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Wyndham Beach Resort - Trip Report
Travel dates not disclosed
Sent in by: Bob Rubscha
RESTAURANTS
Madame Janette's: We had read on the internet that if you can choose only
one place to eat while visiting Aruba, eat at Madame Janette's. We
definitely agree! The food, the service, and the ambiance CANNOT be beat.
They do not advertise because they do not need to. Madame Janette's is near
the high rise hotels, but you will need a car or a taxi to get to it. It's
well worth the trip! Extensive menu.
Boonoonoonos:
Great food and great service can be found at this Oranjestad restaurant, which features
Caribbean cuisine. There were so many tempting items on the menu that it was hard to
choose. The Jamaican Jerk Ribs were the hottest thing we ever tasted, but great!
El Gaucho:
Beef from Argentina; the rest (salad, bread, etc.) was so-so. A
very crowded and noisy Oranjestad restaurant. Even with a reservation,
you'll still probably have to wait in their lounge across the street, which
reeked of cigar smoke. However, if you like beef, it's worth the trip. The
"sampler", which features five different kinds of beef, was excellent.
Pago-Pago's: Polynesian food; located in the Wyndham Beach Resort and
Casino in the high-rise hotel area. Very good but also very expensive.
Plan on dropping some bucks for a dinner here.
Le Petit: Don't bother. There are two locations, one in Oranjestad and one
at La Playa Linda (high rise hotel area). We ate at the La Playa Linda
location. The concept is entertaining (your food cooks on a hot lava stone), but
truthfully it keeps on cooking so you need to somehow remove it to the side if you don't
want your food burned or dried out. My shrimp arrived black, so when I pointed it out,
they did replace them with larger shrimp. The food was ok, but not something to write home
about. The service was among the worst we have ever encountered anywhere. The waiter was
distracted when opening our bottle of wine (he seemed to think another waiter was stealing
one of his tables), and never once did he come back to ask how our food was. When it was
apparent we were done, he appeared at the table and rudely asked, "Are you
done?" This was a very disappointing experience, especially considering that my wife
was wearing a $200 dress and we were treated like trash. A couple sitting next to us
actually left after their appetizer and cancelled their dinner because the service was so
poor. At least this place did not include a 15% service charge like many do.
HOTELS
We stayed at the Wyndham Beach Resort and Casino in the high-rise hotel area and would
stay there again. Their beach is definitely the nicest among the high-rise hotels. When
making your reservation, request a view of the
pool-side and closest room to the ocean as you can. We were on the 8th floor which was
considered a superior room. Rooms on lower floors would have views blocked by the trees.
(rooms actually start on the 4th floor) That way you'll see the pool, the Caribbean, and
also Oranjestad. The staff was very nice and helpful. There are about 40 huts on the beach
to protect you from the sun. You have to reserve one to use one. The reservations are made
at the beach starting at 8:00 AM every day. People start forming a line around
7:30. You have to occupy it by 11:00 or lose it then it's yours for the day.The pool is
great also and attendants will mist you if you want and hand out fruit skewers in the
afternoon. Music bands start playing every day about 4:30 between the beach and pool
(right next to the outdoor bar). They were pretty good too. Happy hour starts at 5:00 with
drinks at $2.50.
The Hyatt had gorgeous grounds, but the views of the Caribbean or Oranjestad could not
have been that good for most of the rooms. The Radisson had nice grounds, but the beach
was not to our liking. Lounges were packed together "stadium style". It seemed
as if they tried to squeeze as many people as possible into a small area. Some people who
stayed at the Marriott (we never got there) for a few days actually left there to stay at
the Wyndham.
The Sonesta
is in downtown Oranjestad. Oranjestad is the harbor for the
island. If you are considering staying here, ask about how and when they
take you to their private beach (they don't have a beach you can walk to).
The Divi Divi and Tamarijn did not look appealing from the road, which
divides the two, but you can share the facilities at both resorts. I guess I
have a problem about crossing highways to get to the beach too.
If you can afford to stay in one of the high-rise hotels, stay there.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
You can take a bus tour, but you can also rent a jeep or a car (a one-day
rental is plenty) and see the sights yourself. They are easy enough to find,
and at times all you have to do is follow a DePalm tour bus to arrive at a
tourist location or use a map. We rented a car for one day, and wished we
would have rented an air-conditioned jeep with a top. If we had the jeep, we could have
gone more off-road. We spoke with some people who took the jeep tour (a caravan of jeeps
who hit all the tourist spots), and they said it wasn't fun. Some of the jeeps kept
breaking down. All of the jeeps had no tops, so you were constantly exposed to the sun,
dust and exhaust.
Don't bother going to Charlie's Bar in San Nicholas unless you want to be
constantly harassed by homeless people. The bar itself was old, small, and
smelly (the oil refineries are nearby), and was nothing special. It was just totally
cluttered with artifacts and pictures. We were solicited for money both going into the bar
and leaving the bar, and it was not a pleasant experience.
Baby Beach
in San Nicholas is worth visiting. It is very pretty, and you can snorkle here. You can
also see Venezuela from here.
The California Lighthouse was ok. The nearby golfcourse had gorgeous homes. The Natural Bridge
was small. The Alto
Vista chapel had a calming effect on my wife, except for the stray dogs who
were looking for handouts.
OTHER
All of the high-rise hotels are within easy distance of Oranjestad without a car. Buses
run every half hour from morning to 7 p.m., and then every hour
from 7 p.m. to 12 Midnight. You can get a round-trip pass for $2.00; however, the bus
driver will not accept anything larger than a $5.00 bill. Since we had a small
refrigerator in our room, we took the bus to the supermarket and bought beer, pop, snacks,
cheese, crackers, bread, luncheon meat, and fruit. We saved a ton of money this way by
only having to eat out for dinner. I also brought a small insulated cooler from home
(lunch type that folds up to fit in your suitcase) to take beverages to the beach. $4.50
for a 10 ounce beer adds up. When we were in Aruba, 1.75 Aruban florians were equal to one
US dollar. American money though is used through out the island.
The stores in Oranjestad close by 6 p.m. Most also close from 11:30 a.m. to
1 p.m. for lunch. We spent an afternoon shopping (arrived in Orangestad about 3 p.m.) and
that was enough time. There are plenty of jewelry stores,
but no bargains at them. You might find a few bargains at the local crafter's outdoor
market.
Many of the hotels have casinos, but as we were told, go the Crystal Casino
because it's where the locals go. We did have better "luck" at this casino.
Bob Rubscha
716-231-5093
8-221-5093
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