Avila Beach Hotel Curaçao: the island's oldest hotel since 1

You can't talk about historic hotels in Willemstad without mentioning the Avila Beach Hotel. On Penstraat, in the heart of the Pietermaai district, just a few minutes from downtown Willemstad, the property was built around La Belle Alliance, a governor's residence dating back to 1780 that now serves as the main entrance and lobby. The house went through many chapters long before becoming a hotel: it was the residence of English and then Dutch governors, and also housed a boarding school and a private hospital before its transformation.

The Avila Hotel officially opened its doors on February 1, 1949, making it today the oldest hotel still in operation in Curaçao. This continuity, rare in Caribbean hospitality, is something you feel from the moment you arrive: the yellow colonial buildings, the gardens, and the immediate proximity to the sea tell a story that has never been interrupted.

Just steps from Punda and its bustle, the Avila still keeps its private beaches as a refuge away from the crowds. It's also this reputation that has earned the property notable guests: King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima stayed here during their visit to the island in 2018, continuing a tradition of hospitality that dates back to the governors themselves.

You come here for the beach and leave with the feeling of having slept inside a piece of Willemstad's history, where every wall seems to remember a governor, a king, or simply a passing traveler.