WILLEMSTAD - Yesterday, during a press conference on Curacao, Corendon founder and hotel owner Atilay Uslu revealed the name of the 5 star ultra all-inclusive resort that Corendon Hotels & Resorts is developing on the island. After completion, the Corendon Mangrove Beach Resort will be the largest hotel in the Caribbean with its 850 rooms. The first phase will consist of a 5 star hotel with 381 rooms, 18 suites, 4 pools, nine restaurants/outlets and bars, an aquapark and 3 meetings rooms. The opening of phase 1 is planned for April 1, 2020.
Mangrove forest clean up
Curaçao has been listed on the World Heritage list of UNESCO for some 20 years now. Part of that list are the surrounding waters and coastal areas of the islands, rich in mangrove forests, seagrass beds and coral reefs. Mangrove forests are seriously threatened worldwide, but are of tremendous importance for biodiversity, water treatment, carbon capture and coastal protection. Because the resort is located in a very special nature reserve of mangrove forests, Corendon wil clean the mangroves on its own property, as well as in the adjacent areas. The soil will be cleaned in consultation with the local nature conservation organizations, litter will be collected and removed by hand and the entire area will be reinstated as a healthy mangrove forest.
Solar panels and water treatment
Together with Aqualectra Curaçao, Corendon shares ideas and insights to develop innovative solutions in orde to create a sustainable hotel concept. For the Corendon Mangrove Beach Resort, Corendon uses solar panels to induce 2,3 megawatt of electricity, making the resort completely self sufficient. Beside that, via a reverse osmosis system, the resort uses water from the sea for its showers, sinks, toilets and swimming pools. The wastewater from these facilities – except the toilet water – is filtered, and ¼ is reused for the gardens. The remainder ¾ of the filtered wastewater, the hotel offers to the local farmers, thus contributing to a more sustainable environment.
Employment and training
Corendon started renovating and expanding the outdated former Holiday Beach complex in 2018. In the first phase, Corendon establishes a 5 star hotel with 399 rooms and various facilities. The resort will in the first instance offer employment to some 350 staff.
Corendon will also establish its own academy, which will train islanders to become a chef, waiter or front office employee such as receptionist. In the second phase, 454 more rooms will be developed and open expectedly by the end of 2020. That entices an employment opportunity for another 250 inhabitants of Curacao.
Art and cultural heritage
Corendon Hotels & Resort cooperates with organizations and artists that engaged in cultural heritage and art from the Otrobanda-neighbourhood Rif, of which the resort is a part. Dozens of artworks from artists from the neighborhood are given a spot in prominent places in the resort.
In this way, hotel guests become acquainted with art, culture and the island's heritage and are thus encouraged to explore the neighborhood with a walking tour.
During this tour, residents and artists inform about the history and culture of the island and the neighborhood.
Extensive food & beverage offer
The ultra all-inclusive resort has nine outlets, bars and restaurants with a very varied offer in food and beverages. In the buffet restaurant, dishes from all over the world and of superior quality are prepare. There is also an à la carte restaurant, where guests can experience a Japanse culinary food extravaganza. In The Don Cigar Lounge, hotel guests enjoy the best whisky's, cigars, cognacs and delicious cocktails.
Aquapark with Cobra slide
Beside the pools, there is also a water slide parasdise to enjoy. The hotels aquapark consists of 6 slides, of which the King Cobra is the most spectacular with its head, colors and snake patterns of a Cobra Snake. Besides that, Corendon’s King Cobra is the only water slide of its kind in the Caribbean.
