The Kontiki Beach Resort has spent two decades perfecting a barefoot, slow-down kind of luxury on Curaçao’s Cabana Beach. Now it’s adding to that story with its first major expansion since opening in 2006.
The resort’s family roots go back even further, to 1988, when the van der Valks opened their first hotel in Willemstad. That same laid-back approach is still baked into The Kontiki today, from the open-air architecture to the three beach clubs on site: Club Cabana, Mood and Wet & Wild.
Where a lot of Caribbean resorts chase a polished, uniform look, The Kontiki has stuck with lush greenery and a slower pace instead. General director Terence van der Valk said the new wing is meant to build on what guests already love, not reinvent it.
The rooms lean into The Kontiki’s jungle chic style
Twenty new Tropical Deluxe rooms and two new suites are joining the resort. They’re built with the same wood, stone, sand and greenery you’ll find everywhere else on the property.
The Tropical Deluxe Suite sits up top with a wide private balcony and sweeping views, perfect for slow mornings with coffee. The Tropical Deluxe Room stays closer to the ground, tucked into the garden just steps from the pool, with a king bed, deep soaking tub and a rain shower for washing off the beach.
Both styles come with daily housekeeping and evening turndown, so you don’t have to think about much once you check in. They’re open for booking now, with stays starting Dec. 7.
A pool that skips the chlorine smell
The centerpiece of the new wing is a magnesium pool, a switch from the chlorinated water most resorts use. Magnesium water carries minerals known for a calming effect on skin and muscles, and it skips the sharp chlorine smell you’re used to at most hotel pools.
Book a room in the new wing and you’ll have direct pool access just steps from your door. Chief operating officer John Veensma said the goal was simple: space, calm and quality guests notice from the moment they walk in.
The resort sits about 15 minutes from Hato International Airport, right in Curaçao’s Mambo Beach area, so it’s an easy add-on if you’re already planning an island trip.
The Kontiki has always leaned into a looser, more textured take on Caribbean luxury, and this expansion doesn’t change that. If you’ve been eyeing Curaçao for a getaway that skips the polished resort formula, here’s one more reason to book before the year’s out.
Mandy is a luxury travel, fine dining and bucket-list-adventure journalist with expert insight from 47 countries. She uncovers unforgettable experiences around the world and brings them to life through immersive storytelling that blends indulgence, culture and discovery, and shares them with a global audience as co-founder of Food Drink Life. Her articles appear on MSN and through the Associated Press wire in major U.S. outlets, including NBC, the Daily News, Boston Herald, the Chicago Sun-Times and many more.