The Rif At Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive, Curio By Hilton

“Had a great time.”

Family vacation Reading the negative reviews, I was a little apprehensive taking my family to The Rif but I was very pleased. I am going to comment on some of the issues that were negatively mentioned before. The check in was easy and each staff member was very pleasant. We had no problem with our… Più

Family vacation Reading the negative reviews, I was a little apprehensive taking my family to The Rif but I was very pleased. I am going to comment on some of the issues that were negatively mentioned before. The check in was easy and each staff member was very pleasant. We had no problem with our luggage being held until our rooms were ready. And they were ready quicker than expected. The room was cleaned every day, and towels were never an issue, clean ones were provided every day. One family member had an issue with the safe, but it was resolved quickly. The lady at the pool towel hut was very nice and never gave us a problem. A family member would go to get all our towels, and she came back with ten each time. We did wait until 8 when she was ready. Maybe the person who had a problem tried to get them before they were ready. Everywhere we went, the employees and staff were pleasant and helpful. If you treat people with respect, they will treat you the same way. Housekeeping staff gave us smiles and "hellos" as we passed them in the halls. That can be said about all staff we encountered. I see some complain about stains on the lounges. Maybe the guests need to be more careful. I was sitting on a lounge by the pool and had my drink on the table next to it. Some boys behind me were kicking a soccer ball around and it came over to my table and knocked my drink on the lounge padding. It will absolutely be a stain. The bartenders were not stingy with the alcohol and the quality was good. If I had to state one disappointment. It was the food. Making the required dinner reservations for the next day was a very simple process of going to the concierge desk at 9am. We did that after breakfast each day and it went smoothly. Now back to the food itself. While the buffet offered a very wide variety, the taste was bland. Same for the restaurants. For us, it was like high school cafeteria food. But we managed to have a good time.

Meno

“I would stay here again but...”

This resort is a 3.99 out of 5 overall. The room was clean and the bed was comfortable. The cleaning staff were very friendly and did a good job keeping room clean, restocking, and freshening towels. Balcony was spacious and had a good ocean view. I was initially concerned about cruise ships bl… Più

This resort is a 3.99 out of 5 overall. The room was clean and the bed was comfortable. The cleaning staff were very friendly and did a good job keeping room clean, restocking, and freshening towels. Balcony was spacious and had a good ocean view. I was initially concerned about cruise ships blocking the view, but that did not occur during my 10 day stay. A solid 4.5 out of 5. The beaches were great given the rocky ABC islands. Mostly sand with a few small rocks. This is not turks and caicos folks, so dont come here expecting perfect beaches. Wear some crocs on the beaches in case there are a few rocks and do not complain. Beaches are 4 out 5. I loved NOT having to sign receipts at the bars and restaurants like at other carribean all inclusives I have attended. This is how it should be. A wristband is all you need to eat and drink when you feel like. 5 out 5 for the convenience and ease. Restaurants were fine with decent variety. Not gourmet but also not below expectations. Least favorite was Sushi restaurant. It was not terrible, but also not very inspired. California roll was as exotic as it got. Cor & Dons was my favorite by far. Maya was second. I give the food a very precise 4 out 5. I had a hot rocks massage and it was expensive but it was very very good. The massage is inside a hut on the beach so hearing the crashing waves and having a generous breeze really created a great vibe. I give the massage a 4.5 out of 5 and i have had hundreds of massages. I understood going in the RIF does not guarantee adults only. To be clear, yes there were crying and splashing children at the Rif and many families. If you want an adults only experience go somewhere else or you will be disappointed. The RiF is quieter than the mangroove overall. Even the the adults at the mangrove are loud so if you want more of a loud party vibe, the mangroove is the place to be. The RIf has a higher tier of alcohol brands to choose from as they advertise. I found service to be very good overall across the resort. The gentleman that works in Mundi coffee shop was outstanding. If your not paying this guy well, ypu should start. He remembered my order every day and was always polite. The folks at the beach bar at the Rif were also hard working and really catered to the guests. The restauant hosts and servers were more than satisfactory. Not amazing but average. Dear Corendon, the one individual bar tender that keeps a place like this from being a solid 4 or 4.25 is Rachel at the Coral Pool bar on the RIF side. She seems indifferent to the guests, usually has a sour look on her face, and seems bothered when a guest interrupts her conversations with the other bar tenders who she is incidentally distracting as well from attending to guests. Maybe she is a supervisor but she is a bad example. She berated another employee in front of the guests and while they were waiting to be served. I personally asked for a Bright Amstel beer, but because she was distracted talking with another bar tender while taking my order, she poured a Heinekin instead. Not a big deal, mistakes happen, but when i said I had asked for Amstel, she said I was wrong and had asked for a Heinekan and was annoyed at having to get me the correct beer. Hilton if your listening, put Rachel in the back away from guests to get yourself solidly above the 3.99 rating. The other folks tending that Coral bar did great when she was not back there. I also found the bar tenders at the Coco bar on the mangroove side to be good and they had more challenging guest loads to deal with. So for service i give a solid 3.99 out of 5. Take Rachel out I give it a 4.25 out of 5. Activies are not promoted like they are at other resorts i have been to like iberostar. Corendon needs to add some 'Star Friends' to get people to join activites and promote them. I missed not being able to join some bingo or beach volleyball on this trip. The setup for the World Cup games was a great highlight for me. One last thing, the TV reception sucks terribly, so if you want to watch tv forget it. But who goes to beach to watch televison. The internet was decent and stable across the resort near the buildings.

Meno

“Beautiful Resort & Great Location, But Understaffing and Service Delays Hurt the Overall Experience”

The property itself is beautiful, and the seamless access to the sister resort really makes the overall experience feel expansive with plenty of areas to explore. The location is also excellent — about a 15-minute walk from downtown, which made it easy to enjoy both the resort and the city. The roo… Più

The property itself is beautiful, and the seamless access to the sister resort really makes the overall experience feel expansive with plenty of areas to explore. The location is also excellent — about a 15-minute walk from downtown, which made it easy to enjoy both the resort and the city. The rooms were spacious, modern, and comfortable overall. Staff were generally friendly, especially Norma at the towel stand, who was consistently welcoming and helpful. Unfortunately, the service experience significantly tarnished what could otherwise be a great stay. The issue seemed less about staff attitude and more about being clearly understaffed. Nearly every bar had long wait times, often with only one bartender handling a large crowd. For a resort marketed as 4- or 5-star, the lack of poolside service was disappointing. Even something simple like circulating staff with carts of premade drinks around the pools could help reduce the excessive bar waits and improve the guest experience considerably. The restaurant reservation system was another frustration. The resort “app” is really just a website, and it is not very user-friendly when trying to make the required reservations for the à la carte restaurants. Without reservations, you can easily be turned away despite visibly empty tables, which again felt more like a staffing issue than a true capacity problem. Better communication at check-in or even a simple pamphlet explaining the reservation process, activities, amenities, spa, and tour desk would make a huge difference. Many of the available facilities felt oddly hidden unless you actively searched for them. One additional issue was a noticeable mildew smell coming from the bathroom that became more apparent after a couple of days. Keeping the bathroom door open helped, but it would be nice if the hotel at least left the same scent spray the cleaning staff uses so guests could freshen the room themselves if needed. However the room was spacious and modern. Overall, while the property is undeniably beautiful and in a fantastic location, the operational and staffing shortcomings outweighed the positives for me. As it stands, I would not choose to stay here again.

Meno