Embassy Suites by Hilton Aruba Resort — Hotel in Aruba

I almost didn’t write this review but after one month later I’m still very frustrated and upset with the way my family and I were treated by this hotel. I was traveling with my husband and two children 5yrs old and 1yr old for reference. By the way we’ve traveled to many countries and we’ve stayed in high and low places before. This hotel takes the cake though. It’s already hard enough to travel with children. Once we got to our room, our first impression was perfect. We were on the first floor right next to the pool and the room was nice. The same day we checked in we were by the pool all day until we were ready for bed we started noticing the AC wasn’t adjusting to the temperature we set at 72 F. It was staying at 64 which is freezing and it was constantly on. By the time we noticed we already had our kids ready for bed and we were all tired at this point. So we called the front desk to let them know that our room was freezing cool. So they said they can send someone to come and check it out. Two maintenance men came into the room to figure out what’s going on and try to fix it. They brought a ladder to check the ceiling and it was already not looking good. They said that the wiring wasn’t connected to the thermostat and if the temperature doesn’t move up then we need to call back the front desk. At this point lights are out and we’re checking the temperature periodically and it hasn’t moved up. My family wasn't prepared to be sleeping in an ice box. For a hotel that cost +550 per night the AC shouldn’t be a problem. Around an hour or less we called the front desk back and told them the issue hasn’t been resolved. So they said they could give us a new room. My husband and I decided that we’ll just stay for now because our kids were tired and they just wanted to sleep. Plus we have luggage’s we would need to pack back up and it’s too much to do at 10pm. So we asked for more blankets for now to get us through the night for now. Knowing we have kids the front desk brought us 1 blanket. There are 4 people on the reservation and they brought us 1. The next day we spent most of our time at the pool and we were still in contact/chatting with management in regards to the issue they said they can give us an “upgraded” room from the one we have. I explicitly expressed that I did not want that I liked the location we were which was on the first floor close to the pool so they said they can get us one on the first floor but it wouldn’t be ready yet. Plus we already had plans for the late afternoon so we didn’t have the luxury to wait around and pack again and than unpack and than get my kids ready and our self’s. The fact that this was dragging out while I’m on vacation is frustrating enough. At this point I told them we’ll just take your “upgraded” room (ocean view). Which by the way looks exactly like the previous room but it’s on the fourth floor. It was a lot further away from the pool and everything else. I’m very disappointed on how they managed the issue and as soon as we moved they had a bunch of people looking and trying to fix the issue in our original room. Normally there would be some sort of resolution but it wasn’t what I wanted. We came to enjoy and have a good time. I asked for a one nights refund because of the inconvenience they caused my family and I on our first night there. They didn’t seem to agree. I thought that was fair. I wasn’t even asking for an “upgraded” room or so they say. Don’t stay here unless you want to be mistreated, dismissed and under valued. Breakfast was ok. They do have this free drinks from 5-7pm one per person, which is alright, I guess. The beach was beautiful at sunset but it’s really small and rocky. Also you can’t see the shore from an ocean view. Also I thought I would be getting a pack and play kind of crib instead I got a crib with wheels so the bed wasn’t low enough. So my son was able to climb out of it. This place was so much worse than the Airbnb we stayed at. The pool, the location and the breakfast is the only reason why I’m...

CONS Aruba in General: Please do not waste your money or time patronizing this resort or Aruba!! Trust me on this…make sure you inform your friends and family as well. From my direct experience the majority of Aruba islanders are indifferent and have borderline sullen attitudes, which in turn equates to very very poor customer service!!

The water here is beautiful but very rough and rocky in most areas. Also, the wind blows constantly all day long…. all year long, which means you never truly have peace and calm. Choose your vacation island somewhere else.

I truly wish that someone had informed me about all of the above before booking my trip.

Now let's get to the Embassy Suites Resort Aruba!!!!

CONS HOTEL: Front Desk Staff / Wait Staff/ Bar Staff: The Hilton brand name should be ASHAMED to have their name attached to this resort.

If you are used to receiving at least basic customer service with a SMILE (I would even take a fake smile) at a hotel/resort this is NOT the place for you. This resort fails at delivering even the minimal level of customer service. Staff at the resort were not friendly and rarely acknowledged you. The staff intentionally walk and look in a different direction so that they do not have to give service to guests…..and they do not discriminate. All are victims to this poor service.

