Sandals Royal Curacao - All Inclusive

Sandals Royal Curaçao is an adults-only resort designed for couples, with the whole set-up aimed at keeping the day simple: beach, pool, food, a drink and somewhere comfortable to disappear for a while. It is a large resort, with 350 rooms across three floors, so this is not a small guesthouse where everyone knows which pair of fins belongs to whom. It is a full-service base for a couple who would rather have the essentials on site than spend the evening organising them elsewhere.

English and Spanish are spoken by the hotel team, which removes one practical worry before the first drink is poured. Wi-Fi is free throughout the resort, air conditioning is available, and the property includes a spa, fitness centre, shops, parking and an on-site infirmary. The tone is straightforward: arrive, settle in, and let the day take care of itself.

The resort sits in Nieuwpoort, Curaçao, at Santa Barbara Estate in Porta Blancu. It is around 3 km from the town centre, giving you a resort base rather than a town hotel with a beach somewhere down the road.

The beach is directly accessible and sandy, with sun loungers and parasols ready for the business of doing very little. A floating pier protects the bathing area, where the water is calm and clear; the water reaches around 30 feet at the pier, with snorkelling around and beneath it. The setting also faces Spanish Water, which is the view from the Dos Awa infinity pool rather than a decorative name on a sign.

The airport is 16 miles away. That is close enough for the transfer not to become an expedition, while the resort's location keeps you away from the need to make every meal, swim or drink into a small road trip.

The room choice is mainly about the view and how much private space you want around the evening. The simpler double rooms suit couples who want a private bathroom, a proper bed and the resort outside the door. Ocean-view and beachside categories make more sense if opening the curtains onto water matters to you; walkout rooms put the outside closer still.

For a more unhurried night, the junior suites and Butler suites add options such as a patio, a soaking tub, walkout access, beachside positioning or an ocean view, depending on the category. The one-bedroom suites are the choice for couples who want more separation between sitting and sleeping areas, while the beachside butler options put the location ahead of keeping things modest. The resort also has a butler villa and a poolside butler bungalow for those who want the room itself to be part of the holiday rather than merely the place where the dive computer dries out.

Air conditioning, a fan, blackout blinds, a safe, television, Wi-Fi, towels, wardrobe space and tea or coffee facilities appear in several of the higher room categories. Refrigerators, showers, toiletries and hairdryers are also available within the room offering, although the exact equipment varies by category. Choose the room by the feature you will actually use: blackout blinds for a proper post-dive sleep, a walkout for easy access outside, or a beachside or ocean-view position if the first sight of the day matters more than another indoor extra.

All-inclusive is the governing principle here, with breakfast, lunch and dinner served through the resort's restaurant offering. The kitchen combines local island favourites with international dishes, so you can stay close to Curaçao on the plate or take the safer route when appetite has done more damage than expected. Breakfast comes as a buffet or à la carte, which is useful when you want either a quick start or something that deserves sitting down for.

There is a restaurant, a buffet restaurant and a snack bar, along with a bar and a swim-up bar. That gives the day a sensible rhythm: breakfast before heading out, something less formal when you return hungry, then a drink without having to put on anything more ambitious than dry clothes. Room service is available, and breakfast can also be taken in the room.

The resort also has a coffee service, dietary menus on request and barbecue facilities. The practical point is less about collecting dining venues like fridge magnets and more about having food and drinks close at hand throughout a dive holiday. You can eat properly, grab something simpler, and remain on site rather than turning a tired evening into a search for a restaurant.

The Dos Awa 2-Level Infinity Pool is the centrepiece for a non-diving afternoon, with upper and lower pool decks looking across Spanish Water. The direct sandy beach offers another version of the same plan: take a lounger, find some shade beneath a parasol and let the Caribbean do the entertaining. Beach and pool towels are available, and the water around the floating pier also gives snorkellers something to investigate without arranging a separate outing.

The Red Lane Spa offers massages and facials rooted in Caribbean tradition. That is the useful sort of post-dive option: no timetable, no equipment to assemble, just a treatment when shoulders and legs have had enough of carrying the holiday. A fitness centre is available for anyone who still feels the need to negotiate with gravity.

For days when staying still becomes too ambitious, the resort offers golf, cycling, hiking, water sports and boat excursions. Excursion options include Klein Curaçao, Shete Boka National Park, a sunset catamaran cruise and an ATV experience. There is also tennis. In other words, you can keep the day gentle by the pool or make it considerably more energetic; both choices remain available, which is probably the correct arrangement after several days in the water.

Check-in starts at 3 pm and check-out is by 11 am. The resort has a 24-hour reception, express and private check-in and check-out, lifts, accessible facilities and wheelchair-accessible areas, including the restaurant. A concierge, tourist information and excursion assistance are available when you want help arranging something beyond the resort.

Airport transfers are available, with a shuttle service from the airport to the resort. Parking is free, and car hire is available for exploring beyond the estate. The resort also offers luggage storage, a safe, laundry, dry cleaning, ironing and a wake-up service, which covers the less glamorous parts of a diving trip rather better than most holiday brochures do.

There is a business centre, conference space and meeting facilities, although the setting is more naturally suited to a couple's holiday than to a working itinerary. Shops, a cash machine, currency exchange and a souvenir shop are on site. The property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club.