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LUXURY HOTEL INSIDER

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The Luxury Hotel Insider: Exclusive luxury hotel deals, features and special rates from the luxury hotel experts at Five Star Alliance.
Named one of Tripbase's Best Luxury Travel Blogs for 2011, below are Five Star Alliance's newest articles featuring exclusive information on luxury hotels worldwide including special offers and deals at the world's best hotels.

| By: Rachael Weir

Destination Spotlight: Curacao

From calm bays to secluded coves, the island of Curacao is home to nearly 40 beaches. Offering a variety of beach types and an array of water activities, visitors to the island can find a beach to fit their needs from snorkeling amongst coral reefs just off the sands of Daiibooi to sunbathing on Blauwbaai beach, as well as world-class diving. For families, Playa Lagun is a narrow cove with shallow and calm waters, and the Seaquarium Beach is an ideal spot for swimming, bars, and restaurants just east of Willemstad. 

Formerly the Lesser Antilles, Curacao is the "C" of the Dutch ABC Islands. About 6 miles wide and 37 miles long, the island's capital city of Willemstad is a World Heritage Site and destination for colonial Dutch architecture. The Museum of Kura Hulanda showcases a collection of artifacts from the island, such as musical instruments, fertility dolls, and fossils. For tropical fruits and vegetables, the Floating Market is a unique spot for visitors to browse, and the Belle Terrace is a 200-year-old mansion with open-air dining infused with island flavors.

5. Avila Hotel

Jacuzzi at Avila Hotel

Opened in 1949 as the Avila Beach Hotel, the historic hotel was once a governor's home, boys boarding school, and private clinic. Today, the luxury hotel consists of three completely difference hotel wings with close to 150 rooms. For dining, The Pen (previously known as Belle Terrace Restaurant) focuses on culinary experiences and grilled specialties, as well unique events celebrating the island's Dutch heritage with Dutch Michelin Chefs. 

Check availability at Avila Beach Hotel

4. Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino

Imperial Suite at the Renaissance Curacao Resort

Situated in the heart of historic Willemstad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino is located along a private beach. Close to Christoffel National Park, Curacao Sea Aquarium, and The Curacao Museum, the resort has an infinity pool, on-site casino, fitness center, and three restaurants. 

Check availability at the Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino

3. Floris Suite Hotel & Spa

Floris Suite Hotel & Spa

Featuring an all-suite adults-only setting, Floris Suite Hotel & Spa is a contemporary beach resort. Offering personalized service, the property has multiple dining options including the Mooba Beach Club with oceanfront lunches, and two oceanfront dinner options--Pirate Bay and Tomatoes. The recently opened Water Club Curacao provides guests with a personalized spa experience including a 20-person steam room, dry sauna, rain shower, relaxation areas, and state-of-the-art fitness facility. In addition, resort guests receive access to the Moomba Beach Club, a short stroll from the property. 

Check availability at Floris Suite Hotel & Spa

2. Baoase Luxury Resort Curacao

Baoase Luxury Resort Curacao

Located on the south side of the island, Baoase Luxury Resort Curacao is situated between Willemstad and Mambo Beach. The luxury retreat has 23 high end rooms, suites, and villas, along with a spa providing wellness treatments. For dining, Baoase Culinary Beach Restaurant & Bar serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The resort also has an array of activities for couples and families, including island tours, mountain hikes, and trips to an Ostrich Farm & Aloe Plantation. 

Check availability at Baoase Luxury Resort Curacao

1. Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort Curacao

Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort Curacao

Featuring a beachfront location, Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort Curacao is a luxury resort with an array of activities and adventure options, including jet ski tours, off-road buggy adventures, kayaking, and standup paddleboarding, plus tennis, golf, pools, hiking, and biking.  Fine dining at Shore showcases international culinary cuisine infused with local flavors and ingredients, while the Atabei Spa provides Caribbean treatments inspired by the island's ancient culture. 

Check availability at Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort Curacao

Explore more Curacao luxury hotels

Posted in: Curacao

| By: Rachael Weir

Ahhh...winter. As charming as sweater season and relaxing by a warm fire can seem, at a certain point, it's time for an escape. But with all the hurricanes that happened in 2017, it can be a bit daunting to determine what Caribbean destinations are open and ready for visitors. To make it a bit easier, we've gathered five of our top Caribbean resorts picks for idyllic winter escapes so you can relax in the sunshine instead of trying to stay warm in the more than brisk winter weather.

1. Jade Mountain Resort

Jade Mountain Resort St. Lucia

Located in the Southern Caribbean on the island of St. Lucia, Jade Mountain Resort provides panoramic views of the island's Piton World Heritage Site and the Caribbean Sea. The exclusive resort-within-a-resort concept by Anse Chastenet, features bold architecture with open-concept designs linking bedrooms and living areas with infinity pools, providing viewing platforms to take in the island's natural beauty. 

