We decided to stay at Avila based on the location of the hotel and the fact they have 2 real beaches. When we arrived at 4pm to check in the woman at the desk said our room wasn't ready yet. She said it would be about 10-15 minutes but we could check our luggage. Well 10 minutes, 1/2 hour, 1 hour, 1.5 hours..finally 2 hours later our room was available to check in. I have NEVER been to a nice resort and had to wait 2 hours for the room to be available.

We stayed in the Blues wing with a nice terrace over looking the water. The room was nice and just what we expected. They do have an ant problem so do not leave any food uncovered in the room, or drop crumbs your floor will be covered in ants. Also the walls are extremely thin, and you can hear your neighbors every move.

There is no hospitality on the island of Curacao. Everyone does things at their own pace..
I have never seen ordering a drink take 5 people behind the bar 30 minutes to figure out how to make it. Ordering drinks from the bar became a chore, even a glass of wine was a problem. Many times they would give us the bill before the drink even arrived. Service is not their specialty. They make you feel like you are making them have to go out of their way to do their job. I only found a few people at the resort extremely friendly. To name a few Rickart-so sweet, helpful, made the vacation enjoyable. Luxeandrew is the only one who knows how to make a drink, and can make it in a timely fashion.

We ate at a few restaurants. Fishalicious was by far my favorite!! Great fish! Rozendeals is a close second. The service at both of these restaurants was on pair. Breakfast at the hotel in the morning was great!! Amazing waffles cooked with sugar-yummy! Good thing it was a buffet and we could serve our selves.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend Curacao to my friends, and would not go back to the island. I have been to many island in the Caribbean and this one I would suggest staying away from.

Pros: beach, buffet breakfast,blues bar on thursday night, Rickart & Luxeandrew for taking care of us.
Cons: island not safe, run down, AWFUL AWFUL service...like nothing i have ever experienced!

Safe back home in Scandinavia I am wondering why we didn’t extended our holiday at Avila Beach Hotel where we have enjoyed endless hospitality, wonderful local food and relaxing moments at the beach. Wonderful sea-views from the well equipped rooms. I can recommend a good week stay at this hotel! My compliments to the staff. Best regards a relaxed guest

My wife and I decided to try this historic property on our first trip to Curacao. We were definitely in the minority of English speaking guests, but we liked it that way. Avila appeals to the Dutch citizens, but why not join them for the "continental" effect? All staff members were attentive, but I did notice the restaurant service a little slow at lunch and dinner. I got the feeling that was more because YOU ARE ON VACATION and no one should be in a rush!
Breakfast buffet was expansive and delicious.
Prices are higher than most other places we visited. The setting is perfect for beach time, cocktails at sunset, sunning and gentle swimming. They have two fairly small enclosed swimming areas open to the sea but are well protected from wave action by two jetties. That factor is important especially if you are traveling with children.
I am an avid scuba diver, so we partnered with Ocean Encounters a short drive south for fantastic, non-crowded diving. We rented a car and parked free in Avila's lot in order to drive all over the entire island.
I felt safe as we explored the island.
All rooms we saw at Avila were comfortable. You pay an upcharge for the best views, so that is a traveler's option. We stayed in a 4th floor room not facing the ocean, but we hardly ever are in the room during daylight. Rooms were quiet, even though the hotel was full during high season.
Our room was large and had excellent bathroom ammenities. We are planning to return to Avila Beach Hotel on our next trip.

My partner and I celebrated our 20th anniversary/honeymoon at Avila with high hopes, which were quickly diminished when we walked into our ground floor double room, even though the reservation clearly stated upper king. Thanks to Alice, one of the managers, we managed to settle into room 290 (Blue Wing), two days after arriving. The room offers an amazing view, worthy of the hassles we experienced with the people at check in.

Many of the recent reviews have sited the rudeness of the staff, which we also felt and discussed with management. A simple hello seemed out of character with most of the staff at Avila except the women at the pool restaurant, who were terrific, and Desiree, one of the servers at the bar. The rest of the bar staff was confused by its own menu, spending more time standing around then pouring. Avila could be a terrific place but it’s apparent that they built too aggressively for the footprint of the property. The beach was too crowded and we were there the week of January 8, not even high season. The menu at the main restaurant was very good, (skip the Blues bar) but it did not seem to change the week we were there except when they had theme nights.

We are city gals and have been to numerous Caribbean islands and yet we have never been hassled anywhere. Avila is about 1½ blocks from 4 very good restaurants and 2 out of the 5 nights we ate down the street, we were harassed, with one night ending in us being chased back to Avila. It is not a safe neighborhood at night and while Avila has security guards at its front doors, guests would benefit from them standing on the street rather than near the entrance. All in all, the Avila has charm, but with so many options in Curacao, I’d skip Avila if you’re looking for a place that is welcoming, not crowded, is in a safe neighborhood and has staff that are happy you decided to vacation with them.