The Best Resorts to Book in Aruba, the Caribbean

It’s fairly small compared with the supers on the shores nearby, but this place packs a punch on white-sand Palm Beach, amid the bustling high-rise zone. Among its 214 rooms of contemporary-beachy decor – wicker furniture, tropical-pattern fabrics – are some with kitchen facilities ideal for families. There are two pools (one with a waterfall, one adults-only), and you can reserve a private palapa hut. Pep things up with a little adventure: watersports activities can be booked on the beach where, for the less-intrepid, there’s a popular bar, too.

Unfurling beside mellow Manchebo Beach, this resort and spa specialises in relaxed luxury – admire its freshwater infinity pool – and laid-back Caribbean hospitality. With hammocks, a cocktail bar and à la carte dining, indulgence is the watchword – the open-air Spa del Sol even has beach cabanas where couples come for sensuous massages. The chilled atmosphere permeates the peaceful rooms in low-rise blocks, where you sleep deeply and wake in time for daily sunrise yoga and pilates on the beach, if that’s your bag.

Need an all-inclusive hotel for a destination wedding? La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino has the goods. With its own chapel and a casino – even a kids club – everyone’s happy. Home to 449 rooms, it’s not an intimate affair – particularly during late afternoon happy hour at the Pata Pata bar. But it is all-embracing, with a large lagoon pool and waterfall, a waterslide, hot tubs, basketball nets and a fully equipped gym. If you’re feeling lucky tonight, the Glitz Casino has you sorted for slots, sports betting, table games – and karaoke.

For something beyond the Aruba-resort norm, there’s Divi Dutch Village, on the west coast, far from the commercial scrum – with its low-rise pastel architecture; the whole Druif Beach area appeals to visitors looking for privacy. The 123 suites (studio, one- and two-bedroom options) occupy a garden setting very close to the beach, and you can access facilities at neighbouring hotels. You don’t need to leave the area for shopping and bars – the harbour has a lively market selling tax-free perfume, jewellery and cosmetics, while souvenir stores peddle leather and handicrafts. You could, though, if you want, take a bike and follow the coast for 20 minutes to Eagle Beach.

Built in 1959, the Hilton was Aruba’s first real resort, hence its prime position at the southern end of Palm Beach. There are 357 spacious rooms, with modern amenities, in three towers, with easy access to landscaped lawns and a pair of serpentine pools. The Palm Beach action is handily close, but you might never leave the resort – not with two bars (ergo happy hours aplenty), three restaurants, a casino open from noon until the wee hours and a club for kids, who’ll love the hotel bird-whisperer and the daily conversations he has with his parrots.

Located downtown, in Oranjestad’s bustling cruise port, this upmarket property is handy for Flamingo Beach and the Renaissance Mall. Since it was designed as two zones – adults only and family-friendly – guests can enjoy the facilities without any cramping of style. There are nine places to eat and drink (including a steakhouse, a pizza joint and a Starbucks), plus a 24-hour casino and a spa: try an outdoor treatment at the Spa Cove, hidden among mangroves on the hotel’s 40 acre private island, reached by free water taxi.

Amid the bustling high-rise zone, the Courtyard by Marriott Aruba Resort backs onto Palm Beach, allowing you direct access to its white sands. Front-row loungers can be reserved for a fee; chairs further back are free on a first-come, first-served basis. With 148 guest rooms, the hotel doesn’t feel cramped, even as you make new friends during fitness classes, or happy hour at the swim-up bar. With a restaurant, bar, and a kids club, there is plenty to do, including ordering room-service lazily to your private terrace.

Renovated in 2018, this popular property saw many rooms upgraded with modern kitchen facilities and outdoor space. Which makes it ideal for families, as does the 150ft (46m) water slide, snaking into a pool where there’s a shallow counterpart for tots. Adults love the swim-up bar with its twice-daily happy hours and live music at weekends. At the other end of the resort try the more relaxed second pool, with a waterfall and spa, colonised by couples and serious sunbathers. Or take the free shuttle to Eagle Beach (five minutes away on foot).

With just 72 rooms, this family-run hotel leaves a small footprint on the sands of Eagle Beach, and guests are rewarded with complimentary wifi to enjoy by the waterfall pool. The architecture is Dutch, and traditional wells and flower-filled wheelbarrows forge an unpretentious authenticity that sets the place apart from the generic chains that dominate the strip. The friendly concierge can help with free snorkel gear and bike hire. Of the two restaurants we prefer the one on the sands for a lovey-dovey dinner under a palm-frond palapa. Of the two bars, visit the terrace one, to mingle over sunset cocktails.