La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino

The sweet smell of Cinnabon’s cinnamon rolls hit your nose as soon as you walk through La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino's revolving entry door. The lobby is large and upscale with tile floors, high second-floor ceilings, turquoise mosaics, and chic but comfy furnishings. Most the hotel’s interiors match this decor and vibe, but the exterior (still scheduled to be renovated during the time of our visit) feels a bit dated and motel-like with cream stucco walls and red, Spanish-style tile roofs. Interior hallways also feel dated and a bit clinical. While most of the hotel is non-smoking, the casino and out by the pool bar happily welcome smokers. 

Maybe it’s because over 90 percent of the rooms are owned time-share properties, but everyone at La Cabana is social and seems to feel at home. There are facilities for kids, but most of the guests appear to be retired couples, although a few younger singles and families are thrown in the mix. If you are out to make new friends, head to the Pata Pata Bar during the late afternoon happy hour. It seems that the entire resort gathers there to listen to the live music and grab their two-for-one drinks, although the scene dies down around dinner time and picks up in the casino for high (or low) stakes dessert.  

Neighboring Amsterdam Manor, La Cabana is located across from Eagle Beach on the northern edge of the island's Low Rise hotel area. This prime spot off J.E. Irausquin Boulevard is walking distance to restaurants, other hotels, and local supermarket, Superfoods. Nearby restaurants include the Suisse Chalet, Passions on the Beach, and even Taco Bell. The High Rise zone and Palm Beach are about a five-minute drive north, while Queen Beatrix International Airport is around 15 minutes south. 

La Cabana's 449 rooms are spacious and have separate kitchen areas. Beds could be a little more comfortable and the down pillows deflate easily, but this may not bother everyone. Room renovations included updates to all fabrics -- specifically the bedding, sofas, and curtains; Studio Murphy beds were replaced with regular king-sized beds; and some furniture was revamped. Rooms start as studios, which include an open floor plan with three distinct spaces: kitchen, bedroom, living area. Even in the studios, kitchens are impressively equipped with a microwave convection oven, gas stove top, CuisineArt coffeemakers and Starbucks coffee, pots, pans, dishes, and all the utensils you need to make a home-cooked meal. The one-bedroom units are roughly the same size as a studio but have a walled-off bedroom for added privacy. Moving up to a two-bedroom gets you a full-sized kitchen, dining table, and large terrace with entrance from the living room and master bedroom. Bedrooms, one with a king bed and one with two doubles, each have their own bathrooms, and kitchens have ovens, double-door refrigerators, and lots of counter space. Two-Bedroom Deluxe units have laundry machines in the units and extra storage space as well. All rooms have up-to-date appliances, granite countertops, cabinets made of local wood, and local Aruban artists' work hanging on the walls. As a bonus: kitchens have both in-sink garbage disposals and mini-dishwashers (detergent included). 

Glitz Casino is located just off the lobby and is a mini version of a Vegas-style casino with a handful of table games, tons of slots, and a sports betting bar where themed nights like karaoke take place on special evenings. If you’re gambling you can get free well, local, and soft drinks.

Poolside Pata Pata Bar serves up beers, cocktails, and frozen coladas and daiquiris. During the early evening, this spot becomes packed and it’s not uncommon to see people socializing or dancing while sipping on drink specials and listening to live music. There’s also a small bar hut down at the beach if you can’t peel away from your palapa. Surprisingly, there's also a lot of action in the resort's large health center. The space is large enough to pass for a small commercial gym, and guests can relax in the sauna, lift weights, play racquetball, participate in exercise classes, or lift free weights. If you prefer to relax and pamper your muscles, the Citro Spa & Salon can be found between the pool and beach. This small and bright space is decorated with a hip, citrus theme and features a dedicated salon area for hairstyling and manicures and rooms for facials or massages. 

Other notable features include an arcade game room with vintage hits like Ms. Pac-Man and Mortal Kombat, a kids' club activity center, and cute standalone chapel with stained glass windows. Guest laundry is available on every floor with some of the cheapest prices for washers, dryers, and detergent on the island. Free Wi-Fi caps out at 2 megabytes per stay, but you can always purchase more bandwidth or head to the business center.

La Cabana has two a la carte restaurants on-site, but only The Islander Grille is open for all three meals. Screened in on three sides and decked out with Caribbean style wicker furniture and high ceilings, the vibe is super casual and somewhat reminiscent of a summer camp mess hall. Lining the pedestrian walk and facing the beach, the slightly more upscale Las Ramblas Tapas and Charcoal Grille is completely outdoors and serves an international selection of dishes with fresh hotel-grown herbs. It’s the ideal spot to literally get on deck for an outdoor romantic dinner with a side of the Eagle Beach sunset.  

If you just want a quick bite or some comfort food, La Cabana has a Carvel Ice Cream Shop, Cinnabon, and Sbarro pizza on-site for easy snacking.

You won't have to worry about finding a pool lounger at La Cabana -- they are everywhere. The white strappy sun loungers are littered across a large pool deck that wraps around the entire non-traditionally shaped pool. Akin to a swimming hole, the pool, which warps into different sections, seems larger than it is, and it’s got almost everyone covered. There’s a section for water volleyball, waist-high waders, a waterfall, and even a short waterslide and funky section of “rocks” with water rushing over them. Large faux-rocks give it a nice natural springs feel.

A separate and shallow kids' pool and hot tub are near the Pata Pata Bar area, while an adults hot tub is just outside of shouting distance.

La Cabana is located across the road from Eagle Beach with a pedestrian zebra crossing right off the property. One of Aruba’s most beautiful and popular beaches, Eagle Beach’s sand is fine, soft, and white. The water is fairly calm and receives a lot of action from Jet Ski riders, swimmer, and sailboats off in the distance. Like the pool area, there is no want for loungers. They are stacked high and scattered around, rather chaotically towards the end of the day, and there are numerous palapas – complete with built-in drink holders – that you can drag a lounger under for some shade. The beach entrance is lined with shady trees and is where you will find Oasis Beach Bar, a water fountain, and public phone. Further towards the water, there is a water sports hut. Unlike some nearby spots on Eagle Beach, this particular area has a wide band of sand separating the lounger area and the waves.