Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino

This was our second trip to Aruba. Previously we stayed at the Hyatt and loved it, but the Marriott looked nice too, and it was a little less expensive, so we chose it. It was an average hotel, nothing spectacular. If you are choosing between the two, the location, grounds, and beach area isn't as nice as the Hyatt. We found the customer service at the front desk lacking as well. It is probably more fun/lively though, especially around the pool, with a DJ there every afternoon during Happy Hour.

We've stayed at the Marriott Stellaris for three years now and wouldn't stay anywhere else. The rooms are clean and they have plenty of restaurants on site. Everyone at the Marriott is friendly and helpful. Check-in was a breeze. Our housekeeper, Jennifer, was awesome. She provided anything you needed. She also took the time to chat with us regarding different things about the island. Our favorite part was having dinner on the beach at Atardi. We will be back next year!!

The resort was very clean but our stay was very disappointing. The pull out couch was the most uncomfortable bed ever and felt like sleeping on springs offering NO COMFORT or support. It was blood stained and very dirty. Also, there was not enough seating at the pool and their 2 hour rule was never enforced. The $70 a day resort fee is ridiculous and offered pretty much nothing for adults other than the ability to reserve a palapa. . . which does not mean you will get one. It included kayak's and paddle board but people should just be able to pay for what they want to use, not get hit with a resort fee on top of the $500 hotel stay. I will definitely not be staying at here when I come back next year. I have also shared my displeasure on multiple social media sites and with friends and family.

The hotel and all the amenities were very clean. Staff was friendly and outgoing. Both the adult pool and the hotel pool are in close proximity to the beach. We ate at Atari, which is their dinner restaurant on the beach. Great food, service and ambiance. Would recommend!

We are Lifetime Platinum Titanium Elite ( yes 40 yrs of Marriott loyalty ) and have stayed yearly at this property typically during Mother’s Day week for over 6-8 yrs. Less than two weeks before our trip we were notified by 4 different people trying to offer us the Tradewinds Lounge access for $150 a night. That lounge isn’t worth $75. They claim to have an American breakfast when in reality it’s just a small Buffett with fake eggs and processed food. They ( Margaret especially ) are rude and watch you like a hawk because you aren’t allowed to take an apple or more than two drinks out of there ( aka water ). They are closing the East tower 8th floor ( Tradewinds Level ) to start renovating and are losing that income to think by offering it to “status” members will help with the revenue loss. We’ve had this vacation planned for some time and paid for a premium room plus using some points and honestly every year we say we will go somewhere else because in 7 years the only thing they updated was the Lobby and only staff that’s consistent is the Tradewinds Beach Hut staff. The Tradewinds Lounge also doesn’t start their alcohol until 6pm and we are already at dinner by then. We bypassed it and went to Starbucks daily for $40 a day and had a couple cases of water delivered to our room. Problem solved!!! They no longer allow upgrade vouchers so switching rooms was inevitable. We know no property is perfect and we always felt like Aruba was home and honestly felt at home knowing the island and hotel well but this property no longer has any loyalty to their top tier clients. JW Marriott has not noted on their website that renovations are happening nor did any agent we spoke with when trying to make this trip happen. Quite frankly it’s a disappointment. Now we are scrambling to see where we can go last minute no thanks to the lack of consideration the Marriott Stellaris & Casino Aruba has shown up before even arriving.