|
|
Holiday Inn Aruba Beach Resort Trip Report
Trip Report January 15 - 22, 2000
Sent in by: Judy
Without going into any detail, we flew to Toronto on
Friday, Jan. 7th on Canadian Airlines. Just as we touched ground and came to a full stop,
the pilot informed us we had no steering and were stranded on the runway. We sat there for
an hour until buses came to load us up.
We flew out on Canada 3000 on Saturday, Jan. 8th at 6:30 a.m. I don't mind getting up at
3:00 a.m. to head out on vacation. The flight was on time and we landed in Aruba at 12
Noon their time (11:00 a.m. Toronto time). It was a nice, smooth flight.
The first portion of our trip was a cruise out of Aruba on the MS Sunbird. I won't go in
to much detail about the cruise because this is a BB on aruba. We sailed from Aruba at
8:00 p.m. that night and experienced rough seas and high winds for the next 3 days.
Needless to say, I was violently sick, as well as many others, until I got that wonderful
shot from the doctor.
We arrived back in Aruba the following Saturday. Our bus left the ship terminal at 12 Noon
and we arrived at the Holiday Inn around 12:30. We had to make a few stops along the way.
We were able to check in immediately because of some wise advice given to me by a fellow
poster. Get a Priority Club Membership. We were aware before hand that we wouldn't be able
to get into our room until 3:00 p.m. and that was okay because we were able to utilize the
hotel facilities right away. We were in the Aruba tower, as I had emailed the HI
previously and asked not to be put in the Curacao Tower. Our fellow travelers on the same
tour were in the Curacao Tower and the elevator broke down once!
When our room was ready, our bags were already in there. We were very pleased with the
room. It was clean, spacious and had an ocean view. It was nice having an in-room safe.
Our room was cleaned twice a day. We always had clean towels and when we left the room, it
was cleaned when we got back.
We went AI and were really glad we did. The drinks were great – with a wide
assortment. The food was excellent. We ate 6 nights at the Miramar. The menu had at least
5 pasta dishes, 2 chicken dishes, pork chops, lamb, and steak. Excellent service –
excellent food! Try the Calypso coffee at the end of your meal. It was delicious! The
Seabreeze Grill was great for lunch. We ate there everyday and never got bored with the
food. The burgs were excellent.
Chicken breast sandwiches really tasty, and a nice assortment of salads. Don't miss Scoops
for ice cream.
Breakfast was at the Boardwalk Café. Omlettes and eggs and made fresh – as you like
them. Again – the food was excellent and so was the service. We never felt we were
getting less service because of our AI bracelet.
We went on the DePalm ˝ day Jeep Tour and visited the Natural Bridge, the Gold Mine,
Blackstone Beach and a Donkey Sanctuary. I wish I had of read the description more
carefully because none of us liked the trip at all. We didn't want a full-day because we
already had the beautiful beach at the HI so why pay for something you already have!
We never had problems getting shade. Even at 11:00 a.m. in the morning, we were able to
get a hut, although it was closer to the Curacao Tower. No problem! That made us closer to
the bar and food!!
We took the public bus into town twice. It really is the only way to go! For $2.00 round
trip you can't beat the price.
That's about it for now. If you have any specific questions, e-mail me and I would be glad to answer
them. Would I go back to the HI AI – in a heartbeat.
|
