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TUI: Retourticket Aruba
vanaf Euro 499,-
excl. € 15,- boekingskosten
en € 2,50 Calamiteitenfonds
Aruba Vakanties:
Het meest uitgebreide hotel-, uitgaans-en winkelcomplex van Aruba en exclusief voor hotelgasten, een prive-eiland. Op het gehele complex vindt u een uitgebreid winkelcentrum, diverse restaurants, bars, 2 casino's, een spa en bioscopen.
Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino comprises two buildings: the Ocean Suites and the adults-only Marina Hotel. From early morning until late night, complimentary golf-cart shuttles transport guests between the buildings, which are separated by the Aruba parliament building.
All-Inclusive is een optie. Diverse restaurants zowel in het hotel als net daar buiten.
We have been traveling to Aruba and staying / owned a week at Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino (formerly Sonesta ) for over 20 years and in the last 10 years our favorite vacation resort destination has been less than friendly and the management has been horrible and the last renovation they did was awful – something between a 1960’s motel and 1970’s modern motif - The bad news is they are going to compound this theme with even a more “new & improved” 1960’s classic style . The prior design was a warm Tropical Caribbean Ocean look that was replaced with a roadside motel look that is far from warm and actually is somewhat ugly for the area it is located . I guess some designer thought this was really modern contemporary look , but really out of place for the location – it makes you want to leave the room , instead of staying in it and relaxing – maybe that was the plan .
Our room was dirty. Several spots were never cleaned. There was dead bugs in the bed. There was black hairs in the bath (not our color of hair). The reservation never went through even though we sent an email to Liliana. However, we do love to stay at the Island Resort as we have two weeks and a one week timeshare. Of course, we will always come back to Aruba as we love the Island and the Restaurants on the island.
This was our second trip to the Renaissance Marina Hotel. We love it here! The rooms are nothing great, but they are clean and the beds are comfortable. We do not spend a lot of time in our room to worry about the decor. What we love about the Renaissance is the Private Island and the fact that the Marina hotel is adult only. We have children, but they are too young to enjoy all that Aruba has to offer. The hotel bar and pool always look so wlcoming and romantic in the evening. I love all of the candles and the blue lights. We also like the gym. I agree that the hotel staff is not the friendliest, but we have stayed at other resorts on the island and found that the staff is not all that much better. We love Goerge, who drives the boat to the private island. Now, there is a guy who loves his job. I also like the fact that we can stay at the Marina Hotel, but still go to the Renaissance Suites to swim or use the beach. Overall, we LOVE the private island. The flamingos and privacy of the island are 1st class! Plus, I like the fact that I do not have to fight for a lounge chair like we did when we stayed in Palm Beach! We cannot wait to return to the Renaissance in Aruba!
I have just read some of the reviews and was surprised. I have been going to the Renaissance for many years with my Aunt and the only complaint (if you can call it a complaint) is that no one seems to be in a hurry - isn't that part of the charm of the Arubans? With the hustle and bustle of our lives isn't it good to slow down? I am sure we will not be disappointed. We look forward to seeing Elizabeth who greats us every year with a big hug and takes very care of us (poolside).
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 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.
Stayed here many times...This was the last. We go as a grp every yr and stay all inclusive. This was the worst vac ever. we had to pay to use rafts and snorkle gear on there private island...even though it states on the website its included. The food/bev selections are very very limited. 1 sit down and order 3 buffet with the same food on the buffet every night and morning. The lounges by the pool were filthy cust serv was horrible. Not very nice nor accomadating at all. They run out of liquor, bread sticks hummus. Don't count on service by the pool on a sund before noon. Expect to pay for the sauna. All that i have mentioned above was NEVER an issue until this yr. The policy has change but the price hasn't. They never even notifie dus about the policy change even though it changed after we booked. Again I will say it was a TERRIBLE and i wish I had the money back in my acct b/c it wasn't worth the 4900
The only reason for the average rating is because of the spa, the decor is very modern and it is unique because of the private island. Other than that, we were not pleased. They were renovating the entrance so we had to catch the boat across the street, the only coffee shop was rarely open and the only place for breakfast was a buffet. We arrived right after a bad storm so the island was closed for a couple days. When we'd ask they would just say soon. Also when it did open, only the family side was open. The street noise and even the wind was loud cause the windows were not sound proof. The major disappointment was with the staff. They were not friendly at all. If you asked a question, you got a one word answer. Never did anyone at the front desk say good morning as you passed. The concierge and the manager were the rudest people I've ever met and very unaccomodating. We had a problem using the Marriott gift certificates and asked for their assistance which was useless. Finally the owner of the Havanna show told us to charge his show to our room and then pay for it using my certificates. He was very helpful and the show was great. Oh and I forgot about how small the bathtub was. It was very narrow and old, like it had been painted over and there was lousy water pressure. One day my husband wanted to take a shower before dinner and there was no water at all. A couple other times we lost power. When you'd call the desk of course it was a busy signal and if you went downstairs to ask why, they would just say they were working on it. They never offered an apology or anything extra to make up for the inconvenience. I don't think they ever vacuumed our room either cause the sand that dropped out of my bag the second day was there all week.
