My wife and I have been to the Renaissance Aruba Ocean Suites twice (most recently February 2018) and we both agree that we’ll go back...
Read more »
My wife and I have been to the Renaissance Aruba Ocean Suites twice (most recently February 2018) and we both agree that we’ll go back again. We’ve also stayed at the Marriott Aruba Surf Club down at the high-rise end of the beach and easily prefer the Renaissance. The high-rise end is very commercialized and your view of the ocean is polluted with every sort of commercial boat anchored just off-shore. Even though the Renaissance is in downtown Oranjestad, you still get nice ocean views.
The building is L-shaped and on the outside of the L you have an abundance of restaurants, shops, a movie theater, Starbucks, Dunkin, a couple casinos and just about anything you want within a VERY short walk. As you enter the lobby from the outside corner of the L, your view is drawn to the ocean. This resort offers two completely different worlds including one of modern convenience and the other of tropical paradise.
The private island is outstanding. The shuttle boat leaves for the island every 15 minutes and I don’t think we’ve ever had to wait for the next shuttle. The island has an adult beach complete with flamingos (my wife loves that) and a family side that has a very nice little restaurant. I’m not really a beach person but this one is amazing. Another nice “water feature” is being able to watch the cruise ships go out in the evening. So close it seems like you could reach out and touch them.
The one-bedroom suites are clean and laid out well and have a very small but adequate kitchenette. The furniture in the Living room could be a little more comfortable but it serves the purpose and you don't spend much time there anyway. You really have everything you need including a balcony. I don’t recall it ever being noisy except for the occasional door slam by an inconsiderate neighbor.
This is a great place that you can’t beat for the $. As with anything, there are a couple negatives. The staff is very nice and we’ve always found the service you get in Aruba is generally better than most of the islands in the Caribbean. The exception, both times we were there (2016 and 2018) was the service at the pool bar area which, with the exception of one tall thin gal whose name now escapes me, was very poor. There is also one thing to BEWARE of and that is all of the rental listing advertising “ocean view”. Make sure that you search for a room map on the internet to see what you really have. If it is an even-numbered room your “ocean view” will be very limited and you may be staring at a large parking lot or a nice little park. The odd-numbered rooms starting at the third floor have the best ocean views. Despite these things, still a "5".