lilmama48

Has anyone ever stayed at the Holiday Inn - Aruba Beach Resort and Casino. I am looking to use first part of February. Is it ok to wait a couple months to use our Priority Club Points to reserve it?

ksucats

I am interested in this as well. Looking at going next year after just getting back from Curacao. We went to Holiday Inn Sunspree in Jamaica a few years ago. I am disappointed to see that it doesn't look like this one is all inclusive anymore. I am pretty sure it was when I was researching my Jamaica trip.

y00y

Good timing on this topic. I was also taking a look at this place today for a possible trip in August. I have around 81k IHG points and looking to stay 5 nights / 6 days. It looks to be 25k points / night straight up or 15k + $70 with cash/points combo.

The rates in August look around $169/night (refundable rate, $153 non-refundable) for the nights I wanted, taking 3 nights free at 25k/night and paying for two at $340+taxes/etc or getting all 5 nights at 75k+$350+taxes/etc is the question.....

I am somewhat new to IHG in general. If I booked this potential trip using the latter method of 15k/night + $70 for a $10 difference, would that entire reservation be fully refundable (points+$ back?) if we for some reason cannot make the trip. I'm looking at flights via Southwest from BWI for ~22k points+fees (+ Wife's ticket via CP!).

If anyone is planning on this resort -- make sure you enter the various promo codes into your account for potential point earnings. I'm about to research that now. Again, new to IHG and have not stayed at an IHG property in a few years (81k points from IHG CC).

Any input for those interested in this property is much appreciated.

Unterwegs

Cancelling a points+cash rate will get you the full amount of points back into your account, but no refund for the money. This is actually a way of buying points. If you want to get all the money back it is better to book 3+2.

y00y

^

Thanks for the quick reply, that will definitely help me in planning the trip. I imagine this option would also be better to get any potential bonus points for those promo codes versus trying to go for all 5 nights via points+cash.

Hannibal Lecter

Of course someone has, otherwise it'd gone bust years ago

It hasn't been All-Inclusive for years.

I stayed there 2 years ago, typical 3 star hotel not bad but nothing to get excited about either.
Imho the beach is not very nice, take the bus to Eagle beach/Manchebo beach instead.
Considering how expensive hotels are at Aruba I'd probably stay here
again, using Points, if I returned.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...ree-aruba.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...me-advice.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/searc...rchid=20157463

as a Plat I was upgraded to a "partial ocean view room".

ninjasurfer99

My wife and I will be staying at this property for one night, July 3rd. If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to check into them while we're there and post my findings here.

We only have 3 nights there and are using our Carlson points for two of the nights.

Namaste1

Stayed here on points for our last night in Aruba over Christmas holiday. The other nights were spent at the Radisson on points but our last night was completely sold out so we had to move to Holiday Inn. I was acknowledged as platinum at check in and given two bottles of water. Didn't think much about it until we arrived in our room to find out we were upgraded to ocean front corner room.



Even though we're only staying for one night, we were quite happy for this special treatment. Later, upon returning from dinner, found a bottle of bubbly was delivered to our room along with a hand written thank you note while we were out! Wow! Also, received late check out next day. Very impressed with service.

zebtron

I thought it was fantastic for the price. Location and the beach were great. Being platinum guaranteed a hut thing on the beach for shade.

Only real drawback is the food (esp the breakfast buffet) was awful and overpriced. Highly recommend Salt and Pepper across the street for breakfast. Lots of great dinner places within walking distance nearby, too.

Lunch/drinks at the beach-side bar are fine. Typical beachy-resort stuff.

I would go back.

npupik

was there any sort of line to wait for the cabana as a plat? I have read lots of comments with non plats saying there is a queue to wait for cabanas. something akin to having to line up the day before to reserve one for the next day? wife is fair skinned so shade is a concern.

zebtron

Not in my experience there. The hut is automatically reserved for you the day after you check-in. (I presume if you want one day of check-in if you arrive early, they can help you out.)

For the following days, you need to sign up for a hut every afternoon the day before. I forget what time it starts, but they tell you that at check-in. It's around 5 or 6 I think. Non-plats have to get there right at that moment because they do go fast.

If you're platinum, you don't have to get there the moment it starts. They hold back a portion of huts for platinums, so even if you arrive at the sign-up spot 30 minutes to an hour (or longer) after they start taking sign-ups, you're fine as a platinum. They also give you the hut closest to your room to minimize your walk, which is nice. If you want to be super safe, just arrive right at the moment of sign-up and you'll be fine. We never showed up right at the moment sign up started, and we never had a problem. Even after we were assigned our hut, I could see where numerous more were still blocked off for platinums.

I presume if they don't end up in the hands of platinums, they're offered back to non-plats at a certain point, so I wouldn't wait too long after sign-up to request one.

Miami305

Award redemptions for this property are completely grayed out for the week from Dec 26-Jan 2. Is this the hotel closing off bookings for awards because it is high season? Are IHG properties allowed to black out reward nights?

scubaccr

As a guess you are looking too late and the award nights over Xmas and new year were booked 3months ago as soon as they became available

Miami305

I thought this may be the case, but the calendar looked too perfect. Exactly Saturday-Saturday is full, and every day before and after is available for an awards booking.

lilmama48

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Aruba in Feb. It was perfect. As a platinum member they reserved us a "hut" for the entire time we were there (12 days) the first day it arrived.We definitely will go back.