First off the staff was not helpful at all. While we were sitting on the private beach or by the pool, no one came to ask us if we wanted drinks. The rooms are super small. The music playing across the street was so loud until five am. We could not fall asleep and the staff really did not care about our complaints. I would never stay at this hotel again.
This resort is simply the best place in Aruba to stay. The staff is out of this world. The hotel is very clean and has NO bad smells like a lott of the others on the island. An then we could spend all day talking about the private island. The best advise I can give you is just go and stay there, you won't regret it and you will always go back like us. 7 years and counting! 5 stars
First off, the Hotel is awesome. Stayed in Feb. 2007 We had originally booked it thinking it was the L shaped hotel, which is actually called the Ocean Suites. The Marina is also Renaissance, however they are about 2 blocks apart. We were there for 10 days, and spent time at both locations and preferred the Marina over the Ocean suites. The Ocean suites are a bit older, but are bigger and cater more to the family environment with its great snake shaped pool with swim-up bar. There is also a nice man-made beach which isn't too bad, although the ocean is blocked by a walkway around, with a small bridge you can go under if you want. The Marina hotel is great and more modern if you are going as a couple. The front desk is very cool as it has 3 huge aquariums behind the desk with jellyfish swimming in a dark background. The main floor is actually the 2nd floor, which has a huge cantilevered ceiling that overhangs the lobby and Blu Bar. About ten steps up is the infamous 'infinity' pool that overlooks the marina and large cruise liners that come in. The balcony is glass and is nice as it doesn't take away from your view. At night the lobby/bar really lights up in a cool blue, and is very 'yuppy-ish' with 30-somethings all hanging around the pool/bar area. They have a huge projector that plays music videos on a white wall of the building. They play music to liven up the atmosphere too. The Marina hotel is right off the main road, so if you plan on getting an ocean view, be prepared for traffic honks (it seems customary there to give two quick honks-all the live long day) and lots of teenage engine rev'ers who think they're little import tuner cars are Ferrari's. We stayed in an upper room, facing the island, so the noise was normal as it would be at your local hotel. The Marina is shaped like a big "U" and there are rooms that face the inside lobby area. I would expect the noise to be a little higher inside also, as the music plays, and lots of people from the Mall etc. The other great thing about the Marina hotel is that the boat comes directly into the lobby to pick up people to take to the 'Renaissance Only' island. The Ocean Suites has a pick up spot for those guests too, however it is about a block from the hotel rooms, which we heard people who stayed there didn't like as mush as if they had the Marina Hotel option for pick up. The Marina Hotel is on top of the mall, which has some nice shops for gifts, and nice shopping. They had just opened a new Louis Vuitton store while we were there, which was very nice. There's a Ferragamo shop and other high-end jewelry/watch stores. If you are staying there, I HIGHLY suggest you go to the Hong Kong market to buy some snacks/beverages. Most everything in Aruba is pricey to eat out a lot. (15% Gratuity is added on 90% of dining there) The Great thing about Renaissance locations is that its the closest location to most of the shopping as it's in the heart of downtown. There are some fun shops towards the Ocean Suites part of the Renaissance, which tend to be a lot of mom-n-pop shops. The Ocean Suites lobby is very nice too, with high ceilings and drape-covered white pillars, adding to that 'modern' feel. As you're reading this, and as you've seen, there are a few places you need to go to dinner. This is the first thing I suggest you do when you arrive-make reservations for each night! The restaurant inside (well the upper mall anyway) is L.G. Smiths, who has excellent steaks and lobster. We ate there twice and had porterhouse and 10 oz. lobster tail which my wife couldn't finish! Very modern restaurant with great atmosphere. Check out the bathrooms too! If you don't eat there, just go in for a mint or something and look around. We ate at the Driftwood for seafood also, which was casual and excellent food. A little older, with an 'outside' is inside feel. Located in the GHETTO! haha. I say that with sarcasm, however the area isn't exactly 'clean'. El Gaucho's is another excellent place for an awesome steak. Guys who want a big meal go there--pleny-o'-food! Also located in a weird location, not very clean neighborhood-but then again Aruba isn't Beverly Hills either. If you want a great meal and some GREAT drinks go to Iguana Joe's located upstairs a few blocks from the Renaissance Marina Hotel. The ultimate - Anniversary, Honeymoon or whatever romantic place you can go though has to be a place called "The Lighthouse". It is located right below the California Lighthouse on the North End of the