Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino

This was our first vacation in two years and it was a tremendous letdown. I can confirm what others say about the chair and palapa reservation system, it’s entirely stressful, exactly the opposite of what you want to do on a relaxing vacation. The water and the beach were the...

This was our first vacation in two years and it was a tremendous letdown. I can confirm what others say about the chair and palapa reservation system, it’s entirely stressful, exactly the opposite of what you want to do on a relaxing vacation. The water and the beach were the highlight, and a bit less crowded and quieter than the pool area…except for jerks who like to smoke their cigars on the beach. The staff were very friendly and helpful, only person who rubbed me the wrong way was the concierge who offered me a “free gift” of a timeshare pitch for a $7 coupon towards aloe. The beachside grill was probably the best place to eat on site as you’ll get what you’re expecting. But know everything is very expensive. Mercat is terrible, just go out to eat dinner. Speaking of $$, if you’re a Marriot Bonvoy member you’re supposed to get 10% off everything. You just have to be aware, they’re not going to tell you. This place was too crowded, they pack it with more guests than they can handle. This gets back to the beach/pool/palapa issue. Rooms were nothing special, sheets and bedding weren’t the best, and tv channels didn’t like up with shows advertised. Mini fridges were entirely too small in case you had snacks or leftovers. For $800+ a night, I expected luxury or something striving for it, instead I got Florida. We actually came back early to cut our losses. This goes beyond this resort, but Aruba is a lot more expensive and more crowded than you’d expect. This place didn’t help. Next time we’re going to Mexico, a better bang for the buck and treatment of guests with open arms rather than their hands in your pockets.

Wonderful property in Palm Beach section. Hotel is beautifully landscaped and very clean. Location is directly on the beach which boasts white sand and turquoise waters. Pool area has swim up bar and happy hour 2x per day....which is bascially 2 drinks for $22 price, otherwise drinks are expensive $17-20...

Wonderful property in Palm Beach section. Hotel is beautifully landscaped and very clean. Location is directly on the beach which boasts white sand and turquoise waters. Pool area has swim up bar and happy hour 2x per day....which is bascially 2 drinks for $22 price, otherwise drinks are expensive $17-20 per. Overall the drinks are not that great for the high price charged. The system for reserving chairs is a bit of a chore everyday. We mostly ate outside of the property at the many restaurants in the vicinity, eating a few lunches at the snack bar on beach which was good. Also got gelato everyday at their Gelato bar. Charge everything to the room Check in was quick and easy as was check out. The room was nice size and very clean with comfy beds, large bathroom and nice balcony with ocean view. Our room was not sold as "ocean view" as room was on the side of property but we did have a view. The lobby and all public areas are well maintained and feels very new. The gym had several cardio machines and good amount of weight machines. The main attraction for us was walk out easy access to beach. Would highly recommend this property.

We arrived FEB 10TH got to our room that was over the garbage site, the room had a foul odor in it and the toilet was not working went to the front desk and ask to change our room there was nothing available. I found another hotel but couldn't check...

We arrived FEB 10TH got to our room that was over the garbage site, the room had a foul odor in it and the toilet was not working went to the front desk and ask to change our room there was nothing available. I found another hotel but couldn't check in till February 11 when I went to the front desk to tell them I will be checking out the next morning a cockroach ran over my foot , the gentleman behind the desk came running out and killed it. That morning upon check out I was told there was no charge due to all our issues, but my credit card was charged 1 night. They are refusing to refund my Credit card and told me that I was not told that. This is very unprofessional and very disappointing especially for a Marriott.

We recently returned from a one week stay in a Tradewinds room. I must admit I was a bit surprised at some of the negative reviews, although I can understand some of the comments relating to the palapas. We were very fortunate, we used the app and were able to...

