Where should I stay in Aruba?

Question

- Close to nightlife, restaurants, shopping etc.
- Hotel recommendations would be helpful
- when not to go
- etc

Answer 1

i personally went to aruba and i stayed at the marriot hotel...beatiful view...two pools ( two different hotels...but you can swim in either pool ) , a private beach and they even put special aruban chocolates on your pillows every morning and night....aruba has very clean water too..down the beach are a few restaurants...(to the right) and one is on a pier...i suggest this hotel very much indeed...hope this helps with your decision...have fun in aruba .. ( tip : go snuba diving - yes snuba not scuba...much safer- and also go on the safari -full or half day- it takes you around the island in jeeps...meet new people and see the old underwater volcano and the lighthouse...also go to a museum to learn about the culture...one very good thing about the marriot hotel is that there is security on the private beach so that the arubans cant get in unless they stay there...aruba is one of the more wealthy places in the carribean so that probably wouldnt happen there either...o and if you plan on shopping...go downtown..if you see something you like but its "too pricy" such as 8 dollars for a bracelet...just say no thats too much..theyll lower the prices until you are satisfied...usually..but try it anyways ... i was going to buy five bracelets for 18 dollars but i said it was too much so i said no and they lowered it to 6 dollars for 5 bracelets ... have a great trip! )

Answer 2

Depending on when your leaving and if you like EP plans ( European plan ) or AI ( All inclusive ) The RIU chain is opening the New RIU Palace but it's not ready till July and some say November 2007, but I would recommend The Hyatt ..they upgraded me free to a partial OV and no additional charge ..the beach was the best in front of the hyatt...if you are looking for an upscale hotel the hyatt or the raddison is the way to go...Holiday INN was old looking ......I would recommend renting a car ( i rented a jeep from "more 4 less" $375 for 8 days ) and got to go to the other side of the island.....Natual bridge and alto vista were very nice.....We went to baby beach not much to see there and we had to drive through St nicholaas ( worse part of the island )....Poverty.....had a great time driving on the beach and through the national park ( hilly) only really saw goats in the park not much else but a good way to spend time other then beach.......as far as eating we had great meal at BINGO...best of the trip.....the italian rest across from the hyatt was Good not great....Had an excellent meal and view and the flying fish bone...great for a sunset dinner.......romantic.....plenty of inexpensive places to eat if you are on a budget ( KFC, WENDY"S< MCD) if you have kids can walk the few blocks if need be.....Remmeber one thing ... most hotels bill you get (even for a soda) will include the tip ...dont make the mistake most do and forget and tip on top of it ( most learn very quickly after the first few. BIG HINT if you snorkel Bring food the fish will come to you....

If you cant decide join a forum on http://www.tripadvisor.com they have wonderful people on there who have questions, and wonderful tips on other hotels.

Answer 3

I recommend the Mariott or the Radisson. We stayed at the Mariott and it was very nice, great room and great service. There are two Radisson hotels, one in town and the other outside town near the other hotels. The intown Radisson has its own private island beach for its guests. When we booked the Mariott was offering a special, stay 5 nights and get the 5th night free. We booked tha package that included a buffet breakfast but not other meals. There are plenty of restaurants around that you can walk to. You don't need a car either as there's not really much to drive to see (take a 1/2 day tour of the island and that's all you'll need). We took the public bus to town and back, its easy to do. Web links are below.

Answer 4

Have been to Aruba 2x before & going again this Sept. Weather is always beautiful. Safe island. Cons - $$ taxi fare getting around the island.

Marriott is very nice.

do Not stay at the Divi All-inclusive, especially if you like quality of your food vs. quantity. Enough said.

Staying at Bucuti Beach Resort this year..supposed to be A++++

Answer 5

I've been there and the only place I would stay is the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. It's a very nice hotel, has great resturants as well as a casino. It's centrally located to everything.

Answer 6

When i last went to aruba last summer they were renovating the marriott. they were building 2 new huge buildings and the week we were down there they opened their new pool. it was really awesome. i would reccomend any high-rise hotel except the holiday inn. also make sure you go snorkeling. about 300 ft off the beach of the aruba resort spa & casino is an island you can walk out to. its passed the swimming rope boundaries but it is filled with life and its awesome

Answer 7

Looks like you've got a lot of good answers about hotel accommodations so far. For location and price, I like the La Quinta (low rise hotel). There's never a bad time to go but...late Oct. thru early Feb. if it rains, it can rain a lot...the streets flood and ruins any chance to hit the beach.

Answer 8

contact me.. been there several times, have a better answer for you... need to know approx ages traveling etc

Answer 9

BEST SITE EVER: tripadvisor.com ..........they have locals and people who've been there a ton of times who thoroughly answer every question you have, along w/ giving u incredibly good advice and tips.... i love it. trust me its awesome.