island. ($15-20 Cab ride each way from Marina Hotel) This is an Italian restaurant, but the atmosphere is phenominal. If you do go, make SURE to go right around sunset (6:30 etc) as each of the tables overlooks the ocean up on the cliff with amazing 180 degree views. Ask for an outdoor seat, which most are--but they are worth it! The outdoor 'mood' is amazing and with the trellice with vines growing up and around you will feel like royalty. Plates are in the $30+ range, but you'll never forget it! It's basically an elevated 'nice' place to eat with excellent views and a very romantic setting. It was our favorite place by far and we ate there 3 times! Now, onto the Renaissance Island. You take the (every 15 minute) boats out to the island, which is fantastic. It's not very crowded and you are greeted by Iguana's they feed off the deck. There are two sides to the resort island. As you head onto the island from the boat, the left side is for Families with a large cabana for ordering food. The right side of the island is for adults (topless) as is much less crowded. There are plenty of hammocks and chairs on each side. Every so often you'll see a waiter come out and take orders, which is nice if you want to have a fresh drink brought to you while you tan. A little side note also, on the adult side (right side-with Flamingo's) off to the far right point, which you can walk out to--about 20-30 yards directly off the point is a sunken ship! Most people didn't even know this, however my wife and I ventured out and found it after reading extensive reviews all over the web. It's really cool and there are tons of fish. There's a part of the boat that is parallel with the water, and you can actually stand up on it as it's only about 2 feet under water! (this is about 30 yards out, so it looks very cool from the beach) The ship was about 100 yards or more long, and there are octopus, Morray eels etc. Make sure to take (or rent) some goggles and fins if you do. Also on the adult side is a nice cool path through the woods that is maintained and kept clean, with ton's of lizards and little hermit crabs that come out to eat. If you go to the very end, there is a private cove with 1-2 foot aquamarine water that you can take your stuff too and just 'be alone' in your own island. Granted, no one else comes down--which is off and on. It's like a large C-shaped cove, looking directly towards the port where the cruise ships come in. The ONLY negative thing about the Renaissance Island is that its just off the flight path landing for the AIRPORT! So, the noise of the planes taking off and/or landing is a little let down, but not every day is a flight day. I can't remember what they said, but I think on Thursday's or Tuesday's, there are very few flights. We spent a majority of our time on the adult side, and it was great. ALSO! Watch out when wading/walking in the enclosed 'swimming' areas. They do have large man-placed rocks to keep out unwanted fish, but that doesn't block sea-urchins! I stepped on one and it friggin' hurts! (Like getting stung by 10-15 hornets at the same time) as the spines will get you at once. So I do recommend wearing water-shoes or something with a rubber base. If you do get stung, pour white-vinegar on it continually (every 20 mins or so) to dissolve the stingers which are implanted in the skin. The cabana should have this.(LOL) The activities on the island are great, I suggest the 4x4 jeep trip around the island, which stops at the 'natural pools' which is great, one or two of the natural bridges also. By the way, the huge natural bridge collapsed a while ago, so if you wanted to see that, you'll see it collapsed. They stop by the old church and California Lighthouse too. (they make you drive & caravan with them in their 4x4's) The horseback does this too, but man with those constant trade winds, the people we saw on horseback didn't look like they were having much fun with all the dust (let alone the SORENESS of horseback riding 'guys') you get during the trip. If you're feeling like a good party, the Tattoo cruise at night is fun and wild. It goes for several hours with dinner, lots of drinks and a midnight swim towards the end. Think of this one as a 'techno-club on water' type trip. The DePalm Catamaran snorkeling trip is great too, as you take about 4 hours and visit many great location including a sunken WWII boat that's about 400 feet long and very deep. TONS of schools of fish there, so bring an underwater cam. Lots of reefs and drinks on this one too! Food for thought: Aruba has the 2nd best water filtration in the world! (Iraq is 1st) You'll see tons of the island bottled water there, called ABU or something. We found out that it is actually just bottled from the TAP! So your hotel water is the same thing, so just buy one and refill it and keep in your fridge to keep cold. The Pipes in Aruba are all ABOVE ground, so don't expect the tap water to get very cold. Other than that, the only other things I can pass on was that the Hyatt Hotel got lots of great reviews from people we talked to also, but it was way north of most of the downtown action. But by far, the Renaissance Marina / Ocean Suites Hotel(s) were and are a great choice to stay.
