Hilton Curacao {CUW} (no longer Honors)
Jan 2, 2015, 12:52 pm
#151
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: STL
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Gold, Mariott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 307
we stayed there the week before xmas as a family. we were there on points, so you can throw value out the window. Here are my thoughts
If you are expecting 5 star, 4 seasons Nevis resort, you made a mistake. If you expect Hilton Carib, you are right on the mark. Yes, the hotel is old, yes there are significant things wrong if you want to find them (exposed pipes in bathroom, bed frames cracked, locks on doors to balcony don't work).
But I enjoyed it there. I overlooked the flaws and enjoyed the positives. The pools (both) were safe for children, and allowed bigger kids to play in deep water right next to smaller kids in shallow water. The grounds are well kept, and groomed several times a day. They have parrots (Macaws)!!!!!
About curacao, you make a mistake if you don't get a car. the best beaches are north west (westpunt) of the hotel. The 2 main grocery stores are on the way (and sell Kinder eggs!). yes, you do pay a entrance fee at most beaches, but its minimal. 12 bucks for 2 chairs and a umbrella. 3 or 4 bucks for fins ( we bring our own masks), and the waters are unbelievable. Playa Porto Marie is very well maintained, not terribly far, and crystal blue water. We also went to Lagun, which was horrid as a beach, and the facilities are virtually impossible to walk to up that high cliff, but swimming out to the break point and seeing puffer fish the size of my arm span was incredible. We also went to Cas Abou, but it wasn't as good as Porto Marie, and was virtually the same entrance costs.
The staff at the lounge was some of the best I've worked with, and was happy to give us anything we needed, without question. we wanted bananas when a belly wasn't feeling good, bam, a bunch just for us. we needed water to go to the beach in the morning, bam 4 bottles. The kids wanted juice, Bam, full carafes.
Yes, the rest of the hotel is painfully slow. Slower than island time slow. Several times it was so slow they comped my beer while I was waiting. But going to any island in the carib comes with some knowledge that things are not going to be at "states" pace.
Yes, it is over priced. and average at best. and the sides will be the same, no matter what your meal. the buffets will all be the same, regardless of what is the specialty that night. BTW, the lobster risotto at the Italian place, it rivals some of the best restaurants I've ever been to. everything else was meh. This includes the near by pirates bay, a restaurant you can easily pass over and never miss a thing. By far and away the most disappointing thing of the trip.
We stayed at the Hyatt (when it was a hyatt) a few years ago, and I can honestly say being on this side of the bridge (Hilton side) was 10x better than being on the southern side.
If you are expecting 5 star, 4 seasons Nevis resort, you made a mistake. If you expect Hilton Carib, you are right on the mark. Yes, the hotel is old, yes there are significant things wrong if you want to find them (exposed pipes in bathroom, bed frames cracked, locks on doors to balcony don't work).
But I enjoyed it there. I overlooked the flaws and enjoyed the positives. The pools (both) were safe for children, and allowed bigger kids to play in deep water right next to smaller kids in shallow water. The grounds are well kept, and groomed several times a day. They have parrots (Macaws)!!!!!
About curacao, you make a mistake if you don't get a car. the best beaches are north west (westpunt) of the hotel. The 2 main grocery stores are on the way (and sell Kinder eggs!). yes, you do pay a entrance fee at most beaches, but its minimal. 12 bucks for 2 chairs and a umbrella. 3 or 4 bucks for fins ( we bring our own masks), and the waters are unbelievable. Playa Porto Marie is very well maintained, not terribly far, and crystal blue water. We also went to Lagun, which was horrid as a beach, and the facilities are virtually impossible to walk to up that high cliff, but swimming out to the break point and seeing puffer fish the size of my arm span was incredible. We also went to Cas Abou, but it wasn't as good as Porto Marie, and was virtually the same entrance costs.
The staff at the lounge was some of the best I've worked with, and was happy to give us anything we needed, without question. we wanted bananas when a belly wasn't feeling good, bam, a bunch just for us. we needed water to go to the beach in the morning, bam 4 bottles. The kids wanted juice, Bam, full carafes.
Yes, the rest of the hotel is painfully slow. Slower than island time slow. Several times it was so slow they comped my beer while I was waiting. But going to any island in the carib comes with some knowledge that things are not going to be at "states" pace.
