Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club

The ocean club is like our second home after going there for many years. The rooms are extremely clean and comfortable as the photos will show. There is a very functional kitchen that allows eating in rather than going out every night. The bed was a king and very comfortable, and any issues with being provided towels or linens and some time ago. This was a pandemic issue. Housekeeping comes twice per week and you have the option to pay for it if you want more. There is a laundry room on each floor with no charge. There are Keurig coffee makers in the suites. The grounds are beautiful with many species of plants and the other present iguanas that just wanna be left alone and show off for you. The birds are spectacular as well, look for the Aruin ring eyed pigeons. That is the name of the species and you should be able to find one. There is a selection of restaurants on premises, the main one being Malmok which has outdoor dining as well as bar seating and pool bar seating, which is our favorite. The menu is extensive for non-vegetarians, vegetarians and vegans. The bartenders and wait staff have been there for years and greet us warmly. Our favorite are the fish tacos, but please ask for some papaya hot sauce on the side. The other restaurant on site is Campeones (cleverly renamed from champions when it was a sports bar). All you can eat chips and salsa and margaritas that are not all you can drink! The lobby and public areas are also extremely clean and well kept. There are a number of stores with some grocery items, alcohol, souvenirs, and the ocean Café gelato in particular is not to be missed. The pool is lovely, but will be closing for renovations this fall so please check. There are fitness classes and pool classes. Getting chairs at the pool can be difficult depending on the time of year. In April, it was much easier than it had been earlier in the winter on prior years. In general and the busier times you do need to get up early and claim your chairs. The Palapas on the beach are reserved via a webpage and that is fairly easy. There is a charge for the Palapas. What else can I tell you except to go and enjoy.

Great location in Palm beach. Pools and grounds immaculate. Rooms dated and mold in shower, stains on couch and fingernail found in bed. Disappointing for Marriott. And you have to pay $25 to reserve a palapa which should be included in room cost.

I have stayed in properties across the globe, but my experience at the Marriott Ocean Club in Aruba was nothing short of appalling. I arrived exhausted after a flight from New York, only to be treated with suspicion and borderline hostility. Because the timeshare is under my mother’s name, I was made to jump through bureaucratic hoops—mid-vacation—to access a room I paid for. After finally getting authorized, I waited another 45 minutes past check-in. And when I entered? The prior guest’s garbage was still in the villa. Then came the fire alarms. Not one, but two. A false alarm at 8:45 a.m., and a second at 5:30 a.m. the next day that lasted 45 minutes. No communication. No apology. No plan. Just blaring chaos and staff nowhere to be found. The towel hut? A masterclass in disorganization and passive aggression. They botched my room number daily and refused new towels after 3:30 p.m.—as if Aruba ceases to be a beach destination in the afternoon. This was not a resort experience. It was a farce. I came for rest and received nothing but stress, incompetence, and indifference. I expected Marriott. What I got was amateur hour.