Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino — Hotel Review Rating: 4.0 Pearls

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Oyster Hotel Review

Reporter: Dipayan G.
Updated: August 24, 2009

 Scene

From South Americans joking into their sparkling new Blackbery Bolds to Americans pushing strollers in the lobby -- the social scene is very quiet for the most part. During my stay, the Hyatt had two main types of guests: families with small children and gamblers.

The Alfresco Lobby Bar is a lively exception to the resort's laid-back atmosphere. At night, large crowds drank "Mario's Special" (the bartender, Mario, lent his name to the tonic) before heading to the restaurant concourse to dine.

The open-air lobby, replete with seating options galore, was beautifully lit at night. Although the building's face was significantly obscured by palm trees, the red-on-white stucco structure was also a sight to behold in the dark. The yellow windows glowed through the building's lit purple facade, a picturesque contrast interrupted only by the constant flow of taxis and cars through the main driveway. A few guests (guilty!) tried their hand at the lower lobby piano. A Christmas tree -- I stayed at the Hyatt in early December -- stood by the piano, and Christmas garlands lined the stairs leading back to the main floor.

My tiny balcony looked on to the outdoor seating of Ruinas del Mar and the rippling lake alongside it. In the morning, a crowd gathered to watch a black swan gliding on the lake. The view also included a peak of the three-tier pool.

The exposed-brick stairs and wall around the restaurant concourse call to mind a medieval castle. The crown of red flowers atop the wall typifies the keen landscaping around the hotel walkways and the pool.

Elevators are key-activated. Though slightly tedious, having to swipe made me feel more secure. The elevators are made of stained-dark wood and have generous ceilings. They are the fanciest I rode in all of Aruba.

 Service

I drove through pouring rain to the Hyatt's sheltered main entrance, where a porter took my bags right from the cab and to the bell stand. He gave me a smile and bag claim tickets, and an assurance that the luggage would be brought to the room.

Although I had arrived early, Anna Mary at the front desk found a room that was ready. Three minutes after I reached room 339, a porter arrived with my bags.

I spoke with two concierges. One patiently answered my detailed questions about island geography and local cuisine. The other smilingly listed the restaurant options in the hotel and surrounding area.

All the employees are friendly and willing to chat. The bellman spoke to me at length about relationships (good thing), global climate change (bad thing), and how the equator may or may not be an actual belt that stretches around the earth (mysterious thing).

My waiter at Café Japengo ably recommended good sushi and various desserts. Better, he was able to explain the restaurant's complicated ordering system, whereby I had to tally everything I wanted on a single, restaurant-issued slip of paper.

 Location

The airport is about 30 minutes from the resort (depending on traffic), a $30 cab ride. The hotel's main entrance is just seconds off Aruba's main road, the thruway that leads to directly to downtown Oranjestad, 15 minutes away.

The High-Rise shopping complex is directly across the street. The High-Rise has many restaurants, including the fabulous Hostaria da Vittoria, and also a number of nightlife haunts, such as a movie theater and a samba club misleadingly named Mr. Jazz.

The location feels very safe. Between foot traffic from the High-Rise and tourists from a number of neighboring hotels -- the Holiday Inn SunSpree, Occidental, and Radisson, among others -- the area is well populated at night. For added security, hotel personnel frequent the street outside the hotel.

 Beach

The beach is just feet from the main lobby. Kids, armed with pails and shovels, scampered away from their parents at the first sight of the fine white sand.

The water was a beautiful translucent blue, but strong waves came every few minutes. The current was strong enough to chase some smaller children from the water.

Plastic lounge chairs, available all over the beach, are set in full recline underneath the hotel's numerous thatched cabanas.

The Kadushi Juice Bar, serving nectar with names like "Mango Madness," stands at the entrance to the beach. Drinks are pricy ($6.50!), but with drink service on the beach as slow as it was, lining up for fruit juice wasn't a bad option.

Delphi Watersports and Rodney Water Sport (not affiliated with the hotel) competed for business -- Rodney's sales pitch involved smoking a particular banned herb before parasailing, tubing, or snorkeling. I questioned the method's effectiveness, but not its creativity.