Yes, it is over priced. and average at best. and the sides will be the same, no matter what your meal. the buffets will all be the same, regardless of what is the specialty that night. BTW, the lobster risotto at the Italian place, it rivals some of the best restaurants I've ever been to. everything else was meh. This includes the near by pirates bay, a restaurant you can easily pass over and never miss a thing. By far and away the most disappointing thing of the trip.
We stayed at the Hyatt (when it was a hyatt) a few years ago, and I can honestly say being on this side of the bridge (Hilton side) was 10x better than being on the southern side.
Jan 2, 2015, 6:59 pm
#152
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
A lot of hotels do this. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, especially at in-town properties, it can lead to the facility getting crowded, especially at peak times for office workers (early morning, lunch time, early evening). On the other hand, hotels that do this usually have nicer facilities as a result of the extra incentive to make it attractive to locals and the extra revenue. For example, the Hilton Sydney gets very crowded at peak hours, because the facilities are nice and it's in the core Central Business District. The Hilton Narita gets less crowded, at least during the hours I want to use it.
May 22, 2015, 8:24 am
#153
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NC
Programs: AAConciergeKey/1MM, DL DM/2 MM, UA Gold,Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 11,967
What are the hours of the happy hour in the exec lounge? There seem to be conflicting reports on whether drinks are free during happy hour.
Does it have water/soft drinks/coffee free during the day? What is the cheapest way to the hotel from the airport?
Does it have water/soft drinks/coffee free during the day? What is the cheapest way to the hotel from the airport?
May 22, 2015, 4:02 pm
#154
Join Date: May 2012
Location: AMS
Programs: BA KL LH Hilton Marriott
Posts: 1,233
The lounge is not the best part of this hotel: it is small and nothing special. Especially the food items (both breakfast and happy hour) are very limited. It's an ok place to go for an hour and enjoy a glass of wine with sunset views but don't expect too much.
May 22, 2015, 4:25 pm
#155
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: STL
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Gold, Mariott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 307
Alcoholic drinks are not free, but very reasonably priced.
The lounge is not the best part of this hotel: it is small and nothing special. Especially the food items (both breakfast and happy hour) are very limited. It's an ok place to go for an hour and enjoy a glass of wine with sunset views but don't expect too much.
The lounge is not the best part of this hotel: it is small and nothing special. Especially the food items (both breakfast and happy hour) are very limited. It's an ok place to go for an hour and enjoy a glass of wine with sunset views but don't expect too much.
But what is great is the people in here. The service we received in the lounge was 10x better than anywhere at the hotel, and the rest of the hotel service was pretty darn good. Any questions we had, anything we needed, was provided without question. Kids wanted bananas? a whole bunch was brought up for them for the day out at the beaches. needed water? several bottles were given. Wanted to know what beach was great that we hadn't been to? Here's a map to this secret little cove, here is where you turn , etc. Simply amazing staff in that tiny lounge.
May 23, 2015, 2:24 am
#156
Join Date: May 2012
Location: AMS
Programs: BA KL LH Hilton Marriott
Posts: 1,233
But what is great is the people in here. The service we received in the lounge was 10x better than anywhere at the hotel, and the rest of the hotel service was pretty darn good. Any questions we had, anything we needed, was provided without question. Kids wanted bananas? a whole bunch was brought up for them for the day out at the beaches. needed water? several bottles were given. Wanted to know what beach was great that we hadn't been to? Here's a map to this secret little cove, here is where you turn , etc. Simply amazing staff in that tiny lounge.
Jun 21, 2015, 9:30 pm
#157
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: IND
Programs: AAdvantage Executive Platinum, HHonors Diamond, National Executive
Posts: 1,297
Just finished a stay here, figured I'd share my TripAdvisor review with the group...
We visited for four nights and as a Diamond member, we were upgraded to a lovely ocean view junior suite. The staff at the property in general was very, very good. Our personal journey guide for our stay was Kareen and she was simply spectacular in every regard.
Kareen gave us excellent restaurant recommendations, took care of whatever we needed and even sent some brownie bites to the room when my better half mentioned she loved them. Just outstanding customer service from start to finish.
Here are some pros and cons of our visit:
PROS
- Great snorkeling right off the beach
- Huge swimming pool
- Comfortable renovated rooms
- Outstanding staff
- Excellent executive lounge
Having great snorkeling right off the beach was a huge plus. Lots of great fish to see and things to explore. There was also a large dock that you can jump off of, which was fun, only wish there was a ladder by the dock so you wouldn't have to walk all the way around.
The room was recently renovated. The furniture in the room was quite nice and comfortable. We slept well each night.
