Did some poking around out of curiosity this afternoon.

What I gathered from a local newspaper, the "Curacao Chronicle", and some other digging, the resort was previously owned by the government and had been for sale for several years.

There were two competing bids, each for 14 Million:

One was from an Argentinian group that owns the Hilton and the Floris, which was rejected. The other bid was from some group with ties to the current government, which was accepted because it included a promise of an additional investment of 30 Million in upgrades.

Apparently the place wasn't really profitable even with high occupancy, and owed the government a bundle in back taxes (>100 Million).

The upgrades include adding another floor to the hotel, which they claim will make them much more profitable.

Time frame estimates for the renovations range from 14 months to "years."

Yes, (to finally answer your question), the plan is to remain a Marriott. But who knows how patient Marriott will be if it actually is years? Would they choose to buy, build, or partner at another location?

Ya know, going somewhere a few times and taking tours, talking to locals, visiting museums, etc. can make you think you know a place, but if you really want a sense of what's happening, read the local papers.

I started out a little curious about the sale and renovation of the hotel, but ended up spending a couple hours wading through stories about insider dealing within the government related to both the bidding process and the possibility of an arrangement wiping out the tax debt (negotiated by the people in government who are also the people buying the place). That led to other stories with accusations of corruption (some of which seemed to be sour grapes from the previous administration). There were also some articles about lawsuits and injunctions filed by hotel employees both before and after the sale.

Maybe tomorrow I'll read up on the scandals at the central bank so I can get the cab drivers ranting like it's New York.