The Aruban Resort and Casino — Hotel Review Rating: 3.0 Pearls

Oyster Review Summary

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Oyster undercover reporters photographed this hotel. See the hotel exactly the way we did when we stayed there. (View All Photos)

Oyster Hotel Review

Reporter: Dipayan G.
Updated: August 24, 2009

 Scene

Until very recently, the Aruban was part of La Cabana, the resort that looms directly across from the Aruban's parking lot. In fact, my bathtub was still emblazoned with "La Cabana" in bold, raised lettering. Despite being its own entity, the Aruban remains dominated by time-shares, just as it was under the La Cabana flag. While some guests use the resort as a standard hotel, most actually own their suites.

At the popular pools, you're apt to hear a lot of 1990s Latin music, including (put your hands up!) the "Macarena." The Latin music is appropriate since guests from Central and South America are the Aruban's key demo, while Americans and Europeans make up a small minority. A few kids were enjoying the waterslide, but most guests are retirees.

The resort is extremely quiet. Even in the lobby the only sounds came from the bellmen and the breeze. The small casino next door, dominated by slot machines, was mostly vacant during my stay. The Blue Marlin restaurant, attached to the casino, serves underwhelming fare like burgers and fried chicken.

Reading through a year's worth of TripAdvisor reviews, titles like "Don't Stay at the Aruban," "The Web Site Lies!" "Not What I Expected," and "What a DUMP!" headline the pages. Never a good sign.

 Service

Arvin, the bellman on duty for most of my stay, was a rare bright spot at the Aruban. Jovial and chatty, he did everything to make me feel at home. He took my bags when I first arrived, and called cabs when I needed them. He chauffeured me around the property in a golf cart so I could photograph everything more efficiently. Reviewers on TripAdvisor rarely have much to say about service at the resort, though a few others also credit the bellmen for giving good advice on where else to go (since there's not much going on at the property itself).

Front desk service was equally accommodating. Check-in was smooth, and the hotel gave me use of the phone and fax machine for business correspondence.

 Location

To get to Eagle Beach, I either had to walk for 10 minutes past La Cabana's property and cross a highway, or ride the tram that takes guests to and from the water. A few restaurants, including Le Petit Café, line the way, but it's mostly parking lots and palm trees.

While there is little to do in the hotel's immediate vicinity (save for the beach and gambling), the Aruban is a seven-minute, $10-$15 cab ride from downtown Oranjestad, five minutes from the High-Rise shopping complex, and about 15 minutes from the airport ($20-$25). The newly opened Morgan's Island water park is about a five-minute walk down the road.

Though there is an overpriced mini-mart on the property, the closest major supermarket is about a five-minute cab ride away.

 Beach

The resort has a limited number of thatched-roof palapas available to guests free of charge on the beach, though some TripAdvisor reviews grouse that guests need to show up by about 6 a.m. to claim one. There are no beach towels available at the beach itself, though the hotel passes them out to guests in the pool area. It makes for an awfully long 10-minute walk back to the resort if you forget to pick up a towel, though. The resort doesn't have any food facilities on the beach, but there are other restaurants nearby.

 Rooms

Since the Aruban is mostly devoted to time-shares, every guest-room is either a one-, two- or three-bedroom suite. All come equipped with kitchenettes that include refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, coffeemakers, and even blenders, making it easy for guests to cook their own food. All living room couches are also sleeper sofas. Given the Aruban's distance from the beach, none of its rooms have ocean views; the best you can hope for is a nice view of the pool.

I occupied a spacious one-bedroom on the third floor--it was in decent condition, but looked and felt outdated. Frayed threads whipped up off the bedspread, but even worse was the completely turquoise bathroom: sink, toilet, towels, tub, shower curtain, soap dish, and hand soap were colored a matching aquamarine. Meanwhile, the water pipes near the bed gurgled each time the family next door turned on their faucet.

The narrow balcony looked onto the fitness center's blue roof and across to the main pool and waterslide, but its decrepit doorknob was crusted with aged white paint, and it could barely fit its plastic table and chairs.

