Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino

We really enjoyed our stay. The rooms were spacious, bright and clean. The pool and beach areas likewise were spacious and clean. Really liked the location, we were the second to last resort on the strip, it did not feel overcrowded where we were but when we walked down the strip (ie going south) it felt overcrowded. Plenty of restaurants to walk to, and there is a little shopping and dining area also within walking distance. We were there Feb vacation week so resort was very crowded, there is an app to reserve the palaces on the beach but they booked up too fast and I had to wait in line one morning for a cancellation. Also had to get up by 7:30 each morning to get towels to reserve a chair by the pool. We did breakfast at Mercat every morning and food was decent and pricing wasn't bad for a resort. We had dinner at Atardi right on the beach 2X and it was amazing! Overall though we were very happy with our experience and would come back again.

The Hotel is newly renovated & very pretty. The Cons The rooms are nice and very clean, However the walls are so thin you can hear hear everyone around you . The room doors slam so when guests come back to their rooms you hear all the doors slamming. There is nice flooring ( no carpet) so you hear the guests above you . We had to call down to the reception area 3 times one evening, the guests above us were banging . They have a very nice adult pool , which is what we wanted , especially during. The very busy Feb school break. However you have to wait on a line at 6 am to get a seat, the gates don't open until 7 am. They didn't have enough help at the adult only pool . We ordered food and finally cancelled our order because it was taking so long. Pros The breakfast buffet was wonderful. Service was also great in the Mercat resturant during breakfast. They have a Starbuck's in the hotel if you prefer a quick drink or snack. The hotel is maintained very well , all areas are very clean. .

The Aruba Marriott Stellaris has become our home-away-from-home for many reasons. They get an A+ in staff retention- we have been seeing the same friendly faces for 10-20 years. Shout-outs to beach staff John, Enrique, Sylvia, Sugi, Javier and Carlos R. Beach servers Martin, Gabriel, Nelson, Arsenio, Aurelia and Amy. Lobby bar staff Alix, Jayna, Sandra, Romulo, Jorel, Ronald and Shyre. We get hugs from the bell staff when we arrive and depart. Just the friendliest staff top to bottom!!! The rooms were all recently renovated and the beach is wonderful, on the safest, cleanest island in the Caribbean. Love it!!!

We had a great stay at Marriott Stellaris. It was a busy week headed into president’s day/winter break but for the most part we were still able to find seats at the pool or book a palapa on the beach (we got one complimentary and paid for the other days). It’s set on a pretty part of Palm Beach in between to the Ritz and two other Marriotts. Our room was renovated and modern/clean, we had a nice view of the ocean/sunset from a premium ocean view room balcony. We didn’t do the breakfast at mercat, but enjoyed the beachside lunch service from Waves, especially the Shrimp Caribbean Bowl and the cheese pasteechi appetizer. There’s happy hour daily from 3-5 when there’s a DJ so the pool fills up with adults and music and then it’s otherwise pretty quiet and relaxing. Our kids enjoyed the daily treats like smoothie pops and cotton candy. The beach is calm though there is some sea grass so we enjoyed using the complementary yellow rafts when we could get them to chill in the ocean. You can walk to several casual beachfront restaurants. We also took a taxi to a few (we loved Lima Bistro and also Barefoot).

Governors Suite...I ONLY go for THE BEST!!!

That you didn't say that our first room had NO BATH TUB... when you knew in advance those bath type rooms sold out... Very unprofessional when you're Charging $1300 a night and then we moved to the BEST at $1900 per night for 4 more..the Governor's suite. You can IMPROVE the Service & Care for your top Echelon Clients--cause your lacking there...as there is a REASON were paying up for the Best--and its MORE than just the room!

Do not do the presentation and purchase a vacation package. It is a scam. They put us in the lowest grade room if you want to go on vacation just pay for what room type you want or you will get stuck in a corner.

Overall the trip was wonderful, but we did experience one big hiccup. We were at this amazing location 3 years ago and returned last week with the expectation it would be a repeat of our last visit. However, when we landed in Aruba on Monday we were told our luggage did not arrive, but it would arrive the next day no later than 5pm. Tuesday came and went with no luggage or updates. On Wednesday morning we enlisted the help of Ludwig Croes onsite. He started making calls and followed a trail of clues that finally led him to our luggage! Ludwig will always greet you with a smile and a helping hand no matter what the task. He is an amazing representative for Marriott, but also an amazing resource for their guests. The rest of the resort was beautiful. The pool and swim up bar were well maintained. The restaurants onsite were wonderful, especially Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. And we enjoyed some time at the casino as well. Thank you to Ludwig and the rest of the Marriott team...we will be back!

This hotel had a truly amazing location on the beach and our room was spacious and modern with a lovely view. We stayed for 11 nights, and, in addition to the rate of $750/night, there was a $69/night resort fee. This was the difficulty we had with this resort charge. In order to find a spot by the pool we had to get up out of bed at 7.00 am each morning to meet with the person in charge of the loungers pool side at the adult pool or at the larger pool. We learned this very quickly when we could find no where to enjoy the sun the first few days we were there. In fact, on one occasion I attempted to move an available lounger into the sun and the pool attendant rushed over and refused to allow it, telling me off and embarrassing me in front of all at the pool. Then she summoned a manager who came to speak with me and with whom I did not speak for very long as I had been humiliated enough by then. Those who had placed their towels onto loungers at 7.00am and because of the rules of 2 hours to keep a spot they had retained their chairs for the day, taking time out for lunch or other breaks watched with amusement at this scene I guess. I really think that charging a resort fee for really no chance at using the pools unless you get with the program and jump out of bed in the morning, while being on holiday, otherwise the resort amenity was denied you, is unacceptable. When I discussed this with the front desk on our last day, I was met with a condescending, arrogant and dismissive response that explained it was high season and all 400 rooms were occupied. She tried to fob me off with extra points from Marriott and then offered us an afternoon in a cabana because of a cancellation. Neither of these offers came close to a compensation. We did not realize the consequences of this high season when we booked, and the manager, whom we never saw or met, would not compensate us for the resort fee. We would never return to this hotel. Our experience at the Mercat restaurant on the property was equally unsatisfactory with huge line ups when reporting for breakfast, while the staff noted our name and room number. There was no gluten free menu and very little assistance given in that regard, which was disappointing as I have Celiac Disease. We had a much more friendly and accommodating reception at the Ritz Carlton next door where they had a full menu for those requiring gluten free. In fact, we would stay at the Ritz Carlton instead of the Marriott if we ever return to Aruba. The staff and the hotel itself seemed a better choice. Instead we paid an additional $769 over our 11 night stay in resort fees for really no benefit. Our silver level status did not assist us. The hotel really needs to come up with a better solution to the space by the pools and the spots on the beach. which are also under competition, in order to prevent lounger hogs from occupying a spot all day every day. Tried to drag and drop a video of almost every chair taken at the pool by 11.00am It would not load.

Outstanding food and service. Server Agustin did an outstanding job taking care of us and making us feel welcome. Our overall experience with our stay and service received has been a 5 out of 5. We look forward to our next visit here at the Marriott and in particular, the MERCAT!

This resort was lovely! It was very clean! The staff was all so kind and accommodating! The food was good all over the property. The pools were clean and easy to get a pool chair. The beach was clean and roomy. This is a great place for couples, friends, or families.