Executive lounge staff was always fantastic and the food spread from 5-7 p.m. was better than most Hiltons I have stayed at in the U.S.
CONS
- Birds constantly attacking at breakfast
- Pool needs desperately to be replastered
- Some litter on the beach (cigarette butts, etc.)
- Pool gets a bit dirty with leaves/bugs
- Outside of building looks like it's from the 1960s
The issue with the birds at breakfast was a significant turn off and a bit of a health issue. The staff tries to keep the food covered so the birds can't access it, but the birds pick at the serving spoons sitting out. Although it's nice to be able to have the breeze and sit outside to eat, they really should close off the breakfast area to eliminate this problem.
It would be nice if they had someone who could clean up the beach/pool area on a more consistent basis as the day moves along. Litter and debris tends to add up and could use some more attention. Also, the bottom and sides of the pool are VERY rough. We scratched ourselves several times and after playing in the pool for an hour, my toes were rubbed raw. Definitely needs some work.
Overall, we had a very nice visit. They are doing some additional renovations currently to make things even better. If we were in Curacao again, we would not hesitate to stay at this Hilton again as the pros outweigh the cons.
We visited for four nights and as a Diamond member, we were upgraded to a lovely ocean view junior suite. The staff at the property in general was very, very good. Our personal journey guide for our stay was Kareen and she was simply spectacular in every regard.
Kareen gave us excellent restaurant recommendations, took care of whatever we needed and even sent some brownie bites to the room when my better half mentioned she loved them. Just outstanding customer service from start to finish.
Here are some pros and cons of our visit:
PROS
- Great snorkeling right off the beach
- Huge swimming pool
- Comfortable renovated rooms
- Outstanding staff
- Excellent executive lounge
Having great snorkeling right off the beach was a huge plus. Lots of great fish to see and things to explore. There was also a large dock that you can jump off of, which was fun, only wish there was a ladder by the dock so you wouldn't have to walk all the way around.
The room was recently renovated. The furniture in the room was quite nice and comfortable. We slept well each night.
Executive lounge staff was always fantastic and the food spread from 5-7 p.m. was better than most Hiltons I have stayed at in the U.S.
CONS
- Birds constantly attacking at breakfast
- Pool needs desperately to be replastered
- Some litter on the beach (cigarette butts, etc.)
- Pool gets a bit dirty with leaves/bugs
- Outside of building looks like it's from the 1960s
The issue with the birds at breakfast was a significant turn off and a bit of a health issue. The staff tries to keep the food covered so the birds can't access it, but the birds pick at the serving spoons sitting out. Although it's nice to be able to have the breeze and sit outside to eat, they really should close off the breakfast area to eliminate this problem.
It would be nice if they had someone who could clean up the beach/pool area on a more consistent basis as the day moves along. Litter and debris tends to add up and could use some more attention. Also, the bottom and sides of the pool are VERY rough. We scratched ourselves several times and after playing in the pool for an hour, my toes were rubbed raw. Definitely needs some work.
Overall, we had a very nice visit. They are doing some additional renovations currently to make things even better. If we were in Curacao again, we would not hesitate to stay at this Hilton again as the pros outweigh the cons.
Dec 13, 2015, 7:16 pm
#158
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 12,068
Any updates on facelift of building and balconies planned in 2016?
(requesting planned start dates)
I am told May 2016 for renovations.
(requesting planned start dates)
I am told May 2016 for renovations.
Last edited by acysb87; Dec 18, 2015 at 6:27 am Reason: clarification/update
Jul 27, 2016, 4:58 pm
#159
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 11
Well, based on the comments, .....none, I am excited to be staying @ the Hilton Curacao for 10 nights over Thanksgiving, 2016. This review tells me this is not a popular destination, so I couldn't be happier. We are staying on points (264K), which seems like a bargain. Wife & I are both Diamond. I had Hilton Aruba booked but cancelled after seeing this resort is half the cost in points. I very much enjoyed your honest review. I understand the resort has been renovated since your 2014 stay. If we like this resort, the points I saved by canceling Aruba Hilton will give us another 10 nights. The straw that broke the camel's back concerning Aruba was the demise of Diamond members using the lounge. No matter, we've been there 5 times in the last 2 years so a change is due.
Jul 28, 2016, 8:22 am
#161
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 9,120
I think this hotel is often available on hotwire/priceline so I am not sure it is a great bargain (though for 10 days not bad). I've stayed and enjoyed it. The Marriott next door is much better though (and also much better snorkeling).
