The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba

This is my first time staying at The Ritz. I usually love staying at the St. Regis so I figured I would have a similar experience. Overall it was a great stay. I came with my mom for a long weekend Thursday till Monday. The property is beautiful. The beach is clean and the service was top notch. Everyone was super friendly and attentive. My only criticism is the property itself is a little dated and can use some updates. Overall we had a great time!

We stopped by the enjoy some drinks from the Volkswagen van as we heard amazing things about Jose’s cocktail creatures. They were amazing! We got the cocomargarita and the mai tai. Both were delicious and refreshing. These are certainly instagram worthy cocktails, but you can also enjoy these amazing drinks in a regular glass. We recommend stopping by!!

PPositives: The service provided was top-notch! The rooms were incredibly roomy! The views were stunning! The bartender at the mobile bar who served fresh fruit drinks was extremely pleasant! There were numerous restaurants to choose from and the beach was delightful!

I know people mostly either write reviews if they either have a great experience or a terrible experience. However, after reading multiple reviews we decided to book at the Ritz Carlton Aruba for our 5 day stay. I tend to be very meticulous when looking for hotels, especially when traveling out of the country. 1) Our room was not ready when we arrived but we were welcomed with champagne and cold water. Timothy took care of us at the front desk. I honestly cannot remember all the names of the employees that we encountered at the pool, beach chairs, restaurants, and housekeeping. However every single person we came into contact with was great. 2) Are the prices a little inflated for drinks, room service, and the restaurants? Yes. However that’s what’s to be expected when staying at the Ritz. You wouldn’t expect to pay the amount you do to stay here and then see $5 burger and fries. The price includes the experience, and it’s fantastic all around. 3) Me and my girlfriend took advantage of the included paddle board rentals and it was easy to sign the waiver and get right into the water. It wasn’t hard finding a beach chair or a pool chair as long as you came out by 11am. And the staff will set up your towels on your chairs so you don’t have to feel awkward searching for an empty seat. They also have flags at all the chairs so if you need service, you raise them. And all the food, even if expensive, was great and tasted fresh. 4) The only “negative” thing I’ll add is that the gym is a little lackluster. 4/6 treadmills worked however if there was anything to be improved, a larger gym would be better. But I was able to make it work. 5) The beach area you walked right up to from the hotel, and the water was nice and even though there was a “roped off” area to swim in, it was vast and you always had your own space. In the roped off area, the water got to chest height if that. So you can casually walk around or get one of the floaties and relax. Overall, you get what you pay for. It’s an amazing hotel and then service was top notch. When we travel, I will spare no expense to ensure we are comfortable. I will absolutely stay here again when we return. Beautiful island and beautiful people.

What can I say. Very Instagram worthy but also very fresh and delicious. We saw people on the beach with these coconuts and asked where they got them. Heading towards the hotel at the Ritz Carlton on the left-hand side is a VW bug wagon. The cocktails were excellent. We had piña colada and passionfruit margarita and a spicy margarita and each one came with its own unique fruit topping on the coconut and then you also received a very large 16 ounce drink as well, so you have your cup along with the coconut filled with alcohol. It was not cheap. Three drinks ran us $100 but we’re on vacation. I didn’t care. The booze is all top shelf and everything that goes in. It is top shelf. When we go back, we will definitely swing by here again for another coconut