Bucuti or Marriott
 

My husband and I are planning a trip to aruba April 2004, and are trying to make a decision between Bucuti and the Marriott. We have researched both but still have some questions. We like the idea of the nice beach that Bucuti has but I know Bucuti is not in the thick of things. Is it easy to get into the thick of things if we want to? Are there good restaurants near Bucuti? Are taxis easy to get and are they reasonably priced? My concern about the Marriott is that the beach is very rocky and not that spacious. Your comments are appreciated.

Depends on what you mean by "the thick of things". Hotels in Aruba are in two areas: the 'high-rise section' and the 'lowrise section'. The highrise section indeed consists of highrise hotels, all of which have lots of activities, casinos, restaurants, etc., and which are built fairly close together. The upscale, five-star hotels such as Hyatt and Raddisson, with sculpted gardens and waterfalls, are in this section. However, these hotels share a narrower strip of beach than at the lowrise section, so that seats are often close together. Too crowded for our taste - we much prefer the 'lowrise section', where the hotels tend to be more lowkey but with a much bigger beach. Bucuti is the best of the hotels in the lowrise section, very quiet, with a lovely garden and very friendly and personal service. It is close to the Alhambra Casino (5 min, walking) and a small shopping center with various boutiques and restaurants.
And finally: taxis are VERY easy to get in Aruba, we always had a taxi within 5 minutes, 10 at the most.
Hope this helps.

Have to agree with Carola22, Bucuti would be my preferred choice too. The beach is one of the leading beaches in the world and their Pirates Nest Restaurant has wonderful food and was located right on the beach.It is so easy to get taxis and they were very reasonable.The high-rise hotels are built on top of each other and the beaches are far smaller and much more crowded. Enjoy!

I agree, since the whole island is only 19 miles...we found it very easy, quick, and inexpensive for cabs because you can't go that far :-)

Must add my 2 Cents - Bucuti. We stayed there in April 2002 and had a wonderful time. The beach was superb, mostly adults and many Europeans; the room was very nice with a balcony overlooking the gardens, and the service was all we could hope for, the staff made all our dinner reservations, called our cabs, etc. We visited the highrise area and the hotels are very grand, with lush waterfall gardens and great lobbies, but as another poster pointed out, the beach and pool areas seemed crowded after the Bucuti. If you want a taste of the highrise life, the Marriot has a huge Sunday champagne brunch - expensive but very good.

I would also highly recommend Bucuti! Awesome place for R&R! Great location between the city of Oranjestad and the high rise area. Great staff/great beach! We will be back in Aruba at Bucuti in 3 weeks!!!