 Rooms

Rooms are generally large. Mine came with an inviting white king-size bed and a daybed in the corner. My lone complaint was the miniscule balcony, which barely extended two feet and wasn't large enough for seats.

The room felt modern and well maintained, with fogged-glass light fixtures and wicker furniture. With an Internet port right next to the desk, it did wonders for my work (and stress levels).

Each room comes with a black iHome iPod dock and a 32-inch Samsung flat-panel television. Initially, my iHome didn't work. A hotel worker, however, replaced it twice (the first replacement didn't work, either) but he eventually found one that did.

The bathroom, immaculate and spacious, had a rainfall showerhead and Portico Spa toiletries. When I positioned the fogged glass door just so, I could hear the iHome while I showered. The granite vanity top in the bathroom surrounded the modern silver faucet. The shower had excellent water pressure, although some water leaked from the glass shower door, which I could never manage to close the whole way.

Rooms are non-smoking. Smoking in the room, according to a notice posted next to the iHome, carries a $250 penalty.

The minibar held Heineken, Corona, Budweiser, Bud Light, mini liquor bottles, sodas, and fruit juices. Two one-liter Aquafina water bottles were waiting for me in the room, and each carried (literally) a $6 price tag.

My partial ocean view room on the third floor had a decent view of the hotel's outdoor walking paths and a partial ocean overlook.

 Features

The hotel's tri-level, three-tiered pool consists of three separate pools scaling three floors (each, directly next to one another). Guests can get to each of the different pools using a set of stairs, though kids preferred using the waterslide. On the ground-level pool, there's the swim-up Balashi Bar & Grill. Each level is large enough as a stand-alone swimming hole, but together the whole structure nearly reached the border between the Hyatt and the beach.

A 24-hour fitness center includes a spa that closes at 7 p.m. I caught a TBS broadcast of "Anchorman" on the treadmill (note to self: Uproarious laughter may cause serious injury in the gym). I stymied my sweat with a couple of embroidered "Stay Fit At Hyatt" towels, stacked in a basket away from the machines.

The hotel's two meeting rooms, the "Kinikini" and "Prikichi," were closed to the public for a wedding.

 Kids

Camp Hyatt, an appointment-only day care center, had just one pint-size client when I visited. The vast, nicely air-conditioned single room has a modest collection of toys and drawing easels, as well as an all-important television.

 Casino

The casino, about 75 feet from the front desk in the main lobby, opens at noon and closes at 4 a.m. It was consistently packed, and had more "career" gamblers than casinos at the Riu Palace Aruba, Divi Aruba Beach Resort, and other resorts. A few individuals sat for hours in front of a single slot machine, chain smoking and cursing, but never moving.

 Cleanliness

Besides the noticeable (yet inconsequential) stains on the daybed and non-working desk lamp, all was tidy. In the bathroom, neither the mirrors nor the transparent shower walls bore mildew or streaks. The silver fixtures and granite vanity top were similarly spotless.

Maid carts patrolled the halls from late morning until evening. The pool area was free of garbage and other debris. The white lobby floor, traversed by incoming guests and flip-flopped beach-goers, shone like new.

 Food

The hotel offers a number of specialty dining options. For the late-night gambler (or baby-cradler), room service is available 24 hours.

Footprints Beach Grill, a spot for oceanfront dining, sets up shop after dark. Guests can arrange for "Sunset Service," a multi-course meal in view of the sunset (private butler included). "Dinner Sail" serves up fine dining on the high seas on Thursdays from 6-9 p.m.

I got pizza at Café Piccolo, an Italian restaurant, and ate a sushi dinner at Café Japengo, a Japanese eatery. The two restaurants sit on either side of Ruinas del Mar, and share a common alfresco patio. A group of waiters serenaded a couple with "Happy Birthday" at Ruinas del Mar while I feasted on cheesecake brûlée at Japengo.

The High-Rise complex across the street has a number of restaurants, including the excellent Hostaria da Vittoria.

 Bottom Line

Gorgeous pools, a reliable kids club, and a soft-sand beach in a modern hotel near the High-Rise shopping/dining/drinking complex -- the Hyatt is virtually flawless but lacks local charm. Rooms are clean and modern, and have flat-screen TVs, excellent beds, and iPod docks -- they're among the best in Aruba, excusing the tiny balconies.