A few friends and myself decided to hop across to Curacao, just an hour away from my homeland of Trinidad. As it was four of us, we decided to book a villa rather than a traditional hotel because of the shared spaces and pool.
Marketed as the “270° Ocean Views from Private Pool & Sun Terrace”, the villa is one of many properties under the management of Coral Estate Holidays.
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Coral Estate Ocean View Villa 19 Location
Curacao is part Netherlands Antilles, and is one of the ABC islands just above Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea. The villa is part of Coral Estate in St. Marie in the southern mid-section of the island. Coral Estate is gated development comprised of a number of homes (most of which are rented out to vacationers), as well as the Coral Estate Luxury Resort.
Even though the villa is separate from the resort (a street away), it is managed by the main hotel, so you will be required to check in via the lobby. Here is a direct Google map location for easier reference.
The villa is about a half hour drive from both the airport and the main parts of Willemstad.
Coral Estate Ocean View Villa 19 Booking
The villa can be booked via a number of avenues including Marriott Homes and Villas, and Airbnb, but I recommend booking directly through their website as it is the cheapest option. We booked three nights through Airbnb for $1,760, but if you book far in advance, prices could be much lower.
When I was initially hunting for a property, the listing was going for around $1,500.
Coral Estate Ocean View Villa 19 Check In
As mentioned above, this villa is managed by the Coral Estate Luxury Resort, and guests are required to visit the hotel’s lobby to check in. Guests can expect to put down a deposit via their credit card for the duration of their stay.
Check in was relatively quick, and after signing a few papers, the front desk clerk guided us by car to the villa located one street above the resort. She gave us a tour of the property and made sure everything was working before leaving.
Coral Estate Ocean View Villa 19 Villa
The villa which was previously referenced as “Villa E Shete Shelo” was recently modernized, and features four bedrooms, two with en suite bathrooms along with a third shared bathroom.
There is also a pool area overlooking the ocean, a barbecue pit, a kitchen with all the basic essentials, and a living room area. At the front, the driveway easily accommodates two cars, and there is are extra spots on the opposite side of the road if you’re having more guests over.
All bedrooms and the living room area have air conditioning, but you can use the ceiling fans if you’re not feeling the cold vibe. There is also free Wi-Fi, and and power outlets for both North American and European adapters.
Room cleaning is available, but service is offered once every five days from the day of check in. However you can request additional cleaning if you like.
Even though I usually aim to take photos during check in, I did not want to take evening shots (as we arrived pretty late) so do not mind that the place looked a bit messy.
Living Room
The main entrance takes you straight to the living area which has a couch and a separate wooden chair, capable of comfortably seating 4 people. Three of the four bedrooms are accessible via doors on the right side, and the door straight ahead takes you to the pool patio area.
Kitchen
To the left of the entrance and living room is a spacious kitchen with an excellent view of the ocean. The kitchen comes with all the essentials needed for cooking and serving food and drinks including a Nespresso coffee maker and pods, toaster, kettle, basic seasonings, pots, pans, plates, cups, cutlery, and much more.
All items are stored in either the drawers, or the push to open cupboards, and there was pretty much everything we could need to get going. Unfortunately we were short on salt and sugar, but refills could easily be requested with a phone call to the lobby.
There is also a glass cooktop, but it would have been nice if they included an island range hood given how smelly the place could get if you’re cooking with oil.
The sink area also has soap and relevant wash cloths, as well as washing liquid specifically for the dishwasher. I would say the only shortcoming was not having a rack to rest dishes on as we preferred to hand wash dishes rather than use the dishwasher.
It was nice that they included some free welcome drinks in the refrigerator including some bottled waters, beers and soft drinks, along with a few snacks (not in photo).
Bedroom 1
I mentioned before that three of the bedrooms are accessible from inside the house. That’s because the fourth bedroom is actually completely separate and must be accessed via the outside patio. It’s a weird quirk because of the design of the house, but it’s not a show stopper in my opinion.
Of all four, this is my favorite room as it has an amazing view of the pool and ocean via both the front doors, and through the wooden-louvred windows. Even though all four rooms have queen beds, this is the only one with a true queen-size bed, while the others have two double beds joined together.
There is ample storage space via drawers, as well as a place to hang your clothes in two of the four corners. There are also privacy screens which can be dropped in front of the glass doors.
