Wanted to post a small post-covid review of this property for anyone, including US Citizens, looking for an international excursion
Spent 5 amazing nights in Aruba at the Ritz. Everything about the island was so magical and gratifying. There are some added steps required to enter Aruba, but well worth the effort.
Went to a local clinic for a covid test couple days before the flight. Uploaded the neg test on the Aruba portal and paid the needed health insurance cost ($15 a day). Arriving at the airport was a mess. For some reason, they required people to show their full test results, as opposed to the QR code they had initially been using. This caused MAJOR delays and we were in a long snaking line for almost 2hrs. MAKE SURE you save your full test results and all docs on your phone.
We rented a Jeep from More4Less rentals. I highly recommend going through one of the local car rental agencies such as M4L over Hertz or Avis. Renting the Jeep was the BEST decision we made as it allowed us to explore the entire island at our own pace. We even went offroading to reach the natural pool and it was quite a thrilling experience
Keep in mind, you have to self park at the Ritz since the valet is not moving vehicles at the moment.
We were upgraded to a fifth floor Exec Suite (from the most basic room) by virtue of my Titanium status. I imagine this was due to the hotel occupancy being so low. The room itself was fantastic. The decor wasn't exactly my taste, but everything was clean and fresh. For an oceanfront property, it is a very well kept hotel. The staff were also phenomenal. I can't think of one person we interacted with that wasn't warm and hospitable. It was a true 5 Star experience.
The hotel pool is mere steps from the ocean and Palm Beach is one of the best. As with most of the island, the crowds were extremely light and it made for a relaxing and peaceful experience. All the facilities, including restaurants and the casino were open, but they all seemed to close rather early.
We didn't eat much at hotel apart from room service, but Atardi down the beach at the Marriott was by far our favorite. Flying Fishbone and Zeerover were excellent too. We tried madame janette, but have to admit it was a letdown in terms of the food, especially compared to Atardi. Dutch pancakes at the Dutch Pancake House in Oranjestad were excellent, and we preferred it to Lindas Pancakes.
Leaving Aruba wasn't nearly as congested as entering the country, but be mindful, you do US Customs Clearance in Aruba so even with no crowds, there are several checkpoints and procedures you must go through which need extra time.
Overall Aruba exceeding all of our very high expectations. If you need a beach getaway, I can't recommend this island enough.
If anyone has specific questions, would be happy to answer them