The Caribbean - Aruba All Inclusives

There are 8 of us looking for an all inclusive in Aruba.

The Divi and the Tamarijn look Ok but don't get rave reviews.

Does anyone have reccomendations for Aruba All Inclusives?

Thanks.

What age?

I stayed at the Occidental for 4 nights about 5 years ago. It was OK. Nice swim up bar, good food for breakfast and lunch, just ok for dinner. Got a really cheap rate so we ate out a couple nights for dinner.

There is A Riu property opening this summer. If I were to go back (doubtful as I didn't much care for Aruba) I would stay there.

There are 8 of us looking for an all inclusive in Aruba.

The Divi and the Tamarijn look Ok but don't get rave reviews.

Does anyone have reccomendations for Aruba All Inclusives?

Thanks.

Stay away, FAR AWAY, from the Divi Divi and Tamarijn. Yuck!!!!!! Possibly THE grossest place I have ever been to in my life.

I got a great deal last year and my brother and I went for 3 days. The beach was nice but the Divi was plain gross. Same for the Tamarijn which is the sister hotel.

My brother said it best, "Divi" must mean fly in Aruban and therefore Fly Fly was the name of the hotel. The buffet was a travesty for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the flies were all over the buffet as the birds were all over the tables. The 'restaurants' were also way less than mediocre.

The bottles at the bar looked like they were a hundred years old and they refilled them daily with cheaper watered down garbage.

The people staying there.......sad.
The staff were all very inattentive.

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!

If your idea of a good crowd to hang with is a bunch of people who look like they're dressed for bit parts in Pirates of the Caribbean, and your idea of good accommodations is a smelly room with a bunch of way past their expiration date bath towels and sheets, then go.

Divi is actually a type of tree (it's the bent ones).

Again, I think the age/situation of your group is important.

If you're going to be drinking a lot, definitely stay in one of the low rises (Eagle Beach). I don't think the rooms matter all that much, because you're going to be on Eagle beach most of the time anyway. If you have small children, I'd suggest low rises again but aim for a relatively higher end property there. The low rises tend to have suite type rooms. They seem to be fairly old/run-down, but they're spacious and have kitchenettes. The downside with kids is that you have to cross a road to get to the beach there. I've never stayed on Eagle Beach so I don't have personal experience with individual hotels.

If you're a little older, don't plan on drinking a lot, and aren't bringing kids, I'd go with the Occidental. I stayed there once or twice when it was the Allegro and found it ok. It was not as nice as some of the other hotels on Palm Beach (which is a bit less active than Eagle Beach), but it was recently renovated. The best thing about that hotel for me was the hot dogs on the beach. The breakfast was also pretty good.

If you aren't drinking a lot, though, I'd definitely consider going not all-inclusive. There are some good restaurants on the island you'll miss out on if you plan on staying in one place the whole time. Some of those hotels are also nicer. Dinners are expensive, but you can eat lunch/breakfast relatively cheaply. Dushi Bagels/Dunkin Donuts are in walking distance and both are inexpensive options. Breakfast/Lunch at the hotels are in the $10-$20 range. If you get brunch at a hotel you really don't need to eat lunch.

holiday inn is on the best beach in aruba. they have several plans. if you are a family try playa linda not all inclusive but big rooms and kitchens

Thanks for the responses.

We are going in a group of 6 adults, all are a young 45+ and one 11 yr old. Everyone likes the convenience of the all inclusive, even it is not the most economical if we don't drink a lot.

I was all set on the Occidental until I just read a lot of bad reviews on it. food is now subpar and a lot of hassles getting restaurant reservations and a place on the beach. The reviews on the Riu were VERY bad.

I'm up early so getting in line at 8:30 am to get a reservation or beach spot doesn't bother me.

I trust the reviews from FT more since therer are more seasoned and reasonable travelers here.

I stayed with my kids at La Cabana in Aruba a few years back and although we didn't take the all inclusive package they have one. It has many great pools and a very large beach front and not to far from town either. Boats would pick up at the beach to do the snorkel trips and bus/taxi were easy to get. There also was a casino next door and at the time an Outback restaurant but I think that changed. Our room had a full kitchen and there were washer/dryers available too. Some of the units are quite large.

Here is the all inclusive link

http://www.allinclusiveoutlet.com/vacations/resorts/la-cabana-aruba/

Thanks for the responses.

We are going in a group of 6 adults, all are a young 45+ and one 11 yr old. Everyone likes the convenience of the all inclusive, even it is not the most economical if we don't drink a lot.

I was all set on the Occidental until I just read a lot of bad reviews on it. food is now subpar and a lot of hassles getting restaurant reservations and a place on the beach. The reviews on the Riu were VERY bad.

I'm up early so getting in line at 8:30 am to get a reservation or beach spot doesn't bother me.

I trust the reviews from FT more since therer are more seasoned and reasonable travelers here.

Tripadvisor is showing recent reviews that are very good for the Occidental. I can't believe their breakfast and lunch could have gone downhill that much. As for dinner reservations, you need to make those as soon as you arrive ... don't wait until the day you want to reserve for. This is very typical of many all-inclusives. As someone else already pointed out, dinners were not that great ... especially the buffet. We ate out several times for dinner but still felt we got a good deal. We also got pizza by the pool one night that was verygood.

There is a really good website for reviews and all information about Aruba. Can't remember it now :(

Found it!

http://www.aruba-bb.com/

we stayed at the Holiday Inn and it was actually really good. The food was better than adequate, not great, but good. The staff was very friendly, and we were never "hustled" for tips, being that gratuities were included in the rate. It was really a nice place to stay and I would highly recommend it. :)

I would not just look at tripadvisor. Much better to view the trip reports and AI discussions on the forums at www.visitaruba.com and www.aruba-bb.com. We have been going to Aruba for 3 weeks for 11 years. I monitor those sites (just like I monitor this one) for all the restaurants and what's happening. Many people on those boards are pro-AI and con-AI but you'll certainly get a good idea of which suits your lifestyle. Linda