The St. Regis Aruba Resort

"Don't risk booking with St. Regis Aruba or through Trip.com. On July 30th, we arrived at the hotel after a 9-hour journey. Our reservation was paid for and confirmed, both by email and on the Trip.com app. Upon check-in, the receptionist informed us that the reservation had been canceled because the rate supposedly applied only to Aruba residents. The only explanation given was that Trip.com had sent us an email with the cancellation. Upon checking, we saw it was sent on July 30th, while we were on our flight, but the reservation still showed as active in the app. When I made the reservation, I entered my name, country of residence, and phone number with Chile's country code. If the rate was exclusively for local residents, how was it possible for the system to confirm and charge for the reservation? That error was not mine. The most unbelievable part was the attitude of both the hotel and Trip.com. Neither took responsibility nor offered a solution. They simply canceled the reservation and told us the payment would be refunded within 2 to 14 days. We're talking about over US$1,000. What if I hadn't had the money to pay for another hotel at that moment? They would have literally left us without accommodation upon arriving in Aruba. We ultimately had to book another hotel and, of course, pay a much higher rate. Mistakes can happen, but the difference lies in how a company responds. For this reason, and to avoid starting your trip on a bad note, I suggest not booking at St. Regis Aruba or through Trip.com. It goes without saying that 4 days have passed and I still haven't received any news about the refund to my card."

Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort

The Westerly at Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort

Marriott's Aruba Surf Club

"I read so many reviews before going and I honestly thought, these cannot be true. Well, they are for the most part. So buyer beware. This is a resort for time share owners, and you forget that when you see "Marriott", a name we believe in. The pools are too small for the amount of guests. The hotel in most places is completely dated. Lots of paint needs, missing tiles, rust in areas, just not appealing. The elevators in the lighthouse were in repair making it painful for us every day to get to our rooms or back down. The room was nice, we had a 2BR suite which was an adjoining room. We had a washer and dryer which we always appreciate. Views were great too as it was ocean view. We ate off resort for everything dinner and picked up food for the room for breakfast and lunch at the grocery store on the way. Parking was limited btw, and had to circle for a while at times which made you wonder what happens to the last one back from dinner? Be careful of the wind when opening your car doors, it will practically rip the door off. They have a lazy river but you need a float to use it. Search for free left over ones just outside the pool or down by the adult pool gate exit. Do not forget your sunscreen, it's highway robbery here... so stop at the grocery store if nothing else. I believe we paid like $60-$70 per bottle! Marriott, you should do better! Some of the staff monitor your chair tags like stalking prey, and take your tags if you're not down there. Here's the issue. People line up at 6 am to claim chairs. There is no way you're hanging out at 6 just to keep a chair. So, we took our chances, picked inconspicuous chairs, and got down there by 9 am to use them. In high season, it's insane how many chairs are tagged by 9 and no place to sit in the shade which is a problem in Aruba sun. Again, grounds are too small for the 700 rooms that appear booked non stop in season. Checking in was easy enough. We purchased the bracelets to make it easy for our stay for room access. The pool service didn't exist, even when I complained to the manager, it didn't improve. I was disappointed overall with our stay so I reached out to him directly. He actually met with me in person. Nothing came of it, and he didn't offer any type of concession given our experience, but he was a gentleman and I enjoyed talking with him nonetheless. So if you enjoy sitting poolside or beachside, don't expect to remain in your seat, you will have to make the effort each time to get something, completely spoiling the experience for us. The beach is very nice, and the water very swimmable. There are restaurants within walking distance as well. The lunch at the restaurant is fine but dinner was like fast food takeout from the looks of it, so unless you have toddlers, you may want to have an alternative plan. Plenty of great restaurants in Aruba, but you'll have to take a taxi or drive to most. I wouldn't recommend staying here unless you get really great deal, like great deal, then "