We recently returned from a one week stay in a Tradewinds room. I must admit I was a bit surprised at some of the negative reviews, although I can understand some of the comments relating to the palapas. We were very fortunate, we used the app and were able to get a palapas each day. Service at the beach was good for us and I guess the only negative would be smoking in the area one day was bothersome (a not so pleasant cigar). I think it would help if Tradewinds guests could get more assigned palapas and perhaps an area where guests who do smoke could go have a cigarette and come back to their seating area. We found the food in the Tradewinds area to be good and especially some of the fish and meat dishes at lunch time. The staff were also very polite and dishes cleared off very efficiently. I agree with some of the comments on the rooms. They are a bit dated but due for an imminent renovation so looking forward to revisiting once renovated. On the plus side they were a very good size. We had paid for ocean view and were a little disappointed getting also the side Ritz deliveries but did have a reasonable view other than that. Overall I would definitely visit again. It’s not cheap and depending on the dates you stay comparable to the Ritz next door price wise. Having said that we went to the Ritz and we both agreed, pool area quite disappointing and didn’t seem to have in the main areas much atmosphere and as such we much preferred our hotel. Looking forward to seeing your renovation some time in 2026. I did notice when you go on the Marriott website at the moment it doesn’t allow any bookings as yet for next year which I assume will open up in due course.

The hotel is beautiful and has a lot of amenities. We stayed for 6 nights and have stayed at this hotel previously. Full disclosure: I’m a Bonvoy Platinum member, and I’ve stayed at several other Aruba hotels: Renaissance, Hyatt, Holiday Inn. My observations: - Room was great and the maid...

The hotel is beautiful and has a lot of amenities. We stayed for 6 nights and have stayed at this hotel previously. Full disclosure: I’m a Bonvoy Platinum member, and I’ve stayed at several other Aruba hotels: Renaissance, Hyatt, Holiday Inn. My observations: - Room was great and the maid staff was generous and helpful. Don’t forget to tip them. The room was very large and comfortable with plenty of storage. - Pools were nice and clean but only 1 hot tub at the main pool and none at the adults-only pool. The pool chair situation can be challenging during the high season. Plan to go out at 6:30 am and ask the people in the towel hut what time you can save chairs and how. Otherwise, they’ll take your stuff away. - Gym is one of the best hotel gyms I’ve used. If you travel for work and like to work out, you’ve experienced the so- called gyms consisting of a few pieces of equipment stuffed into a small space. This one is 2-levels with lots of cardio and weight equipment, water, towels. - Beach is beautiful with calm water. Reserving a palapa is a blood sport. Your success reserving one depends on the speed at which you can refresh the app at the appointed time to reserve one. We were in the Tradewinds Club. There were separate palapas for Tradewinds and the beach chairs had a nice cushion. The downside was that none of the bar/ food servers came by all day during the 3 days were had a palapa. They did service the “regular” side but we could not get their attention and the attendant was unsuccessful getting any of the servers to come over. Overall,

Nice hotel as you would expect from Marriott. Good location on the beach and walking distance to restaurants and shops. Overcrowded at the pool, on the beach and in the gym. Pool chairs are taken EARLY and there aren’t many umbrellas. Must use lottery system on their app to get...

Nice hotel as you would expect from Marriott. Good location on the beach and walking distance to restaurants and shops. Overcrowded at the pool, on the beach and in the gym. Pool chairs are taken EARLY and there aren’t many umbrellas. Must use lottery system on their app to get a palapa on the beach. Food, drinks and room are very overpriced. In room furnishings are uncomfortable and the temperature was hard to regulate.

My wife and I have been coming for at least 15 years except for Covid. It felt like we were home when we arrived at the hotel to check-in. It was wonderful!! The staff with whom we had contact were very gracious and welcoming and it was perfect. Everywhere we...

My wife and I have been coming for at least 15 years except for Covid. It felt like we were home when we arrived at the hotel to check-in. It was wonderful!! The staff with whom we had contact were very gracious and welcoming and it was perfect. Everywhere we went the staff had a smile and were very engaging. I would like to compliment the following members of your staff who were especially helpful during our stay: Beverly Morris at the Reception Desk: John, Javier, Isabelo and Henel at the Palapa Station; Gabriel was our Server at the pool and Waves; Nora at the Gelato Stand was great; Glendy Maduro in your onsite Reservation Department was terrific to work with; Ludwig Croes who works for Marriott Vacation Club was always upbeat and engaging even though we did not participate in the program; and, Angie (Anceleen) and Moises at the Concierge Desk were very helpful. We will return to Aruba and stay at the Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino. Our home away from home.

1) They DO NOT offer pressing of garments service, this was confirmed by the front reception counter as well as the floor staff manager who told me point blank that they do not offer any such service, only full dry cleaning services, which are not free. Attached is a photo...