Check availability at Jade Mountain Resort

 

2. The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort

The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort

Recognized as one of the world's most exclusive resorts, The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, formerly the One&Only Ocean Club, offers an iconic location in the Bahamas with recently refurbished accommodations, restaurants, and public spaces. Set along a 5-mile stretch of beach, the resort provides a laid-back Bahamian lifestyle amidst Versailles-inspired lawns and gardens with three swimming pools, six tennis courts, Balinese-inspired spa, kids' club, and access to the adjacent Tom Weiskopf-designed Ocean Club Golf Course.

Check availability at The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort

 

3. Santa Barbara Beach and Golf Resort Curacao

Santa Barbara Beach and Golf Resort Curacao

Located on the island of Curacao, about 35 miles from Aruba, Santa Barbara Beach and Golf Resort Curacao is set amidst 2,000 acres. Within the resort guests can play tennis, partake in a variety of watersports, lounge poolside, hike or bike amidst rock formations, caves, and caverns, or go yachting from the resort's marina. For dining, SHORE provides open-air fine dining with sea views as well as the Jun's at Shore with sushi specialties, Medi Restaurant offers international cuisine, and SPLASH Pool Bar & Grill serves casual fare. 

Check availability at Santa Barbara Beach and Golf Resort Curacao

 

4. Sandals La Source

Sandals La Source

Providing an all-inclusive setting for couples Sandals La Source provides an exotic setting on the "Spice Isle"  of Grenada, which is one of the world's only producers of Nutmeg, which is infused in many dishes and products on the island. The island is also home to the world's first underwater sculpture park, and the resort offers four unique villages with a variety of suites and villas, including some with swim-up access and butler service. 

Check availability at Sandals La Source

 

5. The West Bay Club Turks & Caicos

The West Bay Club Turks & Caicos

Situated along the world-famous Grace Bay Beach, The West Bay Club Turks & Caicos is a luxury boutique resort. Offering an array of amenities, guests can enjoy complimentary bicycles and watersports, lounge by the beach or pool with personalized service, relax at the Anani Spa, entertain young travelers with supervised children's programs, workout at the fitness center, or experience fine dining at Drift, an open-air restaurant on the shores of Grace Bay Beach. Five Star Alliance Perk: Guests booking through Five Star Alliance receive a $100 Resort Credit per room, per stay, plus a welcome fruit and water amenity.

Check availability at The West Bay Club Turks & Caicos


| By: Rachael Weir
Set along 2,000 acres of beachfront property, the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort is a tropical paradise. Situated within a gated setting on the island of Curacao, the luxury resort offers a spa, tennis, multiple swimming pools, gourmet dining, and golf. The spacious guest rooms and suites have outdoor patios or balconies with sitting areas, large bathrooms with showers and tubs, plus many of the rooms have water views. There's also the ultra-luxe Sea Traditions rooms and suites, with upgraded amenities and services, and situated between the first hole of the resort's Pete Dye-designed golf course and the Caribbean Sea. Continue reading below the photo.

Santa Barbara Spa and Golf Resort Curacao Pool

Top amenities at the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort include:
- The Atabei Spa offering a range of spa treatments and services inspired by the culture and rituals of the island's Arawak people. There's also Health Retreats designed by the PIAI Instute, yoga programs, fitness center, and salon services.  
- Tafelberg Tennis Oasis at the resort has four Hydrogrid clay courts, and is rated one of the finest in the Caribbean. Managed by Peter Burwash International, the facilities features open-play, clinics, tournaments, private lessons, and more. Continue reading below the photo.

Tafelberg Tennis Oasis at Santa Barbara Beach and Golf Resort

- The Old Quarry Golf Course is rated as one of Golfweek's Best Courses in the Caribbean & Mexico. The Pete Dye-designed course overlooks the bay known as Spanish Water, and is set on a naturally countoured site. Continue below.

Old Quarry Golf Course at Santa Barbara Spa and Golf Resort

Check rates and availability at Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort >>

Santa Barbara Beach and Golf Resort Curacao

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| By: Five Star Alliance

If you are a first timer, or even a seasoned traveler, looking for a swanky villa within a luxury resort, we've got the best option for you in the Caribbean at the uber chic Baoase Luxury Resort in Curaçao. Nestled amidst tropical gardens and caressed by the azure water of the Caribbean Sea our sister publication, Luxury Travel Advisor, has the following insight:

Baoase Luxury Resort in Curaçao is a great fit for LGBT guests and all seasoned Caribbean travelers looking for an island where everything is accepted and celebrated. The local airport, Curaçao International, is about a 25-minute drive from the resort, which also has a helipad. Hint: Guests can opt for a VIP transfer, and a chauffeur will pick them up inside Curaçao International Airport, allow them to pass through customs and immigration more quickly, bypassing the lines, and then take them to the property in a luxury car. Note: There is a private jet center at the Curaçao International airport.