The living room and bedroom each had an old model 21-inch RCA TV with very few channels--the sets actually hissed with static on most stations. I paid $9.95 for 24 hours of Wi-Fi but reception was intermittent at best; I never had a steady connection for more than 20 minutes at a time.

After reading travel reviews, I realize I may have gotten off easy. Among the most oft-cited guest complaints are dirty linens, mildew stains (apparently guests are asked to keep the AC cranked to freezing to avoid humidity), filthy curtains, broken appliances, and those old, outdated bathrooms.

The hotel has begun renovating rooms (starting with the two-bedroom suites), with plans to update décor, TVs, and furniture. Management says the plan is to be finished by the end of 2009, though as of May 2009 recent guests reported construction moving "at a snail's pace."

 Features

Eagle Beach is separated from the resort by a large highway, so accordingly the hotel puts a lot of effort into its two free-form pools. The quieter adult pool has a shady grotto jutting off its end, while the kids' pool has a 150-foot waterslide and the swim-up Sunset Pool Bar & Grill. The only real poolside activity is water aerobics every day from 11 a.m.-noon. There is also a weekly BBQ with free food on Saturday nights.

The resort offers 24-hour Internet access in the lobby at $3.95/hour, though guests can also purchase Wi-Fi for use in their rooms. I spent $9.95 a day for slow access that frequently disconnected. In all the time I was there, the connection never lasted longer than 20 minutes. At least the weekly rate ($29.95) is on the cheaper side.

The fitness center is limited to guests 18 and older, and offers surprisingly state-of-the art cardio equipment, including ellipticals, treadmills, and stationary bikes, in addition to free weights and weight machines. The resort also has five lighted tennis courts.

There is currently a small casino, which offers staples like poker, blackjack and slot machines, as well as a sports book. Live bands also play at the casino occasionally, though the scene was near-dead when I visited. The resort is building a larger casino that should be livelier, though construction has apparently stalled.

 Family

The Aruban's suites can easily sleep four or more people, and its kitchens enable families to economize meals by buying their own food at a nearby supermarket. Kids definitely seem to love the 150-foot waterslide at the pool, and there is certainly very little action at night to keep kids awake.

On the other hand, a number of parents on TripAdvisor worried about their children getting sick from dirty rooms, mildewy curtains, and cranked up air conditioners. Others detested having to cross a four-lane highway with small children to get to the beach. In short, there are probably worse places to go with kids, but there are certainly betters ones too.

 Cleanliness

I found stains and specks of dirt all over the white tile floor, and a circular rust imprint taunted me by the bathroom's tissue dispenser. I encountered mosquitoes in the bedroom and living room, and found the crevices in the floor tiles to contain more than an acceptable amount of grime and dust. The TV screens had greasy smudges over the displays. The bathroom, in all its turquoise glory, smelled a little musty.

Beyond the particulars, the rooms just don't feel clean. The dull vanilla walls and old furniture look like they haven't been renovated in more than a decade.

 Food

The Aruban currently offers the pool bar and grill (limited snacks and fried options from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and the dinner restaurant, Blue Marlin, which is adjacent to the casino. By all accounts, the food is terrible. I surveyed guests, and they all seemed to agree. One fellow guest added, "The only way I'd ever go back is if I was drunk and starving." Even the bell staff admitted that virtually any other restaurant would be a better option.

The one saving grace is a Dunkin' Donuts located between the two pools in the courtyard. Of course, for an iced coffee and some donuts I could have just stayed in New York.

Not surprisingly, most guests at the Aruban choose to take advantage of their kitchenettes and cook their own food. The closest major supermarket, Superfoods, is about five minutes away by car.

The resort sporadically features happy hours and themed nights (i.e. "Taco Night" or "BBQ night") in the pool area. Guests say the food, while free, is generally mediocre.

 Bottom Line

A 362-suite property mainly composed of time-shares, the Aruban is minutes from shopping, downtown Oranjestad, and the Aruba International Airport. Even with stocked kitchenettes, the outdated rooms, 10-minute walk to the beach, and lack of reasonable, on-site dining options make the Aruban a less-than-ideal option.