Though in an incredible setting, it IS a Holiday Inn after all- very much just like the ones you may stay at for your daughter’s dance competition, or a small work conference in Indiana. Several of us from AZ, MI, & FL, couples and families, booked here to celebrate a 50th birthday over Thanksgiving ‘25. Aruba is simply amazing, though I felt a little misled by the hotels photos or reviews hyping it as something ‘more’.
Our initial ‘ocean view’ room was more of a side view of the Playa Linda hotel (next door) along with a lovely parking lot, & funny enough when the front desk responded with, "Ocean view is different than ocean FRONT", a family in our group with a ‘standard room’ actually had the same room below us, so why bother to pay extra? Rooms are dated, bathrooms are small (single sink, 1 person size only, no bath fan, hair dryer is attached to wall so you’re unable to take into the room to get ready while the next person showers). Numerous caulk repairs and mildew stains (though I know it's hard to combat in an ocean zone).
Several shops within hotel, small lobby bar with a happy hour 8-9pm, and a casino very similar to most of the small hotel casinos I’ve seen in the Caribbean. Quite a few slot machines, a couple poker, blackjack, and a roulette tables ($10 and $20). Friendly dealers.
7 story buildings, about 50 years old. Lovely pools and beaches with so many restaurant options nearby- the location is really phenomenal! Directly across the street is shopping, bars, great eats, it seemed silly to do the all inclusive and limit yourself. We all enjoyed daily drinks & food from the pool bar every day (great staff most days), daily beach Happy Hour, and the Seagrass restaurant was terrific. Expect vacation prices anywhere you go, though tons of ‘happy hours’ all over.
We did rent a beach palapa one day ($30), they’re rather close together, so it’s tight with more than 3 loungers. We found most days you could always find a few lounge chairs in a row, most times a day. No good listings of ‘Daily Happenings’, that we noticed. I feel like some hotels have an app or boards near the pool listing beach volleyball, bingo, corn hole, dancing, etc- & we saw nothing of the sort until we’d spot the activity going on. You could find shade when needed, but if that is a must for anyone, rent a cabana or palapa on the HI website ahead of time. All 3 pools were clean and well maintained, lovely landscape throughout, and hot tub is HOT :)!
There is some construction going on - minor hammering, etc, during the day, but nothing too early in the morning- building upgrades will be welcomed, I’m sure!
Mid week through the vacation, the hotel did switch us to the actual ‘ocean view’, though a pain to pack up & move our family of 4, the new room was truly an ‘ocean view’ (kids now had to sleep on a pull out, but we settled). Both rooms were a bit tired, old patch jobs, cold mini fridge, coffee makers, efficient A/C with nice 'hum' for sleeping, mediocre shower pressure. Both rooms had faint noise from outside (bars in the distance, faint laughter from below), but barely noticeable with doorwall closed and things got quiet past 9pm.
All in all, there are way better hotels on the beautiful Palm Beach! Definitely not worth the small savings it might have been to stay here, and wasn’t impressed with Jet Blue Vacations.