The front desk staff at ES were not knowledgeable about basic resort functions and did not have any motivation to present information beneficial to your stay. The gentlemen at the front did not know what the activities were for the current day or the week. He reluctantly pulled up the activities and printed it out and just handed it over to me without any explanation of the schedule. The schedule had only three (3) activities for the entire week which made his lack of knowledge even more absurd.

Breakfast-Evening Happy Hour -Hotel Food: The hotel offers free breakfast, and an evening happy hour for guests. Yes, this sounds good on paper from an advertising perspective, but please beware and do not fall for the okie doke.

All the food at ES was basic, bland, and boring. Don't believe the Omelet or French Toast hype from previous reviews...it was a soggy wanna be french toast mess. The omelets did not have all fresh ingredients and were basic, and lacked flavor. Also, BEWARE of the omelet nazi. She was rougher around the edges than a bat with rusty nails.

Oh!! And I can not forget the fake Happy Hour aka Happen-Less Hour drink ticket fiasco. You have to go to the front desk every day to pick up tickets for sugary, watered down, almost no alcohol cocktail made with below the bottom of the shelf under the floor liquor.

The wine, beer, and rail liquor selections were all the cheapest variety with horrible taste.

If you are going to provide a complimentary happy hour please take the guest into consideration and not just the frugality of the hotel.

Pros: Housekeeping Staff / Bellman

The housekeeping staff and bellman were the most genuine, friendly, and knowledgeable staff on this property. They performed their job exceptionally well and with a smile.

The Bellman, specifically Marc, gave important information regarding the hotel and answered general customer service questions without hesitation.

This was overall the worst vacation stay I have experienced in my almost 50 years on this earth.

Embassy Suites please find new recipes, chefs, staff, servers, or just someone customer service oriented that can show paying vacationers good hospitality. PROPER TRAINING IS...

This was our first trip to the Caribbean, to Aruba, and to a resort of sorts, and it was an overall excellent experience. We would definitely stay here again. First, the pros - the Embassy Suites has a beautiful pool with lots of seating, it is super easy to walk to their beach across the street, and the location is good in general (there is a bus stop across the street, and it's a flat, pleasant 20-30 minute walk to the big restaurant area. The room was clean and just the right size for a family of three (we got the two-queen bed option) and every room has a balcony that is pleasant to sit on. There is a free happy hour from 5-6:30, and the free breakfast had something for everyone and was quite generous.

The pool stays open until 10pm, and we swam every evening and it is not at all crowded then and very pleasant.

All of our interactions were great (there was an especially kind and friendly housekeeper on our floor). This place was just fancy enough to make us feel like we were living the high life, and affordable enough that we could enjoy it. We didn't want to leave Aruba.

There were a few cons that I want to mention. Originally, we were put in a room on the sixth floor, and there was a really strong mildew-y smell. The room also had a dehumidifier running, which seemed... odd? My husband and son did not think the smell was that distracting, but I could barely sleep the first night. I happened to see our next door neighbors and they confirmed that their room smelled as well. There was nothing visibly wrong with the room (but it was facing towards the island and not towards the ocean). So we asked to be switched and I have to say that the staff at the desk were so kind and willing to help us. Luckily there was a room, and we were moved to a third floor room with a pool/ocean view, and there was no smell! So I don't know if this is the whole sixth floor, or just a weird moment in time. But figured I'd share.

Second, the breakfast service has some logistical issues. It's crowded and there are a lot of people. The women who do the custom omelettes are amazing and quick, but even so, a line develops - since this is so popular, maybe add a person? Also, the plates are all stored UNDER the food, which means you basically have to crouch down and butt in line to get to a plate to use. I can't help feeling there could be some more efficient ways to organize the flow of people at breakfast. Likewise, the happy hour is designed, I think, to prevent you from actually eating any of the food. There are two bars and you could easily spend a half hour standing in line for a drink (people start to line up before 5:00). There are also two food stations that have cheese and chips and so on, and it's like watching a game show as people try to shovel enough Doritos onto a tiny plate to snack on, using inefficient tongs. Smart people go outside and get the paper cups you can use by the pool and fill those instead.

If you are new to resort life, like we were, also know that people go early and get their towels to claim their space at the pool. We never really had a problem finding a seat there or at the beach, but if you want a cabana, this is the tactic you have to use.

Overall, a wonderful experience and I...