My wife, 15 year old son, and
I recently vacationed at the Marriott Resort. The $18 taxi ride from the airport to the
hotel although expensive was fast and easy. The check-in process was very quick and
courteous and within an hour of our arrival to the airport we were in our room. The only
problem was that despite the wonderful ocean front view, the room had a deep musty smell.
The staff quickly moved us to another ocean front room. Although it had a very slight
musty odor we decided to stay because of the magnificent view. The room was very large,
well equipped, and had a huge balcony. The beds were comfortable as well as the chairs.
Everything was clean and in good condition. The bathroom was divided into a double sink
area with all the toiletries, hair dryer, and full-length mirror and a toilet and
tub/shower area. The bathtub was very large and deep. Overall, we were very happy with the
hotel.
The lobby and public areas were modern and pleasant. We walked into the Hyatt which had a
smaller open air lobby and were more impressed with the Marriott. The grounds at the
Marriott were expansive but not particularly lush when compared to the Hyatt or Raddison.
The pools were large and both had a
swim-up bar which was a lot of fun. The beach bar had great bands during happy hour. The
beach area was large and the fact that the hotel is the last one on Palm Beach made for a
less hectic atmosphere and more scenic view.
The food service was only fair
but we felt that way about most of the restaurants we ate on Aruba. I would not recommend
the Tuesday Island Buffet for $31 a person. The food and entertainment were mediocre.
Lunch, although with a limited menu, was tasty and pleasant at Waves, the beachside bar
and
restaurant. We had dinner at Simply Fish one night. The seafood was fresh and tasty but
the portions too small for the price. Nevertheless, they had a wonderful singer and we
danced to his romantic ballets. I would recommend going there one night.
Outside of the hotel we dined at several restaurants and here are my reviews:
Tony Romas-fast service and decent ribs. My wife thought the beef ribs were the best she
ever had. Gaspirito- arubian food. My wife had a fried chicken dish which was just fair
and not worth $18. I had a seafood dish with gouda cheese that had very little seafood. El Gaucho-
excellent service and food. My wife and son had the Argentina sampler and I had the Gaucho
steak. Very
nice garlic shrimp. Boo Noo Noonos- island food downtown. We had the Carib sampler and
thought it was neither tasty or plentiful. The service was not very good and we noticed
that 2 other diners had to go up front to get the check.
My son and I played golf twice at Terra de Sol and although windy loved this scenic and
challenging course. Just make sure you bring plenty of balls! My wife,an equestrian, went
on 2 private rides and was thrilled with the scenery and quality of the horses. My son and
I did snuba for the first time; it was easy and exciting. We thought Depalm Island had
great snorkeling but
otherwise had drab facilities and little beach area. Baby Beach had great water and some
fun snorkeling but the view is ruined by a near-by oil refinery. We went to Charlie's Bar.
It's a tourist trap, good for a beer but do not get the garlic shrimps like we did ($20
for 6 or 7 medium sized shrimp).
We loved Aruba and are planning to come back next year. After looking at the Hyatt and
Raddison, we will definitely go back to the Marriot.
Bob
