The Rif at Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive, Curio by Hilton
The Rif at Mangrove Beach is the Hilton Curio Collection all-inclusive on the edge of Willemstad, part of the larger Corendon Mangrove Beach complex. Its big selling point is location: about 2 kilometers from the city, it is the all-inclusive for travelers who want Curacao's colorful UNESCO-listed waterfront, museums and restaurants within a short taxi ride, rather than a remote beach compound. The setting is calm water fringed by mangroves, and some room categories are sold on their view of the cruise ships coming into port.
Things to Know
- Max 3 per Room
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +About 2 kilometers from Willemstad, so the UNESCO-listed Punda and Otrobanda waterfront, the Queen Emma pontoon bridge and the city's museums are a short taxi ride rather than a day trip
- +A focused all-inclusive line-up that covers the bases: Otrobanda buffet all day, Maya (Mexican), Sofra (Turkish and Mediterranean), Harbor Bistro (international) and the Mondi Cafe
- +Three bars with distinct moods: Coral Pool Bar, Sunset Beach Bar on the sand and the Don Cigar Lounge for an evening drink
- +Rooms are a generous 548 square feet or so across every category, with Deluxe Swim Up Garden View rooms that open onto the water and Ocean-Cruise View rooms that watch the ships come in
- +Hilton Honors works here: stays earn points, and there is a priority check-in lounge on site for Honors members
- +More to do than the single pool suggests: pickleball, a running track, yoga, aerobics and water aerobics, a fitness centre, a games room and nightly entertainment
- +The mangrove setting is genuinely distinctive and gives the property a landscape no Cancun or Jamaica chain resort can copy
Cons
- −It is not adults-only: The Rif was first pitched as the grown-up side of the Corendon complex, but children are accepted in every room category, and guests who booked expecting a child-free stay say they were not warned
- −Rooms cap at three people, so a family of four cannot share one room and will need two
- −Only one outdoor pool for a resort of this size, so loungers and pool space get tight in peak season
- −The beach is a calm mangrove-edge beach, not the clear reef water of Playa Kenepa or Cas Abao, and most guests drive to the island's better beaches for snorkeling
- −Service is the most common complaint: reluctant bartenders, poorly made drinks and slow responses that feel out of step with the price
- −Five restaurants fill up at dinner, and travelers report the a la carte rooms being fully booked when they try for same-day tables
- −Several extras cost money, including tennis, scuba diving, cabanas, arts and crafts and the art workshop
- −Parts of the wider Mangrove Beach complex are still being developed, and some reviews mention construction noise nearby
Day to day, the all-inclusive covers meals, snacks, unlimited international and domestic drinks and daily activities. Dining is the Otrobanda buffet, Maya for Mexican, Sofra for Turkish and Mediterranean, the Harbor Bistro and the Mondi Cafe, with the Coral Pool Bar, Sunset Beach Bar and Don Cigar Lounge for drinks. Rooms are a roomy 548 square feet or so, sleep a maximum of three, and include Deluxe Swim Up Garden View rooms. There is a single outdoor pool, a fitness centre, pickleball, a running track, yoga and nightly entertainment. The weak spots are service, which travelers repeatedly call inconsistent, dinner reservations that fill fast, and the fact that the resort now takes children despite its early adult-leaning pitch.
The Rif makes the most sense for Hilton Honors members who want to earn points in the Caribbean, and for couples or small families who will use Willemstad as a base and rent a car for the west-end beaches. Families of four or more should note the three-person room limit. Travelers who want a guaranteed couples-only atmosphere and a better beach usually prefer Sandals Royal Curacao, while those with bigger budgets look at Baoase. Nearby, the floating market, the Kura Hulanda museum, Fort Amsterdam and the snorkel beaches around Westpunt are all easy outings.
Common Questions
Is The Rif adults-only?
How close is it to Willemstad?
What is the beach like?
How many people can stay in a room?
Do Hilton Honors points and status work here?
How does it compare with Sandals Royal Curacao?
Restaurants (8)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | Otrobanda Buffet Restaurant |
| Mexican | Maya Mexican Restaurant |
| Italian | Ristorante Siciliano (at Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive Resort) |
| Asian | Dushi Sushi Club (at Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive Resort) |
| Steakhouse | Cor & Don’s BBQ Restaurant (at Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive Resort) |
| Seafood | Tavern Seafood Restaurant (at Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive Resort) |
| Mediterranean & Spanish | Sofra Turkish Restaurant |
| International & fusion | Harbor Bistro Restaurant |
From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. All are covered by the all-inclusive rate, per the resort.
What's nearby
20 min drive · 8.0 mi
Hato Caves13 min drive · 5.8 mi
Christoffel National Park45 min drive · 22 mi
Otrobanda4 min drive · 0.9 mi
Fort Amsterdam10 min drive · 3.6 mi
Queen Emma Bridge10 min drive · 3.5 mi
More things to do (24)
- Kokomo Beach · beach20 min drive · 6.9 mi
- Mambo Beach · beach11 min drive · 4.9 mi
- Jan Thiel Beach · beach20 min drive · 8.5 mi
- Santa Barbara Beach · beach30 min drive · 12 mi
- Rif Fort · historic site3 min drive · 0.7 mi
- Curaçao Museum · museum9 min walk · 0.4 mi
- Kurá Hulanda Museum · museum3 min drive · 1.1 mi
- Pietermaai · town8 min drive · 3.0 mi
- Maritime Museum Curaçao · museum8 min drive · 2.9 mi
- Curaçao Marina · marina8 min drive · 3.1 mi
- Landhuis Chobolobo (Blue Curaçao liqueur distillery) · historic site9 min drive · 3.9 mi
- Dolphin Academy · adventure park11 min drive · 5.1 mi
- Curaçao Sea Aquarium · wildlife11 min drive · 5.1 mi
- Punda (Willemstad Handelskade) · town12 min drive · 3.8 mi
- Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue · historic site12 min drive · 3.9 mi
- Blue Bay Beach · beach13 min drive · 5.5 mi
- Blue Bay Golf Course · golf13 min drive · 5.6 mi
- Catamaran snorkel trip from Spanish Water · excursion20 min drive · 7.9 mi
- Sunset cruise from Spanish Water · excursion20 min drive · 7.9 mi
- Curaçao Aloe Vera Plantation · nature20 min drive · 8.6 mi
- Spanish Water (Caracasbaai viewpoint) · viewpoint20 min drive · 8.3 mi
- Tugboat Beach (Caracasbaai) · beach25 min drive · 8.8 mi
- Playa Kanoa · beach25 min drive · 9.7 mi
- Den Paradera Herb Garden · nature25 min drive · 10 mi
Amenities
Style & Rooms
Atmosphere
Room upgrades
Seaweed & sargassum
Curaçao gets sargassum, typically worst April through August, concentrated on the windward north and east coast.See the month-by-month guide →Google Reviews★ 4.5 · 2,789 reviews
“Mishe is the BOMB. Sooo helpful out entire trip. Give her a raise. She’s amazing. She may have been the best part of the resort. The rooms were clean, although daily towel service was spotty… unless we did something wrong. Food was subpar. The...”
“My family and I had a great experience at the Rif. There was a total of 30 of us and 15 rooms booked. We didn’t experience any problems during our 15 day stay. The staff were friendly and helpful. A special thanks to Shenann at the front desk always...”
“We had an amazing time. We stayed from December 11th till the 16th for a friend's destination wedding. I was a bit worried when I read the negative reviews, but shortly after we arrived I realized that the people leaving the bad reviews were just...”
