Recommend July 2012 - (Page 55)

While the decor may not be five-star, the seaside views do their part to make up for it. Consider the handwritten and verbal menus a testament to how fresh the meals will be...so fresh, in fact, that it’s not even worth printing the day’s featured selections, since they’re just bound to change tomorrow. In our eyes, the most exciting open-air restaurant available in Curaçao (we are self-proclaimed open-air restaurant know-it-alls, by the way) is Fort Nassau. Built in 1797 to protect Willemstad from invaders, Fort Nassau perches above the city, offering views of the ocean beyond. Incredibly, the fort is now a fully operational restaurant. Rooms that may once have housed gunpowder and cannons are now dining rooms, and fort walls—once patrolled by infantrymen—now serve as dance floors. sleep in For accommodations we most definitely recommend Hotel Kura Hulanda, a Small Leading Hotels of the World property with as much history as its hometown. For all intents and purposes, the resort is actually a working village that spans eight blocks, where winding cobblestone pathways connect separate 1- and 2-story housing buildings and lead throughout the property to two pools, a market area featuring local businesses, museum, casino, gym and spa, and the village square, where guests can find a restaurant and bar. The buildings that make up Kura Hulanda were originally built in the 1800s, but in 1990 Jacob Gelt Dekker began purchasing them one by one, converting them into a hotel property that expanded with every purchase. However, no investor has the authority to purchase government sidewalks and roads, so anyone can take a stroll through the property—lending even more authenticity to the feeling of Kura Hulanda’s claim as a real village. Today, with all buildings restored to their Dutch colonial grandeur, the property serves guests and local residents alike. Rates from $150 per night will get your clients one of 80 super spacious guestrooms, each one unique. While some rooms feature a loft-style layout with tall exposed-beam ceilings and a giant outdoor courtyard, another might have a townhome layout featuring separate rooms and balcony. Regardless, all accommodations showcase giant four-poster beds, freestanding wardrobes and unique touches throughout (our room had an exquisite lion and antelope lamp). ➤ And naturally, yours. www.discoversvg.com july 2012 55 Photo Credit: www.insandoutsofsvg.com http://www.insandoutsofsvg.com http://www.discoversvg.com http://www.discoversvg.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend July 2012

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Delaware North
Tour Talk: General Tours
Big Sky Resort, Montana
Dining's Not a Gamble in Vegas
White Sails in the Sunset
Latin America: Authentically Yours
Safaris, Reinvented
A Taste of Tradition in Eastern Europe
Malacca & Penang, Malaysia
Magdalena Grand Beach Resort, Tobago
Unanticipated Adventure in Curacao
A Love Affair with La Paz
An Appetite for Mexico: Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo

Recommend July 2012