When you’re a big company in a small country, an alliance with a global player can pave your way into bigger and more lucrative markets. And that’s just what’s been happening at Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive Resort, where a partnership with Hilton’s Curio Collection has produced a burst of new business from American customers. Things are going so well, in fact, that Phase 2 already is in the works—reaching out to higher-end customers looking for more privacy and exclusivity.
Still, the Dutch company understands that it is not yet a household name among travelers and travel advisors in the United States, as it is at home. So it invited a dozen travel advisors and trade press to come see its newest all-inclusive, family-oriented resort. In this traditional haven for travelers in hurricane season, we found a colorful and friendly European outpost with a Caribbean flair.
“A lot of people want something new, so I sell Curacao as Aruba’s European sister,” says Melissa Stolz owner of Melissa Stolz-DreamVacations, who books 20-25 vacations a year here for her clients. “I always ask my clients if they want to stay in their resort or leave—and this is definitely for a customer who wants to be able to leave the resort and explore the island, who wants a cultural experience.”
Corendon is the second-largest tour operator in Belgium and the Netherlands, owner of three airlines and 10 hotels, including the largest hotel in Amsterdam. The hotel already has a steady base of Dutch customers—perhaps 60% of the total—who have been keeping occupancy at over 90% most of the time.
But with the new building coming online next year, it is looking to grow its base of Europeans and Americans. The number of Americans checking in has already risen tenfold since its alliance with Hilton last year, from maybe five rooms to close to 50, says Corendon’s regional director Biray Ogut. He hopes to double that again in 2023, as the hotel adds 384 more rooms in a more upscale building known for now as Phase 2.
The 399-room property, the largest all-inclusive on the island, already has much to like. There are spacious rooms; “the best food and beverage in Curacao” at a choice of on-site restaurants, including sushi, barbecue, seafood, and italian; a private beach with clear waters for snorkeling; four pools; and a water park sporting the largest water slide on the island. It’s close to the airport and within walking distance (about 0.75 miles) from the Queen Wilhelmina Bridge to downtown. It’s focused on sustainability, producing its own electricity. There are four restaurants plus a coffee bar, a smoothie bar, and a 24-hour lobby bar.
For higher-end clients, the poolside private cabanas rent for $100 a day or $180 with food services. And the two-story, two-bedroom, private-pool-on-the-balcony Presidential Suite holds six for about $1,600 a night.
All in on All-Inclusive
On a small island like Curacao, where much of the food is imported and the restaurants are expensive, the all-inclusive concept works well with the family market that is the backbone of the business, Ogut says. In general US clients stay five nights and eat dinner at the resort every night; Dutch clients stay 10 nights and go out once.
The island itself, and especially its UNESCO World Heritage capital of Willemstad, is a draw as well. It’s an autonomous democracy within the Dutch kingdom, with 150,000 residents of 50 nationalities. The fifth-deepest harbor in the world is guarded by forts built in the 1800s and the world’s only operating pontoon bridge, which still swings open to let boats pass.
And at this time of year, it’s part of the hurricane-proof triad of islands known as the ABCs: Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. The last hurricane here was in 1877.
The Dutch influence shows in the colorful buildings, the street art, the welcoming of the LGBTQ community and religions of all stripes, including the largest Jewish community in the Caribbean. Coral reefs and marine life await the snorkelers; the desert beckons off-road adventurers; catamarans carry guests on sunset sails. Even the flamingoes know a good island when they see it; more than 500 of them fly over from Bonaire to vacation here every summer.
More Luxury on the Horizon
Hilton’s requirements already have brought several tweaks for the US market, including 55-inch TVs, VIP check-in, a barbecue restaurant, and speedy internet. A new “Miami-style” building will head farther upscale, Ogut says. The rooms will be larger, and there will be swim-up pools and an exclusive beach club with a pool and restaurant. There will be a few meeting rooms, and a package available to cover higher-end liquor—for which guests must now pay an upcharge each time they order it.
Opened in July 2020, just before Covid, the property is thrilled to see business returning and has been hosting at least three fam and press groups a month. Corendon plans to now get the word out to a larger market through “lots of marketing, fam trips, and networking events in the US.”
“We are still a new property and we are open to fam trips,” Ogut says. “And we can cooperate with travel advisors and organize events in the US.”
Travel Advisor Feedback
Our fam trip included travel press and members of Dream Vacations’ top-selling advisors, members of its Circle of Excellence, who gave the resort high marks in most areas. Many commented on its distinctly European feel, with teapots in the rooms, for example, rather than coffeemakers, and the occasional Speedo (or less) at the pool.
Dream Vacations franchise owner Jerry March of Bean-March Travel Group noted that while his mix of cruise-to-land vacation customers has traditionally been 80-20, since Covid it has shifted more to about 65-35 and “we’re going to continue wherever the market takes us.”
It’s all about finding the right guests for the right property, he noted. “Some of my clients would 100% love this resort.”
Agreed Jackie Vernon, owner-operator of Jackie and Jim Vernon Dream Vacations, “The staff was incredibly warm, the water park was amazing and the food exceeded my expectations.” As it stands now, with a minority of American guests, “it’s a good property for someone who appreciates different cultures and likes to walk into town.”
But she is happy to see the property grow, and to add it to her roster of options.
“Being part of the ABCs is a big selling point for my clients in Florida, who travel often during hurricane season because they want to escape the heat at home,” she said. “There are starting to be more options in Curacao—and that’s exciting. I’m thrilled to sell more Curacao.”
Cheryl’s 40-year career in journalism is bookended by roles in the travel industry, including Executive Editor of Business Travel News in the 1990s, and recently, Editor in Chief of Travel Market Report and admin of Cheryl Rosen’s Group for Travel Professionals, a news and support group on Facebook. As an independent contractor since retiring from the 9-to-5 to travel more, she has written regular articles about the life and business of travel agents for Luxury Travel Advisor, Travel Agent, and Insider Travel Report. She also writes and edits for professional publications in the financial services, business, and technology sectors.