More below >>

Villa with private pool at the Baoase Luxury Resort in Curaçao

Even though the Ocean Front Villa is the most requested accommodation here, but we were told families cannot go wrong in booking the Private Pool Villa, the Superior Private Pool Villa and the Master Villa (the only one with butler service).

Note: The resort doesn't have a spa. However, guests can request treatments ranging from traditional massages and body scrubs to manicures and pedicures on the property's private beach. In-room group treatments are also available for wedding parties. Tip: Guests are advised to book spa treatments at least two days in advance. 

The resort’s Baoase Culinary Beach Restaurant is open to locals. The most popular fare here is "The Chef’s Menu," a full seven-course menu, which changes constantly and makes use of fresh ingredients. Additional recommended dishes include tuna tartare, lionfish and ginger cheesecake. Nice Touch: All of the seating at this restaurant is beachfront. Although it is fairly easy to get a reservation at the resort, we were told guests should book two weeks in advance to be on the safe side.

More below >>

Outdoor bathroom and tub in a Superior Beachfront pool suite at the Baoase Luxury Resort in Curaçao

For VIPs tying the knot, the resort can do everything from buyouts to ceremonies for 10 guests and rehearsal dinners. The property can accommodate almost any over-the-top request. For instance, A-listers can hire a private jet to drop rose petals during the ceremony. Other extravagant needs that the resort has fulfilled in the past include delivering 100 flowers to a couple's room during their honeymoon, and flying in wagyu beef from Japan to meet a guests request for dinner.

Additional experiences include a bottle of champagne upon arrival; a four-course “Surprise Menu” created by the chef in a romantic gazebo set up on the beach; and private picnic on the beach.

Tip: For those VIPs looking to get some shopping done, there are some high-end jewelry shops in Punda, which is roughly a five- to 10-minute drive from the resort. The property can provide VIP transport to and from the shops.

Check rates and availability at the Baoase Luxury Resort in Curaçao >>

Beach at the Baoase Luxury Resort in Curacao


| By: Five Star Alliance

Santa Barbara Beach and Golf Resort Curacao offers guests the chance to feel the ocean breeze on Medi's terrace with breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea. Medi offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a refined environment where guests can enjoy nightly themed dinner buffets inspired by international cuisine.

Santa Barbara Beach

Book a stay at Santa Barbara Beach and Golf Resort Curacao >>


| By: Five Star Alliance

Hotel Kura Hulanda offers a boutique village experience in the center of Willemstad, the island's capitol city. Spread over an eight-block area, the resort village includes two pools, multiple restaurants and bars, shops, a world-acclaimed anthropological museum, spa, courtyards, gardens and more.. Cobblestone pathways wind through the meticulously restored buildings that showcase the intricate Dutch architecture of the 17th and 18th century. This Dutch Colonial historic district is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Hotel Kura Hulanda 

View rates, details, and more images of Hotel Kura Hulanda >>


| By: Five Star Alliance

Avila Hotel
The heart of the Avila Hotel is a Dutch Colonial style mansion. It is believed to have been built at the end of the 18th century. During the British rule at the beginning of the 19th century, it became the residence of the British Governors and later on that of the Dutch.  The he sisters of the Venezuelan liberator Simon Bolivar lived at the Octagon, a seaside cupola on the property, during their years of exile from the Venezuelan independence war against Spain. 

Avila has lived many differnt lives. It has been a country house or residence of English and Dutch Governors, a boys' boarding school, a private school, a private dwelling, a private hospital and as Curacao's oldest hotel.
 

View rates, details, and more images of Avila Hotel >>


| By: Five Star Alliance

Avila Beach HotelThere is a new luxury hotel development in the works in Curacao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. Set to open in 2016, the future Pen Resort Hotel will be developed on 23,000 square meters of oceanfront property in a unique beachfront location not far from the capital Willemstad near the four star Avila Beach Hotel.

The Pen Resort Hotel will be a luxury all-inclusive resort:

- 5 restaurants and 3 bars

- Contemporary Dutch Caribbean architecture

- 313 rooms featuring the amenities of a AAA 4 Diamond rated resort hotel

- A full service spa and gym, plus many other activities and amenties for adults and children

- 30 minutes away from Curaçao’s International Airport but steps away from the capital

- The resort will include a restoration of Curaçao’s 19th century landmark Cerro Bonito Mansion which will be used as a casino and restaurant

- The resort will restore the historical Kas di Pueblo into suites that are complimented by butler service and where meeting and banquet facilities will be located

Pictured is the Avila Beach Hotel >>