Sabana Cras

The appeal here is straightforward: you get an apartment-style stay with air conditioning, a swimming pool and the freedom to settle into your own routine. Sabana Cras is family-friendly, with its accommodation arranged in three buildings around the pool rather than one large hotel block.

The setting suits a trip where the room needs to do more than hold a bed. You can use the garden seating areas, the terrace and the pool deck when you want to come back from the day's activities and stop moving for a while. There is also free Wi-Fi throughout the property, so keeping in touch or sorting tomorrow's plans does not require a trip into town.

The useful point for divers is the apartment format. A kitchenette or full kitchen, a large fridge-freezer in the studio, and living space in the apartments give you more control over the day than a standard hotel room. Parking is available on the premises, with one car per unit.

Sabana Cras sits in Porta Blancu, in the Montana area of Willemstad, near Sandals. The property is about 7 miles from Willemstad city centre, with the town also described as a 15-minute drive away. That puts you outside the centre itself, while keeping the capital within reach by car.

Mambo Beach and Jan Thiel Beach are both around a 10-minute drive from the resort. The location therefore works best if you plan to move around Curaçao rather than spend the whole stay walking out from the front gate. A car is particularly practical here, and on-site parking makes that arrangement easier.

The address gives you a residential base in Willemstad, with the pool and garden on hand at the property and several of the island's better-known beach areas a short drive away. It is the sort of map position that rewards having a plan for the day, then lets you come back to a self-contained apartment.

The accommodation ranges from a studio to two-bedroom apartments, so the right choice depends on how much room you want around your routine. The studio keeps things compact, with a kitchenette, a 160 by 200 centimetre box-spring bed and a large fridge-freezer. It is the simple option for a couple who would rather spend the day out than organise life around a hotel room.

The one-bedroom apartments add a living area and a proper, fully equipped kitchen. The two-bedroom apartment is the more useful choice for a family or two divers travelling together, with a separate room for each person and a larger living arrangement in which wet kit bags and daily luggage do not have to occupy the bed. The apartment kitchens include an oven, toaster, kettle, cups, mugs, plates, cutlery and a Senseo coffee pod machine.

Every unit has air conditioning, a private bathroom, a television and internet access. Bathrooms have hot water. A washing machine is available, and bath towels are changed every other day, with weekly cleaning for holiday rentals. That gives the stay a more independent rhythm: cool the room, make coffee when it suits you, and deal with laundry without turning the bathroom into a logistics department.

This is an apartment stay rather than a hotel organised around a restaurant. The studio has a kitchenette, while the apartments come with spacious, fully equipped kitchens and living areas. You can therefore handle breakfast, a quick meal between outings or a proper evening plate without having to build the day around restaurant opening times.

The shared barbecue gives the outdoor side of the property a practical use as well as a place to sit. Bring food back, use the garden setting and keep the evening uncomplicated. It is a better fit for travellers who like having options than for anyone looking for a formal dining programme.

A pool deck with a palapa and outdoor seating areas rounds out the arrangement. Sabana Cras has a shared barbecue.

The main feature for time on the property is the outdoor swimming pool, set beside a pool deck and palapa. It gives you somewhere to cool off without getting back in the car, whether you want a proper swim or simply a few lengths before settling into a chair.

The garden contains several seating areas, while the terrace and sun terrace provide more places to sit outside. Nothing here requires a timetable, which is useful when the day has already involved an early start, a long drive or too much sun. You can use the property as a quiet base between outings rather than another programme to keep up with.

Families are welcome, and the apartment layout gives them more usable space than a single hotel room. The shared barbecue adds one more low-key option for the evening. Laundry facilities also make longer stays easier, particularly when the suitcase has had to accommodate beachwear, everyday clothes and everything else Curaçao manages to get sandy.

The reception operates around the clock, with express and private check-in and check-out available. Standard check-in runs from 14:00 to midnight, while check-out is by 12:00. If you are arriving later, give the property your expected arrival time so the handover can be organised properly.

Airport transfers can be arranged through the property, either as a private service or another arrangement offered by the hotel; book this directly with Sabana Cras. Parking is available on site, with one car per unit, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the resort. Laundry facilities, an iron and ironing board are also available for practical jobs that tend to appear halfway through a longer island stay.

The accommodation is air-conditioned and the property has outdoor furniture, a terrace, a garden and designated smoking areas. Willemstad is about 7 miles away, and Mambo Beach and Jan Thiel Beach are around a 10-minute drive, so a car will make the location considerably more useful. The property also works with private arrivals and departures, which can save time when you would rather get settled than queue at a desk.