We love the Stellaris. Fourth time to Aruba and we stay here each time. The staff is wonderful, the property is beautiful. The location is away from town so quiet at night but a short walking distance to anything you want to do downtown. We add the Tradewinds pkg to our stay. It's convenient and we think worth it based on some of the dining our prices on the island. The food and selections are great. We don't mind staying at the resort for breakfast and/or lunch and the usually head out for dinner. You cannot go wrong staying here.

Stayed at this hotel for part of an anniversary trip which also included stays in the timeshare next door as well as the Ritz on the other side. No room upgrades were available for ambassador status, no suite night upgrades available, no 4pm check out available. We were offered some champagne (but we don't drink alcohol), given a gift of chips and salsa (mediocre), and given a coupon for an appetizer and drinks at the onsite Mercat Restaurant (nice!). One of the reasons why we chose to spend the majority of our time at this hotel was because of the sports amenities (tennis, pickleball, basketball, etc) as well as the access we thought we had to the lounge. The courts were under repair and ambassador status does not give access to the lounge. We were given a continental breakfast which included only the cold foods (which were still good) such as fruits, cereals, yogurts, breads, cheese, and cold cuts. I noticed on several occasions, however, that others who also ordered the continental breakfast were allowed to eat some of the hot foods like bacon, eggs, and potatoes at no additional cost. This was disappointing because we attempted to do the same (the first time we did not know that the hot items were not included in the breakfast), we were threatened with additional charges. The resort fees with the lack of amenities were definitely unacceptable and I'll calling my credit card company to dispute those charges. The room we stayed in had a partial ocean and garden view with a nice balcony. As others have mentioned, soundproofing is subpar. You can hear the loud music playing outside, the toilet water filling after ever flush from the room upstairs, and hallway conversations. The loveseats in the room are also quiet small and very uncomfortable. The daily room service was the hotel's greatest services. The staff was courteous and did an excellent job on our room. The front desk service was very disappointing. On one occasion when I needed a new key, I was waiting for service while staff was trying to fix a TV problem in the lobby. Another couple was in line before me and had been waiting even longer. It was faster to go up to my room and find my other key than wait to have one remade at the front desk. In Conclusion: 1. I would stay here again but only as a last option. The vacation club next door gives you a better room for less money. If I was booking with cash, I'd look there first. The Ritz has much better customer service, rooms, and upgrade options. If I was booking with points, I'd spend the extra points to stay there instead. 2. Expect little to nothing from your Marriott status at this hotel. That way, you'll appreciate small benefits that they give along the way.

This is a beautiful resort, we did the trade winds package and truly believe this is the best way to go at this resort. The beach was fantastic, soft white sand and beautiful turquois water. The people all around were fantastic, very nice locals.

Just got back from 8 days at the Stellaris. Employees (as usual with Marriott) were top notch. Notably Ludwig Croes at the service desk. His personality, knowledge and efforts were greatly appreciated. We received a nice room upgrade, on the ocean corner with wrap around balcony. Beach has great sand and water is the Caribbean blue you come for. However, I suggest you walk the few extra yards to the beach in front of the Ritz. Carleton. The sand inside the water was much cleaner and the water clearer. Plus, fewer people. We spent part of every day in the ocean and then headed to the adult only pool at the end of each day. If you don't have kids, it's definitely the better of the two pools. We enjoyed 3 of the restaurants. Pricey, as expected, but the best meal was Atardi. You eat barefoot in the sand, right at the waters edge. You have 2 wait people that do a great job. We had and recommend the Sea Bass and Mahi Mahi. Cooked to perfection with great sauces. Of note was the octopus appetizer. Perfectly cooked at each visit. Mercat restaurant is a very expensive breakfast, try a local place instead. But the lunch was more worthy of the meal. We did one visit to the casino. Not our thing but if you're into gambling it was a nice setting. The only poor performance was the bar just outside the casino. Two nights we stopped in for pre-meal drinks. The first time, just my wife and I, waited for over 20 minutes after putting in our order and no one showed up at our table. I looked around for waiter, couldn't find him, so we left. The next night we showed up with another couple, ordered drinks. 40 minutes later (we timed it)the waiter showed up and got the drink order wrong. After he correctly repeated the original order back to us. Without so much as an apology. We left again.

My son and his future bride selected the Marriott Stellaris for their wedding host hotel after I visited and did a walk through. The young couple were required to put down a large deposit to guarantee the # of rooms. FYI, they had several rooms over the agreed #. The property is gorgeous, away from the busier areas. The day to day staff is kind courteous. Restaurant on site is good. Nice swim up bar. Reserving chairs by pool is first come first served. Palapas can be rented for $30 a day and its a process. Most of the wedding guests paid for the rooms with their own credit cards...but when it got time to settle the new couples balance there were problems...not going to give the deposit back. After several international phone calls, credit card company protests and contacting Marriott corporate, the newlyweds only got part of their deposit back. I would be cautious before putting any $$$ deposit into Marriott Stellaris international bank account.