HotelChatter

Room Reaction
Our room (well, "villa") was up on the 12th floor - so the first thing we noticed was the spectacular ocean and pool views (but we'll get to that in a minute).

The bedroom was spacious and we appreciated the modern-looking linens (translation: no fugly bedspread) atop a very very cushy mattress, and just beyond the pullout sofa, sliding doors opened onto one of two balconies with sweeping views of the ocean and the rest of the island.

Cute details like lamps reminiscent of lighthouses reminded us that we were in a Caribbean destination, but thankfully that's as far as it went: there was no offensive island-y tackiness to assault our eyes in the bedroom. Plus: lots of lighting all around the room!

There was a huge closet in addition to the no-frills dresser with a (non-flatscreen!) TV perched on top. The phones and alarm clock were nothing high-tech, but we were on vacation so we didn't plan on getting much use out of either.

The Living Area
Like we said, we had a huge living area outside the bedroom with a full kitchen equipped with knives, cookware, silverware, a blender and a toaster, and right next to the fridge we opened up a closet to find our very own washer and dryer. Cool - but, again, a lot of these units are timeshares, so we weren't too surprised.

The big glass table would have been perfect for dining in, and the living room was big enough to seat at least 6 people comfortably. Beyond the couch and the other (non-flatscreen) TV, we had another(!) balcony - which we utilized frequently if only to look at something besides the exceptionally fugly living room curtains that were a wicked hybrid of 80's floral prints and some sort of an art-deco sailboat motif.

What We Liked
Coming from Manhattan, we were more than grateful for the huge space. Despite the superhumid Aruba air, the whole unit was cool and dry thanks to our own A/C control and ceiling fans in every room.

The hallways were bright and looked to be recently renovated, the elevators were fast (hey, that's important!) and the balconies offered incredible views.

What We Didn't Like
Unbeknownst to us, the resort only offers one complimentary cleaning service during your stay. Yikes. You can request cleaning services for an extra fee, but we opted out. Unfortunately, during our 4-day stay, the cleaning service came only on our first morning - so the room got real sandy real fast (and, as evident from our photos, we found that hotel beds are not as easy to make as one might think).

Also, we found a couple of tiny ants crawling on the tile in the corner of the living room - yuck - and our shower curtain was falling off the rod in a big way.

The view from our balcony.

Other Features
The Stellaris Casino, located in the Marriott Resort (the building next door) was just a quick walk from our building and we hit it every night.

The fitness center was great, and the hotel also had a (very expensive) sundries shop that offered the basics plus a very fetching collection of resort wear.

As for Internet connectivity, the hotel offered broadband in the room for a fee, and free wireless in the common areas. Not that you'd want to waste time on the Internet, though: the beach is steps from the hotel and has more than enough space and shaded beach chairs to go around.

Bottom Line
This was our first time opting for a Vacation Club spot instead of a hotel, and although it wasn't too swanky or over-the-top luxurious, we were totally pleased with the experience and loved the extra space. We wished our unit was cleaned more while we were there, but we didn't spend too much time indoors anyway.

Rates start around $382 per night.

Tags: HotelChatter Reviews / Aruba Hotel Guide / Marriott Hotels

by Jenna