Mar 5, 2018, 8:04 pm
Last edit by: hhoope01
This thread refers to the various Marriott brands within a specific geographic area. Marriott Bonvoy hotels in XX usually have posts asking which property is better, etc. Trip reports are usually better suited in the property specific threads.
Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Curacao
Sep 2, 2016, 7:19 am
#301
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Join Date: Aug 2002
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Posts: 71,096
Had a week booked here in October. Just got a call that they will be closed for change-of-ownership / renovations for 18 months beginning in September. I'm moving my reservation next door to the Hilton. It's not nearly as nice, but that's the beach I want to be on, and I'll save a few hundred bucks.
Cheers.
Sep 2, 2016, 10:05 pm
#302
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: PHX
Posts: 66
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.
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.
Sep 3, 2016, 9:08 am
#303
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,096
Ah I read some stories about that (the gov't stuff etc), but wasn't sure which property they were referring to. Thanks. I've noted in the exec lounge stick that it's closing in October for 14 mths. Can update it if it stays closed longer or leaves Marriott.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Sep 3, 2016, 9:53 am
#304
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Connecticut
Programs: AA LT plat; Delta Gold; Marriott LT titanium; Hilton Silver
Posts: 292
From the Marriott website:
"Please note the Curacao Marriott Resort will close effective September 5, 2016. All reservations will be honored up until this date."
No mention of renovations or a possible reopening date.
"Please note the Curacao Marriott Resort will close effective September 5, 2016. All reservations will be honored up until this date."
No mention of renovations or a possible reopening date.
Sep 3, 2016, 10:31 am
#305
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,096
Cheers.
Oct 29, 2017, 7:29 am
#307
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 6,790
Any news on whether it will reopen? Or is it no longer a Marrott?
Nov 21, 2017, 8:29 pm
#308
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: PHX
Posts: 66
Just back from a couple of weeks on Curacao. I asked around, including a conversation with the general manager of the place we stayed this year, who is a member of some Hospitality Advisory Board on the island. He says that after a slow start, the construction has picked up and the re-opening will be late 2018. He is pretty sure it will NOT be a Marriott.
Dec 15, 2017, 8:28 pm
#310
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 236
We stayed at the Renaissance Resort last week. This is an amazing hotel for the money. The second floor artificial beach was phenomenal and there were always beach chairs in the shade available. It's a quick two minute walk to the shops and restaurants in the RIF fort, most of which were tourist oriented, but you can walk across the pontoon bridge to the town in only ten minutes for more and better choices.
The hotel also has easy free parking, which allowed us to drive to an area on the other side of "downtown," where a bunch of new, nicer restaurants are popping up. We also drove to the west coast of the island a couple of days to check on some amazing local beaches.
The staff, and especially the Navigators, were very courteous and helpful at all times, with one glitch. I had originally booked this stay on points, but was worried about getting the dreaded no-view room. I found and booked a AAA rate for only $135 - $144 per night for an island view room, hoping for an upgrade as a Gold Marriott Rewards member. I checked in after midnight, and the night desk clerk put me in an island view room. When I asked him for an upgrade he said I already had one, but I could talk to the manager in the morning. When I did that next morning, they said I had booked a resort view and they upgraded me to an island view. I had to show them my confirmation, which confirmed I booked an island view and which apparently was not in their computer system. After searching they upgrade me to ocean view for the rest of my six night stay. So they made things right relatively quickly.
Bottom line: Where else can you get an ocean view room at a Marriott Renaissance Resort at that price?
The hotel also has easy free parking, which allowed us to drive to an area on the other side of "downtown," where a bunch of new, nicer restaurants are popping up. We also drove to the west coast of the island a couple of days to check on some amazing local beaches.