1) They DO NOT offer pressing of garments service, this was confirmed by the front reception counter as well as the floor staff manager who told me point blank that they do not offer any such service, only full dry cleaning services, which are not free. Attached is a photo of the laundry slip in our bathroom closet showing only dry clean service offered. 2) No bottle of Prosecco was waiting for us in our room upon arrival. No bottle was ever presented to us and when questioned we were told that the Tradewind lounge offers beverages and we should go there if we want a glass of champagne. That is very different from enjoying a full bottle with your spouse in the privacy of your hotel room. 3) Our room DID NOT have a premium ocean view, instead we overlooked the garbage dumpsters and listened to the beeping sound of garbage and other trucks backing into the garbage/loading/unloading area all hours of the day and night. Completely the opposite of the photo and description on the Costco Travel website. See photo attached of our view. 4) We purchased many things in the stores in the hotel lobby only to find out on day 4 when we happen to have our room key in hand that stated "Elite Room" on the card that we were entitled to a 10% discount on our entire purchase every time we use any of the stores. Not Costco's fault but nowhere was this written or told to us, except by chance more than halfway through our vacation. 5) The ice machine on the "Elite" 8th floor, for Tradewinds guests only, was broken from day 2 to day 7 of our 7 day stay. If there's a floor for Elite guests, the ice machine should work and we had to walk down to the floor below every evening to refill our ice bucket. 6) Upon arrival at 1PM we were told check-in was at 4PM and we would be texted or called as soon as room was ready. At 4PM, a very tired and annoyed me asked again at the desk why our room wasn't available yet only to be told it's been ready for a few hours and they apologized that nobody called or texted us that info. Bad start to a trip and an omen of everything else that was to come. 7) Once finally given our room key we entered the elevators only to find no 8th floor available?! The person behind the counter suggested we could go to 7 and walk up to 8?! Can you imagine! The baggage porter could see and probably hear my loud frustration and was kind enough to show me that there is a button for the 8th floor in the elevator, it just isn't marked at all. Somehow, we were supposed to know the secret unmarked button was for our floor, the "Elite TradeWinds" floor. 8) Last but not least the Costco description states the Tradewinds lounge dinner is available from 6-9PM, however every night at 7:30 they would quickly put all the food away and only beverages were available from 7:30 to 9PM. Too bad I guess for the customers coming for dinner after 7:30. It seemed as though they wanted to clean up and leave early to me. We paid 100% premium because this was the height of busy season, however we chose this week because I celebrated my 50th birthday on Wednesday Feb 5th. Having paid the highest premium for each day of this week I was really expecting a premium experience, but this hotel failed miserably on that expectation, starting immediately on check-in.

The rooms are beautiful !! Nik from Frondesk was great amazing and thank you to Edgar my bellboy he is so sweet and to Ludwig Beethoven for smiling all the time and making reservation for atardi last minute , we love them all! Aruba a beautiful place Can’t wait to...

The rooms are beautiful !! Nik from Frondesk was great amazing and thank you to Edgar my bellboy he is so sweet and to Ludwig Beethoven for smiling all the time and making reservation for atardi last minute , we love them all! Aruba a beautiful place Can’t wait to come back to my one happy island!

Outstanding 1 week stay at the Aruba Marriott Resort. Our ocean view room was spacious and modern and included a very comfortable bed. Our balcony overlooked the adult only pool and beach with great sunset views. Housekeeping did an excellent job every day. The beach area is amazing. Located at...

