Habitat Curacao?

[muzicgirl]

Hhi All- I have heard whispers recently of some down turn of the quality of Habitat Curacao. We have reservations there for september and was wondering if anyone has recent experience with Habitat either good or bad...it's not too late for us to change our reservation!

 

[Just another Cinderella]

My mother used to say, "don't say anything unless you can say something nice".
If I had unlimited resources I would buy Habitat because it could be a really special dive resort.
[Any body out there with lots of cash call me.]
I live within walking distance of Habitat but I wouldn't write anything here that I haven't already said in public!
If you are looking for a five star resort with all the amenities find someplace else. If you are looking for a good dive vacation this can be the place. Efforts have been made recently to improve the hotel, but more is needed. The rooms are reasonably clean. There can be seasonal bug problems but that is true in my house as well. The pool area needs a complete makeover as does the dock [missing] and locker area. The restaurant is basic at best but pretty standard for the area.
All the DMs are friends and I think will give you a great diving experience. The house reef is never tiresome and I have been on it for over 100 dives. The dive boats are somewhat rundown but again do the job. This is a nice end of the island and Habitat has access to many great sites.
If you do not have a dive package take advantage of the whole island. Rent a car and spend a day at Porto Marie [right around the corner] and go up to the West End to Ocean Encounters West. Sept. may be fairly calm so a dive trip with Lions Dive to Klein Curacao and the East End
will round out your dive experience. You can spend a day with the Dive bus. Also make a deco stop in Punda.
So there is lots to do where the hotel is not the center of your stay and you will get in a lot of great diving.

 

[Damselfish]

as does the dock [missing]

missing? which dock?

 

[muzicgirl]

It just seems like a lot there is in disrepair...it will be our 4th trip to curacao so hard core dive resort is one thing...disrepairi s another

 

[smokey braden]

muzicgirl,
have you considered sunset waters?

 

[devilfish]

I agree with smbcuracao 100%. Habitat is a great place. Friendly knowledgeable well trained staff, good boats, best reefs on the island are just a short boat ride away. The house reef is just a short swim from the dock is as good of a dive as any reef for the novice and advanced diver. Over the years I dove the house reef 100’s of times and never get bored. Night diving on the house reef is a no brainer especially for beginning divers. There is a rope running from the dock to the reef down to 100 feet. Follow the rope to the reef and dive on one side of the rope or the other and never get lost. Just come back to the rope and follow it back to the dock. Habitat is a true 24 hour freedom diving. Just grab a tank and dive any time of the day or night. Don’t change your plans, go to Habitat.

 

[Just another Cinderella]

I think Sunset Waters has similar problems.
The Hotels at the West end just aren't as spiffy as the Punda side. [Kura Hullanda may be the exception]. I like the variety of diving at this end and I prefer the quiet as well as the easy access. That said you already know the island and the great diving, East or West, so choose your comfort level.
When I dive with the Easy Divers [Habitat] boat and talk to the people staying in the hotel most seem pretty happy with their vacation.

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

I totally agree about Habitat, it has so much potential in the right hands. We stayed there last June and had a fine trip but there was definitely room for improvement. We had a room behind the restaurant which actually was really clean, no bathroom problems and had a great view of the water. The restaurant definitely could use some improvement. It was just blah, nothing spectacular and a couple things that you don't order twice (do not order the bitterballen dutch specialty). The wooden bridges around the pool need to be entirely replaced as does all the wood throughout the dive lockers, docks and tank/rinse areas some of which was very slippery, not very sturdy and had exposed nails. The dock that smbcuracao is referring to is the shorter second "dock" that had the stairs for shore dives which was destroyed by last years hurricane and may not have been replaced. I think they placed some temporary stairs there. The regular dock even before the hurricane is listing to one side, uneven and has some gaps. In my opinion they could really fix up the little beach area they have (even if it has some loose coral), get some nice lounge chairs...

I did appreciate the freshly painted red exterior to all the units, I thought it was a pretty color for the landscape. The overall landscaping on property could be a little more spruced up. I think we would still go back and stay there though. We personally liked the more remote location and the fact that your kind of in the middle of the island and it's cheaper. We thought the house reef was decent. Porto Marie (around the corner from Habitat) was a great beach and shore dive. I just really wish someone would buy that place and fix it up.

 

[diversteve]

I personally thought Sunset Waters looked a lot more tired than Habitat 2 years ago. Didn't stay at either place but dove all day at both. The diving to the west at SW was marginal at best. We liked Habitat's reef so much we went there twice.