Curaçao is adding another big-name hotel to its capital. Hilton has confirmed plans for the island's first DoubleTree, a waterfront resort at 300 Penstraat on the eastern edge of central Willemstad, with reservations already open for stays from July 1, 2027.
The DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Curaçao comes with the basics most beach travellers want: a private beach, an outdoor pool, a seafood restaurant and a 24-hour fitness centre. Free parking is on the list too, which sounds dull until you remember that Curaçao's best beaches sit along the island's west end and most visitors rent a car to reach them.
The real selling point is the address. Pietermaai, the neighbourhood the hotel borders, is Willemstad's most walkable dining district — restaurants and bars filling restored colonial buildings along narrow streets. That means you can spend the morning on the sand and walk out to dinner without touching the car.
The location also puts you close to the city's postcard sights. Handelskade, the famous row of brightly painted harbour-front houses in Punda, is about a mile and a quarter away, as is the Queen Emma Bridge, the floating pedestrian pontoon that swings open to let ships pass. Cross it and you're in Otrobanda, home to the Kura Hulanda museum and historic quarter. You can cover both sides of the harbour in an afternoon and still be back at your hotel for sundowners.
For Hilton, this is the third resort property on Curaçao. The group already runs two Curio Collection resorts — Mangrove Beach Corendon Curaçao and The Rif at Mangrove Beach — both all-inclusive. The DoubleTree listing mentions the beach, pool and restaurant but hasn't confirmed an all-inclusive plan, so this may be a more flexible, à la carte option for travellers who'd rather eat out in Pietermaai every night.
It's also part of a bigger wave of development in the same corner of the capital. Marriott is preparing to open The Pyrmont Curaçao nearby, a 305-room, adults-only Autograph Collection all-inclusive slated for early December this year. Willemstad's eastern waterfront is fast becoming the island's new hotel strip.
Why it matters: if you've written off Curaçao as an all-inclusive-only island, the DoubleTree hints at a different kind of trip — a city-and-beach holiday where the capital's restaurants, museums and colonial architecture are on your doorstep, with room service as the fallback. Bookings for July 1, 2027 onwards are live now, so early planners can lock in rates for the first season.
For anyone weighing up the two new properties: the Marriott Pyrmont suits a grown-ups, everything-paid trip, while the DoubleTree looks pitched at independent travellers who want a beach base with Willemstad on foot.