Outstanding 1 week stay at the Aruba Marriott Resort. Our ocean view room was spacious and modern and included a very comfortable bed. Our balcony overlooked the adult only pool and beach with great sunset views. Housekeeping did an excellent job every day. The beach area is amazing. Located at the northern end of Palm Beach. I walked the length of the beach, and I think this is the best section as it is quieter and more relaxed compared to the beach south of here. The resort has a well-organized system for securing lounge chairs under a palapa on the beach. Using the hotel app, you must request a palapa beginning at 8am selecting an arrival time between 8a-10am. You then must arrive before 10am or else the palapa is released if not claimed. Once you have claimed your spot, you can keep it for the entire day. You best be ready to make your selection immediately at 8am as spots are limited. There is bar and food service on the beach beginning at 11am. Cocktails are expensive at $17 but happy hour is from 12-1pm and from 3-5pm when you can get 2 cocktails for $22. The resort has 2 pools. The larger pool complex is lively and loud and has a volleyball net and a swim up bar. There is a smaller and more relaxed adult only pool that I found more enjoyable. If you want a lounger at this pool, it is best to arrive before 8am to claim your spot especially if you want some shade. The pool attendant will get you set up and you can return later in the morning to enjoy your pool time. There is a 2-hour rule in which the loungers are vacated if left unoccupied for more than 2 hours, but I didn't see this enforced. Towels are left on the loungers all day as best I could tell. I enjoyed getting coffee from the Starbucks inside the hotel almost every morning and drinking it out on the beach when it was still quiet and peaceful out there. I found the food at the Waves Pool Bar pretty average as was the breakfast we had at Mercat but didn't try Atardi or Ruth Chris. There is also a very convenient Hertz Rental Car at the hotel. This allowed me to rent a car for a couple days to explore the island for a very reasonable rate. Free parking in the hotel lot as well. I will definitely plan to stay here again if we return to Aruba someday.

It’s a wonderful hotel and the best part is the hotel Lobby Bar on Tuesdays and Fridays when Amy Sorinio performs. She sings a variety of genres from country to rock to opera and is a great entertainer. We go to Aruba a few months every year and never miss...

It’s a wonderful hotel and the best part is the hotel Lobby Bar on Tuesdays and Fridays when Amy Sorinio performs. She sings a variety of genres from country to rock to opera and is a great entertainer. We go to Aruba a few months every year and never miss a show. If you are unable to visit Aruba check her out on Spotify, Facebook and other platforms

Marriott Stellaris is not what it used to be! In the middle of our stay currently, and after many stays over last 15 years, may never return. At $1000+/- a night, it is a poor value. Being lifetime titanium and a frequent Marriott patron have ZERO value at this property....

Marriott Stellaris is not what it used to be! In the middle of our stay currently, and after many stays over last 15 years, may never return. At $1000+/- a night, it is a poor value. Being lifetime titanium and a frequent Marriott patron have ZERO value at this property. Summary: very-tired rooms (about to be renovated), app to reserve palapas at very likely leave you without a place to sit on the beach ( yes really, so be prepared), if you “upgrade” to Tradewinds you will find low quality food and likely will go elsewhere for breakfast and lunch. The Ritz next door is far superior choice (similar price too) if you want to stay with Marriott. Room: surprisingly tired, filthy carpet, uncomfortable bed and furniture. Apparently they are starting a 6 month renovation in May ( May to October 2025). I would avoid until renovations are completed. Tradewinds: it is nothing special, at all. So disappointing. you pay a premium for this, which in my opinion is poor value. This provides you a room on 8th floor (we literally overlook the dumpsters, with Ritz in background), have access to the Tradewinds Lounge, and a dedicated section of beach ( which they reduced to just 21 palapas). The food (breakfast and lunch) is low quality buffet only. No omelette station like many lounges offer, no fresh cooked eggs, no fresh anything. Dry scrambled eggs ( maybe Instant eggs), waffles and French roast some mornings, very basic and prepackaged tasting. Lunch, a hot dish (fish or pasta) that was low quality, wilted lettuce in salad. We gave up on the food and now just go to one of the restaurants on property. Beach: Marriott Stellaris has one of the nicest beach areas in my opinion, fairly large, palapas, and mature palm trees. The palapas used to be assigned on a first come first served basis - so if you were motivated you got what you wanted. They now make you go on an app at 8am, and frantically refresh it like you are going for Taylor Swift tickets, and by 8:02 they are all taken. So you might be lucky and get one somewhat close to the water, or you may be way back, or not get one at all. Tradewinds only has 21 Palapas for I would estimate 60+ rooms. Worse, if you are traveling with family or friends there is no way to get palapas next to each other. ( other hotels like the Ritz are still first come first served, and others like the Hilton allow you to arrange palapas before arriving on the island) Smokers: if cigarettes and cigar smoke bothers you, you will not be happy. Every day on the beach we had multiple chain smokers around us. There is no regulation on this. Never had this issue before, aside from an occasional cigar smoker, which was usually short in duration. Management: the GM and hotel management are unavailable and invisible. I asked a couple of times to speak with them, and the hotel staff just look scared, start speaking in another language to each other, and Raul ( I believe that is the GM name) is never available. Never heard from anyone about my concerns.

