DLH728

I need help deciding where to stay in Aruba. My main interest is 1.calm clear water 2. All inclusive. Which would be a better choice or is there an even better choice?

WWK

The water is pretty much the same on Palm Beach. Not sure why you would want an AI in Aruba, since there are so many reasonable dining options within a short distance.

What is your budget and time of year?

DLH728

I like AI so that no choices have to be made about where to eat (it can be hard with a group of 6-8 adults!). I also like not having to think about what I'm spending on food and drinks. We will be going sometime in February.
Budget around $500 a night per couple (AI)

Pfairbanks

I would avoid RIU Antilles. I am there now. The resort was recently taken over by RIU, it was formerly another franchise. It is a nice location. The pool and Beach are nice. The dinner reservation process is really bad. You can only book dinner reservation between 8 -11 am up to 5 days in advance. So I arrived here on Tuesday afternoon . Wednesday morning I waited in line for about an hour and when it was my turn to book dinner reservations the first three days were already sold out. So I could only book for Friday and Saturday . I went back the next morning , I arrived a half hour before they opened, only to find a line of about 15 people which turned out to be another one hour wait. I waited patiently and booked for Sunday . So you will you will have to go through this process everyday .

Saturday came my Wife and I arrived at the first booked reservation. We were told we did not have a reservation, we were not on his list. I asked him to double check his list I was positive I booked it. The man basically laughed in my face. I went to the front desk to tell them the situation and mostly how rude the person was. The Manager checked into it and said there Employee seating people made a mistake and we were on the list. She offered to bring us and seat us. I had to decline because I was very uncomfortable. The next evening we went to our booked reservation and the service was not very good and the food was also not good. So tonight our last night here. I am going off resort hoping to have a nice Meal. Other than the Buffet. I booked a 7pm reservation at a Steakhouse downtown .

The rooms are ok the facility is nice. The service and attention to detail is good by I would say 75% of the staff. I payed $4800 for one week all inclusive including flights from Boston and booked it 6 months in advance. I expected more for what I payed. In my opinion I think the resort is struggling to find good staff and Management is overwhelmed by the process of re opening a resort

KVR

I love AI resorts and have been to many including Aruba, but after vacationing there I have to agree that AI in Aruba is a total waste. There are so many fabulous dining and bar options that are quite easy to get to.

We did the AI thing at the Holiday Inn on Palm Beach. Luckily, I added it on at the last minute and only paid $400 total for the both of us. Way cheaper than the original package price. For that price, it was worth it for the drinks only as the food was less than desired. We ate out at several places and found the food and atmosphere so much better than at the hotel.

I am not a fan of the RIU's. It's a low budget AI chain. The one is Aruba is exaggerated overpriced compared to their resorts in Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. I do agree with the above comment regarding their dinner reservation system. It's a total PIA, and their food is not worth the AI price.

I would definitely go with a hotel on Palm Beach as many of the restaurant/bar choices are easily within walking distance. One of the draws to Aruba is trying as many as you can.

Here's a list and customer reviews of restaurants in Aruba:

http://www.restaurantsaruba.com/all.html

DLH728

Thanks for the replies. That definitely helps!