LionsDive Beach Resort Curacao — Hotel in Curaçao

I stayed in room 2314, which was aesthetically pleasing with tasteful artwork but smaller than I’m used to. Unfortunately, the stay was significantly impacted by cleanliness, maintenance, and comfort issues.||Upon arrival, I noticed small flying gnats crawling on the desk. Despite killing several, they continued to appear in the bathroom, closet, and on other surfaces. I kept the balcony doors shut the entire time, so it was not due to outdoor exposure. I reported this to the front desk, but they claimed no other rooms were available for my two-week stay. I had to resort to using DEET, Clorox wipes, and keeping all of my belongings sealed just to manage the situation.||To make matters worse, the balcony door did not have a proper latch to keep it securely closed from the outside. We had to prop a chair against it to stop mosquitoes from getting in, which was definitely not ideal.||Another issue was the poor lighting in the room and bathroom. For women or anyone trying to do their hair or makeup, it was a real struggle to see clearly. There was very little natural light, and the artificial lighting was not bright enough to be functional.||The bed linens were also uncomfortable. The sheets literally felt like sand. Upon closer inspection, they were covered in tiny fuzzballs and pilling, which made sleeping unpleasant. This level of wear and lack of upkeep is not what you expect from a resort-level property.||In terms of room amenities, nothing standard was available, not even a complimentary shower cap, which is something you typically find in hotels of much lower tiers. There was no iron or ironing board in the room. I had to request one. There was also no luggage rack, which made managing our five pieces of luggage unnecessarily difficult. I did not bother calling about it, as I was already turned off by the overall lack of attention to guest comfort.||Washcloths were not provided, which I had read in other reviews but hoped had changed. Unfortunately, it had not. For most resorts, washcloths are a standard amenity, but not here. Housekeeping was also very inconsistent. Some days they did not replenish towels at all, and on others they left random quantities. On multiple occasions, they didn’t leave any new towels even though we left the old ones on the floor, which is standard practice to signal that replacements are needed. You had to constantly call or ask to get what should have been standard.||Please be mindful when using cups or eating in the room. One night, we drank champagne and left the empty glass on the nightstand. When I woke up, there were a bunch of gnats crawling inside it. The doors were closed all night with the AC on, so it makes no sense. There is either an unseen entry point somewhere in the room or an infestation that comes out when they smell something sweet.||We did enjoy the oceanfront view, but the property sits on a public path from Mambo Beach. This allows non-guests to access the area and rent chairs or simply take them. Security was inconsistent during the day and more present only at night. On multiple occasions, large groups of local teens took over cabanas and no one intervened. This raised concerns for me, especially around the risk of theft.||There is only one free washer and dryer on the apartment side of the property, but they were barely functional. I had to wash one load twice to remove sand, and the dryer left clothes hot but still soaking wet. I requested a drying rack from housekeeping, but they are not available 24/7. When I called the front desk and mentioned that no one was answering, the agent told me housekeeping was closed and she would try to see if someone could bring it. Thankfully, someone eventually did, but the process was inconvenient and time-consuming. In a humid climate, it still took about two days for clothes to fully dry.||At night, large cockroaches could be seen around the property, something I have never experienced at other resorts. My partner also saw a small rat one evening. There were several black bait boxes visible, so it is clear pest control is an ongoing issue.||The on-site restaurants were average at best. The menu caters primarily to Dutch tastes, and basic condiments like ketchup had to be specifically requested when ordering food. They did not have any maple syrup available at all, which was disappointing. I stayed at Renaissance Wind Creek later during my trip due to a canceled flight, and none of these issues were present there.||Another misleading point was about converter plugs. Online, they state these are provided free of charge. However, in the app, it mentions a $2 rental fee. When I called to ask if any were available, the same man at the front desk who was rude to me at checkout answered and said, "I’m not sure, but I’ll check and call you back." I never received a call. So not only was the information inconsistent, but the follow-through was nonexistent. Thankfully, I had brought two of my own and just rotated them between devices as needed.||The staff was hit or miss in terms of hospitality. On the morning of checkout (7/5/21), I went to breakfast and returned to my room exactly at 12:00 PM to grab my bags, only to find my key card already deactivated. That same front desk staff member was rude, stating, "Check-out is at 12, so someone will have to escort you." I was not trying to overstay—my bags were packed and ready. A much friendlier staff member escorted me, but as soon as he left, the same rude agent called the room again to ask if I needed help. Not one minute later, there was a loud banging at the door with someone yelling "Housekeeping!" as if I were being evicted. Housekeeping has never banged on my door like that before, so I knew it was intentional to rush me out. It was shocking and unprofessional.||To make matters worse, check-in for new guests isn’t until 4 PM, so rushing someone out so aggressively at exactly 12 noon—when they’re already packed and leaving—is completely unnecessary and frankly disgusting. This moment alone guaranteed I will never return. After spending two weeks and a substantial amount of money, this was a terrible way to end my stay.||I travel frequently and I am never late for checkout. Even if I were running behind, most hotels are happy to grant an extra 30 minutes to an hour if requested. Given that late checkout is listed as an option (for a fee) in their app, I would not have stayed late for free, but the attitude was completely unnecessary.||Final Thoughts|Curacao is a beautiful island with stunning beaches. The beach on this property is man-made, but the water is clear and filled with colorful fish. That said, I would recommend staying elsewhere. Renaissance Wind Creek, for example, was clean, up-to-date, pest-free, well-lit, and had far better service even if it is not directly on the beach.||Save yourself the stress and book a...