The service is pathetic for a Marriott.The palaba and pool chaise situation is a joke. The casino employees were rude and detached.I went with 5 other couple and we all spent the rest of our casino time at the Ritz.Rented a cabana for $250 one day...ordered lunch and waited 1-1/2...

The service is pathetic for a Marriott.The palaba and pool chaise situation is a joke. The casino employees were rude and detached.I went with 5 other couple and we all spent the rest of our casino time at the Ritz.Rented a cabana for $250 one day...ordered lunch and waited 1-1/2 hours for a Buddha Bowl..When I asked to see a supervisor and asked what was the issue....Her response was "I can't tell you that".. The bar at the cabana pool had both the servers AWOL for long periods of time and then we found them on their phones behind the bar hut....The rooms for a Marriott are totally outdated and smelled.....The balcony was full of bird droppings...There can't possibly be a manager checking anything out in this hotel because it's soooo blatantly bad and the issues are so noticeable...I would have to rate a Super 8 or a Motel 6..far above this ..this...I want to say dump...but I'll be nice and say poorly run Hotel......After you get by the lobby and bar area..which is very very nice...the rest is really a low end and disappointing destination in Aruba...AND..I'm sure some manager will write back something about "I'm sad to hear..blah..blah..blah" when what the person should do..is walk into a guest room...walk on the balcony and see the droppings...go into the casino...try yourself to get a palaba..or maybe order a Buddha Bowl at a cabana that costs $250 for the day..with a bar that has the staff hiding behind it on their phones..while BTW..people just took it upon themselves to walk behind the bar and get their own drinks...I'm a Marriott Bonvoy Elite member and spent a couple hundred thousand points on this...which was armed robbery...DO NOT even consider this place.....

Here now January 2025. Staff is SUPER friendly and attentive. Hotel is at the end of strip which I like. Plenty of taxis . Bell service was excellent (Jal. Was super sweet ). Service on beach was great. Actually ALL staff were supper friendly. room was clean and updated. A...

Here now January 2025. Staff is SUPER friendly and attentive. Hotel is at the end of strip which I like. Plenty of taxis . Bell service was excellent (Jal. Was super sweet ). Service on beach was great. Actually ALL staff were supper friendly. room was clean and updated. A few negatives music at night was so loud!!! Not sure if it was coming from the lobby or pool area. If you’re staying here I suggest getting a room facing the Ritz or the adult pool. Soooo much quieter. Lots of kids at pool area but that doesn’t bother me they were Happy Not enough pool chairs or beach huts. You much reserve at 5:00pm either in person on or on app. And must show up in person by 10am to claim spot. Didn’t have a problem with that. But if we went out for the morning we had difficulty getting a seat in the afternoon. People save pool seats to early and leave their stuff for hours before returning. Not fair. Wish there were more chairs Overall I’m having a great stay.

Year after year we continue to return to this property. Why? The staff and experience is excellent and predictable. Reason for the 4 vs 5 is simply due to the ridiculously high cost of the rooms ( as a high status marriott member - I feel comfortable making that comment/comparison)....

Year after year we continue to return to this property. Why? The staff and experience is excellent and predictable. Reason for the 4 vs 5 is simply due to the ridiculously high cost of the rooms ( as a high status marriott member - I feel comfortable making that comment/comparison). That aside- it’s a 5. Let’s start w Mercat. Ask for Francis. I have watched his interactions with guests for many years. He greats everyone like family. Remembers what you like from one day to the next. Next the beach staff. John and javier have been there for years. They may not know your name—-but clearly remember you. Both are extremely professional and treat you well to make sure you have what you need each day of your stay. Hannel helped us as well - remembered our preferences from one day to the next. 😀Treat them well! Great staff and experience all around!

Beach chair system is terrible. At 5 PM the day before you need to put in a reservation for the next day in their app. It’s only 20% of the available reservations. If you can’t get one, you try again for the next morning when they release the remaining 80%...

