Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club

I was here the last week in August.. Check-in was on a Saturday and it was busy so I didn’t get into the room till about 6:30 so I went food shopping to kill 2 to 3 hours. Finally, they texted me the room was ready. nevertheless , when the room was ready, it was well appointed for the two bedrooms that I had confirmed. I was in building five with a small view of the ocean. Maintenance is responsive to your needs specifically there was an issue with the TV freezing and glitching although they did try to come to resolve it. It was never resolved… With the beach being so accessible, you spend most of your time at the beach or the pool anyway. I did book a body massage at the Mandara spa.. which was very nice. The attendant was Jenny. Prices were higher in comparison to other places, but it seems like prices on everything in Aruba are jacked up . The only negative experience I had was at the Aruba aloe store. The attendant with the twist hairstyle who was there on Friday was too consumed with paperwork to really assist with product information and sales. She didn’t want to explain explain or lacked the knowledge of certain products to make the buying process easier. I told her that it would be helpful if she showed where the products were instead of just saying “it’s over there “ she took offense to that. I would rather be honest with people and tell them upfront that the experience is not the best! The food at Malmok bar was not the best, but the Anttila bar had the best chicken wings, and grapefruit. Margarita!

I'm disappointed to share this experience and surprised that Marriott would partner with a retailer using these kinds of sales tactics in their resort. Inglot's approach starts innocently enough — they offer free makeup samples to draw guests into the shop. Once inside, though, the real agenda becomes clear: a hard sell for their Le Rose Resurfacing Micro Peel. I was quoted $399 for the "special syringe" and an additional $175 for the actual peel — nearly $575 for a single treatment. What crossed the line for me was when staff asked how much I was paying per night to stay at the Ocean Club. The implication was obvious: that spending hundreds more on this product should be "nothing" given what I was already paying for my room. That's not a sales pitch — it's a manipulative tactic designed to pressure guests using their own vacation spending against them. I want other guests to be aware before walking into this shop: The "free sample" offer is a lure into a high-pressure sales environment. Expect aggressive upselling on expensive treatments. Be prepared for invasive questions meant to justify the price tag. I'd encourage Marriott to take a closer look at how their retail partners are treating guests. This kind of experience doesn't belong in a resort environment guests choose for relaxation, not sales pressure.

We just spent a week in a 2 bedroom ocean view room. There were 2 couples and it was perfect for the 4 of us although we could have slept more on the 2 pullout couches if needed. We lucked out with a top floor unit and we could see the sunrise and sunset from the balcony. The unit appeared to be remodeled and was fully equipped so that we could make breakfast everyday and we stored plenty of beverages in the full size fridge. The kitchen was bright with stainless appliances. The living room was very comfortable and the TV was huge so we could watch the game. We had a lock off unit on one side with a mini fridge, microwave, toaster and coffee maker and that would have been perfectly sufficient if it was only 1 couple. We really had no issues with anything - beds were comfy, unit was clean, water pressure was great - pools were beautiful - never had an issue getting pool chairs or palapas as I was worried about that. This place is really awesome - we will definitely be back sooner rather than later.

This luxury hotel somehow thought it was appropriate to give us a room where the windows were boarded up from floor to ceiling with plywood. Much like you would find in a condemned crack house. Look at the photos if you think this would never happen. It did. Bottom line - this shows the hotel and its management do not care about their guests or owners. I recommend that you do not stay here and definitely do not buy a timeshare here. Buyer beware!

