Just got back from a 5 night stay and thought I'd share my thoughts...
The GREAT:
- lots of good restaurants on the island (but you need a car)... my fav. is Marina Pirata - just past the airport on the water... priced in florins
... second is El Gaucho (Argentinian steak house)
- Weather was awesome; beach is great (no need to pay for a palapa - just show up before 10am); scuba is good
- People are great and speak english and spanish (needed for my small family)
The GOOD:
- Westin Heavenly Bed
- no $25 resort fee charged (well I haven't seen the final AMEX charge yet)
Things I'd change:
- a reno on the bathrooms - they're showing their age now
- the fact that you need a car (or cab) to get to great eating spots - IMO the restaurants across the street are overpriced/underwhelming
At first I wasn't really into Aruba - kinda felt like it was trying to be Cancun (think American Mega-resort) while attempting to cater to the European crowd... however after 5 days I loved it for what it is - a small, SAFE Caribbean island with a fairly decent economic base and a nice mix of tourists (Latin, Euro, American) and no major set of spring-breakers (that stage of life has passed)