using ff miles to fly to Aruba the first week in September, trying to find a great hotel on or near the beach without costing a fortune, any recommendations?

First suggestion is to do a search on this site -- you'll find lots of good info. <BR><BR>With that said, Aruba has two basic hotel sections -- the "low-rise" area and the "high-rise" area. Both are on outstanding beaches (the same beach, really). The lowrise hotels, such as the Bucuti, are smaller and more peaceful. Less crowded, but also less amenities. The highrise hotels, such as the Hyatt, Radisson, and Marriott, offer tons of amenities and lots of action. <BR><BR>What do you like? Peace & quiet? Party? Also, you might want to check out www.aruba-bb.com for more info.

I would recommend you contact Travel Unlimited at http://www.travelunlimited.com as they had the best rates we could find for Aruba. We booked our honeymoon through them and the price and the service were top notch.

Aruba can be expensive, the best bet for less expensive lodging would be The Bucuti which has an expansive white sand beach and is very quiet. For the hi-rise resorts look at the lowest category of room and for specials online--Wyndham, Radisson would be a suggestion. Also, downtown is the Sonesta Beach Resort which is situated in the Mall but on the main level a boat takes you to their private island (4 beaches, nature walk, spa etc.)---we had a very nice vacation while we stayed at the Suites which is across the street and more expensive. Fodors recommends Sonesta.

A friend of mine got a room at the Sonesta for $89/night through priceline.com.