We are currently staying here and are entering day 4 of a 7-day stay. First, I want to acknowledge that the resort itself is beautiful. The renovations that many previous reviewers mentioned appear to be complete. The rooms, grounds, and pool areas are all well maintained and look fantastic. If you are a couple traveling without children, this resort would likely be an excellent choice. Unfortunately, our experience as a family with young children has been disappointing. Our first concern was check-in. Check-in officially begins at 4:00 PM, but our room was not available until nearly 6:00 PM. Throughout that time, the only information we received was that the room was not yet ready. After a long travel day with two young children, that was not the best start to our vacation. Before arriving, we had already read reviews indicating that families would not have access to the Surf Club facilities, so we came prepared with toys and activities to keep our children entertained at the pool. We also make a conscious effort to be respectful of other guests by keeping our distance and ensuring our children are behaving appropriately. However, during the first three days of our stay, pool staff repeatedly approached us regarding normal children's pool activities: - No balls or toys that could be tossed in the pool. - No use of diving rings that sink to the bottom for children to retrieve. - No jumping into the pool. - At one point, a staff member told our son he was splashing too much.... in the middle of the pool. Individually, these may seem like small issues. Collectively, they have created the impression that families with children are tolerated rather than welcomed. The overall attitude we have encountered from some staff members has made us feel as though we should not be here at all. Marriott should consider one of two approaches: 1. If the intent is to cater primarily to adults, then position the resort accordingly rather than presenting it as family-friendly. 1. Alternatively, provide guests with access to neighboring Marriott properties, such as the Surf Club. At many other Marriott destinations—including Maui, where we have stayed multiple times—guests are able to enjoy amenities across adjacent Marriott resorts. Providing similar access here would create a much better experience for families. My family and I have stayed at Marriott properties for many years and have been approached several times about purchasing into the Vacation Club program. We had reached a point where we were seriously considering it. Unfortunately, this experience has made us reconsider. While the property itself is beautiful, the overall experience has left us feeling that Marriott's approach to families varies significantly from one resort to another. For couples, I would highly recommend this property. For families with young children, I would encourage you to carefully consider whether the atmosphere and policies are the right fit for your vacation.

I had a glorious massage on the beach at the Mandarin Spa hut. Viviana the masseuse was expert. She was gentle and quiet yet instinctively knew where my body was carrying tension and she worked on them. She used fabulous smelling oils that also contained ingredients that were good for my skin and hair, I paid for a full hour and it was worth it! I would highly recommend Viviana!

We booked and paid a premium for an oceanfront room, only to arrive and be told we must keep the drapes closed due to active balcony construction. That completely eliminates the value of the room we paid for—we are essentially left with no view and a dark, unusable space. What makes this worse is that we received both a pre-arrival email and a confirmation letter, neither of which mentioned any renovations or restrictions. Had this been disclosed, we would have never booked or would have made alternate arrangements. This lack of transparency is unacceptable. The proposed resolutions—a first-floor room facing bushes or a $200 credit—are completely inadequate given the circumstances and do not come close to addressing the loss of what we paid for. I also spoke with Supervisor Nicholas, who stated that no manager would be available until Wednesday and that I would receive a call back in three days. That is not a reasonable response to a situation like this. I left an additional message for Nicholas to discuss further, and he has not returned my call. At this point, this reflects a serious failure in both communication and customer service. I expect immediate attention to this matter and a resolution that properly reflects the premium rate we paid for an oceanfront experience that was not delivered.

Well, I hesitate to write this review because each and every time I return to this fabulous resort there are more people. I have to admit it is still one of the happiest places on earth and a paradise waiting to be discovered. The the Marriott ocean club is one of the premier properties on Palm Beach. You’re sure to have a fantastic time.

After staying at the six times at Marriott Maui and Ko Olina Ocean clubs, we were excited to visit the Aruba Ocean Club. We rented a two bedroom oceanfront unit for our family of six. We came here with our four kids ages 13-20. My kids love hot tubs in the evening and on check-in found out that both spas at the resort are for people over 21. One of the three pools is also adult only. I wish I had known this ahead of time. Luckily my kids don’t care for pools and mainly wanted the beach. We checked in @ 3 pm and was told the lock off unit was available and the master suite should be ready by 4 pm check in. As we went to the lock off to store our luggage we saw the people in the master suite leave with the bellman around 3:30 pm. We didn’t get access to the master suite to store the groceries until 5:30 pm. Shalaika at the front desk said that’s just the way it was and it’s normal to get the suite hours after 4 pm.? The only redeeming person at the front desk to apologize and make up for the inconvenience was Toneesha. The pros to this resort is its proximity to the Stellaris next door. The resort is directly on the ocean so the sunsets in the evening are gorgeous. Angelica who runs the activities was very sweet and helpful. Housekeeping was efficient. This resort is great if everyone is over 21. If my kids are all 21, we would rather stay at Stellaris. For anyone with kids under 21, the Surf club might be better.