Beach chair system is terrible. At 5 PM the day before you need to put in a reservation for the next day in their app. It’s only 20% of the available reservations. If you can’t get one, you try again for the next morning when they release the remaining 80% at 8am. If you get one you have to be there by 10am for your reservation and the system assigns the umbrella by lottery. You have no say in where you are sitting. The main pool area is loud and they play pop music all afternoon.

We enjoy this Hotel. This was our 13th time staying here on the Tradewinds Level. We love having our large Ocean View room on the top floor. However, for about 7 of our 10 day stay, only one elevator was working. This was inconvenient. We arrive from the airport and...

We enjoy this Hotel. This was our 13th time staying here on the Tradewinds Level. We love having our large Ocean View room on the top floor. However, for about 7 of our 10 day stay, only one elevator was working. This was inconvenient. We arrive from the airport and immediately feel at home. The private Tradewinds check in is great!! Shout out to Margaret. We were offered a glass of Prosecco- nice touch. We unpacked and the fun began. The new app-Bonbini was somewhat problematic but we were able to get a Palapa daily in the Adult Only Tradewinds Beach Section. Danki to Enrique, Kisean & Silvia at this beach who took good care of us- brought us ice cold water bottles and some days ice cold wash clothes- greatly appreciated. We also enjoyed the free floats. The beach is gorgeous with clear and calm water. One day we decided to rent a Cabana at the Adult Pool- quite expensive but hey, we were on vacation- it came with a fruit platter, water bottles , juice & Prosecco.Food at the Tradewinds Lounge was tasty and there was a nice variety. We liked the soups at lunch. We typically eat dinner there 5 of our 10 nights. We like that the dinner meal is served to us as the others are Buffet. Plenty of ‘tagliere’ to choose from - meats, cheeses, salad. Olives etc. at lunch & dinner. One would have to be a very picky eater not to find something to their taste. Plus at dinner which is served tapas style, you can ask your Server for another portion. We especially enjoyed the coconut shrimp.Naila & Michael were wonderful Servers. Top Shelf alcohol & wines are there for us from 6-9 - also dessert if desired. We enjoy listening to and sometimes dancing to Amy Sorinio on Tuesday & Friday nights in the Lobby. Then of course a trip into the Casino . A delightful variety of slot machines which I like. Entertainment as well some nights- we like a good merengue. Housekeeping was on the ball. We called daily as we left the room to go to the beach. Boy this is long. But I guess when you enjoy a place it needs to be mentioned. Kudos to Verna Dijkoff who really takes good care of us. She is an asset to Marriott. So in conclusion, do not hesitate to stay here. We are already looking forward to our next trip here and staying in a Renovated Room.

We had a great time at the Aruba Marriott Stellaris! Check-in was easy and we received a warm welcome from Jadeon, who was very competent and kind. Our room was great. It was very clean and had a great view over the pools to the ocean. The rooms can use...

We had a great time at the Aruba Marriott Stellaris! Check-in was easy and we received a warm welcome from Jadeon, who was very competent and kind. Our room was great. It was very clean and had a great view over the pools to the ocean. The rooms can use an update, which we understand will happen soon. Breakfast was very good, The beach was beautiful, but there were no waves here. We were able to get a palapa every day on the app; we just set a reminder for the times that the reservations were available, 5pm the night before or 8 am the day of. No issues for us. The food and drink service at the beach was good. The vibe of the resort is fun and lively; it is not a quiet, peaceful place. Lots of activity in the lobby in the evenings. No issues getting a taxi to go for dinner. Overall, a great stay.

Overall we really enjoyed our stay. We booked a discounted (through GovX) Club Suite - Limited View which is Tradewinds level. After reading some of the reviews here about Tradewinds I was expecting it to be a waste of money, but we were pleasantly surprised. The food was mostly very...