My hubby and I, and my cousin and her husband vacationed in Aruba (together) to celebrate their 30th year wedding anniversary. It was the best vacation I've ever had. Everything about the hotel was excellent i.e, the location, the condition of the hotel, the staff and the food were all great. We had a fantastic time. The hotel is clean, the room was great as well. We had an ocean view room. Two of the days we enjoyed the view of a beautiful ship in port. The private island was a special treat too. I recommend the Renaissance (Marina)and we plan to visit again.
Initially, after reading prior reviews, I was very reluctant and almost sorry we were booked there. I'm so happy we didn't allow those reviews to sway our decision. Frankly, I can't imagine why anyone would have any complaints about the beautiful hotel, especially with all there is to offer. Visit and enjoy. We did!!!!!!
So here we were, 2nd week of May 2006, in this five star hotel. Situated beautifully near the Aruba coastline and surrounded with a nice palmtree garden. The rooms (or suites) were clean, cosy and has all features you may wish for. The hotel has a nice pool bar, however, breakfast was simple and was not 5 star worthy. Entertainment in hotel was zero(!) star. Near the hotel were a couple of nice restaurants but too few for a touristic place like Aruba. Entertainment could be found in the casino's if you want to be surrounded by many many many old, 70 year american people shouting to eachother. The private island which is related to the hotel was absolutely fabulous and is highly recommended. Diving may seem great however my attempt to go diving was stopped by unnecessary formal procedures, i.e. childish to my opinion. The hotel lounge is the only place which is too hot and has no airconditioning so if you excited about the high prices in Aruba do not get excited in the lounge. Hotel staff was very friendly and helpfull. The other hotel, called Renaissance Marina Hotel, is not an option...very dull, lots of shops, busy street and very moisture due the fact that it contains harbour for the hotel water taxi. Book the Renaissance Beach Hotel instead!
Van 27 febr tot 6 maart mogen vertoeven in dit fantastisch resort. Onze dochter is vanuit Beachresort getrouwd. In n woord superbe. Ook het personeel een hele grote pluim; uiterst behulpzaam maar gelukkig niet bij het slaafse af en ook over vriendelijkheid valt niet te discuseren. De launches waren uiterst relaxed en ruim in (drank-)aanbod. De grote troef in handen van dit resort is het prive-strand. Een waar natuurparadijs met uiteraard prima zwemcondities. De boottrip daar naar toe had wat ons betreft gerust wat langer kunnen zijn. Want daarmee begint het genieten al.
Dit was onze eerste maal dat we Aruba hebben bezocht en op voorhand hadden wij al gezegd dat dit waarschijnlijk ook de enigste keer zou zijn. Maar daar zijn we van teruggekomen. Aruba is ons dusdanig bevallen, en niet in de laatste plaats door Renaissance, dat we zeker nog een keer terugkomen.
My daughter was married on August 27, 2005 on the private island at the Marriott Renaissance in Aruba. We had 92 people fly to Aruba so the pressure was on to make sure that everyone had a great time. Angela Hagedoorn was our wedding planner and she did an excellent job. It was a beautiful ceremony and we were very happy with everything!
We first went to Aruba in April 05, to see the island, choose place settings, menus, flowers, arrangements and music. Angela had everything ready for us so that we made all the decisions in one day. We were able to see the different room options at the hotel, so that we could recommend to all of our guests and family members the best place for them to stay.
During the time between April and August 27th Angela worked very hard to make sure that we had everything that we wanted. My husband wanted a special kind of red wine, Cuban cigars, and espresso coffee. Angela was able to fulfill all these requests.
We arrived in Aruba the Wednesday before the wedding. Angela met us at the airport and assured us on the ride to the hotel that everything was on schedule and running smoothly. We had itineraries and different items that needed to be in the rooms as people arrived (since we had so many people coming, they were arriving at all different times). Angela had this all coordinated and everyone had everything that they needed.
On Thursday we met with the band leader from The Party Posse. He assured us that he could play anything that we wanted.
