Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino, Oranjestad

I did the all inclusive package with the resort back in May. I went to visit the resort to research for my destination wedding next year. Although the hotel is undergoing renovations, it is quite old and not as fancy looking as other resorts that I visited. There is no beach on the resort, you take a boat ride to get to the beach and must return back by 7pm or so or you will get stuck there overnight. The food was ok, no room service included in the all-inclusive. I mostly ate at the seafood buffet for convenience. The LG Smith steak house was nice but you can only eat the same food for so many days. It would be nice if more options were provided. For the most part the staff are friendly and helpful. On another note - the wedding coordinator I met with has some great reviews but was not as friendly as I heard him to be from reading reviews online. His follow up and attention to detail is not great and has made me re-consider this resort as an option. Large potential business lost!

I really do not know where to start. I used to love this hotel. Booked the room with price line. When we went to check in they tried to hit us with a $25.00 a night fee. The woman behind the desk who's name is Moon was extremely rude. She took our papers and disappeared for 45 min. She them did this again. It took us 2 hours tot check in with an upgrade to our room. The room was oceanview right in front of the jack hammers in full bloom. Oh yes plus there is construction in the lobby and things floating in the water where you catch the boat to their island. They sent us a plate of cheese and fruit with a bottle of wind. The fruit and cheese were sour and the wine glasses dirty. Last but not least were the bugs we found in our room. Oh and Al the manager was not accommodating at all. This was a trip for my 25th anniversary. They totally ruined my trip. Construction in the lobby.

This was our second time staying at the Marina..The food choices have changed and very limited. We walked across to the ocean suites for the buffet which is included only to find no food. Paying for the raft on a private beach seems crazy. It's 5 a day per person and in the past was included. In 4 years the food and drink have become so limited we would not return. The service is very very slow even by island standard. I complained to the manager about the lack of food at the buffet and was told they didn't expect that many people. We will return to Aruba love the people and island but not to the Marina

Been a repeat guest for sev yrs to this resort and this was our last. I travel with a lg group and we had our worst vacation experience ever. All inclusive it wasn't. We had to pay for the sauna, rafts on the private island, snorkle gear. Even though the website says its all included...you get to eat in your chouce of 3 buffets with the same food every night! And its not greta...the steak house sounds like a awesome thing until you get there and see your "special" menu. You get bottom shelf liquor and bad customer serv. they run out of alchol on sundays and there is "NOTHING" they can do abot it until Mon b/c its locked up. You cannot get service by the pool on sun until noon and if you don't mind waitinf like 20 min for a drink than your ok. The nightlife is NOTHING! the surrounding area used to be jumping...lots to see and do...most stores are closed and its like a ghost town. It was such a waste of money. I am so disappointed it sickens me. I could not wait to return home to my crazy house with all my kids....I know...it was bad....We travel 3 times a yr and I have NEVER xperienced anything like this ever. Even when I spoke to the mng he did nothing....it was horrible....oh and they "acidently charged our credit card a total of 550$ and they didn't know why. SERIOSLY......go to aruba but stay somewhere else!!!!

Dislike you have to pay for all water sports.Dinner inLG Smith only 3 choice on menu.Liquior only bottem shelf .Must pay for good scotch,gin and vodka

We had stayed at the Marriot on Palm beach a few years ago, and thought staying in the city and enjoying the private island might be a new experience. The private island was terrific for families and was easy to get to using the water taxi. We also found the resort staff to be friendly and helpful. The hotel itself, however, was older and the rooms were small. One big disadvantage was that everything in the room tended to feel damp all the time. Anything that came into the room wet (bathing suits, towels, etc. never dried! My son has allergies to mold, and by day three we were using his inhaler daily. We had beautiful weather, and had visited the island previously during the same time period without this problem. The other Marriot is much nicer and in a more desirable location. It is easy to get around with a car, so don't feel like you have to book some of the tours. Everything is very accessable. One note- We had previously visited the Natural bridge and were very suprised to go there and learn that it had fallen a few years ago and is no longer there! Only danger signs and fencing where it once was. It is still touted as a place to visit on maps etc. Kind of silly.

We stayed at the Renaissance during the Summer of 2008. It was one of the best vacations we have ever taken. The room was average, but amenities were outstanding. The pickk-up/drop-off boat taxi (takes you to the Renaissance private island) was really nice. The hotel had great restaurants, pools, activities and beaches. I have recommended this place to friends and family and can't wait to go back. The hotel's location allows you to get the true island experience, as it is a couple of miles away from the high rises and more crowded beaches. The private island is excellent for adults and children. We loved snorkeling beyond the rock barrier, the various species of fish were amazing.

This place charged for all but breathing. Don't pick up the phone. It will cost you a dollar. make a local call and it will cost you $12 to order pizza...for the call! Its $5 to rent a flotation device. Couple that with the price of things on this island and you are crazy to go from the U.S. Couple all this with poor service, a washer and dryer a half mile walk back and forth down the hall, and a small room. Not a horrible place mind you...just could do as well for vacation for a quarter the price.

My husband and I spent our Honeymoon in Aruba - it was beautiful weather and we enjoyed all the wonderful outdoor activities. The Renaissance was just average. We stayed at the beach front towers and had a pool side balcony. It's an older hotel and the hallways and rooms were musty smelling. We were comfortable in our room with plenty of room for two - bedroom, bathroom and living area complete with a mini kitchen area. We spent most of our time sight seeing and our accommodations were a wedding gift so we were thrilled to have it. We've stayed at an amazing resort in Mexico and this just did not compare. The drinks were very good. Service at the concierge desk was great and extremely helpful. The pool area is wonderful. We really enjoyed watching the iguanas all around. We ate at a few of the small restaurants in the mall across the walkway - very good. The Renaissance was very conveniently located and we walked into the downtown area several times. Overall we had a nice honeymoon. Wished we had stayed in the high rise section of hotels but like I said our accommodations were free! We loved the Jeep tour to the Natural Pool but it's not for the weak at heart - the drive to the pool is very bumpy to say the least! The pool is amazing and was the best part of our trip. We would also highly recommend The Flying Fishbone restaurant. Amazing table IN the water! Baby Beach is also a must see! Just beautiful! I would probably not recommend Aruba for a honeymoon either - especially if you want to feel special - every couple there seemed to be on there honeymoon too! Kinda put a damper on that special feeling! I don't think we would return to Aruba - once was enough for us and we have lots of other places on our wish list!

My review: Great hotel. I stayed on the Marina side. Please note before you go, this is an URBAN hotel. Right in the heart of downtown. I really liked that, but if you are looking for quiet and tranquil, this may not be the spot for you. Loved the pool, the food from the bar and the staff was very accomodating and very nice and friendly. We had a corner room, so it was extra roomy. The private beach is a short 10 minute boat ride away. Very nice, all the comforts you need there (food, drink, bathroom) . And, there really are flamingos walking on Flamingo beach! I would recommend: Iganua Joe's for a cheap lunch alternative, great breakfast at the Dutch Pancake House, we had 2 great dinners at Cuba's Cooking and Flying Fishbone. This was a perfect choice for my husband and I looking for an "adults only" vacation! Aruba weather is truly beautiful. Just keep in mind if you go here, this is not a "beach front" hotel; and it is "loud", because of it's location in town. The trade-off is you get to be in walking distance to great shopping and great restaurants...saves you a ton of $$ on those over-priced hotel restaurants and all the cabs!