My $0.02...

I just returned home from Aruba the other day. I thought I was in heaven...Enough like the US to be comfortable, but different enough to make it interesting.

I dunno their schedule, as I'm a UA man, but seems as if AA has quite the frequent service there.

As for Starwood, I don't think there is a property on Aruba, but stayed at an excellent resort--the Aruba Sonesta Resort & Suites (which is somehow connected to AA--you get miles as I saw at check in--so you may want to see if any way to swing rooms through AA points)...Had a suite, so don't know what the standard room is like--but all was clean, well decorated and relatively new...TONS of shopping connected to the hotel from souvenir shops to Gucci and the like, plus a casino. Good food in the hotel and lots of nearby restaurants as well...Plus McDonald's nearby and a Wendy's connected to the hotel shopping center.

The kicker was the fact that the hotel has its own private island just off the coast of Aruba. A canal runs through the lobby where you hop on a boat (departs every 15 minutes)and head out to their little island (total trip time 15 minutes...The island has tennis courts, a shop, and 2 beaches-one being topless (way overrated--I kept to the standard beach myself). There's also a Snackbar/restaurant/bar on the island and servers come around to the beaches and bring you drinks.

[This message has been edited by MBS PremExec (edited 12-28-2000).]