The Beach House Curaçao

Built directly on Sea Aquarium Beach, The Beach House Curaçao sits ten minutes from the old harbour town of Willemstad. The property comprises apartments, suites and a single studio, each facing the water. It is a compact stay. Interiors favour contemporary comfort over island cliché: flat-screen televisions, mini-fridges, a kettle and coffee maker, and Wi-Fi throughout, so the rooms function as much as a base as a view. The beach itself is the draw, a pale run of sand shelving into calm, protected water that draws snorkellers and families in equal measure. A pool sits behind the dune line for guests who prefer still water to the sea, and the marine park next door, home to Curaçao's aquarium and its dolphin programme, is close enough to walk. You can hear the water from most rooms, and the beach is never more than a short walk from the door. Willemstad's harbour front, with its coloured facades and floating market, makes an easy half-day trip. There is no restaurant complex or nightlife layered on top of the stay; the property keeps its focus narrow, on the sand and the water directly in front of it.