Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino

We spent 7 days here on the 8th floor as part of our Tradewinds designation. Honestly, I chose Tradewinds simply because they offered breakfast and the room price was comparable to The Ritz next door which did not include the breakfast. Check in is at a separate location for Tradewinds and was quick. We arrived before the 4 pm check in so were given access to the facility until we received our key. The room was ready by 4pm. The pro's: room updated and clean with beautiful balcony looking out over the pool and ocean, basically Tradewinds is an all inclusive option as you get a delicious breakfast buffet, lunch, afternoon snacks, light supper entrees with happy hour from 6-9pm. The special drink selections varied every night from Espresso Martini, Cosmos, Margaritas, Mojitos and were prepared by staff that went over and above as far as we are concerned with their friendliness and customer service. We would like to shout out Jeanma and Edeline and Nalia. Food was hot and fresh, always well stocked and my husband said the cold calamari salad was the best he has ever eaten. Beverages - hot and cold are available all day. Forget the coffeemaker in the room - they have coffee machine that prepares latte's, cappucinos, mokachinnos, espresso etc at the touch of a button. Enrique and Sylvia were the attendants for the Tradewind chairs and they were both nice to speak to and deal with for the week. We would be offered frozen cloths to refresh ourselves midday which was a nice relief from the beautiful Aruba weather. For the con's": Tradewinds has a dedicated area where you take all your meals which doesn't have the best of view but certainly did not stop us from frequenting it. The Tradewinds have designated area of palapas to the right of the beach. You need to download the Bon Bini app in order to get a chance at a free palapa reservation. Makes sense so that you aren't having to drag yourself down to the beach at the crack of dawn to get one. However, you must set your alarm to be ready promptly at 8 am in order to get on the app and quickly maneuver through the questions in order to get one of the free palapas. Within 2 minutes after 8 am they are all reserved. Now the issue is that there must be over 40 rooms for Tradewinds and I believe 23 designated palapas. Consequently if you are late to the app or not quick to select you will find yourself without one. You can purchase a palapa if you desire in advance for $30 per day if you so desire. However I was of the mindset that I am being charged a daily $69 resort fee - I don't want to pay extra for a palapa! There are not many bathroom facilities around the pool or beach. Lastly, the water at the beach was somewhat cloudy and the sand underfoot was extremely squishy which prevented me from going in the ocean as much as I might have if it were a sandier bottom. The weather was beautiful each and every day. I might explore another hotel simply for a better ocean beach experience.

This was our 14th stay at this Hotel. I guess we like it- lol. First time seeing the Renovations. Wow! The rooms look amazing! New and brighter - lighter color floors and furniture. We do Tradewinds Level so are in an Ocean View room on the top floor. The weather seemed a tad warmer as we typically come in March because there was not as much of a breeze. So we spent more time in the water and came home with gorgeous tans We enjoyed listening to Amy Sorinio in the Lobby on Tuesdays & Fridays. The Tradewinds Lounge is very convenient and easy- my only criticism was the dinner hour food was not as good as last year. The staff- Jackie, Jama & Gabriella take very good care of us. I was on a ‘barracuda hunt’ and Jackie called around for me to find the catch of a the day- we ended up at Fisherman’s Hut twice and were not disappointed. We are so happy with the private Towel Hut and private part of the beach. The chaise lounges are so well padded and comfy. Enrique & Sylvia are amazing- kind, patient and just wonderful. We did rent a Cabana one day at the Adult Pool for a change of pace-overpriced but we were onvacation so what the heck We love the Casino- we are slot people and no complaints- I must mention a very important person who makes each trip better than the last…….Verna Dijkoff- she is amazing and we love her So we are already thinking of our next trip here. We can’t imagine staying anywhere else

HOTEL & ROOMS: We just returned from the Aruba Marriott Stellaris on Palm Beach. Even for a Canadian dealing with the USD exchange, the price is relatively good compared to luxury all-inclusives—you get far better value here than even the Kimpton Seafire in Grand Cayman. Safety is a huge plus; there are security guards all over the beach and the boardwalk. The paved path between hotels is incredible for evening walks—the atmosphere is "vibing" and you’ll want to stay out all night. *** It was gross to see adult men twice the age of the front desk girls constantly trying to pick them up and making them visibly uncomfortable. I wanted to step in and say something at least twice. These girls are professionals being nice because they have to be—some of these guests need to realize they’d never talk to you outside of that service counter! FOOD: Limitless options! The on-site ice cream store is a must. Before 12 PM, they make fresh vegan oat pancakes with fruit/Nutella. After 12 PM, you MUST try the Dubai Chocolate, Hazelnut, and Passionfruit ice cream. We really enjoyed Mercat. In the morning, they offer a great buffet for $35 with plenty of options. At night, the space becomes a more refined restaurant. The Greek salad was very good, the margarita pizza was excellent, and the zucchini pasta was well done. The cauliflower steak with marinated cauliflower, dates, almond, and couscous was a highlight. Also amazing handcrafted pizzas at neighbouring Hadicurari. SERVICE: The Palapa reservation system (5 PM or 8 AM) is genius—no "towel wars." The beach and towel hut staff handle "high personality" guests with total grace. A huge thank you to the men dragging the Palapas and setting up loungers every night; they do a great job. The Not so Good: * **The Pool:** It was very dirty and foggy. My family members who are experienced pool professionals took one look and said the water quality was not safe/clean, so we stayed out. * **The Beach:** The bottom is slimy/sludgy (likely from boat traffic) with an algae smell. We found a better patch by the Ritz Carlton where you can walk out far without the sludge. Don't bother with goggles; you can't see your feet in knee-deep water and there are no fish.

Couldn’t wait to see the new renovations to the rooms and they didn’t disappoint. I had some issues but the Ambassador liaison Beverly help me get on track. That solar halo made my day. One of my favorite places

Ok stay. Room cleaning is only done upon request. Room overall is ok.