On Friday night we had a buffet dinner on the lawn by the Beach Suites. The tables and chairs were covered in white and there were tropical flowers and colorful overlays on all the buffet tables. There were tikki torches and little white lights everywhere. We had the Caribbean Barbecue, which was amazing. There was a steel band, a limbo show, which everyone loved, and Coconut Charlie who cut open coconuts for kids of all ages. It was a great warm up party and I think we all thought it couldnt get any better.
On Saturday morning, Angela had all the tuxedos and dresses pressed and in the proper rooms. She had a conference room off of the lobby complete with snacks, drinks, and a room full of hairdressers and make-up artists ready to make the bridal party breathtaking. We had the bride, 5 bridemaids, sister of the bride and mother of the bride to complete and we were all finished in plenty of time. Angela had all the flowers waiting in our room, where the girls all went to get dressed. She took all the favors, the bubbles, reception cameras and the card box with her to have over on the island and ready.
Angela had strict instructions for all of our guests to be in the lobby at the proper time in order to get them all to the island well before my daughter would come down. We had it written on the itinerary and she also made a call to each room to remind everyone not to be late. No one was. She took all the guests in the Sub Seeker, which is covered so that there would be no hair or dress mishaps.
After all the guests left the lobby, Angela called up to the room to have us all come down. We took the small boat over to the island. We all sat up in the front of the boat so that no ones hair would get messed up. There were 7 girls and plenty of room so that we would not get wet.
We had a light string jazz ensemble playing for the ceremony. It was the perfect musical touch. They played light jazz as everyone was getting seated, and then the traditional music as the procession started. It was breathtaking. The blessing was beautiful, with lighting of candles, offerings of flowers to moms, and exchanging of rings.
Everything was timed out perfectly for the pictures in the sunset. The sunset was so beautiful that it looks like a backdrop in the pictures.
Then, THE PARTY. It was great. The band was fabulous, they played Caribbean music and party favorites and everyone was dancing. The trees all had white lights, we chose black tablecloths and chair covers with gold bows. It looked great against the white sand.
We partied late into the night. The older folks were able to go back to the hotel whenever they wanted. Some of the younger ones staying and even went in the water for a swim.
On Sunday, Angela did it again. We had a buffet brunch out by the pools on the beach side. There was an abundance of food and drink for all. The tables and chairs were all covered in white and the chairs had light blue bows, which looked great against the water.
The photographer did an amazing job. When I went home on the following Wednesday, Angela had all the photos already in a beautiful book, and she also gave us a disc with all the pictures on it. This was a great surprise, to have them so soon and be able to get them reprinted for everyone.
The Party Posse was a great band. They had the whole party, no matter the age, up and enjoying the music.
The Renaissance was a great place to have a wedding. We had the whole island to ourselves for the whole night, and did not have to share with other brides or curious outsiders.
Angela was an angel through the whole process. She thought of everything before we did and she made it all happen at the perfect time. She is an A+++ wedding planner. We would recommend her again to everyone we know.
Thank you Angela and the Renaissance for making my daughters wedding a wonderful memory for everyone that was there.
Just returned from 8 days of relaxation at the Renaissance Aruba Resort (Ocean View). We have stayed at the Marriott a few years ago, and took the tour for the Marriott Timeshare. The Renaissance is a great value and has many more positives than the Marriott, one not being the overal quality of the room. We feel that the Marriott Timeshare has more modern rooms, yet it is fairly remote being one of the last hotels on the beach. The Renaissance is right in the middle of downtown where you have some excellent restaurants and shops within a very short walk. The rooms are good, not great, but the Private Island is excellent and very clean. The hotel is only 2 miles from the airport, has two gyms for those of us who are trying to shed the meals from the night before, and has fairly decent pools at the hotel itself. The staff were friendly and will setup any of the offsite activities that you want to attend--did Parasailing on Eagle Beach....excellent.
We went to Aruba in June of 2004. We stayed at the timeshare Renaissance which is a few blocks from the main hotel. The room was very spacious and all of the staff was very helpful and freindly. We did encounter a problem with the concierge service making our dinner reservations. I finally ended up calling the restaurants myself. The private beach (a 5-10 minute water taxi ride) was great because it was never that crowded and the adult side was very quiet because of the absence of kids. There are ants on the private beach so make sure to bring some bug spray however it still did not deter us from going there everyday. You can hear planes taking off every once in awhile but after a few days you don't seem to notice it.
The great thing about staying at this hotel is that it is within walking distance of Oranjestad and all the wonderful shops it has to offer. This perk to us was better than not having a beach right outside of the hotel. We had no trouble with checking in, room noise, or checking out. If we ever go back to Aruba, this is our hotel of choice.