Overall we really enjoyed our stay. We booked a discounted (through GovX) Club Suite - Limited View which is Tradewinds level. After reading some of the reviews here about Tradewinds I was expecting it to be a waste of money, but we were pleasantly surprised. The food was mostly very high quality. It comes from the restaurant - the Tradewinds doesn't have its own kitchen. There was good variety and it was consistently excellent. The only thing I tried I did not like was the scrambled eggs, which you can tell by looking at them they're your cafeteria-style, somehow cheapened type. Otherwise the breakfast menu is outstanding daily. Lunch and the evening appetizers were always great. If you like seafood, they will often have red snapper or other fish and it's outstanding. That said, if you don't drink alcohol then I'd say the Tradewinds is not worth the upgrade. If you do drink alcohol then it is definitely worth the upgrade. They have a draft beer system in the Tradewinds. The Chill, which is good when it is ice cold, always tasted slightly warm and off to me from that tap. The Balashi (pilsner) was consistently outstanding. In the refrigerator they offer cans of Miller Lite which was a bummer. I like Miller Lite but would have preferred cans of Balashi or Chill while in Aruba : ) You can take cans to the beach with you, as well as water and assorted soft drinks. A major negative that wasn't a huge deal for us but I can see others would be - if you purchase a discounted room like we did through GovX or Costco etc then you might get the "Limited View" version. We had room 848, which faced the Ritz Carlton, but still had a great wide view of the ocean. But I would say any room on floors 3 and up that are located on the inside of the U-shaped hotel are better. My point: just because you're on the TW 8th floor doesn't mean you get the best view. Elevators - this was something else I recall reading something negative about in a recent review but we never waited more than 10 or 15 seconds for an elevator, which is pretty amazing. Not waiting for minutes for crowded elevators is a big deal over many days. The lady that sings on Tuesday nights in the lobby? She seems to have a cult following. I don't get it. Not my taste. The main pool is nice but if course a lot of kids. We went over to the adult pool for a short visit once and it was the exact opposite - quiet and...to me...boring. : ) Happy hour at the main pool is fun - the one DJ is really fun and clearly enjoys doing it and spins some great tunes. There is another DJ who has a sour puss on his face the entire time and basically just hits play on his macbook and then walks over to the bar and talks to the bartenders lol. The big problem with the pool is that at least 70% of the chairs are consistently unused but people will insist on putting their towels on them anyway. We always went to the beach until ~3 or 4pm we would go to the pool. We always found a couple of chairs but it's slim pickings. I don't understand why people can't simply take their towels with them after they leave so that the chairs are made available to others. Had we wanted to use the pool during the day the lack of consideration from the majority of people there would have been an issue. I did notice if you want to get up by 8AM or so there were chairs available. But please, don't be the people who wrap towels around 4+ chairs and then not use them until noon or later, if at all. Many clearly went unused all day, with untouched towels on them, which is a shame. Now for the big reveal....the palapa situation. Yes, it's very annoying to me that you have to reserve a palapa at 8AM. Fortunately we were up around that time and my wife is an early riser and she reserved one every day. The first day it seemed to error out but when we went down to the TW section and asked, the guy said we did have one reserved and brought us to it. All other days she was able to reserve without issue. I will warn you that you likely won't have much if any view of the ocean from your palapa. We were mostly in the back or middle until the last day we got one of the 2nd row palapas. We didn't reserve one that day - we showed up late after an excursion. We never had an issue getting a palapa, but you do need to reserve and if you don't get one then just ask - the staff are consistently super nice and helpful. Housekeeping was consistently excellent. Turndown service was a nice surprise. Overall we had an awesome time. Did a couple of excursions: Delphi snorkel catamaran - we took a recommendation to use Delphi for this, which is all the way down by the Hyatt so a ~15 minute or so walk. They were great and we had a great time but if did it again would just use the operator right at the Marriott who coordinates them (he's located right next to the TW palapas). One minor thing to me but my wife found to be a big positive - the sand in the ocean in front of the Marriott is very fine after about 3ft. It feels like you're walking on sea moss or mud, which grossed my wife out a bit. The beach in front of the Ritz Carlton is just a short walk over and it doesn't have this issue. Not sure how that is. Otherwise the Ritz Carlton looked to be a pretty boring place to stay - very quiet and in chatting and overhearing many staying there it is mainly a place for business travelers to use up points. We almost chose staying at the Ritz ourselves in a standard room, as it would have been same price as the one we got with the TW upgrade. Definitely glad we went with the Marriott and TW. The staff at the Marriott and really all over Aruba were great - nice and helpful. We didn't run into anyone who was grumpy. We did a couple of excursions and went out to dinner at a few places and the staff everywhere in Aruba is just top-notch. Even at the airport. Of course, as is the case now at all US airports unfortunately, once you clear Aruba customs and security and then go through the US security, the smiles and friendliness turns to frowns and anger as is typical for TSA. Amazing contrast. Speaking of that - we heard horror stories about getting through the security/customs and to the gate. Our taxi driver told us that Saturdays are a problem but otherwise no problem. It took us 1 hour to get through security/customs and to our gate. We filled out the MPC form via the app but never saw an MPC line so not sure if that saved us time but it seemed everyone was just in the same line. Maybe on a Saturday/busy time that would be helpful. All in all, while I made sure to point out the negatives, we loved our stay at the Marriott Stellaris. Would we stay there again? No. Because we're not the type to go back to the same place twice - we like to try new places. And if we were to go back to Aruba, we felt that the walk to the 'downtown' was a bit far. It's only 15 minutes but the sidewalk ends and we kept getting sand in our shoes : ) We would stay at a more central hotel for easier access to all of Palm beach.

