The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba — Hotel in Aruba

Staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Aruba for the first time after two previous visits to the island was a highly anticipated experience, especially given our wonderful stay at the Ritz in the Cayman Islands. Unfortunately, this trip fell short of expectations in several key areas.||Upon check-in, we were informed that we would have an oceanfront view room. While we generally spend little time in our room, it's always a nice bonus. However, we were surprised to find ourselves given a limited view room instead. It felt misleading to promise one thing and deliver another, which set a somewhat disappointing tone for our stay.||The beach area staff were friendly and did their best to provide good service, but the overall experience left much to be desired. The wait times for food and drinks were frustratingly long. On multiple occasions, we found ourselves waiting 45 minutes for drinks, only to discover that our waiter had forgotten our order. This happened on different days, which was disheartening for a property of this caliber. Additionally, the staff rarely checked in with us throughout the day, which meant we often had to get up and seek service ourselves. At one point, we decided to venture further down the beach for lunch, where the food was not only better but also significantly more affordable.||The inconsistency in drink quality was another point of concern. For example, my wife would order a frozen cappuccino, and while it was prepared perfectly one day, the next day it was completely unrecognizable. This lack of consistency was frustrating, especially considering we were paying over $20 for each drink. We never complained or made a fuss, instead choosing to go with the flow, but perhaps we should have voiced our concerns given the prices we were paying.||Moreover, the cleanliness of the beach area was noticeably lacking. Each morning, we would arrive to claim our beach chairs, which we reserved through the app, only to find plastic debris and cups littering the ground beneath our seats. There were even pieces of plastic stuck in the little tables next to our chairs. It was clear that the area hadn’t been cleaned the night before. One would expect that a resort of this caliber would ensure that the beach was racked and tidied up to remove branches, leaves, and garbage, but that wasn’t the case. While not a major issue in the grand scheme of things, it did contribute to the overall impression that the Ritz-Carlton Aruba was falling short of the standards we anticipated.||Overall, the beach service at the Ritz-Carlton Aruba was disappointing and did not meet the high standards we had expected based on our previous experiences. Given the range of options available in Aruba, I would likely choose a different resort for future trips. For those considering the Ritz for a special occasion or honeymoon, be advised that despite the luxurious branding, the service may not live up to the expectations set by other Ritz properties. While we have fond memories of our time at the Ritz in the Cayman Islands and have enjoyed other stays at Ritz locations, the Aruba experience has left us feeling that there are better options...

I don’t usually write negative reviews, but I was so shocked and disappointed by the treatment we received at the Ritz Carlton Aruba that I feel compelled to share our experience.||We booked this hotel as a luxury treat for our honeymoon. Unfortunately, “lackluster” would be an understatement.||We had confirmed a 1:00 PM check-in time in advance, but upon arrival were told our room wouldn’t be ready until after 4:00 PM. When I showed the front desk staff our confirmation, I was told I was “confused” and that a 1:00 PM check-in doesn’t guarantee room readiness—communicated in an unnecessarily condescending tone. Despite this, they reassured us that we would be receiving a 7th-floor ocean view room and that it would be “worth the wait,” especially since we were celebrating our honeymoon.||While I was still at the desk, another honeymooning couple checked in. They were greeted warmly, given early check-in, and even upgraded. In the time it took me to have three separate conversations with staff, they were already heading up to their room.||When our room was finally ready, we were told there would be a long wait for our luggage, so we carried our bags up ourselves. The room was not what we were promised—it was a 5th-floor partial ocean view, not a 7th-floor ocean view. When I called the front desk, I was told to “just walk out onto the balcony and look to the right” to see the ocean. The room was clean and spacious, but there was no special touch to acknowledge our honeymoon, and the view we had booked (and were told to expect) simply wasn’t there.||I was told someone from leadership would be contacting me to follow up. No one ever did.||On Thursday morning, my husband spoke to the front desk again and explained our disappointment. They apologized and promised to send champagne and flowers to our room that evening at 7 PM. This never happened. When he called to follow up, he was met with excuses and reassured that “something special” would be done that night. Again—nothing happened.||On Saturday morning, three days into our stay, we returned from breakfast to find a small chocolate cake in the room and a printed card welcoming us to the Ritz—with both of our names spelled incorrectly. No champagne. No flowers. Just a late, generic gesture that felt like an afterthought.||Despite our frustration, we tried not to let this experience ruin our trip. The one saving grace was the exceptional service we received from the pool and bar staff. Gregory and Lyndon at the adults-only pool were absolutely incredible—warm, attentive, and genuine. They remembered our names and drinks, and they went out of their way to make us feel special. They were the true highlight of our stay and are a credit to the Ritz Carlton brand.||Overall, our experience with the front desk and concierge was well below what one should expect from a luxury hotel—let alone a Ritz Carlton. What was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon stay ended up feeling impersonal and frustrating. For the price and the brand’s reputation, we expected a far more thoughtful and...

Will start with the positive and the reason why we’re giving two stars and not zero. The service here was truly incredible—special shoutout to Lin at Solanio who made all of our breakfasts so special, especially on the mornings of my 40th birthday and my friend’s daughter’s 2nd birthday. The beach service and meals/service at BLT Steak and Casa Nonna were also excellent. I was also very grateful and impressed by the medical service provided to me for a minor health issue while we were there.

But now for the one frustrating thing we all just could not get over and really put a damper on our stay…less than two days before our arrival, we received an email letting us know that the hotel lobby would be closed during our entire stay. We had booked this trip for 9 people almost a year ago and spent a long time deliberating on whether to stay at the Ritz or the highly rated Hyatt nearby. We knew it would be very hot in September—my 70 yo mother has a heart condition and I’d be 32 weeks pregnant—so a big portion of our decision to ultimately choose the Ritz included the hotel’s beautiful air conditioned lobby and bar overlooking the ocean. Instead, with only two days notice and outside of the property’s cancellation window (which felt very intentional), we were stuck. We hoped it wouldn’t be a big deal but it was. I will say that after complaining, management did give us complimentary access to a shaded beach cabana during our stay, but that ultimately just didn’t cut it. There was nowhere to eat lunch inside, no area to enjoy the property view from inside, and the hallway where the construction was taking place was loud, smelled bad, and just felt icky when we were spending between us all nearly 20k dollars for a very special luxury vacation. The ballroom area used as a lobby/front desk was air conditioned and well appointed but in a windowless area. Car service was rerouted to a parking lot in the back so every time we returned we felt a bit like we were being brought back to a dungeon—not the luxurious 5-star property we had been so excited to enjoy. This was made worse when arriving at the Hyatt for dinner and being blown away by the resort’s breathtaking property.

So I’ll say that we left yesterday feeling just a little bit sad and cheated. There really wasn’t much they could do to fix this issue other than having been open and honest about the construction within the cancellation window and/or proactively offering a hotel credit or refund (beyond free sushi making classes and rum tastings unsuitable for pregnant guests!!) Had we known all this, we would have rescheduled or moved properties and we just can’t believe that this huge construction project was planned and scheduled just two days before it began.

Though there were many positives, and the excellent service staff is in no way to blame, we can’t in good conscience recommend this property and we...