The staff, and especially the Navigators, were very courteous and helpful at all times, with one glitch. I had originally booked this stay on points, but was worried about getting the dreaded no-view room. I found and booked a AAA rate for only $135 - $144 per night for an island view room, hoping for an upgrade as a Gold Marriott Rewards member. I checked in after midnight, and the night desk clerk put me in an island view room. When I asked him for an upgrade he said I already had one, but I could talk to the manager in the morning. When I did that next morning, they said I had booked a resort view and they upgraded me to an island view. I had to show them my confirmation, which confirmed I booked an island view and which apparently was not in their computer system. After searching they upgrade me to ocean view for the rest of my six night stay. So they made things right relatively quickly.
Bottom line: Where else can you get an ocean view room at a Marriott Renaissance Resort at that price?
Dec 17, 2017, 4:45 am
#311
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
We stayed at the Renaissance Resort last week. This is an amazing hotel for the money. The second floor artificial beach was phenomenal and there were always beach chairs in the shade available. It's a quick two minute walk to the shops and restaurants in the RIF fort, most of which were tourist oriented, but you can walk across the pontoon bridge to the town in only ten minutes for more and better choices.
The hotel also has easy free parking, which allowed us to drive to an area on the other side of "downtown," where a bunch of new, nicer restaurants are popping up. We also drove to the west coast of the island a couple of days to check on some amazing local beaches.
The staff, and especially the Navigators, were very courteous and helpful at all times, with one glitch. I had originally booked this stay on points, but was worried about getting the dreaded no-view room. I found and booked a AAA rate for only $135 - $144 per night for an island view room, hoping for an upgrade as a Gold Marriott Rewards member. I checked in after midnight, and the night desk clerk put me in an island view room. When I asked him for an upgrade he said I already had one, but I could talk to the manager in the morning. When I did that next morning, they said I had booked a resort view and they upgraded me to an island view. I had to show them my confirmation, which confirmed I booked an island view and which apparently was not in their computer system. After searching they upgrade me to ocean view for the rest of my six night stay. So they made things right relatively quickly.
Bottom line: Where else can you get an ocean view room at a Marriott Renaissance Resort at that price?
The hotel also has easy free parking, which allowed us to drive to an area on the other side of "downtown," where a bunch of new, nicer restaurants are popping up. We also drove to the west coast of the island a couple of days to check on some amazing local beaches.
The staff, and especially the Navigators, were very courteous and helpful at all times, with one glitch. I had originally booked this stay on points, but was worried about getting the dreaded no-view room. I found and booked a AAA rate for only $135 - $144 per night for an island view room, hoping for an upgrade as a Gold Marriott Rewards member. I checked in after midnight, and the night desk clerk put me in an island view room. When I asked him for an upgrade he said I already had one, but I could talk to the manager in the morning. When I did that next morning, they said I had booked a resort view and they upgraded me to an island view. I had to show them my confirmation, which confirmed I booked an island view and which apparently was not in their computer system. After searching they upgrade me to ocean view for the rest of my six night stay. So they made things right relatively quickly.
Bottom line: Where else can you get an ocean view room at a Marriott Renaissance Resort at that price?
Jun 28, 2018, 10:08 am
#313
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Houston
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, UA 1.56MM (fmr UA1K)
Posts: 5,770
I checked in after midnight, and the night desk clerk put me in an island view room. When I asked him for an upgrade he said I already had one, but I could talk to the manager in the morning. When I did that next morning, they said I had booked a resort view and they upgraded me to an island view. I had to show them my confirmation, which confirmed I booked an island view and which apparently was not in their computer system. After searching they upgrade me to ocean view for the rest of my six night stay. So they made things right relatively quickly
I've stayed here several times.... they are quite stingy for upgrades especially when staying on points and even for plats.
Jun 28, 2018, 10:33 am
#314
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 6,790
Jun 29, 2018, 5:37 am
#315
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
I wonder if it shares ownership with the Renaissance Aruba, which lies to platinums, platinum premiers and lifetime platinums by claiming that franchises don't have to follow Marriott's terms and conditions.