My recent stay at Lion's Dive beach resort in Curacao left much to be desired. If you're into the whole glorified tiki vibe, this might be your spot. However, if you're looking for something more, like I was, you might be left disappointed. The overall experience fell short, especially when compared to my previous accommodation on the island for the same price point.

Let's start with the positives: The staff, particularly the front desk team, were incredibly friendly and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. From offering substitutions for accommodations to providing refreshing fruit punch upon arrival, their hospitality was commendable. Additionally, the on-property staff were quick to assist us when we lost our way after parking our vehicle, and provided us with an adaptor being that we had US electronics which was greatly appreciated.

However, the charm ends there. Despite the initial shock upon entering the lobby, the rooms surprised me with their updated appearance. So there’s another plus however, when you're in the rooms, things like the balcony door and the windows lend to the tiki vibe. It’s also a shared balcony so please be mindful.

Now, onto breakfast. For the price paid, the offerings were underwhelming especially when we paid a very similar price, if not the same price for a much more satisfying experience at the prior hotel. Here, "farm to table" seemed more like "bag to plate," with premade items emptied right out of the bag out in front of us. The buffet, if you can even call it that, lacked variety and quality. I would call it an all you can eat as opposed to buffet because to me, a buffet implies a spread, some variety. While there was a made-to-order egg station and a selection of basic breakfast items like scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, sausage and bacon, the absence of staples like hash browns, waffles, bagels or potatoes was noticeable. The fruit juices were watered down, and many of the bread items were a bit off. The croissants were overdone, and the danish pastires were disappointingly flimsy as if they were frozen and left to defrost but absorbed too much water.

In terms of amenities, while there's access to a private beach and pools, and they do have a diving pool so kudos to them on that note. Also on that side, the rooms, vibe and restaurant appear to be nicer.

Would I stay here again? No. Given the similar price point to my previous hotel, I found Lion's Dive lacking in comparison. While the friendly staff and somewhat updated rooms were appreciated, the overall experience fell short of expectations. If you're looking for a true value for your money, I'd recommend exploring other options on the island. Is it suitable? Yes. I was still able to snag some content from what was there. More of myself and scenery than anything.

Tips: Do not leave your food unattended, the birds will eat it. There isn’t an elevator. If you have accessibility issues, let them know ahead of time and have someone assist with luggage. The balcony is shared, be mindful. If you’re US based, bring an adaptor. The staff are very friendly, be sure...

The property is amazing. However, the staff needs to be retrained. In fact, I should have reached out to customer service sooner.

Staff - the front desk staff needs to be retrained. We had multiple issues with them. For starters, I booked a resort view room with double beds, which clearly states it sleeps 4. The fees say we would need to pay $25 per additional person. This was fine with us, as expedia does not let you change the guest count when booking packes. 2 of us were coming from NY, 1 from Nashville, and 1 from Houston. Before arriving, I contacted the hotel to let them know we would be 4, and I was told this $25 per person fee was only valid for children under the age of 18. This was not clearly stated in the additional fees. We were forced to upgrade our room to an apt for an additional $150 a night.

The front desk gave us a map and our keys, we had to ask about breakfast. He then told us it was sold at hemingway and we could find it on the map.

I asked this same front desk guy if there were any stores close by as my shoe had broken getting out of the cab. He said there is a convenience store across the street, but it was probably closed. There is nothing else around. WELP, allow me to tell you, there are multiple stores right outside the boardwalk where you can buy sheos and clothes. Bathings suits even your souvenirs.

We called the day before, and our check out and asked to get a late check out. We were told we had to call the morning of, and our options were 2 or 4 pm. We called the day of and they agreed. They did not, however, tell us to stop by the front desk to reprogram the keys. We were locked out of the room until one of us walked over there and let me tell you, the property is very large.

The housekeepers, towel attendants, and bell hop (the best) were all truly amazing.

Expedia VIP- We did not receive the perks until I responded to expedias, questions about our check-in. The next day, we received our vouchers and bottle of sparkling wine. However, the spa was sold out Saturday and Sunday.

Location- second to none. The beach is gorgeous, so many great restaurants around there. Do not sleep on Hemingway. We traveled to Willemstad but had much better food on the Mambo Beach strip. Easy shopping options and so many excursions available to book from within the hotel. There is also an avis next door if you want to explore on your own.

Hotel- the hotel, the rooms, the pool, and the restaurants were all gorgeous. Truly beautiful picturesque surrounding.

Our issues seem to all go down to the front desk and the front desk manager. Once they fix these issues, this place can easily become a 5-star hotel. Even with all the things they did wrong, everything else went great, and the people who worked there were great. We are even thinking of coming back in July. We...