Enjoyed our first visit to Aruba at the Marriott Stellaris. Was a bit concerned with many of the negative reviews about the property honouring status, being dated and securing a spot on the beach or at the pool. Waited on friends to return from the same property before maintaining our...

Enjoyed our first visit to Aruba at the Marriott Stellaris. Was a bit concerned with many of the negative reviews about the property honouring status, being dated and securing a spot on the beach or at the pool. Waited on friends to return from the same property before maintaining our reservations. They had only good things to say and very pleased we stayed. Status was honoured* with complimentary daily continental breakfast which was great. Only complaint is that the coffee could have been hotter (minor point, and they offered a take away each morning to enjoy while starting the day at the beach or pool). *no room upgrades were available but didn’t expect it and the room was very well appointed, not dated, clean, roomy, and very comfortable. Turn down service was a nice touch and towel replacement was key after a long day at the beach. Rooms and common areas are nice. Not quite sure what others are experiencing, but the North side was great. Only negative is a strong musty odor by the elevators in front of Ruth’s Chris. With the humidity being so high on the beach, this is minor and easily dealt with. The hotel communicated that they will be renovating from May through November, so deals are likely to be had, and you’re unlikely to be disappointed. Beach and pool spots are a bit of a game, but if you listen to instructions, download the app, and simply ask for assistance, it’s not that big a deal. For such a large property, it’s understandable that choice spots go quickly. A couple of times, we got less desirable spots and simply went to the towel hut at 10:00 am to ask if anyone had not shown for their reserved spot. Worked out each time. Large pool definitely gets lovely in the afternoon. So, if it is not your scene, the adult pool is very nice. Staff are all very pleasant and accommodating. Met several people that are habitual visitors to Aruba and all chose the Marriott as their go too. We hope to be back for another visit soon.

As always, phenomenal! Thank you to Nik, Ella, Claudia for an incredible stay! Check in was seamless and easy. Room was clean and bright. Front desk staff were always helpful and friendly! We had a few unexpected goodies waiting for is in our room- so greatly appreciated. The entire staff...

As always, phenomenal! Thank you to Nik, Ella, Claudia for an incredible stay! Check in was seamless and easy. Room was clean and bright. Front desk staff were always helpful and friendly! We had a few unexpected goodies waiting for is in our room- so greatly appreciated. The entire staff was incredible the entire time. Pool staff was accommodating and welcoming. The Mercat breakfast team was attentive and quite fun- especially Francis, aka the Pope😊. We loved the music from 3-5 and the fun vibe at the pool. Happy hour at the pool was always a good time for all ages. The food was great at the pool and sushi bar- and of course the gelato was the star of the show! The location is great and the beach was spectacular! There were 6 of us traveling together and we all had a phenomenal time! Thank you to the entire staff for another special week! ❤️D & R Edelman

Very bad service!!! We called 5x to make sure we got a ground floor room and apond arrival they tried putting us on the 7th floor after they told us we would get 2nd floor and we waited all day. A lot of hidden fees they will hit you with...

Very bad service!!! We called 5x to make sure we got a ground floor room and apond arrival they tried putting us on the 7th floor after they told us we would get 2nd floor and we waited all day. A lot of hidden fees they will hit you with at the end. We asked for ocean view but received a pool view.