La Maya Beach Luxury Apartments

La Maya Beach Luxury Apartments is an upscale hotel consisting of 34 self-contained, luxury apartments, all featuring the same open layout with two bedrooms. In fact, it is more like a complex of rental properties than it is a hotel – there is no lobby or restaurant, and the only common areas are the outdoor spaces around the beach and the peaceful pool.  

The name of the property, La Maya Beach – Spanish Water Luxury Apartments, refers to the harbor the hotel sits upon. One selling point of the property is that every unit has a patio or deck with great views of the harbor. The highlights of the hotel are the apartments themselves, featuring modern decor with clean lines and neutral colors, updated kitchens, and open floor plans.

The hotel was opened in 2011 by Dutch owners, and everything in the apartments feels modern. Reception consists of a small house containing an office in a corner of the property. The atmosphere at La Maya is serene and grown up – guests here are drawn to the privacy and quiet. The apartments are generally occupied by a mix of younger families and an older crowd. Some units are even owned or are rented to long-term guests. There are no activities and very few amenities, as this is a self-catering property, so if a social atmosphere is important, travelers would likely prefer a hotel in the Mambo Beach area, such as Lions Dive or Sunscape.

The Maya Beach Luxury Apartments are located on a bay on the southwest side of the small island of Curacao, in an area known as the Spanish Water. The Spanish Water is a quiet harbor popular with boat-owners and water sports aficionados. Away from town, it is less populated and there are only a few hotels in the area.

The waterfront property of the Maya Apartments is in a suburban neighborhood on a small hill. It’s a rather isolated area, not walking distance to any dining or shopping. It’s a 20-minute walk from the property to the nearest restaurant. Guests will need a rental car to get around the area. With access to a car, there’s plenty to do close by, including a lovely beach, activities, and restaurants at Jan Thiel, about a five-minute drive away. The Maya Apartments are a 15-minute drive from Punda, the tourist-friendly downtown area of Willemstad. It’s a 25-minute drive to the airport.

The modern apartments have large picture windows facing out to the water, with sliding doors that open up completely, allowing the entire front wall of the apartment to be open to the outdoors. When open, it creates a spacious indoor-outdoor living and dining room. The outside portion consists of a large deck or patio with nice seating and a lounge chair. All of the apartments have great views of the harbor.

The furniture is smart and contemporary, featuring clean lines and neutral colors. Light and dark woods and beige walls mix with natural wood accessories. The sleek, stainless steel and granite kitchens have fridges, ovens, dishwashers, glass stovetops, coffee pots, and espresso machines; they're also fully stocked with dishes and cookware. The living rooms are equipped with flat-screen TVs and iPod stereos.

Every apartment has the same layout, with two bedrooms with king beds, two full baths, and washers and dryers. In the bedrooms, neutral colors such as deep browns are punctuated by bright artwork. Each room has bedside reading lights and ample closet space. The small but modern bathrooms have walk-in showers. 

The buildings are centered around a very nice medium-size pool in the center of the property. The pool faces right out onto the sea and has several shaded areas and lounge chairs. The beach at the La Maya Beach, despite being in the property name, is not a particularly notable one. It’s a small, man-made strip of sand facing out onto the harbor. With an ample supply of umbrellas and lounge chairs this private beach provides a very tranquil atmosphere.  There are several boats parked close by however, being that the complex is on an interior harbor, and the water is a bit muddy and not the best for swimming.

There is free Wi-Fi available in the apartments and around the property, as well as a washer and dryer in each for laundry. The owners of the hotel can stock the fridge, arrange for grocery shopping, car rentals, and other excursions, but generally this property is self-catering and guests tend to do things on their own. There is no restaurant, bar, spa or fitness room on the property, but there is ample parking at the hotel, and plenty to do within a short drive.