The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba

I’ve been coming to Aruba for the last 8 years and one thing I never forget to do is go to the mixology bar at the Ritz. Jose has been there for as long as I can remember and he makes the best drinks. Personal favorite is the spicy mango margarita but nevertheless it’s always going to be good no matter what you get. Everyone should give this bar a try. It won’t disappoint!

I had the most amazing stay at the Ritz Carlton Aruba and choosing the Club Lounge access made it even more special. The Club Lounge is basically an all-inclusive experience with a beautiful continental breakfast, delicious lunch, dinner, desserts and plenty of snacks throughout the day. The food was consistently outstanding and the bar served only premium top shelf liquor. The service here is on another level. Everyone takes the time to remember your name and makes you feel like family. Eric Abdul, Rose, Rico and Alexsander went above and beyond and truly made the trip unforgettable. Day 1 I asked for lemonade and although they did not have any, they immediately squeezed some fresh for me which was such a thoughtful touch. The gesture really showed how far the team is willing to go for guests. Housekeeping also deserves special recognition. They helped my best friend decorate the room for my birthday which made the celebration so memorable. The last day we still had wet swimsuits and they washed and dried them for us so we could pack. From start to finish, the entire staff made me feel cared for in every way. If you are planning a stay in Aruba, I cannot recommend the Club Lounge access highly enough. It is worth every bit and made this vacation truly unforgettable. Also, it is on Palm Beach and it is beautiful really loves the two person large disk floaters available and the pool is open all night. There are beach servers you can call to you pressing a button on the umbrella but I didn’t order anything because everything was already free in the club lounge. Also, the lounge doesn’t feel far from the beach so going up to get a free (prepaid) drink is easy.

Loved our night at the new sushi lounge! Food was excellent, although we would love to see more late-night options. Gregory made amazing cocktails, and Javier is everywhere at once, making sure everything runs smoothly while always available to help and ensure a great experience. We’ll definitely be back on our next trip to the island!

I don’t usually write negative reviews, but I was so shocked and disappointed by the treatment we received at the Ritz Carlton Aruba that I feel compelled to share our experience. We booked this hotel as a luxury treat for our honeymoon. Unfortunately, “lackluster” would be an understatement. We had confirmed a 1:00 PM check-in time in advance, but upon arrival were told our room wouldn’t be ready until after 4:00 PM. When I showed the front desk staff our confirmation, I was told I was “confused” and that a 1:00 PM check-in doesn’t guarantee room readiness—communicated in an unnecessarily condescending tone. Despite this, they reassured us that we would be receiving a 7th-floor ocean view room and that it would be “worth the wait,” especially since we were celebrating our honeymoon. While I was still at the desk, another honeymooning couple checked in. They were greeted warmly, given early check-in, and even upgraded. In the time it took me to have three separate conversations with staff, they were already heading up to their room. When our room was finally ready, we were told there would be a long wait for our luggage, so we carried our bags up ourselves. The room was not what we were promised—it was a 5th-floor partial ocean view, not a 7th-floor ocean view. When I called the front desk, I was told to “just walk out onto the balcony and look to the right” to see the ocean. The room was clean and spacious, but there was no special touch to acknowledge our honeymoon, and the view we had booked (and were told to expect) simply wasn’t there. I was told someone from leadership would be contacting me to follow up. No one ever did. On Thursday morning, my husband spoke to the front desk again and explained our disappointment. They apologized and promised to send champagne and flowers to our room that evening at 7 PM. This never happened. When he called to follow up, he was met with excuses and reassured that “something special” would be done that night. Again—nothing happened. On Saturday morning, three days into our stay, we returned from breakfast to find a small chocolate cake in the room and a printed card welcoming us to the Ritz—with both of our names spelled incorrectly. No champagne. No flowers. Just a late, generic gesture that felt like an afterthought. Despite our frustration, we tried not to let this experience ruin our trip. The one saving grace was the exceptional service we received from the pool and bar staff. Gregory and Lyndon at the adults-only pool were absolutely incredible—warm, attentive, and genuine. They remembered our names and drinks, and they went out of their way to make us feel special. They were the true highlight of our stay and are a credit to the Ritz Carlton brand. Overall, our experience with the front desk and concierge was well below what one should expect from a luxury hotel—let alone a Ritz Carlton. What was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon stay ended up feeling impersonal and frustrating. For the price and the brand’s reputation, we expected a far more thoughtful and professional experience.

I travel a lot for a living and have experienced many different hotel situations over the last 30 years. I really enjoyed this hotel. It was clean the staff or professional. They were courteous very helpful and in all honesty I couldn’t ask for a better experience from the staff, there was some renovations going on, but I knew about them prior to my arrival and they did a good job trying to maintain normalcy during their work during the day. The staff at the pool were great expect frequent visits for fresh fruit, popcorn cotton candy to Naim a few. I had an executive suite that faced the ocean more towards the center of the hotel. It was nice. Bathroom was large carpet was clean room was clean, but on a downside nothing elaborate as a sweet upgrade other than the size and a large bathtub/shower.