The Rif at Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive, Curio by Hilton

The Rif at Mangrove Beach (Curio Collection by Hilton) is one of those all-inclusive resorts that gets a lot of mixed reviews, but honestly, the experience is what you make of it! Let’s start with the hotel itself: perfect, clean, and comfortable. The housekeeping staff does an amazing job and is genuinely attentive. Our room felt fresh every day, and the overall property is well maintained. Now for the “all-inclusive” side. The buffet is actually quite nice. The selections rotate daily so meals don’t feel repetitive, and the food quality is solid. The seating situation, however, can be a bit of a circus. Since it’s seat-yourself, finding a clean table during peak times can take a minute. Still, once seated, we enjoyed our meals. The sit-down restaurants require reservations by 10:00am, which can be tough—especially if you’re someone who doesn’t want to plan your vacation around mealtimes. I personally preferred the buffet for that exact reason: show up when you’re ready, eat, relax, repeat. Room service is available for a $15 service fee, which is convenient if you want a quieter meal in your room. You can also have your minibar restocked on demand for the same fee, although it seems guest services generally comes around every few days in the evening to restock soft drinks anyway. The staff was friendly, though sometimes it felt like you were inconveniencing them with small requests. But remember—you’re on an island, in the sun, living on island time. Approach everything with that mindset and you’ll enjoy yourself so much more. The location is also a huge plus. You’re within walking distance of downtown Willemstad, so definitely get off the property and explore the cute and colorful downtown area! And if you’re renting a car, the resort has a free parking garage for guests, which is incredibly convenient. As a Hilton Gold member who travels frequently with the brand, I will say status isn’t really recognized here. It’s not a dealbreaker, but something to be aware of if you’re used to the usual perks. Overall, I would absolutely recommend The Rif and would most certainly stay here again the next time I’m in Curaçao. Go in with realistic expectations and a relaxed mindset, and you’ll have a great time!

Our stay at The Rif at Mangrove Beach Corendon Curaçao, Curio Collection by Hilton was unfortunately very disappointing and we would not return. The only positive point of our experience was the Turkish restaurant, which was good. Everything else fell short. Upon arrival, we were given a dirty room with a terrible view overlooking a garage. It took 45 minutes of waiting before we were finally offered another room. The second room was at least clean but the mini-bar was empty, there was no hairdryer and no iron. I requested them through the app and I am still waiting... lol. The hotel also advertises daily in-room snacks but we never received any during our stay. The property is overcrowded everywhere. The buffet especially feels chaotic and extremely repetitive. Getting reservations for the à la carte restaurants is almost impossible, which means if you do not plan to leave the resort, you will likely end up at the same buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What made the experience even worse was the lack of basic service. At the buffet, empty plates often stayed on the table for long periods of time and frequently no clean plates available at the buffet. Even basic drinks and coffee need to be self-served something I have never seen in other all-inclusive resorts and I have stayed at many. At the pool, empty glasses sat unattended all day which contributed to a general feeling of poor upkeep. There is no real shaded area at the pool to relax in and it feels like the resort is trying to charge extra for everything possible. The water park is poorly maintained with deflated float tubes and offers very little appeal. The hotel also lacks atmosphere or charm. This hotel needs to hire and properly train more staff because the current level of service and guest experience is simply not acceptable. This was one of the most disappointing resort stays we have had and we will not be returning.

1. Reservation and Check-In I reserved a room with a king-size bed, yet upon arrival, I was given a room with two full-size beds pushed together. During check-in, I waited approximately 35–45 minutes, only to be redirected to a separate check-in area with no guidance on where to go. After finally locating the correct desk, I waited another 20 minutes. Despite being given a black “VIP” wristband, the treatment was far from VIP — we had to carry our own luggage to the room. 2. Room Conditions and Cleanliness I had requested a small arrangement to celebrate my partner’s birthday, which was ignored. Instead, we were greeted by ants throughout the room. Additionally, a small coffee spill that occurred on the first day has remained uncleaned for four days, despite housekeeping visits. 3. Amenities and Services We were informed that all restaurants, except for two, required reservations — and that they were fully booked for the entire week. This is inconsistent with both the “all-inclusive” and “VIP” descriptions. Furthermore, room service, which was advertised as 24/7, was unavailable when we tried to order. 4. Misrepresentation of the Resort The resort was promoted as adults-only during booking, yet there were children throughout the property — including families with young children in the swim-up pool adjacent to our room. This was misleading and detracted from the experience we sought. Given the multiple issues and the misleading nature of the booking, I am requesting an appropriate compensation. Specifically, I would appreciate a full refund for the inconvenience or an offer of a complimentary stay at one of your partner properties. Save your money. Don’t recommend

Stayed at The Rif for 7 days. First off I would not pay extra to stay on the Rif side, you can go back and forth no one paid attention or cared at all. The resort was not bad by any means, but it’s not super nice either. It’s very mid-tier. It’s small compared to other resorts I’ve stayed at (this was expected). The food was typical AI food, not great but not the worst thing ever. Reminded me of college dining hall food. I would warn everyone if you are going to stay here you have to understand the service will be terrible. It just is what it is, but it’s pretty horrible. So slow, no sense of urgency, all staff acted like you were bothering them for asking for anything. That’s just how they are so if you can get past that, the weather was perfect every single day, lots of open chairs at the beach and pools. The rooms were spacious but had a sewer smells on some days. Our mini bar was only restocked the last 2 days. If you’re looking for a budget friendly option that isn’t a total dump I would recommend, but just don’t go in with high expectations.

I just completed a 5 day stay at The Rif Pros: The front desk staff was lovely, and I was immediately greeted with a welcome drink. The bellhop offered to assist with my luggage. Though my reservation was for The Corendon Mangrove Beach, I was upgraded to The Rif at Mangrove Beach Corendon. This allowed me access to both properties, which was a pleasant surprise. I was given both a welcome letter and access to the website, which explained the various amenities and restaurants. Strong 1st impression! My room was modern, comfortable, and clean. I loved having a balcony, and the view of the cruise ships coming in and out of the nearby port. There was a fruit tray and fully stocked minibar welcoming me. There is a security gate, and I always felt safe despite being a solo female traveler. The property was quiet, with very few children. The bartenders were kind, and always willing to customize drink orders. Bars were scattered about the property making them easily accessible, and the lines were never long. Cons: Felt like I could hear every closed door, footstep, and word spoken in the hallway. Sound really reverberates. My room was only cleaned once during my stay, as the cleaners generally did not make it to my room until late afternoon, and by then I was wanting to rest before dinner. My biggest gripe was that customer service was lacking, particularly at the restaurants. I'm from the South, so have a habit of saying hello people I pass and staff would often not speak back. The buffet food was often cold, and sometimes not replenished. There was one incident where the top of the pepper shaker broke while I was using it, spilling peppercorns all over my plate. A lady was cleaning the table right next to me, and didnt acknowledge it or offer to help in any way. She simply reached over and grabbed the shaker to dispose of it with other trash. The food at the a la carte restaurants are MUCH better, so be sure to make your reservations via the website. But again, service was lacking. There was one incident where I had to ask for a glass of water 3 times. There was another where staff seated me, but I didnt receive a menu until I asked for one after several minutes of waiting. My burger was served (twice!) without the promised toppings. When I asked for jalepeno, I was given pickles instead. Sherline, in guest experience, did try to improve my experience. But by then, it was too late for her to intervene as I was checking out the following morning. Loved the island, and the facility itself was fine. But I would not recommend this property. Customer service simply did not meet the expectations I have for a Hilton.