Guests to this resort can enjoy the freedom of a luxury vacation, which includes everything from unlimited drinks and roundtrip airport transfers to activities like Scuba diving lessons or excursions to private islands.
Also included are the nine five-star dining options available at the resort, eight of which are exclusive only to the Sandals Royal Curaçao. One such restaurant is The Duchess, Sandals’ first floating restaurant and bar, which was constructed from a Dutch ship. Other restaurants specialize in international cuisine or local Curaçao dishes.
As a Sandals resort, the commitment to romance is strong. That’s why this hotel will feature three oceanfront wedding venues as well as 38,000 square feet of both indoor and outdoor meeting space.
From now through November 2, 2021, guests who book stays at this resort can receive up to $1,000 off their reservation. Sandals Select Rewards Guests can also receive an additional $200 bonus gift of either a spa credit, island routes tour credit, a scuba diving lesson and more when they book six nights or more through August 5, 2021.
Rates begin at $341 per person each night, while butler category rates begin at $538 per person each night, based on double occupancy and a seven-night stay.
For more information click here.
Source: Sandals Official Press Release – August 4, 2021
Sandals New All-Inclusive Resort in Curacao
SANTA BARBARA, Curacao, Dec. 10, 2020 – Sandals Resorts International (SRI), the world’s leading all-inclusive company, announced today the signing of an agreement that will bring Sandals® Resorts to a brand-new destination, at the Santa Barbara Resort on the island of Curaçao.
This will mark the ninth island destination for the brand in the Caribbean region. The new Sandals Curaçao will initially include 350-luxurious rooms and suites stretched along the Spanish Water Bay and the Caribbean Sea, with a further expansion planned in the coming years. Formerly the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, part of a broader 3,000-acre development, the resort will be completely “Sandalized,” a process set to begin in 2021.
Sandals Curaçao will bring the opulent resort innovations to the island, which have become synonymous with the world-renowned Sandals Resorts brand across the region.
Conceptual plans for the resort include adding key elements for the signature Sandals experience, including new expansive pools, a variety of 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining options and lavish accommodations, including magnificent newly constructed River Suites.
Guests will also have access to the neighboring Old Quarry Golf Course which is an 18-hole Pete Dye championship golf course in addition to the two onsite marinas and the 38,000-square-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space – the largest corporate retreat on the island of Curaçao.
What is the economic impact for Curacao?
World-famous for its vibrant culture, pristine beaches and coves, Curaçao also boasts spectacular dive sites and exotic marine ecosystems. With year-round temperatures of 80 degrees, it’s touted as the perfect anytime-escape.
The resort will have a positive, immediate and long-term impact on the island and the people of Curaçao. In year one alone, it is expected to have an over $40 million economic footprint and an impressive track record on the creation of new employment.
The resort alone will add over 1,200 local jobs, comprised of 800 new team members, and 400 local tradesmen and craftsmen. This will be followed by a positive economic ripple-effect for the community extending to the local taxi and transportation sectors, wider supply chain, agriculture, increased airlift and increased yearly tourism numbers—especially with the key US tourism market.
Why did Sandals include Curacao in their Caribbean expansion?
Roald Smeets, Director of the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, said: “We have a unique opportunity to attract a globally-recognized hotel operator, owner and investor such as Sandals Resorts, which will bring an unprecedented boon to the Curaçao tourism industry and the local economy.
Its position as both a hotel operator and owner, with the ability to attract regular scheduled airlines from North America, distinctly marks it out from other hotel groups. We found its impressive plans for the site and dedication to building the profile of Curaçao as a world-class tourism destination particularly compelling.
Will Sandals invest in the future and in Sustainable Tourism for Curacao?
Its future investment into the community will reinvigorate the tourism market, secure the livelihoods of hundreds of families and benefit every individual on the island through rejuvenating the local economy. Curaçao has a tremendous future ahead, due to this exciting new venture, which will put Curaçao truly on the global stage.”
Gordon "Butch" Stewart shares his thoughts on the expansion to Curacao
Sandals Resorts International Founder and Chairman, the Hon. Gordon “Butch” Stewart, along with Deputy Chairman Adam Stewart, had this to share: “It has been our distinct pleasure to work alongside the government of Curaçao and the Smeets family on this exciting new endeavor for the Sandals brand,” stated Gordon “Butch” Stewart. “We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Roald Smeets, who has been instrumental to this process and absolutely delightful to work with. We plan to do more than our part to raise the world’s appreciation of this beautiful country.”
Adam Stewart added, “Each time we expand, we bring with us the full potential of our 40-years in hospitality. The new Sandals Curaçao embodies our philosophy of forward-thinking and looking through a new lens. It is a promise not only to our guests but to our team members for continued innovation. Curaçao is a place to be discovered, and we are so proud today to become part of this community.”
Sustainable Tourism in Curacao