On entering, the en suite bathroom is just on the right side. The mirror has its own bordered light strip along with a defrosting option. While clear half glass showers are the in-thing, this was yet another case where water from the bath leaks into the rest of the bathroom area. Thankfully there was an ample supply of towels, so I used one of those to prevent the spread.
Guests are provided with basics including a soap bar, as well as liquid body wash, shampoo and conditioner. More can be requested from the front desk.
Bedroom 2
The second bedroom also faces the pool area, but only has one view via the patio glass doors. Storage and en suite bathroom options are similar to the bedroom above. Even though I did not get specific measurements, this room appears to have the biggest floor space of the four.
Bedroom 3
This bedroom, as well as the fourth, are the smaller of the lot, and do not have en suite bathrooms. The clothing rack and chest of drawers are also on the smaller side. This room has a view of the street and parking bay at the front of the house.
This is the shared bathroom, and unlike the en suite options in the other rooms, has a sliding shower door, and is centrally located for easy access within the house.
Bedroom 4
The final bedroom is the smallest of the bunch, with views of both the street and villa entrance, with a small section to hang your clothes and store other items. On the flip side, this is the only room with a lock box.
Pool Area and Downstairs Seating
The pool patio area has both a covered and uncovered section, with a couch and dining set under the shaded area. There are two sets of three sunbathing chairs around the pool, as well as a barbecue pit.
The terrace offers a sprawling view of the south west portion of the island and Caribbean sea.
To the side of the house, there is a small pathway that leads to a stoned section with a small couch and footrest (part of the villa property).
Coral Estate Luxury Resort
Guests staying at this villa, also have access to some amenities at the main resort including use of beach towels, the pool, restaurants and more. The resort itself offers a combination of suites, apartments and smaller villas located on the beach front.
Coral Estate Resort Restaurants
There are three restaurants at Coral Estate, as well as a pastry shop.
Karakter
Located literally on the beach front, Karakter serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktails, with lots of seafood options.
Koraal Curacao
The Koraal Curacao restaurant is located just above Karakter on a rooftop terrace overlooking the ocean. They serve lunch and dinner, as well as a good selection of cocktails and other drinks. Their menu is a bit more varied, offering more options for differing palates.
The hotel pool is located right next door, making it easy to enjoy a drink near the pool side.
Pizza and More/Bread and More
Opposite the check in office, there is a pizza and pastry shop. Even though we made our own breakfast, we did get the chance to try the pizza. I’m not sure if this was a one-off incident, but all our pizzas were terribly burnt, making it really hard to enjoy. If you’re buying food at the hotel, stick with Koraal or Karakter.
Coral Estate Resort Pool
Even though the villa does have its own private pool, guests are entitled to use the hotel’s infinity pool as well free of charge, with free pool towels available at the front desk.
Coral Estate Resort Beach and Dive Shop
As you may have guessed by now, there is a beach which guests can use, but honestly it was not a favorite of mine as is very rocky. My guess is that it appeals more to divers interested in looking at coral and other underwater formations. There is the Coral Divers dive shop that offers PADI diving courses and other underwater tours.
If you’re looking for a white sand beach nearby, I recommend visiting Daaibooi, Port Marie or Cas Abou beach instead. They are all under a 10 minute drive away from the villa. Daaibooi is the closest being just three minutes away.
Coral Estate Resort Spa and Wellness Center
To the right of the pool is the spa and salon center called “8 The Experience”. They offer a number of services including massages, facials and body treatments, as well as hair and nail services.
Thoughts And Conclusion
If you’re looking for a peaceful getaway from the day to day hustle, this is definitely a villa worth checking out if you’re traveling with a partner or group of friends. The recently renovated property definitely still feels extremely new, clean and comfortable.
Getting help was very easy as we could easily visit the lobby or call them on their land line or through WhatsApp. On our first night, there was a freak storm, resulting in the entire terrace and pool being covered in dust and leaves. The next morning, they quickly sent one of their maintenance workers, who was able to sort things out in a jiffy.
I would say the only minor inconvenience was having to plan ahead when visiting the town as the drive is about 30 minutes each way once there is not rush hour traffic.
Otherwise, this is somewhere I could easily see myself booking again.
[Featured Photo: Bradley Wint/Gate Checked]
