curacao

Exploring Hotel Kura Hulanda, Curacao

Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino is a dream-come-true hotel for anyone who wants an authentic, lively place to stay with a community feel; and, of course, all the luxury of a five-star hotel with four-diamond-rated dining. The hotel's unique character comes from its long history as a Curacao neighborhood, as well as the keen eye of Netherlands native Jacob Gelt Dekker, who bought up the neighborhood house by house, established the hotel and to this day curates its glamorous decor and amenities, as well as the artwork both in and out of the extensive Kura Hulanda Museum.

Kura Hulanda is enchantingly appointed with antiques, art and astronomy artifacts from all over the world, increasing its elite, opulent allure and aura of adventure. Dekker, an author, explorer, philanthropist and world-traveler, has created a timeless village here, just steps away from the world-famous floating bridge and central Willemstad. His on-site museum (literally his private collection, gathered piece by piece on his travels) houses the largest collection of African artifacts and anthropological exhibits in the Caribbean and has an extensive exhibit chronicling Curacao's dark history as a major slave trade hub. Dekker also owns two adjacent buildings which are used as medical centers for the local community and for what he hopes will one day become a well-known medical tourism industry. He visits the hotel frequently and maintains his own private quarters on the property.

I recently had the pleasure of staying at Hotel Kura Hulanda and exploring its unusual grounds with my camera. Below is a photo tour of this fabulous, Small Luxury Hotels of the World member hotel, including the vibrant and regal bridal suite, decked with furniture from a palace in India. Hotel Kura Hulanda has been open since 2001 (the museum opened in 1999), and you're not likely to find a more fascinating place to stay on the small island of Curacao. The Marriott is wonderful, and the Hyatt is well-beloved, but Kura Hulanda is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, full of scenic delights and old-world charm at every turn.

Gallery: Hotel Kura Hulanda - A Splendid Find in Curacao

Tags: Curacao, Jacob Gelt Dekker, Kura Hulanda, Kura Hulanda Museum, Luxury Travel, Willemstad

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I Had a Public Massage - True Story of a Beachside Spa Treatment

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

It was a beautiful day at the Curacao Marriott, and an hour-long massage had been booked for me at the spa. When I arrived at the spa, I was delighted to hear that my massage would take place right on the beach. How fabulous!

I followed my masseuse, who carried a large pile of towels, across the property. I assumed we'd be going to a secluded cabana somewhere, but as we continued walking, I found we were headed toward the side of the resort where my room was -- and there was certainly no cabana there. We approached a sunlit area with a few ineffectual bushes and a gazebo-like structure (above) where I understand weddings are often held. Weddings, as in, declaring your love for all to see in public. We entered the gazebo and I examined the roof and sides. There were no shades, no blinds; there was absolutely no privacy. People were lying on the beach (and even on the deck) on three sides of the gazebo, and the fourth side faced the open ocean, where resort guests were swimming and playing paddleball. I pretended this was normal to me for as long as I could.

It was only after she had covered the table with towels and said, "Okay, lie on your stomach facing this way," that I blurted out, "Um, I don't have any clothes on under this robe, you know, right?"

Tags: Beach, Beach Massage, Beaches, Curacao, Curacao Marriott, Marriott, Massage, Spa

Continue reading “I Had a Public Massage - True Story of a Beachside Spa Treatment”

Bulova Curacao Diver Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

While this new watch from Bulova comes in a few colors and styles, I simply had to show you the blue dialed version for a watch called "Curacao." Yes, I know the name refers to a place, not just a blue liquor, but still... Owner Citizen, has been beefing up the dive watch collection from Bulova for a while. We have the Kirkwood and Calypso (among others), and now the Curacao. In steel, the watch is modest in size at 41mm wide an is also available in a rose gold toned version. It has a decent looking rotating diver's bezel, as well as a fun style on the dial. The half ring around the date window is a new experiment on helping to either balance out the dial, or make the date window feel less awkward. The hour markers are applied, and there are a few different textures on the dial. Love that large, purposeful looking seconds hand, and the big crown. Though at only 100 meters water resistant, it is more diver watch style, than dive watch sound.

The watch has a sapphire crystal over the dial as well as over the back of the watch giving a view of the Swiss Sellita SW200 automatic movement (clone of ETA 2824). The rear window is a half circle, with the other half being a Bulova logo. The Curacao comes with a blue or black dial, in polished steel or a rose gold PVD case, and on a metal bracelet, rubber strap, or leather strap. Prices start at about 690 euros. Should be available rather soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: Bulova, curacao, diver, watch

Blogger Tastes 23 Orange Liqueurs And Picks A Favorite

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Ah what some bloggers will do in the name of research. Intrepid drinks blogger Jay Hepburn of Oh Gosh sampled 23 orange liqueurs over the course of several months to determine which was the best. After countless margaritas, sidecars and straight sips of orange liqueur, he has determined the best of the best. He gave the award for best overall to Giffard Premium Curaçao Triple Sec for both mixing and sipping separately. Hepburn is a British blogger and so this orange liqueur might be hard to find here in the States. Fear not, the most ubiquitous of the orange liqueurs, Cointreau, got high marks for its utility in mixed drinks.

[via Alcademics]

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Tags: cointreau, curacao, orange liqueur, OrangeLiqueur