Turquoise water is curving into Santa Martha Bay on Curaçao’s western side. Limestone cliffs rise above the sea west of Willemstad. Fishing boats drift through the bay below the Santa Martha lookout point. The roads heading toward Soto pass cactus-covered hills, rocky coves and small beach bars facing the Caribbean. And you’re gazing at all of it from the comforts of your own plunge pool.
And this fall, one of the island’s biggest new resort openings is arriving directly on the water, and the rooms are a big part of the story.
The new TUI BLUE Curaçao is officially opening on Oct. 1, 2026, Caribbean Journal has learned.
The new all-inclusive resort is bringing 297 rooms, swim-up suites, private-pool accommodations, six restaurants, multiple bars, three swimming pools and a large beachfront setting to Groot Santa Martha, a quieter section of Curaçao that has become increasingly important in the island’s expanding luxury hotel market.
The opening is adding another major international brand to Curaçao at a time when the island is seeing one of the fastest hotel growth periods anywhere in the Caribbean.
This Part of the Island Feels Completely Different
Most visitors know Curaçao through Willemstad, Jan Thiel and Mambo Beach.
Santa Martha Bay feels much quieter.
The roads heading west from the capital narrow quickly. Diving boats move through the bays near Playa Santa Cruz and Westpunt. Small villages sit between cliffs and beaches along the western side of the island. Goats wander beside the roads leading toward Christoffel National Park.
The water shifts between deep blue and turquoise beneath the Santa Martha lookout point, one of the most dramatic panoramic views anywhere in Curaçao.
The new TUI BLUE property is opening directly on the seafront with a white-sand beach and wide views across the bay. The resort will sit about 24 kilometers from Curaçao International Airport and about 35 kilometers from Willemstad.
That location places guests close to some of Curaçao’s strongest natural attractions.
Blue Room Cave, one of the island’s best-known snorkeling and boat excursion sites, is about 10 kilometers away. Christoffel National Park is within a short drive, bringing hiking trails, desert landscapes and panoramic views from the island’s highest elevation.
Cas Abao Beach, regularly ranked among Curaçao’s best beaches, is also nearby.
That western side of the island has become increasingly attractive for new luxury hotel development as travelers continue looking for quieter parts of Curaçao beyond the busier districts surrounding Willemstad.
The Resort Will Focus Heavily on Outdoor Living
The property will spread across six low-rise buildings rising up to five floors.
Most of the design centers around pools, terraces, beach access and outdoor gathering areas facing the sea.
Three swimming pools will anchor the property, including large infinity-style pool areas surrounded by tropical landscaping and lounge decks.
The resort is also planning a large wellness component through BLUE Spa and BLUEF!T, with yoga sessions, fitness programming and spa treatments integrated into the broader resort experience.
A splash area for children is also part of the plans, alongside family-focused accommodations and larger suite categories.
Renderings released by the resort show wide-open pool decks, shaded outdoor dining areas, beachside seating and swim-up room sections directly connected to semi-private pools.
The broader TUI BLUE brand has been expanding aggressively across resort destinations in Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean, focusing heavily on modern design, wellness programming and destination-driven food concepts.
The Room Categories Are Going Far Beyond Standard Resort Rooms
The room lineup is becoming one of the strongest parts of the property.
Several accommodations are being designed around direct pool or water access, particularly the Partial Ocean View Swim-Up Room and Ocean View Swim-Up Room, both of which will allow guests to step directly from their terraces into semi-private swim-up pools while overlooking the gardens and sea.
The resort is also planning higher-end suite categories aimed at couples, honeymooners and longer stays. The Oceanfront Swim-Up Junior Suite will include panoramic sea views, an ocean-facing king bed, an open-plan bathroom with a freestanding tub and rain shower, along with a private terrace connected directly to a swim-up pool.
Larger accommodations will include the Senior Suite with Private Pool and the Two Bedroom Suite with Private Pool, both designed around extended stays, family travel and larger groups. The Senior Suite will include a separate living room, pantry, oversized bathroom and a private outdoor pool, while the Two Bedroom Suite with Private Pool will add dual bedrooms, multiple bathrooms and larger outdoor living areas facing the gardens and sea.
The broader room mix will also include Oceanfront Rooms, Ocean View Rooms, Partial Ocean View Rooms, Family Rooms, Senior Suites, Two Bedroom Suites and Accessible Ocean View Rooms overlooking Santa Martha Bay.
Most accommodations will include balconies or terraces, lounge areas, king beds, semi-open bathrooms and natural-toned interiors designed around indoor-outdoor Caribbean living. Several swim-up categories will carry minimum age requirements, while the larger suites are clearly targeting multigenerational travel and longer stays on the island.
Dining Will Be One of the Defining Parts of the Resort
The dining program is becoming a major centerpiece of the resort concept.
Instead of relying primarily on buffet service, the property is planning multiple restaurant concepts with distinct identities spread throughout the resort.
IVO Beach will operate directly on the sand with daytime beach-club dining before transitioning into barbecue-style dinners at night.
Mesa Caribe will focus on Caribbean-inspired shared plates designed around local flavors and communal dining.
Culinarium will handle the resort’s upscale dinner venue, serving multi-course meals built around international cuisine and locally sourced ingredients.
The main buffet venue, called The Restaurant, will anchor breakfast service and rotating themed dinners.
Smaller concepts will include Thea’s Coffee & Juices, focusing on coffee drinks, smoothies and lighter daytime meals overlooking the sea.
The 24-hour Grab & Go venue will handle sandwiches, snacks, fruit and quick meals throughout the day and night.
The resort is also planning a Snack Court, multiple bars and several outdoor lounge areas facing the beach and pools.
That level of dining variety is becoming increasingly important in the Caribbean all-inclusive sector as newer resorts compete more aggressively on food programming and restaurant concepts instead of relying solely on room inventory and beach access.
Curaçao Keeps Expanding Its Hotel Market
Curaçao has become one of the Caribbean’s fastest-growing tourism destinations over the last several years.
New airlift from the United States, Canada and Europe continues driving tourism growth across the island. Luxury hotels, boutique resorts and branded all-inclusive properties are opening steadily across multiple parts of Curaçao.
Unlike destinations built almost entirely around large all-inclusive resort corridors, Curaçao still spreads its tourism product across dive resorts, boutique hotels, apartment-style stays, beach clubs, city hotels and smaller independent properties.
That diversity of resort options has, in my view, become one of the island’s biggest strengths.
Visitors are increasingly combining beach stays with diving, snorkeling, hiking, food experiences and time in Willemstad, particularly around the Handelskade waterfront and floating markets.
At the same time, larger international brands are investing more heavily across the island as demand continues rising.
That’s manfisted itself in a wave of new resorts on the island in the last half-decade, from the major launch of Sandals Royal Curacao back in 2022 to properties like the Rif and the Corendon.
The opening of TUI BLUE Curaçao is becoming part of that broader expansion wave — and one of the biggest new resort debuts currently planned for Curaçao’s western side.
Prices at Blue
We found rates starting at $413 for the opening date, according to TUI’s booking portal. That gets you an entry level room.
Karen Udler
2026-05-21 02:02:00